{"podcast":{"title":"Retirement Answer Man","slug":"retirement-answer-man-391124","podcast_index_feed_id":391124,"rss_url":"https://feeds.transistor.fm/retirement-answer-man","website_url":"https://www.rogerwhitney.com/blog","image_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/0kiUitDUurnzLaKvu-RmSrZo0ix5G32Q2WQOFm_klHQ/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8zZWM3/NGVlZDE5ZDYyZGY1/MjJlZWUzMmIzODM1/ODlkNS5wbmc.jpg","author":"Roger Whitney, CFP®, CIMA®, RMA, CPWA®","episode_count":656,"summary":"A top retirement podcast. Roger Whitney, CFP®, CIMA®, CPWA®, RMA, guides you on how to actually do retirement well financially and personally. This retirement podcast isn't afraid to talk about the softer side of retirement. It will teach you how to retire with confidence. Two-time PLUTUS winner for best retirement podcast / blog and the 2019 winner for best financial planner blog. This retirement podcast covers how to create a paycheck, medicare, healthcare, Social Security, tax management in retirement as well as retirement travel and other non-financial issues you'll need to address to rock retirement. Retirement isn’t an age OR a financial number. It’s finding that balance between living well today and feeling confident about your retirement. It’s about gaining more freedom to pursue the life you want. Join the rock retirement community at www.rogerwhitney.com","last_synced_at":"2026-07-01T18:22:09.489136+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/retirement-answer-man-391124"},"episode":{"title":"Healthcare Before Medicare: Creating Your Own Action Plan","slug":"healthcare-before-medicare-creating-your-own-action-plan","published_at":"2026-02-25T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/retirement-answer-man-391124/healthcare-before-medicare-creating-your-own-action-plan","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/retirement-answer-man-391124","url":"https://share.transistor.fm/s/f17a945d","audio_url":"https://media.transistor.fm/f17a945d/075b15be.mp3","summary":"Roger Whitney wraps up the four-part series on navigating health care before Medicare by introducing a practical decision-making framework using the OODA Loop—observe, orient, decide, act—to help you avoid unforced errors and make a confident judgment call. He walks through organizing your retirement cash flow, estimating MAGI and ACA subsidy eligibility, evaluating COBRA, ACA, and private coverage options, and weighing tax optimization against simplicity and continuity of care. He’s joined by Taylor Schulte of Define Financial to discuss how professionals navigate Roth conversions, Social Security timing, ACA cliffs, and the trade-offs between optimizing for subsidies versus long-term tax planning. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN (00:00) This show is dedicated to helping you not just survive retirement, but have the confidence to lean in and rock it. (00:30) Roger introduces the final week of the health care before Medicare series and previews upcoming episodes with Harry Reese (co-author of How to Feel Loved) and retirement researcher Wade Pfau. PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT (02:30) Roger reviews the three “heads” that must be managed before Medicare- cost, continuity of care, and complexity. (03:30) Roger talks about avoiding unforced errors that could cost you money, disrupt care, or create unnecessary stress. (05:18) Roger introduces the OODA Loop—observe, orient, decide, act—as a practical way to think step by step about health coverage choices. (05:52) Observe: Build a 5-year retirement income and spending plan, estimate taxes and MAGI, identify where you fall relative to the ACA subsidy cliff, and review withdrawal sources (taxable, pre-tax, Roth) along with future RMD implications. (14:21) Orient: Clarify what matters most to help you make a…","meta_description":"Roger Whitney wraps up the four-part series on navigating health care before Medicare by introducing a practical decision-making framework using the OODA…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2756,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/retirement-answer-man-391124/episodes/healthcare-before-medicare-creating-your-own-action-plan/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/retirement-answer-man-391124/healthcare-before-medicare-creating-your-own-action-plan.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}