Robert Brokamp

speaker

4,580 appearances 41 recordings 3 series first heard Oct 2025 last heard yesterday

Robert Brokamp’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.

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recordings per month · last 12 months

Recordings per month over the last 12 months — 41 in all, peaking in Sep 2026 with 5.

Appearances

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Motley Fool Hidden Gems Investing · In Retirement, More Spending Leads to Higher Taxes · 8 Aug 2026 podcast

Back in 1989, less than half of households in the 65 to 74 age range had any debt, according to the Federal Reserve. matched

Today, two-thirds of people in that age range owe someone money. matched

That debt represents an ongoing retirement expense, which, you guessed it, could result in higher taxes. matched

Nowadays, quickly paying down debt provides a pretty solid guaranteed return, which is essentially the interest rate you're paying. matched

The rates on most types of loans, such as mortgages, auto loans, school loans, are around 7% now, sometimes a bit lower, oftentimes a good bit higher. matched

The average rate on a credit card is around 20%. matched

On top of that, several studies have shown that retirees with less debt are happier. matched

One example, the 2024 Mass Mutual Retirement Happiness Study, which found that 61% of retirees who are much happier in retirement compared to when they were working, said they worked to pay off their debt at least five years before retirement, compared to 48% of those who are not happier in retirement. matched

So paying those debts off before you retire, especially using cash or bonds that are only earning 4% or less, will lower your expenses in retirement, which in turn could lower your taxes and make you feel more financially free. matched

And that, my foolish friends, is the show. matched

Thanks so much for spending part of your weekend with us, and thanks to Bart Shannon, the engineer for this episode. matched

As always, the people on the program may have interest in the investments they talk about, and the Motley Fool may have formal recommendations for or against, so don't buy or sell investments based solely on what you hear. matched

All personal finance content follows Motley Fool editorial standards and is not approved by advertisers. matched

Advertisements are sponsored content and matched

provided for informational purposes only. matched

To see our full advertising disclosure, please check out our show notes. matched

I'm Robert Brookamp. matched

Fool on everybody. matched

Motley Fool Hidden Gems Investing · Insurance-palooza! All You Need to Know to Protect Your Income and Wealth · 1 Aug 2026 podcast

You spend your adult life growing your income and net worth. matched

Here's how to protect them from calamity and tragedy. matched

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