Full Show: Why Retirement Confidence Is Plunging & Fiduciary vs Financial Advisor

Wes Moss breaks down a troubling shift in the American economy: the rapid decline of retirement confidence. Drawing on three decades of data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), Wes highlights a staggering trend where worker confidence has dropped in 2026. This pessimistic outlook is mirrored by the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment index, which has hit an all-time historical low. Wes identifies the primary culprit. Also, Wes tackles the crucial question of who you should trust to manage your money during these uncertain times. He demystifies the industry by comparing financial advisors to peppers in a grocery store: while they may look identical on the outside, their “heat” levels vary wildly. Wes discusses why transparency is key and provides actionable advice on how to check your advisor’s contract to ensure your investments are working for you, not your advisor’s bottom line.

Plus, Christa shares your #AskWes questions and Wes gives his take. All this and more on the April 28, 2026, Ask an Advisor episode of the Clark Howard podcast.

Submit your questions: https://wesmoss.com/ask

00:00 – Intro
01:35 – Why Retirement Confidence Is Plunging
09:26 – Ask An Advisor – Should I put more money at my 457 vs my 401k (Mike, Tennessee)
12:31 – Ask an Advisor – How to use my wife’s HRA Account? (Nathan, Oregon)
15:25 – Ask an Advisor – Roth IRA vs Target Date Funds or FidelityGo (Tanya, Colorado)
19:18 – Fiduciary vs. Financial Advisor
24:45 – Ask an Advisor – When to have a Trust? (Will, Kansas)
28:21 – Ask an Advisor – Why bother with bonds? (Brian, South Carolina)
30:04 – Ask an Advisor – How much should we set aside for self-lomg-term care? (Heather, South Carolina)

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