ClearPath Retirement Radio

Stewart Smith
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Every week, Stewart Smith and Mitch Davies sit down to talk about the retirement questions that matter most to pre-retirees and retirees in Greenville, Columbia, and Upstate South Carolina from retirement income and Social Security timing to tax planning, Roth conversions, Medicare, and protecting the savings you've spent a lifetime building. This is real-world financial talk designed for real people. People who want clear answers so they can make informed decisions and retire with confidence. Each episode includes Mitch's Market Minute: market commentary designed specifically for retirees who are living off their investments. Stewart Smith, LUTCF®, RICP® is a financial advisor, veteran, and author of Live a Fuller, Richer Retirement. He brings 25 years of experience working with South Carolina families and they start every conversation with planning, not products. 864-775-5033 clearpathretirement.comInvestment advisory services offered through Alphastar Capital Management, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. 

  1. May 23

    The Retirement Questions That Keep You Up at Night: And Why a Plan Beats an Opinion

    Retirement planning isn't about having the right advisor. It's about having a real plan — one that shows you in black and white how your money holds up against taxes, inflation, market risk, and time. Today, Stewart Smith and Mitch Davies tackle the questions that genuinely keep pre-retirees awake:  Will I have enough?  What will taxes do to my IRA?  When should I take Social Security?  Can we survive a major healthcare event? These aren't hypothetical worries — they're conversations happening every week at ClearPath. In this ClearPath Retirement Radio episode: Why "your advisor said you're fine" isn't the same as a plan and what that difference costs peopleThe psychology of retiring after 30+ years: identity, anxiety, and the shift from saving to spendingMitch's Market Minute: What's keeping the market picture cloudy right now — the war in Iran, inflation, and record corporate earnings all at onceQualified Charitable Deductions (QCDs): The most-missed tax strategy for retirees who give to charityWithdrawal order: Why the account you tap first matters just as much as how much you've savedRoth conversions explained plainly — including the truth about the five-year rule most people get wrongThe "magic window" between retirement and age 73 — and why it may be your best tax planning opportunityThe tax torpedo and how it hits surviving spouses hardestHow the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's extra standard deduction may create a short-term Roth conversion opportunity through 2028This is the Season 1 finale of ClearPath Retirement Radio. We're taking a short break and coming back in June for Season 2 — recorded live from our Greenville office and available every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.  If you've been listening this season, thank you. We're just getting started. If any of this has been sitting with you, we'd love to help. Call us at 864-775-5033 or visit clearpathretirement.com to start the conversation. ClearPath Retirement Planning serves pre-retirees and retirees across Upstate South Carolina, Columbia, and Western NC. We're veteran-owned, fiduciary, and planning-first — always. Ready to stress-test your retirement plan? ClearPath Retirement Planning helps retirees and pre-retirees in the Upstate SC and Columbia areas create tax-efficient retirement income strategies.  📍 300 Executive Center Drive, Suite 104 | Greenville, SC 29615  📞 (864) 775-5033 Schedule your complimentary consultation today at www.clearpathretirement.com Subscribe & Connect: YouTube: @ClearPathRetirementPlanning Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClearPathRetirement LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clearpathretirement Important Disclosure: Investment advisory services offered through Alphastar Capital Management, LLC, a SEC-registered investment adviser. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the SEC nor does it indicate that the adviser has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Fixed insurance products are offered through Clearpath Retirement Planning, LLC and Alphastar Capital Management is not involved in the offer, recommendation, sale or management of commission-based fixed Insurance products. Alphastar Capital Management and Clearpath Retirement Plannin...

