Catching Up to FI

Not So Big Design Principles for House & Life with Sarah Susanka

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F.I.R.E. For Dummies

Did you know that co-host Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®, AFC® is also author of "F.I.R.E. For Dummies"? This is the perfect guide for anyone looking to move from the basics of their finances to reaching F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and enjoying the time freedom it creates. Even if you feel behind on your finances, the steps in this book will help you catch up sooner than you ever imagined.

Learn from someone who actually achieved F.I.R.E. in her 40s even after getting a late start
Covers everything from basics to advanced strategies in one guide
Practical solutions for early retirement obstacles like health insurance and early withdrawal penalties

👉🏽 https://a.co/d/01umGgeh (currently 40% off on Amazon)

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Sarah's Website

Sarah TedX talk

📗The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live

The New Urbanism

The Not So Big Bungalow

⏰ Related Episodes

How Clutter Steals Your Time (And How to Get It Back) | Rose Lounsbury | 188

📌Disclaimer: Our content is for general education and information purposes only. We are not providing financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a professional before making important decisions.

Shocking Truths About Women's Financial History You Need to Know | Our Sheconomy Gameshow | 219 Jun 10, 2026

Show notes

What if the fastest way to understand women's financial power isn't another lecture, but a trivia game that quietly reveals how recent, fragile, and still unfinished so much of women's economic progress really is? In this special "Sheconomy" quiz-show episode, Jackie and Bill join Janine Firpo and financial planner Sarah-Catherine Gutierrez for a lively game show. They move from Equal Pay Day and credit-card rights to why women often outperform men as investors, why female-led companies and firms still get shut out, and what could happen if women intentionally shifted even a slice of their wealth toward their values. The tone is playful, but the message is serious: money is power, and women stepping into that power changes families, businesses, markets, and maybe the whole economy.

This episode covers:

The surprising timeline of women's financial rights in the US
What Equal Pay Day reveals about how far women still have to go
Why women often outperform men as investors
How overconfidence and overtrading hurt returns
Why women-led businesses still receive a tiny share of venture capital
The rise of advice-only and flat-fee financial planning models
What values-aligned and ESG investing actually mean
Why women's money choices can reshape markets and communities
How much wealth women are expected to control in the coming years
The collective impact women could have by shifting capital intentionally

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Vote Your Money: Values Aligned Investing | Janine Firpo | 139

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===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

F.I.R.E. For Dummies

Learn from someone who actually achieved F.I.R.E. in her 40s even after getting a late start
Covers everything from basics to advanced strategies in one guide
Practical solutions for early retirement obstacles like health insurance and early withdrawal penalties

👉🏽 https://a.co/d/01umGgeh (currently 40% off on Amazon)

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Our Sheconomy

. ⏰ Related Episodes

The Power of Cash Flow Planning | Sarah-Catherine Gutierrez | 016

We Found Them! Past Guests At The Women of FI Weekend | Kim H. and Lisa B. | 218 Jun 07, 2026

Show notes

What happens when women in the financial independence community finally get a room of their own and use it not just to talk numbers, but to unpack the invisible stuff they've been carrying for years? In this on-location episode, Jackie takes us inside the Women of FI annual weekend in Maryland. This was a rare women-centered FI retreat that blends case studies, life design, laughter, and vulnerability. She catches up with two familiar voices from past episodes, Kim Hunter-Borst and Lisa B. to hear what retirement, sabbaticals, and post-FI life actually look like in motion, not just on paper. Other attendees also share why a women-only space hits differently: less posturing, more honesty, more room to talk about emotional labor, caregiving, identity, and the inner work that often gets skipped in mixed-money spaces.

This episode covers:

What happened at the Women of FI annual women's weekend in Maryland
Why women-centered FI spaces create a different kind of openness and trust
Kim Hunter-Borst's vision for building a smaller, more vulnerable, more intentional retreat
The 2026 theme of "release" and what women said they were ready to put down
A retirement update from Kim after leaving full-time work
A follow-up from Lisa B. on quitting her job, taking a summer break, and what happened next
Why women said they needed space for both the "outer" and "inner" work of FI
How attendees are thinking about Coast FI, sabbaticals, community, and post-FI life

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WE Wealth Collective Facebook Group

☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee"

🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question

===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

F.I.R.E. For Dummies

Learn from someone who actually achieved F.I.R.E. in her 40s even after getting a late start
Covers everything from basics to advanced strategies in one guide
Practical solutions for early retirement obstacles like health insurance and early withdrawal penalties

👉🏽 https://a.co/d/01umGgeh (currently 40% off on Amazon)

