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Catching Up to FI: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Bill Yount & Jackie Cummings Koski
A mindset, money, and life podcast for late starters catching up to Financial Independence.
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- 2 days ago1h 3m
Not So Big Life Design: The Architecture of Wealth | Sarah Susanka | 220
What if the smartest move on your road to FI isn't buying a bigger house, but shrinking the footprint, clearing the clutter, and finally designing a life that actually fits? In this episode, we sit down with Sarah Susanka, the architect behind the bestselling "Not So Big House" movement. We talk about what happens when you stop building for appearances and start building for how you really live. Sarah shares how growing up in England, then landing in car-centric suburban Los Angeles made her question why Americans kept buying "hamburger bun but no hamburger" houses full of unused rooms. This episode covers: Sarah Susanka's origin story and how suburbia pushed her toward architecture The difference between building bigger and building better Why unused rooms are the housing version of lifestyle bloat - How right-sizing a home parallels right-sizing a life The design power of light, ceiling height, flow, and multi-use space How small architectural moves can create huge changes in mood and function Why old thought patterns can clutter a life just like unused rooms clutter a house The connection between beauty, sustainability, and building things that last How Bill used Sarah's ideas in his own home design and life redesign Why intentional design matters even more for late starters making a reset spaces. . === SUPPORT THE SHOW === 📩 Sign up for our newsletter 🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website 🔗Connect with us ☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee" 🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question . ===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS=== F.I.R.E. For Dummies Did you know that co-host Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®, AFC® is also author of "F.I.R.E. For Dummies"? This is the perfect guide for anyone looking to move from the basics of their finances to reaching F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and enjoying the time freedom it creates. Even if you feel behind on your finances, the steps in this book will help you catch up sooner than you ever imagined. Learn from someone who actually achieved F.I.R.E. in her 40s even after getting a late start Covers everything from basics to advanced strategies in one guide Practical solutions for early retirement obstacles like health insurance and early withdrawal penalties 👉🏽 https://a.co/d/01umGgeh (currently 40% off on Amazon) For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners . RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Sarah's Website Not So Big Design Principles for House & Life with Sarah Susanka Sarah TedX talk 📗The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live The New Urbanism The Not So Big Bungalow . ⏰ Related Episodes How Clutter Steals Your Time (And How to Get It Back) | Rose Lounsbury | 188 . 📌Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.
- 6 days ago1h 36m
Shocking Truths About Women's Financial History You Need to Know | Our Sheconomy Gameshow | 219
What if the fastest way to understand women's financial power isn't another lecture, but a trivia game that quietly reveals how recent, fragile, and still unfinished so much of women's economic progress really is? In this special "Sheconomy" quiz-show episode, Jackie and Bill join Janine Firpo and financial planner Sarah-Catherine Gutierrez for a lively game show. They move from Equal Pay Day and credit-card rights to why women often outperform men as investors, why female-led companies and firms still get shut out, and what could happen if women intentionally shifted even a slice of their wealth toward their values. The tone is playful, but the message is serious: money is power, and women stepping into that power changes families, businesses, markets, and maybe the whole economy. This episode covers: The surprising timeline of women's financial rights in the US What Equal Pay Day reveals about how far women still have to go Why women often outperform men as investors How overconfidence and overtrading hurt returns Why women-led businesses still receive a tiny share of venture capital The rise of advice-only and flat-fee financial planning models What values-aligned and ESG investing actually mean Why women's money choices can reshape markets and communities How much wealth women are expected to control in the coming years The collective impact women could have by shifting capital intentionally . === SUPPORT THE SHOW === 📩 Sign up for our newsletter 🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website 🔗Connect with us ☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee" 🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question . ===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS=== F.I.R.E. For Dummies Did you know that co-host Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®, AFC® is also author of "F.I.R.E. For Dummies"? This is the perfect guide for anyone looking to move from the basics of their finances to reaching F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and enjoying the time freedom it creates. Even if you feel behind on your finances, the steps in this book will help you catch up sooner than you ever imagined. Learn from someone who actually achieved F.I.R.E. in her 40s even after getting a late start Covers everything from basics to advanced strategies in one guide Practical solutions for early retirement obstacles like health insurance and early withdrawal penalties 👉🏽 https://a.co/d/01umGgeh (currently 40% off on Amazon) For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners . RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Our Sheconomy . ⏰ Related Episodes Vote Your Money: Values Aligned Investing | Janine Firpo | 139 The Power of Cash Flow Planning | Sarah-Catherine Gutierrez | 016 . 📌Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.