    53 min

  2. May 16

    Greenville SC Senior Living: Plan Now or Face a 5-Year Waitlist

    Retirement planning involves many conversations about income, taxes, and investments. But one of the questions Stewart Smith and Mitch Davies hear most often from families across Upstate South Carolina is this: How do we figure out the senior care piece and how do we pay for it? This week, Stewart and Mitch are joined in the studio by Lynn Baird of Oasis Senior Advisors, a 30-year veteran who helps families navigate independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing facilities across the Greenville area. Think of her as a real estate agent and advocate for families going through one of the most complicated transitions of their lives. In this episode: The four levels of senior care and exactly what triggers the move from one to the nextHow activities of daily living (ADLs) connect to insurance and long-term care benefitsWhat senior living actually costs in Upstate SC — and why it may surprise youWhy some of the most sought-after Greenville communities have five-year waiting listsThe questions every family should ask when touring a facilityHow to recognize the signs that a loved one may need more help — and why it's harder to spot than most people thinkMedicaid planning and the five-year lookback — what you need to know before you need itStewart's personal story about his father, a power of attorney, and a stroke that changed everything eight months laterMitch also covers this week's market update — inflation numbers, the new Federal Reserve chair, and what continued volatility means for retirees who haven't stress-tested their portfolios lately. For senior living placement in Upstate SC, visit Lynn at oasissenioradvisors.com and search for the Greenville location. Ready to stress-test your retirement plan? ClearPath Retirement Planning helps retirees and pre-retirees in the Upstate SC and Columbia areas create tax-efficient retirement income strategies.  📍 300 Executive Center Drive, Suite 104 | Greenville, SC 29615  📞 (864) 775-5033 Schedule your complimentary consultation today at www.clearpathretirement.com Subscribe & Connect: YouTube: @ClearPathRetirementPlanning Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClearPathRetirement LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clearpathretirement Important Disclosure: Investment advisory services offered through Alphastar Capital Management, LLC, a SEC-registered investment adviser. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the SEC nor does it indicate that the adviser has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Fixed insurance products are offered through Clearpath Retirement Planning, LLC and Alphastar Capital Management is not involved in the offer, recommendation, sale or management of commission-based fixed Insurance products. Alphastar Capital Management and Clearpath Retirement Plannin...

    52 min

  3. May 9

    Behind the Plan: Meet the Team Driving ClearPath's Planning-First Process

    Something a little different this week on ClearPath Retirement Radio. Stewart is traveling, so Mitch Davies takes the helm — joined by Servicing Adviser Lara Bishop and Marketing Director Kathy Farah — for a conversation that gives listeners a real look at the people and philosophy behind ClearPath's planning-first approach. If you've ever wondered what it actually feels like to work with a firm that leads with your plan and not a product pitch, this episode answers that question from the inside out. Mitch opens with the Market Minute — markets have recovered to all-time highs, the AI trade continues to show strong earnings, and what the possibility of a peace deal could mean going forward. Plus a look at GDP and PCE numbers heading into summer. Then the conversation shifts to the team itself. Mitch and Lara share how they each found their way into retirement planning, what drives them, and how Stewart has built an environment where different personalities, perspectives, and approaches all work together toward one goal — helping clients get to a place where retirement feels secure, not stressful. You'll also hear: Why retirement income planning starts with your expenses and goals, not your assets or returnsWhat clients wish they'd known before picking up the phone — and why you don't need to have it all together before you callHow the planning-first process works in practice, and at what point products even enter the conversationWhat it means that ClearPath advisors have no back-office pressure to sell — and why that changes everything about the client experienceHow the team stays proactively connected with clients, especially when markets get noisyAs Kathy put it during the conversation: the ages haven't mattered. What comes through consistently is that this is a team that genuinely wants to help people and has built a process that reflects that. If you're in the retirement red zone — roughly the three to five years leading up to retirement — or you're already retired and wondering if your plan is as solid as it should be, this is a good episode to sit with. Ready to stress-test your retirement plan? ClearPath Retirement Planning helps retirees and pre-retirees in the Upstate SC and Columbia areas create tax-efficient retirement income strategies.  📍 300 Executive Center Drive, Suite 104 | Greenville, SC 29615  📞 (864) 775-5033 Schedule your complimentary consultation today at www.clearpathretirement.com Subscribe & Connect: YouTube: @ClearPathRetirementPlanning Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClearPathRetirement LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clearpathretirement Important Disclosure: Investment advisory services offered through Alphastar Capital Management, LLC, a SEC-registered investment adviser. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the SEC nor does it indicate that the adviser has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Fixed insurance products are offered through Clearpath Retirement Planning, LLC and Alphastar Capital Management is not involved in the offer, recommendation, sale or management of commission-based fixed Insurance products. Alphastar Capital Management and Clearpath Retirement Plannin...