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Women Of FI

EconoMe Conference https://economeconference.com

CampFI

FinTalks Events

. ⏰ Related Episodes

Drowning in Debt at 48, Retired at 58: Here's How She Did It! | Kim Hunter-Borst | 181

Case Study: The Real Numbers That Told Her She Could Quit her Job, Now! | Lisa B | 161

The Power of Cash Flow Planning | Sarah-Catherine Gutierrez | 016

Why "One More Year" Isn't Always a Mistake | Bill, Jackie, Patrick | 217 May 31, 2026

Show notes

What if "one more year" isn't a failure of courage. What if it's a messy, human, sometimes wise transition between the life you built and the life you're finally ready to choose? In this spontaneous, unusually raw episode, Bill, Jackie, and Patrick crack open the emotional side of financial independence. They go beyond the surface of the hesitation, identity shift, grief, relief, and weird freedom that can show up when the math says you're done but your nervous system is still catching up. Bill shares what it feels like to downshift after unexpectedly reaching FI, why he's enjoying work more now that he doesn't need it, and how a heartbreaking night in the ER sharpened his thinking about what really counts. Jackie reflects on her own two-year "one more year" phase and why she no longer sees it as a mistake so much as a cushion she needed. Patrick adds the planner's lens: if a choice still serves your life, it may not be "one more year" syndrome at all. This episode is a heartfelt reminder that the real work isn't just reaching the number but learning how to let go when the time comes.

This episode covers:

Why "one more year syndrome" may not actually be a bad thing
The emotional transition from being FI on paper to actually changing your life
Bill's intentional downshift and how FI gave him leverage at work
Jackie's two-year hesitation and why she now sees it with more grace
How fear, identity, purpose, and burnout all shape retirement timing
Why working after FI can still make sense if it serves your life
The difference between choosing one more year and drifting into it unconsciously
How tragedy and loss can change the way you think about time
Why the second chapter of life requires more than just good math
How late starters can prepare emotionally, not just financially, for freedom

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Catching Up to FI Facebook Community

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===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

STUDENT LOAN PLANNER

Big changes with student loans in 2026. Get help from the experts at Student Loan Planner, all CFP®, CFA and CSLP® professionals. They charge a one-time fee for their thorough review. Our listeners receive $100 off a 1:1 consult using the link below. Flat fee is normally $595, but after your $100 off 'Catching Up to FI' discount, it's $495.

👉🏼 Be sure to use this link: studentloanplanner.com/catchingup

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Jackie's FIRE Letter

. ⏰ Related Episodes

Founder of 'Catching Up to FI' Just Hit Financial Independence, Now What? | Bill Yount | 196

From Poverty to Wealth and Early Retirement | Jackie Cummings Koski | 007

Our Team is Growing: Welcome Patrick! | Patrick McDonnal | 136

The Three Kinder Questions (Part 2) | George Kinder | 141

The pURPOSE Code | Jordan Grumet | 115

Hard & Soft Sides of Retirement | Fritz Gilbert | 019

How to Retire Sooner and Spend More: Risk-Based Guardrails Explained | Aubrey Williams | 216 May 24, 2026

Show notes

What if the real danger in retirement isn't running out of money, but spending so cautiously that you accidentally work too long, live too small, and die with a portfolio that never got a chance to do its job? In part two with Aubrey Williams, we go deeper into the "fog of FI" (that weird, anxious place where the spreadsheet says you're free, but your nervous system absolutely does not believe it).

This episode covers:

Why the 4% rule can make FI people overwork and underspend
How future income streams like Social Security can move your FI date forward
Why flexible spending is more realistic than flat, inflation-adjusted withdrawals
How risk-based guardrails help you know when to cut or increase spending
Why many FI people need more help increasing spending than reducing it
How personal inflation can differ from CPI and affect retirement planning
Why historical analysis may be more useful than Monte Carlo for some FI decisions
How small amounts of income in retirement can meaningfully reduce portfolio pressure
Why engineers and analytical types often need better data to trust they're "done"
How Bill is using these ideas to finally get clearer about leaving work sooner

S U P P O R T T H E S H O W

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===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

STUDENT LOAN PLANNER

👉🏼 Be sure to use this link: studentloanplanner.com/catchingup

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Open Path Financial

Aubrey's EconoMe Talk (2026): Coming soon!

