Countdown to Retirement with Gregg MacInnis

The First Day of Retirement is Like Your First Day of School With kids back in school, social media is filled with "first day" signs highlighting favorite teachers, activities and goals. On this episode of Countdown to Retirement , Gregg MacInnis explains why the first day of retirement deserves the same kind of thought. Before building a financial plan, he says it's important to have a clear visi...

Financial "Face-Plants" That Can Derail Retirement Most people don't wake up in their 60s facing a retirement crisis. More often, it's a series of small financial stumbles that build over time. On this episode of Countdown to Retirement , Gregg MacInnis discusses common mistakes people make in their 50s and 60s, and how addressing them early may help keep retirement plans on track. For more inform...

Is a Roth Conversion Worth It, Even If It Temporarily Raises Your Medicare? A Roth conversion offers a simple tradeoff: pay taxes now and potentially enjoy tax-free income later. The catch is that a conversion counts as income, which can temporarily increase your Medicare costs through IRMAA. On this episode of Countdown to Retirement , Gregg MacInnis breaks down whether the long-term benefits can...

Watch Out for These Mistakes Leading Up to Retirement The five years before retirement are critical. It should be the homestretch, yet many arrive there without a plan or try to handle everything on their own. On this episode of Countdown to Retirement , Gregg MacInnis runs down the five most common mistakes that can create tax surprises, income gaps and unnecessary risk. For more information on G...

Set the Right Pace in Your First Year of Retirement Marathon runners know the start of the race matters. Go out too fast and you burn out. Fall too far behind and you're playing catch-up. It’s the same with retirement. On this episode of Countdown to Retirement , Gregg MacInnis explains how a coordinated income plan, a clear withdrawal strategy and a well-funded emergency reserve can help se...

Do You Have the Right Income Mix for Retirement? When you retire, income can come from a variety of sources: Social Security, pensions, investments, annuities and even life insurance. But how do you put those pieces together in a way that can support a retirement lasting 30 or 40 years? On this episode of Countdown to Retirement , Gregg MacInnis explains how a coordinated income plan can help prot...

How Planning Can Help Restore Retirement Confidence Sometimes retirement looks great—until it's time to make the transition. That's when anxiety can creep in. The paycheck stops, expenses can be higher than expected and income gaps begin to appear. In this episode of Countdown to Retirement , Gregg MacInnis explains how a flexible retirement plan can adapt to life's changes, freeing people t...

Unleash the Power of Indexing There’s more to the stock market than staying invested or moving to cash. You can track the S&P 500 without buying individual stocks. In this episode of Countdown to Retirement , Gregg MacInnis introduces us to indexing—strategies that aim to capture market gains while helping protect against losses. For more information on GMac Family Financial, or to...

Is There Another Way to Plan for Long-Term Care? About 70% of Americans turning 65 will need some form of long-term care. But as traditional LTC insurance becomes harder to find, many are looking for alternatives. On this episode of Countdown to Retirement , Gregg MacInnis explains how hybrid life policies with LTC options can help eliminate that ‘use it or lose it’ dilemma. For more i...

Ready to Play the ‘Retirement Prediction Board?’ Major League Baseball is entering the world of prediction markets—where everything hinges on assumptions and odds. Retirement planning can be just as risky. In this episode of Countdown to Retirement , Gregg MacInnis explains why betting on timing, inflation, markets, and taxes without a written plan can backfire. For more informat...

Watch Out for the ‘Myths’ of Retirement For years, space aliens were dismissed as a myth—until recent evidence raised questions. But in retirement planning, plenty of myths still linger. On this episode of Countdown to Retirement , Gregg MacInnis clears up common misconceptions about Social Security, working longer, and spending—and explains why putting it all into a writte...

Too Much Income in Retirement Can Cost You Taxes don’t stop in retirement. Income thresholds can trigger taxes on Social Security, higher Medicare premiums and lost deductions. On this episode of Countdown to Retirement , Gregg MacInnis explains how strategies like Roth conversions can help coordinate income and withdrawals—so there are no surprises down the road. For more information...