    51 min

  4. May 2

    The New Senior Scams That Even Smart People Fall For And How to Fight Back

    ClearPath Retirement Planning's Stewart Smith, LUTCF®, RICP®, and Mitch Davies break down the fastest-growing threat to retirement security in 2026. AI-powered scams that are so sophisticated that even financially savvy people are falling for them. In 2024, seniors lost nearly $5 billion to fraud. That number is probably much higher because most victims never report it, out of shame. And the old red flags are gone.  No more obvious tells. AI has changed everything. On this episode of ClearPath Retirement Radio, Stewart and Mitch walk through exactly how these scams work and what you can do right now to protect yourself and your family: → The grandparent scam 2.0 — how scammers clone your grandchild's actual voice from a 10-second social media clip and why you can't trust what you hear  → The imposter advisor call — what your real financial advisor will never ask you over the phone  → Fake investment opportunities — how a wrong number text can lead to losing your life savings  → The $250,000 real estate scam — a real client story about a savvy businessman who never saw it coming  → Email phishing scams — why you should never log into a financial account from a link in a text or email  → The three red flags that apply to every scam — urgency, fear, and secrecy  → The never pay rule — the four payment methods that mean it is always a scam  → The ClearPath Protection Playbook — family safe words, credit freezes, multi-factor authentication, and more  → Mitch's Market Minute — where the markets stand and what the new Fed chairman means for retirees If you are retired or approaching retirement, this episode could be the most important one you listen to this year. These scams happen every day to people who never thought they would happen to them. Reach out to the team at ClearPath Retirement Planning to make sure your retirement assets are protected with a plan built around your full picture. Ready to stress-test your retirement plan? ClearPath Retirement Planning helps retirees and pre-retirees in the Upstate SC and Columbia areas create tax-efficient retirement income strategies.  📍 300 Executive Center Drive, Suite 104 | Greenville, SC 29615  📞 (864) 775-5033 Schedule your complimentary consultation today at www.clearpathretirement.com Subscribe & Connect: YouTube: @ClearPathRetirementPlanning Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClearPathRetirement LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clearpathretirement Important Disclosure: Investment advisory services offered through Alphastar Capital Management, LLC, a SEC-registered investment adviser. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the SEC nor does it indicate that the adviser has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Fixed insurance products are offered through Clearpath Retirement Planning, LLC and Alphastar Capital Management is not involved in the offer, recommendation, sale or management of commission-based fixed Insurance products. Alphastar Capital Management and Clearpath Retirement Plannin...

    52 min

  5. Apr 25

    The Long-Term Care Problem SC Retirees Can't Afford to Ignore

    7 out of 10 Americans over the age of 65 will need some form of long-term care. A multi-year stay in a skilled nursing facility could easily consume a significant portion of your retirement savings. And most people don't have a plan for any of it. If you've been putting off this conversation because it felt too expensive, too complicated, or too uncomfortable, this episode of ClearPath Retirement Radio is for you. Stewart Smith, LUTCF®, RICP®, and Mitch Davies walk through the real costs of long-term care, why traditional long-term care insurance is failing people, and what a newer hybrid solution can do that the old approach never could. Stewart also shares his own experience watching his father's health decline — a man who signed a power of attorney convinced he would never need it, only to spend the last six years of his life in memory care. It is a story that brings this topic off the spreadsheet and into real life. In This Episode:  → What long-term care actually covers — home healthcare, assisted living, skilled nursing, and memory care  → Why the cost of care compounds faster than regular inflation and what the national averages look like today  → The hard truth about self-insuring, Medicaid spend-down, and what it really costs the surviving spouse  → Why traditional long-term care insurance is failing people — rising premiums, strict underwriting, and the use-it-or-lose-it problem  → A newer hybrid product — an indexed annuity with long-term care benefits — that may address nearly every problem with the old approach  → How a single premium could potentially give you a meaningful multiplier for long-term care benefits with no use-it-or-lose-it risk  → The 1035 exchange strategy that may turn an old non-qualified annuity into a tax-free long-term care payout  → How this product may allow you to pay a family caregiver tax-free — replacing their income while they help care for you  → Mitch's Market Minute: volatility, the market recovery, and why your allocation matters more than the headlines Call 864-775-5033 or visit clearpathretirement.com to schedule a conversation. Ready to stress-test your retirement plan? ClearPath Retirement Planning helps retirees and pre-retirees in the Upstate SC and Columbia areas create tax-efficient retirement income strategies.  📍 300 Executive Center Drive, Suite 104 | Greenville, SC 29615  📞 (864) 775-5033 Schedule your complimentary consultation today at www.clearpathretirement.com Subscribe & Connect: YouTube: @ClearPathRetirementPlanning Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClearPathRetirement LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clearpathretirement Important Disclosure: Investment advisory services offered through Alphastar Capital Management, LLC, a SEC-registered investment adviser. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the SEC nor does it indicate that the adviser has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Fixed insurance products are offered through Clearpath Retirement Planning, LLC and Alphastar Capital Management is not involved in the offer, recommendation, sale or management of commission-based fixed Insurance products. Alphastar Capital Management and Clearpath Retirement Plannin...