Income Lab

FIREproof (Lauren Boland)

Projection Lab

Open Source Guardrails Simulation (Roger Cost)

⏰ Related Episodes

Part 1: Why Your Brain is Hardwired to Keep You Working (and How to Fix It) | Aubrey Williams | 214

A Richer Retirement: The 4.7% Rule | Bill Bengen | 169

Sequence of Returns Risk: What Every Retiree Needs to Know | Karsten Jeske | 106

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Why You Should Stop Beating Yourself Up for Starting Late | "How To Money" Crossover | 215 May 20, 2026

Show notes

What if the biggest difference between someone who starts at 22 and someone who starts at 50 isn't intelligence or income, but simply the moment they finally decide, nobody's coming to save me? In this crossover episode, Bill joins Joel on "How to Money" to tell the brutally honest and surprisingly hopeful truth. He shares his story of becoming financially independent after a 20-year sleepwalk through lifestyle inflation, doctor money mistakes, and zero real financial plan. It's candid, practical, and exactly the kind of episode that makes you stop saying "I'm behind" and start asking "What's my next move?"

This episode covers:

Bill's late-starter journey from paycheck-to-paycheck doctor to financially independent at 60
How "rich doctor syndrome" and lifestyle inflation can keep high earners broke
Why debt, overspending, and delayed gratification derailed his early money life
The wake-up call that came from burnout, a malpractice lawsuit, and turning 50
How downsizing, geo-arbitrage, and a higher savings rate changed everything
Why savings rate matters more than most people realize for late starters
How to think about debt payoff versus investing when you feel behind
Why college funding, generational wealth, and retirement planning are all connected
How Bill thinks about using a financial advisor after a long DIY phase
Why financial independence is really about buying back time, autonomy, and health

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Founder of 'Catching Up to FI' Just Hit Financial Independence, Now What? | Bill Yount | 196

☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee"

🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question

===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

🆕Big changes with student loans in 2026. Get help from the experts at Student Loan Planner, all CFP®, CFA and CSLP® professionals. They charge a one-time fee for their thorough review. Our listeners receive $100 off a 1:1 consult using the link below. Flat fee is normally $595, but after your $100 off 'Catching Up to FI' discount, it's $495.

👉🏼 Be sure to use this link: studentloanplanner.com/catchingup

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

How To Money

The White Coat Investor

George Kinder

William Bernstein

⏰ Related Episodes

Flashback to Episode 1: 'A Boat Named YOLO' | Bill Yount | 197

Why Your Brain is Hardwired to Keep You Working (and How to Fix It) | Aubrey Williams | 214 May 17, 2026

Show notes

What if the thing keeping you from Financial Independence (FI) isn't your income, your portfolio, or your math. It's probably the quiet belief that you still need "one more year" when you actually don't. Our guest on this episode is Aubrey Williams, a former particle physicist, radar-tech leader, debt-slayer, and now advice-only financial planner. In this conversation, he flips some of the FI community's favorite assumptions on their head. This is the first of a 2-part episode with Aubrey so be sure to follow the podcast to be notified of the second part of this fascinating conversation.

This episode covers:

How Aubrey rebuilt after divorce and $90,000 of debt
Why savings rate is nonlinear and more powerful than most people realize
How a higher savings rate can erase working years faster than expected
Why our brains are wired for survival, not modern investing and retirement decisions
How to build evidence that you can safely spend instead of just hoard
Why living smaller can sometimes create more freedom and more joy
How Aubrey reached FI in high-cost Santa Barbara without leaving California
Why the FI community itself often knows more than the average advisor
The difference between fee-based, fee-only, flat-fee, and hourly advice
Why Aubrey believes many FI people are still working too long

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Founder of 'Catching Up to FI' Just Hit Financial Independence, Now What? | Bill Yount | 196

☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee"

🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question

===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

STUDENT LOAN PLANNER

👉🏼 Be sure to use this link: studentloanplanner.com/catchingup

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Open Path Financial

Aubrey's EconoMe Talk (2026): Coming soon!

⏰ Related Episodes

Enoughness: Your Life or Your Money | Vicki Robin | 95

Your FIRE Plan is Screwed Without An Estate Plan! | Allison Harrison | 213 May 10, 2026

Show notes

You've worked twice as hard to catch up on your path to financial independence, so why leave your legacy to chance? To help keep your FI plan from going up in smoke we sit down with estate planning and small business attorney, Allison Harrison. It's a fast, funny and slightly alarming deep dive into estate planning for normal people who assume they're "not rich enough" to need one.

