The Pete the Planner® Show

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He Makes $168,000—and Still Can’t Afford to Retire Sep 25, 2026

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A 53-year-old newly divorced man earns $168,000, kept the family home, and believes his best earning years are ahead of him. From the outside, he appears financially secure.

But he has only $315,000 left for retirement, spends more than his monthly paycheck, carries 22% credit-card debt, and depends on an annual bonus that hasn’t arrived yet. His plan is to maintain his lifestyle, keep the oversized house, and catch up later.

Is this merely a four-year financial squeeze—or has a high income disguised a retirement emergency? We examine the difference between earning a lot and needing a lot, whether home equity counts as a retirement plan, and what it would actually take for him to retire at 65.

51 and starting over Sep 18, 2026

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After 26 years of marriage, a 51-year-old listener is learning how to manage money on her own. She has a solid income, retirement savings, home-equity proceeds, temporary spousal support—and a persistent fear that one wrong decision could ruin everything. Should she buy another house? Pay off her car? Invest the divorce settlement? Keep helping her adult children? And is retiring at 65 still realistic? In this episode, we separate the financial damage of divorce from the emotional disruption of divorce, establish the correct order of operations, and build a practical 12-month plan for starting over without starting from zero.

Is the great generational wealth transfer real? Sep 11, 2026

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Millennials are expected to inherit approximately $46 trillion over the next 25 years, making them the largest beneficiaries of the so-called Great Wealth Transfer. But that enormous number hides an uncomfortable reality: much of the money belongs to a very small number of families, many inheritances won’t arrive until recipients are nearing retirement, and millions of millennials will receive little or nothing. Pete explains where the trillions are actually going, why inheritance may widen America’s economic divide and how families should plan for money that may—or may not—eventually arrive.

The case for outsourcing all your chores Sep 04, 2026

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We’ve all heard “it takes a village," but what if you have to pay for yours? From house cleaners and lawn care to childcare and grocery delivery, outsourcing can give us back time and capacity. But when is it a smart financial choice, and when is “buying back your time” just a fancy way to justify lifestyle creep? We’re talking about what your time is actually worth, what’s worth outsourcing, and when convenience deserves a place in your budget.

Americans Would Be Shocked by Canadian Personal Finance Aug 28, 2026

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What if you lived just a few hundred miles north—but the rules of your financial life were completely different? This week, we cross the border to examine the surprising realities of personal finance in Canada. From mortgages that regularly reset and government-funded healthcare to tax-free investment accounts Americans might envy, college savings incentives, retirement benefits, housing costs, and household debt, we compare how Canadians build financial lives versus Americans. Which country makes personal finance easier—and what could each side learn from the other?

The Second Best Thing To Do Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

Personal finance advice has a bad habit of sounding pass/fail.

Save 15% for retirement. Have six months of expenses in cash. Put 20% down on a house. Never carry a credit-card balance. Have a will.

That advice isn't wrong. In fact, most of it is excellent. The problem is what happens when the "right" answer feels so far away that people do nothing at all.

This week, we're not lowering the standards. We're building staircases to them.

For some of the biggest financial decisions in your life, we'll identify the best thing to do—and then figure out the next best thing to do when the ideal isn't realistic yet.

The S&P 500 isn't what you think it is Aug 14, 2026

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The S&P 500 has become the default investment for millions of Americans, but what exactly are you buying when you buy “the market”? We break down how the index actually works, why a handful of enormous companies increasingly determine its performance, how the S&P 500 has transformed over the decades, and whether owning 500 companies really makes you as diversified as you think.

The financial distractions keeping you broke Aug 07, 2026

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Some financial decisions feel productive without actually making much of a difference. We obsess over coffee, credit scores, investment returns, subscriptions, and finding the perfect savings account while much bigger financial levers go untouched.

This week, we identify the financial distractions that steal our attention from the decisions that actually determine our trajectory. Because being busy with your money isn't the same as making progress.

A financial priority changes the outcome. A financial distraction merely feels like progress.

The $300k 401k Mistake Jul 31, 2026

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A 1% contribution increase doesn’t sound life-changing. Neither does a slightly higher investment fee or a small piece of an employer match. But over an entire career, these tiny percentages can become six-figure decisions.

This week, Pete reveals the flashy math hiding inside your company-sponsored retirement plan. You’ll discover how an extra 1% could become more than $70,000, how one misunderstanding could cause you to miss thousands in employer money, and how an invisible fee difference could consume over $100,000 of future wealth.

Your retirement plan is filled with small levers attached to surprisingly large outcomes. It’s time to find out which ones you should pull.

Financial marketing, translated Jul 24, 2026

Show notes

Every financial company wants your attention. To get it, they rely on polished language, compelling statistics, and phrases that sound reassuring—but often leave out the context that actually matters.

In Financial Marketing, Translated, we decode the ads, websites, brochures, and sales pitches that shape financial decisions every day. We explain what the jargon really means, what assumptions are hiding beneath the claims, and the questions every consumer should ask before saying yes.

This isn't about calling financial marketing dishonest. It's about making sure you understand the language well enough to separate meaningful information from persuasive messaging. Because once you can translate the marketing, you can make better financial decisions with confidence.

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