Retire With Purpose - The Retirement Podcast

What if the key to a calmer, more meaningful retirement isn't having all the answers, but learning how to trust yourself when you don't? 
In this episode, we discuss: 
Why retirement feels more uncertain than working life
How identity shifts after 50 can create anxiety
What's true vs. what's just loud
How to focus on what you can control — in life and money
A 4-step practice to calm fear and regain clarity
Today's article is from our very own blog titled, Approaching Uncertainty with Yada. Listen in as Founder and CEO of Howard Bailey Financial, Casey Weade is joined by Les McDaniel to explore why retirement can feel more uncertain than working life.
Show Notes: HowardBailey.com/546
📧 WEEKEND READING FOR RETIREES: Receive CFP® insight on 4 hand-picked financial articles delivered straight to your Inbox each Friday: https://bit.ly/3OEdGgu 
📅SCHEDULE YOUR PERSONAL FINANCIAL REVIEW: Book a 15-minute call with Howard Bailey Financial to see how the topics discussed here apply to your individual situation: https://bit.ly/3T6oNDB
ABOUT HOWARD BAILEY FINANCIAL: Our mission is to help others gain clarity in purpose and elevate meaning in their lives through personal and practical financial strategies. Our Retire With Purpose™ Framework starts with establishing your unique financial philosophy — the true meaning and purpose for your money in retirement. Through continued education, one-on-one meetings, and a comprehensive team planning approach, we have helped retirees across the country secure their financial futures. And while we can't work with everyone, our goal is to provide value to everyone we meet. Our team of advisors and support specialists strive to deliver the very best experience in pre-retirement and retirement planning. Learn more about our process here: https://howardbailey.com/our-process

Will 2026 deliver another strong bull-market year — or a long-overdue reality check as AI, market valuations, and global shifts collide? 
In this episode, we discuss: 
2026 S&P 500 predictions (15.2% vs. 6.7%)
AI's explosive growth
The Magnificent Seven's shrinking dominance
Why equal-weighted investing reduces volatility
Why bonds, gold, and diversification matter again
How pre-retirees can protect gains while staying invested
Today's article is from Kitces.com titled, 10 Charts To Help Explain The 2026 Market To Clients. Listen in as Founder and CEO of Howard Bailey Financial, Casey Weade, breaks down the article and provides thoughtful insights and advice on how it applies to your unique financial situation.
Show Notes: HowardBailey.com/545
📧 WEEKEND READING FOR RETIREES: Receive CFP® insight on 4 hand-picked financial articles delivered straight to your Inbox each Friday: https://bit.ly/3OEdGgu 
📅SCHEDULE YOUR PERSONAL FINANCIAL REVIEW: Book a 15-minute call with Howard Bailey Financial to see how the topics discussed here apply to your individual situation: https://bit.ly/3T6oNDB
ABOUT HOWARD BAILEY FINANCIAL: Our mission is to help others gain clarity in purpose and elevate meaning in their lives through personal and practical financial strategies. Our Retire With Purpose™ Framework starts with establishing your unique financial philosophy — the true meaning and purpose for your money in retirement. Through continued education, one-on-one meetings, and a comprehensive team planning approach, we have helped retirees across the country secure their financial futures. And while we can't work with everyone, our goal is to provide value to everyone we meet. Our team of advisors and support specialists strive to deliver the very best experience in pre-retirement and retirement planning. Learn more about our process here: https://howardbailey.com/our-process

What if the real measure of a successful retirement isn't what you've built, but who you've been, and how your money supports the life you want to be remembered for? 
In this episode, we discuss: 
Resume virtues vs. eulogy virtues
Why many retirees feel "lost" after achieving everything they worked for
How purpose changes the way you think about money, work, and time
Using financial planning to create freedom, not pressure
Redefining identity, success, and legacy after 50
Today's article is from The Root of All titled, Living for the Eulogy. Listen in as Founder and CEO of Howard Bailey Financial, Casey Weade is joined by Les McDaniel to explore how redefining success through purpose, legacy, and "eulogy virtues" can transform retirement.
Show Notes: HowardBailey.com/544
📧 WEEKEND READING FOR RETIREES: Receive CFP® insight on 4 hand-picked financial articles delivered straight to your Inbox each Friday: https://bit.ly/3OEdGgu 
📅SCHEDULE YOUR PERSONAL FINANCIAL REVIEW: Book a 15-minute call with Howard Bailey Financial to see how the topics discussed here apply to your individual situation: https://bit.ly/3T6oNDB
ABOUT HOWARD BAILEY FINANCIAL: Our mission is to help others gain clarity in purpose and elevate meaning in their lives through personal and practical financial strategies. Our Retire With Purpose™ Framework starts with establishing your unique financial philosophy — the true meaning and purpose for your money in retirement. Through continued education, one-on-one meetings, and a comprehensive team planning approach, we have helped retirees across the country secure their financial futures. And while we can't work with everyone, our goal is to provide value to everyone we meet. Our team of advisors and support specialists strive to deliver the very best experience in pre-retirement and retirement planning. Learn more about our process here: https://howardbailey.com/our-process

