Money Matters With Wes Moss

Hosted by Wes Moss

Business Investing

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Episodes

145

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

Since its debut in 1992, Money Matters was created to deliver objective and timely financial advice on WSB, Atlanta's legendary, award-winning news/talk radio station. Now, in addition to airing weekly on WSB, Money Matters is available as a podcast, tailor-made for both modern retirees and those still in the planning stages. Hosted since 2009 by Wes Moss — CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, best-selling author, Forbes contributor, and managing partner at Capital Investment Advisors in Atlanta — and backed by the Retire Sooner Team, the Money Matters podcast aims to continue the show's legacy of demystifying retirement finances. From dissecting the latest financial news to offering personalized answers to listener questions, the goal of Money Matters is to keep you informed and empowered. Our focus? Providing clear, actionable advice without the financial jargon to help 1 million families retire sooner and happier. Join us in this exciting new chapter, and let's journey toward a financially secure and joyful retirement together.

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60 recent

October 20, 202629 min

Jean Chatzky on Retirement Income: From Saving to Spending

Saving for retirement is one thing; feeling comfortable spending that money is another. Wes Moss welcomes New York Times best-selling author Jean Chatzky to the Money Matters Podcast to talk about her book, The Forever Paycheck, retirement income, and why old saving habits may be hard to shake.   ·       Discover the idea behind The Forever Paycheck and what it means to turn savings into income. ·       Hear Jean Chatzky share her perspective on why some Americans fear running out of money in retirement more than death. ·       Unpack why some retirees may struggle to spend after a lifetime of saving. ·       Compare how pensions, Social Security, and investment balances may influence your willingness to spend. ·       Hear Chatzky’s story about her mother and the potential emotions behind some retirement money decisions. ·       Examine research on converting assets into income, along with some assumptions and limitations behind the findings. ·       Take a fresh look at the 4% rule of thumb and why withdrawal guidelines may leave some retirees scratching their heads. ·       Look beyond the labels on annuities and insurance products to consider their potential uses, costs, and restrictions. ·       Follow the money to understand how industry compensation may sometimes influence financial recommendations. ·       Reconsider home equity and paid-up life insurance as possible retirement and long-term care resources, with costs and conditions to weigh. ·       Explore dividends, interest, and multi-asset-class income investing without overlooking market risk or fluctuating payments. ·       Connect investment growth, fixed income, and your comfort with spending to your retirement goals and risk tolerance.   Listen to Wes Moss and Jean Chatzky explore the human side of retirement income planning on this episode of the Money Matters Podcast. Subscribe for more conversations about retirement, investing, and the life your money is meant to support.

October 13, 202635 min

Beyond the Headlines: Stock Market Highs, Mortgage Rates, and Retirement Income

Market updates make headlines, mortgage costs help influence household budgets, and AI may be changing the customer service experience. On this episode of the Money Matters Podcast, Wes Moss and Jeff Lloyd sort through the noise to explore how these topics connect to personal finance and retirement planning.   ·       Explore why some businesses keep people at the center of customer service while others hand more of the conversation to artificial intelligence. ·       Examine customer traffic and sales figures, weigh the trade-offs of choosing people over automation, and consider Wes’s related perspective on AI’s broader role in the workplace. ·       Peek beneath the stock market highs discussed in the episode to see why some companies and sectors don’t seem to be sharing the spotlight. ·       Follow the connections among oil prices, inflation expectations, interest rates, and the Federal Reserve’s outlook. ·       Unpack the tariff debate with research exploring how consumer goods prices might have changed without them. ·       Face the math behind higher mortgage payments, tighter housing budgets, and the hurdles younger generations may encounter on the road to homeownership. ·       Inspect the appeal of unusually high investment yields as Wes’s “yield ladder” puts income potential alongside risk and the possibility of loss. ·       Compare how utilities, small-cap stocks, and financials may respond differently as interest rates change and market leadership shifts. ·       Weigh how higher government bond yields may help influence investment decisions, and explore Wes’s related discussion of stock dividends, bond interest, and retirement investing. ·       Explore how Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) may fit into retirement healthcare planning, with potential tax benefits subject to eligibility, contribution limits, and qualified medical expense requirements.   Listen and subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast for a lively look at the financial headlines behind everyday money questions and for educational conversations about markets, personal finance, and retirement planning.

