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Category: Retirement

August 21, 2025

Navigating Medicare Open Enrollment: Your Guide to Making the Right Choices

It’s that time of year again. The leaves are changing, the weather is cooling, and Medicare Open Enrollment is right around the corner. For many, this season brings a mix of confusion and stress. So many plans, acronyms, and deadlines—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But it doesn’t have to be. Think of this as your [...]

Contributions from: Elaina Shemeta, CFP®

August 11, 2025

Required Minimum Distributions: Rules and Strategies

Qualified retirement accounts can be powerful tools in saving for your later years, but along with the benefits of pre-tax contributions and tax-deferred growth, there are limitations and rules that apply. A good thing can’t last forever, and―as the Beatles said―the taxman will eventually come for his cut. That’s where Required Minimum Distributions, or RMDs, [...]

Contributions from: Matt Sampson, CFP®, CEPA®, Jay Winston, CFP®, CAP®

August 10, 2025

Save More for Retirement with Your Health Savings Account

As you plan for retirement, consider using one of the best options for building tax-advantaged savings—a Health Savings Account (HSA). An HSA is a medical savings account available to anyone enrolled in an HSA-compatible high-deductible health plan (HDHP), are covered under a “direct primary care service arrangement” (in which the monthly fee does not exceed [...]

Eric Schuehle
Contributions from: Eric Schuehle

August 7, 2025

Planning Your Social Security Strategy: What to Consider When Claiming Benefits

Claiming Social Security is one of the most important financial decisions you’ll make in retirement—and it’s far from one-size-fits-all. Your choice will affect not only the size of your monthly benefit, but also the total amount you may receive over your lifetime. Factors such as your health, life expectancy, marital status, income needs, and confidence [...]

Contributions from: Rich Merrifield, CFP®, AIF®

June 1, 2025

Maximizing Your Google Benefits: A Strategic Guide for 2025

Google provides an extensive range of benefits that can enhance your wealth, manage risk, and secure your future. By integrating Google’s compensation, retirement, and health benefits into your financial plan, you can better align these offerings with your long-term goals. Equity Awards Google’s stock units (GSUs) can be a powerful tool for achieving financial objectives. [...]

Katie Mietus
Contributions from: Katie Berntson, CFP®, Anne Marie Stonich, CFP®, CPA

April 10, 2025

Unlocking the Power of Roth Conversions for Long-Term Wealth Growth

As wealth managers, we often help clients navigate strategies to maximize their retirement savings and tax advantages. One powerful tool in the arsenal is the Roth conversion, including the “Mega Backdoor Roth.” But what are Roth conversions, and how can they help you achieve your financial goals? What is a Roth Conversion? A Roth conversion [...]

Katie Mietus
Contributions from: Katie Berntson, CFP®, Anne Marie Stonich, CFP®, CPA

February 4, 2025

The Social Security Fairness Act: Will Your Benefits Change?

On January 5, 2025, the Social Security Fairness Act was officially signed into law, repealing both the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). These changes stand to meaningfully increase monthly Social Security benefits for workers who receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security. What is the Windfall Elimination [...]

Ian Curtiss
Contributions from: Ian Curtiss, CFP®, CFA®, CPWA®, ChSNC

January 29, 2025

The Psychology of Retirement

One of my favorite tasks as a financial planner is to help clients plan for retirement. We gather data and run Monte Carlo simulations and tax analyses, but often that planning process runs much deeper than asset allocation and withdrawal strategies. Recently I had the pleasure of meeting with a couple in their early fifties. [...]

Contributions from: Larissa Vidal, CFP®

January 28, 2025

Retiring Early? Don’t Forget Health Insurance

If you’re planning to retire early, remember to include the cost of health insurance in your financial plan. Medicare eligibility begins at age 65, but until that time you’ll need to enroll in a private insurance plan.  Be sure to check your eligibility with COBRA from your prior employer as well.  COBRA premiums can be [...]

Eric Schuehle
Contributions from: Eric Schuehle, Rich Merrifield, CFP®, AIF®

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