Retire With Freedom: Featuring Freedom Financial Group's Toni, Tyler & Tad Hill

Facing retirement sooner than expected? You're not alone. In this special mailbag edition, Tad, Toni and Tyler dive into a listener’s real-life question about an unexpected early retirement and the sudden loss of a pension. Together, they unpack strategies for building your own pension, making smart decisions with lump sums, and creating a plan that brings clarity, not fear. 

As the team talks through Lenny’s situation, the conversation naturally turns to the emotional side of retirement, the anxiety that comes from not knowing where things stand, and the relief that follows once a plan is final...

Ever catch yourself doing something and realize... yep, that’s totally something your mom used to say? In this Getting To Know You episode, Tad, Toni, and Tyler talk about the life lessons they picked up from their moms—some practical, some motivational, and a few that are just plain funny. Toni shares why she’s always ten steps ahead (literally packed for a trip two weeks early) and Tad opens up about learning to believe in yourself and put in the work.

Turns out, those early lessons stick and shape how we show up in life, work...

Risk tolerance: it’s a phrase you’ve probably heard tossed around a hundred times. But what does it really mean, especially for someone closing in on retirement? In this episode, Tad, Toni, and Tyler break down why the traditional way the financial industry talks about risk tolerance often misses the mark. It’s not just about your comfort level with market swings, it’s about whether your dollars are doing the right job for your retirement stage.

The trio digs into why many portfolios look like a “junk drawer” (full of random investments without a plan), and they exp...

In this episode, Tad and Toni sit down with Frank Long, Director of Development at the Lovelady Center, the largest long-term recovery facility for women and children in the United States Frank shares the powerful story behind this Birmingham-based ministry, which serves over 500 women and more than 100 children recovering from addiction, incarceration, homelessness, and trauma. 

You’ll hear the inspiring legacy of founder Brenda Lovelady Spahn, a businesswoman who turned a personal crisis into a life-changing mission. Her vision? Not a halfway house, but a whole-way house, offering full transformation through education, parenting, job readiness, and the lov...

This week, we’re taking a break from taxes and market talk to ask the real question: What was your favorite thing to do as a kid? Get ready for a trip down memory lane with Tad, Toni, and Tyler, complete with coat-rack microphones and backyard army battles. Toni spills the tea on how she got her brother in trouble every single night, Tyler confesses to using Shannon as his personal roadie, and Tad? Let’s just say one busted Led Zeppelin record nearly got him banned from his sister’s room forever. 

This episode is a reminde...

What does Noah’s Ark have to do with retirement? More than you might think. In this episode, Tad, Tyler and Toni draw a clever parallel between building an ark before the rain and planning your retirement before the unexpected happens. Markets shift, tax laws change, pandemics hit, loved ones pass, and the worst time to start planning is in the middle of the storm. 

Tune in as the Hill family dives into real-life risks- like losing a spouse’s income, long-term care costs, and sudden tax changes- and share why “just winging it” or following your neighbor’...

You’ve heard the radio shows. You’ve watched the financial “gurus” on TV. They throw out bold advice like confetti: when to take Social Security, what to do with your annuity, how to pick your mutual funds. But here’s the thing: most of them aren’t even licensed to give financial advice. In this episode, Tad, Toni, and Tyler unpack why real, personalized guidance can’t be given in sound bites and why that’s actually a good thing.

They share why real retirement planning is about asking the right questions, understanding your unique situation, and building a s...

Markets get choppy, headlines get loud, and investors get nervous. In this episode, Tad, Toni, and Tyler uncover the questions every retiree should be asking when volatility hits. Are you taking the right type and amount of risk? What if the market crashes or takes off tomorrow? And most importantly, do you have someone who’s helping you navigate it all, or are you stuck steering the retirement ship solo?

With their signature mix of warmth, clarity, and straight talk, the Hills break down what it really means to have a retirement plan that holds up under pr...

In this Getting To Know Us segment, Tad and Tyler dive fork-first into a very important topic: foods we used to hate... but now love. We take a break to dish on olives, zebra cakes, goat cheese, and questionable Parisian meals. Spoiler: someone may have fake-declared a food allergy just to survive a five-course dinner in the Eiffel Tower. No judgment.

We also talk about adventurous eating abroad, picky siblings who live on mac and cheese, and the great mystery of whether Tad actually likes collard greens, or just the pepper sauce he drowns them in. If...

There’s a hard truth in retirement planning. At some point, one spouse will be left to manage the finances alone. And for many families, that reality is both emotional and financially complex. In this episode, Tad and Tyler tackle what happens after a spouse passes away, from lost income and pension benefits to taxes, estate decisions, and legacy conversations most people put off far too long. 

Here’s what we discuss in today’s show:

🧓 What happens to Social Security when one spouse dies

💸 The hidden risk of electing the wrong pension...

Retirement planning doesn’t come with a do-over button, and the most dangerous mistakes are often the ones you don’t even realize you’re making. In this episode, Tad and Tyler reveal the most common retirement planning missteps they’ve seen over the years and explain how to avoid falling into those traps.

From ignoring the future tax implications of your savings to focusing too much on returns and not enough on income, these pitfalls can quietly threaten your retirement security. You’ll also hear why well-meaning advice from friends or coworkers can lead you astray, and why un...

Retirement isn’t just about spreadsheets and savings, it’s about the life you’re working so hard to enjoy. In this special “Getting to Know You” episode, Tad, Toni, and Tyler take a lighthearted detour from financial talk to share their favorite vacation memories, including Thanksgiving in New York, family trips through Europe, and a honeymoon adventure in Thailand (yes, complete with elephants).

These stories are a good reminder that the real goal of financial planning is to make room for meaningful experiences. From muddy baths with baby elephants to Sunday brunch traditions, this episode is full of la...

It’s a question many families quietly worry about but often avoid discussing: What happens if the spouse who handles the finances passes away first? For many couples, especially those where one partner has taken the lead on money matters, the answer isn’t clear. Tad, Tyler, and Toni explore how that uncertainty can create stress within a family and how to avoid financial mistakes during an already emotional time.

In this episode, we break down the risks of financial dependency, the consequences of leaving a spouse uninformed, and why open communication and education are essential to prot...

Most people think retirement planning is all about their investments. But what if focusing only on your portfolio is actually one of the biggest mistakes you can make? In this episode, Tad, Toni, and Tyler uncover the most common retirement pitfalls that trip people up: from outliving your money to unexpected healthcare costs, rising taxes, inflation, and more.

You’ll hear why even a well-balanced investment portfolio can fall short without a plan for income, healthcare, and tax efficiency. The team explains their 5-part retirement planning process and why asking “What should I invest in?” is the wrong...

You’ve heard all the reasons why you should call a financial advisor, but what about the reasons you shouldn’t? In this tongue-in-cheek episode, Tad, Toni, and Tyler run through seven hilariously bad reasons to skip working with a professional. From “I’ve mastered internet research” to “I want to work until I die,” the trio uses humor to highlight some of the most common (and dangerous) mindsets that keep people from getting help when they need it most.

While it’s full of laughs, this episode also packs serious financial wisdom. Tad explains why tax laws are changin...

Tyler and Toni ditch the spreadsheets and share a personal, lighthearted conversation about what they wanted to be growing up.  Turns out, the path to financial planning wasn’t a straight one—but you’ll hear the common threads: a love for helping people, dishing out thoughtful advice, and being the kind of friend who’s always there when you need a listening ear. 

Join us for a relaxed, off-the-cuff chat that comes with a few surprises. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how financial advising blends math, emotion, and meaningful human connection and why both Toni and Tyl...