Investing – The Simply Retirement Podcast

Helping Women Make Better Retirement Decisions After Life Changes (Ep. 114)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | July 22, 2026

Retirement decisions often happen during life’s most emotional moments. When you’re grieving, retiring, or suddenly making financial choices on your own, how do you know you’re asking the right questions or talking to the right people?

In this episode, I share a story from a recent anniversary trip that reminded me why retirement planning is about much more than investments.

Through conversations with women facing divorce, widowhood, and retirement, I explain how decisions around Social Security, beneficiary designations, retirement accounts, taxes, and financial guidance are often connected in ways people don’t realize. We also talk about why every financial advisor approaches retirement differently, why asking the right questions matters, and how finding guidance that fits your situation can influence retirement for years to come.

Key takeaways:

Why retirement decisions made after losing a spouse deserve thoughtful guidance before taking action
How Social Security timing can affect lifetime retirement income and future financial flexibility
Why beneficiary designations and retirement accounts often create unexpected challenges for widows
How communication between financial and tax professionals can improve retirement decisions
Questions women should ask before choosing retirement guidance during major life transitions
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

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Inherited IRA Options Every Widow Should Understand (Ep. 113)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | July 15, 2026

Losing a spouse often brings emotional and financial decisions that can affect your future for years to come.

What happens when one of the largest assets you inherit is a retirement account? How do you know which choices may affect taxes, healthcare costs, income planning, and retirement flexibility?

In this episode, I discuss one of the most important financial decisions many widows face after losing a spouse: what to do with an inherited IRA or retirement account. I explain the unique options available to surviving spouses, how inherited IRAs differ from rolling assets into your own IRA, and why those choices can influence retirement income, taxes, healthcare costs, and required distributions.

We also share a real client example, common mistakes to avoid, and five key questions every surviving spouse should ask before making a permanent decision about inherited retirement assets.

Key Takeaways:

Why surviving spouses often have retirement account options unavailable to other beneficiaries
How inherited IRA decisions may affect taxes, healthcare costs, and retirement income flexibility
Why age differences between spouses can influence future required minimum distributions
Common mistakes widows make when using inherited retirement assets for large expenses
Five questions that can help guide decisions before making permanent account changes
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

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Retirement Tax Cliffs: The Hidden Costs Every Woman Should Understand (Ep. 112)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | July 8, 2026

Retirement taxes aren’t always as straightforward as they seem. A decision that looks harmless today could create unexpected tax consequences, higher Medicare premiums, or reduced flexibility later.

How do income sources, tax brackets, Social Security, and healthcare costs all work together in retirement? What happens when a major life event changes your filing status and reshapes your financial picture?

In this episode, I discuss several retirement tax cliffs that can quietly affect retirement income planning, especially for women who are widowed, divorced, or managing finances independently. I explain how required minimum distributions, Social Security taxation, Medicare IRMAA surcharges, and healthcare subsidies can interact in ways many retirees don’t anticipate. We also share planning considerations that may help create greater flexibility, reduce surprises, and improve long-term retirement income decisions.

Key takeaways:

How widowhood or divorce can trigger tax changes that affect income, Medicare costs, and planning flexibility
Why required minimum distributions may create ripple effects beyond simply increasing taxable income
How Social Security taxation can rise unexpectedly when additional retirement income enters the picture
Why Medicare IRMAA surcharges often surprise retirees years after a financial decision is made
Ways proactive tax planning may help create flexibility and reduce unintended retirement expenses
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

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What Happens to Your Health Insurance When One Spouse Retires? (Ep. 111)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | July 1, 2026

Healthcare decisions can become overwhelming quickly once retirement enters the picture, especially when one spouse is nearing Medicare eligibility, and the other is not.

What happens if you lose employer coverage earlier than expected? How do you compare COBRA, Medicare, and ACA plans without creating confusion later?

In this episode, I walk through the healthcare decisions many couples face before and during retirement. I explain how Medicare enrollment works, why COBRA can create unexpected long-term issues, and how healthcare costs often change once employer coverage ends.

We also discuss the planning challenges couples face when spouses retire at different times, how ACA tax credits may still apply for some retirees, and why understanding your options early can help reduce stress later.

