America's Wealth Management Show

How do you know if you can withstand a market downturn, substantial unexpected expenses, or income reduction in retirement? Those are all things that can cause a lot of financial stress, especially when you're no longer receiving a paycheck in retirement. That's why it's so critical to have a forward-looking financial plan that has been stress tested through various economic conditions so you can...

Are you planning to meet up with any friends or family members this holiday season who are approaching retirement or recently retired? Or maybe you're in that position yourself? That can be a very exciting time, but it can quickly become very stressful if you haven't planned for it . The goal is for every day to be a Saturday in retirement, but getting to that point isn't that simple. We're going...

When thinking about protecting your wealth, it's easy to start thinking about wealth erosion due to market/investment risk . Well, that's just one form of risk. There's estate planning risk , wealth erosion from excess taxation , not being properly insured on several fronts—we could go on and on. We obviously want you to protect as much of your wealth as possible. So, here are seven wealth protect...

Planning for things that are out of your control can certainly be stressful when you're entering a new phase of life like retirement. But believe it or not, you can plan for uncertainty in retirement. We're going to explain how to plan for the many uncertainties that can arise in retirement so that you can have clarity and confidence about your financial life. Retirement Plan Checklist: https://bi...

Dean Barber always says that you shouldn't save to something without knowing the rules of getting the money out. Dean and Bud Kasper, CFP®, AIF® are going to elaborate on that as they review where you should be saving for retirement. The bottom line again is that it depends on your personal situation.   Retirement Plan Checklist: https://bit.ly/3udy5UW Tax Reduction Strategies: https://bit.ly/461W...

What is giving you financial stress and how are you dealing with it? On today's episode of America's Wealth Management Show, Dean Barber and Bud Kasper explain how financial stress is different for everyone and that it's crucial to have a comprehensive financial plan that helps you deal with it. Retirement Plan Checklist: https://bit.ly/3ua5q3h Unexpected Expenses & How to Avoid Them: https://yout...

Do you think you know everything there is to know about the tax code? The truth is that you likely won't even find a financial advisor that know everything about the tax code. Our advisors are even willing to acknowledge that. That's exactly why we have CPAs on staff. Our CFP® Professionals work alongside our CPAs to make sure that people aware of tax planning opportunities and steering clear of b...

Six months ago, Logan DeGraeve, CFP®, AIF® and Matt Kasper, CFP®, AIF® discussed rising long-term care costs on the Modern Wealth Management Education Series. To the surprise of no one, it appears to be a trend with no end in sight. There's no question about that, but that doesn't mean that we're not receiving plenty of questions about long-term care. In addition to sharing some staggering statist...

"How much do I need to retire?" is probably the most frequent questions that our CFP® Professionals are asked. However, "When can I retire?" or "When is it time to retire?" aren't too far behind. If you work with an advisor who gives you an immediate answer to any of those questions, they're really a financial advisor in name only. They're probably more of a financial salesperson. They'll likely j...

Last week, Dean Barber and Bud Kasper, CFP®, AIF® took some time to review five important estate planning documents that everyone should have for National Estate Planning Awareness Week. Well, National Estate Planning Awareness Week is actually a part of National Financial Planning Month. While we aim to educate people about financial planning year-round, Logan DeGraeve, CFP®, AIF® and Chris Rett,...

One of our executive advisors, Logan DeGraeve, CFP®, AIF®, always likes to say that every day is a Saturday in retirement. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper, CFP®, AIF® couldn't agree more with Logan as long as you properly plan for retirement. Bud and Dean are going to review four retirement planning essentials that most retirees don't do but should be doing.  Retirement Plan Checklist: https://bit.ly/3...

In 2008, the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils created National Estate Planning Awareness Week. It takes place the third week of October and its purpose is to educate Americans about the importance of estate planning. It's our goal at Modern Wealth Management to help people keep estate planning top of mind year-round. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper, CFP®, AIF® are going to help explai...

Inflation is a word we've become all too familiar with over the past couple of years, but it's far from the only economic buzzword that's been trending. Have you heard about disinflation and deflation and understand what each term means? Obviously, they sound similar, so there's no shame in confusing them. Still, it's important to know what disinflation and deflation mean and how they're different...

