Retirement Answers

Ahhhh... Annuities. We have all heard of them, but do we really know what they are and how they work? the reality is that most people don't truly understand them and it's not their fault. These products are really confusing with a lot of moving parts. In today's episode, I explain some of the basics that you should know about annuities. Be sure to tune in next week for Part 2 of this series where...

As a financial planner, I have heard it all when it comes to investing... "My friend said this company was about to go crazy!" "Did you see what they said on the news?!" But rarely do people make money on those hunches... In today's episode, I share 5 common investing mistakes I see and how to avoid them. I hope you enjoy the show!

One of the biggest decisions you will make in retirement is when to take Social Security! I have found that understanding how Social Security taxation works is important to your overall retirement plan. In this episode, I talk through how Social Security is taxed and share some ideas around why this is important to consider. I hope you enjoy the show! Email: jacob.duke@appliedcapital.com

Are you trying to figure out how much you need to have saved to successfully retire? Well, in today's episode I share how you can quickly get to a rough estimate of how much you need to retire. I also discuss a few of the common "rules of thumb" and how they might not be the best ways to figure out if you can retire. Enjoy!

What if you could have $100k of income in retirement entirely tax-free?! Well, in this episode, Jacob Duke, CFP® shares exactly how one of his clients is doing just that.  Be sure to stick around to the end for tips around how you can accomplish this as well. Enjoy the show!

Taxes are one if the biggest headwinds retirees will face. In this episode, I share 7 different ways you can lower your tax bill both now and throughout your retirement. I hope you enjoy the show!

We know how important it is to be diversified in our investments... But are you aware of how important it is to be tax-diversified for retirement? By having tax diversification, you can create flexibility before and during retirement as you can choose where you pull income from. Also, being tax-diversified can lower your tax bill throughout retirement. Enjoy the show!

You've probably heard about the failure of Silicon Valley Bank. In this episode, I share my thoughts on the whole situation and what we can learn from it. Enjoy!

In this episode of Retirement Answers, I discuss: How to pay the taxes on Roth conversions How 401k distributions are taxed Why you can't offset dividends with capital losses I hope you enjoy the show!

In this episode, I answer 3 questions I recently received: Who will inherit my IRA when I die? Can I contribute to my Roth IRA and Roth 401k at the same time? Will I continue receiving my spouses Social Security benefit when they die? Enjoy the show!

After the lackluster performance in bonds in 2022, many are wondering if they should be investing in bonds at all... In this episode of Retirement Answers, I share how bonds work and why the value of bonds fluctuates even though the coupon payments remain the same.  Enjoy the show!

Well, they have changed RMDs yet again... In this episode of Retirement Answers, I share how the new RMD rules are going to work and perhaps how it could hurt you later on if you don't plan accordingly. Enjoy the show!

Our immediate reaction as we get closer to retirement is to invest more conservatively. But why? The short answer is that our human nature fears potential loss than enjoys potential gain. What if you could have a plan that covers the short-term & long-term? Well, in this episode, I talk through how the 3-bucket retirement plan can do exactly that.

In this episode of Retirement Answers, I share 3 things that you should do before you retire. 1. Build Cash 2. Calculate Monthly Spending 3. Write Out Your Goals/Dreams I hope this helps you plan a more successful retirement!

In this episode I discuss the 3 questions my clients are asking about right now. - What should I know about the SECURE Act 2.0? - Should I be making changes to my investments? - Should I retire in 2023? Tune in to this episode to hear my answers to these questions.

Ever wonder if you can take money from your Roth IRA before age 59.5? Well, the short answer is yes, you can. But tune into today's episode to learn more about the order in which Roth IRA distributions occur and how you can use this to your advantage in your retirement plan.

In this episode of Retirement Answers, I discuss the things you need to know about Social Security survivor benefits. I see people often confuse survivor and spousal benefits, so I wanted to answer a question I received about survivor benefits and how they are different from spousal benefits. Enjoy!

We all know about IRAs and 401ks, but are there other ways to optimize your retirement savings? Yes, and it involves the investment account. In this episode of Retirement Answers, I discuss some of the potential tax issues that lie in waiting if all of your retirement assets are in tax-deferred accounts and provide some ideas around how you lower that future tax risk. 👉 Book a call with me: https...

Are you curious about the requirements to get the Social Security COLA? This episodes clears up any confusion around COLAs and what has to happen for you to qualify. 👉 Book a call with me: https://www.rivertreewealth.com/get-started ✅ If you want the Important Numbers 2025 PDF, send me an email! Submit your question to have it answered on the podcast: https://www.rivertreewealth.com/ask-a-questi...

So, you know about the Social Security spousal benefit, but do you understand it completely? This episode of retirement answers tells you everything you should know about how spousal benefits work and how your Social Security elections could change the spousal benefit you receive. 👉 Book a call with me: https://www.rivertreewealth.com/get-started ✅ If you want the Important Numbers 2025 PDF, sen...

Welcome to Retirement Answers! This is a quick introductory episode explaining what you can expect from the show moving forward. I invite you to subscribe so you do not miss any future episodes where I will be answering some of the most important retirement questions I receive on a daily basis.  👉 Book a call with me: https://www.rivertreewealth.com/get-started ✅ If you want the Important Number...