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Broadcast Retirement Network’s Jeffrey Snyder discusses whether the Hollywood blockbuster is still possible with Lumovex Media Group’s Steve Diamond and Kerri Zane.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkJoining me now, Kerri Zane and Steve Diamond from Lumovex Media Group. Steve, Kerri, great to see you. Thanks for joining us this morning.Kerri Zane, Lumovex Media GroupThank you for having me here.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkYeah, look, I’m really excited about this. We’ve chatted a lot offline about the world that is changing, the content world, and I’m excited to have people from your industry and bring them into the financial services world because, gosh, we need help communicating with people. But, Carrie, I want to start with you because I want you to set the landscape here.How is artificial intelligence changing the landscape in Hollywood today in the entertainment industry?Kerri Zane, Lumovex Media GroupIt definitely is, Jeff, and whether the community wants to believe it or not or embrace it or not, it is here to stay. Like many other innovative disruptors, like CDs versus Spotify or cable versus streamers, the entertainment community is always evolving, and this is the next evolution. This is the next disruption.I mean, think about the media giants now. Just yesterday, Ben Affleck announced that Netflix purchased his AI company, which he secretly had since 2022, and he fully admitted that he was afraid, but he jumped in, and he created a process that will help the entertainment industry in post-production. So case in point.And also Disney allowing their characters to have UGC create animation with their little characters. I mean, they just got free animation, right?Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkI think that’s in the eye of the beholder. I mean, certainly the technology, Steve, is absolutely amazing. I’ve seen a lot of the shows.We’re going to get into the IP and the privacy issues involved, but I want to ask you, does AI programming look as real? I come from the Ten Commandments era where Cecil B. DeMille made the Ten Commandments.There were practical effects, Star Wars. Does AI programming look as real today as some of those practical effects in the past?Steve Diamond, Lumovex Media GroupWell, I’ll tell you, practical effects still own a certain amount of the moments in filmmaking today. AI shines when you need it, which is really when it comes to speed, scale, and iteration without burning through those massive budgets. But we’re getting there at LumaVex.com, and we use AI for speed, but we use humans for taste, story, and final approval. I think that’s so important. And we do it so that the audience feels it, not just sees it.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkSo, Kerri, can you still produce the blockbuster, the Hollywood blockbuster I just referenced in Star Wars, the Marvel comic trilogies, can you still produce the Hollywood blockbuster like we did in the past using AI?Kerri Zane, Lumovex Media GroupI think that Hollywood blockbusters are here to stay. I think big Hollywood celebrities are here to stay. I think that AI can enhance what they’re doing.And I think that there’s also a great space for small indies that have a lot of moxie and want to create their own films. They can raise their own money. Chris Struckman just did it.He raised $1.4 million on a crowdfund, and he’s marketing, and he’s having a lot of success. I think the middle ground in terms of filling the entertainment pipeline is where AI is really going to shine.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkSteve, Kerri talked about Ben Affleck’s sale to Netflix of his AI business, but I’ve read a lot in The Hollywood Reporter, there seems to be some concern from actors and actresses about maintaining their likeness. How are these actors today protecting themselves in this new AI world?Steve Diamond, Lumovex Media GroupThey’re coming to Lumavex because we’re actually consulting them on this. Consent is the new baseline, and actors are demanding that kind of control over their own IP, and they have every right to. Look at Matthew McConaughey, for example.He federally trademarked his likeness and his iconic phrases, and now he has the ability to force a takedown if someone uses it without his permission. Lumavex has a division that is supporting actors in this process, and we treat their likeness like an identity. It’s documented, permissions, clear terms of usage, and human oversight from start to finish.I think that is going to be the industry standard moving forward.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkSo I can’t say, all right, all right, in the same way Matthew McConaughey. I did it on purpose not to say it that way, because I don’t want him suing me in the broadcast about the network.Steve Diamond, Lumovex Media GroupHe wouldn’t sue you in that respect. I think where it will be used is if you use it in some sort of a property that’s being sold or monetized in some way, that’s when he would come after you.