Your Money Guide on the Side

Pre-order Tyler's book, Real Wealth, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tyler.gardner.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and be eligible for all monthly incentives between now and December 1st!

And as always, a MASSIVE thank you to this week's sponsors:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LMNT⁠ → drinklmnt.com/tyler - Become an INSIDER, just order the INSIDER Bundle–four boxes for the price of three, best value they offer–and get early access to limited time flavors and cool surprise gifts along the way.

Copilot Money → ⁠⁠www.copilot.money/tyler⁠⁠ — use code TYLER2 for two free months.⁠

Anthropic⁠ → ⁠⁠claude.ai/tyler ⁠to experience AI for minds that don't stop at good enough.⁠

Bilt⁠ → ⁠⁠joinbilt.com/tyler⁠⁠ So you can choose the card that fits your lifestyle without missing out on points and exclusive benefits.

And on to the show notes!!

A market crash doesn’t usually destroy a retirement.

Panic does.

In Part 4 of the Art of Decumulation series, Tyler explores how retirees can survive market downturns without turning temporary losses into permanent ones.

Because the financial news reports the weather.

Your retirement plan needs to be built for the climate.

In this episode, Tyler covers:

Why the first five years of retirement carry the greatest sequence-of-returns risk

How a larger cash buffer can prevent forced selling during downturns

Why a rising equity glide path may make more sense than becoming increasingly conservative with age

How the Guyton-Klinger guardrails adjust spending in good and bad markets

Why modest spending cuts can support a higher sustainable withdrawal rate

The behavioral cost of panic selling—and why knowledge alone rarely prevents it

How writing a decision plan in advance can protect you when markets turn

Why almost every apparent catastrophe eventually proves to be ordinary market weather

The core idea:

The most valuable skill in retirement investing is often the ability to do nothing.

Use the cash buffer.Adjust spending when the guardrails require it.Trust the plan you made while thinking clearly.

Then let the storm pass.

This is Part 4 of the Art of Decumulation series. Next week, the final episode: how to move from saver to spender and give yourself permission to enjoy what you built.

If the show’s been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple or Spotify genuinely helps.

Hope this gives you something to think about this week.

Pre-order Tyler's book, Real Wealth, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tyler.gardner.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and be eligible for all monthly incentives between now and December 1st!

And as always, a MASSIVE thank you to this week's sponsors:

Gelt → ⁠⁠joingelt.com/tyler⁠ because Q3 is where strategic businesses make game-changing tax moves. If you're a business owner or a high-net worth individual, time to make moves!

Facet → ⁠⁠⁠facet.com/tyler⁠⁠ for an exclusive $550 kickstart offer! Schedule your intro call today!

Fabric → ⁠⁠meetfabric.com/tyler⁠⁠ because if someone depends on your income, term life insurance is the next item on your financial agenda!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thrive Market⁠ → ⁠⁠thrivemarket.com/tyler⁠ for $20 off your first three orders plus you’ll get a FREE $60 gift!

And On To the Show Notes!

A traditional IRA can look like your money.

But part of it belongs to the IRS.

In Part 3 of the Art of Decumulation series, Tyler tackles three of the most important—and expensive—pieces of retirement tax planning:

Roth conversions, RMDs, and IRMAA.

Because the goal isn’t to avoid taxes entirely.

It’s to control when you pay them and at what rate.

In this episode, Tyler covers:

Why the years between retirement and RMDs can be your biggest tax-planning opportunity

How Roth conversions work—and when they can save significant money

Why filling lower tax brackets deliberately can matter more than minimizing income

How required minimum distributions (RMDs) can push retirees into higher brackets later

Why IRMAA is a cliff, not a normal marginal tax bracket

The importance of planning for the widow’s penalty

Why retirement tax planning should become an annual practice, not a one-time decision

The core idea:

Your traditional IRA is a future tax bill. The question is whether you choose when to pay it—or let the IRS choose for you.

This is Part 3 of the Art of Decumulation series. Next week: market downturns, sequence-of-returns risk, and when to actually change the plan.

If the show’s been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple or Spotify genuinely helps.

Hope this gives you something to think about this week.

Pre-order Tyler's book, Real Wealth, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tyler.gardner.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and be eligible for all monthly incentives between now and December 1st!

And as always, a MASSIVE thank you to this week's sponsors:

Caldera+ Lab⁠: → If you've been meaning to take better care of your skin, head to CalderaLab.com/TYLER and use code TYLER for 20% off your first order. This has been a game-changer for me.

⁠⁠⁠⁠Copilot Money: → ⁠⁠www.copilot.money/tyler⁠⁠ — use code TYLER2 for two free months, and learn why this is the only budgeting app that makes it into our group texts.

Momentous⁠: → ⁠⁠livemomentous.com⁠ Use code Tyler for up to 35% off your first order!

⁠⁠LMNT⁠: → ⁠drinklmnt.com/tyler⁠ Become an INSIDER, just order the INSIDER Bundle–four boxes for the price of three, best value they offer–and get early access to limited time flavors and cool surprise gifts along the way.