October 6, 202634 min

Market History, Interest Rates, Bonds, and Long-Term Investing

Unpredictable markets may make even experienced investors question what matters most. In this Money Matters Podcast episode, Wes Moss and Connor Miller seek to put market volatility, interest rates, stock market history, bonds, inflation, and diversified investing into perspective.  ·       Reconsider what the "market average" means by exploring how University of Chicago researchers in the 1960s helped establish a widely used measure of the long-term performance of the overall U.S. stock market, and how that history may influence how investors assess portfolio performance. 00:00:09 ·       Examine how higher interest rates may affect mortgage payments, 401(k) accounts, consumer borrowing, business activity, and the wider U.S. economy. 00:00:26 ·       Recognize how investment-account high-water marks may affect investor behavior, expectations, and reactions during periods of stock market volatility. 00:01:16 ·       Trace the development of stock market benchmarks, including the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500, and consider why they may remain associated with long-term market performance. 00:05:05 ·       Explore educational aspects of broad market participation as a contrast to a narrower set of individual stocks. 00:07:27 ·       Assess what approximately a century of U.S. stock market returns might illustrate about long-term investing and financial planning. 00:09:13 ·       Examine how the more than $50 trillion U.S. fixed-income market may have responded to shifting interest rates, and why bond yields, bond prices, and diversification may matter to investors. 00:11:45 ·       Consider how investment returns may vary from year to year, and examine the historical difference between short-term market results and longer-term return patterns. 00:12:55 ·       Connect inflation, economic growth, government debt, and interest rates to the forces that may influence market conditions, household budgets, and purchasing power. 00:14:22 ·       Assess why higher bond yields may have increased interest in fixed income, and how bonds may be associated with income potential and diversification within certain balanced-portfolio approaches. 00:21:08 ·       Compare how longer holding periods have historically influenced the frequency of positive returns among stocks, bonds, and balanced portfolios, while recognizing that past performance does not guarantee future results. 00:26:06 ·       Understand the relationship between bond prices, yields, and duration, and consider why higher starting yields may be associated with income potential and a degree of resilience during some periods of price volatility. 00:29:41 Market conditions, interest rates, and investment returns can change quickly, but a thoughtful framework may help you evaluate the information behind the headlines. Listen and subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast for conversations with Wes Moss and Connor Miller on investing, retirement planning, bonds, inflation, and long-term financial decision-making.

September 29, 202635 min

Is 5% the New Normal? Interest Rates, Retiree Spending, and the Yield Ladder

Fall is here, but interest rates aren't falling. On this episode of the Money Matters Podcast, Wes Moss and Jeff Lloyd look at why the 10-year Treasury yield climbed above 5% and what higher rates may mean for investors, savers, and retirees. ·       Analyze the jump in the 10-year Treasury yield and why stocks don't always like a strong economy. ·       Explore the latest manufacturing PMI and GDPNow data, and how market expectations for Federal Reserve policy have shifted since the start of 2026. ·       Track CPI and PCE inflation, and why the Fed may be watching one measure more closely than the other. ·       Consider how the competition for capital between stocks and bonds may influence markets when yields reach new levels. ·       Examine why bond yields are near their highest point in about 20 years and how mortgage rates back above 7% may affect the housing market. ·       Unpack how the Treasury, major banks, and the Federal Reserve work together to expand the money supply, and how pandemic-era stimulus contributed to inflation. ·       Discover research from Jean Chatzky's new book, The Forever Paycheck, suggesting many retirees may underspend in retirement. ·       Learn why income may feel easier for retirees to spend than assets, and how the growth plus incomeequation may factor into total return. ·       Climb the Yield Ladder to see the range of dividend, interest, and distribution income available in today's market. ·       Review how the S&P 500 has historically performed in the 12 months following midterm elections, remembering that past performance does not guarantee future results. From rising rates and inflation to retiree spending and income investing, Wes and Jeff unpack what a shifting market may mean for your portfolio. Listen and subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast for more educational conversations about the economy, investing, and retirement.