- 1 weeks ago30 min
We Found Them! Past Guests At The Women of FI Weekend | Kim H. and Lisa B. | 218
What happens when women in the financial independence community finally get a room of their own and use it not just to talk numbers, but to unpack the invisible stuff they've been carrying for years? In this on-location episode, Jackie takes us inside the Women of FI annual weekend in Maryland. This was a rare women-centered FI retreat that blends case studies, life design, laughter, and vulnerability. She catches up with two familiar voices from past episodes, Kim Hunter-Borst and Lisa B. to hear what retirement, sabbaticals, and post-FI life actually look like in motion, not just on paper. Other attendees also share why a women-only space hits differently: less posturing, more honesty, more room to talk about emotional labor, caregiving, identity, and the inner work that often gets skipped in mixed-money spaces. This episode covers: What happened at the Women of FI annual women's weekend in Maryland Why women-centered FI spaces create a different kind of openness and trust Kim Hunter-Borst's vision for building a smaller, more vulnerable, more intentional retreat The 2026 theme of "release" and what women said they were ready to put down A retirement update from Kim after leaving full-time work A follow-up from Lisa B. on quitting her job, taking a summer break, and what happened next Why women said they needed space for both the "outer" and "inner" work of FI How attendees are thinking about Coast FI, sabbaticals, community, and post-FI life . === SUPPORT THE SHOW === 📩 Sign up for our newsletter 🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website 🔗Connect with us ☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee" 🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question . ===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS=== F.I.R.E. For Dummies Did you know that co-host Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®, AFC® is also author of "F.I.R.E. For Dummies"? This is the perfect guide for anyone looking to move from the basics of their finances to reaching F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and enjoying the time freedom it creates. Even if you feel behind on your finances, the steps in this book will help you catch up sooner than you ever imagined. Learn from someone who actually achieved F.I.R.E. in her 40s even after getting a late start Covers everything from basics to advanced strategies in one guide Practical solutions for early retirement obstacles like health insurance and early withdrawal penalties 👉🏽 https://a.co/d/01umGgeh (currently 40% off on Amazon) For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners . RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Women Of FI WE Wealth Collective Facebook Group EconoMe Conference https://economeconference.com CampFI FinTalks Events . ⏰ Related Episodes Drowning in Debt at 48, Retired at 58: Here's How She Did It! | Kim Hunter-Borst | 181 Case Study: The Real Numbers That Told Her She Could Quit her Job, Now! | Lisa B | 161 The Power of Cash Flow Planning | Sarah-Cat
- 2 weeks ago1h 1m
Why "One More Year" Isn't Always a Mistake |Bill, Jackie, Patrick | 217
What if "one more year" isn't a failure of courage. What if it's a messy, human, sometimes wise transition between the life you built and the life you're finally ready to choose? In this spontaneous, unusually raw episode, Bill, Jackie, and Patrick crack open the emotional side of financial independence. They go beyond the surface of the hesitation, identity shift, grief, relief, and weird freedom that can show up when the math says you're done but your nervous system is still catching up. Bill shares what it feels like to downshift after unexpectedly reaching FI, why he's enjoying work more now that he doesn't need it, and how a heartbreaking night in the ER sharpened his thinking about what really counts. Jackie reflects on her own two-year "one more year" phase and why she no longer sees it as a mistake so much as a cushion she needed. Patrick adds the planner's lens: if a choice still serves your life, it may not be "one more year" syndrome at all. This episode is a heartfelt reminder that the real work isn't just reaching the number but learning how to let go when the time comes. This episode covers: Why "one more year syndrome" may not actually be a bad thing The emotional transition from being FI on paper to actually changing your life Bill's intentional downshift and how FI gave him leverage at work Jackie's two-year hesitation and why she now sees it with more grace How fear, identity, purpose, and burnout all shape retirement timing Why working after FI can still make sense if it serves your life The difference between choosing one more year and drifting into it unconsciously How tragedy and loss can change the way you think about time Why the second chapter of life requires more than just good math How late starters can prepare emotionally, not just financially, for freedom . === SUPPORT THE SHOW === 📩 Sign up for our newsletter 🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website 🔗Connect with us ☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee" 🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question . ===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS=== STUDENT LOAN PLANNER Big changes with student loans in 2026. Get help from the experts at Student Loan Planner, all CFP®, CFA and CSLP® professionals. They charge a one-time fee for their thorough review. Our listeners receive $100 off a 1:1 consult using the link below. Flat fee is normally $595, but after your $100 off 'Catching Up to FI' discount, it's $495. 👉🏼 Be sure to use this link: studentloanplanner.com/catchingup For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners . RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Catching Up to FI Facebook Community Jackie's FIRE Letter . ⏰ Related Episodes Founder of 'Catching Up to FI' Just Hit Financial Independence, Now What? | Bill Yount | 196 From Poverty to Wealth and Early Retirement | Jackie Cummings Koski | 007 Our Team is Growing: Welcome Patrick! | Patrick McDonnal | 136 The Three Kinder Questions (Part 2) | George Kinder | 141 The pURPOSE Cod
