Inside the Research: Happiness, Jobs Data, and Retirement Questions

What actually shapes life in retirement—your finances, your relationships, or both? In this episode of the Retire Sooner Podcast, Wes Moss and Christa DiBiase walk through new research on happiness in retirement and unpack several financial and economic topics that often come up in retirement planning conversations.

• Share findings from a 2025 Money and Happiness in America study that looks at how social connection is commonly linked to reported retirement satisfaction.

• Talk through research showing how the number of close personal relationships is often discussed when measuring happiness among retirees.

• Reflect on how American friendships have changed over time and why staying socially connected is frequently part of retirement lifestyle discussions.

• Put into context recent government jobs reports by explaining what unemployment and labor-market numbers generally indicate.

• Walk through estate-planning considerations around life insurance, guardians, and trustees that many families review over time.

• Cover the core factors people often look at when evaluating bond funds, including yield, duration, expenses, and benchmarks.

• Discuss how Roth IRAs, traditional IRAs, brokerage accounts, and HELOCs are commonly weighed when addressing short-term cash needs during real-estate transitions.

• Answer listener questions about Roth IRA contributions, in-plan conversions, account-funding priorities, and retirement-plan considerations when changing jobs.

The episode keeps the focus on education, context, and real-world questions retirees and pre-retirees are already asking. Listen and subscribe to the Retire Sooner Podcast for ongoing conversations that connect money, lifestyle, and long-term planning—without the hype.

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