September 22, 202633 min

Building Wealth Beyond Silicon Valley: Coast FI, Pensions, and Roth Conversions

What do everyday millionaires, Coast FI, pension decisions, and Roth conversions have to do with your financial future? On this episode of the Money Matters Podcast, Wes Moss and Christa DiBiase tackle a wide-ranging mix of money questions about building wealth, planning for retirement, and understanding the potential financial trade-offs along the way. Meet the “everywhere millionaires” building wealth through hands-on businesses far from the Silicon Valley spotlight. Explore Coast FI and how early saving may factor into the path toward financial independence. Consider how stock exposure, bond funds, and portfolio risk may factor into investment decisions as retirement approaches. Examine the financial considerations facing young high earners managing student loans, taxes, and retirement contributions. Compare pension lump-sum and monthly-payment options, including considerations involving inflation, longevity, and cost-of-living adjustments. Unpack how securities-backed lines of credit may be used for real estate financing, along with borrowing costs, market risk, and potential margin calls. Learn how capital gains and investment withdrawals may affect eligibility for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance subsidies. Review how Roth conversions for inherited or custodial retirement accounts may interact with taxes, withdrawal rules, and long-term retirement planning. Explore Wes’s new book, The Retire Sooner Method, and the research behind his approach to the financial and lifestyle characteristics associated with a happier retirement. From everyday millionaires and Coast FI to pensions, taxes, and Roth conversions, this episode puts some of retirement planning’s biggest questions on the table. Listen to the Money Matters Podcast with Wes Moss and Christa DiBiase, and subscribe for more conversations about investing, wealth building, retirement planning, and financial independence.

September 15, 202635 min

Oil, Interest Rates, AI, and the Entrepreneurs Who May Be Shaping the U.S. Economy

What are oil prices, interest rates, AI, and American entrepreneurs telling us about today’s economy? On this episode of the Money Matters Podcast, Wes Moss and Connor Miller analyze the latest economic and market headlines and provide context to investing, technology, and U.S. household wealth. ·       Explore how oil, diesel, and inflation trends may affect consumers, financial markets, and the U.S. economy. ·       Unpack how bond market activity may influence interest rates alongside Federal Reserve policy. ·       Examine why Fed rate changes and long-term Treasury yields don’t always move together. ·       Consider AI concerns involving jobs, regulation, cybersecurity, defense, and existential risk. ·       Explore the potential role of AI in productivity, innovation, digital security, and economic growth. ·       Compare the latest foldable phone technology, device prices, and consumer demand. ·       Meet “everywhere millionaires” who built wealth through food, HVAC, gutters, and other traditional businesses. ·       Discover what pass-through income data may tell us about entrepreneurship, job creation, and wealth across America. ·       Review recent U.S. household net worth trends and the factors that may be influencing American wealth. ·       Examine historical stock market trends around midterm elections, remembering that past performance does not guarantee future results. Connect the dots between the economy, markets, AI, entrepreneurship, and investing, and explore Wes’s new book, The Retire Sooner Method. Listen and subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast with Wes Moss and Connor Miller for more educational conversations about financial markets, retirement planning, and the U.S. economy.

September 12, 202633 min

Labor Day, the U.S. Economy, and the Latest Trends in Jobs and Retirement Planning

What does Labor Day have to do with the economy? On this episode of the Money Matters Podcast, Wes Moss and Jeff Lloyd connect the American worker to today’s markets, economic trends, and retirement planning. ·       Celebrate Labor Day with a look at how American workers, productivity, and quality of life may have evolved. ·       Discover how David Booth and the rise of index investing may have helped change the investing landscape. ·       Explore The Retire Sooner Method and Wes’s latest research on what happy retirees may have in common. ·       Rethink the K-shaped economy as Wes and Jeff introduce an “E-shaped” way to view today’s economic landscape. ·       Examine trends in U.S. household wealth, home equity, and consumer spending. ·       Consider where side hustles and multiple jobs may fit into the modern American workforce. ·       Check the pulse of the U.S. job market, unemployment, and workforce flexibility. ·       Compare consumer sentiment and consumer spending to see where perceptions and economic data may differ. ·       See how remote work and youth unemployment may be changing the landscape for young workers and employers. ·       Learn how interest rates and bond duration might relate to fixed-income investments, including bonds held in a 401(k). ·       Follow trends in capital spending, corporate profitability, and productivity growth across the U.S. economy. ·       Explore how American workers may help drive innovation across technology, healthcare, and other industries. Celebrate Labor Day with a fresh perspective on the U.S. economy, investing, and retirement planning. Listen and subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast for more educational conversations with Wes Moss and Jeff Lloyd.