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkOkay. Well, Matthew, I apologize. You were the best.I loved you in which it dazed and confused. Carrie, we talked earlier about the short, the Hollywood blockbuster, but is the future, and our show is a short form content show, but maybe not as short as where things are heading. So is it all about short form today?Kerri Zane, Lumovex Media GroupYou know, I think that there is a time and space for long form content and short form content. If you think about it, long form, you’re very intentional. You’re going to go to the movies or you know there’s something on a streamer that you want to see.It’s still that kind of appointment feeling. But short form fills that, the dopamine that you need, that hit of entertainment. So if you’re in the subway and you’ve got, you know, 10 minutes from stop to stop, maybe you just want to watch something.And TikTok and Instagram and micro dramas where we’re landing, that’s where it’s king. And it is exploding. And I do think that short form may outperform monetarily, may do better in the long run than some of the short, some of the long form.But I guess that’s, you know, we have to wait and see. I mean, you’re in the financial business. So what do you think?Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkOh, wow. So you’re the interviewer now.Kerri Zane, Lumovex Media GroupIt’s fair.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkThat’s fine. That’s fair. Turnaround is fair play.We started the broadcast Retirement Network seven and a half years ago. We started with longer form content. What we noticed is that people, even people my age, our age, had lesser attention spans and therefore we shortened.So our show was now eight minutes, give or take. And then we put out 45 second to 60 second clips. So it’s my estimation that it’s going to continue to get smaller and smaller.Now, we don’t have the same micro dramas, the same scripting that you do in the Hollywood entertainment world. But as Steve, you were saying this is a blending that’s happening between all these other industries and entertainment.Steve Diamond, Lumovex Media GroupIt really is. And I’ll tell you something that I think about a lot is, you know, TikTok really was the game changer in terms of attention span. And that’s really where the data came from for us to understand that short form content is the content going forward.And you’ll be shocked to know that the average person has an online attention span of just eight seconds.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkEight seconds, actually.Steve Diamond, Lumovex Media GroupSo when you think about it, you know, you have probably two seconds to three seconds at the very most to grab someone’s attention before they scrolled on to the next thing. Wow.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkYeah, I can see that. Kara, we’ve got about a minute or so left. And I really enjoyed this conversation.We’ll have to bring you and Steve back. But I’m a small business. You guys are a small business.I always worry about the smaller enterprises. So does this AI conversation really help those smaller studios get off the ground? Because they’re fighting for funding.They’re fighting for opportunity. They’re fighting for distribution every day.Kerri Zane, Lumovex Media GroupYeah. Yes, in a very big way. And I think everyone should understand that AI is not scary.It’s an incredible opportunity for many of us. I was a small studio. I was an indie.And what AI does is it allows us to tell our stories and create our sizzle reels or do some short form to garner buyers’ attention or viewers’ interest. And it’s affordable. It’s well done and it’s affordable.And I think that’s another thing that we at Lumavex do and do very well is to help smaller businesses and smaller studios tell their stories. Story is a game, by the way.Steve Diamond, Lumovex Media GroupAnd one more point I’d like to point out in addition to that. You know, there’s good AI and there’s what we call in the industry, slop AI. And just like good or bad stories or good or bad movies, you will watch them all until you don’t.And at some point, the audiences will become more discerning and lean into better quality AI. And that is where the top talent like writers, directors, actors working with companies like us to use their highly skilled knowledge and all of that to create scripts and also allow our prompt engineers to create better content. And I think that’s going to be the future.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkWell, look, guys, I’ve enjoyed the conversation. I just ask that if you make me into an avatar, you take the early 30s, Jeffrey, who had hair, was a little bit more svelte, and we can do it, which is, you know, crackling with energy. Kerri Zane, Steve Diamond, so great to see you.Thanks for joining us. And we look forward to having you back on the program again very soon. Thank you so much, guys.

