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Will your taxes go up? Stay the same? Go down, even? Jeffrey Levine is Chief Planning Officer at Focus Partners, Professor of Practice in Taxation at the American College of Financial Services, and the Lead Financial Planning Nerd at Kitces.com. In other words, he’s one of the savviest tax minds in the country. Jeff returns to the show today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 524 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA, with his thoughts on what will happen to taxes under the new administration, saving for retirement in a Roth IRA vs. a traditional IRA, managing inherited retirement accounts, and the future viability of Social Security. Plus, what should you do with required minimum distributions (RMDs) when you don’t need the money to live on? How do you calculate the maximum amount you should convert from your retirement account to a tax-free Roth account, and how much should you convert – or not – to keep RMDs under control? Finally, how can minor beneficiaries avoid probate?
Pure’s Tax Planning Manager, Amanda Cook, CPA, Esq, teaches how to take advantage of tax-saving opportunities available to you. Outline 00:00 Intro 1:04 Tax Terms 5:45 Tax Deduction vs Tax Credit Example 8:38 2025 Taxable Income Rates 10:19 2025 Capital Gain Rates 10:43 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Set to Expire: Changes in 2026? 15:00 […]
Now that you’ve retired, you’re transitioning from saving to spending. However, taxes remain one of the largest expenses so smart tax management is essential for preserving your wealth. Pure’s Financial Advisor, Maxwell Hacker, CFP®, AIF®, provides guidance on tax strategies designed to help you keep more of your hard-earned money. He discusses: Understand different accounts […]
Hawkeye and Elle are age 61 and in the 32% tax bracket. How should they get money into their Roth accounts for tax-free retirement income? Clark and Ellen are 69 and 68, expenses will pretty much be covered by their fixed income, but they’d like to leave Roth money to their kids. Should they keep converting to Roth, or use required minimum distributions for their living expenses? Tom and his wife are 73, and fixed income will cover their retirement spending too. Is it advantageous to them to make three huge Roth conversions beyond their marginal tax bracket to reduce future RMDs? Should they keep things simple by leaving their money in an S&P 500 Index Fund?
The single biggest retirement planning mistake to avoid, the problem with tax professionals, and answers to some of the most frequently asked retirement questions we get on YMYW: should you name a trust as beneficiary on your retirement accounts? What’s the break-even point on a Roth conversion? What if you don’t have the money to pay the tax when you convert to Roth? Plus, find out the eye-opening amount of money good tax planning can save you! Someone has to be very knowledgeable, entertaining, and special to make it as a guest on YMYW these days. Today “the IRA guru” Ed Slott, CPA from IRAHelp.com joins Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA to discuss all of these topics, along with changes to stretch IRAs and required minimum distributions from the SECURE Act and SECURE 2.0 Act. Finally, don’t miss your chance to get a free copy of Ed Slott’s latest book, The Retirement Savings Time Bomb Ticks Louder.
Should Mike in Virginia keep using his IRA money to pay the tax on his Roth conversions? How do you do a Roth conversion when you don’t have the money to pay the tax? That’s PeterLemonJello’s question, but is it the question he should be asking? Spitballing Roth IRA conversion strategies to reduce your taxable required minimum distributions (RMD) in retirement, today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 484. Plus, Susan and Mike in Ohio are retired, in the 24% tax bracket, and considering converting $50k or $75k to Roth – should they do it? How is D-Rock and Matilda’s strategy for selling rental properties and doing Roth conversions as they bridge the gap to early retirement? And finally, how do required minimum distributions work on inherited Roth accounts?
