Winning in Retirement

Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Paul Franco from AKERS Financial Group discuss the importance of starting seriously with financial planning for a fun retirement. They emphasize the need to be proactive in planning, including understanding your financial situation, setting goals, and implementing strategies. They highlight the significance of comprehensive financial planning that includes asset al...

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Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Jeff Akers, Certified Financial Planners, discuss the importance of life insurance in financial planning. They explain different types of life insurance: term, whole, and universal, highlighting their features and costs. They emphasize the need for life insurance to cover debts, replace income, and fund future goals. They also discuss the use of life insurance for...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Jeff Akers discuss the financial challenges of retiring single, highlighting that 45% of people over 65 are single. They emphasize the importance of financial planning, especially after a spouse's death, to manage tax implications and ensure financial stability. Key points include the need for Roth conversions to take advantage of lower tax brackets, the impac...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Jeff Akers, both certified financial planners, discuss strategies for funding children and grandchildren's education through 529 plans. They highlight the benefits of starting early, contributing $19,000 annually per beneficiary, and leveraging state tax deductions, such as Maryland's $2,500 deduction. They explain the flexibility of 529 plans, including...

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Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Paul Franco discuss the importance of starting to save early for retirement. They emphasize the need to maximize workplace benefits, such as 401(k) matches and health savings accounts, and to avoid debt. Brian highlights the significance of financial planning, including understanding one's job benefits and creating a budget. They stress the importance of savin...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Paul Franco discuss financial tips for those under 40, emphasizing the importance of early planning. They highlight the role of compound interest, urging listeners to start saving early to achieve financial independence. They stress the need to prioritize savings, avoid consumer debt, and understand expenses. Paul shares a client success story where consistent cont...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and attorney Kevin Bress discuss legacy and charitable giving on the "Winning in Retirement" radio show. They emphasize the importance of estate planning, including wills and beneficiary forms, to ensure assets are distributed according to one's wishes. Kevin explains the federal and state estate tax exemptions, noting Maryland's $5 million threshol...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Jeff Akers discuss strategies for maximizing retirement savings in 2025. They highlight the importance of contributing to retirement plans, emphasizing the tax advantages of qualified plans like IRAs and 401(k)s. For IRAs, the base limit is $7,000 annually, with a $1,000 catch-up for those over 50, totaling $8,000. Employer-sponsored plans allow up to $23,500 annua...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Alex Monk discuss the challenges and strategies for small business founders on their radio podcast. They emphasize the importance of planning, delegation, and balancing personal and professional life. Brian shares his experience of starting a business 35 years ago and the significance of having a well-structured business plan. They highlight the need for founders t...

Send us Fan Mail Brian AKERS and Mark Diorio from Brookstone Capital Management discuss the mid-year market update. They highlight the market's resilience, noting the S&P 500's V-shaped recovery after a 12% drop in April. Despite geopolitical risks, the market has remained stable with inflation around 2.5%. They emphasize the importance of diversification, particularly in dividend st...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Paul Franco discuss the impact of the new tax law, referred to as the "one big beautiful bill," signed on July 4, 2025. They highlight key provisions such as the permanent extension of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act's tax brackets, the introduction of a temporary senior personal exemption for those aged 65 and older, and the increase in the state and local...

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Send us Fan Mail Estate planning is crucial for protecting one's legacy and managing family dynamics after death. Ashley Rowe and Brian Akers emphasize the importance of working with an attorney for personalized advice and highlight the dangers of using online platforms like Legal Zoom. They discuss essential aspects of estate planning, including understanding net worth, asset titling, and be...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Ashley Row discuss the importance of estate planning, including power of attorney and legal documents. They emphasize the need for these documents to ensure wishes are carried out and to avoid probate. Brian and Ashley also highlight the benefits of having a will, including avoiding probate and offering protection for beneficiaries. In the second segment, Speaker 2...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Alex Monk discuss the concept of "rothification," or converting pre-tax retirement accounts to Roth IRAs to pay taxes now and enjoy tax-free growth. They explain the history of Roth IRAs, which began in 1998, and the rules for qualified withdrawals at age 59 1/2. They emphasize the importance of tracking contributions on Form 8606 to avoid paying taxes tw...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Alex Monk discuss the emotional aspects of financial planning, including understanding and separating emotions from money, building trust, and guiding clients towards their financial goals. They emphasize the importance of personalized financial planning for retirement, tailored approaches that consider each individual's unique situation, goals, and circumstan...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Paul Franco discuss strategies for achieving a lower stress retirement through financial planning. They emphasize the importance of protecting a portion of one's portfolio, particularly as retirement approaches, by using tools like fixed index annuities. These annuities offer principal protection and growth tied to market indices, with caps on potential losses...

Send us Fan Mail Brian and Jeff Akers discuss the importance of financial planning for a smooth retirement transition. They emphasize the need for a personalized plan, steady income stream, tax-free growth, and understanding tax effects on investments. They also stress the importance of starting early, prioritizing saving, and adapting to changing circumstances. Jeff highlights the benefits of usi...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Paul Franco discuss retirement planning and financial literacy and how to retire once!  They emphasize the importance of personalized planning, understanding an individual's unique financial situation and goals, and managing cash flow effectively. They also discuss the significance of reducing volatility through protected investments and individualized portfol...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Mark Diorio discuss market volatility and its impact on investments. They highlight a recent 10% market drop due to policy uncertainty and tariff shocks, noting that such corrections are normal and typically recover. Diorio explains the concept of a "tariff tantrum" and its effects on inflation and economic growth. He emphasizes the importance of a strate...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Alex Monk discuss the importance of planning for financial volatility in retirement. They highlight the unpredictability of market movements, citing recent events like COVID-19 and tariff impacts. They emphasize the need for a diversified portfolio, including protected assets and growth investments, to mitigate risks. They advise against basing retirement spending...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Paul Franco, financial advisors from AKERS Financial Group, discuss the myths of conventional financial wisdom on their radio show "Winning in Retirement." They emphasize the importance of personalized financial planning over generic advice. Key points include the misconception that Medicare covers long-term care, the necessity of planning for long-term c...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Akers and Jeff Akers discuss strategies for minimizing taxes in retirement through the concept of "levelizing." They explain how current tax decisions can impact future tax liabilities, emphasizing the importance of understanding tax brackets and the benefits of contributing to Roth accounts. They highlight that the 2025 tax brackets range from 10% to 37%, with sig...