The Stacking Benjamins Show Why You Should Stop Saving for Retirement 3 Years Early (SB1826)
Apr 8, 2026
Jamie Hopkins, retirement expert and author of The Retirement Sketchbook, argues retirement is an identity shift, not just math. He challenges last-minute saving, urges practicing spending before you retire, and warns about home bias and geographic concentration. He also covers preparing for forced retirement and creative uses of home equity.
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Practice Withdrawals To Learn Taxes And Emotions
- Test withdrawals before full retirement to see the tax forms and emotional response to portfolio drawdowns.
- Jamie suggests careful small withdrawals or matching spouse contributions then withdrawing equal amounts to experience 1099-Rs and bracket effects.
Create Income Floors To Unlock Spending
- Build secure lifetime income floors (Social Security, pension, annuity, bond ladder) to give yourself permission to spend.
- Jamie notes people with a visible income floor spend more confidently and avoid underspending out of fear.
Home Bias Links Portfolio Risk To Community Health
- Home bias ties portfolio, house value, and town economy together, amplifying retirement risk when a local industry declines.
- Jamie uses steel towns and Detroit examples where concentrated holdings and local jobs falling harmed both net worth and quality of life.