Should Peter LemonJello, who has high income, and his wife, who is retired with zero income, file their taxes as married filing separately so they can start Roth conversions? What are the tax implications of Roth conversions for Randy in Chi-town, an early retiree in the 32% tax bracket? Caity (with a C) in SLC is self-employed and over the income max to contribute to a Roth, so now what? And Ben in Oceanside, CA wants to know what impact Roth conversions will have on required minimum distributions after age 73? Joe and Big Al spitball on all these Roth conversion tax reduction strategies, plus, does the math make sense on a company-matched Kai-Zen indexed universal life insurance policy for Kickass Seabass in New Jersey? Ed in Virginia wants to know the earnings limits for family Social Security benefits. But first, can JJ in Florida’s retirement portfolio handle withdrawals of $150,000 per year? And from the banks of the Mighty Mississippi, what should midwestfabs’ post-employment asset allocation be?
Your outdated, tired, set-it-and-forget-it financial plan needs a money makeover! Assumptions you make about your finances can make or break your retirement lifestyle – will it be bad or beautiful? Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA show you how setting goals, revamping your portfolio, and doing a tax turnaround can give your retirement […]
How can Steve & Sharon in Minnesota get more money into their Roth IRA without paying more tax? That’s just one of our topics, today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 455. Also, should Fred in western New York do Roth conversions before required minimum distributions (RMDs) kick in? If Mike in Utah saves on healthcare premiums now, will that mean large RMDs and tax bills later? Should Mark in Maryland do a backdoor Roth after maxing out his 401(k)? And should Joseph in Kansas contribute to his new employer’s Traditional or Roth 401(k)?
Can Jessie and Becky in Iowa retire now at age 52? Should Robert and his wife file their taxes separately, to pay less tax on their required minimum distributions? Can Joe and Al validate Mike in Minnesota’s retirement plan, and does a backdoor Roth make sense for him? How in the world will Mike in New York be able to retire at a reasonable age? And what will retirement income look like for Marty in San Diego? Just spitballs here, no retirement advice!
YMYW listener Alan feels that there are two unspoken assumptions that many different podcasters make when it comes to claiming Social Security benefits. Today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 437, Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball on those assumptions, along with safe retirement withdrawal rates before and after Social Security and pension for Rick and Jen, and a thrift savings plan (TSP) and Social Security retirement strategy for Theresa. Plus, Mark and his wife are semi-retired at 51 and 44. Are they going to run out of money? Where should Mary be saving for retirement, and how should she handle large Roth conversions before required minimum distributions (RMDs) kick in?
Can you retire before age 55 simply by contributing to your 401(k) only up to the company match and then saving to a brokerage account? Joe and Big Al spitball on using this so-called tax “jailbreak” strategy to retire early. Plus, is Christine on track to have $150,000 present value to live on in retirement? Is John stuck just watching his money grow and turn into big required minimum distributions? Can Jackie contribute to a SEP IRA and convert it all to Roth? And what do the fellas think of Lee’s I-Bond emergency fund?
Can you convert your health savings account (HSA) to Roth, and do the five-year Roth withdrawal clocks apply? What should you do with money you’d been putting to your student loan debt if you’re part of the student loan forgiveness program? What’s the best way to invest your RMDs, or required minimum distributions? How does IRMAA, the income-related monthly adjustment amount for Medicare, apply to zero-coupon municipal bonds? And finally, strategies for collecting survivor Social Security benefits.
So you’re about to receive a large inheritance – what should you do with it? Joe and Big Al spitball on suddenly becoming $85 million dollars richer. Plus, is it nuts to semi-retire early? Should retirement contributions be split between Roth and traditional accounts? Can you do conversions to your kids’ custodial Roth accounts? The fellas also spitball tax bracket-based Roth conversion strategies to help you pay the least amount of tax possible, long term, and they discuss RMDs on inherited assets and whether to pay off a 401(k) loan if it’s “paying” you 8% per year.
When in retirement, your priority will likely shift from earning on investments to safeguarding and preserving your savings. Pure’s Financial Planner, Annie Chen, CFP®, AIF®, points out potential withdrawal trapdoors you may stumble into during retirement. FREE GUIDE | Withdrawal Strategy Guide Transcript Once you’ve transitioned into retirement, it’s less about what you can earn […]
