The Retirement Planner

Chamberlin

Welcome to The Retirement Planner, where we’re reimagining what retirement means for American families. Hosted by Don Chamberlin, the leader of a fiduciary firm with a mission to shatter the status quo of financial misinformation, this podcast helps transform complex retirement topics into clear, actionable wisdom. Each episode empowers listeners with honest conversations about the decumulation phase of life—that crucial transition from earning to living off your savings. We dive deep into topics like Social Security timing, tax strategies, and creating guaranteed income streams, all while keeping things straightforward. Whether you’re five years from retirement or already there, we’re here to help you stop lying awake at night worrying about market downturns or outliving your savings. Through expert interviews, myth-busting segments, and real stories from everyday Americans, we’re building a community where retirement planning isn’t about fear—it’s about freedom. The Retirement Planner brings the same holistic, education-first approach that’s helped countless families turn their retirement dreams into reality. From cross-country road trips to weekly grandkid visits, we’re here to help you build a retirement that works for your life. Join us as we explore how to make your money work as hard as you have, bringing clarity and confidence to your retirement journey. New episodes every month!

Episodes

  1. 10/09/2025 · VIDEO

    The Retirement Red Zone with Don Chamberlin III | The Retirement Planner Podcast Ep. 10

    It’s football season again, so imagine this: Your team is inside the 10 yard line and it’s first down. You have four chances to get points on the board, so the last thing you want to do is fumble, or throw an interception. You have to take advantage of the opportunities you have to the best of your ability. Retirement planning is no different! When you get close to or fully entire your retirement years, you want to preserve your assets and make sure they last. A “fumble” in those critical years can mean a long, difficult recovery. That’s where bucket planning can be a key page in your playbook. Join Certified Financial Fiduciary Don Chamberlin and his son Don III (“D.C.”) for the final episode of The Retirement Planner Podcast’s first season, and learn more about this time-segmenting strategy and how it can help you weather market volatility and live out your retirement dreams with confidence and peace of mind. Ready to learn more? Click this link to schedule your no-fee 20-minute Strategy Session with one of Chamberlin’s Certified Financial Fiduciaries®! https://fb.chamberlin-group.com/podcast   Sources: Prosperity Capital Advisors. (n.d.). Don Chamberlin III. https://prosperitycapitaladvisors.com/don-chamberlin-iii/ Elizabeth Gravier. (2022, June 14). What experts say to do during a bear market. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/14/what-experts-say-to-do-during-a-bear-market.html CNBC. (n.d.). 2022 was the worst ever year for U.S. bonds. How to position for 2023. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/07/2022-was-the-worst-ever-year-for-us-bonds-how-to-position-for-2023.html Ostrowski, J. (2025, June 18). What the Fed's continued rate pause means for homebuyers and sellers. Bankrate. https://www.bankrate.com/real-estate/how-fed-interest-rate-affects-housing-market/ Mirolli, D. (2019, December 18). Retirement Red Zone. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/impactpartners/2019/12/18/retirement-red-zone/ Rockefeller Capital Management. (n.d.). Bull and Bear Markets: Understanding Potential Election Implications for the Cycle Ahead. Retrieved July 21, 2025, from https://www.rockco.com/strategic-insights/bull-and-bear-markets/ Roger G. Ibbotson. (2018, January). Fixed Indexed Annuities: Consider the Alternative. Zebra Capital. https://www.zebracapital.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Fixed-Indexed-Annuities-Consider-the-Alternative-January-2018.pdf Allianz Life. (n.d.). Americans Are More Worried About Running Out of Money Than Death. https://www.allianzlife.com/about/newsroom/2025-Press-Releases/Americans-Are-More-Worried-About-Running-Out-of-Money-Than-Death VanDerhei, J. (2019, March 7). Retirement Savings Shortfalls: Evidence From EBRI's 2019 Retirement Security Projection Model®. EBRI. https://www.ebri.org/content/retirement-savings-shortfalls-evidence-from-ebri-s-2019-retirement-security-projection-model#:~:text=For%202019%2C%20RSPM%C2%AE%20finds,plan%20is%20$78%2C046%20per%20individual. Wolters Kluwer. (n.d.). Historical Income Tax Rates. Retrieved from https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/whole-ball-of-tax-historical-income-tax-rates Internal Revenue Service. (n.d.). Federal income tax rates and brackets. Retrieved from https://www.irs.gov/filing/federal-income-tax-rates-and-brackets Urban Institute. (n.d.). A Brief History of the Top Tax Rate. Retrieved from https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/59856/1000459-A-Brief-History-of-the-Top-Tax-Rate.PDF Rogers, M. (n.d.). What Are Appropriate Financial Advisor Fees in 2025?. 360 Financial. https://www.360financial.net/post/what-is-appropriate-fee-for-financial-advisor#:~:text=What%20is%20a%20typical%20financial,a%20firm's%20fee%20schedule%20works. Goyal, A., & Huang, J. (n.d.). An Empirical Evaluation of Tax-Loss-Harvesting Alpha. MIT Open Access Articles. Retrieved from https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/135992/SSRN-id3351382.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y Wolters Kluwer. (n.d.). Historical Income Tax Rates. Retrieved from https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/whole-ball-of-tax-historical-income-tax-rates Edelman Financial Engines. (n.d.). Pros and Cons of Roth Conversion - Tax. Retrieved from https://www.edelmanfinancialengines.com/education/tax/roth-conversion-pros-and-cons/ Principal Financial. (n.d.). What's the 59½ rule for early retirement savings withdrawals?. Retrieved from https://www.principal.com/individuals/build-your-knowledge/whats-59-half-rule-early-retirement-savings-withdrawals Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). 2025 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles. Retrieved from https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2025-medicare-parts-b-premiums-and-deductibles

