The first five years after you stop working can make or break your retirement—not because of how much you saved, but because of how you start spending it.

Listen in as Jacob breaks down the big shifts that hit early retirees: your investments now need to fund income (and sequence-of-return risk matters), you need a clear income plan with a five-year runway, and this may be the best tax-planning window you’ll ever get before Social Security and RMDs show up. He also explains why spending is often higher than expected early on and why flexibility matters. Finally, he warns against making permanent moves—investment, lifestyle, or relationship decisions—based on temporary market conditions or the emotional adjustment of retirement.

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Email: jacob@rivertreewealth.com

Website: https://www.rivertreewealth.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobduke

Jacob Duke, CFP, MBA is the founder of Rivertree Wealth and the host of the Retirement Answers podcast.

DISCLAIMER: This should not be taken as tax, legal, or investment advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

Tune to find out:

00:00 Intro

01:20 Shift From Saving

02:19 Sequence Risk Explained

06:01 Income Runway Buckets

09:29 Tax Planning Window

13:28 Roth Conversion Strategy

16:17 Flexible Spending Plan

19:44 Avoid Permanent Moves

24:33 Final Thoughts Next Steps