When most people think about retirement, their biggest fear is running out of money. But for many retirees, the opposite happens: they don’t spend enough . Multiple studies — from J.P. Morgan, BlackRock, and the Employee Benefit Research Institute — show that retirees, even those with strong portfolios, often live far below their means. They’ve saved diligently for decades, but when the time comes to enjoy what they’ve built, they hesitate. Here’s why that happens — and how t

In the early days of our marriage, Tammy and I held our budget together by giving Christmas gifts we made by hand. It was a lot of work, but it got us through those first lean Christmases without taking on extra debt, and it turned out to be much more fun than we’d expected. History seems to be repeating itself with today’s Generation Z – late teens and 20-somethings – who are noticeably tightening their belts a notch this holiday season as reported in the Wall Street Journal

Live long and prosper Show notes: Here’s the good news... you’re probably going to live longer than you think... almost certainly longer than your ancestors... The challenge is... keeping your finances... your health... your independence strong for as long as you live? Some insights... in this episode of The Help Me Retire Podcast... This is the Help Me Retire Podcast…  with your host… Mike Brown… Senior Wealth Advisor with Raymond James Financial Services… and head of Brown

“One of the greatest obstacles in estate planning is the perpetuating of death denial. Most people don’t want to plan for post-death lives because death is a scary topic to even think about.” Think of estate planning as a gift to your family. It allows you to share your wishes and protect the people you care about most. Watch Mike when he spoke about a step-by-step process to help you provide for your loved ones and spell out your exact wishes during this highly emotional tim

You’re going to be hearing a lot about the cost of health care in 2026, and for good reason – health insurance premiums are expected to rise at two to three times the rate of inflation. Employers will likely pay an average of 6.5% more per employee next year – the biggest jump in 15 years ( Mercer.com ).  ACA Marketplace premiums are projected to increase by a median of 9% in 2026 (Segal Health Plan Cost Trend Survey). And Medicare’s Part B premium will increase by 9.7% in

For weeks we’ve been talking about a market that’s gotten out a little far over its skis – with investors willing to pay prices for stocks that are well above their historically normal valuations. Last week, the euphoria started showing signs of cooling. It’s too soon to know if the market is just letting a little air out of the tires (to torture another metaphor), or whether we’re in for a more significant downturn. The real question, of course, is to what extent you should

Are you spending enough in retirement? Show notes: Most of what you hear about retirement planning focuses on making sure you don’t run out of money... But many retirees have the opposite  problem... they don’t spend enough ... It might seem like a nice problem to have... but it’s still a problem... and I’ve got some ideas to solve it in this episode of the Help Me Retire  podcast... This is the Help Me Retire Podcast…  with your host… Mike Brown… Senior Wealth Advisor with R

We are hearing about a new way to make life more “affordable,” to use the new buzzword of the day: instead of a 15-year or 30-year mortgage, let’s create a 50-year mortgage. That way, your monthly payments will be much lower and you’ll have more money to spend on groceries and other essential items whose prices are being driven up by tariffs. Here’s the problem with that logic, as illustrated recently by Barron’s : A $400,000 mortgage at 6.3% would save you about $280 dollars

The following is a letter we recently wrote to our clients: Dear Friends, If you’ve been a client for any length of time, you know that we don’t make investment decisions based on market predictions. This is because: 1) we’ve yet to hear of anyone who’s particularly good at it; and 2) we don’t believe predicting the future is a necessity when it comes to financial success in the first place. That’s not to say we don’t pay attention to market fundamentals, however, and when pr

Investors seem to be growing more cautious in recent weeks, especially when it comes to a handful of stocks whose future seems tied to the future of AI technology. The popularity of these companies has driven the market’s performance over the last two years – and the S&P 500 has become heavily concentrated. The 10 largest companies – just 2% of the total – now account for 40% of the index’s market capitalization. Warren Buffett, meanwhile, continues to grow his cash hoard. Be

On a Danube River cruise with a group of friends recently, Tammy and I got to tour the Lednice-Valtice Castles in the Czech Republic, a part of the world we had never seen before. This enormous estate was once home to the Liechtenstein family, a rich and powerful European dynasty dating back to the 12 th  Century. As our group climbed the stairs leading to the castle, we came upon a group of schoolchildren, probably aged nine or ten. Our tour guide went over and spoke to the

The essential  retirement question: will your income outlive you or will you outlive your income? Join Mike as he answers this question and more on how we build investment portfolios that combine short-term stability with long-term growth potential. Be a part of the #TrueWealth movement. Follow Brown Family Wealth Advisors on Facebook  and LinkedIn .

Despite some strong earnings reports, it’s getting hard to ignore the fact that virtually every key indicator shows a market that is priced way beyond its fundamentals (see Item #1 below). That poses additional risks for equity investors – especially those who have been chasing the latest investment fads. But long-term investors know that the best way to earn the market’s historical returns is not in trying to outsmart it through market timing, but by accepting the volatility

How to beat inflation in retirement Show notes: Would you take a job today... if you knew you wouldn’t get a raise for the next 30 years? Of course you wouldn’t... but retirees are doing essentially the same thing every day... In today’s episode of The Help Me Retire Podcast... I’ll show you how to invest for a rising income in retirement... income that potentially increases just as fast – or faster – than your cost of living... This is the Help Me Retire Podcast…  with your

Tariff tensions are flaring up again, causing increased volatility in the markets – and higher prices on the things we buy. The U.S. and China are battling over everything from rare earth minerals to soybeans to cooking oil. A Goldman Sachs report out last week also estimates that U.S. consumers are absorbing as much as two-thirds of tariff costs . American businesses and foreign exporters are footing most of the rest. In short, foreign businesses are getting hit sharply high

When you retire, the question shouldn’t be, “Do I have enough income to live on today?”  The key question is, “Will my income keep up with me tomorrow?" Because the truth is, life isn’t getting any cheaper. Groceries cost (a lot) more these days. Insurance premiums are rising. Travel is getting more expensive. Even little things – the lunch bill, streaming services – tend to creep up year after year. At an average 3% annual inflation rate,  your cost of living will double  ov

There have always been two “stock markets” – and there always will be. One can make you wealthy; the other can drive you insane. And...

Three questions Show notes: If I could sit across from you right now... and ask just one question to cut through all the noise about...

Investor anxiety is on the rise as we enter the fourth quarter of 2025. Most of the key numbers – economic growth, inflation, market...

When it comes to planning for a safe and confident retirement, long-term care remains a confusing and unaddressed challenge to many...