Educational Resources
You’re 5 Years From Retirement. Here’s What You Should Do.
Let's say you're sitting where a lot of our clients sit: about five years out from retirement, watching your accounts, and wondering if you're actually ready. Nobody knows exactly what the next five years will bring. We didn't know five years ago what the last...
You Lost Money Gambling? The IRS Still Wants Taxes
Imagine losing money at the casino and still owing tax on it. That seems unfair, but starting in 2026, it's the reality for a lot of gamblers, including many retirees who enjoy the occasional casino trip or bingo night. Let's walk through how gambling income actually...
The Retirees Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Hire a Financial Planner
If you've saved a million dollars or more and you're approaching retirement, you've probably asked yourself this question: do I actually need a financial planner? I'm a financial planner, and you'd probably expect me to say yes. But I don't think the answer is that...
3 Emotional Decisions That Cost Retirees
Retirement is supposed to be the reward for decades of disciplined saving, careful planning, and hard work. But some of the biggest mistakes retirees make aren't made by irresponsible people or people who didn't plan. They're made by responsible, thoughtful people in...
Lump Sum vs. Monthly Payment – The 5 Filters to Help You Decide
One of the most consequential decisions a retiree can face is whether to take a pension as a lump sum or as monthly payments over a lifetime. And one of the things that drives me a little crazy as a financial planner is how often people make this decision based on...
Why Taxes in Retirement Are More Complicated Than You Think (And How to Pay Less)
If you're retired or approaching retirement, you might assume that taxes are about to get simpler. No more W-2. No more paycheck withholdings to worry about. Just a nice, easy retirement without the tax headaches of your working years. I hate to break it to you, but...
Your Retirement Plan Is Probably Too Conservative
One of the things you don't want to see as a financial planner is people in their 70s and 80s looking back and saying they wish they had done things in their 60s, but now they can't. Whether that's because of energy, health, or time, it's the last thing anyone wants...
401k RMD Rules Every Retiree Needs to Know to Avoid Penalties
For most US taxpayers, we’ve resigned ourselves to the fact taxes are inevitable. But one thing that no one wants to deal with are penalties. Especially one that is avoidable. Avoiding penalties in retirement is all the more important for retirees since the tax...
Your Retirement Plan Is Already Failing (Here’s Why)
Most retirement planning, including the conversations we have with our clients, is centered around the hopes and dreams of the retirees. Thinking about the new chapter and the excitement it brings. It could be traveling, becoming a babysitter to the grandkids, or just...
The 3 Currencies Retirees Must Master
Financial planning can oftentimes carry many different assumptions with it. For example, you may hear the term "financial planning" and it becomes a thought of working with a financial planner. Or perhaps it has retirement planning involved in that. But financial...
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