Retirement Roadmap

Are your investments keeping you up at night? In this episode of Retirement Roadmap, Mark Fricks and Evan discuss some of the most common investment behaviors that can undermine retirement security. Many retirement mistakes aren't caused by a lack of information—they're driven by fear, emotion, and reactionary decision-making. Join us as we explore practical ways to avoid costly investme...

Retirement planning involves far more than saving money. In this episode of Retirement Roadmap, Mark Fricks and Evan explore what research consistently shows about living a happy, fulfilling retirement after your working years are over. They discuss the importance of relationships, community, daily structure, purpose, and maintaining a positive outlook. The conversation also covers the emotional c...

For millions of Americans, the largest portion of their retirement savings sits inside traditional IRAs and 401(k) accounts. These tax-deferred accounts can be powerful tools for building wealth — but without a withdrawal strategy, they can also create significant tax consequences later in life. In this episode of Retirement Roadmap, Evan and Mark discuss how IRA withdrawals work, why Required Min...

Retirement confidence is shrinking for millions of Americans — even for people who have spent decades saving and investing responsibly. In this episode of MasterPlan, we explore why so many people approaching retirement still feel anxious about the future, even after building substantial nest eggs. Because retirement fear usually isn’t just about numbers. It’s about uncertainty. Inflation, market...

Retirement isn't just about how much you've saved — it's about whether your money can reliably replace your paycheck for the rest of your life. In this episode of MasterPlan, we break down one of the biggest and most emotional questions people face before retirement: “How much monthly income is actually enough?” Because walking away from a paycheck is difficult — even for people wit...

Most people are sitting on a ticking tax time bomb — and they don't even know it. In this episode of MasterPlan, we dig into Roth conversions: what they actually are, why they matter more right now than ever, and how to think through whether one makes sense for your situation. The problem most retirees face is that decades of contributing to traditional 401(k)s and IRAs has built up a massive...

What happens if one event quietly wipes out everything you’ve built? In this episode of MasterPlan, we get into one of the least talked about — and most financially destructive — parts of life planning: long-term care. Most people assume it’s something that happens “later” or that family will figure it out. But the reality is a lot more complicated — and a lot more expensive. We talk through: 0:00...

Holistic retirement planning isn’t just about saving — it’s about knowing when and how to spend. One of the most common challenges we see is that people who have done a great job preparing for retirement often feel uncomfortable actually using their money. In this episode of Retirement Roadmap with MasterPlan Retirement Consultants , Evan and retirement planner Mark Fricks break down the psycholog...

Retirement planning gets complicated quickly when you start asking the questions most people avoid. What happens if long-term care becomes necessary? Should you trust a pension payout or take control of the money yourself? And how much should Social Security really factor into your plan if the future feels uncertain? In this Q&A episode of Retirement Roadmap with Master Plan Retirement Consult...

Retirement has “landmark ages” — moments where the rules change on contributions, withdrawals, Social Security, Medicare, and RMDs. In this episode of Retirement Roadmap , Evan and retirement planner Mark Fricks walk through the retirement timeline and explain what each age unlocks — and what to watch out for before you pull the trigger. Send us Fan Mail Visit masterplanretire.com to access our re...

Holistic retirement planning isn’t a buzzword — it’s a framework for how real life actually works in retirement. Your investments matter, but they’re only one piece of a plan that has to coordinate income, taxes, healthcare, and legacy decisions (and the ripple effects between them). In this Q&A episode of Retirement Roadmap with Master Plan Retirement Consultants — “We Get Mail” — Evan and re...

Holistic retirement planning isn’t a buzzword — it’s a framework for how real life actually works in retirement. Your investments matter, but they’re only one piece of a plan that has to coordinate income, taxes, and legacy decisions (and the ripple effects between them). In this episode of Retirement Roadmap with Master Plan Retirement Consultants, Evan and retirement planner Mark Fricks break do...

