The calendar flipped, but the rules didn’t. In this New Year Friday Q&A, Don tackles listener questions on longevity annuities (QLACs), legacy insurance mistakes, advice-only advisory services, and the growing trend toward complex fixed-income systems and alternative investments. From insurance math that favors the house to eye-watering fees dressed up as innovation, the message stays consistent: simplicity beats sophistication, fees matter, and global diversification works the same whether you live in Seattle or Spain.

0:00 New year, new Q&A — and why January changes nothing

1:30 QLACs explained and why the math still favors insurers

2:49 Longevity odds vs. guaranteed income myths

5:15 Trapped in a bad annuity — ride it out or cash out?

8:53 “Magic money,” bonuses, and negative real returns

10:46 Advice-only firms: Abundo Wealth and paying for simplicity

13:44 Bond ETFs vs. CD and Treasury ladder strategies

17:39 When “systematic” fixed income starts to smell like gimmicks

18:53 Alternatives, private credit, and outrageous expense ratios

22:18 Why Don defaults to simplicity — every time

24:35 Global diversification: same advice, any country

27:38 Happy New Year — and why boring still works

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