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Estate Planning

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Estate Planning Article

What Is a Living Trust and Do I Need One?

How could a living trust be utilized as a key part of your personal estate planning strategy? That’s something that’s important to think about as you’re figuring out how to manage your assets—both while you’re living and after you die. We’re going to review the components of a living trust to help determine if you need one as a part of your estate plan. 

Estate Planning Article

Top 5 Financial Planning Considerations

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper review their top five financial planning considerations on America's Wealth Management Show.

Estate Planning Article

Don’t Give Your Grandchildren Money … Give Them the Gift of Learning About Money

Shane Barber shares how giving your grandchildren the gift of financial education is more powerful than giving them money.

Estate Planning Article

7 Wealth Protection Tactics

Dean Barber and Logan DeGraeve share 7 wealth protection tactics that can be helpful with planning for how to get to and through retirement.

Estate Planning Article

What Happens to Debt When Someone Dies?

When a loved one passes away, most heirs are concerned about what will happen to their outstanding debt.

Estate Planning Article

5 Estate Planning Documents That Everyone Needs

As we celebrate National Estate Planning Awareness Week, let's review these five estate planning documents that everyone needs to have.

Estate Planning Article

How to Build Generational Wealth

Did you know that we're in the midst of The Great Wealth Transfer? Let's talk about the importance of how to build generational wealth.

Estate Planning Article

Rules for Inherited IRA Distributions – What Are the Latest Changes?

IRS Notice 2023-54 provides relief for 2023 missed RMDs for non-eligible designated beneficiaries who must follow the 10-year payout rule. And for those who took or who were given unnecessary IRA distributions in 2023, the notice extends a 60-day rollover deadline to roll them back into their accounts.

Estate Planning Article

What is Probate and Why Should I Avoid It?

What is probate? If you want peace of mind with knowing that your loved ones are in good hands after you pass on, probate is something that you’ll want to avoid. Probate is the process of collecting your assets, paying your debts and taxes, and transferring your property, at your death, to your heirs. We’re going to start breaking down what probate is for two demographics—decedents with a will and decedents without a will. 

Estate Planning Article

529 Rollover to a Roth IRA – What You Need to Know

Thanks to the SECURE Act 2.0, a 529 plan can rollover to a Roth IRA under certain conditions, effective January 1, 2024.

Estate Planning Article

Special Needs Trusts Rule Changes from SECURE 2.0

While it wasn’t as earth shattering as the SECURE Act, Congress did implement some important new retirement rules in the SECURE Act 2.0. We’ve reviewed several of those rules since SECURE 2.0 went into effect on January 1, 2023, but there are a few rules that haven’t received much publicity that we still need to go over. Today, we’re going to review special needs trusts and other important financial planning strategies for those who are caring for children with special needs.

Estate Planning Article

Transferring Wealth: IRAs Are a Bad Option

Do you remember when IRAs were good? Congress messed that up with the SECURE Act. IRAs are now a bad wealth transfer option. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper will help explain why that is and what all to consider when transferring wealth to your loved ones.

Estate Planning Article

Estate Tax: How Will My Assets Be Taxed When I Die? 

You are probably aware that the government can tax you when you earn income from work, make money on investments, take withdrawals from accounts, and even tax the income you receive when you claim Social Security benefits. Were you aware that the government can also tax your estate (and your beneficiaries) on the assets you own when you die? 

Estate Planning Article

Inherited IRA Rules and the SECURE Act

The rules of inherited IRAs are extremely difficult to understand due to the SECURE Act, yet they must be understood. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper review the inherited IRA rules and explain how they can affect different beneficiaries.

Estate Planning Article

RMD Penalty Waived for 2021 and 2022 Missed RMDs within 10-Year Rule

The IRS has issued a notice that waives the 50% penalty on missed RMDs from 2021 and 2022 on IRAs that fall within the 10-year payout rule.

Estate Planning Article

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.

Estate Planning Article

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

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.

Estate Planning Article

What Is the Guided Retirement System?

You’ve probably heard Dean Barber and Bud Kasper mention the Guided Retirement System several times on America’s Wealth Management. Here is their step-by-step breakdown of the Guided Retirement System to ensure people understand what it is all about.

Estate Planning Article

Is the Stretch IRA Dead?

In December 2019, Congress passed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement (SECURE) Act. One of the most significant changes is the elimination of the stretch provision for most beneficiaries of inherited retirement plans like IRAs and 401(k)s. What does this change mean for you? What opportunities does it present?

Estate Planning Article

SECURE Act Changes Retirement Planning

In 2019, there was a lot of buzz about the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement or the SECURE Act. Early on, this bill had bipartisan support, unusual in today's political climate. The SECURE Act passed both chambers of Congress, and on December 20, 2019, was signed into law by President Trump. This single piece of legislation will have significant impacts on retirees and their beneficiaries. So, let's dive deeper and discuss how the SECURE Act changes retirement planning.

Estate Planning Article

20 Things to Do Before You Retire in the 2020s

Well, here we are approaching the close of another decade. As many often do near the end of a milestone, we’re doing a countdown. However, this countdown isn’t looking back over the past decade, but rather forward toward the decade on the horizon. New decades often mean new goals, and for many, it’s likely the ultimate goal during our working years, retirement. 

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Video

Rules on Gifting Money to Family

How do wealth transfer and gifting affect your taxes? What are some strategies that you can use to transfer wealth to the next generation as tax efficiently as possible? Director of Tax Corey Hulstein answers those questions and review rules on gifting money to family on the Modern Wealth Management Educational Series.

Video

What Is Tax Diversification?

Tax Diversification may not sound like a very exciting topic, but if done correctly over your lifetime, you can pay substantially less in taxes. Our Director of Tax, Corey Hulstein, joins Dean Barber on the Barber Educational Series to explain what tax diversification is and why it’s so important to achieve a successful retirement.

Video

Dr. Alan Molk Presents “Saving Lives, Saving Dignity”

In this webinar, Dr. Alan Molk tells the story of why he wrote his book, Saving Lives, Saving Dignity. He presents his background as an emergency room physician of 40 years, and why he believes having advanced health care directives is imperative for you and your family.

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PDF Document

Estate Planning Guide

One of the most important things you can do for them is to ensure that when you pass away, your estate is protected.

Insurance

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Insurance Article

Health Care Costs During Retirement

If you're gearing up for retirement, you may be wondering how your health care costs during retirement are going to look. Let's dive into it.

Estate Planning Article

Top 5 Financial Planning Considerations

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper review their top five financial planning considerations on America's Wealth Management Show.

Insurance Article

5 Long-Term Care Questions to Ask

As you age, calculating the chances that you’ll need long-term care—and the associated costs—is incredibly important.

Insurance Article

What Is Medicare Open Enrollment?

The Medicare Open Enrollment Period runs from October 15 to December 7. Here's a quick overview of what to consider during this timeframe.

Insurance Article

Life Insurance in Retirement: Do I Still Need It?

Life insurance can be a key component in your financial plan, but it depends on your financial goals, lifestyle, and other circumstances. There are various reasons for why someone should purchase life insurance while they’re working, namely to provide for your loved ones if you pass away. But do you need life insurance in retirement? Well, it depends. We’re going to review a few reasons for why someone might want to carry life insurance into retirement. 

Insurance Article

Retiring Before 65: What You Need to Consider

Are you waiting til 65 to retire since that's when you can get on Medicare? Well, what if you didn't have to? Let's look at retiring before 65 and the importance of having a financial plan when making that decision.

Insurance Article

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.

Insurance Article

How to Mitigate Inflation on Healthcare Costs

Healthcare costs and inflation are uncomfortable to talk about, yet they are important and oftentimes related subjects. Here are a few solutions of how to mitigate inflation on healthcare costs.

Insurance Article

Health Insurance Options for Retirees Under 65

When people younger than 65 are pondering if they have the means to retire early, there's usually one obstacle that's bigger than the rest. That's health insurance coverage. It's no doubt a valid concern. So, we want to review some health insurance options for retirees under 65 to help give you some clarity with your chances of retiring early.

Estate Planning Article

SECURE Act Changes Retirement Planning

In 2019, there was a lot of buzz about the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement or the SECURE Act. Early on, this bill had bipartisan support, unusual in today's political climate. The SECURE Act passed both chambers of Congress, and on December 20, 2019, was signed into law by President Trump. This single piece of legislation will have significant impacts on retirees and their beneficiaries. So, let's dive deeper and discuss how the SECURE Act changes retirement planning.

Estate Planning Article

20 Things to Do Before You Retire in the 2020s

Well, here we are approaching the close of another decade. As many often do near the end of a milestone, we’re doing a countdown. However, this countdown isn’t looking back over the past decade, but rather forward toward the decade on the horizon. New decades often mean new goals, and for many, it’s likely the ultimate goal during our working years, retirement. 

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Video

Rising Long-Term Care Costs

Matt Kasper and Logan DeGraeve tackle the crucial topic of rising long-term care costs on the Modern Wealth Management Educational Series.

Video

ABCs of Medicare

Tom Allen, Insurance Consultant & Medicare Expert, breaks down the many letters of Medicare in this webinar. The intention of the ABCs of Medicare is to help people understand what Medicare Parts A & B cover, and more importantly, what they don't cover and what you need to do about it. You'll learn how the Medicare Open Enrollment Period actually works, how to find out what prescription drugs are covered under certain plans, what Parts C & D cover, and more.

Video

Are You Fully Covered?

In this webinar, Darren Newell, Insurance Advisor, breaks down the intricacies of property and casualty insurance to address the question, "Are you fully covered?" The intention of the Are You Fully Covered? is to help people understand property and casualty insurance. What you need, and, just as important, what you don't need in coverage.

Investments

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Investments Article

Understanding Retirement Asset Allocation

When our Director of Investments Stephen Tuckwood, CFA joined Dean Barber on The Guided Retirement Show to discuss strategic investing through retirement, there was one thing in particular that he wanted to make very clear. Very early on in that conversation with Dean, Tuck said that asset allocation is the biggest driver of your portfolio’s return over time. We’re going to elaborate on why Tuck believes that so that you have a firm understanding of retirement asset allocation.

