Merry Christmas! Reflecting on the Gift of Giving.
Episode 17
Merry Christmas! Reflecting on the Gift of Giving.
Published on December 24th, 2025
Episode 17 of Retirement Tax Matters takes a brief intermission from technical tax planning to celebrate Christmas and reflect on the spirit of generosity. Garrett and Adam share personal holiday memories, including the story of how their professional partnership began during the holiday season. The conversation pivots from Roth conversions and IRMAA brackets to the crucial role generosity plays in a successful and joyful retirement. Garrett shares how his Christian faith shapes his view of stewardship, while Adam highlights that the happiest retirees often share two traits: connectivity and generosity. This episode serves as a reminder that while minimizing taxes is important, using wealth to bless others often provides the greatest return on investment.
Full Episode Transcript
Adam: Good morning and welcome to Retirement Tax Matters. I'm Adam Reed, and with me is Garrett Crawford, our CFP® professional. We’re coming to you on Christmas Eve.
Garrett: We're recording this a week early, but we are completely in the Christmas spirit today.
Adam: It’s time. Last week was chaos for me. It was as if every client we have got together and said, "Let's call Adam and have him chase something down for us." Yesterday at noon, I finally got everything finished and submitted. I took a deep breath for the first time and realized, "All right, it’s Christmas season; I’m ready." There will surely be some fires to put out between now and then, but it feels like I can finally start looking forward to Christmas instead of just treading water.
Garrett: We have a joke here in the office that anything not critical is now a "2026 problem." We are officially in that territory. I’m sure things will come up, but hopefully, we’ll coast right into the New Year.
Adam: If you guys have followed the podcast, you know we’re usually on edge talking about Roth conversions and IRMAA lines, worried about hitting a phase-out. Not today. We’re going to pivot and talk about the spirit of giving and generosity. To kick us off, Garrett, what’s the best gift you ever received, or perhaps a favorite Christmas story?
Garrett: A few things jump to mind. First, a year ago around Christmas, you and I were first interacting. Someone had introduced us and asked if I’d be interested in having lunch with you. I remember we were texting and talking during the holidays, knowing my life would change if we brought on a new hire. Looking back, that was a great decision for our company. We weren't even thinking about starting a podcast or a blog then, but after meeting you, it became a clear "why don't we do this?" moment. On a more personal note, last Christmas was actually a bit terrible at our house. Our kids were sick. Christmas Eve was fine, but I have a vivid memory from Christmas morning. My daughter was opening a present—she isn't prone to being critical or spoiled—but as she opened it, her face just fell. I asked, "Darla, are you upset with your present? Do you not like it?" She said, "No, I love it." It was so odd. Once the opening was over, she walked straight to the couch. We checked her temperature and she had a 102-degree fever. She had powered through the morning, but she was hitting a wall. Thinking back to my own childhood, many of our listeners are likely the age of my parents. They probably had kids my age who were interested in the same things I was—Power Rangers, the San Francisco 49ers, and video games. My parents always did an amazing job of making Christmas feel special, and I feel very fortunate for that. What about you, Adam?
Adam: One of the greatest gifts I ever received was one that I was excited about in the moment but never actually used. I was about 11 or 12. My dad played sports and guitar growing up. My brother is the musical one—he's great at the guitar—but I always stuck to sports. One year, I hinted that maybe I’d get into music. I saw a Fender Stratocaster online and told my dad, "If I were ever going to play, that would be the one." Now, that’s not a starter guitar; that’s where most people end up. But to a 12-year-old, it was the peak. For Christmas that year, he got it for me. Those things aren't cheap. I learned a G chord, a C chord, and a D chord, and I never played it again. At the time, I just thought it was a cool gift. Looking back, I realized my dad really listened to what I was excited about. He had a similar interest and wanted so badly for us to do it together that he went all out. If you ever got your kids an incredible gift that they seemingly "threw away," have hope. They might come around one day and say, "Dad, I never played that guitar, but I remember the thoughtfulness behind it."
Garrett: Those guitars don’t play themselves, unfortunately. I had a similar experience with an acoustic guitar. The strings were so far off the neck that my fingers felt like they were bleeding, but I eventually figured it out.
Adam: In the spirit of Christmas and receiving gifts, we wanted to touch on the role of generosity in retirement. Garrett, are there certain client stories or themes regarding giving that have stuck with you?
Garrett: I love my job helping people steward their finances and flourish with what they’ve saved. It’s interesting how a person's value system or faith influences their view of money. For me as a Christian, Christmas is a reminder that God gave us the greatest gift in His Son. That act of generosity influences how I think about my own occupation and our clients. Over the last five or six years, being generous has become a core part of who I am. It shapes how I think about my own savings. It’s not always easy—I have to exercise that muscle. If I don’t, it atrophies, and I find myself scrolling through Amazon for things I think will make me happy. In my experience, being generous—even when it's not "deserved"—is a powerful thing that shapes your future.
Adam: We can get bogged down in trying to make a tax plan 1% more efficient, pulling every lever and pushing every button. Sometimes we forget that there are humans around us who could be blessed by what we’ve saved. Many of our listeners have already done the hard part—they have the money. The question is: what do we do with the excess? The clients I love to work with—the ones who are joyful and have a "glow" about them—usually share two themes: they live with connectivity and they give generously. They aren't just "active" in a physical sense, but they are connected to kids, grandkids, or a community. If you are 65 and about to pull the plug on your career, look for opportunities to be generous and stay connected. It will benefit you just as much as a Roth conversion. To close us out, I’ll share a verse from Luke 2:10: "And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.'" As you unwrap gifts and eat good food, I encourage you to reflect on why we celebrate. It’s because a couple thousand years ago, good news of great joy came for everyone.
Garrett: Well said. We realized we’ve hit all the major holidays on Thursdays this year—Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. That only happens every 12 to 14 years. What a year to start the podcast!
Adam: Merry Christmas to everyone listening. We are thankful for you. We’ll be back next week for the season finale.
Garrett: Have a wonderful holiday and take a breath of fresh air.
Adam: I’m Adam Reed.
Garrett: And I'm Garrett Crawford.
Adam: This is Retirement Tax Matters.