The Safe Descent

In mountaineering, reaching the summit is only half the objective — statistically, it's the safer half. Most catastrophic accidents happen on the way down, not the climb. Retirement works the same way. Building your savings is the summit. Turning that balance into income you can't outlive — the descent — is where most plans actually break. The Safe Descent is a narrated companion series exploring the frameworks, math, and real listener questions behind The Income Standard, the retirement income education platform hosted by Tod Long, a licensed insurance professional (FIA/FA, Retirement Income Architect) licensed in 30+ states. Each episode pairs with an episode of the flagship show — two hosts unpacking the same material Tod covers in his own voice, at a slower, more exploratory pace, for listeners who'd rather hear an idea talked through than lectured. This is a companion series, not a substitute — you'll always find Tod himself, in his own voice, on The Income Standard. Learn more at theincomestandard.com .

The Safe Descent is a general podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 0 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts The Safe Descent, a general show with 0 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #8

  Q&A Vol. 2 — "My Advisor Says I'm Fine" and the Planning-to-95 Argument

  Sep 2, 202622 minS1

  <p>A 90% probability of success sounds like an A-minus. But Helen has been through three financial reviews, all telling her she's fine — and she </p><p>still can't shake the feeling something's missing. Her husband thinks </p><p>she's being neurotic. She isn't.</p><p></p><p>In this Season 1 finale, two hosts unpack Helen's real answer — why a </p><p>Monte Carlo probability isn't the same thing as a guarantee, and what </p><p>sequence-of-returns risk actually does to a portfolio in a bad year. Then </p><p>Frank: three years of arguing with his wife over whether to plan...

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  Episode #7

  RMDs: The Tax Bomb You Can Still Defuse

  Sep 2, 202625 minS1

  <p>For forty years, your traditional IRA is the perfect silent partner — it </p><p>never asks for a dime, lets you reinvest everything, and stays completely </p><p>out of your way. Then on your 73rd birthday, it kicks the door open and </p><p>demands a massive, non-negotiable payout, whether you need the cash or not.</p><p></p><p>In this episode, two hosts unpack the RMD mechanics the IRS doesn't </p><p>explain clearly — why the math punishes good investors, how a forced </p><p>distribution can trigger IRMAA Medicare surcharges on top of a higher tax...

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  Episode #6

  Stop Hidden Fee Leakage in Retirement

  Sep 1, 202620 minS1

  <p>You know your advisor's 1% fee — you signed an engagement letter for it. What you never signed off on: the 0.85% expense ratio buried inside your funds, or the 0.2% platform fee buried in the account paperwork. Stack them together and a common total is 2.05% — on a $1 million portfolio, that's $20,500 leaving quietly every year, with no line item anywhere that ever shows you the number.</p><p></p><p>In this episode, two hosts trace all three layers of hidden fee drag, </p><p>walk through why it shows up as a smaller balance at 85 instead of a </p><p>visible charge, and...

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  Episode #5

  Your Retirement Plan Has an Expiration Date

  Sep 1, 202641 minS1

  <p>Take any married couple, both 65 today — there's a genuine coin-flip </p><p>odds that at least one of them lives to 95. Now compare that to the </p><p>uncomfortable fact that most standard retirement plans are mathematically built to run out around 90. That gap is where this episode lives.</p><p></p><p>In this deep dive, two hosts take apart the Monte Carlo simulation most </p><p>retirees have been handed — where it actually came from (a Manhattan </p><p>Project mathematician, of all places), and why "92% probability of </p><p>success" is quietly the same thing as an 8...

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  Episode #4

  Q&A Vol. 1 — Social Security Timing, Annuity Skepticism, and the Sales Call Question

  Aug 28, 202623 minS1

  <p>Two listener questions, and underneath both of them, the same thing: </p><p>trust. Rick is 62 and has spent two years stuck on when to file for </p><p>Social Security — his wife says wait, his brother says take it now, and </p><p>his advisor handed him a spreadsheet he doesn't understand. Sandra asks a blunter question: aren't annuities just a way for an advisor to make a commission — so why should she trust the recommendation at all?</p><p></p><p>In this episode, two hosts dig into both answers — why Social Security </p><p>is longevity insura...

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