Investments Article

What Should I Invest My Money In?

What should I invest my money in? It's a natural question to ask. Some would say it's a reasonable question to ask. For decades hucksters and prognosticators alike have convinced us that it's a question that can be answered easily.

Investments Article

Target Date Funds: What You Need to Know

Target date funds have become a very popular investment vehicle that are structured to automatically adjust their asset allocation over time depending on an investor's target retirement date. LSA Portfolio Analytics President and CFO Brad Kasper helps us break down the pros and cons of target date funds, and key considerations about target date funds to keep in mind.

Investments Article

Active Versus Passive Management

The active versus passive management debate has been with us for a long time, going back almost to the issuance of the first ETF in the U.S. in 1993. When they were first issued, ETFs were used almost exclusively by institutional investors to execute sophisticated trading strategies. However, it wasn’t long until financial advisors, and individual investors took to them as well.

Investments Article

The Fine Line Between Good Fear and Bad Fear

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper break down the differences between good fear and bad fear to help people live their one best financial life.

Investments Article

Can I Beat the Market?

Beating the market is something that many people have tried to do, but a rare few have succeeded. Many investors compare their investments to certain indices when attempting to beat the market. But are indices a good benchmark?

Investments Article

The 4-Year Presidential Election Cycle and the Stock Market

It's an election year! We examined the relationship between the 4-year presidential election cycle and the stock market.

Estate Planning Article

Top 5 Financial Planning Considerations

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper review their top five financial planning considerations on America's Wealth Management Show.

Investments Article

Rebalancing Your 401(k)

Another year has come to pass, and with it, new challenges and opportunities will present themselves. The past year certainly wasn't without its own challenges, as the stock and bond markets attempted to recover from a very rough 2022. Most of the return in the entire market for 2023 came in November and December. We certainly continued to see some wild market volatility throughout 2023 and have speculated about what could be in store for 2024. One of our main takeaways from the past year, especially given the market volatility, was to remember to regularly rebalance your 401(k).

Investments Article

RMD Strategies for Before & After Retirement

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss Required Minimum Distributions by sharing major RMD strategies for both before and after retirement.

Investments Article

5 Factors More Important Than Rate of Return

When it comes to building your retirement plan, a lot of people think your rate of return is the No. 1 thing to keep in mind. While it is important, your investments aren’t the main factor when it comes to your plan. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper will review five factors that are more important than your rate of return on this episode of America's Wealth Management Show.

Investments Article

Reviewing Rebalancing Strategies

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss offensive and defensive rebalancing strategies and when to consider them.

Investments Article

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.

Estate Planning Article

7 Wealth Protection Tactics

Dean Barber and Logan DeGraeve share 7 wealth protection tactics that can be helpful with planning for how to get to and through retirement.

Investments Article

The S&P 500 Cap-Weighted vs. Equal-Weighted Index

The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ are in correction territory, meaning that there’s been a 10% drop from previous highs. The S&P equal-weighted index is in negative territory year-to-date. And the yield curve is still inverted. We’re going to tackle all that and more in our October Monthly Economic Update.

Investments Article

Bond Yields Keep Rising

Our Director of Investments Stephen Tuckwood, CFA is stepping in for Dean Barber for our September Monthly Economic Update. See what Tuck has to share about the relentless rising bond yields, key takeaways from the yield curve, a spike in energy prices, and the pullback in the equity market.

Investments Article

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.

Investments Article

How Does a Roth IRA Grow?

How does a Roth IRA grow? Dean Barber and Bud Kasper explain that while sharing how the Roth IRA can play a huge role in saving for retirement.

Investments Article

Federal Reserve Takes Recession Out of Its Forecast

Can the Federal Reserve engineer a soft landing and avoid a recession? Dean Barber dives into that and more in his August Monthly Economic Update.

Investments Article

Pension Plans: Defined Benefit Plans vs. Defined Contribution Plans

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss pension plans while breaking down the differences between defined benefit and defined contribution plans.

Investments Article

“Magnificent Seven Stocks” Continue to Drive the Market

Jerome Powell decided to raise rates by another quarter of a point. The equal-weight S&P 500 is gaining ground on the S&P 500, but it’s still a very narrow market with seven stocks—also known right now as the Magnificent Seven stocks—leading the way. We’ll discuss all that and more in our July Monthly Economic Update.

Investments Article

Retirement Cash Flow: What You Need to Know

What is retirement cash flow and why is it so important? Dean Barber and Logan DeGraeve answer those questions on America's Wealth Management Show.

Investments Article

What is Driving the Stock Market?

What is driving the stock market? Dean Barber looks at the top holdings of the S&P 500, Nasdaq-100, and RSP Equal-Weighted to find an answer.

Investments Article

Rebalancing Your Portfolio: Looking at a Midyear Rebalance

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper explain the concept of rebalancing and its role in maintaining a well-diversified and optimized portfolio.

Investments Article

Interest Rate Forecast for the Rest of 2023

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper give their interest rate forecasts for the rest of 2023 and break down the Fed's decision to pause rate hikes.

Investments Article

The U.S. Banking Crisis – Is It Over? Or Was It Even a Thing?

After all the turmoil in March, is there a U.S. “banking crisis” right now? Shane Barber explains why the short answer right now is no.

Investments Article

Should I Have a 401(k) and a Roth IRA?

Planning for retirement is an essential part of securing your financial future. The 401(k) and Roth IRA are popular options that individuals consider. While both offer attractive benefits, understanding the differences and advantages of each can help you make an informed decision. We're going to explore the benefits of having a 401(k) and a Roth IRA to optimize your retirement savings.

Investments Article

Another Tech Bubble in 2023?

There’s no shortage of crazy things happening right now. We're going to dive into the inverted yield curve once again and dig into what's driving the markets higher. There are some interesting things going on in the markets, specifically in tech. Is another tech bubble taking shape? Dean Barber looks at that and much more in his May Monthly Economic Update.

Investments Article

What Is Wealth? 4 Types of Wealth

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper are going to define the four types of wealth to thoroughly answer the question, “What is wealth?” on America’s Wealth Management Show.

Investments Article

A Banking Crisis Amid the Fed’s Fight Against Inflation

Whether it was major bank failures, another 0.25% increase of the Fed funds rate, or 10-year treasury yields falling, March didn’t lack any madness this year. We’ll look at all that and more during our March Monthly Economic Update.

Investments Article

The Effect of Rising Interest Rates on the Economy

In case you missed it, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell announced another 0.25% Fed funds rate hike on March 22. The Fed funds rate is now in the 4.75-5% range. So, where will interest rates go from here and what does that mean for you and your retirement plans? Dean Barber and Bud Kasper will discuss the effect of rising interest rates on the economy and much more on America’s Wealth Management Show.

Investments Article

Lost Decade of the 1970s and Why It Still Matters

Shane Barber looks back at the lost decade of the 1970s to see if we can glean some clues for what the 2020s could hold in store for us, and how we can navigate through what may indeed be difficult years ahead.

Investments Article

401k in Retirement: Managing Your Biggest Asset

According to Fidelity, retirees lost an average of 23% in their 401(k) savings in 2022. What should you do with your 401(k) in retirement? Bud Kasper and Logan DeGraeve discuss how to manage assets like your 401(k), both in retirement and as you're preparing for retirement.

Investments Article

Consumer Debt Is at an All-Time High

Dean Barber assesses consumer debt, consumer spending, and how it ties into inflation in his February Monthly Economic Update.

Investments Article

Corporate Earnings and Why They Matter

If you listen to any financial media, you’ll hear them talk repeatedly about “corporate earnings.” To give you an idea of how much talk there is about corporate earnings, a quick Google search of the term will net roughly 400 million results in about half a second. So, obviously corporate earnings are important to a lot of people. But what do they mean, and why are they so important? Today, we’re going to discuss just that. 

Estate Planning Article

Estate Tax: How Will My Assets Be Taxed When I Die? 

You are probably aware that the government can tax you when you earn income from work, make money on investments, take withdrawals from accounts, and even tax the income you receive when you claim Social Security benefits. Were you aware that the government can also tax your estate (and your beneficiaries) on the assets you own when you die? 

Investments Article

Interest Rate Increases Continue in 2023

While all major indices were up in January, the U.S. treasuries yield curve is inverted more than it was at any point of 2022 and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is continuing interest rate increases in 2023. We'll cover all that and more in our January Monthly Economic Update.

Investments Article

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.

Investments Article

What Is Yield Curve Inversion?

What is yield curve inversion? And why does it precede recessions? Shane Barber answers those questions in his latest article.

Investments Article

2022 Was Unusual for Bonds, Tough on Stocks

2022 is in the rearview mirror, and thank goodness, because it was a rough year. Watch Dean review the tough year on stocks, the unusual year for bonds, interest rates and the Federal Reserve, and our outlook for 2023 as it stands today.

Investments Article

Recession Fears Remain High for the Holidays

There’s plenty of holiday cheer to go around, but recession fears also remain high as we head into 2023. Let's look at where things stand following a 0.5% increase of the Fed funds rate in December.

Investments Article

Economic Outlook for 2023: What Do We Need to Prepare for?

In our last Modern Wealth Management Educational Series event of 2022, Dean Barber and Bud Kasper look back on the past year and provide an economic outlook for 2023. While they don’t have a crystal ball to predict exactly what the economic outlook will be for 2023, they want you to be prepared for some of the things that could happen.

Investments Article

Inverted Yield Curve Signals Recession

Along with looking at the latest trends in the stock and bond markets, Dean Barber discusses why the inverted yield curve is a signal of a recession in the November 2022 Monthly Economic Update.

Investments Article

Dead Cat Bounces

Is this another dead cat bounce or the beginning of the next bull market? Dean Barber and Bud Kasper look into the dead cat bounces that we’ve had so far in 2022 to get a better idea of what the answer could be.

Investments Article

More Interest Rate Hikes on the Way?

