Most people think tax season ends when the return is filed, but that may be where the real opportunity begins.

What if your tax return could guide smarter financial decisions instead of sitting untouched for a year?

In this episode, I explain how your tax return can become a valuable planning tool instead of something you file away. I walk through how to review your return for accuracy, compare it year to year, and identify missed items that could impact your taxes.

We also share how understanding key numbers like income and tax rates can shape better decisions, and how building a “base case” early in the year helps you plan ahead and avoid last-minute tax surprises.

Key takeaways:

• Why reviewing your tax return after filing can uncover missed details and potential savings opportunities
• How comparing year-to-year returns helps identify changes, errors, or missing income and deductions
• What key numbers like taxable income and tax brackets reveal about future planning decisions
• How small reporting mistakes like Roth conversions or QCDs can lead to unnecessary taxes
• Why using your return early in the year creates a base case for proactive tax planning
• And more!

Resources:

• Get Your FREE Simply Retirement Roadmap
• 2026 Tax and Retirement Planning Cheat Sheet
• Retirement tax return review checklists: Retired
• Retirement tax return review checklists: Still Working
• #54 – How Social Security Gets Taxed: What You Need to Know
• #75 – Year-End Tax Planning Checklist for 2025

Connect with Eric Blake:

• www.TheSimplyRetirementPodcast.com
• Join the Simply Retirement Newsletter
• Ask a Question or Suggest a Topic for the Podcast
• Blake Wealth Management
• YouTube

Facing major life changes can feel overwhelming, especially when the future is unclear and the stakes are high.

How do you move forward when fear, finances, and identity are all shifting at once?

In this episode, I chat with Claudia Porter, CFP®, CDFA®, Wealth Advisor at RFG Advisory, about navigating divorce, financial uncertainty, and rebuilding life with purpose. She shares her personal journey from feeling financially powerless to taking control, the mindset shifts that helped her move forward, and how small steps can create momentum.

Claudia also explores the importance of support systems, journaling for clarity, and empowering women to take an active role in their financial lives.

Key takeaways:

• How financial control in relationships can limit independence and decision-making during major life transitions
• Why taking one step at a time can help reduce overwhelm and build confidence in uncertain situations
• The role of journaling in creating clarity, distance, and better decision-making during emotional periods
• How building a trusted support team can provide guidance, perspective, and accountability when it matters most
• Why participating in financial conversations early can help avoid stress and uncertainty later in life
• And more!

Resources:

• Get Your FREE Simply Retirement Roadmap

• WOMEN, WEALTH, AND WINNING: Essential Strategies Female Business Owners Should Know to Master Your Money, Cultivate Success, and Build a Solid Financial Future by Claudia Porter
• On the Other Side: A Woman’s Guide to Rediscovering Strength and Success Beyond Adversity by Claudia Porter

Connect with Eric Blake:

• www.TheSimplyRetirementPodcast.com
• Join the Simply Retirement Newsletter
• Ask a Question or Suggest a Topic for the Podcast
• Blake Wealth Management
• YouTube

Connect with Claudia Porter:

• LinkedIn: Claudia Porter
• Website: RFG Advisory

About our Guest:

Claudia was born and raised in West Germany.

She is a Certified Financial Planner® and has been in the financial industry for 11 years and partnered with RFG Advisory in March, 2025 to go independent.

She has a Master’s Degree in Teaching English and French from the University of Göttingen and a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Braunschweig Technical University. In 2014, she left academia to return to her earlier passion for financial planning and wealth management to make a more significant impact in people’s lives. For Claudia, “Success is not what you get, but the positive impact you make in other people’s lives.”

She is the author of 2 books, “Women, Wealth, and Winning” and “On The Other Side: A Woman’s Guide to Rediscovering Strength and Success Beyond Adversity”.

Claudia has 4 boys, 3 of whom are in college, 1 is still in high school.

What happens when retirement stops being a finish line and starts being a choice?

What if the biggest barrier between you and financial freedom isn’t the math, it’s the mindset?

In this episode, I sit down with Bernadette Joy, author and CEO of CRUSH Your Money Goals®, for a candid conversation about what it really takes to take control of your finances, redefine what retirement means to you, and finally stop waiting for the “right” time to live the life you actually want.

We talk about the moment Bernadette discovered she had $72,000 in student loan debt she didn’t know was growing, how she paid off $300,000 in debt and reached financial independence, and why she believes financial fluency matters far more than financial literacy. This conversation will challenge how you think about money, work, and what retirement could actually look like for you.

Key takeaways:

• How a shocking student loan balance became the turning point that led Bernadette to pay off $300,000 in debt
• Why learning finances is more like learning a language than solving a math problem, and what that means for women approaching retirement
• How the loss of a client changed Bernadette’s perspective on waiting for the “right time” to retire
• What financial independence actually looks like when work becomes optional, not obligatory
• Why women advocating for themselves in financial conversations is not just empowering, it is essential
• And more!

Resources:

• Get Your FREE Simply Retirement Roadmap
• 2026 Tax and Retirement Planning Cheat Sheet

Connect with Eric Blake:

• www.TheSimplyRetirementPodcast.com
• Join the Simply Retirement Newsletter
• Ask a Question or Suggest a Topic for the Podcast
• Blake Wealth Management
• YouTube

Connect with Bernadette Joy:

• LinkedIn: Bernadette Joy
• Website: CRUSH Your Money Goals®
• YouTube: Bernadebtjoy

About our Guest:

Bernadette isn’t your typical financial expert—she’s a powerhouse with real-world experience. With two business degrees and a background in psychology, Bernadette knows how to blend academic knowledge with street smarts. As a first-generation Filipino American and former corporate employee, she intimately understands the stress of financial uncertainty, even when the paycheck looks promising.

She’s a featured money expert on CNBC, CNET, Forbes, MarketWatch, Yahoo Finance and has taken the stage at FinCon, SXSW, NASDAQ and TEDxHouston (just like Brene Brown!)

But here’s where Bernadette truly shines: she’s walked the walk. In just three years, she obliterated $300,000 of debt. And by her thirties, she achieved a net worth of over $2 million—all while working part-time hours. That’s right—she clocks in just 20 hours a week.