Prices change, risks evolve, and so do the rules of a secure retirement. We take a time jump from 1971 to 1989, 2001, 2008, and today to uncover what history teaches about building income you can trust. Along the way, Brad shares personal stories, like his father’s 2008 losses at Merrill Lynch and the pivot that created guaranteed paychecks for life, to show how real households turn pain into better planning. We break down the forces that matter most: the true cost of living in 2025, the impact of taxes on every withdrawal, and why sequence of returns risk can undo decades of saving if your first retirement years collide with a downturn. You’ll hear how the “quadruple whammy”—withdrawals, losses, fees, and taxes—erodes portfolios, and how to counter it with a blended strategy that pairs market growth with guaranteed lifetime income. We also explore practical tax planning moves like Roth conversions, bracket management, and smarter Social Security timing, plus how location and lifestyle change your target number more than any rule of thumb. By the end, you’ll see a blueprint for resilience: set a reliable income floor, diversify risk, cut avoidable taxes and fees, and keep a cash buffer for rough markets. Whether you’re eyeing Missouri’s lower costs or navigating a high‑cost coastal city, this approach scales to your life. Ready to stress‑test your plan and keep more of what you’ve earned? Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s retiring soon, and leave a review with your top retirement question so we can help in a future show.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2077798/open_sms">Send us a text</a>To learn more about Brad Pistole and the Ozark Retirement Group, please visit www.ozarksretirement.com

<description>&lt;p&gt;Prices change, risks evolve, and so do the rules of a secure retirement. We take a time jump from 1971 to 1989, 2001, 2008, and today to uncover what history teaches about building income you can trust. Along the way, Brad shares personal stories, like his father’s 2008 losses at Merrill Lynch and the pivot that created guaranteed paychecks for life, to show how real households turn pain into better planning.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;We break down the forces that matter most: the true cost of living in 2025, the impact of taxes on every withdrawal, and why sequence of returns risk can undo decades of saving if your first retirement years collide with a downturn. You’ll hear how the “quadruple whammy”—withdrawals, losses, fees, and taxes—erodes portfolios, and how to counter it with a blended strategy that pairs market growth with guaranteed lifetime income. We also explore practical tax planning moves like Roth conversions, bracket management, and smarter Social Security timing, plus how location and lifestyle change your target number more than any rule of thumb.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By the end, you’ll see a blueprint for resilience: set a reliable income floor, diversify risk, cut avoidable taxes and fees, and keep a cash buffer for rough markets. Whether you’re eyeing Missouri’s lower costs or navigating a high‑cost coastal city, this approach scales to your life. Ready to stress‑test your plan and keep more of what you’ve earned? Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s retiring soon, and leave a review with your top retirement question so we can help in a future show.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2077798/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To learn more about Brad Pistole and the Ozark Retirement Group, please visit www.ozarksretirement.com &lt;/p&gt;</description>

Prices change, risks evolve, and so do the rules of a secure retirement. We take a time jump from 1971 to 1989, 2001, 2008, and today to uncover what history teaches about building income you can trust. Along the way, Brad shares personal stories, like his father’s 2008 losses at Merrill Lynch and the pivot that created guaranteed paychecks for life, to show how real households turn pain into better planning.  We break down the forces that matter most: the true cost of living in 2025, the imp...