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss the latest on inflation, more interest rate hikes, the likelihood of a global recession, and much more on this episode of America's Wealth Management Show.

Investments Article

When Will the Bear Market Be Over?

We saw a big market run-up in October. Dean Barber explores when the bear market will be over in our October Monthly Economic Update.

Investments Article

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

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.

Estate Planning Article

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.

Investments Article

Examples of Market Risk Abound in September

There is so much economic uncertainty, from interest rates to inflation to what's going on geopolitically. All of those are significant examples of market risk. Dean Barber talks about those examples of market risk and much more in September’s Monthly Economic Update.

Investments Article

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.

Investments Article

Market Conditions Falter to Round Out August

Market conditions tumbled at the end of August after a summer rally. Dean Barber takes an in-depth look in August's Monthly Economic Update.

Investments Article

The Definition of a Recession

We now have a negative GDP for two consecutive quarters, which is the definition of a recession. Dean Barber reviews that and more in July's Monthly Economic Update.

Investments Article

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

4 Retirement Risks That Are Out of Your Control

A huge factor of financial planning is controlling what you can control. It’s pivotal to understand that as you’re determining if you have enough money to get to and through retirement. The fear of outliving your money is a retirement risk that’s big concern for a lot of people. However, with a financial plan, it’s a controllable retirement risk. In this episode of America's Wealth Management Show, Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss four retirement risks that you can plan for but are out of your control.

Investments Article

Are We in a Recession?

Are we in a recession? Dean Barber raises that question and reviews the latest on interest rates and bonds in June's Monthly Economic Update.

Investments Article

Bear Markets and Mean Reversions

Shane Barber explores several methods of measuring how overvalued the markets became, how overvalued they remain, and how far they might fall if we are actually in the middle of a mean reversion event.

Investments Article

Bear Market Is Here, Is There More to Come?

The S&P 500 entered bear market territory, preceded by the NASDAQ index entering bear market territory a few weeks back. Join Dean Barber and Bud Kasper as they discuss navigating the current bear market.

Investments Article

2022 Halftime Report

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss the year so far and what they think about the balance of 2022 in our 2022 Halftime Report.

Investments Article

Finding Financial Clarity in Uncertain Times

With all the issues we’re facing domestically and globally that are impacting the economy, it’s pivotal to find financial clarity during these uncertain times. Bud Kasper and Logan DeGraeve talk about the importance of having a financial plan to navigate that uncertainty and help people reach their goals in retirement.

Investments Article

Bear Market Rallies

Dean Barber assesses the possibility of upcoming bear market rallies and reviews the bear market rallies of the Dot-Com Bubble and Great Recession.

Investments Article

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

How Are Bond Mutual Funds Impacted by Interest Rates and Bond Prices?

The relationship between bond prices and interest rates has been a hot topic of discussion, but how does it apply to bond mutual funds? We examine that and how duration is such a big factor in answering that question.

Investments Article

Keeping an Eye on I-Bonds

Inflation is an i-word that anyone and everyone is tired of hearing. Then, there’s interest rates that are rising that are also making people feel uncomfortable. But there is another i-word that Modern Wealth Management clients have been coming to us with questions about that we want to address. We’re talking about I-Bonds. 

Investments Article

529 Plans and Planning for Your Grandchildren’s Futures

There are few prouder moments for grandparents than their grandchildren's graduation. You can help plan their future by building them a 529 plan.

Investments Article

When a Housing Market Shortage Becomes a Surplus

Shane Barber discusses what is going on in the housing market and how a housing shortage could become a housing surplus.

Investments Article

Inflation Rates and the Fed

Following a 50 basis point hike of the Fed funds rate last week, Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss the Federal Reserve's challenge of combating high inflation rates and the necessary factors to achieve a soft landing.

Investments Article

A Historic Half-Point Hike of the Fed Funds Rate

FOMC Chairman Jerome Powell announced on a 50 basis point increase of the Fed funds rate on Wednesday in hopes of slowing down rampant inflation. The half-point hike was the biggest hike from the FOMC since May 2000.

Investments Article

Interest Rates and Bond Prices

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper take a deep dive into the relationship between interest rates and bond prices and provide some education on bond alternatives.

Investments Article

Mortgage Rates and Interest Rates on the Rise

April showers tend to bring spring May flowers, but in the financial world, the forecast is filled with more market volatility. Dean Barber looks at the latest developments with interest rates, the bond and stock markets, and 30-year mortgage rates.

Investments Article

Geopolitical Uncertainty Creates Chaos … And Opportunities

Shane Barber discusses the geopolitical uncertainty surrounding the war between Russia and Ukraine, the potential conflict between China/Taiwan, what commodities are being impacted, and the economic opportunities to be aware of.

Investments Article

What Is Going On in the Bond Market?

For the first time since late 2019, the two-year treasury is yielding higher than the 10-year treasury. This is called an inverted yield curve. Since the late '70s Every single time we've seen an inverted yield curve, It has led to a recession. Join Dean Barber and Bud Kasper as they discuss what is going on in the bond market and what the inverted yield curve means to you.

Investments Article

A Recent History of Inverted Yield Curves

Dean Barber discusses the inverted yield curve, the likelihood of a recession, market volatility, and what to do moving forward.

Investments Article

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

The Impact of Rising Interest Rates

It's been just over a week since Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell announced a 0.25% hike of the Fed funds rate, and that six more increases have been penciled in for the remainder of 2022. The Federal Reserve's goal with these moves is to slow down inflation, but what can we expect the impact to be from rising interest rates? Bud Kasper and Logan DeGraeve discuss the importance of making necessary adjustments to your portfolio in a rising interest rate environment.

Investments Article

The Federal Reserve’s Monetary Policies

LSA Portfolios President Brad Kasper reminds us of the Federal Reserve's Monetary Policies as the Fed begins to raise interest rates.

Investments Article

Dot-Com Bubble History Remains Relevant

Shane Barber looks back at the bursting of the Dot-Com Bubble in March 2000 and compares and contrasts it with our current market conditions.

Investments Article

From Quantitative Easing to Quantitative Tightening

Bud Kasper explains the Federal Reserve's shift from quantitative easing to quantitative tightening ahead of the Fed's March 16 meeting.

Investments Article

Economic Impact of March Market Madness

March means it’s time for March Madness, but there’s a different March Madness that Dean Barber and Bud Kasper are talking about that has nothing to do with college basketball. Dean and Bud break down the economic impact we’re seeing from the Russia/Ukraine conflict, the likelihood of rising interest rates, and other contributors to this March Market Madness.

Investments Article

Staying Calm Amid Economic Uncertainty

Everyone has their opinions about the Federal Reserve’s plan of action with interest rates and the developing situation between Russia and Ukraine. Regardless of your opinions, Dean Barber and Logan DeGraeve explain why it’s critical to keep your emotions in check and make sound financial decisions during these times of economic uncertainty.

Investments Article

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.

Investments Article

When Will the Fed Say, “Take a Hike?”

It feels like it’s only a matter of time before the Fed says to, “Take a hike?” Interest rate hikes are likely on the horizon. Bud Kasper and Logan DeGraeve look at what the impact could be from any of the Fed’s rate hikes and how big they could be.

Investments Article

What Is Going on with Interest Rates?

Shane Barber discusses what all is going on with interest rates and how impending rate hikes could impact the markets.

Investments Article

10 Ways to Fight Inflation in Retirement

In recent months, we’ve all felt inflation’s impact at restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, and so many other places. There’s no question that inflation has made its presence known, especially among retirees. It’s important to us that you to continue to live your one best financial life despite these inflationary issues, so we’ve compiled a list of ways to fight inflation.

Investments Article

Navigating the Latest Market Fluctuations

The Federal Reserve is walking an absolute tight rope. Markets are going crazy. We’ve seen one of the most volatile months since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bud Kasper, Matt Kasper, and Jason Newcomer join Dean Barber discuss the latest on the wild market fluctuations and what you need to know moving forward.

Investments Article

Market Volatility: Short-Term or Here to Stay?

Market volatility is making its presence known as we begin 2022. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper break down whether we can expect it to be short-term or if we need to buckle up for the long haul.

Investments Article

Inflation and Supply Chain Issues Are Intertwined

Inflation continues to run rampant as we begin 2022. Shane Barber shares how the ongoing supply chain issues are the root of inflation.

Estate Planning Article

What Is the Guided Retirement System?

You’ve probably heard Dean Barber and Bud Kasper mention the Guided Retirement System several times on America’s Wealth Management. Here is their step-by-step breakdown of the Guided Retirement System to ensure people understand what it is all about.

Investments Article

5 Retirement Planning Tasks for a Better 2022

After coming off a strong year of market returns in 2021, let's look at five retirement planning tasks that can help make for an even better year in 2022.

Investments Article

Good Market Performances to Begin 2022

We had the Delta variant, the Omicron variant, and all kinds of crazy things happening in 2021. Nevertheless, Dean Barber is excited to review a solid year in the markets for 2021 and highlight how 2022 is already offering good market performances.

Investments Article

Should I Buy Gold?

"Should I buy gold?" I hear this question daily, multiple times, and it's not surprising. You can't turn on your radio, television, or open your email or social media accounts without being bombarded by gold commercials. They're everywhere.

Investments Article

Buying Real Estate in Your IRA? Not So Fast

There is no shortage of people and companies out there trying to convince you that buying actual real estate in your IRA is a good idea. A quick google search of the term real estate IRA brings up about 63,800,000 results in just under a half a second. Really.

Investments Article

Traditional Versus Roth 401(k)

People frequently ask us whether they should contribute to a Roth 401(k) or a traditional 401(k). The answer to this question depends on your personal situation. There are several factors you should consider.

Investments Article

Is the Stock Market Overvalued?

The question of whether the stock market is overvalued is one that we field on an almost daily basis. The problem is, there are no easy answers. That's because there are so many methods used to measure valuations that, unless you understand them all, it's hard to form an opinion on which one is correct at any given point in time. Add in a personal bias towards a particular method, and you've really complicated the discussion.

Estate Planning Article

Is the Stretch IRA Dead?

