Are Earnings Everything? Plus More Strategies To Boost Long-Term Investing and Retirement Planning

Explore powerful, often-overlooked retirement tactics—like the Rule of 55 and the 62/70 Social Security strategy—and hear listener questions answered by Wes and Christa to help you build an effective, income-focused financial future. 🎯

• Are corporate earnings the #1 financial metric for long-term investors to track when making better investment decisions?

• Learn how to evaluate earnings per share (EPS) and earnings growth when investing in individual stocks or index funds.

• Should retail investors join earnings calls—or is it better to focus on broader S&P 500 earnings trends?

• Understand how proxy voting works and whether your shareholder vote might impact company decisions.

• Get insight on the “62/70” Social Security strategy—why one spouse claiming early while the other waits may optimize retirement income and possibly protect surviving spouses.

• Explore the Rule of 55, which lets you withdraw from your 401(k) without penalties starting at age 55, years earlier than the standard 59½ rule. Learn the critical conditions and employer plan requirements that determine Rule of 55 eligibility.

• Discover how a “reverse rollover,” for those who choose it, could unlock penalty-free access to retirement savings by shifting IRA funds into a qualifying 401(k).

• Understand the pros and cons of rules-based ETFs and factor investing versus traditional low-cost index funds.

• Hear Wes’s take on expense ratios, investment screening methods, and how to align your portfolio with your beliefs, without overpaying on fees.

• Dive into the mechanics of backdoor Roth IRAs and how those who choose to roll over traditional IRAs might be able to simplify the Roth conversion strategy.

• Learn how to optimize Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) when changing jobs or insurance plans.

Start creating your path toward financial freedom and retirement happiness with these topics and more on this episode of the Retire Sooner Podcast!

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