- 3 weeks ago51 min
How to Retire Sooner and Spend More: Risk-Based Guardrails Explained | Aubrey Williams | 216
What if the real danger in retirement isn't running out of money, but spending so cautiously that you accidentally work too long, live too small, and die with a portfolio that never got a chance to do its job? In part two with Aubrey Williams, we go deeper into the "fog of FI" (that weird, anxious place where the spreadsheet says you're free, but your nervous system absolutely does not believe it). This episode covers: Why the 4% rule can make FI people overwork and underspend How future income streams like Social Security can move your FI date forward Why flexible spending is more realistic than flat, inflation-adjusted withdrawals How risk-based guardrails help you know when to cut or increase spending Why many FI people need more help increasing spending than reducing it How personal inflation can differ from CPI and affect retirement planning Why historical analysis may be more useful than Monte Carlo for some FI decisions How small amounts of income in retirement can meaningfully reduce portfolio pressure Why engineers and analytical types often need better data to trust they're "done" How Bill is using these ideas to finally get clearer about leaving work sooner . S U P P O R T T H E S H O W 📩 Sign up for our newsletter https://catchinguptofi.com/contact-us/#newsletter 🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website https://catchinguptofi.com 👥 Connect with us https://linktr.ee/cutfi ☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee" https://www.buymeacoffee.com/catchinguptofi 🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question https://catchinguptofi.com/contact-us/#voicemails ===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS=== STUDENT LOAN PLANNER Big changes with student loans in 2026. Get help from the experts at Student Loan Planner, all CFP®, CFA and CSLP® professionals. They charge a one-time fee for their thorough review. Our listeners receive $100 off a 1:1 consult using the link below. Flat fee is normally $595, but after your $100 off 'Catching Up to FI' discount, it's $495. 👉🏼 Be sure to use this link: studentloanplanner.com/catchingup For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners . RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Open Path Financial Aubrey's EconoMe Talk (2026): Coming soon! Income Lab FIREproof (Lauren Boland) Projection Lab Open Source Guardrails Simulation (Roger Cost) . ⏰ Related Episodes Part 1: Why Your Brain is Hardwired to Keep You Working (and How to Fix It) | Aubrey Williams | 214 A Richer Retirement: The 4.7% Rule | Bill Bengen | 169 Sequence of Returns Risk: What Every Retiree Needs to Know | Karsten Jeske | 106 If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show on your podcast player and leave us a rating and review. If you want to watch, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel. This helps others find the show and keeps us creating great content for you! . 📌Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.
- 3 weeks ago1h 3m
Why You Should Stop Beating Yourself Up for Starting Late | "How To Money" Crossover | 215
What if the biggest difference between someone who starts at 22 and someone who starts at 50 isn't intelligence or income, but simply the moment they finally decide, nobody's coming to save me? In this crossover episode, Bill joins Joel on "How to Money" to tell the brutally honest and surprisingly hopeful truth. He shares his story of becoming financially independent after a 20-year sleepwalk through lifestyle inflation, doctor money mistakes, and zero real financial plan. It's candid, practical, and exactly the kind of episode that makes you stop saying "I'm behind" and start asking "What's my next move?" This episode covers: Bill's late-starter journey from paycheck-to-paycheck doctor to financially independent at 60 How "rich doctor syndrome" and lifestyle inflation can keep high earners broke Why debt, overspending, and delayed gratification derailed his early money life The wake-up call that came from burnout, a malpractice lawsuit, and turning 50 How downsizing, geo-arbitrage, and a higher savings rate changed everything Why savings rate matters more than most people realize for late starters How to think about debt payoff versus investing when you feel behind Why college funding, generational wealth, and retirement planning are all connected How Bill thinks about using a financial advisor after a long DIY phase Why financial independence is really about buying back time, autonomy, and health . === SUPPORT THE SHOW === 📩 Sign up for our newsletter 🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website 🔗Connect with us ☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee" 🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question . ===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS=== 🆕Big changes with student loans in 2026. Get help from the experts at Student Loan Planner, all CFP®, CFA and CSLP® professionals. They charge a one-time fee for their thorough review. Our listeners receive $100 off a 1:1 consult using the link below. Flat fee is normally $595, but after your $100 off 'Catching Up to FI' discount, it's $495. 👉🏼 Be sure to use this link: studentloanplanner.com/catchingup For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners . RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW How To Money The White Coat Investor George Kinder William Bernstein . ⏰ Related Episodes Founder of 'Catching Up to FI' Just Hit Financial Independence, Now What? | Bill Yount | 196 Flashback to Episode 1: 'A Boat Named YOLO' | Bill Yount | 197 . If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show on your podcast player and leave us a rating and review. If you want to watch, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel. This helps others find the show and keeps us creating great content for you! . 📌Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.
