Retirement Planning – The Simply Retirement Podcast

Finding Strength Through Uncertainty and Rebuilding After Divorce (Ep. 102)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | April 29, 2026

Facing major life changes can feel overwhelming, especially when the future is unclear and the stakes are high.

How do you move forward when fear, finances, and identity are all shifting at once?

In this episode, I chat with Claudia Porter, CFP®, CDFA®, Wealth Advisor at RFG Advisory, about navigating divorce, financial uncertainty, and rebuilding life with purpose. She shares her personal journey from feeling financially powerless to taking control, the mindset shifts that helped her move forward, and how small steps can create momentum.

Claudia also explores the importance of support systems, journaling for clarity, and empowering women to take an active role in their financial lives.

Key takeaways:

How financial control in relationships can limit independence and decision-making during major life transitions
Why taking one step at a time can help reduce overwhelm and build confidence in uncertain situations
The role of journaling in creating clarity, distance, and better decision-making during emotional periods
How building a trusted support team can provide guidance, perspective, and accountability when it matters most
Why participating in financial conversations early can help avoid stress and uncertainty later in life
And more!

Resources:

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Connect with Claudia Porter:

About our Guest:

Claudia was born and raised in West Germany.

She is a Certified Financial Planner® and has been in the financial industry for 11 years and partnered with RFG Advisory in March, 2025 to go independent.

She has a Master’s Degree in Teaching English and French from the University of Göttingen and a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Braunschweig Technical University. In 2014, she left academia to return to her earlier passion for financial planning and wealth management to make a more significant impact in people’s lives. For Claudia, “Success is not what you get, but the positive impact you make in other people’s lives.”

She is the author of 2 books, “Women, Wealth, and Winning” and “On The Other Side: A Woman’s Guide to Rediscovering Strength and Success Beyond Adversity”.

Claudia has 4 boys, 3 of whom are in college, 1 is still in high school.

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When Work Becomes Optional: Redefining Retirement with Bernadette Joy (Ep. 101)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | April 22, 2026

What happens when retirement stops being a finish line and starts being a choice?

What if the biggest barrier between you and financial freedom isn’t the math, it’s the mindset?

In this episode, I sit down with Bernadette Joy, author and CEO of CRUSH Your Money Goals®, for a candid conversation about what it really takes to take control of your finances, redefine what retirement means to you, and finally stop waiting for the “right” time to live the life you actually want.

We talk about the moment Bernadette discovered she had $72,000 in student loan debt she didn’t know was growing, how she paid off $300,000 in debt and reached financial independence, and why she believes financial fluency matters far more than financial literacy. This conversation will challenge how you think about money, work, and what retirement could actually look like for you.

Key takeaways:

How a shocking student loan balance became the turning point that led Bernadette to pay off $300,000 in debt
Why learning finances is more like learning a language than solving a math problem, and what that means for women approaching retirement
How the loss of a client changed Bernadette’s perspective on waiting for the “right time” to retire
What financial independence actually looks like when work becomes optional, not obligatory
Why women advocating for themselves in financial conversations is not just empowering, it is essential
And more!

Resources:

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Connect with Bernadette Joy:

About our Guest:

Bernadette isn’t your typical financial expert—she’s a powerhouse with real-world experience. With two business degrees and a background in psychology, Bernadette knows how to blend academic knowledge with street smarts. As a first-generation Filipino American and former corporate employee, she intimately understands the stress of financial uncertainty, even when the paycheck looks promising.

She’s a featured money expert on CNBC, CNET, Forbes, MarketWatch, Yahoo Finance and has taken the stage at FinCon, SXSW, NASDAQ and TEDxHouston (just like Brene Brown!)

But here’s where Bernadette truly shines: she’s walked the walk. In just three years, she obliterated $300,000 of debt. And by her thirties, she achieved a net worth of over $2 million—all while working part-time hours. That’s right—she clocks in just 20 hours a week.

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100 Episodes, One Mission (Ep. 100)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | April 15, 2026

One hundred episodes in. More than a milestone, this is a window into the heart behind the work.

In this episode, I reflect on what it means to reach Episode 100 of the Simply Retirement Podcast, alongside the people who know me best, my family, Dawn Blake, Kaitlyn Blake-Lolliot, and Eric L. Blake.

We talk about why helping women feel confident around money matters so deeply, how communication and compassion shape our work, and what it means to build a business rooted in trust.

This conversation also pulls back the curtain on the personal side of Blake Wealth Management, from client relationships to family legacy. More than anything, this episode highlights the values that have carried us this far and the purpose that continues to guide what comes next.

Key takeaways:

Why making financial conversations easier to understand helps women feel more confident asking questions and making decisions
How respect, communication, and legacy shape the way Blake Wealth Management serves clients
What it means to support clients through life changes like widowhood, divorce, health issues, and other difficult transitions
How Dawn, Kaitlyn, and Eric Lowell each bring a different perspective to the family business and client experience
Why Episode 100 is both a celebration of the journey so far and a reflection on the future of a multi-generational firm
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

Meet the Team:

About Our Firm

About our Guests:

As the Client Success Coordinator at Blake Wealth Management, Dawn Blake’s goal is simple: to make your life just a little easier and ensure every interaction you have with our firm feels personal and meaningful. Whether she’s helping schedule a meeting, coordinating a transaction, or just checking in to see how you’re doing, Dawn wants you to feel like our only client.