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TheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.Why we love this dealIf you’re itching to get back outdoors and enjoy your garden or patio area again, you’re not alone. We’ve had some lovely warmer days in my neck of the woods, despite some biting winds, and the fresh air feels incredible after spending so much time indoors around the holidays. Whether an outdoor furniture set is in your future or you just need a comfortable place to sit and read the newspaper over a hot cup of morning joe, Amazon’s got some great prices on furniture and other evergreen home essentials right now.The Fdw 3-Piece Outdoor Furniture Set, for example, is an eye-catching pick. It’s priced at just $80, comes with three beautiful pieces of steel-reinforced, all-weather furniture you can use both indoors and out, and hundreds of reviewers rave about it.Fdw 3-Piece Patio Bistro Set, $80 at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

Why do shoppers love it?This beautiful bistro set comes with a tempered-glass coffee table, two rattan chairs, and two thick, comfortable seat cushions. Each chair measures 23 inches deep, 23 inches wide, and 33 inches tall, and the cushions are made with a high-density sponge filler to keep you comfy for hours. You can easily unzip the cushion covers and remove them for easy machine washing, and the table is easy to wipe down with a cloth, just like you’d do with any window or table. The rattan wicker material is made for all-weather conditions, and each piece is supported by a powder-coated steel frame, so these are sturdy enough to withstand the elements — unless you prefer to use them indoors, of course.Each chair safely supports up to 200 pounds, and the set comes with all the parts and tools you need for quick, easy assembly. And shoppers say the smaller size of the side table makes it easy to find room for the whole conversation set. Whether you’re putting it out on a small balcony, in your living room, by your pool or garden, or in your kitchen, the set makes a perfect place to start your day.Related: Walmart is selling a ‘comfortable’ 3-piece bistro patio set for just $78Details to knowColor options: You can get the set in 8 colors, but you’ll get the very best price on the black-and-beige option.Weight capacity: 200 pounds per chair.Total package weight: 35.2 pounds.”This bistro set is absolutely beautiful,” said one reviewer. “It’s sleek, well-engineered, and installation is fast and simple. The instructions were straightforward; unboxing it was easy. I paid for the extra five years’ insurance because $21 is cheap. The tempered glass tabletop lies flush on the table, and the chair legs level out well when sat on and feel sturdy. The cushions feel amazing, even with my messed-up neck, spine, and hips, and they feel cool to the touch even after sitting out in the Texas sun.”Shop more deals Vasagle End Table with Charging Station Set of 2, $40 (was $60) at AmazonFlamaker 3-Piece Patio Conversation Set, $90 (was $120) at AmazonDevoko 3-Piece Patio Furniture Set, $90 (was $120) at AmazonReady to get back outdoors and enjoy the fresh, open air a bit more? Right now, you can score a beautiful three-piece FDW Patio Furniture Set for only $80 at Amazon.

Many Americans have watched their retirement plans stall over the past year. Some stopped contributing altogether. Others dipped into their 401(k)s to cover rent, medical bills, or credit card debt. A few made decisions during a moment of panic that they’re still trying to reverse.According to the Q4 2025 Quarterly Market Perceptions Study from the Allianz Center for the Future of Retirement, more than half of Americans (51%) have either stopped or reduced their retirement savings in the past six months due to economic pressure.Fidelity Investments, which administers retirement accounts for tens of millions of workers, recently published a detailed recovery framework outlining five steps designed to help people at any age rebuild after a financial setback. The guidance is grounded in institutional research and built around moves that are available to most working Americans right now.Step 1: Rebuild your financial foundationFidelity advises anyone recovering from a setback to create a household budget, secure basic insurance coverage through an employer if possible, and begin building an emergency fund of at least $1,000, working up toward three to six months of essential expenses.That emergency cushion is the buffer that prevents a temporary financial disruption from becoming a retirement-account withdrawal. If you don’t have one, building it should take priority alongside debt reduction.Fidelity recommends tackling high-interest debt before ramping up savingsHigh-interest debt, particularly credit card balances, should be paid down before aggressively funding long-term savings accounts. If you’re carrying a balance at 22% APR while your retirement investments return 8% annually, the math favors paying down the card first.Related: Federal workers delay retirement as savings gaps persistFidelity also flags health savings accounts (HSAs) and flexible spending accounts (FSAs) as underused