1.      There are 3 potential ways to balance the US Budget and start to pay off debt. 2.      2. Soon the U.S. will be spending more on interest on our than we will spend on any other program. 3.      3. The math doesn’t work out to only raise taxes on the wealthy. 4.      4. Taxes will increase for everyone. 5.      5. Tax-Free accounts will become more important in the future.

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;!-- [if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1d1d1f; letter-spacing: -.05pt;" data-darkreader-inline-color=""&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-list: Ignore;"&gt;1.&lt;span style= "font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"&gt;     &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;" data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor=""&gt;There are 3 potential ways to balance the US Budget and start to pay off debt.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;!-- [if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1d1d1f; letter-spacing: -.05pt;" data-darkreader-inline-color=""&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-list: Ignore;"&gt;2.&lt;span style= "font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"&gt;     &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;" data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor=""&gt;2. Soon the U.S. will be spending more on interest on our than we will spend on any other program.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;!-- [if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1d1d1f; letter-spacing: -.05pt;" data-darkreader-inline-color=""&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-list: Ignore;"&gt;3.&lt;span style= "font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"&gt;     &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;" data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor=""&gt;3. The math doesn’t work out to only raise taxes on the wealthy.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;!-- [if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1d1d1f; letter-spacing: -.05pt;" data-darkreader-inline-color=""&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-list: Ignore;"&gt;4.&lt;span style= "font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"&gt;     &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;" data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor=""&gt;4. Taxes will increase for everyone.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;!-- [if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1d1d1f; letter-spacing: -.05pt;" data-darkreader-inline-color=""&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-list: Ignore;"&gt;5.&lt;span style= "font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"&gt;     &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;" data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor=""&gt;5. Tax-Free accounts will become more important in the future.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

1.      There are 3 potential ways to balance the US Budget and start to pay off debt. 2.      2. Soon the U.S. will be spending more on interest on our than we will spend on any other program....

Episode 39: The Debt Ceiling and What It Means for Americans

<ol> <li>Take intermittent steps into retirement. Go part-time, then retire.</li> <li>Work with a financial planner that will look holistically at your income and assets.</li> <li>If you don’t have a pension, be sure you have a strategy for taking Social Security. That may include taking it early or waiting until after FRA.</li> <li>Have your adviser run different scenarios so you can see the difference with taxes, income and how your assets are used.</li> </ol>

<description>&lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor= ""&gt;Take intermittent steps into retirement. Go part-time, then retire.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor= ""&gt;Work with a financial planner that will look holistically at your income and assets.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor= ""&gt;If you don’t have a pension, be sure you have a strategy for taking Social Security. That may include taking it early or waiting until after FRA.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor= ""&gt;Have your adviser run different scenarios so you can see the difference with taxes, income and how your assets are used.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;</description>

Quick tips on letting go of financial stress in retirement.

Episode 38: How to Stop Stressing Over Money and Start Enjoying Retirement

<ul> <li>The traditional way of investing doesn’t work. Research proves it It only works in up markets.</li> <li>Your income bucket should last 12+ years.</li> <li>It’s important to keep your income bucket away from your growth bucket. You can’t have your safe bucket going negative due to the market.</li> </ul>

<description>&lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor= ""&gt;The traditional way of investing doesn’t work. Research proves it It only works in up markets.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor= ""&gt;Your income bucket should last 12+ years.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor= ""&gt;It’s important to keep your income bucket away from your growth bucket. You can’t have your safe bucket going negative due to the market.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt;</description>

More and more research is suggesting that the traditional balanced allocation with a 4% withdraw rate is not going to provide the income for a retirees remaining years. But no one wants to talk about different strategies than a balanced portfolio.

Episode 37: Why You Should Separate Income and Growth

<ul> <li>Only about 25% of Americans have been able to reach this goal.</li> <li>A traditional balanced portfolio no longer works according to JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs studies.</li> <li>Add in some guaranteed products, like annuities. Even the big Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs, Fidelity, and Morgan Stanley are starting to see the value in them.</li> <li>Make sure you are talking to an adviser who specializes in retirement income planning and has the freedom to pick and choose products that are right fit for you.</li> </ul>

<description>&lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor= ""&gt;Only about 25% of Americans have been able to reach this goal.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor= ""&gt;A traditional balanced portfolio no longer works according to JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs studies.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor= ""&gt;Add in some guaranteed products, like annuities. Even the big Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs, Fidelity, and Morgan Stanley are starting to see the value in them.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor= ""&gt;Make sure you are talking to an adviser who specializes in retirement income planning and has the freedom to pick and choose products that are right fit for you.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt;</description>

Studies show that most Americans need 70% of their pre-retirement income to last throughout retirement. How do you do this when the majority of retirees no longer have a “Three-legged Stool”?

Episode 36: How to Increase Your Confidence through Retirement

1.      Only about 25% of Americans are able to reach this goal. 2.      A traditional balanced portfolio no longer works according to JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs studies. 3.      If you add in guarantees to your portfolio, you can still take the 4% or more and have your money last your retirement. 4.      The adviser you speak with matters. Some big firms limit what their advisors can do because they don’t make money off certain products.

<description>&lt;p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style= "text-indent: -.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"&gt; &lt;!-- [if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1d1d1f; letter-spacing: -.05pt;" data-darkreader-inline-color=""&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-list: Ignore;"&gt;1.&lt;span style= "font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"&gt;     &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1d1d1f; letter-spacing: -.05pt; background: white;" data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor=""&gt;Only about 25% of Americans are able to reach this goal.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style= "text-indent: -.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"&gt; &lt;!-- [if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1d1d1f; letter-spacing: -.05pt;" data-darkreader-inline-color=""&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-list: Ignore;"&gt;2.&lt;span style= "font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"&gt;     &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1d1d1f; letter-spacing: -.05pt; background: white;" data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor=""&gt;A traditional balanced portfolio no longer works according to JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs studies.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style= "text-indent: -.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"&gt; &lt;!-- [if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1d1d1f; letter-spacing: -.05pt;" data-darkreader-inline-color=""&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-list: Ignore;"&gt;3.&lt;span style= "font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"&gt;     &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1d1d1f; letter-spacing: -.05pt; background: white;" data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor=""&gt;If you add in guarantees to your portfolio, you can still take the 4% or more and have your money last your retirement.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style= "text-indent: -.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"&gt; &lt;!-- [if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1d1d1f; letter-spacing: -.05pt;" data-darkreader-inline-color=""&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-list: Ignore;"&gt;4.&lt;span style= "font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"&gt;     &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1d1d1f; letter-spacing: -.05pt; background: white;" data-darkreader-inline-color="" data-darkreader-inline-bgimage="" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor=""&gt;The adviser you speak with matters. Some big firms limit what their advisors can do because they don’t make money off certain products.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

The goal for most Americans is to retire at the same standard of living as when they were working. But it’s harder than most people think. What are some of the things you can do to meet that goal?

Episode 35: How to Retire and Aim for The Same Standard of Living

Duane and Aaron Johnson are co-founders of Bridger Financial Services.

Retirement DNA

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