As Client Service Associate at Blake Wealth Management, Kaitlyn Blake-Lolliot’s role is all about making sure the client experience behind the scenes is just as thoughtful and smooth as the one our planning team delivers up front. Whether she’s managing schedules, processing paperwork, streamlining internal systems, or solving the daily challenges that come with running a growing firm, Kaitlyn’s goal is to support both our clients and team with clarity, efficiency, and care.

As a Paraplanner at Blake Wealth Management, Eric L. Blake supports our planning team by helping build retirement plans, conducting investment research, and analyzing the tax and financial information that guide the strategies we deliver to clients. A large part of his work involves organizing data, running projections, and making sure every detail behind the scenes aligns with the goals, values, and long-term needs of the families we serve.

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Preparation or Timing: What Really Determines a Successful Retirement (Ep. 96)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | March 18, 2026

Many people ask whether retiring early will help them live longer. The real conversation is much bigger than that.

Statistics and social media posts often push simple conclusions, but retirement decisions are rarely simple. Health, caregiving responsibilities, longevity, and financial readiness all play a role.

In this episode, I explore a study about retirement timing and longevity and explain why statistics alone should never guide your retirement decisions. I walk through how planning, financial preparedness, and understanding what you are retiring to matter far more than the age you stop working. The conversation also highlights why women in particular must plan for longer retirements and how reducing financial stress can influence both physical and emotional well-being.

Key Points:

Why statistics about retirement and longevity can be misleading
The difference between retiring early and being prepared for retirement
How health and caregiving responsibilities influence retirement timing
Why women must plan for longer retirements and financial longevity
The importance of knowing what you are retiring to, not just when you retire
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

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Life Settlements Explained: Turning Life Insurance into Opportunity (Ep. 93)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | February 25, 2026

Many retirees unknowingly walk away from life insurance policies without realizing they may still hold value. For women navigating retirement, widowhood, or major life changes, understanding every available option can make a meaningful difference.

In this episode, I talk with Lisa Rehburg, President of Rehburg Life Insurance Settlements, about how life insurance settlements work and why they are often misunderstood or overlooked. We explore when this strategy may be appropriate, how it fits into retirement planning, and why timing and education matter. Lisa also explains the legal foundation, tax considerations, and the role advisors play in helping clients make informed decisions.

This conversation is about awareness, asking better questions, and making thoughtful choices before letting a policy lapse or be surrendered.

Key takeaways:

Why many seniors let life insurance policies lapse and what may be missed
How life insurance settlements work and when they may apply
Legal foundations behind selling a life insurance policy
Tax considerations and the importance of coordinating with professionals
How this option may help fund retirement or long-term care needs
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

Connect with Lisa Rehburg:

About our Guest:

Lisa Rehburg is President of Rehburg Life Insurance Settlements, a life insurance settlements broker. Ms. Rehburg is passionate about assisting financial, insurance, legal, and non-profit professionals to help their clients benefit from their unwanted or unneeded life insurance policies. Lisa has been in the health and life insurance industries for over 30 years. She has presented to hundreds of organizations, including various Financial Planning Associations, Fiduciary Associations, Estate Planning Councils, Planned Giving Roundtables, NAPFA, NAIFA, and Health Underwriters Associations, to raise the visibility of life insurance settlements as an option for clients, when appropriate. She has held executive roles at carriers, general agencies, and TPAs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance and a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Development.

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Divorce, Identity, and Financial Clarity After 50 With Mardi Winder (Ep. 90)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | February 4, 2026

Divorce later in life is not just a legal event; it is an emotional and financial turning point that reshapes identity, confidence, and long-term planning.

In this episode, I sit down with Mardi Winder, a strategic divorce consultant and founder of Positive Communication Systems, to discuss what really happens before, during, and after a gray divorce.

We explore why so many women feel stuck in fear, how financial uncertainty can drive costly decisions, and why clarity must come before action. I also share how retirement planning and divorce strategy need to work together so women can move forward with confidence, not confusion.

Key Takeaways:

Why high-conflict divorces often create a loss of identity after the process ends
How fear around money keeps women stuck or leads to poor settlement decisions
Where strategic divorce coaching fits alongside legal and financial professionals
Why financial clarity should come before hiring attorneys
How early guidance can prevent costly mistakes in the first months of divorce
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

Connect with Mardi Winder:

About our Guest:

Mardi Winder is a Strategic Divorce Consultant and trusted authority for high-achieving individuals navigating separation and divorce. She is known for helping clients reduce the emotional and financial costs of the process by strengthening decision-making, communication, and conflict management during high-stakes transitions. With more than 30 years of experience, Mardi brings deep expertise in high-conflict, complex, and high-asset divorces. Her background spans mediation, executive and leadership coaching, conflict resolution and mediation, emotional intelligence, and strategic communication, allowing her to support clients in maintaining clarity, confidence, and control throughout divorce and beyond.