And On to the Show Notes!

Most retirement advice gives you a simple withdrawal order:

Taxable.Traditional.Roth.

Useful? Yes.

Always right? Not even close.

In Part 2 of the Art of Decumulation series, Tyler digs into what actually determines where your retirement income should come from each year — taxes, healthcare, market conditions, account type, and the life you’re trying to fund.

Because retirement withdrawals aren’t a problem you solve once.

They’re a decision you revisit every year.

In this episode, Tyler covers:

Why the “taxable → traditional → Roth” rule is only a starting point

How to use low tax brackets strategically instead of simply minimizing withdrawals

Why asset location matters just as much as asset allocation

How sequence-of-returns risk changes the early years of retirement

Monthly vs. annual withdrawals — and why the mathematically “best” answer may not be the best life answer

When ACA subsidies and Roth conversions should override the usual withdrawal order

Why the Roth is often best preserved for last

The core idea:

The best withdrawal strategy changes with the year in front of you.

Do the math carefully.

But remember what the math is for.

This is Part 2 of the Art of Decumulation series. Next week: Roth conversions, RMDs, and IRMAA.

If the show’s been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple or Spotify genuinely helps.

Hope this gives you something to think about this week.

Pre-order Tyler's book, Real Wealth, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tyler.gardner.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and be eligible for all monthly incentives between now and December 1st!

And as always, a MASSIVE thank you to this week's sponsors:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DeleteMe⁠ → joindeleteme.com/tyler20⁠ Use code Tyler20 for up to 20% off!

Caldera+ Lab⁠ → CalderaLab.com/TYLER and use code TYLER for 20% off your first order.

⁠Facet⁠ → ⁠⁠facet.com/tyler⁠ for an exclusive $550 kickstart offer!

Gelt → ⁠⁠joingelt.com/tyler⁠ because having the right tax strategist changes the game entirely. If you're a business or a high-net worth individual, you might want to check this one out today.

And on to the show notes!!

Most financial advice is about building wealth.

Far less is about what comes next.

In this episode, Tyler kicks off a five-part series on the art of decumulation—the transition from saving for retirement to confidently spending what you've spent decades building.

Because retirement isn't just a financial shift.

It's a life shift.

In this episode, Tyler covers:

Why the first year of retirement is often the most emotionally challenging

How to build a 12–24 month cash buffer before leaving work

What to do with your 401(k) when you retire

How to think about Social Security and the healthcare gap before Medicare

Why every retiree should review beneficiaries and prepare their spouse to manage the finances

How to reposition your portfolio before retirement—not after

The core idea:

A successful retirement starts long before your last day at work.

The more decisions you make in advance, the less likely you'll be forced into emotional ones later.

This is Part 1 of Tyler's five-part series on retirement spending. Next week, he dives into one of the biggest decisions retirees face: which accounts to withdraw from first—and why the order matters.

If the show's been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple or Spotify genuinely helps.

Hope this gives you something to think about this week.

Pre-order Tyler's book, Real Wealth, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tyler.gardner.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and be eligible for all monthly incentives between now and December 1st!

And as always, a MASSIVE thank you to this week's sponsors:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Fabric⁠ → ⁠meetfabric.com/tyler⁠ Made for busy parents like you; all online, on your schedule, right from your couch. You could be covered in under 10 minutes, often with no health exam required.

LMNT⁠ → ⁠drinklmnt.com/tyler⁠ Become an INSIDER, just order the INSIDER Bundle–four boxes for the price of three, best value they offer–and get early access to limited time flavors and cool surprise gifts along the way.

⁠⁠⁠Copilot Money → ⁠⁠www.copilot.money/tyler⁠⁠ — use code TYLER2 for two free months.⁠

⁠Bilt⁠ → ⁠joinbilt.com/tyler⁠ So you can choose the card that fits your lifestyle without missing out on points and exclusive benefits.

And on to the show notes!!

Most investors think a better portfolio is a more complicated portfolio.

It usually isn't.

In this episode, Tyler revisits his retirement portfolio framework and answers one of the most common questions he's received:

How many funds do you actually need?

From a simple two-fund portfolio to more complex five-fund allocations, Tyler explains where diversification adds real value—and where it simply adds complexity.

In this episode, Tyler covers:

The differences between two-, three-, and five-fund portfolios

Why simplicity often outperforms complexity over the long run

The difference between bond funds and money market funds

Whether international stocks are actually necessary

When adding more funds becomes an active bet, not diversification

Why rebalancing once a year is usually enough

The behavioral advantage of owning a portfolio you can actually stick with

The core idea:

The best portfolio isn't the most sophisticated. It's the one you'll hold through the next bear market.

Because long-term investing isn't won by finding the perfect allocation.

It's won by keeping costs low, staying invested, and resisting the urge to tinker.

If the show's been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple or Spotify genuinely helps.

Hope this gives you something to think about this week.