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Teach and Retire Rich

Author: Daniel Otter

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Teacher Daniel Otter, Ph.D. and Certified Financial Planner Scott Dauenhauer CFP® of 403bwise.org discuss teacher saving for retirement issues. Never too serious, Dan and Scott strive to make learning about pensions, the 403(b), the 457(b), and investing, fun and understandable.
395 Episodes
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We share our recollections of, and interactions with, the former Wall Street Journal columnist, founder of HumbleDollar.com, and friend of 403bwise.   No Regrets Farewell Friends Thank You, Jonathan Podcast with Jonathan Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) 403bwise.org Meridian Wealth Management Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
Our guest, Danny Kofke, is a jack-of-many-trades: elementary school teacher for 18 years, author of 6 books including Where to Spend. Where to Save. A Teachers Guide to Managing Your Finances, and Director of Training and Outreach for the Southern Education Retirement Consortium.  Danny Kofke Where to Spend, Where to Save: A Teacher’s Guide to Managing Your Finances Southern Education Retirement Consortium Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) 403bwise.org Meridian Wealth Management Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
Student loan guru and former teacher, David Gurley, who we have dubbed the "Loan Ranger," returns to update us on the ever-changing world of student loans.  K-12 Planning studentaid.gov Student Loan Planner Student loan repayment plans have shifted — and more changes are ahead. Here’s what borrowers need to know (CNBC) Student Loans Are About to Look Very Different (NY Times) Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) 403bwise.org Meridian Wealth Management Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
The managing director for Morningstar Research Services and the author of the Substack column Basis Pointing, Jeff Ptak, talks saving and investing.  It's So Simple Substack: Basis Pointing Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) 403bwise.org Meridian Wealth Management Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has a lot of pieces, some of which affect educators. Barbara O'Neill gives us the 411 on this legislation.  An OBBBA Summary for 403(b) Plan Participants Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) 403bwise.org Meridian Wealth Management Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
Lucretia Ryan of FinancialFreedomforWomen.org walks you through the questions to ask to determine when to take Social Security. This is a recording of a 403bwise.org Event that occurred on August 19, 2025. FinancialFreedomforWomen.org Presentation Slides Most Americans Claim Social Security at the Wrong Time Podcast: Dirty Little Secrets of Medicare “Advantage” Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) 403bwise.org Meridian Wealth Management Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
Nick Maggiulli, Chief Operating Officer for Ritholz Wealth Management, discusses his blog Of Dollars And Data and his new book The Wealth Ladder: Proven Strategies for Every Step of Your Financial Life.  The Wealth Ladder Of Dollars And Data Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) 403bwise.org Meridian Wealth Management Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
Long-time educator, basketball coach, and personal finance instructor, Julius Prezelski, discusses teaching, coaching and his recent retirement. Long Time Basketball Coach Fin Lit Educator Retires Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) 403bwise.org Meridian Wealth Management Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
Dan and Scott drop hint about new project they are working on. They also talk about their recent vacations, and the importance of choosing the right teaching location.   Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) 403bwise.org Meridian Wealth Management Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
More than 20 years ago legislation (AB2506) was proposed to allow California school districts who wanted to reform their 403(b) plan to be able to reform their 403(b) plan. The industry hated the proposal. It threatened their multi-vendor, high-cost, agent-driven model. We speak with former TIAA-CREF Regional Manager, Dick Shafer, whose company spearheaded the effort to fix the broken California K-12 403(b) plan.   California Dreaming (of better 403(b) plans) Dick Shafer Green Light for Single Vendor 403(b) Plans in California 403bcompare.com 403bwise Facebook Group 403(b) & 457(b) Basics: How to start a 403(b) (pod) 403(b) & 457(b) Basics: Asset Allocation (pod) Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
Equitable fires agent who threatened teacher. Delaware has an excellent low-cost, state-run 403(b) plan. We discuss.  Equitable Agent Threatens Teacher (blog) Equitable Agent Threatens Educator (pod) Truth About SIOs (pod) 403bwise Facebook Group 403(b) & 457(b) Basics: How to start a 403(b) (pod) 403(b) & 457(b) Basics: Asset Allocation (pod) Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
In episode three of our new pod series: 403(b) & 457(b) Basics, Scott and Dan explain how to get exit a bad 403(b). It's often difficult but very possible.  Stuck in a Bad 403(b)? How to Get Out of Equitable/AXA Bad 403(b) Vendors w/Good Choices 403bwise Facebook Group 403(b) & 457(b) Basics: How to start a 403(b) (pod) 403(b) & 457(b) Basics: Asset Allocation (pod) Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
We check in with Jeff York on how retirement’s going and discuss his attempts to hire an estate fiduciary who would act as the trustee of his estate.   The Wealthy Custodian (pod) The Wealthy Custodian in Retirement (pod) Questions to Ask a Professional Fiduciary  Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) 403bwise.org Meridian Wealth Management Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
No doubt that summer is a great time to relax. It can also be a good time to make sure your financial house is in order. Dan & Scott discuss wise money moves, and Dan talks about taking out his first ever car lease.  State of Student Loans? Chaos (pod) The Importance of Asset Allocation  Tripit Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) 403bwise.org Meridian Wealth Management Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
Plan consultant Barbara Healy, CFP® and her colleague Jackie Fabitore-Matheny, had the solution to what woes the K-12 403(b) more than 25 years ago. Imagine if districts had listened? We talk with Barbara about what could have been (and what might still be).  Barbara Healy EGTRRA Industry Lobbyist Brian Graff Describes How Many Vendors His Retirement Plan Has (1:03 mark) Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) 403bwise.org Meridian Wealth Management Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
Student loan expert and financial planner David Gourley updates Dan and Scott on the volatile state of student loans (particularly PSLF loans) right now.  K-12 Planning Public Service Loan Forgiveness Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) 403bwise.org Meridian Wealth Management Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
Tennessee passes an anti-pubic employee law that will subject teachers and others to private company financial sales pitches. We break it down into three parts: 1) What it is 2) What we dislike about it 3) What teachers and state employees should do. Tennessee Throws Teachers to the Wolves (Blog Post) Tennessee Legislators Illegally Voting with Sticks (John Oliver) Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) 403bwise.org Meridian Wealth Management Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
457(b) Heaven (#376)

457(b) Heaven (#376)

2025-05-3042:43

The Los Angeles Unified School District created its own 457(b) plan, and it’s excellent. It has won not one, but two awards. We speak with two members of the LAUSD Retirement Investment Advisory Committee who were and are instrumental to its success.   LAUSD 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan Fund Lineup Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) 403bwise.org Meridian Wealth Management Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
Who better to make sense of the tariff situation than one of our favorite guests, Cullen Roche, economist, and founder and chief investment officer of the Discipline Funds, a low-fee advisory firm.    An Autopsy of American Exceptionalism Three Things - China Deal Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) 403bwise.org Meridian Wealth Management Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
Scott finds out just how much commission Equitable salespeople get for selling EQUI-VEST products. No wonder they fight reform so hard. No wonder they love to initiate exchanges.  The Price of Enrollment Podcast on SIOs Plan Fee Disclosure Form for University of Jamestown Equitable Plan Fee Disclosure Brochure Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) 403bwise.org Meridian Wealth Management Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). 
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Comments (1)

Brian Keller

Highly recommended

Dec 6th
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