Episodi

  • Delaying Social Security to 70 Cost This Couple $137,000. One Change Made It Worth $1.5 Million.
    Oct 20 2026

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    Delay Social Security to 70. It's the most repeated retirement advice on the internet, and the check really does get bigger. What almost nobody shows you is what happens to the rest of your money while you wait.

    In this episode, I take a hypothetical couple, Claire (56) and Dan (58), with a little over $3 million saved, 88% of it pre-tax, and run the famous advice through planning software three ways. Delaying to 70 on its own nudged their odds of success from 58% to 60% but left them about $137,000 less at the end of the plan. Roth conversions on their own barely moved anything. Put the two together, and their odds rose to 65% and the money projected to be left at the end grew by about $1.5 million.

    In this episode:

    • The two numbers every retirement projection gives you, and why one decision can move them in opposite directions
    • Why delaying Social Security works like insurance, and who it protects most (often the surviving spouse)
    • How a survivor's check can be $47,000 a year larger when both spouses delay to 70
    • How delaying creates your lowest-income tax years, and why those years are the cheapest time to convert pre-tax money to Roth
    • What the conversions cost up front, including higher taxes and possibly higher Medicare premiums for a few years
    • How pairing the delay with conversions shrinks the widow's penalty later
    • Three things to write down, and one step to take this week

    Claire and Dan are a hypothetical composite. Figures are illustrative projections based on stated assumptions about returns, inflation, and tax law, not guarantees.

    Related episodes:

    • When to Claim Social Security: Why the Math Is Different for Women → https://alignyourretirement.buzzsprout.com/2591501/episodes/19196128
    • The Cheapest Tax Years of Your Life: Roth Conversions Before Social Security Starts → https://alignyourretirement.buzzsprout.com/2591501/episodes/19509570
    • The Widow's Penalty: Why Taxes Rise After a Spouse Dies and How Roth Conversions Can Help → https://alignyourretirement.buzzsprout.com/2591501/episodes/19458008

    Mentioned in this episode:

    • The Executive Woman's Tax Playbook (free guide) → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-tax-playbook/

    📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment

    📞 Book a free Align Call → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcast

    Follow the Conversation:

    • LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-secco
    • Instagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutions

    About Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®

    Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®, is the founder of Align Financial Solutions, a fee-only fiduciary firm in Hoboken, New Jersey, that helps high-net-worth women bring retirement, equity compensation, tax, and estate planning into one plan.

    Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.
    The above case study is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Align Financial Solutions client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if A...

