Don't Retire...Graduate!
Eric Brotman
Don’t Retire… Graduate! is the podcast that invites you to rethink what retirement really means. Hosted by Certified Financial Planner Practitioner Eric Brotman, we’re here to guide you in transforming the traditional concept of retirement into an exciting and enriching graduation—a time to embark on new adventures, embrace lifelong passions, and define what success and happiness look like in this new chapter of life.
Retirement isn’t just about stepping away from a career; it’s about stepping into a life filled with purpose, joy, and fulfillment. Whether you're on the brink of retirement or just starting to think about it, this podcast will help you discover what it takes to not just survive, but thrive in your post-career years. We’ll explore how to live a fun, productive, and meaningful life by setting new goals, pursuing passions that light you up, and building a legacy that truly reflects who you are.
Each episode features in-depth conversations with a diverse range of guests—from award-winning authors and financial experts to influencers and everyday people with remarkable money stories. Together, we’ll uncover strategies for reaching financial independence, managing your wealth, and making informed decisions that support your dreams. You’ll learn practical tips on everything from saving money and paying down debt to raising financially literate children and growing your wealth at any age.
From personal finance and investing to retirement readiness, taxes, and more, we’re here to provide the knowledge and tools you need to confidently step into this exciting new phase of life. Topics include everything from budgeting, credit, and debt to health savings accounts, insurance, social security, the FIRE movement, and the latest in fintech and finance apps.
But we don’t stop at finances. Don’t Retire… Graduate! also dives deep into the emotional and psychological aspects of retirement. We’ll discuss how to maintain your mental and physical health, nurture relationships, and stay connected to your community. You’ll gain insights on how to design a lifestyle that keeps you engaged, curious, and excited about the future.
Our mission is to help you figure out what you want to be when you grow up—even if you’re already grown. We believe that work should become optional, not just because you've reached a certain age, but because you’ve achieved the freedom to choose how you spend your time and energy. Whether it’s volunteering, starting a new hobby, traveling the world, or launching a second career, this podcast is your guide to creating a retirement that’s anything but retiring.
In addition to full episodes, we offer bonus content every other week where you get to meet the team of financial advisors at BFG Financial Advisors and hear their real stories from the frontlines of financial planning.
Retirement is not the absence of work, but the absence of needing to work. So why not graduate into a life of purpose, passion, and financial freedom? Tune in to Don’t Retire… Graduate! and let’s make your retirement the best years of your life.
Retirement isn’t just about stepping away from a career; it’s about stepping into a life filled with purpose, joy, and fulfillment. Whether you're on the brink of retirement or just starting to think about it, this podcast will help you discover what it takes to not just survive, but thrive in your post-career years. We’ll explore how to live a fun, productive, and meaningful life by setting new goals, pursuing passions that light you up, and building a legacy that truly reflects who you are.
Each episode features in-depth conversations with a diverse range of guests—from award-winning authors and financial experts to influencers and everyday people with remarkable money stories. Together, we’ll uncover strategies for reaching financial independence, managing your wealth, and making informed decisions that support your dreams. You’ll learn practical tips on everything from saving money and paying down debt to raising financially literate children and growing your wealth at any age.
From personal finance and investing to retirement readiness, taxes, and more, we’re here to provide the knowledge and tools you need to confidently step into this exciting new phase of life. Topics include everything from budgeting, credit, and debt to health savings accounts, insurance, social security, the FIRE movement, and the latest in fintech and finance apps.
But we don’t stop at finances. Don’t Retire… Graduate! also dives deep into the emotional and psychological aspects of retirement. We’ll discuss how to maintain your mental and physical health, nurture relationships, and stay connected to your community. You’ll gain insights on how to design a lifestyle that keeps you engaged, curious, and excited about the future.
Our mission is to help you figure out what you want to be when you grow up—even if you’re already grown. We believe that work should become optional, not just because you've reached a certain age, but because you’ve achieved the freedom to choose how you spend your time and energy. Whether it’s volunteering, starting a new hobby, traveling the world, or launching a second career, this podcast is your guide to creating a retirement that’s anything but retiring.
In addition to full episodes, we offer bonus content every other week where you get to meet the team of financial advisors at BFG Financial Advisors and hear their real stories from the frontlines of financial planning.
