How do you know whether you have enough money to retire? And what questions should you be asking your financial advisor?

In this episode of Upticks, Jake Falcon is joined by Jake Cross, CFP®, Director of Financial Planning and Partner at Falcon Wealth Advisors, to answer common financial planning questions.

They discuss why comparing your savings with others can be misleading, how to determine retirement readiness using spending and cash flow, and why a financial plan should guide investment decisions rather than simply chasing returns.

They also explore long-term care insurance, healthcare costs, tax planning, artificial intelligence, speculative investments, and why regular financial planning meetings remain important even when life seems unchanged.
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https://falconwealthadvisors.com/retiring-right-e-book.html?utm_source=libsyn&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=rr_ebook

📩 Question for Jake and Cory? Email Luke → luke@falconwealthadvisors.com

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#retirementplanning #financialplanning #retirementincome #wealthmanagement #uptickspodcast

How do investment professionals evaluate individual stocks, and what matters most when deciding whether a company belongs in a portfolio?

In this episode of Upticks, Jake Falcon is joined by Falcon Wealth Advisors' Chief Investment Officer, Conner Hanlon, CFA®, for a conversation about the financial markets and the research behind investment decisions.

They discuss corporate earnings, AI infrastructure spending, inflation, higher interest rates, geopolitical developments, and the risks associated with concentrated market exposure. Conner also walks through how the investment team evaluates potential holdings, including diversification, financial performance, debt, management, and long-term business prospects.

The discussion concludes with their outlook for 2027 and how AI-driven productivity could influence companies across different industries.
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📘 Get your complimentary guide to retirement
https://falconwealthadvisors.com/retiring-right-e-book.html?utm_source=libsyn&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=rr_ebook

📩 Question for Jake and Cory? Email Luke → luke@falconwealthadvisors.com

📰 Get Jake's weekly blog

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#stockmarket #fundamentalanalysis #investing #artificialintelligence #uptickspodcast

Should you begin collecting Social Security at 62 because you're concerned about future benefit cuts?

In this episode of Upticks, Jake and Cory examine the projected Social Security funding shortfall and what it could mean for people approaching retirement. They discuss the trade-offs between claiming early and delaying benefits, why a future funding issue does not necessarily make early claiming the right decision, and how financial plans can account for uncertainty.

The conversation also explores hypothetical benefit reductions, the importance of maintaining spending flexibility, potential changes to Social Security funding, and why predicting what Congress will do is not a substitute for financial preparation.
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📘 Get your complimentary guide to retirement
https://falconwealthadvisors.com/retiring-right-e-book.html?utm_source=libsyn&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=rr_ebook

📩 Question for Jake and Cory? Email Luke → luke@falconwealthadvisors.com

📰 Get Jake's weekly blog https://falconwealthadvisors.com/notes-from-jake.html?utm_source=libsyn&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=notes_from_jake

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#socialsecurity #retirementincome #financialplanning #retirementplanning #uptickspodcast

The 10-year Treasury yield is above 5%. Does that mean retirees should reduce stock exposure and rely more heavily on bonds?

In this episode of Upticks, Jake and Cory discuss why an attractive Treasury yield does not automatically eliminate the need for diversification. They examine liquidity, interest-rate risk, bond ladders, long-term growth, and the different purposes served by stocks, bonds, and cash.

The full conversation also explores what households should review in a higher-rate environment, including debt, cash management, borrowing assumptions, home purchases, and whether a primary residence should be evaluated like a traditional investment.
The larger takeaway is that higher rates create more options—but each asset and liability still needs to support the complete financial plan.
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📘 Get your complimentary guide to retirement
https://falconwealthadvisors.com/retiring-right-e-book.html?utm_source=libsyn&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=rr_ebook

📩 Question for Jake and Cory? Email Luke → luke@falconwealthadvisors.com

📰 Get Jake's weekly blog https://falconwealthadvisors.com/notes-from-jake.html?utm_source=libsyn&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=notes_from_jake

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#treasurybonds #retirementincome #interestrates #investing #uptickspodcast

How much information should parents share with their adult children about money, estate plans, accounts, and a possible inheritance?