    53 min

  6. Apr 18

    Wills, Trusts & What Most SC Families Get Wrong About Estate Planning

    Most people assume that having a will means their estate is taken care of. But a will does not avoid probate, and probate could cost your family thousands of dollars, months of waiting, and more stress than you'd expect.  If you've been putting off estate planning because it felt complicated or expensive, this episode of ClearPath Retirement Radio is for you. Stewart Smith, LUTCF®, RICP®, and Mitch Davies break down living revocable trusts in plain terms — what they are, who needs one, how to fund it, and why they may be one of the most practical steps a retiree can take right now. In This Episode:  → Why a will alone does not avoid probate and what probate could actually cost your family  → What a living revocable trust is and why it is simpler than most people expect  → How to fund the trust — what to retitle, what to name as beneficiary, and what to leave alone  → The step-up in cost basis question: you do not lose it with a revocable living trust  → How trusts address blended families, aging spouses, and complicated ownership situations  → Why healthcare and financial power of attorney documents may be just as critical as the trust itself  → Why beneficiary designations need a review now, not someday  → Mitch's Market Minute: what the recent sharp market recovery means for retirees  Ready to get this taken care of once and for all?  ClearPath Retirement Planning helps retirees and pre-retirees in the Upstate SC and Columbia, SC areas build a complete estate plan — including living revocable trusts, power of attorney documents, and beneficiary reviews — all in one place, without the confusion. Ready to stress-test your retirement plan? ClearPath Retirement Planning helps retirees and pre-retirees in the Upstate SC and Columbia areas create tax-efficient retirement income strategies.  📍 300 Executive Center Drive, Suite 104 | Greenville, SC 29615  📞 (864) 775-5033 Schedule your complimentary consultation today at www.clearpathretirement.com Subscribe & Connect: YouTube: @ClearPathRetirementPlanning Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClearPathRetirement LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clearpathretirement Important Disclosure: Investment advisory services offered through Alphastar Capital Management, LLC, a SEC-registered investment adviser. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the SEC nor does it indicate that the adviser has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Fixed insurance products are offered through Clearpath Retirement Planning, LLC and Alphastar Capital Management is not involved in the offer, recommendation, sale or management of commission-based fixed Insurance products. Alphastar Capital Management and Clearpath Retirement Plannin...

    53 min

  7. Apr 11

    Feeling Behind on Retirement Savings? Here's What You Can Still Do

    Nearly half of Americans over 55 feel they haven't saved enough for retirement. If you've looked at your 401 (k) statement and felt that familiar knot in your stomach, this episode of Clearpath Retirement Radio is for you. Stewart Smith, LUTCF®, RICP®, and Mitch Davies walk through four real steps people in their 50s and early 60s can take right now to close the gap and still build a retirement worth looking forward to. In This Episode:  → Catch-up contributions — how to sock away an extra $7,500 per year in your 401k after age 50  → Why delaying Social Security could be the most powerful move you make  → Getting real on your expenses — the one-month notebook exercise that changes everything  → Bridge work: how $1,500–$2,000/month in part-time income can dramatically reduce pressure on your savings  → Market update: what a headline-driven market means for retirees right now  → Why the anxiety doesn't go away until you have an actual plan Timestamps:  → 0:00 - Feeling Behind: You Are Not Alone  → 3:46 - Tip 1: Catch-Up Contributions After Age 50  → 10:00 - Tip 2: Delaying Social Security  → 15:00 - Tip 3: Trim the Budget and Get Real on Spending  → 25:00 - Mitch's Market Minute: Volatility, Oil Prices, and Headline Markets  → 31:28 - Recap: The Four Steps to Catching Up  → 39:16 - Tip 4: Bridge Work and the Part-Time Income Strategy  → 46:00 - Why Procrastination Is the Enemy of Retirement  → 49:00 - When You Have a Plan, the Anxiety Clears Ready to stop wondering and start getting clear? ClearPath Retirement Planning helps retirees and pre-retirees in the Upstate SC and Columbia, SC areas build retirement income plans that actually work — no matter where you're starting from. Ready to stress-test your retirement plan? ClearPath Retirement Planning helps retirees and pre-retirees in the Upstate SC and Columbia areas create tax-efficient retirement income strategies.  📍 300 Executive Center Drive, Suite 104 | Greenville, SC 29615  📞 (864) 775-5033 Schedule your complimentary consultation today at www.clearpathretirement.com Subscribe & Connect: YouTube: @ClearPathRetirementPlanning Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClearPathRetirement LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clearpathretirement Important Disclosure: Investment advisory services offered through Alphastar Capital Management, LLC, a SEC-registered investment adviser. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the SEC nor does it indicate that the adviser has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Fixed insurance products are offered through Clearpath Retirement Planning, LLC and Alphastar Capital Management is not involved in the offer, recommendation, sale or management of commission-based fixed Insurance products. Alphastar Capital Management and Clearpath Retirement Plannin...