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    16 min
  • Retiring Before 65? Why Your 401(k) Could Cost You $9,500 a Year in Health Insurance
    Oct 14 2026
    Send us Fan MailA lot of women run the retirement math, know they could stop at 60, then price health insurance for the years before Medicare and decide to keep working. What most of them haven’t been told is that the price isn’t fixed. When you buy coverage through the marketplace, the help you get with your premium is based on your income for that year, not on how much you’ve saved. And once the paycheck stops, your income mostly comes down to which account you spend from.In this episode, I walk through Diane, a hypothetical 60-year-old single woman who needs $100,000 a year and has 5 years until Medicare. If she takes it all from her 401(k), she pays full price for her plan, about $1,300 a month. If she spends the same $100,000 but takes $60,000 from her 401(k) and $40,000 from savings, the same plan costs about $500 a month. That’s about $9,500 a year, and close to $50,000 before she reaches Medicare.In this episode:Why help with marketplace premiums depends on your income and not your savingsWhich withdrawals count as income and which don’t, from your 401(k) to your savings, Roth, and brokerage accountThe income line for 2027 coverage ($63,840 for a single person in most states) and why $1 over it ends the helpWhy there’s no longer a cap on paying back extra premium help, starting with 2026 tax returnsHow one late-year withdrawal can turn $9,500 of help into a $9,500 bill3 steps to take if you’re a few years from retiring before 65When staying under the line isn’t the right call, including the tradeoff with Roth conversionsOpen enrollment for 2027 coverage (HealthCare.gov):November 1, 2026: open enrollment opensDecember 15, 2026: choose a plan by this date for coverage starting January 1, 2027January 15, 2027: open enrollment ends, and plans chosen after December 15 start February 1States that run their own marketplace can have different dates, so check yours.Your tasks before open enrollment:Add up what you have outside your pre-tax accounts, like cash, a brokerage account, and Roth.Count the years between your retirement date and 65, and estimate how much you’d need from those accounts each year to keep your income under the line.If you come up short, use the working years you have left to fill the gap, and run the numbers for your tax bracket before you change where your savings go.Related episodes:Early Retirement Health Insurance: The MAGI Dial Wealthy Women Don’t Know They Have → https://alignyourretirement.buzzsprout.com/2591501/episodes/19765577-early-retirement-health-insurance-the-magi-dial-wealthy-women-don-t-know-they-haveThe Roth Conversion Window You Can’t Get Back: The Cheapest Tax Years of Your Life → https://alignyourretirement.buzzsprout.com/2591501/episodes/19509570-the-roth-conversion-window-you-can-t-get-back-the-cheapest-tax-years-of-your-lifeWhy “Just Max Your 401(k)” Stops Being Good Advice in Your 50s → https://alignyourretirement.buzzsprout.com/2591501/episodes/19566073-why-just-max-your-401-k-stops-being-good-advice-in-your-50sResources mentioned:The Executive Women’s Retirement Tax Playbook (free guide) → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-tax-playbook/📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment📞 Book a free Align Call: → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcastFollow the Conversation:LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-seccoInstagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutionsAbout Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® Hazel is the founder of Align Financial Solutions. As a fee-only, fiduciary advisor, she specializes in helping independent women navigate career transitions, equity compensation, and building toward a Work Optional life.Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.The above case study is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Align Financial Solutions client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if Align Fina...
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    10 min
  • I Tested 4 Roth Conversion Strategies on a $2M IRA for a Single Woman
    Oct 7 2026

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    Much of the Roth conversion guidance out there is built on married couple numbers. If you're single, or expect to be, those numbers can be off by about half.

    In this episode, I model four Roth conversion strategies on a $2 million IRA for Joanne, a hypothetical 65-year-old single woman: convert everything, convert nothing, convert half, and a banded approach that converts up to the Medicare line each year. The aggressive strategy came out $605,000 behind doing nothing. The banded strategy came out ahead by about $51,000. Then I changed one assumption, who inherits the IRA, and the result swung by roughly $129,000.

    In this episode:

    • Why single filers get about half the room couples get under the Medicare surcharge, the 22% bracket, and the senior deduction phase-out
    • How the $6,000 senior deduction phase-out raises the real tax rate on conversions
    • Why selling brokerage shares to pay conversion taxes can give up a valuable step-up in basis
    • How RMDs starting at 75 can push a single filer over the Medicare threshold year after year
    • Why your heirs' tax bracket may matter more than your own when deciding whether to convert
    • How portfolio growth changes the value of converting
    • Three things you can do this week without hiring anyone

    Episodes mentioned:

    • Inheriting an IRA? The 10-Year Rule That Can Quietly Cost Your Kids Six Figures → https://alignyourretirement.buzzsprout.com/2591501/episodes/19391630-inheriting-an-ira-the-10-year-rule-that-can-quietly-cost-your-kids-six-figures
    • The Widow's Penalty: Why Taxes Rise After a Spouse Dies and How Roth Conversions Can Help → https://alignyourretirement.buzzsprout.com/2591501/episodes/19458008-the-widow-s-penalty-why-taxes-rise-after-a-spouse-dies-and-how-roth-conversions-can-help

    Resources mentioned:

    • The Executive Woman's Tax Playbook (free guide): https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-tax-playbook/

    📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment

    📞 Book a free Align Call: → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcast

    Follow the Conversation:

    • LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-secco
    • Instagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutions

    About Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®

    Hazel is the founder of Align Financial Solutions. As a fee-only, fiduciary advisor, she specializes in helping independent women navigate career transitions, equity compensation, and building toward a Work Optional life.

    Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.
    The above case study is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Align Financial Solutions client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if Align Fina...

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    22 min
  • $2 Million vs. $5 Million: Why 2.5x the Savings Buys Only 1.7x the Income
    Sep 30 2026

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    Two couples, identical in every way except one detail: Paul and Linda have $2 million saved, and Richard and Susan have $5 million. In this episode I run both through the same retirement to show what actually lands in the bank each month after tax, what happens when the husband dies and she files alone, and what the daughters keep after inheriting the IRA.

    The $5 million household ends up with $21,414 a month against $12,377. That's 2.5 times the portfolio for 1.7 times the income. After widowhood, Susan pays 98% of what the couple paid for Medicare by herself. Her daughter Emily pays roughly $944,000 in federal tax over 10 years on the inherited IRA.

    In this episode:

    • Why the 0% capital gains bracket, the senior deduction phase-out, and IRMAA hit the larger household and skip the smaller one
    • Why widowhood costs Susan about 3 times what it costs Linda for the same drop in income
    • What the extra $3 million actually buys: a lighter withdrawal rate, a cushion against a bad first year, and room to pay for long-term care
    • How the 10-year rule turns an inheritance into a tax problem during a daughter's peak earning years
    • Why the best Roth conversion window is the years you are both still here

    Resources:

    • Related episode: Inheriting an IRA? The 10-Year Rule That Can Quietly Cost Your Kids Six Figures: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2591501/episodes/19391630

    Sources: Employee Benefit Research Institute analysis of the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances; EBRI research on retiree asset drawdown (2026); National Bureau of Economic Research on widowhood; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services long-term care estimates; CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey; 2026 IRS tax brackets and CMS Medicare premiums; IRS final required minimum distribution regulations (2024).

    📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment

    📞 Book a free Align Call → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcast

    Follow the Conversation:

    • LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-secco
    • Instagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutions

    About Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®

    Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®, is the founder of Align Financial Solutions, a fee-only fiduciary firm in Hoboken, New Jersey, that helps high-net-worth women bring retirement, equity compensation, tax, and estate planning into one plan.

    Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.
    The above case study is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Align Financial Solutions client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if A...

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    21 min
  • You Have Two Social Security Checks. Only One Should Wait Until 70
    Sep 15 2026

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    "Wait until 70 to claim Social Security" is the most repeated retirement advice on the internet. For a married woman who is the higher earner, it's only half right. It's right for one check in your household, wrong for the other, and it says nothing about the check one of you will eventually live on alone.

    In this episode, I walk through what I call the survivor lock-in. A married household gets two Social Security checks until the first death, and then it gets one, the larger of the two. That changes how each spouse should think about claiming.

    In this episode:

    • Why the larger check is the "permanent" one and the smaller check is temporary
    • What the higher earner's claiming age does to the survivor's income for life
    • Why the lower earner's check often shouldn't wait until 70
    • Three situations where even the higher earner shouldn't wait
    • The widow's two-check strategy: claim one benefit now and switch to the other later
    • Three questions that simplify the whole decision, and three things to do this week

    Figures are illustrative, based on current Social Security rules and a full retirement age of 67.

    Related episodes:

    • When to Claim Social Security: Why the Math Is Different for Women → https://alignyourretirement.buzzsprout.com/2591501/episodes/19196128
    • The Widow's Penalty: Why Taxes Rise After a Spouse Dies and How Roth Conversions Can Help → https://alignyourretirement.buzzsprout.com/2591501/episodes/19458008
    • The Cheapest Tax Years of Your Life: Roth Conversions Before Social Security Starts → https://alignyourretirement.buzzsprout.com/2591501/episodes/19509570

    Mentioned in this episode:

    • The Executive Woman's Tax Playbook (free guide) → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-tax-playbook/

    📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment

    📞 Book a free Align Call → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcast

    Follow the Conversation:

    • LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-secco
    • Instagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutions

    About Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®

    Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®, is the founder of Align Financial Solutions, a fee-only fiduciary firm in Hoboken, New Jersey, that helps high-net-worth women bring retirement, equity compensation, tax, and estate planning into one plan.

    Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.
    The above case study is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Align Financial Solutions client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if A...

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    11 min
  • Why a $3M Nest Egg Can Mean Higher Taxes in Retirement
    Sep 23 2026

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    Margaret saved $3 million, and every dollar sits in a 401(k) and a rollover IRA. It's enough money. The problem: at 75, she'll pay about $16,400 more in federal tax than she did in her final working year, with no salary at all. And by then, she no longer controls how much comes out.

    In this episode, I walk through exactly how that happens, with today's tax rules held constant so you can see the mechanism clearly.

    What we cover:

    • Why your final working year is taxed less than you think (the 401(k) and HSA shelter that ends with your paycheck)
    • The 2026 Roth catch-up rule for earners over $150,000
    • RMDs at 73 vs. 75 under SECURE 2.0, and how $3 million becomes a $183,000 forced withdrawal
    • Why Social Security tax thresholds from 1983 and 1993 make 85% of her benefit taxable
    • The new $6,000 senior deduction, and why it misses her twice
    • IRMAA: how a withdrawal at 75 shows up on your Medicare bill at 77
    • When a large pre-tax balance is NOT a problem
    • The survivor's tax return every married couple should run
    • What actually helps: using your gap years, sized honestly

    Chapters:
    00:00 Margaret's Tax Trap
    01:04 Why Working Years Tax Less
    02:45 RMDs Remove Control
    03:51 Social Security Tax Thresholds
    04:41 Retiree Deduction Missed
    06:08 IRMAA Medicare Surcharge
    07:21 When Pretax Isn't Bad
    08:17 Survivor Tax Squeeze
    09:34 What Actually Helps
    10:36 Three Buckets Action Plan
    11:39 Wrap Up and Next Steps

    Resources mentioned:

    • Free guide: The Executive Women's Tax Playbook https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-tax-playbook/
    • Episode: How the Medicare look-back works https://alignyourretirement.buzzsprout.com/2591501/episodes/19732504-the-medicare-surcharge-that-ambushes-you-two-years-late-irmaa-explained


    📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment

    📞 Book a free Align Call: → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcast

    Follow the Conversation:

    • LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-secco
    • Instagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutions

    About Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®

    Hazel is the founder of Align Financial Solutions. As a fee-only, fiduciary advisor, she specializes in helping independent women navigate career transitions, equity compensation, and building toward a Work Optional life.

    Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.
    The above case study is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Align Financial Solutions client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if Align Fina...

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    12 min
  • Early Retirement Health Insurance: The MAGI Dial Wealthy Women Don't Know They Have
    Sep 8 2026

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    The thing that stops more women from retiring early isn't the market. It's health insurance before Medicare. For a woman who wants to leave at 58 or 60, that's a five to seven year gap where she buys her own coverage, and family plans can run well over $2,000 a month. So she looks at the number, decides she can't retire, and works three more years for the benefit.

    In most of those cases, the decision is built on a misunderstanding: that a seven figure portfolio disqualifies her from any help. It doesn't. Marketplace premium assistance is based on the income you report, not your assets. And in an early retirement year, before Social Security and required withdrawals, that number is one you have real control over. I call it the MAGI dial.

    In this episode:

    • Why the marketplace looks at your income, not your net worth, and why successful women assume the opposite
    • What changed for 2026: the enhanced subsidies expired and the subsidy cliff is back at 400% of the federal poverty level (roughly $63,000 single, $84,600 for a couple; confirm your exact figures)
    • The repayment trap if you take credits in advance and land over the line at tax time
    • How to fund a bridge year from cash, brokerage principal, and Roth money so your reported income stays modest while you live comfortably
    • The choices that spike your MAGI: pre-tax 401(k) and IRA withdrawals, large capital gains, early Social Security, and Roth conversions
    • The conflict between subsidies and Roth conversions, and why they have to be decided on the same sheet of paper every year of the bridge
    • A hypothetical composite: a 59 year old executive with $2.3 million who bridges six years to Medicare, keeps premium help, and still converts on a schedule

    Comment below: subsidy this year, or the Roth conversion? The split usually surprises people.

    📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment

    📞 Book a free Align Call: → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcast

    Follow the Conversation:

    • LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-secco
    • Instagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutions

    About Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®

    Hazel is the founder of Align Financial Solutions. As a fee-only, fiduciary advisor, she specializes in helping independent women navigate career transitions, equity compensation, and building toward a Work Optional life.

    Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

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    12 min
  • The Medicare Surcharge That Ambushes You Two Years Late (IRMAA, Explained)
    Sep 1 2026
    Send us Fan MailEpisode DescriptionYou did everything right. You saved aggressively, earned well, maybe converted to Roth or sold a property. Then two years into retirement, a letter arrives from Social Security: your Medicare premiums are going up, sometimes by thousands of dollars a year, per person. Your income is lower now. So why the surcharge?Because IRMAA, the income-related monthly adjustment amount, isn't looking at your income now. It's looking at your tax return from two years ago. It's a cliff, not a ramp: one dollar over a threshold triggers the full surcharge for an entire year, and it's charged to each spouse separately.In this episode, Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®, fee-only fiduciary and founder of Align Financial Solutions, breaks down why the bill arrives two years late, which of your smartest financial moves are the very things that trigger it, and what you can still do about a number that was set two years ago (including the form most retirees are entitled to file and never do).What You'll LearnWhat IRMAA is and why the two-year look-back makes it feel like an ambushWhy the surcharge is a cliff, not a ramp, and why a single dollar of income can cost you thousandsThe number Medicare actually watches (MAGI, and yes, your tax-free municipal bond interest counts)This year's approximate threshold lines: ~$109,000 (single) and ~$218,000 (married filing jointly). Always recheck for your own year.The five triggers hiding in your best moves: your last big working years, required withdrawals (RMDs at 73 or 75 depending on birth year), Roth conversions, large one-time sales, and the widow's penaltyThree moves that put you back in control: watching the line before year-end, sizing Roth conversions to fit under the brackets, and appealing with form SSA-44 after a life-changing event like retirement or the death of a spouseTwo extra tools that lower the number: qualified charitable distributions (from age 70½) and choosing which capital gains you realize, and whenChapters00:00 The Two-Year Ambush01:41 What IRMAA Really Is02:05 The Three Sneaky Features02:55 Thresholds and MAGI Math04:14 Five Common Triggers05:50 Widows and the Penalty06:32 Three Ways to Respond07:16 Conversion and MAGI Tools08:16 Appeal with SSA-4408:44 Key Takeaways and Next StepsThree Things to Write DownThe surcharge is set by your tax return from two years ago, steps up in blocks rather than smoothly, and is charged to each spouse separately, so the planning has to happen two years before the bill.The triggers are the things you did right: your last big work years, required withdrawals, Roth conversions, a large one-time sale, and for a widow, the move from joint thresholds to single ones.You have more control than the letter suggests: watch the line before year-end, size conversions to fit under it, and if you've retired or lost a spouse since that tax year, file the SSA-44.Question for YouWhich of the five triggers did you see yourself in: the last big work years, required withdrawals, Roth conversions, a one-time sale, or the widow's penalty? Tell me in the comments. The fix is slightly different for each one, and your answer tells me what to make next.📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment📞 Book a free Align Call: → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcastFollow the Conversation:LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-seccoInstagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutionsAbout Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® Hazel is the founder of Align Financial Solutions. As a fee-only, fiduciary advisor, she specializes in helping independent women navigate career transitions, equity compensation, and building toward a Work Optional life.Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.The above case study is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Align Financial Solutions client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if Align Fina...
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    11 min