The Fiscal Physical Retirement Podcast
Smart Retirement Planning. Straightforward Advice.
Welcome to The Fiscal Physical Retirement Podcast, the show built for professionals and pre-retirees who want clarity, confidence, and control over their financial future. Hosted by Aaron Hoisington and retirement planner Ryan Nelson, founder of Alchemy Wealth Management and author of Your Fiscal Physical, this podcast delivers practical advice, expert insights, and real conversations about retirement readiness, tax-efficient investing, and long-term wealth strategies.
Whether you're five years from retirement or just starting to get serious about your financial goals, each episode simplifies complex financial topics into clear, actionable steps. No jargon. No fear. Just the guidance you need from a trusted financial advisor serving Nevada and beyond.
If you’re looking for a retirement podcast that’s approachable, insightful, and worth your time, this is it.
Subscribe now and get your Fiscal Physical. Your retirement health depends on it.
Episodes
139 episodes
When to Take Social Security: Claiming Strategies for Married Couples
Claim at 62 or wait until 70? For married couples the timing can swing six figures over a lifetime. Ryan walks through spousal benefits, survivor benefits, and how couples coordinate. Education, not advice.
Roth Conversions in 2026: Is the Window Still Open After the New Tax Law?
The new tax law made today's lower rates permanent, so is a Roth conversion still worth it? Ryan explains how the pre-RMD window works, who benefits, and the tradeoffs to weigh. Education, not personalized tax advice.
Safe Withdrawal Rate: How Much Can You Spend Without Running Out?
How much can you pull from savings each year without running out? Ryan breaks down the 4% rule, what current research says about a safe starting rate, and how to adjust it to your own plan. Education, not advice.
The History of Credit Cards: How Plastic Reshaped Money
Credit cards are everywhere now, but they are a surprisingly recent invention. In this episode, Ryan traces the history of the credit card, from its early days to the swipe-and-tap world we live in today, and how it quietly reshaped the way Americ...
$1 Million Now vs. $50,000 a Year for Life: Which Is Better?
Would you take $1 million today or $50,000 every year for the rest of your life? In this episode, Ryan uses that thought experiment to unpack one of the most useful ideas in retirement planning: the trade-off between a lump sum and guaranteed life...
US National Debt Explained: Facts, Myths, and Real Concerns
The U.S. national debt is one of the most talked-about and least understood numbers in the country. In this episode, Ryan explains what the national debt actually is, how it differs from a household's debt, and which common worries are overblown v...
The Gold Standard Explained: What It Was and Why It Ended
The gold standard shaped money for generations, then disappeared. In this episode, Ryan explains what the gold standard actually was, how it tied a country's currency to a fixed amount of gold, and why the United States ultimately moved away from ...
Are We in a Recession? Separating the Headlines From History
Recession fears make for scary headlines, but how worried should you actually be? In this listener-question episode, Ryan tackles whether the economy is in a recession and how today's picture differs from the 2008 financial crisis.He and A...
3 People Who Shaped Money in America: Hamilton, FDR, and Bogle
A handful of people quietly shaped the money system we all use today. In this episode, Ryan tells the stories of three of them: Alexander Hamilton, who built America's financial credibility and credit; Franklin Roosevelt, whose New Deal gave us So...
Money Myths Debunked: 3 Common Beliefs That Hold You Back
Some of the most common money beliefs are flat wrong, and they quietly hold people back. In this episode, Ryan and Aaron break down three of the biggest: that investing is just gambling, that you should always pay off debt as fast as possible, and...
How to Prepare Financially for a Layoff Before It Happens
The best time to prepare for a layoff is before it ever happens. In this episode, Ryan walks through a step-by-step plan to get financially ready, starting with your survival number, the bare-minimum amount your household needs to cover each month...
Money in Your 20s: What I'd Do Differently If I Started Over
If you could restart your financial life at 22, what would you do differently? In this episode, Ryan answers that honestly, and the takeaways work for anyone who wants to build wealth, not just recent grads.His list is refreshingly simple:...
Is the Middle Class Getting Squeezed? Wages vs. the Cost of Living
Is the middle class really getting squeezed, or is that just a headline? In this episode, Ryan looks at what has actually happened to middle-class buying power over the past few decades and why housing has become the single biggest pressure on mos...
The Paper Ceiling: Why Degree Requirements Are Changing in Hiring
The paper ceiling is the invisible barrier that keeps qualified workers without a college degree from being considered for jobs they are fully capable of doing. Ryan explains how it compares to the glass ceiling, which typically involves race or g...
BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street: Do They Really Own the Market?
BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street manage trillions of dollars, but they do not own the market. Ryan explains what asset managers actually are: intermediaries who run funds on behalf of investors. When you put money into a Vanguard index fund, ...
Pre-Retirement Checklist: What to Do in the Year Before You Retire
A 64-year-old listener planning to retire in about a year asked Ryan for a practical checklist. Ryan's answer covers eight areas: gather all your data first, including pensions from multiple states and any old retirement accounts; get clear on you...
Quarterly Earnings Reports Explained: What the Numbers Actually Mean
Every publicly traded company is required to release its financial results every quarter. Ryan explains the four numbers investors pay attention to: revenue (total sales), earnings (what is left after expenses), profit margins (a measure of effici...
Financial Advisor Disclosures Explained: What the ADV Tells You
Every registered investment advisor is required to send clients an annual ADV and privacy policy. Ryan explains what these documents actually contain: how the firm charges fees, what services it provides, any conflicts of interest, background info...
US Tax System Explained: How Progressive Tax Brackets Work
This episode revisits how the progressive tax system works and layers in the specific 2026 updates most relevant to retirement savers. Ryan explains progressive brackets using plain-language examples so listeners understand that earning more money...
Medical Debt Explained: Why It's Different and How to Handle It
Medical debt is different from every other kind of debt because it is not planned. Ryan frames it as one of the big five debt categories, alongside mortgage, car, credit card, and student loans, but points out that no one wakes up choosing to incu...
Nonprofit Explained: What "Nonprofit" Actually Means
Nonprofit does not mean the organization makes no money. Ryan explains what it actually means: there are no shareholders, so any surplus stays inside the organization instead of going to owners or investors. Nonprofits can charge fees, sell servic...
Monte Carlo Simulation Explained: How Retirement Plans Use Probability
A Monte Carlo simulation runs thousands of hypothetical market scenarios against your retirement plan to calculate a probability of success. Ryan explains what that probability actually means: the percentage of simulated scenarios in which you do ...
Bankruptcy Explained: Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13 and What Gets Wiped
Bankruptcy is a legal process that can wipe out certain debts, restructure others, and stop collection activity while you get back on solid ground. Ryan explains the two types most people encounter: Chapter 7, which moves faster and can eliminate ...
3 Money Decisions That Changed America: FDIC, Gold, and 401(k)s
Some of the financial rules Americans live by today were shaped by decisions made decades ago. Ryan covers three of the most consequential: the creation of FDIC deposit insurance in 1933 after the Great Depression, the US leaving the gold standard...
FDIC and NCUA Explained: How Your Bank Deposits Are Insured
FDIC and NCUA insurance protect the money you keep in banks and credit unions up to $250,000 per depositor, per institution, per ownership category. Ryan explains what is covered, checking accounts, savings accounts, and CDs, and what is not, incl...