Retirement Then And Now: What It Really Takes to Retire in 2026

Eight hundred shows in, the mission hasn’t changed: build income you can trust so you can sleep well at night. To celebrate the milestone, we brought together five leaders whose work has shaped modern retirement planning—Tom Hegna on the go‑go, slow‑go, and no‑go years, Heather Schreiber on Social Security strategy and IRMAA, Cheryl J. Moore on the truth about indexed annuities, Dr. Wade Pfau on the RISA framework, and Ed Slott on turning tax traps into tax opportunities. We start with Hegna’s simple playbook: guarantee paychecks for life during the go‑go years so you actually spend; set a real plan for long‑term care risk in the slow‑go years; and use life insurance to deliver legacy, tax advantages, and permission to enjoy your savings. From there, Schreiber shows how spousal benefits, retroactive filing, and the repeal of GPO/WEP for certain cases can unlock more income for families with non‑covered pensions, while also flagging IRMAA’s two‑year lookback so you don’t get ambushed by Medicare surcharges. Moore clears the fog around fixed indexed annuities—principal protection, growth linked to an index with a floor, and options for lifetime income that mirror what people already love about Social Security and pensions. Then Pfau explains why the Retirement Income Style Awareness assessment changes the conversation: Total Return, Income Protection, Time Segmentation, or Risk Wrap aren’t rival camps, they’re valid paths. When your plan matches your psychology—probability vs. safety, flexibility vs. commitment—you stick with it through volatility. Ed Slott closes with a blunt truth: taxes are the biggest lever between the retirement you want and the one you get. Multi‑year Roth conversion planning, RMD strategy, beneficiary design, and charitable giving can shift wealth from forever taxed to never taxed and keep IRMAA in check. If you’re ready to align guaranteed income, healthcare planning, and tax efficiency with your personal style, let’s talk. Subscribe, share this milestone with a friend who loves smart money talk, and leave a review with your biggest aha—what would help you sleep better at night?<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2077798/open_sms">Send us a text</a>To learn more about Brad Pistole and the Ozark Retirement Group, please visit www.ozarksretirement.com

<description>&lt;p&gt;Eight hundred shows in, the mission hasn’t changed: build income you can trust so you can sleep well at night. To celebrate the milestone, we brought together five leaders whose work has shaped modern retirement planning—Tom Hegna on the go‑go, slow‑go, and no‑go years, Heather Schreiber on Social Security strategy and IRMAA, Cheryl J. Moore on the truth about indexed annuities, Dr. Wade Pfau on the RISA framework, and Ed Slott on turning tax traps into tax opportunities.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;We start with Hegna’s simple playbook: guarantee paychecks for life during the go‑go years so you actually spend; set a real plan for long‑term care risk in the slow‑go years; and use life insurance to deliver legacy, tax advantages, and permission to enjoy your savings. From there, Schreiber shows how spousal benefits, retroactive filing, and the repeal of GPO/WEP for certain cases can unlock more income for families with non‑covered pensions, while also flagging IRMAA’s two‑year lookback so you don’t get ambushed by Medicare surcharges.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Moore clears the fog around fixed indexed annuities—principal protection, growth linked to an index with a floor, and options for lifetime income that mirror what people already love about Social Security and pensions. Then Pfau explains why the Retirement Income Style Awareness assessment changes the conversation: Total Return, Income Protection, Time Segmentation, or Risk Wrap aren’t rival camps, they’re valid paths. When your plan matches your psychology—probability vs. safety, flexibility vs. commitment—you stick with it through volatility.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ed Slott closes with a blunt truth: taxes are the biggest lever between the retirement you want and the one you get. Multi‑year Roth conversion planning, RMD strategy, beneficiary design, and charitable giving can shift wealth from forever taxed to never taxed and keep IRMAA in check. If you’re ready to align guaranteed income, healthcare planning, and tax efficiency with your personal style, let’s talk.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Subscribe, share this milestone with a friend who loves smart money talk, and leave a review with your biggest aha—what would help you sleep better at night?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2077798/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To learn more about Brad Pistole and the Ozark Retirement Group, please visit www.ozarksretirement.com &lt;/p&gt;</description>

Eight hundred shows in, the mission hasn’t changed: build income you can trust so you can sleep well at night. To celebrate the milestone, we brought together five leaders whose work has shaped modern retirement planning—Tom Hegna on the go‑go, slow‑go, and no‑go years, Heather Schreiber on Social Security strategy and IRMAA, Cheryl J. Moore on the truth about indexed annuities, Dr. Wade Pfau on the RISA framework, and Ed Slott on turning tax traps into tax opportunities.  We start with Hegna...