tools. HSAs offer a triple tax advantage: contributions are tax-deductible, growth is tax-free, and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are tax-free. For 2026, HSA contribution limits are $4,300 for individuals and $8,550 for families, according to the IRS. Funds roll over year to year and can be invested for long-term growth, making HSAs a powerful supplemental retirement vehicle.Step 2: Restart your retirement contributionsFidelity’s second step targets the behavior that does the most damage when left unaddressed: paused contributions. Even restarting at 1% of pay creates meaningful compounding over time. The firm’s core recommendation is to contribute at least enough to capture any available employer match, which effectively provides a guaranteed return on your money before the market even enters the equation.Contribution rates are improving, but most workers are still well shortAccording to Vanguard’s How America Saves 2026 preview, the average deferral rate reached a record 7.7% in 2024, and 45% of participants increased their contribution rate during the year.Average 401(k) balances rose 13% to a record $167,970. But only 14% of participants actually max out their workplace plan contributions. Among workers earning between $75,000 and $100,000, that figure drops to just 2%.Fidelity recommends gradually increasing contributions until you reach 15% of pre-tax income, including any employer match. That is the savings rate the firm considers generally sufficient to maintain your standard of living in retirement. If your plan offers auto-escalation, which automatically raises your deferral by 1% annually, enrolling in it is one of the most effective behavioral finance tools available. Data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute shows that auto-escalation features can reduce the national retirement savings shortfall by up to 9%.Workers without employer plans have expanded IRA options in 2026If you don’t have access to a 401(k) or 403(b), Fidelity recommends contributing to an IRA and setting up automatic transfers so the process doesn’t depend on willpower alone. For 2026, the IRS raised the IRA contribution limit to $7,500, with an additional $1,100 in catch-up contributions for savers aged 50 and older, bringing the total to $8,600. The Roth IRA income phase-out range for single filers runs from $153,000 to $168,000 in 2026.More Employment:Apple CEO Tim Cook drops strong immigration messageLayoffs in January reach recession-era levelsAmazon delivers Seattle purge ahead of earningsAbout 56 million U.S. workers currently lack access to any employer-sponsored retirement plan, according to the National Institute on Retirement Security. For those workers, an IRA with automated deposits may be the single most accessible path to building retirement savings.Step 3: Repay 401(k) loans and avoid early withdrawalsStep three addresses a growing trend. Hardship withdrawals and 401(k) loans have both increased in recent years as workers use retirement assets to manage current expenses. Fidelity’s own data shows that 19.4% of plan participants had an outstanding 401(k) loan in 2025, up from 18.9% the prior year. Vanguard’s latest report also shows that hardship withdrawals have been rising alongside record-high average balances.A $300,000 gap caused by behavior, not marketsFidelity illustrates the cost with a scenario involving three hypothetical workers, all earning $75,000 and contributing 10% of their salary, who each took a $20,000 loan from their 401(k) at age 40. The worker who repaid on time and maintained contributions reached roughly $981,000 by age 67. The one who cut contributions in half during repayment finished with about $902,000. The worker who stopped contributing entirely and took a second loan ended up with approximately $673,000. That $308,000 difference was driven entirely by savings behavior, not by investment selection or market timing. It is one of the clearest illustrations of how disruptions to contribution discipline compound over decades.Rules to know if you have an outstanding 401(k) loanLoans must generally be repaid within five years, plus interestLeaving your employer before repayment typically converts the outstanding balance into a taxable distribution, potentially triggering a 10% early withdrawal penaltyContinuing to contribute to your plan during the repayment period is critical for minimizing the long-term impactTaking multiple loans multiplies the damage, as Fidelity’s scenario demonstrates

Workers aged 60 to 63 qualify for the SECURE 2.0 super catch-up of $11,250, allowing a maximum of $35,750 in a single year.Photo by Catherine Delahaye on Getty Images