Retirement is not the absence of work, but the absence of needing to work. So why not graduate into a life of purpose, passion, and financial freedom? Tune in to Don’t Retire… Graduate! and let’s make your retirement the best years of your life.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 28, 2022 • 29min
Generation Wars: How Millennials, Gen Xers, and Boomers are Planning for Financial Independence Differently (Rerelease)
Welcome back to Don’t Retire… Graduate! As part of our summer throwback series, we’re bringing back some of our favorite episodes from seasons passed. Today, we’re welcoming back our very own Yanni Niebuhr, CFP®, Chief Investment Officer here at BFG Financial Advisors. Originally released way back in our first season, this episode is still as relevant as ever and covers the financial planning from the perspectives of the Millennial and Gen X generations, and how people are planning differently about the next chapter of their lives. And please join us in congratulating our guest, who, in the time since this episode was recorded, welcomed his second baby boy! In this episode we’ll talk about: How retirement planning is a marathon, not a sprint, and why planning should start early How Yanni, a Towson University grad, got his start in financial planning and what he wants to be when he grows up The sandwich generation and multigenerational financial planning How millennials and adults in their twenties or thirties can be doing to prepare for retirement The average debt and student loans for recent grads and how it can hurt your financial independence Deciding what your financial priority should be Legacy planning and leaving behind things more important than money – freedom, independence, vision, values Talking about money within families and how views can vary with your parents, spouse, or grandparents Side hustles and how they’re impacting the idea of FIRE (financially independent retire early) Entrepreneurship and small business self-employment and how it can help you pursue your passions Social awareness and the importance it holds with younger generations Pensions, three-legged stools, social security and other antiquated retirement ideas being replaced by “you’re on your own” Living in two-income society vs older generations able to live on a single income Transferring wealth between generations, to children and grandchildren, in tax-efficient ways through life insurance, trusts, and 529 College Savings Plans without creating a Billy Madison situation Unemployment and underemployment, and the shrinking value of college degrees Visit dontretiregraduate.com for a full transcript of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 21, 2022 • 8min
Spending Your Assets: Understanding Safe Withdrawal Rates
In today’s Office Hours, Eric answers April's question: “Why do some advisors say that taking 5% or more of your retirement nestegg out every year is dangerous?” Determining a reasonable withdrawal rate depends on factors including your asset level, retirement timeline, and age. Eric explains three different asset structuring strategies that can help you avoid outliving your money. Have a question? Tweet it to us at @BrotmanPlanning or post it on our Facebook and it may be used in a future episode of Office Hours! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 14, 2022 • 35min
Marrying Your Finances: Navigating Engagements, Marriages, and Divorces as a Couple (Rerelease)
Welcome back to Don’t Retire... Graduate! As part of our summer throwback series, we’re bringing back our very own Lena Nebel, CFP®, Chief Operating Officer here at BFG Financial Advisors. This episode, originally released in Season 3, dives into the topics around marriage that people don’t necessarily want to talk about, like how much to spend on the engagement ring, how to ask for a prenup, and what to do when you and your partner don’t agree on money topics. In this episode we’ll talk about: The major purchase of engagement rings and best practices for budgeting, choosing a ring, and getting it insured When to talk about finances with your partner and what you should be talking about Who should be considering a prenuptial agreement and how do you address it Roles and responsibilities in the relationship and how to merge them as a couple Combining finances and determining which account should be separate and who is financially responsible for what Finding the happy medium when a spender marries a saver How to handle inheritances after marriage and determining if it’s a marital asset Estate planning as a married couple Looking at benefits and beneficiaries with the possibility of widowhood in mind Visit dontretiregraduate.com for a full transcript of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 7, 2022 • 7min
What You Need to Know About Student Loans
In today’s Office Hours, Eric answers Shelby's question: “what do you think every student should know before taking out student loans?” Student loans can be confusing and there is a lot to know. We're talking about a few different factors including return on investment and whether or not the loan is subsidized. Have a question? Tweet it to us at @BrotmanPlanning or post it on our Facebook and it may be used in a future episode of Office Hours! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 30, 2022 • 33min
Making it Work: Discovering New Opportunities to Build a Business at Any Age (Rerelease)
Summer is in session but we’re not taking off! Throughout the season, we’ll be bringing back listeners’ favorite episodes from past seasons and answering brand new Office Hours questions! Today’s episode from season 2 (originally released at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic) features Cait Lockwood (formerly Caitlin Pyle), founder of Work-at-Home School and Proofread Anywhere, talking about how she went from being fired from a job to building a seven-figure company she could run from home. Listen to this great conversation about how you can build your own business without leaving the house—even if you’re already retired. In this episode we’ll talk about: Remote work and unemployment during and after the COVID-19 pandemic Cait’s journey from being fired to building two businesses Discovering the viability of full-time freelance work What it takes to be entrepreneurial and create your own company Advice for someone looking to change careers or generate additional income The three-step system for success as a freelancer Identifying the lies we’re programmed to believe that can keep us from reaching our full potential Breaking past the self-doubt that can hold you back and replacing them with truths Abundance mindset vs scarcity mindset Leveling up by identifying existing skills and learning new ones The importance of confidence in successfully launching as a freelancer Changing the way we see retirement and throwing out conventional idea of retirement The reality of fixed income and how you can un-fix it Thinking outside—or breaking out of—the box you’re in to make more money and reach financial independence Inflation rate and how it affects retirees and seniors more than the rest of us The main things seniors spend money on – leisure, health care, education for grandkids, and scratch-off lotto tickets The investment of online courses for building new skills Millennials, participation trophies, and accepting failure as a lesson Vetting online courses and creators and filtering out scams Understanding affiliate marketing and how you can use it to make commission income Using social media and your existing networks for market research and finding clients Visit dontretiregraduate.com for a full transcript of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 23, 2022 • 8min
How Much Money Should You Have in an Emergency Fund?