In this episode of Upticks, Jake and Cory discuss how to prepare family members to step in without revealing every dollar or encouraging someone to depend on a future inheritance. They explore what a spouse or adult child should know, what may reasonably remain private, and why awareness of a financial plan is different from having legal authority to act.

The complete conversation also covers what younger adults may need when they begin investing, when professional financial guidance may become appropriate, how inheritance expectations can affect behavior, and how a family meeting can create greater clarity.

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📘 Get your complimentary guide to retirement

https://falconwealthadvisors.com/retiring-right-e-book.html?utm_source=libsyn&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=rr_ebook

📩 Question for Jake and Cory? Email Luke → luke@falconwealthadvisors.com

📰 Get Jake's weekly blog https://falconwealthadvisors.com/notes-from-jake.html?utm_source=libsyn&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=notes_from_jake

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#familyfinances #financialplanning #inheritanceplanning #generationalwealth #uptickspodcast

What should someone approaching retirement do after the Federal Reserve raises interest rates?

Jake and Cory agree that a single Fed decision should not automatically cause someone to abandon a thoughtfully constructed financial plan. They disagree, however, about how much influence monetary policy has over inflation, consumer behavior, housing prices, and broader financial conditions.

In this episode of Upticks, they discuss what higher rates can mean for borrowers and savers, whether retirees may be tempted to hold too much cash, why the Fed does not directly determine every consumer interest rate, and why long-term financial decisions should not depend on a short-term rate prediction.
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Get your complimentary guide to retirement
https://falconwealthadvisors.com/retiring-right-e-book.html?utm_source=libsyn&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=rr_ebook

Get Jake's weekly blog
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Question for Jake and Cory?
Email Luke → luke@falconwealthadvisors.com

Watch clips of this episode on YouTube
https://youtube.com/@uptickspodcast?si=H2Nj_aq7Jdh9AIc4

Follow Jake and Cory
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#retirementplanning #interestrates #federalreserve #investing #uptickspodcast

How can parents and grandparents give the next generation a stronger financial starting point? Is the financial system truly rigged—or does it simply reward people who already own assets? And should investors take extraordinary cryptocurrency and national-debt predictions seriously?

In this episode of Upticks, Jake shares what he learned from opening a 529 plan and Trump Account for his newborn son. Jake and Cory also examine a speculative cryptocurrency theory and discuss why asset ownership, financial literacy, access to advice, and early action can significantly influence someone's future financial opportunities.
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Get your complimentary guide to retirement
https://falconwealthadvisors.com/retiring-right-e-book.html?utm_source=libsyn&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=rr_ebook

Get Jake's weekly blog
https://falconwealthadvisors.com/notes-from-jake.html?utm_source=libsyn&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=notes_from_jake

Question for Jake and Cory?
Email Luke → luke@falconwealthadvisors.com

Watch clips of this episode on YouTube
https://youtube.com/@uptickspodcast?si=H2Nj_aq7Jdh9AIc4

Follow Jake and Cory
https://www.instagram.com/jake_falcon_crpc/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/corybittnerkc/

#529plan #trumpaccounts #financialliteracy #assetownership #uptickspodcast

Can the economics of socialism be discussed without becoming partisan? Should the Federal Reserve hold interest rates steady? And does residential real estate offer the returns many investors assume?

In this episode of Upticks, Jake and Cory discuss why affordability has made simple political promises more appealing, how monetary policy and consumer behavior interact, and why real estate returns should be evaluated after accounting for leverage, expenses, taxes, concentration, and limited liquidity.
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Get your complimentary guide to retirement
https://falconwealthadvisors.com/retiring-right-e-book.html?utm_source=libsyn&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=rr_ebook

Get Jake's weekly blog
https://falconwealthadvisors.com/notes-from-jake.html?utm_source=libsyn&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=notes_from_jake

Question for Jake and Cory?
Email Luke → luke@falconwealthadvisors.com

Watch clips of this episode on YouTube
https://youtube.com/@uptickspodcast?si=H2Nj_aq7Jdh9AIc4

Follow Jake and Cory
https://www.instagram.com/jake_falcon_crpc/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/corybittnerkc/

#economics #interestrates #realestateinvesting #financialliteracy #uptickspodcast