TaylorMade Retirement with Taylor Demars, CFP®
Welcome to TaylorMade Retirement! Featuring Taylor Demars, a 3rd-generation financial advisor and CFP®, this podcast explores what it really takes to build a retirement that works- for your money and your life.
Each episode breaks down strategies, stories, and steps to help listeners approach retirement with clarity and confidence. From cutting taxes to avoiding common retirement traps, Taylor draws on decades of family expertise to make complex financial ideas easy to understand.
Because life should shape your money, not the other way around.
Episodes
57 episodes
The IPO Buzz- What Hopeful Retirees Actually Need to Know
SpaceX. OpenAI. These and other names have been dominating the headlines. The IPO market is heating up, and clients are asking questions. Today we're keeping it simple. What do retirees and pre-retirees need to understand about IPOs before they...
$2.5M Saved. But How Much Can You Actually Spend?
Find out if you're working longer than you need to: https://www.demarsfinancial.com/start-here?utm_source=Youtube&utm_me...
Once You Understand This, You'll Stop Working Past 58
Find out if you're working longer than you need to: https://www.demarsfinancial.com/start-here?utm_source=Youtube&utm_me...
Why You Can't Retire (Even When the Numbers Say You Can)
Find out if you're working longer than you need to: https://www.demarsfinancial.com/start-here?utm_source=Youtube&utm_me...
Mailbag: PTO, Vacation Pay & Social Security
A listener question came in with a deceptively simple retirement question: Should you start Social Security right away if you don’t actually need the income yet? Taylor explains why the answer involves much more than math, touching on PTO, reti...
At 60 With $1.5M? You're Beating The $5M Retirees
Taylor has seen retirees with $5 million feel broke and retirees with $1.5 million feel free. The difference isn't their portfolio — it's five planning pitfalls that smart savers make over and over.In this episode, he walks through the 5...
If Financial Tools Had Yearbook Awards
Graduation season is here, and we’re handing out “class superlatives” to popular retirement tools and strategies. Taylor hands out “yearbook awards” to some of the most talked-about financial tools and strategies and breaks down where common fi...
$4 Million Saved, Here's How He Retired 5 Years Earlier
A client came to us with $4 million saved, convinced he had to work until 63. His advisor of 12 years said he was on track. But when we rebuilt his plan from the ground up, we found three assumptions that were costing him five of his healthiest...
My Investments Underperformed the Market - Should I Fire My Advisor?
It’s one of the most common (and emotional) questions investors ask: If my portfolio isn’t keeping up with the market, is my advisor doing their job? On the surface, it feels like a simple comparison, but there’s usually a lot more going on ben...
Pension Payout Decision: The Break-Even Analysis Most People Miss
Should you take the pension lump sum or monthly payments? It's one of the most important — and most permanent — financial decisions you'll make in retirement. And most of the advice out there starts and ends with the math.Today, Taylor ...
Volunteering: The Best Investment You Might Make In Retirement
Retirement isn’t just about stepping away from work. It’s about stepping into something meaningful. While most people focus on finances, the happiest retirees often find something deeper: purpose, connection, and a reason to get out of bed each...
5 Reasons To Retire Before 62 With $3.2M in a 401(k)
Can you really retire before 62 with $3.2 million in a 401(k)? Taylor walks you through a real client case study where a couple with $3.2M chose a retirement plan that scored lower, projected less money — and gave them a better retirement than ...
The Surprisingly Hard Part of Retirement Nobody Warns You About
Most retirement conversations are about saving enough. Today we're talking about the other side of that. What happens when you've saved, you're there, and you still can't bring yourself to spend it? It's more common than people admit. And it ca...
Moving With $3M in a 401(k)? What Nobody Tells You
Planning to relocate in retirement with $2M-$4M+ in a 401(k)? Before you list your house, listen to this. Most people don't realize that pulling money from a 401(k) for a down payment can cost $60,000-$65,000 in taxes— for a cash need that last...
Getting Your Spouse Involved in Planning
We got a great question from a listener: “How do I get my spouse more involved in our retirement planning?” It’s a common challenge, and usually not about understanding the numbers, but about interest and engagement. The goal isn’t to turn your...
You've Managed Your Own Money Successfully - Why Would You Need an Advisor Now?
You’ve managed your own money for years and done well. So why would you need a financial advisor now? It’s a fair question, and one more people are asking as access to tools and information continues to grow. But what once felt straightforward ...
Your Retirement Claiming Strategy is Probably Backwards (Here's Why)
Most people with a 401k, Social Security, and pension claim them in the order that feels safest — but that sequence can quietly cost six figures in taxes you never needed to pay.Taylor breaks down the three tax traps that punish you for...
Give Me 8 Minutes And I'll Explain Why Everyone’s Claiming Early
Social Security claims are up 16% — and most people are making this decision based on one angle. In this video, Taylor breaks down the three angles of the Social Security Triangle: quantitative, qualitative, and survivorship. It's that third an...
Tax Implications on Inherited Accounts
Receiving an inheritance can feel like a financial blessing, but when part of it comes from an IRA or retirement account, the tax rules can quickly get complicated. In this episode, Taylor breaks down the key factors that determine how inherite...
New Health Insurance Rules Just Created a Hack For Early Retirees
The 2026 health insurance subsidy cliff is back — and it could cost early retirees over $20,000 a year in unnecessary premiums. In this video, I break down the exact withdrawal strategy we used to drop a couple's health insurance premium from $...
Should You Buy More Company Stock?
When your company stock has treated you well, buying more might feel like the obvious move. But investing decisions tied to your employer carry unique risks that many people underestimate. In this episode, Taylor walks through the psychology be...
The Retirement Tax Strategy Most People Overlook Completely
Your healthiest retirement years are also your best tax planning years, but many people miss this crucial window 🎯. This video explains how individuals often waste their health by working longer and their tax planning for retirees opportunities...
Financial Gifts for Grandkids: Smart Moves or Costly Mistakes?
Becoming a grandparent changes everything, including how you think about money. For many families, the natural instinct is to help financially. But the “how” matters just as much as the heart behind it. In this episode, Taylor tackles a listene...