800th Episode Special featuring Dr. Wade Pfau, Tom Hegna, Ed Slott, Heather Schreiber and Sheryl Moore, 

You don’t build a great retirement by guessing the market’s next swing; you build it by owning your tax future. To mark our 800th show, we sit down with Ed Slott, America’s IRA expert, to map a clear path from tax-deferred uncertainty to tax-free control. We revisit the 2010 Roth conversion opening and draw a straight line to today’s unusually wide, still-low tax brackets that make strategic conversions a rare bargain. Ed explains why “tax laws are written in pencil” and how bracket-filling, not RMD minimums, is the mindset that protects your wealth. From there, we tackle the Secure Act’s 10-year rule and how it reshapes legacy planning. If you’re counting on traditional IRAs to serve your children well, think again. Compressing distributions into a decade often collides with peak earnings and higher brackets, turning inheritance into a tax headache. We outline smarter tools: Roth IRAs for tax-free growth and withdrawals, and permanent life insurance for income tax-free wealth transfer, control, and larger net inheritances. This is where the single greatest income tax benefit in the code does the heavy lifting. Finally, we get practical about peace of mind. Guaranteed income changes behavior and lowers stress, especially when markets feel like a casino. We walk through how annuities can create a reliable base for essential expenses, reduce sequence risk, and free you to invest the rest with confidence. Place those guarantees inside a Roth and you’ve upgraded to guaranteed, tax-free income you can tap when needed. If your goal is freedom from taxes, worry, risk, and bad advice, this conversation gives you a plan you can put to work now. If you’re ready to keep more and share less, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs a tax-smart retirement plan. For a free consultation, call 866-780-7233 or visit Ozarksretirement.com.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2077798/open_sms">Send us a text</a>To learn more about Brad Pistole and the Ozark Retirement Group, please visit www.ozarksretirement.com

<description>&lt;p&gt;You don’t build a great retirement by guessing the market’s next swing; you build it by owning your tax future. To mark our 800th show, we sit down with Ed Slott, America’s IRA expert, to map a clear path from tax-deferred uncertainty to tax-free control. We revisit the 2010 Roth conversion opening and draw a straight line to today’s unusually wide, still-low tax brackets that make strategic conversions a rare bargain. Ed explains why “tax laws are written in pencil” and how bracket-filling, not RMD minimums, is the mindset that protects your wealth.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;From there, we tackle the Secure Act’s 10-year rule and how it reshapes legacy planning. If you’re counting on traditional IRAs to serve your children well, think again. Compressing distributions into a decade often collides with peak earnings and higher brackets, turning inheritance into a tax headache. We outline smarter tools: Roth IRAs for tax-free growth and withdrawals, and permanent life insurance for income tax-free wealth transfer, control, and larger net inheritances. This is where the single greatest income tax benefit in the code does the heavy lifting.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Finally, we get practical about peace of mind. Guaranteed income changes behavior and lowers stress, especially when markets feel like a casino. We walk through how annuities can create a reliable base for essential expenses, reduce sequence risk, and free you to invest the rest with confidence. Place those guarantees inside a Roth and you’ve upgraded to guaranteed, tax-free income you can tap when needed. If your goal is freedom from taxes, worry, risk, and bad advice, this conversation gives you a plan you can put to work now.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;If you’re ready to keep more and share less, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs a tax-smart retirement plan. For a free consultation, call 866-780-7233 or visit Ozarksretirement.com.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2077798/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To learn more about Brad Pistole and the Ozark Retirement Group, please visit www.ozarksretirement.com &lt;/p&gt;</description>

You don’t build a great retirement by guessing the market’s next swing; you build it by owning your tax future. To mark our 800th show, we sit down with Ed Slott, America’s IRA expert, to map a clear path from tax-deferred uncertainty to tax-free control. We revisit the 2010 Roth conversion opening and draw a straight line to today’s unusually wide, still-low tax brackets that make strategic conversions a rare bargain. Ed explains why “tax laws are written in pencil” and how bracket-filling, ...

