Retirement GPS - Navigated by Zynergy

Episode #64: How Do You Pay Yourself in Retirement? Creating a Reliable Retirement Paycheck! Retirement changes the way you receive and manage your money. But how do you turn Social Security, pensions, investments, and other income sources into a predictable paycheck you can rely on? In this episode of Retirement GPS, Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP®, president of Zynergy Retirement Planning, breaks down how...

Episode #63: If the Market Is Overvalued, Why Is It Still Going Up? The stock market looks expensive by historical standards, so why does it keep going higher? And more importantly, should you actually do anything about it? In this episode of Retirement GPS, Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP®, explains how market valuations work and why high valuations don't necessarily mean a market crash is coming. He breaks...

Episode #62: Should You Invest for Income in Retirement? The Truth About Dividends and Interest When you retire and your paycheck stops, it can be tempting to build your portfolio around dividends and interest. But focusing too heavily on investment income could lead to unnecessary risk and poor investment decisions. In this episode of Retirement GPS, Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP®, explains why total retu...

Episode #61: Giving While You're Living: Should You Gift Your Money Now? What if you could help your family with your money today instead of waiting for them to inherit it years from now? Lifetime gifting can create meaningful opportunities for your loved ones while allowing you to experience the impact of your generosity. In this episode of Retirement GPS, Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP®, discusses the ben...

Episode #60: Where Should You Retire? Finding the Right Place for You! Where you live can have a huge impact on your happiness, lifestyle, and finances in retirement. But is the highest-ranked retirement destination actually the best place for you? In this episode of Retirement GPS, Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP®, explores the top 10 retirement destinations in America and the factors you should consider wh...

Episode #59: The Flaw of Averages: Why Past Performance Can Be Deceiving When evaluating investments, it's easy to focus on average returns. But averages often tell only part of the story and relying on them alone can lead to costly investment decisions. In this episode of Retirement GPS, Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP®, explains why past performance can be misleading and why understanding volatility, seque...

Episode #58: From Saver to Spender: Learning to Enjoy the Money You Worked So Hard to Save For decades, you've been taught to save, invest, and live below your means. But once you retire, the goal changes and for many retirees, that's one of the hardest adjustments to make. In this episode of Retirement GPS, Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP®, explores the psychological shift from saving for retirement to conf...

Episode #57: Is Inflation Back? How Much Should Retirees Really Worry? Inflation has dominated the headlines in recent years, and as prices continue to rise, many retirees are asking the same question: Should I be worried about my retirement? In this episode of Retirement GPS, Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP®, explains how inflation impacts retirees differently than those still working and why it's one of th...

Episode #56: The Retirement Red Zone – Your Final Year Before Retirement The final year before retirement is one of the most important and often overlooked stages of the retirement planning process. The decisions you make during these last 12 months can have a lasting impact on your financial security and peace of mind. In this episode of Retirement GPS, Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP®, introduces the conce...

Episode #55: Why Working After 65 Might Be the Best Retirement Decision You Make Retirement doesn't have to mean the end of work. For many people, continuing to work after age 65 isn't about necessity, it's about freedom, purpose, and living life on your own terms. In this episode of Retirement GPS, Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP®, explores three compelling reasons why working beyond the traditional retirem...

Episode #54: Safe Distribution Rates – How Much Can You Safely Spend in Retirement? One of the biggest questions retirees ask is, "How much can I safely withdraw from my retirement portfolio without running out of money?" The answer isn't as simple as following a rule of thumb. In this episode of Retirement GPS, Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP®, breaks down the concept of safe distribution rates and explains...

Episode #53: IPO Fever – Why the Hottest Investments Often Make the Worst Investments When a new company goes public, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement. But are the hottest IPOs really the best investments for your long-term financial future? In this episode of Retirement GPS, Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP®, explores the hype surrounding Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) and explains why chasing t...

Episode #52: What Retirees Wish They Had Done 10 Years Earlier If you could go back in time and make a few changes before retirement, what would you do differently? While none of us can change the past, we can learn from those who have already been there. In this episode of Retirement GPS, Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP®, shares some of the most common retirement regrets he hears from retirees and the valua...

