The "Retirement Red Zone" describes the critical 4-5 years BEFORE and AFTER you retire. The order of your returns during that critical period are more important than your long-term average, no matter how good your average rates of return might turn out to be. In this episode, we give real world examples that demonstrate how wise management during Retirement Red Zone can be the difference-maker in whether or not your retirement is golden or nail-biting. We also tackle the Great Wealth Transfer that is underway and how to create a legacy that lasts throughout the generations.

Major updates and impacts are happening in the retirement landscape. Social Security cost of living adjustments, Medicare premium increases, IRMAA surcharge increases, and new taxes. How are you affected, and how you best navigate the landmines? We also explore how create a guaranteed tax-free foundation of income throughout retirement that avoid social security taxation and IRMAA surcharges on Medicare.

A confluence of factors must come together to create a resilient portfolio:

1. Market risk mitigation

2. Income predictability and maximization

3. Tax-efficiency

When all three come together in harmony, the result is a resilient portfolio that can withstand many of the toughest challenges retirees face. In this episode, we dive in elements to make your portfolio more resilient as well as discuss the importance of the critical "Retirement Red Zone". 

What creates wealth, and what prohibits or even destroys wealth? It is surprising to many that the answers have less to do with rate of return and how much money you make. Rather, focus, perspective, and habit are often the differences between having and maintaining wealth and not. In this episode, we explore the 7 keys to wise financial stewardship.

In today's episode, we dive into common questions:

Most people have more potential in their financial picture than they might realize. Poorly positioned assets, traditional approaches, and incorrect information keep that potential bottled up. In this episode, we’ll explore new planning opportunities due to the OBBBA, common misperceptions about retirement, and how to identify and unleash your financial picture’s hidden potential. 

Tax-efficient retirement strategies can be an important part of your retirement, but what about ensuring you cannot outlive your money? What if life throws you curve balls and Murphy's law takes over? This week's episode demonstrates how to create 5 streams of tax-free income and "portfolio insurance" to protect against the unforeseen. 

This week on the Tax-free Retirement Show, we dive into 7 critical Social Security updates, 7 unique claiming strategies, and a case study demonstrating how to potentially get your social security tax-free, reduce stress on your other retirement assets, get more enjoyment from retirement, and leave an impactful legacy.

Ernst and Young (EY) recently did a landmark study showing how the judicious addition of Index Universal Life (IUL) and Fixed Index Annuities (FIA) to a traditional portfolio can produce enhanced benefits not replaceable elsewhere--more income, more wealth to heirs, and more predictable outcomes to name a few. But who does a properly structured IUL used as a Life Insurance Retirement Plan work? How does it make money internally? When should it be used and when not? In this episode we dive into those areas as well as a guaranteed lifetime income "private pension" that outperforms traditional portfolios and enhances the Income Production Ability (IPA) of the entire strategy. 

All financial vehicles fall into 1 of 3 categories/columns: Taxable, Tax-deferred (Tax-procrastination), or Tax-free. Savers must decide where they want the majority of their assets to live. Asset location is far more important that asset allocation. What is the right balance for you between these 3 tax columns? What collateral damage could your traditional retirement accounts be causing on your total retirement landscape? How can you tactically shift tax-hostile assets to tax-free assets?