In December 2019, Congress passed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement (SECURE) Act. One of the most significant changes is the elimination of the stretch provision for most beneficiaries of inherited retirement plans like IRAs and 401(k)s. What does this change mean for you? What opportunities does it present?

Estate Planning Article

20 Things to Do Before You Retire in the 2020s

Well, here we are approaching the close of another decade. As many often do near the end of a milestone, we’re doing a countdown. However, this countdown isn’t looking back over the past decade, but rather forward toward the decade on the horizon. New decades often mean new goals, and for many, it’s likely the ultimate goal during our working years, retirement. 

Investments Article

Boeing 737 Max: Why Quality Control Matters

In March of this year, after 2 separate crashes killed a combined 346 people, the Boeing 737 Max was grounded. Details from the 2 incidents showed that they were both caused by the same issue…the MCAS, or maneuvering characteristics augmentation system malfunctioning. The MCAS is designed to keep the aircraft from stalling, by pushing the nose of the plane down.

Investments Article

No More Roth IRA Do-Overs Under the New Tax Bill

Now that the Senate and the House of Representatives have both passed versions of the new tax reform law, one of the things that got the ax was Roth IRA recharacterizations after December 31, 2017.

Investments Article

Tax Reform Proposal Finally Unveiled

Note: After weeks of discussion, disagreements, and postponements, the House announced their plan for tax reform yesterday, November 2, 2017.

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Video

Q3 2023 Quarterly Market Update

Dean Barber, Ken Osiwala, and Bud Kasper give their main takeaways from Q3 2023 and their expectations for Q4 in our Quarterly Market Update.

Video

What to Do with Your 401(k) After Retirement

Chris Rett discusses what to do with your 401(k) after retirement—leave it in your previous employer plan or roll it over to an IRA?

Video

Q2 2023 Quarterly Market Update

Back in April, Dean Barber and Bud Kasper did something new on the Modern Wealth Management Educational Series when they gave their Q1 2023 Quarterly Market Update. Now that Q2 2023 is behind us, it’s time for them to give their Q2 2023 quarterly market update.

Video

Why Compound Interest Is Key

Chris Rett, CFP® discusses compound interest, the difference between compounding interest and simple interest, the value of compounding interest for retirement, the Rule of 72, and how to use compound interest for your retirement on the Modern Wealth Management Educational Series.

Video

Q1 2023 Quarterly Market Update

We’re constantly thinking about how to keep people updated about things that can impact their retirement. It’s important to us that you’re making informed financial decisions so that you can live your one best financial life. So, we’ve decided that we’re going to start sharing quarterly market updates from Dean Barber and Bud Kasper. Let’s get right into it with our Q1 2023 quarterly market update.

Video

Inflation Expectations for 2023

What is going on with the economy? From inflation expectations for 2023, how high interest rates could go, and the uncertainty within the stock and bond markets, there are so many pertinent questions right now and not many clear answers. David Mitchell of AllianceBernstein joins Dean Barber on the Modern Wealth Management Educational Series to review some of those questions and what they could mean for you.

Video

Retiring During a Recession

Uncertainty has been the theme of 2022. We’ve experienced some jaw-dropping market volatility and inflation, and after back-to-back quarters of negative GDP growth, we’re technically in a recession. All this uncertainty has only enhanced our firm’s commitment to help people continuing living their one best financial life. In this Modern Wealth Management Educational Series event, Drew Jones joins Dean Barber to discuss what it’s like to retire during a recession.

Video

How Bonds Fit into a Financial Plan

One of the most common questions that our advisors here from clients and prospective clients is, “Why should I own bonds?” Considering how rising interest rates and inflation have been wreaking havoc on bonds, it’s a fair question to ask. Still, no matter the economic condition or how interest rates are doing, bonds can still make sense in your portfolio. Dean Barber and Chris Rett explain why in this Modern Wealth Management Educational Series event.

Video

Financial Literacy: How Do You Stack Up?

In honor of Financial Literacy Month, Dean Barber quizzes Logan DeGraeve on a recent financial literacy study from the TIAA Institute. Take the quiz yourself to see how you and Logan fared! If you didn't ace the quiz, that's OK. Our team of financial advisors is here to help.

Video

10 Financial Spring Cleaning Tips

While it's February and has been cold, it’s time to talk about spring cleaning your finances. As you begin to gather all the necessary information to file your tax return, Dean Barber and Drew Jones are excited to give a few extra tips about things to look for to keep your finances in order.

Video

IRA Planning for 2022

After reviewing 401(k) planning for 2022 in January, we’re slightly shifting gears here for this Modern Wealth Management Educational Series event to discuss IRA planning for 2022. While a 401(k) is often people’s largest asset, IRAs are oftentimes their second largest asset. Chris Rett recently joined Dean Barber to break down IRA planning for people at various stages of their lives.

Video

401(k) Planning for 2022

If your 401(k) isn’t already your largest asset, there’s a good chance that it could be very soon. It’s time to do some 401(k) planning for 2022, and Drew Jones and Dean Barber are here to help. They cover everything from a new employee choosing between a Roth and traditional 401(k) to decisions to make for people who are in their mid-working years, those approaching retirement, and retirees.

Video

Is Bitcoin Digital Gold?

With the popularity of cryptocurrency on the rise, Dean Barber sits down with Wayne Robinson to answer a question that has been on many peoples’ minds. Is Bitcoin digital gold?

Video

Financial Horror Stories

As the spookiness builds with Halloween on the horizon, Wayne Robinson & Dean Barber give their thoughts on some financial horror stories.

Download

PDF Document

Understanding Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)

When you reach age 73 you must begin to draw funds from your traditional (i.e., non-Roth) Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).

PDF Document

401(k) Survival Guide

Not sure what to do with your 401(k) when you retire or are nearing retirement? Once you retire, a plan for withdrawing those funds that provides a constant source of income that isn’t eaten up by taxes and other costly traps must be constructed

Retirement

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Retirement Article

Setting Up Your Portfolio for Retirement

It’s one thing to know what age you want to retire, but it’s another to know you can get to and through retirement without too much financial stress. How much do you need to live your desired lifestyle in retirement? That answer is different for everyone. Let’s review a few steps to help you make sure your portfolio for retirement can go the distance.

Retirement Article

Have I Saved Enough to Retire?

Is the question, "Have I saved enough to retire?" constantly on your mind? Here's how to go about figuring that out.

Retirement Article

Skills to Expect of a Financial Advisor

Dean Barber and Chris Rett, CFP®, AIF® review some skills that people value (and don't value, as much) from financial advisors.

Retirement Article

Your Retirement Date Decision – Is It Only About the Numbers?

As a financial advisor who recently took a step back from actively providing investment advice, Bruce Godke helped many people financially prepare for retirement and assisted them with managing their post-retirement lives. There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to getting you to your desired retirement date and then getting you through retirement. And throughout that process, he can confidently report that it’s not all about “the numbers.”

Retirement Article

Is Inflation Still Cooling?

Inflation cooled considerably in 2023, but it remains well above the Fed's 2% target rate. Let's look at the latest inflationary trends.

Retirement Article

What’s the Meaning of Wealth Management?

What's the meaning of wealth management? It's important to realize that there's much more to wealth management than managing your money.

Estate Planning Article

What Is a Living Trust and Do I Need One?

How could a living trust be utilized as a key part of your personal estate planning strategy? That’s something that’s important to think about as you’re figuring out how to manage your assets—both while you’re living and after you die. We’re going to review the components of a living trust to help determine if you need one as a part of your estate plan. 

Retirement Article

Seeking a Comfortable Retirement: Avoid These Common Bad Habits

How do you plan to achieve a comfortable retirement? Let's review three common bad habits to avoid as you're planning for retirement.

Retirement Article

Should I Get Out of Debt Before I Retire?

Should I get out of debt before I retire? It's one of the more common questions we get when we meet with people getting closer to retirement. It’s important to understand that not all debt is the same. Let’s examine different types of debt to help determine whether you should get out of debt before you retire.

Retirement Article

5 Spring Activities for Retirees

Is spring one of your favorite seasons? Here are five spring activities that retirees can enjoy with spring right around the corner.

Retirement Article

Taxes on Retirement Income

When you leave your job and enter retirement, your tax situation can drastically change. We're often asked by clients, "How will my retirement income be taxed?" The short answer: it depends. Let's take a closer look at some of the typical income sources in retirement and learn more about how that income could be taxed.

Retirement Article

Introducing Your Encore

Few people realize that planning for retirement contentment is as important as planning for economic health. That will be at the heart of our new Your Encore program.

Retirement Article

What Is the SECURE Act?

So many things changed on the retirement planning front when the SECURE Act was signed into law in 2019.1 And so many things related to the SECURE Act have changed since then, including SECURE 2.0 being signed into law in 2022.2 Let’s review what the SECURE Act is and how it has impacted retirement planning.

Retirement Article

5 Common Risks in Retirement

When you ask the question, "What's your biggest fear in retirement?" Many people will say it's the fear of running out of money. Let's review five common risks in retirement and what you can do to mitigate those risks.

Investments Article

Target Date Funds: What You Need to Know

Target date funds have become a very popular investment vehicle that are structured to automatically adjust their asset allocation over time depending on an investor's target retirement date. LSA Portfolio Analytics President and CFO Brad Kasper helps us break down the pros and cons of target date funds, and key considerations about target date funds to keep in mind.

Insurance Article

Health Care Costs During Retirement

If you're gearing up for retirement, you may be wondering how your health care costs during retirement are going to look. Let's dive into it.

Investments Article

The Fine Line Between Good Fear and Bad Fear

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper break down the differences between good fear and bad fear to help people live their one best financial life.

Retirement Article

7 Overlooked Budget Items in Retirement

Most people have, at best, a rough idea of how much they spend each month. Money comes in from a paycheck, and money goes out for various expenses. When it comes to planning for your retirement, it's good practice to have a detailed understanding of how and where your money goes once it leaves your bank account. In retirement, some expenses won't look a lot different than they do while you are working.

Investments Article

Can I Beat the Market?