Key takeaways:

Why delaying Medicare while on COBRA can create permanent late enrollment penalties later
How employer health insurance costs often rise sharply after moving onto COBRA coverage
Why couples retiring at different ages may need two separate healthcare planning strategies
How ACA tax credits may still help some retirees lower healthcare expenses before age 65
Why healthcare decisions should also be evaluated from the wife’s long-term perspective
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

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Should You Stay in Your Home in Retirement? What Women Need to Consider (Ep. 110)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | June 24, 2026

Retirement brings freedom and flexibility, but it also raises important questions about how and where you want to live as life changes over time.

What happens if your current home no longer fits your needs? How do you balance emotional attachment, financial realities, and practical lifestyle decisions while planning for the future?

In this episode, I discuss how choosing where to live in retirement should be viewed as an ongoing process rather than a one-time decision. I share real conversations from our retirement planning practice about downsizing, staying in the family home, healthcare access, mobility concerns, and the emotional side of relocating later in life.

We also explain why planning ahead can help retirees maintain independence and avoid difficult decisions during stressful moments.

Key takeaways:

Looking beyond downsizing and focusing on how daily life may change throughout retirement
Preparing a current home for aging needs before mobility or health concerns become urgent
Weighing emotional attachment against financial and practical retirement decisions
Considering proximity to family, healthcare, and community support when relocating
Understanding how housing costs affect retirement income and long-term flexibility
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

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Social Security Rules That No Longer Apply (Ep. 109)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | June 17, 2026

Outdated Social Security advice can create costly mistakes, especially when rules have changed, but old strategies are still being shared today.

Have you ever heard someone say, “I was told I could do this with Social Security”? What if that advice no longer applies and could affect your retirement income for years to come?

In this episode, I explain several Social Security filing strategies that used to work but no longer apply for many women today. I walk through common misunderstandings around ex-spousal benefits, deemed filing rules, restricted applications, and survivor benefits. I also clarify the important differences between rules for married spouses and divorced spouses, along with how filing early can reduce benefits.

Key takeaways:

Why outdated Social Security strategies can create costly retirement income mistakes today
How the deemed filing rules changed spousal and ex-spousal benefit claiming options
The difference between survivor benefits and spousal benefits after divorce or widowhood
Why filing before full retirement age can permanently reduce monthly benefits
How working before full retirement age may temporarily reduce Social Security income
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

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Social Security Q&A: What You Need to Know About Work, Taxes, and Medicare (Ep. 108)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | June 10, 2026

Planning for retirement often raises more questions than answers, especially when income, taxes, and timing all collide.

How do working years, Social Security decisions, and required withdrawals shape your financial picture?

In this episode, I walk through real questions from a recent Social Security webinar and explain how these decisions connect to your overall retirement plan. I cover how working impacts benefits, what to know about Medicare premiums, and how required minimum distributions can affect your income.

We also break down how Social Security is taxed and why planning ahead matters more than reacting later.

Key takeaways:

How working before full retirement age can reduce Social Security benefits through the earnings test
Why Medicare premiums are based on income from two years prior and how that impacts planning
How provisional income determines how much of Social Security becomes taxable income
What required minimum distributions mean for your future income and tax situation
Why retirement decisions should be made as part of a bigger financial picture, not in isolation
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

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The Hidden Cost of Caregiving and Why Families Need a Plan (Ep. 107)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | June 3, 2026

Caregiving often starts quietly, but its impact can quickly reshape careers, finances, and family dynamics.

How prepared are you if a health event forces immediate decisions? And who is included in the conversations that matter most?

In this episode, I speak with Lina Supnet-Zapata, Chief Executive Officer of Mir Senior Care Management, Inc. & Care Consultants, about the realities families face when caregiving begins without a plan.

We explore how women often step into caregiving roles unexpectedly, the risks of leaving family members out of financial conversations, and why care planning must be integrated with financial and legal strategies to avoid costly, reactive decisions.

Key takeaways:

How caregiving responsibilities often surface unexpectedly, forcing women to pause careers and shift priorities quickly
Why financial conversations should include multiple generations before a crisis occurs or decisions are needed
The difference between transactional advice and relationship-based guidance during emotional life transitions
How reactive care decisions can lead to higher costs and added stress without a structured care plan in place
Why collaboration between financial, legal, and care professionals leads to better outcomes for families
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

Connect with Lina Supnet-Zapata:

About our Guest:

Lina Supnet Zapata leads a team of Aging Life Care Professionals, care strategists, who step in when complexity, crisis, or long-term planning demands more than surface-level solutions. With over 30 years in healthcare and a decade in hospice leadership, her work sits at the intersection of care, systems, and strategy where real-life decisions meet real-world consequences.

