Retirement on the Horizon

The Quest for Max Income 4-11-26

More yield. Better Social Security timing. Higher returns. Retirees try all of it in the quest for maximum income. Some of it works. Some of it backfires. And almost none of it compares to the one strategy that can increase what you actually keep by 30, 40, even 50 percent — without taking a single dollar of additional risk. This week — the quest for max income.

The IRMAA Ambush 4-4-26

Here's the cruelest twist in retirement planning: the people most likely to get hit with IRMAA are the ones who saved the most. The harder you worked and the more you saved, the bigger the target on your back. This week we're talking about the IRMAA Ambush — what it is, how it finds you, and what you can do about it.

Navigating the Retirement Redzone 3-28-26

Think of the Retirement Red Zone as the 8 to 10 year window surrounding retirement — about 4 to 5 years before, and 4 to 5 years after.
What happens during this period often has a bigger impact on your financial future than the following 20 years. Sequence of returns, withdrawal timing, and tax decisions all matter more than ever. Get the Red Zone right, and retirement can feel a whole lot more secure.

7 Essential Keys to Your Estate Plan 3-21-26

On this week's episode of Retirement on the Horizon, we take you through 7 key estate planning elements to make sure you have checked off. 

8 Truths Wall Street Won't Tell You About Your Retirement 2-21-26

When it comes to retirement income planning, the traditional Wall Street Advice - which based on a growth approach - often falls short. There are 8 truths or principles that don't work in Wall Street's favor when you retire and need your hard-earned savings to live on. So, Wall Street is not excited to share them. 
We will. 
Herein, we tackle the 4% rule, growth vs income approaches, the "retirement red zone", sequence of return risk, and more. 

5 Core Retirement Income Principles 2-14-26

How can you create retirement income plans that are more resilient through good and tough times? In this episode, we share 5 core principles designed to help with just that. Also, a deep dive discussion on using a fixed income annuity as a potential bond replacement in the ubiquitous 60/40 stock/bond model portfolio. The results are startling and enlightening.
Finally, we cap off this episode with a practical discussion on how to prepare for the “silver tsunami” of long-term care starting to hit the retirement shores. 

(Asset) Location, Location, Location! 2-7-26

More important than your asset allocation is your asset location. There are only 3 columns (categories) of financial vehicles:
Taxable
Tax-deferred
Tax-free
Before deciding what your allocation should be, you must decide where you want your assets to live. There is a perfect balance for each saver. In this episode, we dive into the advantages and disadvantages of each column, the proper uses of the assets that make up in column, and how to strategically transfer taxable and tax-deferred assets to the tax-free column.

8 Keys to Roth Conversions 1-31-26

Roth conversions aren’t about avoiding taxes — they’re about deciding when, how, and at what rate you’ll pay them. Too many people focus on the micro view: “How much tax will this cost me this year?” A better question is, “How will this decision impact my entire retirement?”
Strategic conversions can create decades of tax-free income, reduce or eliminate required minimum distributions, lower Medicare premiums and Social Security taxation, and provide insulation from future tax increases. Yes, there can be short-term friction — higher taxable income or temporary IRMAA surcharges — but for many households, those are time-boxed issues in exchange for long-term control, certainty, and tax-free wealth.

5 High Level Updates for Social Security 1-24-26

In this episode of Retirement on the Horizon, we dive into 5 high-level social security updates for 2026 and how they impact your social security decisions.
Through a case study, we explore how to make your social security potentially tax-free as well as leaving nearly 3X more to heirs while not sacrificing current life style.

Modern Long-term Care Planning 1-17-26

By now, many have heard of the Silver Tsunami—the wave of baby boomers who currently or will shortly need some form of long-term care. This is a reality to the vast majority of retirees—now or in the future—will face. Unfortunately, most have not planned for it—either overlooking it or not being informed on the best choices for their situation. Make no mistake: long-term care planning is part of your retirement planning, whether you actively plan for it or not.
Modern advances in long-term care options have largely done away with the “use-it-or-lose-it” type of coverage that gives so many retirees understandable consternation. Further, the choice to “self-insure”—even for those that truly can afford it—is no longer good math with newer planning options. In this episode, we explore these modern approaches and give real-world case studies to demonstrate the advantages of modern long-term care planning.