Beating the market is something that many people have tried to do, but a rare few have succeeded. Many investors compare their investments to certain indices when attempting to beat the market. But are indices a good benchmark?

Retirement Article

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

The 4-Year Presidential Election Cycle and the Stock Market

It's an election year! We examined the relationship between the 4-year presidential election cycle and the stock market.

Retirement Article

7 Retirement Strategies to Retire Successfully

This list of strategies will hopefully give you a great place to start if you're getting ready to retire or just curious about preparing for retirement. Our goal is to provide you with simple yet effective retirement strategies that do not only focus on investment tactics or savings percentages. Instead, we hope to give you a toolbox of strategies for retirement with which you can combine to build the retirement of your dreams.

Estate Planning Article

Top 5 Financial Planning Considerations

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper review their top five financial planning considerations on America's Wealth Management Show.

Investments Article

RMD Strategies for Before & After Retirement

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss Required Minimum Distributions by sharing major RMD strategies for both before and after retirement.

Retirement Article

Peak 65: Nearly 4.4 Million Americans Projected to Turn 65 in 2024

Have you heard of the term "Peak 65?" It's a meaningful milestone, as more than 12,000 Americans are expected to turn 65 each day in 2024.

Investments Article

5 Factors More Important Than Rate of Return

When it comes to building your retirement plan, a lot of people think your rate of return is the No. 1 thing to keep in mind. While it is important, your investments aren’t the main factor when it comes to your plan. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper will review five factors that are more important than your rate of return on this episode of America's Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

Why When You Retire Matters

Do you know when you want to retire? There’s more to it than you might think. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper explain why when you retire matters.

Investments Article

Reviewing Rebalancing Strategies

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss offensive and defensive rebalancing strategies and when to consider them.

Retirement Article

Reviewing Your Retirement Checklist

As we look forward to the new year, Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss the importance of reviewing your Retirement Plan Checklist.

Retirement Article

2024 Retirement Planning Calendar

The Retirement Planning Calendar is here to help you through 2024 as you venture to and through retirement. This calendar will be updated regularly to include new dates, links, and more.

Investments Article

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.

Retirement Article

5 Long-Term Strategies for a Better Retirement

There are few things that make Dean Barber and Bud Kasper happier than seeing the fruits of the forward-looking planning pay dividends for their clients. In this week's edition of America's Wealth Management Show, they offer five long-term strategies for a better retirement.

Retirement Article

Stress Testing Your Financial Plan

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss stress testing your financial plan and why it's important to confidently get to and through retirement.

Retirement Article

5 Common Misconceptions About Retirement

Retirement can be very exciting, but there can also be many misconceptions about retirement. Let's set the record straight on some of those.

Estate Planning Article

7 Wealth Protection Tactics

Dean Barber and Logan DeGraeve share 7 wealth protection tactics that can be helpful with planning for how to get to and through retirement.

Retirement Article

Planning for Uncertainty in Retirement

In the quest for financial clarity and confidence, there's no doubt that today's decisions and actions can create your future. Dean Barber and Logan DeGraeve discuss how those decisions and actions are critical when it comes to planning for uncertainty in retirement.

Retirement Article

2024 401(k) and IRA Contribution Limits

The IRS announced increases to 401(k) and IRA contribution limits for 2024 on November 1. Let’s review those increases, explain why they happened, and the importance of maximizing your contributions.

Retirement Article

Where Should I Be Saving for Retirement?

Most people understand the importance of saving for retirement and are always wondering how much they need to save. That is going to depend on several different factors, including your retirement goals, how you think and feel about money, and where you’ve been saving. We’re going to focus more on that last point. So many people get caught up in how much they need to save and don’t realize how critical it is to understand the importance of where they’re saving for retirement.

Insurance Article

5 Long-Term Care Questions to Ask

As you age, calculating the chances that you’ll need long-term care—and the associated costs—is incredibly important.

Retirement Article

Financial Stress: How Do You Deal with It?

There are a variety of things that can cause financial stress. It's critical to have a financial plan that addresses your specific stressors.

Retirement Article

When Is It Time to Retire?

Logan DeGraeve & Chris Rett explain what needs to be done to get an accurate answer to a very important question: When is it time to retire?

Retirement Article

7 Financial Planning Opportunities That You Don’t Want to Miss

Logan DeGraeve, CFP®, AIF® and Chris Rett, CFP®, AIF® celebrate National Financial Planning Month by sharing seven financial planning opportunities you don’t want to miss.

Retirement Article

Retirement Essentials: 4 Things Most Retirees Aren’t Doing (But Should Be Doing)

Every day can feel like a Saturday in retirement, but you need to properly plan for it. Let's review some retirement planning essentials.

Retirement Article

Martin James, CPAs Join the Modern Wealth Team

When it comes to money matters, experience counts. Martin James, CPA, our new Managing Director at Modern Wealth Management, brings 37 years of financial wisdom to the table.

Retirement Article

Disinflation vs Deflation: How Are They Different?

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper, CFP® share their insight on inflation, disinflation and deflation with what they are, how they're different, and most importantly, how to plan for them.

Retirement Article

Reasons People Run Out of Retirement Money

Outliving your money is a very legitimate fear. We look at seven reasons people run out of money in retirement and how to avoid them. It all goes back to having a comprehensive, goals-based financial plan.

Retirement Article

Thinking About Unretiring? Why Retirees Are Rejoining the Workforce

Retirees are going back to work at an alarming rate. Logan DeGraeve, CFP® and Chris Rett, CFP® review a 2022 Paychex survey to help us understand why people are unretiring, and more importantly, how to avoid doing so.

Retirement Article

What Millionaires Do in Times of Economic Uncertainty

Have you been negatively impacted by the economic uncertainty we’ve experienced over the past couple of years? If so, how? It’s not a fun conversation to have, but it’s a necessary one. Not having a conversation about it at all can only increase the anxiety of economic uncertainty, which is why it’s so critical to plan for economic uncertainty. We’re going to discuss what millionaires do in times of economic uncertainty to illustrate the importance of planning for it.

Retirement Article

You Can’t Take It with You When You Go, So Don’t Blink

Shane Barber discusses how people can struggle with saving too much and not spending enough. Remember that life is short and you can't take your money with you when you pass on. Let's create a fluid, goals-based financial plan that allows you to spend more time doing the things you love with the people you love.

Investments Article

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

What Is a QCD? Qualified Charitable Distribution

You may have heard the term QCD (Qualified Charitable Distribution), but what is a QCD? If you’re 70½ or older, charitably inclined, and have money in tax-deferred accounts—such as traditional IRAs—QCDs might be right up your alley. A QCD is a distribution from an IRA that goes directly to a qualified charity. QCDs aren’t taxed and won’t show up on your tax return. Does that sound intriguing? Let’s learn a little bit more about what a QCD is.

Retirement Article

RMD Questions: What Are Required Minimum Distributions?

Understanding Required Minimum Distributions rules isn't easy. We addressed the most frequently-asked-questions we receive about RMDs.

Retirement Article

5 Fall Activities for You and Your Grandchildren

Are you ready for fall to be in full swing? Here are some fall adventures that our Modern Wealth team is excited about and five fun fall activities that you can do with your grandkids.

Retirement Article

Retirement Savings by Age

Wanting to know how much you should have in retirement savings by age is a simple question to ask, but there are several questions that need to be asked before that to help get your unique answer. We'll take you through some of those questions and provide a hypothetical scenario of what retirement savings by age journey can look like.

Retirement Article

Financial Planning in Your 30s and 40s

Are you taking a forward-looking approach with financial planning? Here are some financial planning strategies to consider in your 30s and 40s.

Investments Article

How Does a Roth IRA Grow?

How does a Roth IRA grow? Dean Barber and Bud Kasper explain that while sharing how the Roth IRA can play a huge role in saving for retirement.

Retirement Article

Retirement Readiness: Are You Ready to Kick Off Your Retirement?

Are you ready for retirement? We’re going to discuss some key factors concerning retirement readiness to that you’ll be ready to retire.

Retirement Article

Getting Ready for Retirement: Don’t Retire without Doing These Things First

Retirement can be one of the most exciting times of your life if you plan for it. That “if you plan for it” part is critical. It can be hard for some people to believe that there’s more that they need to do to get ready for retirement than save, save, save. The goal isn’t just to get to retirement; it’s to get through retirement. We’re going to review some key things to think about as you’re getting ready for retirement.

Retirement Article

Richcession or Recession: Where Are We Heading?

You probably have an idea of what a recession is, but have you ever heard of a richcession? Let's look at what it means, who it affects, and how it differs from a recession.

Retirement Article

Rightsizing vs. Downsizing: What Are the Differences?

What is rightsizing and how does it differ from downsizing? Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discussed the ins and outs of rightsizing and why it's so important on America's Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

How to Reduce RMDs with 5 Strategies

Eventually, Uncle Sam will want his share and require funds to come out of your accounts. Let's look into how to reduce your RMDs.

Insurance Article

Life Insurance in Retirement: Do I Still Need It?

Life insurance can be a key component in your financial plan, but it depends on your financial goals, lifestyle, and other circumstances. There are various reasons for why someone should purchase life insurance while they’re working, namely to provide for your loved ones if you pass away. But do you need life insurance in retirement? Well, it depends. We’re going to review a few reasons for why someone might want to carry life insurance into retirement. 

Retirement Article

Talking to Your Spouse About Money

Whether you've been married for one year or 40-plus years, talking to your spouse about money is a critical component of retirement planning.

Retirement Article

National Financial Awareness Day

August 14 is National Financial Awareness Day. To celebrate, we're sharing a few financial planning tips to improve your financial literacy.

Investments Article

Pension Plans: Defined Benefit Plans vs. Defined Contribution Plans

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss pension plans while breaking down the differences between defined benefit and defined contribution plans.

Retirement Article

Will I Pay Taxes on My Inheritance?

Will you pay taxes on your inheritance? That sounds like it should have a clear-cut yes or no answer, but it's contingent on a few factors.