Episode #51: Retirement Tax Traps That Could Cost You Thousands Many people assume they'll pay less in taxes once they retire, but that's not always the case. Without proper planning, hidden tax rules can create unexpected costs that significantly impact your retirement income. In this episode of Retirement GPS, Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP®, breaks down five of the most common retirement tax traps that c...

Episode #50: Tax Loss Harvesting – Turning Market Volatility Into Tax Savings Market volatility can be unsettling—but what if a market downturn could actually help lower your taxes? In this episode of Retirement GPS, Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP®, breaks down one of the most effective tax strategies available to investors with taxable brokerage accounts: tax loss harvesting. Learn how strategically realiz...

Episode #49: New Jersey's $6,500 Retirement Tax Break – Are You Missing Out? If you're a New Jersey homeowner age 65 or older, you could be leaving thousands of dollars in property tax relief on the table. In this episode of Retirement GPS, Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP®, breaks down New Jersey's three major property tax relief programs for seniors—the Senior Freeze, ANCHOR, and the recently updated StayNJ...

What should you be doing throughout the year to stay on track for retirement? In this episode of Retirement GPS, Navigated by Zynergy, Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP®, and co-host Zane Belcak pull back the curtain on Zynergy Retirement Planning’s annual planning process and show you how to create your own retirement planning calendar. Rather than scrambling at tax time or revisiting your finances only when...

What do you need to think about if you are retiring with $7 million?  Ryan Zacharczyk & Zane Belcak walk you through, step-by-step, using their GPS program, each of the components that should be intentionally decided upon to maximize your retirement.   In this podcast, we discuss: Goal Setting Cash Flow Emergency Reserves Investing Distributions Taxes Insurances Estate Planning And much, much...

In this episode, Ryan and Zane dive into the different types of risks that we face in our investments.  Why there is no such thing as a "risk-free" investment, and the importance of understanding what risk you are accepting, regardless of the investment you choose.  If you don't know the risk you are accepting, you are at greater risk.

In this episode of the Retirement GPS Podcast, Ryan and Zane break down one of the most controversial topics in retirement planning: annuities.   Are annuities a smart way to create guaranteed retirement income, or are they expensive products that limit flexibility and growth? Ryan and Zane cut through the confusion, sales pitches, and industry noise to explain how annuities actually work and wher...

In this episode of the Retirement GPS Podcast, Ryan and Zane continue the “How Do I Retire With…” series by exploring what retirement can look like with $6 million in investible assets.   They walk through Zynergy’s 10 GPS planning components and explain how this level of wealth can support income, travel, lifestyle flexibility, charitable giving, legacy planning, and long-term financial confidenc...

In this episode of the Retirement GPS Podcast, Ryan and Zane tackle one of the most emotional questions in financial planning: How do you leave wealth to your children without creating unintended consequences?   They explore the behavioral, financial, and family dynamics that come with passing down significant wealth, and why legacy planning is about far more than taxes and legal documents. From t...

In this episode of the Retirement GPS Podcast, Ryan and Zane tackle a retirement challenge that rarely gets talked about: learning how to actually enjoy the money you spent decades building.   After years of saving, investing, and delaying gratification, many retirees struggle to shift into spending mode, even when they’re financially secure. Ryan and Zane explain why that mindset is so common and...

In this episode of the Retirement GPS Podcast, Ryan and Zane continue the “How Do I Retire With…” series by exploring what retirement can look like with $5 million in investible assets.   They walk through Zynergy’s 10 GPS planning components and explain how this asset level can support income, travel, lifestyle flexibility, charitable giving, legacy planning, and long-term financial confidence.  ...

Ryan and Zane walk through a question many people don’t think to ask: how is your financial advisor actually getting paid, and what does that mean for you?   They break down the differences between fee-only, fee-based, and commission-based advisors, and explain how each structure can shape the recommendations you receive. They also clarify what it really means to work with a fiduciary and why that...