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George and Weezy in the land of Lincoln will have deferred compensation and wonder if they can retire in mid-2026, or even earlier. Will they have enough? Should Jenn in Ohio move with work, take a break, or just retire? She asks Joe and Big Al for a brutally honest spitball. Seth isn’t sure if he can afford to stay retired at age 52, and whether he should convert his retirement savings to Roth, so he uses an AI voice to ask the fellas for his spitball. And Leon uses his real voice to ask whether REIT ETFs are a good way to get into real estate investing.
You’ve got your tax-free Roth accounts and your tax-deferred retirement accounts. Should you invest the same way in each? Kevin in Denver wants to know. Jim and Pam in Orange County are eligible for combat zone tax exclusions (CZTE). How else can they maximize their tax-free retirement strategy? Susan Brandeis, CFP® spitballs with Big Al Clopine, CPA, today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 537. Plus, should Ned in Tokyo sell his Bay Area rental property and invest the proceeds? And Bob and Brigette in Wisconsin got a late start on Roth IRA savings. Should they prioritize saving into a Roth, brokerage account, or 401(k)?
Ryan in Texas is in the 32% tax bracket. Where should he save for retirement so he’ll be in a lower bracket? Should Weronika in Texas pay the taxes now to convert to Roth for lifetime tax-free growth in the future, even though she’s in the 37% tax bracket? And Jerry in Phoenix wonders if there is a point where Joe would come to the conclusion that Roth conversions no longer make sense? Stay tuned for the 7 reasons to consider NOT converting to Roth. First up, a word of Roth conversion thanks from Al in Florida.
Ralph and Alice in Monument, Colorado have $4.6 million dollars saved at ages 63 and 58. Should they do Roth conversions? How do they avoid IRMAA? Mary Jo in Escondido, California wonders if she should use her 403(b) money to pay off her mortgage. And Lucas plans to spend from his brokerage, then his 401(k), then his Social Security and pension when he retires in 20 years. What do Joe and Big Al think of his strategy? Find out today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 534.
What should you do when the asset allocation of your retirement portfolio drifts? Joe and Big Al spitball on rebalancing for DJ in St. Louis. Plus, Coach Dobber in Minnesota is curious about municipal bonds in a brokerage account, and Daniel in Stevensville, Michigan needs details on emergency funds. Also, can Tim the Enchanter do a Roth conversion and avoid the “nasty, big pointy teeth” of capital gains tax? Duke in upstate New York told his wife they need 6 million dollars in retirement, and she said he was silly. What say Joe and Al? We’ll find out.
John in Boston is in the 32% tax bracket. Should he do Roth conversions? Flight Deck Dad and Irish Girl in Pensacola have a lot of tax-free pension income. Should they do Roth conversions? Bert and Ernie in New Jersey wonder if they should convert to Roth or take advantage of zero percent capital gains tax rates. Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball for all of them today. Plus, Michael and his wife in Bellevue are 34, in the 24% tax bracket and wonder if they should contribute to tax-free or tax-deferred accounts, and if they should slow down on retirement savings and start a bridging account for the years between when they want to punch the clock in their early to mid-50s, and when they can access their retirement savings. Then, for something completely different, Frenchie from Maine writes back in: What are the disadvantages to paying off her mortgage ASAP, and what’s the tax efficiency of a money market compared to bond funds?
You’ve been jamming money into your retirement accounts for years now. When is it okay to slow down? Joe and Big Al spitball for Ron and Veronica in Indiana. Plus, how can Scott in Illinois bridge the gap from age 55 to retirement income at 57? How should Big Juan in Texas pay for college? Should he convert his TSP to Roth? Can he retire at 55 And finally, Frank and Jane Drebin in Wisconsin are 46 and 47 and wondering if their plan for retirement in 5 years is just a pipe dream.
What are the pros and cons if Chip uses the money in his taxable brokerage account for early retirement income? Jack and Sally ask Joe and Big Al to spitball on whether they can retire around age 55 or 60, and whether they should max out their Roth or convert to Roth. Plus, April and Andy ask the fellas to spitball on their dividend investing strategy, and Don wonders if a separately managed account or SMA makes sense for his taxable account. (We’ll also find out what an SMA is.)
Just about every week here on YMYW, Joe and Big Al talk about converting your retirement savings to Roth accounts. But why? What’s the big deal? Today the “IRA guru” Ed Slott, CPA returns to tell us why he calls the Roth IRA “the greatest account ever created.” (Here’s a hint: it’s all about having tax-free income in retirement – and beyond.) Plus, where to prioritize saving for retirement? Jerry Tom in St. Louis wants to know. Are Christian and Tiffany in Montana on track for retirement, and should they rebalance their ETFs? Should Frank in Lake Wobegon’s wife take her teachers’ salary over 9 months or 12 months? And finally, Jon thinks the target retirement withdrawal rates Joe and Big Al use to spitball are too low – we’ll see what they think.
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 […]
What is your retirement income style? Dr. Wade Pfau, CFA, RICP®, is the co-founder of RISAprofile.com, providing investors with retirement income style awareness. He returns to Your Money, Your Wealth® today on podcast number 522 to talk about four different styles of retirement income, distribution planning, and the four percent rule. Plus, what does Dr. Pfau think will happen with President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, scheduled to sunset at the end of this year? What are Dr. Pfau’s thoughts on annuities as part of your retirement plan? Next, “Joe Anderson’s Top 5 Things” to help you manage the impact of all this market volatility on your portfolio. Also, Joe and Big Al spitball for “Al Bundy” in St. Louis: what withdrawal strategy makes sense for him, and what he should do with his IRA and 401(k) money?
Taxes can be one of the most significant expenses you’ll face over your lifetime. Maximizing your savings and keeping more of your hard-earned money during retirement is essential for long-term financial security. Pure’s Financial Advisor, Alexandra Swanson, CFP®, shares tax-saving strategies to help you build a more secure future. She discusses: Transfer assets to tax […]
How much do Nick and Nora in Pittsburgh, and Doc Mc Muffin and her Mr. in Minnesota, need to have saved, and how much can they afford to spend in retirement? What are the disadvantages to Fred and Ethel in Virginia if Ethel collects her Social Security early? Are the Moonshiner and the City Girl in Florida so obsessed with avoiding RMDs and IRMAA that they’re wasting too much savings on Roth conversions? Finally, will the tax benefits on a rental property offset the negative cash flow for Lily’s 29-year-old son, who has started his professional career with a $750K salary?
Is it better to save for retirement in traditional 401(k)s and IRAs, or in Roth accounts? What are the rules around contributing to two different types of Roth accounts? If required minimum distributions will be staggered because of a couple’s age difference, should they convert their retirement savings to Roth, or leave it alone? But first, Joe and Big Al have a backdoor Roth conversion withdrawal debate to settle.
