Align Your Retirement

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If you have $1.5 million or more in pre-tax retirement accounts, the years between your last paycheck and your first required minimum distribution may be your best chance to lower your lifetime tax bill. What you do in that window can decide whether your retirement income is taxed in the 22% to 24% brackets or at 32% and above.

In this episode:

• Why the years between retirement and RMDs (which start at 73 or 75, depending on your birth year) can be the lowest tax years of your adult life
• 3 questions that tell you whether a conversion belongs on this year's calendar
• 3 mistakes that turn a smart conversion into an expensive one
• How RMDs, IRMAA, Social Security taxes, and capital gains can stack up if the window goes unused

Next episode: When to Claim Social Security: Why the Math Is Different for Women

📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment

📞 Book a free Align Call → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcast

Follow the Conversation:

• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-secco
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutions

About Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® 

Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®, is the founder of Align Financial Solutions, a fee-only fiduciary firm in Hoboken, New Jersey, that helps high-net-worth women bring retirement, equity compensation, tax, and estate planning into one plan.

Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.
The above case study is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Align Financial Solutions client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if A...

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Is it finally time to hire a financial advisor? The answer usually has less to do with your net worth and more to do with how much complexity you're carrying and how close you are to retirement.

In this episode, I walk through a 3-part test for deciding:

1. The retirement runway threshold. How complexity and time to retirement add up, and the 4 triggers that show you've crossed it
2. The cost of decision fatigue. What the decisions you keep putting off may be costing you
3. Taking emotion out of big decisions. The 3 moments when emotion costs the most, and how a system protects you

If 2 of the 3 apply to you, it's likely time to get help.

📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment

📞 Book a free Align Call → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcast

Follow the Conversation:

• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-secco
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutions

About Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® 

Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®, is the founder of Align Financial Solutions, a fee-only fiduciary firm in Hoboken, New Jersey, that helps high-net-worth women bring retirement, equity compensation, tax, and estate planning into one plan.

Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.
The above case study is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Align Financial Solutions client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if A...

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You know what you should be doing with your money, and you're still not doing it. That gap between knowing and doing is one of the most common reasons a financial plan doesn't work.

In this episode, I walk through four money patterns (the Protector, the Avoider, the Regulator, and the Sacrificer), where they tend to come from, and the actions that help change them. I also share two examples and my own story.

In this episode:

• The four money patterns and how to spot yours
• Why $500,000 can sit in a savings account earning almost nothing
• How a belief about money held one woman's income at $200,000
• Where my own money patterns came from
• Five actions that help you follow through on your plan

📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment

📞 Book a free Align Call → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcast

Follow the Conversation:

• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-secco
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutions

About Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® 

Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®, is the founder of Align Financial Solutions, a fee-only fiduciary firm in Hoboken, New Jersey, that helps high-net-worth women bring retirement, equity compensation, tax, and estate planning into one plan.

Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.
The above case study is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Align Financial Solutions client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if A...

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Financial advisors aren't all paid the same way, and how your advisor is paid can shape the advice you get.

In this episode, I explain what fee-only means, how it differs from fee-based and commission-based, and what to ask before you hire anyone.

In this episode:

• Fee-only vs. fee-based vs. commission-based, and why the difference matters
• Why an advisor should be a fiduciary 100% of the time, not just for some accounts
• How commissions can create conflicts you'd never see
• The ways fee-only advisors are typically paid
• 5 questions to ask an advisor before you hire them

📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment

📞 Book a free Align Call → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcast

Follow the Conversation:

• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-secco
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutions

About Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® 

Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®, is the founder of Align Financial Solutions, a fee-only fiduciary firm in Hoboken, New Jersey, that helps high-net-worth women bring retirement, equity compensation, tax, and estate planning into one plan.

Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.
The above case study is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Align Financial Solutions client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if A...

Send us Fan Mail

Most financial plans don't fall apart because the math was wrong. They fall apart because they were built around what you thought you should want, what your family expected, or what the industry calls success. A few months in, you stop following the plan, because it was never really yours.

In this episode, I share my own story of burnout early in my career, how it shaped the way I built Align, and how to build a plan around the life you actually want.

In this episode:

• Why plans built on outside expectations don't last
• My own story of burnout and leaving the traditional advisor path
• How cultural background shapes the way you think about money
• Three questions to find the values that are really yours
• A simple three-column exercise to check your financial decisions against those values

📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment

📞 Book a free Align Call → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcast

Follow the Conversation:

• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-secco
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutions

About Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® 

Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®, is the founder of Align Financial Solutions, a fee-only fiduciary firm in Hoboken, New Jersey, that helps high-net-worth women bring retirement, equity compensation, tax, and estate planning into one plan.

Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.
The above case study is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Align Financial Solutions client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if A...

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Earning more doesn't always make money stress go away. If you feel guilty spending money you can afford, save far more than you need, or worry about the future no matter what your balance says, the cause may be your money mindset rather than your income.

In this episode:

• How early experiences shape a scarcity mindset
• Why spending can feel wrong even when the numbers say it's fine
• How to balance saving for later with enjoying your life now
• Practical steps to build a calmer relationship with your money

📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment

📞 Book a free Align Call → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcast

Follow the Conversation:

• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-secco
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutions

About Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® 

Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®, is the founder of Align Financial Solutions, a fee-only fiduciary firm in Hoboken, New Jersey, that helps high-net-worth women bring retirement, equity compensation, tax, and estate planning into one plan.

Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.
The above case study is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Align Financial Solutions client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if A...

Send us Fan Mail

How much is enough? Your enough number is the amount that lets you stop chasing someone else's idea of success and build a retirement that fits your own life.

In this episode, I walk through how to estimate yours and why the answer is different for every woman.

In this episode:

• What an enough number is and why it isn't the same for everyone
• How to estimate yours with the rule of 25
• How to separate your own goals from comparison and social pressure
• Why reaching a milestone doesn't always bring the peace you expected

📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment

📞 Book a free Align Call → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcast

Follow the Conversation:

• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-secco
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutions

About Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® 

Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®, is the founder of Align Financial Solutions, a fee-only fiduciary firm in Hoboken, New Jersey, that helps high-net-worth women bring retirement, equity compensation, tax, and estate planning into one plan.

Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.
The above case study is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Align Financial Solutions client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if A...

Send us Fan Mail

What is your money actually for? In this short episode, I talk about why a plan built around options, the freedom to choose how much and whether you work, can matter more than reaching a bigger number.

This is the first episode of Season 2, which looks at building a life where work is a choice.

📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment

📞 Book a free Align Call → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcast

Follow the Conversation:

• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-secco
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutions

About Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® 

Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®, is the founder of Align Financial Solutions, a fee-only fiduciary firm in Hoboken, New Jersey, that helps high-net-worth women bring retirement, equity compensation, tax, and estate planning into one plan.

Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.
The above case study is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Align Financial Solutions client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if A...

Send us Fan Mail

Join Hazel on "Her Honest Money Talk" as she goes into her journey of becoming a financial advisor. She shares how it has shaped her into the passionate advocate for women's financial independence she is today. Through her candid storytelling, she talks about her personal upbringing and how it fuels her drive to help women take control of their finances. Tune in for such an inspiring episode that resonates with women everywhere!

📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment

📞 Book a free Align Call → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcast

Follow the Conversation:

• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-secco
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutions

About Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® 

Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®, is the founder of Align Financial Solutions, a fee-only fiduciary firm in Hoboken, New Jersey, that helps high-net-worth women bring retirement, equity compensation, tax, and estate planning into one plan.

Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.
The above case study is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Align Financial Solutions client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if A...

Send us Fan Mail

In today's episode of "Her Honest Money Talk," we're diving into the critical process of selecting a financial planner or advisor. The episode features a conversational style between Hazel, the founder and CEO of Align Financial Solutions LLC, and Hannah, who serves as the client wizard at Align Financial Solutions LLC. Join us as we explore key tips for finding the right match to navigate your financial future. From considering compatibility with your unique financial and life circumstances to exploring vetted professionals on trustworthy websites, we'll provide valuable insights for navigating this important decision. Don't forget to subscribe, like, and share with your friends as we discuss financial planning for life's transitions. Stay empowered and financially aligned! Below are the links to locate certified financial planners through the CFP and FPA websites. Both require each professional to have the CFP designation to become a member. I hope this is helpful! CFP Board: cfp.net FPA: PlannerSearch.orgSubscribe to us @AlignFinancialSolutions Facebook Page: Like us at facebook.com/alignfinancialsolutionsllc LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/hazel-seccoVisit our website: www.alignfinancialsolutions.com Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, A Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC.

📝 Free Retirement Readiness Assessment → https://alignfinancialsolutions.com/retirement-readiness-assessment

📞 Book a free Align Call → https://calendly.com/alignfinancialsolutions/align-call?utm_source=podcast

Follow the Conversation:

• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hazel-secco
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/alignfinancialsolutions

About Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® 

Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®, is the founder of Align Financial Solutions, a fee-only fiduciary firm in Hoboken, New Jersey, that helps high-net-worth women bring retirement, equity compensation, tax, and estate planning into one plan.

Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute individual investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.
The above case study is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Align Financial Solutions client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if A...