This episode covers:

Why your FI plan is incomplete without basic estate planning
The real cost, delay, and public exposure that can come with probate
Why many people think they need a trust when they actually don't
When a trust does make sense, especially for control and complex family situations
The simplest ways to avoid probate using beneficiaries and transfer-on-death designations
Why healthcare and financial powers of attorney matter just as much as a will
Estate-planning blind spots for small-business owners and side hustlers
The role of umbrella insurance, LLCs, and business agreements in protecting your assets
Why digital accounts, passwords, and two-factor authentication are now part of estate planning
What parents of newly minted 18-year-olds need to handle before college or adulthood begins

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Free Estate Planning Guides, Infographics and More (no email required)

☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee"

🎙️We love hearing from you! Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question Record a Voice Message with your feedback or question

===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

STUDENT LOAN PLANNER

Big changes with student loans in 2026! Get help from the experts at Student Loan Planner, all CFP®, CFA and CSLP® professionals. They charge a one-time fee for their thorough review. Our listeners receive $100 off a 1:1 consult using the link below. Flat fee is normally $595, but after your $100 off 'Catching Up to FI' discount, it's $495.

👉🏼 Be sure to use this link: studentloanplanner.com/catchingup

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Allison's EconoMe Talk (2026) -Coming soon-

ALH Law Group

See Us Mob Podcast

ALH Law Group Youtube

Safe Sendoff (Legal Planning for Young Adults)

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Attorney Spilling all the Legal Tea on Estate Planning | Jenny Rozelle | 121

Borderless FI: Starting Over At 37 After Divorce | Bronwyn Candish | 212 May 03, 2026

Show notes

What do you do when your accountant brain knows the numbers, your life blows up anyway, and the answer turns out to be halfway around the world in a weird little movement called FIRE? We head to New Zealand to talk with Bronwyn Candish, a chartered accountant, community builder, and one of the clearest Kiwi voices in financial independence movement. She talks to us about starting over after divorce, rebuilding from the middle, and discovering that "doing money right" has a lot less to do with credentials than with courage, alignment, and actually taking action.

This episode covers:

Growing up with scarcity in New Zealand and how that shaped Bronwyn's money mindset
Why being an accountant did not automatically make her good with money
Lifestyle creep, overbuying on housing, and drifting into paycheck-to-paycheck living
Divorce as a financial wake-up call in her late 30s
How Bronwyn found FIRE through a random article and went deep down the rabbit hole
The role of KiwiSaver, housing, and DIY culture in the New Zealand version of FI
Why community and accountability matter so much on the journey
How Bronwyn turned her accounting practice into a FIRE-adjacent coaching space
The creation of Black Friday and the growth of the Kiwi FIRE community
What it looks like to be "mid-journey" and still deeply love the path

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KiwiFI and Black FI Day website

☕ Like what you hear on Catching Up to FI? Support the show at "Buy Me a Coffee"

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===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===

👉🏼 Be sure to use this link: studentloanplanner.com/catchingup

For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Sheppard & Ormsby

PocketSmith Personal Finance Software

⏰ Related Episodes

Borderless FI: The Happy KiwiSaver | Ruth Henderson | 165

Borderless FI: Australian Paramedic Healing Her Own Trauma | Tasch Rogers | 143

Indiana Jones and an Extraordinary Life with the Donegans | Alan and Katie Donegan | 079

Borderless FI: Thunder Down Under | Late Starter Fire | 004

The Fog of FI: Overcoming the Fear of Quitting Your Job | "The Long View" Crossover | 211 Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

What if the biggest shift in your FI journey isn't hitting the number—but finally realizing you need a life plan, a tax plan, and maybe even a fiduciary teammate to help you spend it? Bill steps into the guest chair with Morningstar's Christine Benz for a thoughtful, surprisingly candid conversation about going from financially illiterate "rich doctor syndrome" to fully conscious wealth stewardship. He walks through the entire arc. But this episode goes deeper than a standard "how I retired" story.

This episode covers:

➡️ Bill's path from paycheck-to-paycheck physician to financially independent late starter

➡️ How childhood money scripts and "rich doctor syndrome" shaped his early financial mistakes

➡️ Why the Great Financial Crisis and burnout became a wake-up call

➡️ What changed when Bill moved from financial consumer to conscious wealth steward

➡️ Why accumulation can be DIY—but decumulation often gets more complex

➡️ How Bill searched for a fiduciary, flat-fee, life-planning-oriented advisor

➡️ Why risk parity appealed to him for retirement and sequence-of-returns protection

➡️ The role of a modern advisor as behavioral buffer, tax strategist, and cognitive-risk safeguard

➡️ Why FI gave Bill leverage to redesign work instead of just quit cold turkey

➡️ How Bill is thinking about legacy, living giving, and helping the next generation now, not just later

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