Phil's Tax Hacks

Ep 176: Back to the Basics - Retirement Saving Fundamentals

Are you aware that not all retirement accounts are created equal? In this episode, we'll delve into the different types of retirement accounts, including 401(k)s, IRAs, Roths, and several other examples. We’ll help you weigh the pros and cons of each and give you insights into the purposes they serve so that you can choose the best account for you.  
 
Here are some of the things we’ll address in this episode:
1:01 – What are the pros and cons of company-sponsored retirement plans?
5:02 – The advantages and limitations of Roth and traditional IRAs.
8:09 – What is the difference between a Simple IRA and a SEP-IRA and who are these options for?
11:15 – The pros and cons of HAS and FSAs.
15:10 – What is the difference between annuities and CDs?
18:34 – How to choose the right retirement plan for your situation.
If you have any questions about what we discussed in this episode, reach out and we'll be happy to set up a time to talk.
 
For more, visit us online: http://philstaxhacks.com
Watch the video podcast on YouTube: Phil's Tax Hacks and Other Retirement Facts
 

Ep 175: Moving Your Retirement Goalpost - Is It Worth The Risk?

Do you ever feel like your retirement planning goals are always moving? You're not alone. We’ve found that people often move the goalposts in their own retirement planning, often to their detriment. In this episode, we're diving deep into the psychology of retirement planning and the dangers of moving the goalposts.
Here are some of the things we’ll address in this episode:
Why cash does not work for long-term goals and investment. (1:51)
The danger of the “I’ll get serious about saving next year” attitude. (5:45)
Why it’s crucial to determine what market risks you are comfortable with understand how to position those risks in your financial plan. (8:48)
How having a solid plan in place will allow you to retire on a flexible schedule. (11:09)
If you have any questions about what we discussed in this episode, reach out and we'll be happy to set up a time to talk.
 
For more, visit us online: http://philstaxhacks.com
Watch the video podcast on YouTube: Phil's Tax Hacks and Other Retirement Facts
 

Ep 174: Lessons Learned from the Silicon Valley Bank Collapse

The Silicon Valley Bank situation has gotten all of the financial headlines over the past week, and rightfully so. The event immediately triggered worries that another 2008 event might happen again, but is that concern justified? In this episode, we’ll explain why this run on SVB happened, what it really means, and what lessons we can learn from this.
 
Here are some of the things we’ll address in this episode:
The details of what really happened with SVB. (1:16)
What are the ripple effects of this collapse? (4:53)
Some of the key points from this story. (7:15)
How is this different from what happened to banks in 2008? (10:15)
How this reminds us about the importance diversification. (12:00)
Why this shouldn’t affect most Americans unless something drastically changes. (14:36)
 
For more, visit us online: http://philstaxhacks.com
Watch the video podcast on YouTube: Phil's Tax Hacks and Other Retirement Facts

Ep 173: The Incomplete Financial Plan

On this episode, we'll be pointing out the most common areas people overlook when planning and provide actionable tips to ensure that your plan is as comprehensive as possible. The good news for anyone that feels they’ve overlooked any of these items is that they are all correctable by taking the time with an advisor to do some proper planning.
 
Here are some of the things we’ll address in this episode:
How prepared are you for a market downturn early in retirement? (1:24)
Inflation is on everyone’s radar now but is your plan prepared for the effects it will have over a long retirement? (4:21)
Medical costs are more expensive than what many people prepare for. (6:53)
Getting prepared for the likelihood of a tax increase in the future. (7:52)
Most of us just don’t want to face the possibility of long-term care so we don’t build it into our plan. (12:00)
 
For more, visit us online: http://philstaxhacks.com
Watch the video podcast on YouTube: Phil's Tax Hacks and Other Retirement Facts
 

Ep 172: Top 10 Tax Questions for Retirees in 2023

On today’s episode, we’ll break down the top ten tax questions retirees are asking in 2023. Before you file your 2022 taxes and plan ahead for the rest of the year, make sure to listen to this episode as we’ll discuss some important tax questions that retirees should ask themselves to ensure they're making the most of their retirement savings and minimizing their tax burden.
 
Here are some of the tax questions we’ll address in this episode:
What are the tax implications of withdrawing money from your retirement accounts? (1:01)
How is pension income taxed? (4:23)
How will your taxes change if you decide to move states in retirement? (6:55)
What are the tax considerations for gifting money to children or grandchildren? (11:00)
Knowing how your income will impact Medicare premiums. (13:56)
 
For more, visit us online: http://philstaxhacks.com
Watch the video podcast on YouTube: Phil's Tax Hacks and Other Retirement Facts

Ep 171: 5 Beneficiary Mistakes - Are You Accidentally Spoiling Your Retirement Plan?