We've seen our fair share of mind-blowing statistics in retirement planning surveys over the years. Our jaws nearly hit the floor, though, when seeing a statistic in recent study from Allianz Life. Their survey found that 61% of Americans are more afraid of running out of money than they are of death. Think about that for a minute. That's insane. That's why we can't stress enough that everyone nee...

As a full-service wealth management firm, we strive every day at Modern Wealth to help people get to and through retirement. So why are we publishing an article about unretiring? Well, there are a few reasons. Logan DeGraeve, CFP® and Chris Rett, CFP® are going to help us break down some statistics about retirement considerations and discuss why someone would think about unretiring. Retirement Pla...

Have you been negatively impacted by the  economic uncertainty  we've experienced over the past couple of years? If so, how? It's not a fun conversation to have, but it's a necessary one. Not having a conversation about it at all can only increase the anxiety of economic uncertainty, which is why it's so critical to  plan for economic uncertainty . We're going to discuss what millionaires do in ti...

Did you know that you have more  control over your taxes  in retirement than at any other time of your life? It's true, but you need to understand some very important tax secrets—AKA,  tax planning strategies —to take advantage of it. These really shouldn't be considered as tax secrets since everyone should know about them. The problem is that a lot of people think that tax planning is only for th...

Did you know that we're in the midst of The Great Wealth Transfer? More than 10,000 Baby Boomers are expected to turn 65 each day between now and 2030. Along with entering retirement, the Baby Boomers are beginning to pass their hard-earned wealth to the next generation. Logan DeGraeve, CFP® and Matt Kasper, CFP® explain why it's critical to understand how to pass down and inherit assets in a tax-...

You may have heard the term QCD (Qualified Charitable Distribution), but what is a QCD? If you're 70½ or older, charitably inclined, and have money in tax-deferred accounts—such as traditional IRAs—QCDs might be right up your alley. A QCD is a distribution from an IRA that goes directly to a qualified charity. QCDs aren't taxed and won't show up on your tax return. Does that sound intriguing? Dean...

Do you have some retirement rules of thumb that you follow? Some of them might be helpful with getting you in the right mindset to save for retirement, but there are issues with every one of them. Why? Because your financial plan needs to be built based upon your unique situation. Become a Rothaholic: https://bit.ly/3PLXkWU Retirement Plan Checklist: https://bit.ly/46e7W68 Don't Retire Without Doi...

The question, "How Much Do I Need to Retire?" certainly makes for an attention-grabbing headline. And we get it. It's a very frequently asked question and we've even published an article with that exact headline. But if you're expecting to read that article and get a definitive answer to that question that includes a retirement savings by age breakdown, that's not what you'll find. Unfortunately,...

Even if you aren't close to retirement, financial planning in your 30s and 40s is critical. And if your 30s and 40s feel like they were another lifetime ago, that doesn't mean that financial planning in your 30s and 40s doesn't apply to you. What we're going to cover in this article will still apply to your children and/or grandchildren. Two of our CFP® Professionals, Logan DeGraeve and Matt Kaspe...

Do you have a good understanding of compound interest? If you do, you'll probably catch on quickly to the concept of how a Roth IRA grows. If you're not familiar with compound interest or Roth IRAs, follow along as Dean Barber and Bud Kasper answer the question, "How does a Roth IRA grow?" We'll do our best to explain in simple terms how the Roth IRA can be an effective tax savings vehicle. Become...

A lot of avid football fans probably have heard Hank Williams Jr.'s song, Are You Ready for Some Football? that went to the tune of his hit, All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight. Several of our team members are ready for some football, especially in our Kansas City-and Detroit-area offices since the Chiefs and Lions are kicking off the NFL season. But while we're excited for football, we h...

There are so many things that can be overlooked when someone takes a DIY approach to retirement planning. One of them is capital gains taxes. What are capital gains taxes and how do they work? We're going to cover that and explain why it's one of many reasons to work with a CFP® Professional that works alongside a CPA. Retirement Plan Checklist: https://bit.ly/45xuYVX Tax Rates Sunset in 2026 & Wh...