- May 17, 202659 min
Why Your Brain is Hardwired to Keep You Working (and How to Fix It) | Aubrey Williams | 214
What if the thing keeping you from Financial Independence (FI) isn't your income, your portfolio, or your math. It's probably the quiet belief that you still need "one more year" when you actually don't. Our guest on this episode is Aubrey Williams, a former particle physicist, radar-tech leader, debt-slayer, and now advice-only financial planner. In this conversation, he flips some of the FI community's favorite assumptions on their head. This is the first of a 2-part episode with Aubrey so be sure to follow the podcast to be notified of the second part of this fascinating conversation. This episode covers: How Aubrey rebuilt after divorce and $90,000 of debt Why savings rate is nonlinear and more powerful than most people realize How a higher savings rate can erase working years faster than expected Why our brains are wired for survival, not modern investing and retirement decisions How to build evidence that you can safely spend instead of just hoard Why living smaller can sometimes create more freedom and more joy How Aubrey reached FI in high-cost Santa Barbara without leaving California Why the FI community itself often knows more than the average advisor The difference between fee-based, fee-only, flat-fee, and hourly advice Why Aubrey believes many FI people are still working too long . === SUPPORT THE SHOW === 📩 Sign up for our newsletter 🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website 🔗Connect with us ☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee" 🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question . ===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS=== 🆕Big changes with student loans in 2026. Get help from the experts at Student Loan Planner, all CFP®, CFA and CSLP® professionals. They charge a one-time fee for their thorough review. Our listeners receive $100 off a 1:1 consult using the link below. Flat fee is normally $595, but after your $100 off 'Catching Up to FI' discount, it's $495. 👉🏼 Be sure to use this link: studentloanplanner.com/catchingup For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners . RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Open Path Financial Aubrey's EconoMe Talk (2026): Coming soon! . ⏰ Related Episodes Founder of 'Catching Up to FI' Just Hit Financial Independence, Now What? | Bill Yount | 196 Enoughness: Your Life or Your Money | Vicki Robin | 95 . If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show on your podcast player and leave us a rating and review. If you want to watch, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel. This helps others find the show and keeps us creating great content for you! . 📌Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.
- May 10, 20261h 9m
Your FIRE Plan is Screwed Without An Estate Plan! | Allison Harrison | 213
You've worked twice as hard to catch up on your path to financial independence, so why leave your legacy to chance? To help keep your FI plan from going up in smoke we sit down with estate planning and small business attorney, Allison Harrison. It's a fast, funny and slightly alarming deep dive into estate planning for normal people who assume they're "not rich enough" to need one. This episode covers: Why your FI plan is incomplete without basic estate planning The real cost, delay, and public exposure that can come with probate Why many people think they need a trust when they actually don't When a trust does make sense, especially for control and complex family situations The simplest ways to avoid probate using beneficiaries and transfer-on-death designations Why healthcare and financial powers of attorney matter just as much as a will Estate-planning blind spots for small-business owners and side hustlers The role of umbrella insurance, LLCs, and business agreements in protecting your assets Why digital accounts, passwords, and two-factor authentication are now part of estate planning What parents of newly minted 18-year-olds need to handle before college or adulthood begins . === SUPPORT THE SHOW === 📩 Sign up for our newsletter 🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website 🔗Connect with us ☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee" 🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question . ===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS=== STUDENT LOAN PLANNER Big changes with student loans in 2026! Get help from the experts at Student Loan Planner, all CFP®, CFA and CSLP® professionals. They charge a one-time fee for their thorough review. Our listeners receive $100 off a 1:1 consult using the link below. Flat fee is normally $595, but after your $100 off 'Catching Up to FI' discount, it's $495. 👉🏼 Be sure to use this link: studentloanplanner.com/catchingup For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners . RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Allison's EconoMe Talk (2026) -Coming soon- ALH Law Group See Us Mob Podcast ALH Law Group Youtube Free Estate Planning Guides, Infographics and More (no email required) Safe Sendoff (Legal Planning for Young Adults) . ⏰ Related Episodes Attorney Spilling all the Legal Tea on Estate Planning | Jenny Rozelle | 121 . If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show on your podcast player and leave us a rating and review. If you want to watch, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel. This helps others find the show and keeps us creating great content for you! . 📌Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.
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