Today, I'm excited to welcome Dr. Sharon Bergquist to the podcast. Sharon is a board-certified physician, research scientist, founder of Emory Lifestyle Medicine & Wellness, and an internationally recognized leader in lifestyle medicine. 
She has led or co-led over a dozen clinical trials that have received $61 million in funding to evaluate lifestyle interventions and identify early biomarkers for chronic disease, including ongoing studies for early detection of Alzheimer's disease and cancer. Her work is at the forefront of how we understand the role of stress and resilience on our health and longevity.
As the author of The Stress Paradox: Why You Need Stress to Live Longer, Healthier, and Happier, Dr. Bergquist brings a deeply personal and scientific perspective to the conversation. She shares how early-life adversity shaped her understanding of resilience and how decades of clinical research led her to challenge the conventional narrative about stress. Sharon explains why not all stress is harmful, how the body is biologically designed for growth through challenge, and why eliminating stress may actually harm long-term health and longevity.
In our conversation, we explore the science behind how good stress in the "Goldilocks Zone" can strengthen the body and mind. Sharon outlines how purposeful stress supports mitochondrial health, cognitive function, physical capacity, and emotional well-being, and explains why recovery is just as essential as the challenges we create and overcome.
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Step 1: Subscribe to the podcast and leave an honest rating & review on iTunes.
Step 2: Text the word BOOK to 888-599-4491, and we'll send you a link to claim your free copy!
In this podcast interview, you'll learn:
Why not all stress is harmful—and how the right stress promotes longevity.
The difference between distress, eustress, and not enough stress.
How meaning and purpose challenges us and strengthens resilience.
Why avoiding stress in retirement can backfire physically and mentally.
The role mitochondria play in our energy, aging, and stress levels.
The importance of recovery and how it transforms stress into growth.
Why purpose is actually beneficial in protecting us against aging.
How to rethink retirement as a season of continued growth and contribution.
Show Notes: HowardBailey.com/543
📧 WEEKEND READING FOR RETIREES: Receive CFP® insight on 4 hand-picked financial articles delivered straight to your Inbox each Friday: https://bit.ly/3OEdGgu 
📅SCHEDULE YOUR PERSONAL FINANCIAL REVIEW: Book a 15-minute call with Howard Bailey Financial to see how the topics discussed here apply to your individual situation: https://bit.ly/3T6oNDB
ABOUT HOWARD BAILEY FINANCIAL: Our mission is to help others gain clarity in purpose and elevate meaning in their lives through personal and practical financial strategies. Our Retire With Purpose™ Framework starts with establishing your unique financial philosophy — the true meaning and purpose for your money in retirement. Through continued education, one-on-one meetings, and a comprehensive team planning approach, we have helped retirees across the country secure their financial futures. And while we can't work with everyone, our goal is to provide value to everyone we meet. Our team of advisors and support specialists strive to deliver the very best experience in pre-retirement and retirement planning. Learn more about our process here: https://howardbailey.com/our-process

You saved diligently for decades — so why does giving yourself permission to spend still feel so hard? 
In this episode, we discuss: 
Why many retirees underspend despite having a secure financial plan
Emotional and psychological barriers to spending
How lifelong, "saver" habits impact retirement decisions
Low-risk strategies to help build spending confidence
Today's article is from the Kitces blog titled, Helping Underspenders And "Savers" Understand They CAN Spend More With 4 Stages Of "Experiments". Listen in as Founder and CEO of Howard Bailey Financial, Casey Weade, breaks down the article and provides thoughtful insights and advice on how it applies to your unique financial situation.
Show Notes: HowardBailey.com/542
📧 WEEKEND READING FOR RETIREES: Receive CFP® insight on 4 hand-picked financial articles delivered straight to your Inbox each Friday: https://bit.ly/3OEdGgu 
📅SCHEDULE YOUR PERSONAL FINANCIAL REVIEW: Book a 15-minute call with Howard Bailey Financial to see how the topics discussed here apply to your individual situation: https://bit.ly/3T6oNDB
ABOUT HOWARD BAILEY FINANCIAL: Our mission is to help others gain clarity in purpose and elevate meaning in their lives through personal and practical financial strategies. Our Retire With Purpose™ Framework starts with establishing your unique financial philosophy — the true meaning and purpose for your money in retirement. Through continued education, one-on-one meetings, and a comprehensive team planning approach, we have helped retirees across the country secure their financial futures. And while we can't work with everyone, our goal is to provide value to everyone we meet. Our team of advisors and support specialists strive to deliver the very best experience in pre-retirement and retirement planning. Learn more about our process here: https://howardbailey.com/our-process