Jake Falcon on Why He Wrote Retiring Right
By Luke Sullivan on August 20, 2026
A few years after publishing Retiring Right: Smart Steps for Exiting Corporate America, Falcon Wealth Advisors Founder and CEO Jake Falcon sat down with Travis Stoliker of Scribe to reflect on why he wrote the book, what he hopes readers take from it, and how his thinking about retirement has continued to evolve.
The conversation touched on everything from financial literacy and retirement planning to the relationship between Retiring Right and Falcon’s podcast, Upticks. But one idea stood out throughout the discussion: retirement should be about more than reaching a particular age or account balance.
Why Jake Wrote Retiring Right
Throughout his career, Jake has read extensively about retirement planning. But he repeatedly encountered the same problem: he couldn’t find one resource he felt comfortable consistently handing to someone approaching retirement.
Some books felt dated. Others focused heavily on specific financial products. Jake wanted something different—not a step-by-step manual for handling retirement alone, but a resource that could help people understand the questions and decisions they should be thinking about before leaving the workforce.
Eventually, the solution became straightforward: write the book he wished he could give his clients.
That became Retiring Right.
Retirement Is a New Phase, Not a Finish Line
During the conversation, Jake also discussed what he believes many people misunderstand about retirement.
Financial questions are certainly part of the transition. How much will you need? Where will your income come from? How should your investments change?
But retirement can also create questions about identity, purpose, time, and what comes next.
Jake described retirement as having greater freedom to choose what you do, when you do it, and who you spend your time with. Rather than viewing retirement as the finish line after decades of working, he sees it as a new phase of life.
That perspective is central to Retiring Right: the financial plan should support the life someone actually wants to live.
Financial Education Before the Conversation
Jake also explained that the book has become another way for people to understand how he thinks before ever sitting down with him.
For prospective clients, Retiring Right provides an introduction to Jake’s philosophy around retirement planning. For existing clients, it can serve as a resource for revisiting financial topics or decisions that may not have been relevant the last time they were discussed.
The same philosophy has carried into Upticks, the weekly podcast Jake hosts with Cory Bittner. Jake described the book, podcast, and audiobook as interconnected ways to help people learn more about retirement planning and understand Falcon’s perspective before they ever have a conversation with the team.
Interested in reading Retiring Right: Smart Steps for Exiting Corporate America?
Download a Complimentary Copy of Retiring Right → https://falconwealthadvisors.com/retiring-right-e-book.html?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=rr_ebook