Episode transcript: [music intro] Jenny Welcome back to Fund Your Future with DRS. Today we’re diving into something that might surprise you. Or maybe it won’t. According to a study by Allianz Life, 64% of Americans are more afraid of running out of money than of dying. That’s right. Money anxiety is literally scarier than…
Category Archives: Podcast
Episode 64 – Money moves when your finances are tight
Episode transcript: [music intro] Jenny Welcome back to Fund Your Future with DRS. Today we’re looking at… Catherine …economic downturn, that’s the phrase. Jenny Yes. We’ve been getting a lot of members and people who are concerned about these really stressful economic times right now. We have Catherine in the studio with us who works…
Episode 63 – Firefighters and financial planning: what we can learn
Episode transcript: [music intro] Jenny Welcome back to Fund Your Future with DRS. Now at DRS, we work with lots of different types of public employees as we help them into retirement and with their retirement package throughout their careers. In our office, firefighters have a reputation for being very knowledgeable about how their pensions…
Episode 62 – Finding calm when the stock market goes down
Episode transcript: [music intro] Jenny Welcome back to Fund Your Future with DRS. Well, it’s April of 2025 and we know that there’s been a lot of uncertainty recently about the stock market. So, we thought it’d be a good idea to do an episode about this. But even though the market is low, that…
Episode 61 – Exploring economics with TikTok’s @EconChrisClarke
Episode transcript: [music intro] Jenny Welcome back to Fund Your Future with DRS. Today our guest is Chris Clarke, who’s an economics professor at Washington State University in Pullman. And he’s gained a bit of internet fame for making economics more approachable by posting videos on Instagram and TikTok. And if you want to follow…
Episode 60 – Strategies and benefits of VEBA, a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA)
Episode transcript: [music intro] Jenny Welcome back to Fund Your Future with DRS. Now, when you separate from public service, either to retire or to go work in the private sector, you might have the option to cash out your vacation leave and sick leave. And depending on where you work, these cash outs could…
Episode 59 – Cash-out strategies for your leave balance
Episode transcript: [music intro] Jenny Welcome back to Fund Your Future with DRS. Today we’re looking at leave cash-outs. And for anyone who’s either getting ready to retire, or maybe you’re just leaving public employment and moving to the private sector or whatever that choice is. A lot of people choose to cash-out their annual…
Episode 58 – Returning to work after retirement
As a retiree, you can go back to work for a Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) employer and still receive your pension benefit as long as you follow a few rules. Our guest Kumano, sheds light on considerations for retirees who wish to work for a DRS employer post-retirement. From separating employment to navigating hours,…
Episode 57 – Understanding separation vs. retirement dates
Episode transcript: [music intro] Jenny Welcome back to Fund Your Future with DRS. Today we’re looking at the difference between separation date and retirement date. When you apply for retirement with DRS these are two very different dates. But they’re both super important to know. So, let’s kind of dig in. So, the separation date…
Episode 56 – Affordable staycations in Washington state
Episode transcript: [music intro] Jenny Welcome back to Fund Your Future with DRS. And on this podcast we like to talk a lot about pensions and government programs, but we also like to share money tips. And one of the things we wanted to talk about today was staycations in Washington, especially during those winter…