September 1, 202634 min

Is the Economy Changing? Inflation, AI, Markets, and Retirement

Football is back, fall is around the corner, and there’s plenty happening with the economy and markets. On this episode of the Money Matters Podcast, Wes Moss and Connor Miller sort through some of the current financial stories and explore what they may mean for investors and retirees. ·       Analyze the U.S. economy, inflation, and S&P 500 earnings as summer winds down. ·       Explore The Retire Sooner Method and Wes’s latest research on the characteristics associated with happier retirees. ·       Consider the challenges the sandwich generation may face while juggling kids, aging parents, and retirement goals. ·       Compare recent trends in large-cap stocks, dividend growers, small caps, and diversified portfolios. ·       Follow how oil prices, federal debt, interest rates, and housing costs may influence the economy. ·       Track CPI and PCE inflation and potential changes to how these closely watched measures are calculated. ·       Examine why fewer Americans 55+ seem to be participating in the labor force and the factors that may influence retirement decisions. ·       Consider how growing investment in artificial intelligence may influence jobs, productivity, and economic growth. ·       See how changing immigration trends may affect employment and unemployment data. ·       Review the financial and lifestyle characteristics associated with retirement happiness in Wes’s research. ·       Reflect on Dolly Parton’s legacy and her apparent attention to purpose and giving. From inflation and the stock market to AI and retirement planning, Wes and Connor attempt to make sense of a busy financial landscape. Listen and subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast for more educational conversations about the economy, investing, and retirement.

August 25, 202632 min

U.S. Debt, Interest Rates, and Retirement Risks for Investors

From $40 trillion in U.S. debt to an everyday employee who quietly built seven-figure wealth, this episode of the Money Matters Podcast covers a lot of ground. Join Wes Moss and Jeff Lloyd as they seek to help make sense of the markets, retirement planning, and a few fascinating detours along the way. ·       Celebrate college football season and the start of fall. ·       Unpack how U.S. debt, federal deficits, and interest rates may affect investors and the economy. ·       See how the bond market and Federal Reserve may influence interest rates. ·       Explore cancer treatment advances and the growing potential of AI in healthcare. ·       Consider what demand for U.S. Treasury bonds and higher yields may mean for investors. ·       Hear what Wes shared on The Money Guy Show about the habits associated with happier retirees. ·       Learn why sequence of returns risk may matter when taking portfolio withdrawals in retirement. ·       Discover how a longtime employee reportedly accumulated seven-figure wealth through decades of consistent saving and investing. ·       Consider how workplace benefits, retirement contributions, and staying invested may support long-term wealth accumulation. ·       Explore the Retire Sooner Method and its approach to retirement planning. ·       Laugh along with a golf analogy that shows why personal finance may be as unique as your swing. Bring some personality to the serious business of planning for retirement. Listen and subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast with Wes Moss and Jeff Lloyd for more conversations about investing, retirement planning, and personal finance.

August 18, 202634 min

What Is “Boomer Candy”? Specialty ETFs, Retirement Income, and the 60/40 Portfolio

What exactly is “boomer candy,” and why is Wall Street talking about it? On the Money Matters Podcast, Wes Moss and Connor Miller break down specialty ETFs, retirement income, diversification, inflation, and what history may teach us about staying invested. ·       Explore why high-income specialty ETFs seem to be catching the attention of investors looking for income and potential downside protection. ·       See how ETFs may have evolved from simple, low-cost funds into increasingly complex products with new strategies, costs, and risks. ·       Follow the trend in derivative ETFs, which have grown from under $100 billion to roughly $600 billion in assets. ·       Unpack how high-income S&P 500 ETFs may use options to pursue monthly income and manage volatility. ·       Compare specialty ETFs with buffered and barrier notes, including a noticeable difference: potential counterparty risk. ·       Visualize specialty ETFs as financial burritos—layers of investment strategies wrapped together in one package. ·       Consider where specialty ETFs may fit as a supplement to a diversified portfolio rather than the main course. ·       Revisit the supposed “death of the 60/40 portfolio” after 2022 and see what history may add to the debate. ·       Discover what decades of market data may suggest about stocks, bonds, and balanced portfolios across different holding periods. ·       Check the latest inflation, CPI, and interest rate trends and what they may mean for the Federal Reserve and financial markets. Listen and subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast for a lively, educational look at investing, retirement planning, ETFs, and the markets. 

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