Lina’s guidance and leadership at Mir Care Consultants has become a trusted resource for clients, families, and professional partners alike. Lina partners with attorneys, financial professionals, and healthcare systems not only to ensure that every legal, financial, or medical plan can actually be lived out, but to protect all parties involved.

Her work plays a critical role in mitigating vertical liability for the professional partners she aligns with, providing the care expertise and documentation that shields clients and collaborators from gaps in oversight, advocacy, and follow-through. When professionals refer to Mir, they refer with confidence — knowing their clients are protected and their own professional integrity is safeguarded.

Her role is to bring clarity to chaos, structure to uncertainty, and advocacy to those who need it most. Complex care is not a challenge Lina navigates around it is where she and her team excel.

Through Mir, her team delivers:

Comprehensive Aging Life Care Management
Guardianship of Person & Estate
Benefit Navigation (Medicaid, SSDI, and beyond)
Crisis intervention and long-term care planning
Support for solo agers and complex family systems

This work is done ethically, transparently, and without referral bias. Trust is the foundation of everything they do. That trust has been earned and sustained since 2004, built one client, one family, and one professional partnership at a time.

Beyond her work at Mir, Lina serves in leadership with the Aging Life Care Association®, helping elevate the standard of aging life care management nationally. She is also a speaker, educator, and collaborator, working to ensure care is not an afterthought, but a central part of every professional conversation.

Her work is about building systems of care that hold, over time, across generations, and through every stage of life. Complex care demands expertise, accountability, and trust. That is precisely what Lina Supnet Zapata and Mir Care Consultants deliver and have delivered, without compromise, for over two decades.

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Understanding Your Social Security Statement and What It Really Means (Ep. 106)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | May 27, 2026

Your Social Security statement might look simple, but the details behind it can shape your entire retirement plan.

Are you only looking at the benefit numbers, or are you missing the bigger picture that could impact your future income?

In this episode, I walk through how to properly read your Social Security statement and what it is really telling you beyond just your projected benefits. I explain how eligibility works, what assumptions are built into the estimates, and why your earnings history matters more than most people realize.

We also cover how missing income years can affect your benefit, how to correct errors, and how continued work can change your outcome.

Key takeaways:

Why your Social Security statement shows more than just benefit estimates and what those details mean
How eligibility for retirement, disability, survivor benefits, and Medicare is determined
The impact of missing or incorrect earnings history and how it can reduce your future income
Why estimates assume continued earnings and how changes in work affect projections
How working longer can increase benefits by replacing lower-income years in your record
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

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Gray Divorce and Retirement: Redefining Your Life and Identity (Ep. 105)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | May 20, 2026

There are moments in life when everything shifts at once: your identity, your roles, and your plans for the future.

What happens when the life you expected changes, and you’re left asking what comes next?

In this episode, I sit down with Oona Metz, LICSW, CGP, licensed clinical social worker and certified group psychotherapist, to talk about the emotional journey women face during divorce and how it connects to retirement planning. We explore the role of shame in financial decision-making, the power of community through support groups, and how women can begin to rebuild their identity. Oona also shares practical ways to reduce overwhelm, reconnect with purpose, and move forward with clarity.

Key takeaways:

How shame around money can prevent women from asking questions or seeking guidance after divorce
Why support groups help women feel less isolated and more connected during life transitions
The emotional impact of gray divorce and identity shifts tied to an empty nest and retirement
Simple exercises that help women reconnect with purpose, meaning, and personal identity
Why asking for help and building a trusted support system is essential during uncertain times
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

Connect with Oona Metz:

About our Guest:

Oona Metz is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, a Certified Group Psychotherapist, and a Fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Association. She brings 30 years of experience working with individuals, families, and groups. Her private practice offices are located in Brookline and Arlington, Massachusetts. She is actively involved in numerous committees and boards related to group therapy and is committed to ongoing learning in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Her practice focuses on individual adults and group therapy. She specializes in working with women+ who are navigating life transitions. Whether transitioning from college to graduate school or into the workforce, beginning or ending a relationship or job, becoming a parent or adjusting to an empty nest, or coming out to family and friends, she views these experiences as opportunities for reflection, insight, and meaningful change.

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