Retirement planning isn’t just about avoiding risk — it’s about understanding which risks actually matter. For many retirees and near-retirees, playing it “too safe” can quietly become one of the biggest threats to long-term financial security. In this episode of Retirement Roadmap with Master Plan Retirement Consultants, Evan and retirement planner Mark Fricks discuss why overly conservative port...

Retirement isn’t one-size-fits-all—and delaying retirement can be a smart move for some people and a mistake for others. In this episode of Retirement Roadmap with Master Plan Retirement Consultants, Evan and retirement planner Mark Fricks walk through the most common reasons people work longer (financial security, purpose, flexibility) and the key tradeoffs you need to evaluate before you choose...

Are you treating Social Security like an on/off switch instead of a key part of your retirement income plan? In this episode of Retirement Roadmap, Mark Fricks and Evan Fricks walk through how Social Security really works—and why the decision is about far more than just picking an age between 62 and 70. From misunderstood “full retirement age” rules to inflation, healthcare costs, and earned-incom...

The retirement planning landscape is changing again in 2026—and for many savers, especially higher earners, the rules are becoming more complex. In this episode of Retirement Roadmap , Evan and retirement planner Mark Fricks break down the most important 2026 changes affecting 401(k)s, IRAs, Roth accounts, and employer-sponsored plans. These updates create new opportunities to save more, but they...

How do you build a retirement that actually feels meaningful, not just mathematically correct? In this episode of Retirement Roadmap, Mark Fricks and Evan Fricks break down why retirement planning isn’t only about "saving enough." It’s about aligning your money with what gives your life purpose in 2026 and beyond. Drawing on decades of hands-on retirement planning experience, Mark and Ev...

Do you believe an estate-planning myth? In this episode of Retirement Roadmap , Mark Fricks and Evan Fricks break down the most common misconceptions that cause even “well-prepared” families to face chaos when it matters most. From outdated wills to unfunded trusts and missing powers of attorney, they expose the hidden gaps that can make your plan collapse when your family needs it most. Drawing f...

As trillions of dollars shift hands over the next two decades, the question isn’t whether your wealth will transfer — it’s how . In this episode of Retirement Roadmap , Mark and Evan break down The Great Wealth Transfer —the unprecedented movement of assets from today’s retirees to their heirs—and show how to turn this generational shift into a thoughtful, tax-efficient family strategy. Drawing fr...

Planning for your golden years without considering elder law is like building a house without a roof – leaving you exposed when storms hit. Attorney Miles Hurley , one of only twelve certified elder law attorneys in Georgia, reveals the crucial differences between basic estate planning and comprehensive elder law on this eye-opening episode of Retirement Roadmap. Drawing from both professional exp...

We tackle the often-overlooked issue of retirement tax liability and explore strategies to create tax-free income streams for a potentially more secure financial future. • Understanding the "mortgage" on qualified plans (401(k)s, IRAs) where the IRS owns an unknown percentage of your savings • The current "tax sale" has been extended but will eventually end with rates likely ri...

Are you playing retirement checkers when you should be mastering retirement chess? This episode unpacks a powerful analogy that demonstrates why traditional retirement planning often falls short. When approaching retirement, most people arrive with what amounts to a checkerboard and a bag of identical checkers—assets that have served a single purpose during working years: growth. But retirement de...

The new federal budget bill makes the 2017 tax cuts permanent, creates a temporary senior deduction, and raises estate exemptions, but also adds $3.4 trillion to national debt while cutting social safety nets. We explore what these changes mean for retirement planning and identify strategies to maximize the limited window of opportunity created by today's low tax environment. • Tax cuts from...

We explore how to maximize your 401(k) balance and integrate it effectively into your overall retirement strategy. • 401(k) plans emerged in 1979, giving workers an automatic way to save for retirement without employer-provided pensions • Most Americans lack proper education on 401(k) investing, contributing blindly without understanding rules or optimal strategies  • We discuss how to start with...

The Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) is a Medicare surcharge that can significantly increase your healthcare costs in retirement based on income from two years prior. • IRMAA affects both Medicare Part B and Part D premiums, potentially adding over $500 per month per person • The surcharge is based on your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) from two years prior • Income threshol...