Mastering ROTH IRA's for Retirement Success featuring Ed Slott

The first year after you stop working feels like a dream—then real life shows up. We map the true shape of retirement through four phases: the thrilling vacation year, the unexpected season of loss and being lost, the trial-and-error reset, and finally the reinvention that brings purpose back to the center. Drawing on insights from Dr. Riley Moynes, Tom Hegna, Dr. Wade Pfau, and years of client stories, we show why the nonfinancial side—routine, identity, relationships, and health—can make or break even the best-funded plan. I walk through how decumulation planning turns savings into steady, tax-smart income, and why timing Social Security, coordinating withdrawals, and stress-testing healthcare costs matter more than chasing returns. We confront the surge in gray divorce with candid data and practical steps, from dividing assets and protecting Social Security to preparing for housing and legal expenses. We also unpack the emotional fallout—grief, anxiety, isolation—and the habits that rebuild meaning and community. From the go-go to the slow-go and eventually the no-go years, the aim is a plan that funds life while life still feels full. That means clear cash flow for essentials, flexible savings for the fun, and long-term care strategies that protect dignity and family. You’ll leave with a realistic roadmap, sharper questions for your advisor, and a toolkit to rewire purpose as the years change. If you’re ready to design the next chapter with intention, hit play—and then share your phase, your worries, and your wins. Enjoyed the conversation? Follow, rate, and share the show. For a free review and resources, call 866-780-7233 or visit Ozarksretirement.com and click Contact Us.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2077798/open_sms">Send us a text</a>To learn more about Brad Pistole and the Ozark Retirement Group, please visit www.ozarksretirement.com

<description>&lt;p&gt;The first year after you stop working feels like a dream—then real life shows up. We map the true shape of retirement through four phases: the thrilling vacation year, the unexpected season of loss and being lost, the trial-and-error reset, and finally the reinvention that brings purpose back to the center. Drawing on insights from Dr. Riley Moynes, Tom Hegna, Dr. Wade Pfau, and years of client stories, we show why the nonfinancial side—routine, identity, relationships, and health—can make or break even the best-funded plan.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I walk through how decumulation planning turns savings into steady, tax-smart income, and why timing Social Security, coordinating withdrawals, and stress-testing healthcare costs matter more than chasing returns. We confront the surge in gray divorce with candid data and practical steps, from dividing assets and protecting Social Security to preparing for housing and legal expenses. We also unpack the emotional fallout—grief, anxiety, isolation—and the habits that rebuild meaning and community.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;From the go-go to the slow-go and eventually the no-go years, the aim is a plan that funds life while life still feels full. That means clear cash flow for essentials, flexible savings for the fun, and long-term care strategies that protect dignity and family. You’ll leave with a realistic roadmap, sharper questions for your advisor, and a toolkit to rewire purpose as the years change. If you’re ready to design the next chapter with intention, hit play—and then share your phase, your worries, and your wins.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Enjoyed the conversation? Follow, rate, and share the show. For a free review and resources, call 866-780-7233 or visit Ozarksretirement.com and click Contact Us.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2077798/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To learn more about Brad Pistole and the Ozark Retirement Group, please visit www.ozarksretirement.com &lt;/p&gt;</description>

The first year after you stop working feels like a dream—then real life shows up. We map the true shape of retirement through four phases: the thrilling vacation year, the unexpected season of loss and being lost, the trial-and-error reset, and finally the reinvention that brings purpose back to the center. Drawing on insights from Dr. Riley Moynes, Tom Hegna, Dr. Wade Pfau, and years of client stories, we show why the nonfinancial side—routine, identity, relationships, and health—can make or...