In today’s Office Hours, Eric answers Jenna's question: “how much should I have in an emergency fund?” This can vary based on a lot of factors, and emergency funds don't need to just be in the form of savings accounts. Eric explores the different layers that can make up your emergency fund and the rules of thumb for how much money is safe. Have a question? Tweet it to us at @BrotmanPlanning or post it on our Facebook and it may be used in a future episode of Office Hours! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 16, 2022 • 35min
The Behavioral Investor: How Our Minds and Emotions Can Ruin Our Investment Portfolios with Dr. Daniel Crosby
Welcome to the season four finale of Don’t Retire... Graduate! We’ve had amazing guests this season and couldn’t be more excited to finish with today’s guest. Dr. Daniel Crosby is a psychologist and behavioral finance expert who helps organizations understand the intersection of mind and markets and explores the way our brains affect our choices when it comes to money. He is here to talk about the way mental biases can affect our decision making and make us uniquely stupid when it comes to money (his words, not ours). In this episode we’ll talk about: •Behavioral finance and looking at the role psychology plays in our financial lives •How people are uniquely stupid when it comes to money and how the brain reacts when thinking about money •The biases we all can fall victim to that can negatively affect our investments •Decision making styles applied to money versus everywhere else in our lives •The performance of Amazon stock over the past twenty years •Day trading and how active investors tend to underperform •Action bias, confirmation bias, investing alongside your political party, investing alongside your morals, loss aversion, the house money effect, and mental accounting and how they all affect our financial choices •The value of a financial advisor versus doing it yourself •Results of studies on financial advising, including investors working with advisors accumulating far more wealth than those without advisors •The meaning of the term fiduciary and how it applies to finance and psychology •Giving up on dreams of professional sports careers •Positive psychology, PERMA, and Dr. Martin Seligman’s contribution Visit dontretiregraduate.com for a full transcript of this episode. Dr. Crosby's Book About Daniel Crosby Dr. Daniel Crosby is a psychologist and behavioral finance expert who helps organizations understand the intersection of mind and markets. Dr. Crosby's first book, Personal Benchmark: Integrating Behavioral Finance and Investment Management, was a New York Times bestseller. His second book, The Laws of Wealth, was named the best investment book of 2017 by the Axiom Business Book Awards and has been translated into 7 languages. His latest work, The Behavioral Investor, is a comprehensive look at the neurology, physiology and psychology of sound financial decision-making. https://www.standarddeviationspod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 9, 2022 • 8min
Financial Planning for the Do-It-Yourselfer
In today’s Office Hours, Eric answers Jason's question: “what are a few basic aspects of a financial plan that I can create myself?” The truth is, you can do it all yourself or with the help of a few vendors. A financial planner is not necessarily needed. But which way is right for you? Have a question? Post it in the comments, tweet it to us at @BrotmanPlanning, or post it on our Facebook and it may be used in a future episode of Office Hours! Visit dontretiregraduate.com for a full transcript of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 2, 2022 • 33min
M is for Money: Teaching Personal Finance to Kids in School and at Home with Rob Phelan
Welcome back to Don’t Retire... Graduate! Today we’re going back to school with Rob Phelan, a high school math and personal finance teacher and author of the children’s book M is for Money. Rob is here, live from his classroom, to talk about money and the roadblocks we’re facing while advocating for personal finance education for kids. In this episode we’ll talk about: •The difference between math and personal finance •Why we overestimate our abilities in nearly all aspects, but doubt our abilities to understand and make money •Money stories and how we’re shaped to make decisions as children •Why it’s so hard to create a formal education in personal finance •The struggles teachers face when creating personal finance curriculums •Nonprofit organizations that have resources available for schools and students •How kids can start learning about money as early as preschool and how we can teach money concepts at different ages •Entrepreneurship, pre-selling a business idea, and crowdfunding •Understanding regret and buyer’s remorse as a child •The ice cream theory of teaching patience and delayed gratification to toddlers Visit www.misformoneybook.com to learn more about Rob's book. Visit dontretiregraduate.com for a full transcript of this episode. About Rob Phelan Rob Phelan is a high school math and personal finance teacher in Frederick, Maryland, a Certified Financial Education Instructor, business owner, and author of the recently published children’s book, M is for Money. Rob is a passionate advocate for greater levels of financial education to help our youth make better financial decision moving into their futures. Rob Phelan Facebook Rob Phelan Twitter Rob Phelan Instagram Rob Phelan LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 26, 2022 • 9min
Paying Over Asking Price For a House: Good or Bad Idea?
In today’s Office Hours, Eric answers Matthew's question: “is it better to pay over the asking price for a house or just rent?" There is so much going on in the market right now that is making purchasing a home -- especially your first home -- particularly difficult and expensive. Do you go for it or wait it out? Have a question? Tweet it to us at @BrotmanPlanning or post it on our Facebook and it may be used in a future episode of Office Hours! A full transcript of this episode can be found at dontretiregraduate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
