Retire SMART Podcast

This is Part 1 of where David Brooks sits down with Rebecca Kincaid of Kincaid Wealth Management to talk about her journey into the financial industry, building her own practice, and the lessons she’s learned along the way. The conversation covers everything from growing a team and creating systems that deliver on client expectations to using tax planning as a catalyst for deeper client relationships and business growth. Across this multi-part special, David and Rebecca share real-world experiences, challenges, and practical lessons for advisors looking to grow their practices while continuing to better serve their clients.

Today David explores FNBO’s continued expansion through a major Colorado bank acquisition and explains why scale matters in an increasingly competitive banking industry. The conversation then dives into sophisticated wealth-building strategies like private placement life insurance before tackling Social Security’s long-term funding challenges and potential solutions, including changes to taxes, eligibility ages, and retirement income planning.

What questions should I ask when interviewing a financial advisor? As a widowed 46-year-old, and feeling like I must start all over, how am I to navigate the life insurance company contesting the death benefit, forcing me to live off a rapidly dwindling savings? And why is it that when a surviving spouse moves from filing jointly to filing single, they are typically pushed into a higher tax bracket? David Brooks has answers to these questions in today’s Q&A episode.

With Medicare open enrollment approaching, David sits down with financial advisor Blake Grimm to break down the key changes coming for 2027 and the important decisions retirees face when choosing between Medicare, employer coverage, Medicare Advantage, and supplemental plans. They also discuss how healthcare costs, taxes, HSAs, and even moving to another state can affect your overall retirement strategy.

In this episode, David breaks down the Nebraska football season opener, what impressed him, and where the Huskers still need to improve. The conversation then turns to Medicare, rising oil prices and their impact on markets, surprisingly strong corporate earnings, the continued creation of jobs through AI and the trades, and the ongoing U.S.–Canada tariff dispute.