Step 4: Balance retirement savings with competing financial prioritiesFidelity’s fourth step acknowledges a tension that financial advice often glosses over: most Americans are trying to save for retirement, build an emergency fund, manage debt, and cover rising living costs simultaneously. The firm recommends a technique called mental accounting, in which you label separate savings goals with specific, personally meaningful names to maintain focus and motivation across multiple objectives.The national retirement savings picture remains starkA February 2026 report from the National Institute on Retirement Security found that the median retirement savings for all working Americans is just $955, including non-savers. Even among workers with positive account balances, the median stands at only $40,000. For workers aged 55 to 64, the group nearest to retirement, the median is roughly $30,000.These numbers reflect a structural problem, not merely individual failure. Many workers lack access to employer-sponsored plans. Others face trade-offs between retirement contributions and immediate financial obligations, leaving little room for long-term savings. Fidelity’s practical suggestion here is to use tools like its Goal Booster feature to automate short-term savings targets. Saving $167 per month, for example, builds a $6,000 emergency fund within three years.Step 5: Assess your full retirement readinessThe fifth step moves from action to evaluation. Fidelity recommends measuring your retirement readiness using four metrics: your annual savings rate, your progress toward age-based savings milestones, your expected income-replacement rate in retirement, and your planned withdrawal rate.How Fidelity’s age-based savings milestones workFidelity’s widely cited benchmarks suggest having one times your annual salary saved by age 30, three times by 40, six times by 50, eight times by 60, and ten times by 67. These are directional targets, not guarantees. Your actual number will depend on where you plan to live, your healthcare needs, whether you carry a mortgage into retirement, and what Social Security benefits you expect to receive.The firm targets an income replacement rate of roughly 45% from personal savings and investments, with the remainder covered by Social Security and any pension income. Its recommended sustainable withdrawal rate is approximately 4% per year, consistent with the broader financial planning consensus.The 2026 contribution limits create real catch-up opportunitiesIf you are in recovery mode, the 2026 tax year offers meaningful room to accelerate. The IRS raised the 401(k) employee deferral limit to $24,500. Workers aged 50 and older can contribute an additional $8,000 in catch-up contributions, for a total of $32,500. Workers aged 60 to 63 qualify for the SECURE 2.0 super catch-up of $11,250, allowing a maximum of $35,750 in a single year.Related: AARP sounds alarm for American workers on 401(k)s, IRAsCombined with the $7,500 IRA limit and the $1,100 IRA catch-up for those 50 and older, a worker in their peak earning years could shelter more than $40,000 across retirement accounts in 2026. One important caveat under SECURE 2.0: starting in 2026, if you earned more than $150,000 in the prior year, your catch-up contributions to employer plans must be made on a Roth (after-tax) basis.Pitfalls that can undermine even a disciplined recovery planFidelity’s framework provides a strong starting point, but several common mistakes can derail progress if you’re not aware of them.Overcompensating with risk: After a setback, the temptation to chase returns in speculative investments can be strong. Increasing equity exposure beyond what your time horizon and risk tolerance support often compounds the problem rather than solving it.Neglecting asset allocation: If your life circumstances, timeline, or goals have changed, your portfolio should reflect that. Fidelity recommends working with a financial professional to rebalance after a major financial disruption.Cashing out when changing jobs: Rolling a 401(k) into an IRA or a new employer’s plan preserves tax-deferred growth. Cashing out triggers income taxes plus a 10% penalty for those under 59 and a half, which can erase years of accumulation.Relying too heavily on Social Security: Social Security trustees project that beneficiaries could face a roughly 20% benefit cut starting in 2034 if Congress does not address the program’s funding gap. Building personal savings alongside expected Social Security income is essential for a secure retirement.The savings gap is systemic; your recovery plan should be personalThe Northwestern Mutual 2025 Planning & Progress Study found that Americans believe they need $1.26 million to retire comfortably. More than half (51%) worry about outliving their savings. For Gen X workers approaching retirement, 54% say they do not expect to be financially prepared when the time comes.No single plan closes a national retirement gap. But the steps that move the needle most; resuming contributions, removing high-interest debt, padding your emergency savings, and taking an honest look at your current position, are within reach for most working Americans. They do not demand financial sophistication. They demand a decision.If your retirement savings have taken a detour, you are in a large company. The question is not whether you fell behind. It is whether you start moving forward from where you are right now. Fidelity’s five-step playbook provides the roadmap. Following it is up to you.Related: Tony Robbins warns Americans on Social Security, Medicare problem

“I’ve read this advice again and again.”

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