Retirement Article

Longevity Risk in Retirement and How to Plan for It

One of the top concerns that our advisors hear from clients and prospective clients is running out of money in retirement. We all want to live long, healthy lives, but just how big of a concern should longevity risk be with retirement planning? Well, the best way to mitigate longevity risk in retirement is to plan for it. We’re going to explain how to go about doing that to help you have more confidence, freedom, and time in retirement.

Retirement Article

Retirement Planning for Self-Employed Individuals and Small Business Owners

Are you a self-employed individual or small business owner and need assistance with retirement planning? Here are some strategies to consider.

Estate Planning Article

Rules for Inherited IRA Distributions – What Are the Latest Changes?

IRS Notice 2023-54 provides relief for 2023 missed RMDs for non-eligible designated beneficiaries who must follow the 10-year payout rule. And for those who took or who were given unnecessary IRA distributions in 2023, the notice extends a 60-day rollover deadline to roll them back into their accounts.

Retirement Article

Unexpected Expenses and How to Plan for Them

What do a flooded basement, trip to the emergency room, and helping one of your children who was laid off have in common? Well, obviously none of them are ideal situations, but there’s more to it than that. They’re all unexpected expenses that can significantly impact or even derail your retirement if you haven’t planned for them.

Insurance Article

Retiring Before 65: What You Need to Consider

Are you waiting til 65 to retire since that's when you can get on Medicare? Well, what if you didn't have to? Let's look at retiring before 65 and the importance of having a financial plan when making that decision.

Retirement Article

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.

Retirement Article

5 Summer Activities to do with Your Grandkids

Does it seem like summer is flying by? Here are some ideas for fun summer activities to do with your grandchildren.

Investments Article

Retirement Cash Flow: What You Need to Know

What is retirement cash flow and why is it so important? Dean Barber and Logan DeGraeve answer those questions on America's Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

8 Retirement Planning Strategies That Are Outdated

Dean Barber and Logan DeGraeve review a list of eight outdated retirement planning strategies and explain the flaws that they have.

Retirement Article

Can I Retire Early? Becoming Financially Independent

The question “Can I retire early?” crosses a lot of people’s minds. You’re probably asking yourself that question quite a bit if you don’t like your job. But even if you do like your job, that question is worth thinking about as you start planning for retirement. You need a forward-looking financial plan to get a concrete answer to that question.

Retirement Article

What Is Financial Wellbeing?

Financial wellbeing is a term frequently mentioned, but what does it really mean? Bud Kasper and Logan DeGreave dive into the concept of financial wellbeing and explore its various aspects on this episode of America’s Wealth Management Show. From measuring financial success to the importance of planning, we will provide insights and tips to help you achieve financial wellbeing in your life.

Retirement Article

5 Big Things that Happened in 2023 So Far

As we approach the midway point of 2023, it's an opportune time to look at the big things that have happened to shape the financial landscape.

Retirement Article

Can You Save Too Much for Retirement?

Happy Fourth of July Eve everyone! We hope that you’re having a wonderful time celebrating with your friends and family. As long as you’re being safe, it’s hard to have too much fun celebrating the Fourth of July, but here’s something to think about—can you save too much for retirement?

Retirement Article

Retirement Planning Resources: Modern Financial Planning

From our financial planning tools to relationships we've built in the financial services industry, learn more about our retirement planning resources.

Retirement Article

Your Retirement Lifestyle: What Do You Want Your Retirement to Look Like?

Retirement is a time for new beginnings and enjoying the lifestyle you've always dreamed of. But what exactly does that mean to you? Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss what goes into defining your retirement lifestyle on America’s Wealth Management Show to help you figure out what you want your retirement to look like.

Retirement Article

6 Things the Wealthy Do with Their Money (That Most People Don’t)

How much do you need to feel wealthy? According to Charles Schwab’s 2023 Modern Wealth Survey, it’s $2.2 million. Does that seem like a high bar to you to be considered as wealthy? Dean Barber and Bud Kasper will share their insight on the study along with six things the wealthy do with their money on America’s Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

How to Spend When You First Retire

The first year of retirement can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper review how to spend when you first retire so that you can have more confidence, freedom, and time during your first year of retirement and beyond.

Retirement Article

Couples Retirement Planning: What You Need to Know

Are you on the same page as your significant other about financial planning? Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss the must-knows of couples retirement planning on America's Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

DIY Retirement Planning: What Can Be Overlooked?

Are you someone or do you know someone who takes a DIY (do-it-yourself) approach to retirement planning? We understand that it can be easy to be passionate about managing your own finances. But are you truly prepared for retirement? That includes how to maximize Social Security benefits, understanding tax efficient withdrawal strategies, and so much more.

Retirement Article

What to Know About CDs, Bonds, and Treasuries

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper share some insight about CDs, bonds, and treasuries on America's Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

How Much Do People Actually Spend in Retirement?

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper review data from an Employee Benefit Research Institute survey to answer the question, "How Much Do People Spend in Retirement?"

Retirement Article

Why the 5 Years Before Retirement Are So Important

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper make their own lists of reasons why the five years before retirement are so important before reviewing a portion of our Retirement Plan Checklist to help back up their reasoning.

Retirement Article

The World’s Reserve Currency: What Challenges Does the U.S. Dollar Face?

Shane Barber assesses the U.S. dollar's grasp on being the world's reserve currency and its top challengers. Is its position in danger?

Retirement Article

5 Reasons to Retire

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper outline some key aspects of the financial planning process as they review five reasons to retire.

Retirement Article

Retiring with Debt: What’s OK?

Debt can be a complicated topic—both financially and emotionally. Should you pay it all off prior to retirement or is there some debt that’s OK to take into retirement? Is there debt that you shouldn’t even think about retiring with? Dean Barber and Bud Kasper examine retiring with debt on America’s Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

Mother’s Day Reflections

A few of the mothers on our Modern Wealth Management team share their Mother's Day reflections ahead of Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, grandmothers, and motherly figures out there!

Investments Article

What Is Wealth? 4 Types of Wealth

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper are going to define the four types of wealth to thoroughly answer the question, “What is wealth?” on America’s Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

The Roth IRA Five-Year Rule

In true IRS fashion, there are five-year rules for Roth contributions AND Roth conversions. Let's review both Roth IRA five-year rules.

Retirement Article

Time Is Your Scarcest Resource in Retirement

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper share some old and recent stories to help explain why time is your scarcest resource in retirement on America's Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

Is a Recession Coming in 2023?

Is a recession coming in 2023? Dean Barber breaks down some key data to help people make an educated guess when answering that question.

Retirement Article

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

Meet Modern Wealth Management

Meet Modern Wealth Management President and Co-Founder Jason Gordo as he shares his vision for Modern Wealth Management with Dean Barber and Bud Kasper on America's Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

Barber Financial Group & Osiwala Financial Group Are Now Modern Wealth Management

That’s right, we’re now Modern Wealth Management. Welcome to the next chapter of our story! 

So, what is Modern Wealth Management? At Modern Wealth Management, our goal is to deliver financial advice. We are designed to anticipate the needs of Americans at every stage of life by providing a full suite of wealth management services. The Modern Wealth Management team is built with experts specializing in financial planning, investment management, tax planning and preparation, estate planning, risk management, and more. 

Retirement Article

2023 Taxes: Time to Start Planning

Another tax filing season is in the books, which is probably a big relief for some of you and our CPAs. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to take an out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach with your tax documents and 2023 taxes. Why? Because 2023 tax planning season is underway. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper will share why now is the optimal time to take advantage of tax planning opportunities so that tax filling won’t be so stressful in the future.

Retirement Article

Is Inflation Slowing?

"Is inflation slowing" is a question that a lot of people have been curious about, but there are a couple other things about inflation that we want to address first. One, what do we mean by inflation slowing. That means that the rate of increase for inflation has started slowing, not that prices are going to immediately start coming down. Two, do you have a financial plan that properly applies inflation to your spending? Dean Barber and Bud Kasper will take a deeper dive into all those questions on America's Wealth Management Show

Retirement Article

How the Phillips Curve Became Flat

Shane Barber looks at the evolution of the Phillips Curve and how it became flat. How can we accurately assess inflationary pressures?

Retirement Article

Retirement Age: It’s Just a Number

Did the headline of this article catch your eye? Don’t get us wrong. We take retirement planning very seriously. The point of this headline and article is to explain that you don’t need wait until a certain age to retire. Many people think that they need to wait to retire until 65 when they become eligible for Medicare or when they reach full retirement age for Social Security.

With the proper planning, you may be able to retire earlier than you might think. But you won’t know that without having a financial plan. Dean Barber and Logan DeGraeve will expand on that to highlight why retirement age is just a number on America’s Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

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

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

The Effect of Rising Interest Rates on the Economy

In case you missed it, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell announced another 0.25% Fed funds rate hike on March 22. The Fed funds rate is now in the 4.75-5% range. So, where will interest rates go from here and what does that mean for you and your retirement plans? Dean Barber and Bud Kasper will discuss the effect of rising interest rates on the economy and much more on America’s Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

RMD Age for 2023: What’s Your Required Beginning Date?

There are new rules about Required Minimum Distributions and the RMD age after the SECURE Act 2.0 went into effect on January 1, 2023. RMDs can be very tricky, but it’s critical to understand how to plan for them. What are your RMDs going to look like in retirement? Will they influence your taxes or your probability of success? Dean Barber and Logan DeGraeve discuss how to go about doing that and more on America’s Wealth Management Show.

Investments Article

Lost Decade of the 1970s and Why It Still Matters

Shane Barber looks back at the lost decade of the 1970s to see if we can glean some clues for what the 2020s could hold in store for us, and how we can navigate through what may indeed be difficult years ahead.

Investments Article

401k in Retirement: Managing Your Biggest Asset

According to Fidelity, retirees lost an average of 23% in their 401(k) savings in 2022. What should you do with your 401(k) in retirement? Bud Kasper and Logan DeGraeve discuss how to manage assets like your 401(k), both in retirement and as you're preparing for retirement.

Retirement Article

What’s Going on with Bank Failures?

Shane Barber shares the latest on bank failures in the U.S. and why it's time to do some research rather than panic.

