As you approach retirement or as a retiree, have you ever said this to yourself...

"I'm just going to have to work forever."

"What if I retire and end up like my dad — gone within six months?"

"I don't see the path. It just feels impossible."

If any of that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.

Stewart Smith and Mitch Davies sit down to talk about a survey that found nearly two-thirds of Americans don't believe they'll ever be able to retire and why, in their 25+ years of working with real clients, that fear almost never matches reality.

In This Episode:
→ Why so many people feel behind on retirement since the pandemic
→ Maria's story — how a waitress with no 401(k) retired comfortably starting at age 48
→ Why retirement is about income, not just how much you've saved
→ The power of compounding — how an extra $500 a month can mean six figures more at retirement
→ Why helping adult children financially can quietly derail your own retirement
→ "There's no loan for retirement" — why saving should come before college costs
→ Paying off your house, claiming two Social Security checks, and why old 401(k)s and small pensions matter more than people think
→ Why understanding your monthly expenses is the single most valuable thing you can do, at any age

Timestamps:
→ [00:00] Why two-thirds of Americans think they'll never retire
→ [01:27] Retirement is about income, not assets
→ [05:29] Maria's story — from waitress to retired
→ [07:21] The Roth IRA and Social Security strategy that changed everything
→ [14:00] It's not how much you have, it's what you need
→ [19:00] The power of compounding — how $500 more a month adds up
→ [24:00] Helping adult children without wrecking your own retirement
→ [27:00] Why there's no loan for retirement
→ [32:00] A modest-income couple's real path to retirement
→ [39:00] Paid-off homes, two Social Security checks, pensions, and forgotten 401(k)s
→ [41:00] Why your expenses matter more than your account balances

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Important Disclosure:

Investment advisory services offered through Alphastar Capital Management, LLC, a SEC-registered investment adviser. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the SEC nor does it indicate that the adviser has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Fixed insurance products are offered through Clearpath Retirement Planning, LLC and Alphastar Capital Management is not involved in the offer, recommendation, sale or management of commission-based fixed Insurance products. Alphastar Capital Management and Clearpath Retirement...