Social Security

Social Security Article

October 19, 2022

2023 Social Security Benefits to Increase

Starting in 2023, 70 million Social Security recipients will see an 8.7% bump in their benefits with the new cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). For reference, last year beneficiaries saw a 5.9% increase, and in 2021 there was a 1.3% increase.

The increase comes as most Americans battle increased prices caused by rampant inflation throughout 2022. The goal is to give seniors more peace of mind as costs increase.

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Social Security Article

October 19, 2022

2023 Social Security Benefits to Increase

The increase comes as most Americans battle increased prices caused by rampant inflation throughout 2022. The goal is to give seniors more peace of mind as costs increase.

PDF Document

Social Security Decisions Guide

Regardless if Social Security will or will not be your primary source of income in retirement, if you take your Social Security benefits at face value you could be leaving money on the table.

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Social Security Article

October 17, 2024

Social Security Administration Announces 2.5% COLA Increase for 2025

The Social Security Administration announced on October 10 that more than 72.5 million Americans will receive a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase to their benefits in 2025.

Investments Article

May 13, 2024

10 Ways to Fight Inflation in Retirement

The fear of running out of money in retirement can be a huge financial stressor. One of the primary factors that has fueled that fear in recent years has been inflation. While inflation is a risk factor that is out of our control, it’s something that everyone can and should plan for. We’re going to review 10 ways you can fight inflation in retirement.

Retirement Article

January 25, 2024

5 Money Mistakes to Avoid in Retirement

Some things can be downright frightening for those of you planning for retirement. Let's look at some of the money mistakes to avoid.

Investments Article

December 8, 2023

Safe Withdrawal Rates

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss safe withdrawal rates and why they should be different for each person based on their financial plan.

Social Security Article

October 16, 2023

Social Security Administration Announces 3.2% COLA Increase for 2024

Social Security recipients will receive a 3.2% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase to their benefits in 2024.

Investments Article

September 20, 2023

Retirement Rules of Thumb: Let’s Bust Them

Do you have some retirement rules of thumb that you follow? Some of them might be helpful with getting you in the right mindset to save for retirement, but there are issues with every one of them. Why? Because your financial plan needs to be built based upon your unique situation.

Retirement Article

July 19, 2023

Retiring Before 62: What You Need to Consider

Do you want to retire at or before 62 because that's when you can start claiming Social Security? Here's what all you need to consider.

Social Security Article

June 20, 2023

Social Security Benefits for a Surviving Spouse

Social Security benefits for a surviving spouse can oftentimes be overlooked until one spouse passes away. It's one of the many reasons why planning ahead on how to claim Social Security is so critical.

Retirement Article

May 1, 2023

Roth Conversion Rules

There's much more than meets the eye when deciding to contribute to Roth or traditional. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper review the Roth conversion rules on America's Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

April 6, 2023

Retirement Withdrawal Strategy: You Need a Plan

There are many factors when considering when and from which accounts to make withdrawals from in retirement, such as sequence of return risk, Required Minimum Distributions, and tax implications. Navigating the dynamics of retirement planning is what Dean Barber, Logan DeGraeve, and the rest of our team do every day. Dean and Logan will elaborate on that and explain why having a retirement withdrawal strategy when you’re in or approaching retirement is critical on America’s Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

March 31, 2023

Things Retirees Should Stop Doing

We try to share as much education with you as possible on things you should do to prepare for and do in retirement so that you can live your one best financial life. But there are things that you need to avoid doing in retirement as well. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper review a few things that retirees should stop doing on the latest episode of America’s Wealth Management Show.

Investments Article

January 19, 2023

Retirement Income During a Recession

Recession signals remain strong as we begin 2023. We discuss how to go about saving and protecting your retirement income during a recession.

Insurance Article

January 5, 2023

5 Financial Updates for 2023

We're excited to put 2022 in the rearview mirror. As we round out the first week of 2023, here are five financial updates to keep tabs on.

Investments Article

October 27, 2022

8 Retirement Challenges That You Didn’t Have While Working

Planning for a fulfilling retirement isn’t something that can be done in a blink of an eye. It takes time and a lot of preparation to overcome a lot of retirement challenges that many people don’t even think about. Bud Kasper and Logan DeGraeve review those retirement challenges and encourage you to start building your financial plan sooner rather than later.

Investments Article

October 21, 2022

Reading Your Balance Sheet and Income Statement

Will Doty reviews how to read your balance sheet and income statement, and how it all comes back to your comprehensive financial plan.

Social Security Article

October 19, 2022

2023 Social Security Benefits to Increase

The increase comes as most Americans battle increased prices caused by rampant inflation throughout 2022. The goal is to give seniors more peace of mind as costs increase.

Estate Planning Article

October 17, 2022

Understanding Your Tax Allocation

Logan DeGraeve breaks down the three tax allocation buckets and how proper tax diversification can make a big difference in your retirement.

Retirement Article

October 10, 2022

Retirement Analysis: Current vs. Proposed Plan

We provided some perspective on retirement analysis while going through a sample couple's plan with our financial planning tool.

Estate Planning Article

October 6, 2022

October Is National Financial Planning Month

Did you know that October is National Financial Planning Month? It honestly came close to slipping our minds because we believe every month should be National Financial Planning Month. Dean Barber, Bud Kasper, and Matt Kasper celebrated National Financial Planning Month by discussing the importance of having a comprehensive financial plan on America's Wealth Management Show.

Estate Planning Article

September 23, 2022

7 Reasons Why Tax Planning Is So Important

When it comes to advanced tax planning, unfortunately many people either just don’t do it or they wait until the last minute only to find out that there aren’t any options to take advantage of at the point of filing their tax return.