Retirement Article

What Is Tax Planning?

Tax Day is near, but tax compliance isn't our focus when it comes to taxes. It's tax planning. What is tax planning, you ask? Let us explain.

Retirement Article

Want to Retire in 10 Years? Here’s What You Need to Know

Do you want to retire in the next 10 years? Bud Kasper and Logan DeGraeve explain why you need a financial plan to see if you can do so successfully.

Retirement Article

7 Reasons Why Retirement Planning Is Important

There's no doubt that saving for retirement is crucial. But there's a lot more to it. Let's review why retirement planning is important.

Estate Planning Article

Estate Tax: How Will My Assets Be Taxed When I Die? 

You are probably aware that the government can tax you when you earn income from work, make money on investments, take withdrawals from accounts, and even tax the income you receive when you claim Social Security benefits. Were you aware that the government can also tax your estate (and your beneficiaries) on the assets you own when you die? 

Retirement Article

Preparing for Retirement: How to Win the Big Game

Are you ready for the big game? Of course, the Kansas City Chiefs are gearing up to play the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday in Phoenix, Ariz. The anticipation has definitely been building among Chiefs fans in the Kansas City area. But that’s not the only big game that is on our minds at Modern Wealth Management. We always thinking about preparing for your retirement because retirement is arguably the biggest game of your life.

Investments Article

Interest Rate Increases Continue in 2023

While all major indices were up in January, the U.S. treasuries yield curve is inverted more than it was at any point of 2022 and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is continuing interest rate increases in 2023. We'll cover all that and more in our January Monthly Economic Update.

Retirement Article

Are Retirement Benefits Taxable?

Are retirement benefits taxable? The quick answer is, probably, but not always. It depends on your unique situation. While you can control your taxes in retirement better than at any other point of your life, that doesn’t mean that it’s not complex. Because it is very complex. We’re going to look at several retirement benefits and assess if and how they’re taxable.

Retirement Article

What Is Financial Planning?

What is financial planning? We’ll look at the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards’ definition of financial planning and the four main components of financial planning—risk management, taxes, estate planning, and investment management—to help answer that question.

Retirement Article

Starting the Retirement Planning Process

The hardest part of any long process tends to be getting started. Retirement planning is no exception. Let's look at how to start the retirement planning process.

Investments Article

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.

Retirement Article

What Is Financial Wellness?

Did you know that January is Financial Wellness Month? Financial wellness can't be achieved overnight, but with some sound planning, you can achieve it. Here are some financial wellness tips to get you on your way.

Insurance Article

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.

Retirement Article

New Retirement Rules Passed by Congress

The SECURE Act 2.0 was signed into law last week. Learn about the new retirement rules passed by Congress and how they could impact you.

Retirement Article

4 Things We Learned in 2022

Happy New Year, everybody! We’re going to take a step back and reflect a little bit because we need to learn from history. In this case, we’re calling 2022 history! 2022, was a year with insane inflation, bumbling bonds, a fumbling fed, and some simmering signals. So, sayonara 2022, get in the rearview mirror! While we learned a lot more than just these four items in 2022, we wanted to focus in on these specifically, as they were the biggest impacts in 2022. Here are four of the things we learned in 2022.

Investments Article

Recession Fears Remain High for the Holidays

There’s plenty of holiday cheer to go around, but recession fears also remain high as we head into 2023. Let's look at where things stand following a 0.5% increase of the Fed funds rate in December.

Retirement Article

Financial Year in Review for 2022

We looked back at our some of our articles, podcasts, webinars, and radio shows from the past year to do a financial year in review for 2022.

Investments Article

Economic Outlook for 2023: What Do We Need to Prepare for?

In our last Modern Wealth Management Educational Series event of 2022, Dean Barber and Bud Kasper look back on the past year and provide an economic outlook for 2023. While they don’t have a crystal ball to predict exactly what the economic outlook will be for 2023, they want you to be prepared for some of the things that could happen.

Retirement Article

8 Tips on Saving for Retirement

Saving for retirement can feel like a daunting task. It doesn’t need to be, though. Bud Kasper and Logan DeGraeve offer eight tips on saving for retirement that can begin giving you clarity and confidence on your path to and through retirement.

Retirement Article

5 Retirement Mistakes to Avoid

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss five of the biggest retirement mistakes to avoid on America’s Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

Ed Slott Elite IRA Advisor Group℠ Gathers in Las Vegas for Fall Conference

Dean Barber, Will Doty, Logan DeGraeve, & Drew Jones share their main takeaways from the Ed Slott Elite IRA Advisor Group℠ conference in Las Vegas.

Retirement Article

4 Ways Retirees Can Give Back

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Dean Barber and Bud Kasper have so many things that they’re thankful for. As they celebrate Thanksgiving, they want to talk about the giving part of Thanksgiving. Dean and Bud will highlight four ways that retirees can give back on this holiday edition of America's Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

Housing Market Predictions Heading into 2023

Shane Barber breaks down the latest developments in the housing market and makes some housing market predictions heading into 2023.

Estate Planning Article

Inherited IRA Rules and the SECURE Act

The rules of inherited IRAs are extremely difficult to understand due to the SECURE Act, yet they must be understood. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper review the inherited IRA rules and explain how they can affect different beneficiaries.

Estate Planning Article

RMD Penalty Waived for 2021 and 2022 Missed RMDs within 10-Year Rule

The IRS has issued a notice that waives the 50% penalty on missed RMDs from 2021 and 2022 on IRAs that fall within the 10-year payout rule.

Investments Article

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

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.

Estate Planning Article

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

Retirement Analysis: Current vs. Proposed Plan

Drew Jones shares his perspective on retirement analysis while going through a sample couple's plan with our financial planning tool.

Estate Planning Article

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.

Investments Article

Examples of Market Risk Abound in September

There is so much economic uncertainty, from interest rates to inflation to what's going on geopolitically. All of those are significant examples of market risk. Dean Barber talks about those examples of market risk and much more in September’s Monthly Economic Update.

Estate Planning Article

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.

Retirement Article

Yet Another Interest Rate Hike — What Does It Mean for You?

FOMC Chairman Jerome Powell announced a third straight interest rate hike of 75 basis points Wednesday in effort to slow rampant inflation. As we look ahead to see where interest rates could go from here, our very own Bud Kasper was interviewed by KMBC 9 News to discuss what it all means.

Retirement Article

The Inflation Reduction Act Has No Impact on Inflation

What if we told you that the Inflation Reduction Act has no impact on inflation? Shane Barber details why that could likely be the case.

Retirement Article

What Is a Monte Carlo Simulation?

What are Monte Carlo simulations and how do they relate to your retirement? We answered those questions and more in our latest blog post.

Investments Article

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.

Investments Article

Market Conditions Falter to Round Out August

Market conditions tumbled at the end of August after a summer rally. Dean Barber takes an in-depth look in August's Monthly Economic Update.

Retirement Article

9 Items Retirement Calculators Miss (That Our Tool Doesn’t)

Our financial planning tool goes beyond the scope of retirement calculators in many ways. Here are nine items that retirement calculators miss.

Retirement Article

5 Types of Financial Plans

Going to the doctor for a checkup usually isn’t the most fun thing to do, but it’s necessary so that you’re up-to-date on your health situation. The same can be said about meeting with a financial planner to find out where you’re at with planning for retirement. Bud Kasper and Logan DeGraeve discuss the five types of financial plans and how a comprehensive approach to financial planning is critical to getting to and through retirement.

Retirement Article

The Housing Recession Is Here According to Homebuilders

On August 15, the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Index announced builder confidence in the market of new single-family home builds fell to 49 in August. The last time the confidence score fell below 50 was in May 2020. Anything below that threshold of 50 is considered negative.

“Tighter monetary policy from the Federal Reserve and persistently elevated construction costs have brought on a housing recession,” NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz said.

Retirement Article

Tax Rates Sunset in 2026 and Why That Matters

The current tax rates of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will be sunsetting in 2026, meaning tax rates will be going back up to the rates from 2017. Here are a few things to keep in mind for how to put yourself in the best possible tax situation now, 2026, and beyond.

Retirement Article

The Great Recession’s History Remains Relevant

After reviewing how the Dot-Com Bubble's history remains relevant earlier this year, Shane Barber looks at how the Great Recession's history also remains relevant.

Retirement Article

Special Guest: Steven Jarvis, CPA

Modern Wealth Management is excited about our new strategic partnership with Retirement Tax Services. RTS’s Steven Jarvis, CPA joins Dean Barber and Bud Kasper on America's Wealth Management Show to discuss that partnership and the importance of CPAs and financial advisors collaborating in the best interests of the client.

Retirement Article

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

The Definition of a Recession

We now have a negative GDP for two consecutive quarters, which is the definition of a recession. Dean Barber reviews that and more in July's Monthly Economic Update.

Investments Article

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

4 Retirement Risks That Are Out of Your Control

A huge factor of financial planning is controlling what you can control. It’s pivotal to understand that as you’re determining if you have enough money to get to and through retirement. The fear of outliving your money is a retirement risk that’s big concern for a lot of people. However, with a financial plan, it’s a controllable retirement risk. In this episode of America's Wealth Management Show, Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss four retirement risks that you can plan for but are out of your control.

Retirement Article

Your Retirement Timeline

Along with 30 checklist items to gauge your retirement readiness, our Retirement Plan Checklist include an age-based timeline to help you be aware of certain things while planning for retirement. Dean Barber and Logan DeGraeve cover some of the key aspects of that retirement timeline on this week's edition of America's Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

8 Ways to Prepare for a Recession

It’s been nearly a month since we officially entered a bear market. If you’ve been keeping an eye on the markets in recent months, that wasn’t much of a surprise. Now, the question is if (or more realistically when) we’ll go into a recession. While we can’t give a straight answer to that, we’ve compiled a list of eight things to do when markets decline that can hopefully be helpful to you during these uncertain economic times.

Investments Article

Are We in a Recession?

Are we in a recession? Dean Barber raises that question and reviews the latest on interest rates and bonds in June's Monthly Economic Update.

