The first half of 2026 is ending. But there’s another whole half of the year ahead. Remember your New Year’s resolutions? A fading memory, but there are aspirations in them that you can bring to life in the second half.

Join me for a free 60-minute FREE small group workshop on how to apply Stanford’s BJ Fogg’s 3-step habits process to three things you’d like to start in the second half of 2026.

July 1st | 12:00 Eastern | Zoom Sign up here

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Let’s face it. We spend years preparing for a career and almost no time preparing for the decades that follow. In this episode, investor advocate Pam Krueger, founder and CEO of Wealthramp and creator of PBS’s MoneyTrack, rejoins us to reframe what retirement readiness really means. The conversation moves from the money (why diversification is a verb; why the sequence of your returns matter; and why the saving habit that built your wealth has to be unlearned to spend it) to the life side of the equation (the “dimmer switch” alternative to the on/off switch of a traditional retirement, and the conversation couples should not skip).

The big idea Pam shared today is optionality: instead of planning toward a single date or a magic number to hit, build a plan that’s resilient enough to flex as life changes, because it will. It’s a practical, candid look at designing the kind of next chapter you’ll love to get to live.

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Bio

Pam Krueger is an investor advocate, personal finance journalist, and author with over 25 years of industry experience. She’s the founder and CEO of Wealthramp, a fee-only financial advisor referral service built on a foundation of trust, transparency, and consumer protection. Since 2019, Wealthramp has connected nearly 30,000 people to right-fit advisors and coaches.

Pam is also the creator and co-host of the award-winning MoneyTrack series on PBS and the Friends Talk Money podcast. She’s a two-time Gracie Award winner and earned the NAPFA Special Achievement Award for championing fiduciary financial advice. Her work is widely respected for its transparency and focus on helping people achieve financial confidence.

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For More on Pam Krueger

Wealthramp

Pam’s first visit with us is here

(She describes her approach to vetting financial advisors in the second half of the conversation)

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Other Retirement Podcast Conversations You’ll Love

What If Retirement Is the Wrong Goal? – John Coleman

Design a Phased Retirement – Anna Rappaport

The Second Curve of Life – Arthur C. Brooks

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Retiring Soon?

Do Your Due Dilligence:

Best Books for Retirement

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Wise Quotes

On a Balanced Aproach to Retirement Planning

“Financial plans are going to fail when life plans were never discussed.”

On a Gradual Shift to Retirement

“Retirement planning can be put on a dimmer switch. That’s why we have dimmer switches. When you let go of that on-off switch, you’re letting go of so much more than the grueling workday…If optionality is your goal, you’re going to be in a heck of a better position.”

On Shifting from Saving to Spending

“The very habit that helped you build wealth suddenly changes to a whole new strategy.”

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About The Retirement Wisdom Podcast

There are many podcasts on retirement, often hosted by financial advisors with their own financial motives, that cover the money side of the street. This podcast is different. You’ll get smarter about the investment decisions you’ll make about the most important asset you’ll have in retirement: your time.

I help people who are retiring, but aren’t quite done yet, discover what’s next and build their custom version of their next life. A meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident.Schedule a call today to discuss how the Designing Your Life process created by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans can help you make your life in retirement a great one — on your own terms.

About Your Podcast Host

Joe Casey is an executive coach who helps people design their next life after their primary career and create their version of The Multipurpose Retirement.™ He created his own next chapter after a 26-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking.Joe has earned Master’s degrees from the University of Southern California in Gerontology (at age 60), the University of Pennsylvania, and Middlesex University (UK), a BA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and his coaching certification from Columbia University.In addition to his work with clients, Joe hosts The Retirement Wisdom Podcast, ranked in the top 1% globally in popularity by Listen Notes, with over 2 million downloads. Business Insider recognized Joe as one of 23 innovative coaches who are making a difference. He’s the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy.

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The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Retirement Wisdom Podcast are solely those of the guests and do not reflect the opinion of the host or Retirement Wisdom, LLC. The Retirement Wisdom Podcast primarily covers the non-financial aspects of retirement. From time to time we may invite guests who discuss other aspects of retirement planning, solely for educational purposes. Listeners are advised to consult qualified financial and/or medical professionals on those matters.________________________