Retirement Optimism is a short-format podcast for people who want calm, clear, and confident guidance in a noisy world. Hosted by David Hicks, this series takes timely market events and distills them into practical insights you can actually use — all through the lens of long-term, principle-based investing. Each episode blends perspective, planning, and a bit of personality — reminding you why a well-built plan matters most when the markets feel the most uncertain. Whether we’re talking volatility, headlines, inflation, or opportunities in disguise, David’s voice is steady and focused on what matters: your future. This isn’t about hype, fear, or reaction. It’s about clarity, context, and staying the course.
This episode explores alternative investments like private equity, crypto, and gold, cautioning that assets producing cash flow and compounding earnings outperform those relying on sentiment and speculation.
20 Oct 2025
Bubble Talk
David Hicks analyzes the current artificial intelligence boom, explaining why bubble periods can foster innovation and how diversification protects investors, in this episode about market trends.
16 Sept 2025
Two Types of Risk
David Hicks examines the critical distinction between risks causing permanent damage versus temporary harm to retirement plans, emphasizing how behavioral reactions often pose the greatest threat to financial security.
22 Aug 2025
3 Tax-Efficient Ways to Give to Charity
Financial advisor David Hicks interviews listeners on three tax-efficient strategies for charitable giving, maximizing both impact and tax benefits.
6 Aug 2025
What's Going on with Real Estate?
David Hicks analyzes the current real estate market, nationally and in New Mexico, and its impact on retirement planning, offering clarity on navigating uncertainty.
29 Jul 2025
Planning for Uncertainty
David unpacks the misconception that uncertainty equals risk, explaining how resilience, not prediction, leads to long-term investment success.
21 Jul 2025
What's in the One Big Beautiful Bill?
David Hicks analyzes the newly signed "Big Beautiful Bill," explaining its implications for tax brackets, deductions, estate planning, and retirement income strategies in this episode.
7 Jul 2025
Prepared, Not Perfect
Host David Stein discusses how preparation, not perfection, determines success in both endurance events and retirement planning, emphasizing consistency and flexible strategies.
24 Jun 2025
Life's Next Chapter
Host David explores intentional reflection and planning to help listeners shape a meaningful next chapter in life, regardless of their career stage.
16 Jun 2025
Diversification Is Working
David Hicks explores the continued importance of diversification for long-term investment success, highlighting how it prepares investors for unpredictable market changes and aligns portfolios with their financial goals.
9 Jun 2025
Compounding Is Not Intuitive
Host David revisits the concept of compounding, highlighting its power and how consistent returns over time, like Warren Buffett's, lead to significant portfolio growth.
2 Jun 2025
A Pattern of Crisis
David breaks down the familiar pattern of market crises and recoveries, highlighting how long-term investors can use discipline and historical context to stay the course.
27 May 2025
Planning for the Long Trail
Host David Stein discusses how training for a challenging mountain climbing event informs his perspective on discipline and long-term planning for retirement, emphasizing the importance of sticking to the plan.
19 May 2025
The Buffett Blueprint
In this episode of Retirement Optimism, David Hicks reflects on Warren Buffett’s recent announcement to step down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and highlights four timeless behavioral principles that guided Buffett through 83 years of investing.
Rather than focusing on stock selection, David unpacks the mindset Buffett modeled—emphasizing long-term equity ownership, ignoring market forecasts, embracing volatility, and the power of holding investments indefinitely. These principles serve as the foundation for how Oakmont Advisory Group designs retirement portfolios: with structure, resilience, and a focus on growth even into retirement.
This conversation complements this week’s Retirement Optimism memo and offers practical insight into how these ideas support a successful retirement withdrawal strategy. Whether you're five years from retirement or already in it, this episode will remind you why the behavioral side of investing often matters more than the technical one.
12 May 2025
Can Money Really Buy Happiness?
Can money really buy happiness? In this episode of Retirement Optimism, David Hicks unpacks the surprising research behind how we spend—and how it impacts our well-being. From donating to meaningful causes to investing in experiences and personal growth, you'll hear practical insights and real-life examples that reveal where money actually delivers the most joy. This week’s Retirement Optimism memo sparked the conversation, and we’re bringing it to life here—so you can rethink your budget with purpose.
Whether you're retired, approaching retirement, or just trying to be more intentional, this is a conversation that will change how you think about spending.
5 May 2025
Endure the Noise, Embrace the Plan
In this episode of Retirement Optimism, David Hicks reflects on Warren Buffett’s recent remarks at the 2025 Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting—reminding us that volatility is part of the investing process, not a disruption of it.
We connect these insights with current trade policy uncertainty, political maneuvering, and why headlines often distort reality. Drawing from Buffett, Howard Marks, and Lauren Templeton, this episode reinforces two key truths:
Uncertainty is the default, not the exception.
The real risk isn’t volatility—it’s abandoning your long-term plan in the face of it.
David offers a grounded, historical perspective on recent market movement, and explains why the planning work you’ve done is built for exactly these moments.
Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed or just looking for a dose of calm logic, this conversation will help re-center your outlook and remind you: most of the time, the world doesn’t end.
21 Apr 2025
Social Security Insecurity
In this episode of the Retirement Optimism Podcast, David Hicks tackles the rising anxiety around the future of Social Security.
With headlines swirling and misinformation spreading fast, David cuts through the noise to clarify what’s really going on—directly from the Social Security Administration itself. From staffing changes and service delays to the reality of the trust fund depletion timeline, he shares perspective and facts that help you stay grounded and informed.
David also shares practical guidance for listeners, including one essential action step everyone should take today to protect their future benefits.
15 Apr 2025
What Your Future Self Will Thank You For
In this episode of the Retirement Optimism Podcast, David explores one simple but powerful question: What do you think your future self would be most grateful you did today?
It’s easy to get caught up in headlines, market noise, and emotional reactions—especially when things feel uncertain. But real retirement success isn’t about timing the market or predicting the next big trend. It’s about your behavior, your discipline, and the steady decisions you make along the way.
David breaks down three common behavioral traps that often derail investors—loss aversion, recency bias, and herd mentality—and shares practical ways to navigate them. You’ll also hear a real-world client story that brings these principles to life, along with three timeless takeaways to keep your financial plan on track.
If you’re looking for a dose of clarity and calm in your financial journey, this episode is for you.
7 Apr 2025
The End of the World (And Other Market Headlines)
Markets have been volatile, headlines are loud, and once again, it feels like the world is on edge. In this first episode of Retirement Optimism, David Hicks cuts through the noise and offers timely perspective on why market pullbacks are more normal than they feel — and why your plan was built for moments just like this.
From tariff tensions to tech sector dips, David breaks down what’s really going on underneath the surface — and why disciplined planning beats emotional reacting every time.
If you’ve been feeling unsettled or wondering whether this time is different… this one’s for you.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 16 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
20
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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