Dr. Riley Moynes - Navigating The Four Phases Of Retirement

Taxes don’t retire when you do, which is why smart planning now can save you stress and money later. We sit down with attorney and retirement expert Sarah Brenner to unpack the most powerful moves you can make before year-end and the major rule shifts arriving in 2026. From using qualified charitable distributions to cut adjusted gross income to timing your first RMD and designing “many mini” Roth conversions, we show you how to keep more of what you’ve earned and reduce the surprise bills that can hit Medicare and Social Security. We break down QCD eligibility at 70½, why the check must go directly to the charity, and how this simple step can lower IRMAA surcharges and the taxation of Social Security benefits. Then we demystify RMDs: the current start ages, the April 1 first-year option, and the costly trap of ending up with two RMDs in one year. You’ll hear why an RMD can’t be converted to Roth and the right sequence for taking required dollars before converting additional funds. Looking ahead, we highlight what’s slated for 2026: the proposed “Trump accounts” with government seeding for children born 2025–2028, and mandatory Roth treatment for 401k catch-up contributions for high earners. If you’re switching jobs, we make the case for choosing a Roth 401k to stack tax-free growth. We also cover a real-life inheritance dilemma: when a younger widow should keep an inherited Roth rather than roll it over to avoid early withdrawal penalties on earnings. If you’re charitably inclined, approaching RMD age, or considering conversions while tax rates are still favorable, this conversation gives you a clear, practical playbook. Take control of your timeline, trim future taxes, and build flexibility into your retirement income plan. If the episode helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s planning for retirement, and leave a quick review with your top question—we’ll tackle it in a future show.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2077798/open_sms">Send us a text</a>To learn more about Brad Pistole and the Ozark Retirement Group, please visit www.ozarksretirement.com

<description>&lt;p&gt;Taxes don’t retire when you do, which is why smart planning now can save you stress and money later. We sit down with attorney and retirement expert Sarah Brenner to unpack the most powerful moves you can make before year-end and the major rule shifts arriving in 2026. From using qualified charitable distributions to cut adjusted gross income to timing your first RMD and designing “many mini” Roth conversions, we show you how to keep more of what you’ve earned and reduce the surprise bills that can hit Medicare and Social Security.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;We break down QCD eligibility at 70½, why the check must go directly to the charity, and how this simple step can lower IRMAA surcharges and the taxation of Social Security benefits. Then we demystify RMDs: the current start ages, the April 1 first-year option, and the costly trap of ending up with two RMDs in one year. You’ll hear why an RMD can’t be converted to Roth and the right sequence for taking required dollars before converting additional funds.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Looking ahead, we highlight what’s slated for 2026: the proposed “Trump accounts” with government seeding for children born 2025–2028, and mandatory Roth treatment for 401k catch-up contributions for high earners. If you’re switching jobs, we make the case for choosing a Roth 401k to stack tax-free growth. We also cover a real-life inheritance dilemma: when a younger widow should keep an inherited Roth rather than roll it over to avoid early withdrawal penalties on earnings.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;If you’re charitably inclined, approaching RMD age, or considering conversions while tax rates are still favorable, this conversation gives you a clear, practical playbook. Take control of your timeline, trim future taxes, and build flexibility into your retirement income plan.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;If the episode helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s planning for retirement, and leave a quick review with your top question—we’ll tackle it in a future show.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2077798/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To learn more about Brad Pistole and the Ozark Retirement Group, please visit www.ozarksretirement.com &lt;/p&gt;</description>

Taxes don’t retire when you do, which is why smart planning now can save you stress and money later. We sit down with attorney and retirement expert Sarah Brenner to unpack the most powerful moves you can make before year-end and the major rule shifts arriving in 2026. From using qualified charitable distributions to cut adjusted gross income to timing your first RMD and designing “many mini” Roth conversions, we show you how to keep more of what you’ve earned and reduce the surprise bills th...

How To Use QCDs, Plan RMDs, And Win The Roth Game with Sarah Brenner from Ed Slott & Co.

Safe Money Radio host Brad Pistole is a nationally recognized Financial Professional who specializes in planning that protects principal from stock market volatility and creates guaranteed lifetime income. Listen here to receive insights from Brad and hear what he has to say regarding retirement income planning.&nbsp;

Safe Money Radio with Brad Pistole

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