    29 min
  2. 25/06/2025 · VIDEO

    Not Your Grandparents’ Annuities: John Del Greco, Pt. 2 | The Retirement Planner Podcast Ep. 8

    There are a lot of misconceptions out there about annuities, many of which are rooted in the way these assets were structured 20 or more years ago and ignoring developments in the market in more recent years. Are annuities right for your retirement plan? They could be, but there are lots of factors to consider. This week, Certified Financial Fiduciary Don Chamberlin and holistic planning pioneer John Del Greco continue their conversation about developments in the retirement and financial planning arenas over the course of their careers, with a particular focus on annuities and how they can help add stability and predictability to a retirement roadmap when they’re thoughtfully engaged. Ready to learn more? Click this link to schedule your no-fee 20-minute Strategy Session with one of Chamberlin’s Certified Financial Fiduciaries®! https://fb.chamberlin-group.com/podcast   Sources listed in order: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. (n.d.). National Rates and Rate Caps. Retrieved from https://www.fdic.gov/national-rates-and-rate-caps Nasdaq. (n.d.). Annuities and Estate Planning: A Comprehensive Guide. Retrieved from https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/annuities-and-estate-planning-comprehensive-guide Investopedia. (n.d.). Deferred Annuity. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/deferredannuity.asp MassMutual. (n.d.). Annuity Death Benefit Protection. Retrieved from https://blog.massmutual.com/retiring-investing/annuity-death-benefit-protection, Rekenthaler, J. (2023, November 16). An 8% Retirement Withdrawal Rate? Morningstar. Retrieved from https://www.morningstar.com/columns/rekenthaler-report/an-8-retirement-withdrawal-rate Del Greco, J. (2025, May 28). The guy behind retirement's 4% rule now thinks that's way too low. Here's how much more money you could spend. MarketWatch. Retrieved from https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20250528214/the-guy-behind-retirements-4-rule-now-thinks-thats-way-too-low-heres-how-much-more-money-you-could-spendZ Investopedia. (n.d.). What Is the 4% Rule for Withdrawals in Retirement? Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/four-percent-rule.asp Kiplinger. (2024, December 16). The 4% Rule for Retirement Withdrawals Gets a Closer Look. Retrieved from https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/retirement-planning/the-4-rule-gets-a-closer-look Morningstar. (n.d.). Just How Bad Was 2022's Stock and Bond Market Performance? Retrieved from https://www.morningstar.com/markets/just-how-bad-was-2022s-stock-bond-market-performance National Association of Insurance Commissioners. (n.d.). Buyer's Guide to Fixed Deferred Annuities. Retrieved from https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/publication-anb-lp-consumer-annuities-fixed.pdf Investopedia. (n.d.). Are You Protected if Your Insurance Company Goes Belly-Up? Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/articles/insurance/09/insurance-company-guarantee-fund.asp Kiplinger. (2022, January 21). Why Fixed-Rate Annuities Pay More than Bank CDs. Retrieved from https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/annuities/604072/why-fixed-rate-annuities-pay-more-than-bank-cds Companies Market Cap. (n.d.). Lucent Technologies (LU) - Stock price history. Retrieved from https://companiesmarketcap.com/lucent-technologies/stock-price-history/ Defiant Capital Group. (n.d.). S&P 500 Posts Crushing 68% Recovery in 2020. Retrieved from https://defiantcap.com/sp-500-posts-crushing-recovery-in-2020/ NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners). (2023, November 13). US Insurer Common Stock Exposure Year-End 2022. Retrieved from https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/capital-markets-special-reports-commonstock-ye2022.pdf Kiplinger. (2022, February 23). What You Need to Know About Annuities. Retrieved from https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/annuities/what-you-should-know-about-annuities FINRA. (n.d.). Variable Annuities: What You Should Know. Retrieved from https://www.finra.org/rules-guidance/key-topics/variable-annuities

    40 min

About

Welcome to The Retirement Planner, where we’re reimagining what retirement means for American families. Hosted by Don Chamberlin, the leader of a fiduciary firm with a mission to shatter the status quo of financial misinformation, this podcast helps transform complex retirement topics into clear, actionable wisdom. Each episode empowers listeners with honest conversations about the decumulation phase of life—that crucial transition from earning to living off your savings. We dive deep into topics like Social Security timing, tax strategies, and creating guaranteed income streams, all while keeping things straightforward. Whether you’re five years from retirement or already there, we’re here to help you stop lying awake at night worrying about market downturns or outliving your savings. Through expert interviews, myth-busting segments, and real stories from everyday Americans, we’re building a community where retirement planning isn’t about fear—it’s about freedom. The Retirement Planner brings the same holistic, education-first approach that’s helped countless families turn their retirement dreams into reality. From cross-country road trips to weekly grandkid visits, we’re here to help you build a retirement that works for your life. Join us as we explore how to make your money work as hard as you have, bringing clarity and confidence to your retirement journey. New episodes every month!