Investments Article

September 8, 2022

8 Ways to Combat Financial Uncertainty

All the financial uncertainty that we’re dealing with seems to be coming at us from every angle. While this financial uncertainty is uncomfortable, it’s not uncommon. From the Dot-Com Bubble to the Financial Crisis, we’ve been through cycles similar to this. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper look back at some of those cycles and review eight ways to combat financial uncertainty.

Retirement Article

August 8, 2022

How Much Do I Need to Retire?

Have you been asking yourself, "How much do I need to retire?" a lot lately? A financial plan is critical to getting an honest answer to that.

Investments Article

July 25, 2022

6 Reasons Roth Conversions Could Work for You

If you read our blog post from earlier this month titled, 8 Ways to Prepare for a Recession, you might remember that Roth conversions were No. 1 on the list. While Roth conversions aren’t for everyone, there are quite a few reasons why they could be right for you.

Investments Article

June 2, 2022

A Recent History of Bear Markets

Clarity, confidence, and control within your financial plan is of the utmost importance right now amid these turbulent times in the markets so you can accomplishment your goals in retirement. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper review a recent history of bear markets and how you can stress test your financial plan through periods like the Dot-Com Bubble and Great Recession.

Investments Article

March 31, 2022

The True Meaning of Tax Planning

Tax filing has been top of mind lately with the April 18 deadline fast approaching. While the tax compliance window is closing for this year, it’s important to remember that the tax planning window is always open. Bud Kasper and Logan DeGraeve discuss the true meaning of tax planning and how to best mitigate taxes over your lifetime.

Investments Article

February 24, 2022

Managing Risk in the Markets

Between the Federal Reserve’s decision on rising interest rates and the situation with Russia and Ukraine, there are a lot of unknowns right now. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss the importance of controlling what you can control by managing market risk to alleviate the angst of the unknowns.

Retirement Article

October 19, 2021

Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment Set for 5.9% Increase in 2022

The Social Security Administration announced that the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment will increase 5.9% in 2022, which is the biggest annual uptick in 40 years.

Retirement Article

July 30, 2021

Retiring with $1 Million

What could retirement look like with $1 million? We're going to show you four different couples. One couple, which we referred to as the average couple, with a 60/40 portfolio, claiming Social Security at 62, would be able to spend $3.5 million over a lifetime.

Retirement Article

July 30, 2021

How $750k Can Go as Far as $1 Million in Retirement

Would you rather have $750,000 or $1 million? On its face, this question seems like a no-brainer. One million dollars is a larger number than $750,000, so that has to be the correct answer – right?

The Guided Retirement Show

Investments Podcast

March 24, 2023

Roth Conversions Before and After Retirement with Will Doty

Will Doty | CFP® Professional
Will Doty and Dean Barber discuss their favorite part of the tax code: Roth IRAs—specifically, Roth conversions before and after retirement.

Retirement Podcast

January 27, 2023

Tax Planning During Tax Preparation Season with Corey Hulstein

Corey Hulstein | Modern Wealth Management Director of Tax
Our Director of Tax, Corey Hulstein, joins Dean Barber on The Guided Retirement Show to discuss tax planning during tax preparation season.

Insurance Podcast

January 13, 2023

Medicare Changes in 2023 with Taylor Garner

Taylor Garner | Owner | Garner Insurance Agency, LLC
Garner Insurance Agency, LLC Owner Taylor Garner joins Dean Barber again on The Guided Retirement Show to discuss Medicare changes in 2023.

Estate Planning Podcast

October 7, 2022

Planning for RMDs with Will Doty

Will Doty | CFP® Professional
Will Doty and Dean Barber explain RMDs, tax planning opportunities surrounding RMDs, how RMDs factor in when leaving money behind for the next generation, and so much more.

Retirement Podcast

September 19, 2022

Taxes in Retirement with Steven Jarvis

Steven Jarvis, CPA | CEO & Head CPA at Retirement Tax Services
Retirement Tax Services Founder Steven Jarvis joins Dean Barber on The Guided Retirement Show to discuss taxes in retirement and why the collaboration between a CFP® Professional and CPA is a critical part of the financial planning process.

Social Security Podcast

April 8, 2022

Avoiding Costly Mistakes When Claiming Social Security with Ken Sokol

Ken Sokol - Owner | Financial Spreadsheets, LLC

In today’s episode, we discuss the best (and worst) things you can do in claiming Social Security, why your retirement strategy could be the difference between bringing in or losing $100,000 or more in income, and the financial questions you should be asking yourself as you prepare for retirement.

Social Security Podcast

August 30, 2021

How to Claim the Most from Your Social Security with Marc Kiner & Jim Blair

Marc Kiner & Jim Blair - Social Security Experts
In this episode, we explore the many different options retirees have when it comes to claiming Social Security. We get into how Social Security is taxed, why different types of retirement income don’t play nice together, and how to put a stop to preventable losses and make the most of this extraordinarily complex program.

Social Security Podcast

October 16, 2020

How to Maximize Your Social Security Benefits with Marc Kiner & Jim Blair

Marc Kiner | CPA at Premier Social Security Consulting LLC & Jim Blair | Lead Consultant at Premier Social Security Consulting LLC

Today, Marc and Jim join the podcast to talk about the major mistakes that people make as they claim Social Security, how to craft a strategy designed to avoid these pitfalls once and for all, and how to find an advisor who can help you navigate this astoundingly complex system.

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PDF Document

Social Security Decisions Guide

Regardless if Social Security will or will not be your primary source of income in retirement, if you take your Social Security benefits at face value you could be leaving money on the table.

Download