# 197. What's Changing with Airline Pilot Retirement in 2026? Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/21-five-professional-pilots-podcast-402641/197-what-s-changing-with-airline-pilot-retirement-in-2026 Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/21-five-professional-pilots-podcast-402641/197-what-s-changing-with-airline-pilot-retirement-in-2026.md Podcast: [21.FIVE - Professional Pilots Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/21-five-professional-pilots-podcast-402641) Published: 2026-01-27T10:13:00+00:00 Episode link: https://21five.libsyn.com/197-whats-changing-with-airline-pilot-retirement-in-2026 Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/21five/197.mp3?dest-id=1226021 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/21-five-professional-pilots-podcast-402641/episodes/197-what-s-changing-with-airline-pilot-retirement-in-2026 Duration seconds: 3248 ## Resource Financial planner Timothy P. Pope of 360 Aviation Advisors returns to break down 2026 retirement updates that matter to pro pilots. From new Roth catch-up rules to Southwest's bold move on NEC contributions, he digs into the real tax impacts for airline crews. Bonus: comparisons across the majors, advice for CFI's just starting out, and a hangar office update. Listen in and get smarter about your money. Show Notes 0:00 Intro 3:23 What's New: Retirement Considerations 13:26 Southwest Airlines & Carrier Benefits 32:28 Retirement For Younger Pilots 35:29 Financial Planning for Younger Pilots 44:35 Practice Updates: Tax Prep 48:01 Pilots Portfolio Podcast & Final Thoughts Our Sponsors Tim Pope, CFP® — Tim is both a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and a pilot. His practice specializes in aviation professionals and aviation 401k plans, helping clients pursue their financial goals by defining them, optimizing resources, and monitoring progress. Click here to learn more. Also check out The Pilot's Portfolio Podcast. Advanced Aircrew Academy — Enables flight operations to fulfill their training needs in the most efficient and affordable way—anywhere, at any time. They provide high-quality training for professional pilots, flight attendants, flight coordinators, maintenance, and line service teams, all delivered via a world-class online system. Click here to learn more. Raven Careers — Helping your career take flight. Raven Careers supports professional pilots with resume prep, interview strategy, and long-term career planning. Whether you're a CFI eyeing your first regional, a captain debating your upgrade path, or a legacy hopeful refining your application, their one-on-one coaching and insider knowledge give you a real advantage. Click here to learn more. The AirComp Calculator™… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/21-five-professional-pilots-podcast-402641/episodes/197-what-s-changing-with-airline-pilot-retirement-in-2026/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/21-five-professional-pilots-podcast-402641/197-what-s-changing-with-airline-pilot-retirement-in-2026.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.