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Episode Description
A $10 million retirement is often imagined as the finish line — complete freedom, unlimited spending, and no financial stress. The reality is more complex.
James walks through what an eight-figure retirement actually looks like by examining a real planning scenario for a couple entering retirement with roughly $10 million in assets. Rather than focusing on luxury or excess, the conversation centers on how income, taxes, investment structure, and lifestyle decisions evolve once work stops and the margin for error gets smaller.
At this level of wealth, the biggest challenge isn’t running out of money. It’s deciding how to use it well. James explains why many high-net-worth retirees struggle to define spending, how withdrawal rates change over time, why required distributions and taxes quietly reshape cash flow, and how Social Security, charitable giving, and estate planning become critical pieces of the overall strategy.
The episode highlights an often-overlooked truth: wealth doesn’t eliminate complexity — it shifts it. Confidence in retirement comes from alignment and intentional planning, not from chasing the largest possible ending balance.
This episode is for anyone approaching retirement with significant assets who wants a grounded, realistic perspective on what a $10 million retirement actually involves.
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The strategies, case studies, and examples discussed may not be suitable for everyone. They are hypothetical and for illustrative and educational purposes only. They do not reflect actual client results and are not guarantees of future performance. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal.
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