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The Truth Behind Social Security Increases and What They Mean for Your Retirement (Ep. 87)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | January 14, 2026

That annual Social Security increase announcement can be confusing.

Is it a bonus? Will it cover your rising costs? More importantly, how does it really affect your decisions about when to retire and when to claim your benefits?

In this episode, I unpack the new 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment for 2026. We explore how Social Security benefits grow differently before and after age 62, why the inflation measure might not match your personal expenses, and how your early work years still count. We provide clarity on how delaying your claim and continuing to work can increase your lifetime benefits, especially important for married couples planning for survivor income.

Key Points Covered:

The meaning behind the 2026 2.8% COLA and why personal inflation may be higher
How Social Security uses CPI-W, an inflation index for workers, which can undervalue senior expenses like healthcare
The role of wage indexing in growing your pre-retirement benefits and the “gap” from age 60 to 62
The powerful impact of delaying your filing age on your monthly benefit and future COLA dollar amounts
How working in your 50s, 60s, or 70s can replace low-earning years and permanently increase your benefit
And more!

Resources:

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Connect with Eric Blake:

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Taking Control During Divorce: How Coaching Can Help You Make More Confident Decisions (Ep. 86)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | January 7, 2026

Divorce doesn’t have to be devastating.

It can be empowering when approached with clarity and the right support.

In this episode, I sit down with Karen Covy, divorce coach, attorney, and mediator, to explore how women can take control of the divorce process. We talk about choosing the right process for your situation, understanding your finances, and why preparation and strategy make all the difference in creating a smoother transition and stronger future.

Key Takeaways:

The importance of choosing the divorce process that best fits your goals and circumstances
Why most lawyers promote only the process they practice, and how coaching helps you find the right one for you
How planning early and understanding your financial picture can prevent years of regret
What it means to become the “CEO of your own divorce” and coordinate your full team
Practical first steps to start regaining confidence and clarity if you feel stuck or afraid to move forward
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

Connect with Karen Covy:

About our Guest:

Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach, Lawyer, Mediator, Author, Speaker, and Podcaster. She coaches busy professionals and business owners all over the world to make clear, confident decisions about their most important relationships. She also helps them navigate through divorce with less conflict, unnecessary expense, and needless drama so that they can create the life they truly desire sooner rather than later. Karen is the author of When Happily Ever After Ends: How to Survive Your Divorce Emotionally, Financially, and Legally. She is also the creator of the online divorce programs, The Divorce Road Map 3.0 and How to Successfully Mediate Your Divorce, as well as the host of the podcast, Off the Fence: Mastering Decision-Making Divorce and More.

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Social Security: Essential Rules for Women and Divorcees (Ep. 85)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | December 31, 2025

Understanding Social Security can feel complicated, especially when life events like divorce or widowhood come into play.

In this episode, I join Karen Covy on her podcast, Off The Fence, to walk through the rules that often matter most for women.

We discuss how full retirement age works, how spousal, ex-spousal, and survivor benefits are determined, and what to know about the 10-year marriage rule. Our conversation also covers the Social Security Fairness Act and how it affects certain workers with pensions.

Together, we outline key considerations that can help listeners better understand their options when planning for future income.

Key Topics:

How full retirement age determines your benefit amount and why this number is critical to every Social Security decision
The difference between spousal, ex-spousal, and survivor benefits, and how remarriage affects your eligibility
The 10-year marriage rule for divorced individuals, and what documentation you need to claim benefits
How the Social Security Fairness Act eliminated penalties that primarily affected women with pensions
Strategic timing considerations when you’re still working and approaching retirement age
And more!

Next week, Karen will be joining me on the Simply Retirement Podcast to discuss how women can move forward with strength and strategy after divorce. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it.

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

Connect with Karen Covy:

About our Guest:

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REPLAY: Social Security Fairness Act (Ep. 84)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | December 24, 2025

Many people nearing retirement are unsure how recent rule changes might affect what they can receive.

What happens when long-standing limits disappear, and families finally gain access to benefits they were denied for years?

In this special replay, we revisit one of our most crucial and widely discussed episodes of the year: the one focusing on the Social Security Fairness Act.

I walk through the details of the Social Security Fairness Act and highlight its significant impact, especially on survivor and spousal benefits for women across the country. I explain how removing the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) could open new income opportunities. Additionally, I discuss what these potential changes mean for teachers and public sector workers, and the immediate steps listeners should consider taking now.

Key takeaways:

How eliminating WEP and GPO shifts eligibility for many women previously reduced or blocked from benefits
Why survivor and spousal payments may now be available even if pensions once prevented them
How timing, age, and filing strategies still influence benefit amounts
Action steps for reviewing statements, applying promptly, and preparing for retroactive payments
Why staying informed is essential as Social Security adjusts to this major policy change
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

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