Retire Smarter with Kevin Kroskey, CFP® & Tyler Emrick, CFA® CFP®

If you listened to Episode #12, you heard the rundown on just about every type of annuity except the variable annuity. So what exactly is involved in a variable annuity, and why is it almost like a four-letter word to so many in the retirement community? Kevin will give you the details on what these annuities do, what you should look out for, and if there ever truly is a reason you would want to i...

Have you ever received an invitation to attend a steak dinner seminar event to learn about a financial product? Were you pitched an annuity? This is a popular phenomenon in the financial advising world and it's one that drives Kevin a little crazy. Join us on this episode as we take a peek behind the annuity curtain and talk about what's really happening at these free steak dinners. For more about...

People struggle to keep their New Year's Resolutions. Instead, let's talk about what real goal setting looks like. Kevin will share some tips he's picked up from various coaches over the years that have proved fruitful in his own life and talk about how you can apply them going into the new year. For more about True Wealth Design, visit: http://www.truewealthdesign.com/

Time for part 2 of our conversation on the retirement rule gone awry that you'll be in a lower tax bracket at retirement. On this episode, we'll showcase a scenario where following this rule really puts you off track. For more about True Wealth Design, visit: http://www.truewealthdesign.com/

Let's continue our series on breaking down some of the retirement "rules" that have gone awry. This week, we'll begin a two-part series on the retirement rule that you should plan to be in a lower tax bracket in retirement. Is that really true? Listen to this week's podcast to find out. For more about True Wealth Design, visit: http://www.truewealthdesign.com/

In this episode, Kevin turns the tables on a handful of common misconceptions about health care costs in retirement. Find out the truth about what health coverage and long-term care actually might cost and how you can factor them into your overall retirement plan. For more about True Wealth Design, visit: http://www.truewealthdesign.com/

You've perhaps heard the 4 percent rule, that if you take 4% out of your investment account each year, you'll never outlive your money. Kevin talks about where this idea came from, and pokes some holes in this strategy in this third installment of Rules Gone Awry. For more about True Wealth Design, visit: http://www.truewealthdesign.com/

There's a "rule" that says you should take 100, subtract your age, and the result tells you how much of your money you should invest in stocks. It would be awesome if retirement planning was that simple, but simple isn't always effective and that's the problem with the Rule of 100. Take a listen to find out about better ways to invest and plan for your financial future. For more about True Wealth...

There's an old school of thought that says you should take social security as early as you can so that you can get the most out of it. But this is another one of those retirement rules gone awry that we enjoy picking apart on the podcast. Kevin will tell us why this retirement "rule" needs to be scraped and give us the proper lens through which to view the social security problem. For more about T...

Walter was being nosy recently and asking his mom about her retirement plans. When she told him she was planning on living off of 80% of her current income during her retirement years, it raised a red flag. How did she come to that figure? You guessed it, she didn't really have an exact answer for why she picked that number. So Walter turns to Kevin on this week's podcast to understand how that "8...

There is a lot of obsessing over creating a stress-free experience in retirement. But life doesn't really work that way. We can still experience happiness and joy in retirement, even if there's still a few stressful moments along the way. Don't buy into another one of those retirement rules gone awry, that a truly stress-free retirement is attainable. Kevin will show us how to root your financial...

Unfortunately, many financial advisors fall into one camp or another. They're either a great relationship person or they're extremely focused on planning details. Kevin will tell us about a couple who called him recently after experiencing one of those scenarios and how it cost them a lot of money. Listen to this episode of "Retire Smarter" to find out why you should work with an advisor who respe...

We often have a lot of unrealistic expectations about retirement. And there’s nothing wrong with that if we reel ourselves back toward reality before making major decisions. Let’s talk about some of the ways our retirement expectations get out of whack and what more realistic scenarios should look like.   For more about True Wealth Design, visit: http://www.truewealthdesign.com/