In this episode, Paul steps out to the shop to talk emergency preparedness — not for the zombie apocalypse, but for real-life power outages and unexpected events. He covers the essential items every household should have on hand to stay safe, warm, and fed for at least 72 hours. From practical water storage solutions to backpacking gear that doubles …
PODCAST EPISODE 321 – Should you Die With Zero?
In Episode 321 of More Than Commas, Paul Adams unpacks the core ideas of Bill Perkins’ book Die With Zero, which challenges the conventional wisdom of hoarding wealth for retirement. Instead, Perkins urges us to align our money, time, and energy with meaningful experiences during the prime years of our lives. Paul explores concepts like the “Fulfillment Curve,” “Memory …
PODCAST EPISODE 320 – Retirement Isn’t Short-Term: Why Your Money Needs to Last Decades
In this episode of More Than Commas, Paul and Cory dive deep into what it really takes to build sustainable, guaranteed income for life. They challenge the traditional advice to go “more conservative” in retirement, exposing why longevity risk—not market volatility—is the greatest threat to your financial future. Using a real-world $10 million retirement example, they walk through how combining …
PODCAST EPISODE 319 – From Great Depression to Today: What Market Trends Don’t Tell You
In this episode of More Than Commas, Paul and Cory dive into a popular article’s alarming claims about bonds, dissecting the idea of a 36-year bond bear market and the so-called “crushing” losses investors faced. Using powerful tools from Dimensional Fund Advisors like the Matrix Book and ReturnsWeb, they fact-check historical data from 1945 to 1981 and the Great Depression …
PODCAST EPISODE 318 – White Coat Investor Disagrees with Ernst & Young (Part 4)
In this final installment of our four-part deep dive, we conclude our review of White Coat Investor’s critique of the Ernst & Young whitepaper on insurance products. If you’ve stuck with us from Episode 315 through now, you know this has been a winding journey through annuities, whole life policies, investment assumptions—and plenty of eyebrow-raising takes. Today, we wrap it …
PODCAST EPISODE 317 – White Coat Investor Disagrees with Ernst & Young (Part 3)
In Part 3 of our deep dive into White Coat Investor Disagrees with Ernst & Young, we tackle some of the strangest assumptions in the analysis. We break down how whole life policies are managed (or mismanaged), questionable projections of policy performance, and bizarre reinvestment strategies for annuity proceeds. Plus, we explore the odd decision to replace fixed-income investments …
PODCAST EPISODE 316 – White Coat Investor Disagrees with Ernst & Young (Part 2)
In Episode 316 of More Than Commas, we continue our deep dive into White Coat Investor’s critique of the Ernst & Young Insurance Study. This time, we break down seven more questionable assumptions, from high advisory fees to mysterious “black box” insurance products. Are these valid criticisms, or is there more to the story? Tune in as we separate sound …
PODCAST EPISODE 315 – White Coat Investor Disagrees with Ernst & Young (Part 1)
In Episode 315 of More Than Commas, we take a deep dive into White Coat Investor’s critique of the Ernst & Young Insurance Products in Retirement Study. While WCI raises some valid concerns, we challenge whether their approach to financial products is always as objective as they claim. Are whole life insurance and annuities really as bad as they …
PODCAST EPISODE 314 – Ernst & Young’s Guide to Life Insurance & Annuities
In this episode of More than Commas, we take a deep dive into Ernst & Young’s latest white paper on integrating life insurance and annuities into a financial plan. With a projected $240 trillion retirement savings gap by 2030, EY’s research highlights how strategies beyond traditional investments—such as permanent life insurance and deferred income annuities—can enhance income stability and legacy …
PODCAST EPISODE 313 – Why We Ignore a Powerful Retirement Tool
In this episode of More Than Commas, we tackle the Annuity Puzzle—why retirees often ignore one of the most recommended financial tools: lifetime income annuities. Cory discusses expert insights from economists like Moshe Milevsky, William Sharpe, and Olivia Mitchell, uncovering the behavioral biases, marketing flaws, and misconceptions that keep people from embracing annuities. We explore their benefits, including guaranteed income …