    53 min

  8. Apr 4

    Claim Smart: Social Security Mistakes You Can't Take Back

    This week episode of ClearPath Retirement Radio covers Social Security claiming strategies for retirees and pre-retirees in Greenville and Upstate South Carolina. Retirement advisor Stewart Smith, LUTCF®, RICP®, and Mitch Davies break down the most common Social Security mistakes, including when to claim, spousal benefits, survivor income, and how Social Security taxes work in retirement. Social Security is not a simple age decision. It is a long-term income strategy, and once you make it, you generally can't undo it. Stewart and Mitch walk through why the break-even calculator most people find online is only the starting point and what the real moving parts are that could cost you or your spouse hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime. In This Episode:  → Why claiming at 62 may permanently reduce your benefit by 25 to 30%  → The spousal benefit most married couples don't know they're missing  → How your decision as the higher earner determines your spouse's survivor benefit  → Why the Social Security office won't give you strategy advice  → The one-year do-over — and exactly how it works  → Why waiting until 70 could mean an 8% annual increase — and when waiting may not make sense  → How working in semi-retirement may affect your benefit more than you'd expect → Why Social Security needs to be treated as an asset, not just a check you turn on → Mitch's Market Minute — staying calm in headline-driven markets Before you claim, grab the free Social Security Optimization Checklist at clearpathretirement.com.  The Social Security guide walks you through the questions most people never think to ask — timing, taxes, spousal coordination, and more — so you can see exactly where your strategy stands before you make a permanent decision. Ready to stress-test your retirement plan? ClearPath Retirement Planning helps retirees and pre-retirees in the Upstate SC and Columbia areas create tax-efficient retirement income strategies.  📍 300 Executive Center Drive, Suite 104 | Greenville, SC 29615  📞 (864) 775-5033 Schedule your complimentary consultation today at www.clearpathretirement.com Subscribe & Connect: YouTube: @ClearPathRetirementPlanning Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClearPathRetirement LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clearpathretirement Important Disclosure: Investment advisory services offered through Alphastar Capital Management, LLC, a SEC-registered investment adviser. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the SEC nor does it indicate that the adviser has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Fixed insurance products are offered through Clearpath Retirement Planning, LLC and Alphastar Capital Management is not involved in the offer, recommendation, sale or management of commission-based fixed Insurance products. Alphastar Capital Management and Clearpath Retirement Plannin...

    52 min
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About

Every week, Stewart Smith and Mitch Davies sit down to talk about the retirement questions that matter most to pre-retirees and retirees in Greenville, Columbia, and Upstate South Carolina from retirement income and Social Security timing to tax planning, Roth conversions, Medicare, and protecting the savings you've spent a lifetime building. This is real-world financial talk designed for real people. People who want clear answers so they can make informed decisions and retire with confidence. Each episode includes Mitch's Market Minute: market commentary designed specifically for retirees who are living off their investments. Stewart Smith, LUTCF®, RICP® is a financial advisor, veteran, and author of Live a Fuller, Richer Retirement. He brings 25 years of experience working with South Carolina families and they start every conversation with planning, not products. 864-775-5033 clearpathretirement.comInvestment advisory services offered through Alphastar Capital Management, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. 

Information

  • Creator
    Stewart Smith
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 ClearPath Retirement Radio
  • Show Website
    ClearPath Retirement Radio