In this episode we answer emails from Thirsty Horse, Mark, and Mike. We discuss a wise friend and lessons on clarity, happiness, and preparing for the end, how we got involved with the Father McKenna Center and Fairfax CASA, and dig into the real work behind CASA and foster care. Then we pivot back to practical investing and tax planning without shortcuts.

Links:

Fairfax CASA Donation Page: Donate - Fairfax CASA

Choose FI Episode on The Five Regrets of the Dying (and Mamie): Top Five Regrets of the Dying | Book Club | Ep 574

Breathless Unedited AI-Bot Summary:

You can have a rock-solid retirement portfolio and still miss the whole point. We start with a final push for Mary’s Fairfax CASA fundraiser, then share why a Court Appointed Special Advocate matters for kids in the foster care system and what real advocacy looks like when courts, schools, and social services move slowly. Mary also tells a case outcome that sticks with you: a child moving from neglect and instability to a stable home after a parent does the hard work over years.

From there, we answer a listener who asks the question behind so many “financial independence” plans: how do you decide what level of time, emotional commitment, and responsibility you can take on? Frank revisits the story of Mamie McCoy and the urgency that comes with a finite life, then we get concrete about the skills that make a strong CASA and the traits that help foster parents provide stability, empathy, and advocacy for children affected by trauma.

We also handle classic Risk Parity Radio topics for the DIY investor: sustainable withdrawal rates, asset allocation, and diversification. We talk through an equity-heavy portfolio that adds long-term Treasuries like VGLT for recession insurance, plus our simple “give away 1% of your portfolio each year” goal for intentional generosity. Finally, we take on portfolio automation, rebalancing, and a big tax-planning mistake: discounting traditional IRA balances by a made-up percentage instead of modeling taxes properly and considering Social Security timing.

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