Could ‘Dirty Sponges’ in Your Retirement Plan Be Setting You Up for a Future Tax Hit? Filthy sponges spread bacteria in the kitchen because small problems get ignored. In retirement planning, “dirty sponges” are the overlooked details that quietly grow into bigger tax surprises later on. In this episode of Countdown to Retirement , Gregg MacInnis explains how proactive plan...

We protect our homes from harmful odors and gases—but what about hidden fees in your retirement portfolio?  In this episode of Countdown to Retirement , Gregg MacInnis reveals how just a 1% fee can quietly drain thousands of dollars from your future—and how he can help spot the problem before the financial ‘pollution’ sets in. For more information on GMac Family Financ...

Do You Have the Right ‘Recipe’ for Retirement? Some home cooks skip the recipe—with mixed results.  Retirement planning works much the same way. Without a written plan, you’re essentially winging it.  In this episode of Countdown to Retirement , Gregg MacInnis walks through the key ingredients of a solid retirement plan, from guaranteed income and tax strategies t...

Is It Time to ‘Look Forward’ with Complete Tax Planning? Tax season often feels like an exercise in looking backward—collecting documents and filing last year’s return.  But comprehensive tax planning is about what’s next.  In this episode of Countdown to Retirement , Gregg MacInnis shares forward‑thinking strategies designed to help maximize tax benefits in...

Add a ‘Gimme’ Putt to Your Retirement Plan Golfers commonly award ‘gimme’ putts to players whose ball comes within inches of the cup.  That can also be accomplished in your retirement plan with reliable income sources.  In this episode of Countdown to Retirement, Gregg MacInnis explains how they work - from annuities, pensions and Social Security to fixed income....

So This is the Year You’ve Resolved to Get a Financial Advisor – Now What? Thousands of Americans make New Year’s Resolutions.  One of the most popular is finally hiring a financial advisor.  In this episode of Countdown to Retirement, Gregg MacInnis reminds us that a ‘holistic’ advisor looks at more than accumulating income.  They also deal with market...

What It Means to Be a ‘Kingdom’ Financial Advisor In past Countdown to Retirement shows, Gregg MacInnis mentioned that he’s a ‘Kingdom Advisor.’  In today’s episode, he explains what the faith-based organization, how it aligns with the teachings of the Bible when it comes to faith and how it integrates with saving for and spending in retirement.  Gregg...

What Does Holistic Retirement Planning Mean? If you’re looking for a financial advisor who can design a well-rounded retirement plan, then consider one who offers holistic planning.  In this episode of Countdown to Retirement, Gregg MacInnis explains more about his approach, which encompasses income, tax and estate planning, as well as investment management and healthcare and long-term...

What is the ‘Bucket Strategy’ in Retirement? One of the biggest challenges in retirement is figuring out how to spend your hard-earned savings.  In this episode of Countdown to Retirement, Greg MacInnis explains what’s called the ‘Bucket Strategy.’  He uses it with his own clients so they can have a tailored combination of safe money, growth money and the ev...

Time is Running Out to Book Your End-of-Year Financial Review Have you made an appointment for an end-of-year check of your retirement finances?  Time is running out!  On this episode of Countdown to Retirement, Greg MacInnis talks about the five things he likes to focus on during a review, including a check of 401(k)/IRA contributions, harvesting stock losses, RMD calculations, Roth con...

When Should You Start Estate Planning? Studies have shown that most Americans don’t have a will nor have taken the steps to protect the money they intend to leave for heirs.  If you don’t make an estate plan yourself, the state in which you live may make it for you – and you may not like it.  On this episode of Countdown to Retirement, Gregg MacInnis explains the import...

Turn Your Portfolio Into a ‘Juicy’ Retirement Paycheck Income drives retirement.  When you’re no longer drawing a paycheck from work, you miss it.  In this episode of Countdown to Retirement, Gregg MacInnis explains how he can help you create your own personal pension to take care of basic needs and use other financial accounts to promote withdrawals that also allow you...

Do You Need a ‘Bigger Retirement Boat?’ The 50th anniversary of the movie ‘Jaws’ brings memories of one of its famous lines, “We’re going to need a bigger boat.”  The same can be true in retirement planning.  In this episode of Countdown to Retirement, Gregg MacInnis talks about the symptoms that can lead to leakage in your retirement boat and th...