Roger Whitney explores the relationship between cost and value in retirement planning, focusing on how to better understand the fees associated with financial advice, investments, and insurance products. Using a listener question about an annuity recommendation as a starting point, he explains why investors need clarity around what they are paying so they can determine whether they are receiving enough value in return. Roger also answers listener questions about transitioning into retirement, creating an income strategy before Social Security begins, and shares more decluttering wins from the community.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

(00:00) Roger introduces the idea that understanding value requires first understanding price, and explains why investment and advisory fees can often feel difficult to identify.

RETIREMENT TOOLKIT

(02:49) Roger explores the relationship between price and value in financial planning, using a listener question about annuities to explain how advisor fees, investment expenses, and compensation structures work. He encourages listeners to understand what they are paying in dollar terms so they can determine whether the value they receive aligns with the cost.

LISTENER QUESTIONS

(26:23) A listener asks for guidance on navigating the emotional transition during the final year before retirement and how to "land the plane" well.
(33:00) Roger shares listener feedback from his healthcare episode.
(33:40) Roger addresses a question about whether paying for family vacations should count toward annual gifting limits.
(35:08) Molly asks how to structure retirement withdrawals before claiming Social Security, and Roger shares his approach to creating an income reserve.

SMART SPRINT

(37:41) Take 20–30 minutes this week to identify the fees associated with your investments or financial advice and convert them into dollar amounts so you can better evaluate the value you receive.

DECLUTTERING DEBRIEF

(38:55) Roger shares listener success stories inspired by the decluttering series.

REFERENCES

livewithroger.com — Register for Noodle Live on June 18!
Submit a Question for Roger
Sign up for The Noodle

Note: The opinions expressed are for informational purposes only and should not replace personalized advice from licensed professionals.