For some people, leaving a legacy is one of the most important goals for their financial plan. Not only do they want to leave as much as possible, but they also want to make sure those assets go to their intended beneficiaries.
On this episode, we’ll address five, unfortunately, common beneficiary mistakes. Are you making one of these beneficiary mistakes? If so, it could cost you and your loved ones dearly. Some of the simplest mistakes can completely spoil an otherwise well done retirement plan.
 
Here are some of the mistakes we’ll discuss in this episode:
Naming minors as beneficiaries. (1:37)
Not naming an alternate or successor beneficiary. (3:00)
Not coordinating your beneficiary designations with your will. (6:10)
Naming your estate as a beneficiary. (9:42)
Having errors on the application. (15:49)
 
For more, visit us online: http://philstaxhacks.com
Watch the video podcast on YouTube: Phil's Tax Hacks and Other Retirement Facts

Ep 170: 2023 Retirement Preparedness Checklist (#6-10)

Another year is upon us and it’s a great time to ask yourself some critical questions to assess how ready you are for retirement to kick off 2023.
If you’re retiring this year, it’s essential to have some concrete answers to these questions. If you’re still a few years from the milestone, tune in so you can start thinking about these critical conversations.
We broke this discussion up into two parts so we could take enough time for each of these items on the checklist. In part one, we worked through #1-5 on the list, which included a lot of income planning items. This episode will focus on the final five items on the list and many of these are out of our control.
 
Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode:
Do you have a plan to combat inflation? (1:36)
Are you prepared for the possibility of future tax increases? (6:48)
Healthcare costs are outpacing just about everything. Do you have a plan to cover medical needs? (13:08)
Do you have any kind of legacy plan in place? (15:34)
Do you know how you intend to spend your time in retirement? (18:08)
 
Check out part one for #1-5 on the list: https://philstaxhacks.com/podcast/ep-169-2023-retirement-preparedness-checklist-1-5/ 
 
For more, visit us online: http://philstaxhacks.com
Watch the video podcast on YouTube: Phil's Tax Hacks and Other Retirement Facts

Ep 169: 2023 Retirement Preparedness Checklist (#1-5)

Another year is upon us and it’s a great time to ask yourself some critical questions to assess how ready you are for retirement to kick off 2023.
Since we have a lot to tackle on the checklist, we’ll run through the first five on this episode and the second five on the next show. Today’s focus will primarily be on the all-important income planning piece of the puzzle along with some of the risks you’ll face in retirement.
 
Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode:
Why most people don’t know how much money they need in retirement and why it’s critical to answer that question. (1:36)
Once you know how much you’ll need, do you know where you’re going to withdraw from first? (4:21)
Have you truly addressed the longevity risk for retirement? (7:54)
How to prepare your investment strategy to deal with market volatility. (9:40)
 
For more, visit us online: http://philstaxhacks.com
Watch the video podcast on YouTube: Phil's Tax Hacks and Other Retirement Facts

Ep 168: Back to Basics - Income Planning

It’s been said that if you don’t have an income plan, you don’t really have a retirement plan. We’ll tackle that mentality on this episode to see if it’s true and further explore why so many retirees and pre-retirees don’t understand the importance of an income plan, nor how to properly construct one.
 
Here’s some of what you’ll learn on this episode:
If you don’t have an income plan, you don’t really have a retirement plan. (0:42)
Where are you pulling the income from and when? (3:11)
Why most people don’t have an income plan. (5:19)
The steps you can take to start putting an income plan in place. (8:26)
 
For more, visit us online: http://philstaxhacks.com
Watch the video podcast on YouTube: Phil's Tax Hacks and Other Retirement Facts

Ep 167: SECURE Act 2.0 – Retirement Changes to Know (Part 2)

In the first part of the series, Phil highlighted the age changes for required minimum distributions along with some Roth changes that were included. This episode will focus on an assortment of additional planning changes that you need to be aware of. Some of them are already active and a few will kick in over the next year or two.
 
Here’s some of what you’ll learn on this episode:
Catch-up contributions getting an inflation adjustment. (0:50)
The Starter 401(k) (4:44)
The ability to get a company match if you’re making student loan payments. (5:48)
Changes to qualified charitable distributions (10:04)
Changes coming in future years. (16:30)
Phil’s overall opinion on SECURE Act 2.0 (18:22)
 
Check out SECURE Act 2.0 (Part 1): https://philstaxhacks.com/podcast/ep-166-secure-act-2-0-rmd-roth-changes-part-1/ 
 
For more, visit us online: http://philstaxhacks.com
Watch the video podcast on YouTube: Phil's Tax Hacks and Other Retirement Facts