Retirement Article

Achieving Financial Freedom

Happy Fourth of July to all the pre-retirees and retirees out there! Along with celebrating America’s independence this weekend, Dean Barber and Bud Kasper hope you take a moment to assess where you stand in the journey to achieving financial freedom. Dean and Bud discuss what financial freedom is and how you know you’ve achieved it in this Fourth of July weekend edition of America's Wealth Management Show.

Investments Article

Bear Markets and Mean Reversions

Shane Barber explores several methods of measuring how overvalued the markets became, how overvalued they remain, and how far they might fall if we are actually in the middle of a mean reversion event.

Retirement Article

Rising Interest Rates and Your Retirement

The Fed raised interest rates by the most in nearly three decades, a 0.75% rate hike, and is set to do it again in July. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper examine how rising interest rates can impact your retirement.

Retirement Article

Celebrating Father’s Day and Fluid Financial Plans

As we look forward to celebrating Father's Day, our content manager, Chris Duderstadt, remembers his late father and shares the importance of incorporating family time into your fluid financial plan.

Retirement Article

Mortgage Applications Hit 22-Year Low

Shane Barber reflects on mortgage applications hitting a 22-year low and where the housing market could go from here.

Investments Article

Finding Financial Clarity in Uncertain Times

With all the issues we’re facing domestically and globally that are impacting the economy, it’s pivotal to find financial clarity during these uncertain times. Bud Kasper and Logan DeGraeve talk about the importance of having a financial plan to navigate that uncertainty and help people reach their goals in retirement.

Retirement Article

How Our Financial Planning Tool Works

So, you’re curious how our financial planning tool works? That’s great! Below, we’ll go through the steps of creating your account and inputting the necessary information to get you started. The tool then analyzes your plan and shows your plan’s probability of success.

Retirement Article

Kansas City Hosts Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisory Group℠ Workshop

Being charter members of Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisory Group℠ has helped connect Dean Barber and Bud Kasper with other advisors all over the country. In the coming weeks, you will hear much more from Dean and Bud on their main takeaways from Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisory Group℠ latest workshop, which was hosted in Kansas City. For this article, we caught up with a few other members of Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisory Group℠ to share what they've learned over the years about wide range of topics related to IRAs.

Retirement Article

5 Volunteer Opportunities in Kansas City

Are you looking for ways to stay active this summer in Kansas City and also beat the heat? Here are five volunteer opportunities in the KC area.

Investments Article

Bear Market Rallies

Dean Barber assesses the possibility of upcoming bear market rallies and reviews the bear market rallies of the Dot-Com Bubble and Great Recession.

Investments Article

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

How Are Bond Mutual Funds Impacted by Interest Rates and Bond Prices?

The relationship between bond prices and interest rates has been a hot topic of discussion, but how does it apply to bond mutual funds? We examine that and how duration is such a big factor in answering that question.

Investments Article

Keeping an Eye on I-Bonds

Inflation is an i-word that anyone and everyone is tired of hearing. Then, there’s interest rates that are rising that are also making people feel uncomfortable. But there is another i-word that Modern Wealth Management clients have been coming to us with questions about that we want to address. We’re talking about I-Bonds. 

Retirement Article

The Impact of SECURE Act 2.0

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper joined hundreds of other financial advisors and CPAs at Kansas City's Crown Center two weeks ago for Ed Slott's Elite IRA Advisor GroupSM workshop, where they spent a lot of time reviewing the impact of SECURE Act 2.0. Dean and Bud share some of the biggest takeaways of the SECURE Act's proposed regulations and how they could impact you.

Investments Article

Inflation Rates and the Fed

Following a 50 basis point hike of the Fed funds rate last week, Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss the Federal Reserve's challenge of combating high inflation rates and the necessary factors to achieve a soft landing.

Investments Article

A Historic Half-Point Hike of the Fed Funds Rate

FOMC Chairman Jerome Powell announced on a 50 basis point increase of the Fed funds rate on Wednesday in hopes of slowing down rampant inflation. The half-point hike was the biggest hike from the FOMC since May 2000.

Retirement Article

Retiree Feature: Rodney and Lindra Woodard

It’s a consensus among our Modern Wealth Management team that the relationships that we’ve built with retirees and pre-retirees are core to our firm’s existence. In March, we started to highlight those relationships and how they’re centered around providing financial education. We hope you enjoyed our first retiree feature with Mike and Carol Heiting. Now, we’re excited to share how Rodney and Lindra Woodard are living their one best financial life.

Investments Article

Interest Rates and Bond Prices

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper take a deep dive into the relationship between interest rates and bond prices and provide some education on bond alternatives.

Investments Article

Mortgage Rates and Interest Rates on the Rise

April showers tend to bring spring May flowers, but in the financial world, the forecast is filled with more market volatility. Dean Barber looks at the latest developments with interest rates, the bond and stock markets, and 30-year mortgage rates.

Retirement Article

Today’s Global Economic Outlook

One thing that Dean Barber and Bud Kasper are certain of is that there is a lot of domestic and geopolitical uncertainty to go around. Dean and Bud sort through some of that uncertainty to give their thoughts on today’s global economic outlook.

Investments Article

What Is Going On in the Bond Market?

For the first time since late 2019, the two-year treasury is yielding higher than the 10-year treasury. This is called an inverted yield curve. Since the late '70s Every single time we've seen an inverted yield curve, It has led to a recession. Join Dean Barber and Bud Kasper as they discuss what is going on in the bond market and what the inverted yield curve means to you.

Investments Article

A Recent History of Inverted Yield Curves

Dean Barber discusses the inverted yield curve, the likelihood of a recession, market volatility, and what to do moving forward.

Investments Article

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.

Retirement Article

Reviewing the Latest SECURE Act Proposed Regulations

Amid all that has been going on in the financial world this year, don't overlook the IRS's latest proposed regulations on the SECURE Act.

Investments Article

The Impact of Rising Interest Rates

It's been just over a week since Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell announced a 0.25% hike of the Fed funds rate, and that six more increases have been penciled in for the remainder of 2022. The Federal Reserve's goal with these moves is to slow down inflation, but what can we expect the impact to be from rising interest rates? Bud Kasper and Logan DeGraeve discuss the importance of making necessary adjustments to your portfolio in a rising interest rate environment.

Investments Article

The Federal Reserve’s Monetary Policies

LSA Portfolios President Brad Kasper reminds us of the Federal Reserve's Monetary Policies as the Fed begins to raise interest rates.

Retirement Article

Retiree Feature: Mike & Carol Heiting

The relationships that we have with retirees and pre-retirees are very special to all of us at Modern Wealth Management. Along with providing financial education and advice to retirees, we’ve decided to start sharing some of their personal stories about how financial planning has helped them live their one best financial lives. Please enjoy our first retiree feature with Mike and Carol Heiting. 

Investments Article

Dot-Com Bubble History Remains Relevant

Shane Barber looks back at the bursting of the Dot-Com Bubble in March 2000 and compares and contrasts it with our current market conditions.

Insurance Article

How to Mitigate Inflation on Healthcare Costs

Healthcare costs and inflation are uncomfortable to talk about, yet they are important and oftentimes related subjects. Here are a few solutions of how to mitigate inflation on healthcare costs.

Investments Article

From Quantitative Easing to Quantitative Tightening

Bud Kasper explains the Federal Reserve's shift from quantitative easing to quantitative tightening ahead of the Fed's March 16 meeting.

Investments Article

Economic Impact of March Market Madness

March means it’s time for March Madness, but there’s a different March Madness that Dean Barber and Bud Kasper are talking about that has nothing to do with college basketball. Dean and Bud break down the economic impact we’re seeing from the Russia/Ukraine conflict, the likelihood of rising interest rates, and other contributors to this March Market Madness.

Investments Article

Staying Calm Amid Economic Uncertainty

Everyone has their opinions about the Federal Reserve’s plan of action with interest rates and the developing situation between Russia and Ukraine. Regardless of your opinions, Dean Barber and Logan DeGraeve explain why it’s critical to keep your emotions in check and make sound financial decisions during these times of economic uncertainty.

Investments Article

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.

Insurance Article

Health Insurance Options for Retirees Under 65

When people younger than 65 are pondering if they have the means to retire early, there's usually one obstacle that's bigger than the rest. That's health insurance coverage. It's no doubt a valid concern. So, we want to review some health insurance options for retirees under 65 to help give you some clarity with your chances of retiring early.

Investments Article

When Will the Fed Say, “Take a Hike?”

It feels like it’s only a matter of time before the Fed says to, “Take a hike?” Interest rate hikes are likely on the horizon. Bud Kasper and Logan DeGraeve look at what the impact could be from any of the Fed’s rate hikes and how big they could be.

Retirement Article

5 Fun Activities for Retirees This Spring in KC

Following the snowstorm that just hit the Kansas City area, it’s hard not to get excited about the possibility of some nice spring weather being right around the corner. Here are five fun activities for retirees to do in Kansas City this spring.

Investments Article

What Is Going on with Interest Rates?

Shane Barber discusses what all is going on with interest rates and how impending rate hikes could impact the markets.

Investments Article

10 Ways to Fight Inflation in Retirement

In recent months, we’ve all felt inflation’s impact at restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, and so many other places. There’s no question that inflation has made its presence known, especially among retirees. It’s important to us that you to continue to live your one best financial life despite these inflationary issues, so we’ve compiled a list of ways to fight inflation.

Retirement Article

Setting Retirement Savings Goals

We all have our own special goals that we’d like to achieve in retirement, but some of them are much easier to accomplish than others. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss the importance of setting retirement savings goals sooner rather than later to attain clarity, confidence, and control in your retirement.

Investments Article

Market Volatility: Short-Term or Here to Stay?

Market volatility is making its presence known as we begin 2022. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper break down whether we can expect it to be short-term or if we need to buckle up for the long haul.

Retirement Article

Understanding US Inflation

From prices at the grocery store to the cost of filling up your gas tank, we have all seen the impacts of inflation in recent months. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper give their thoughts on the current inflationary pressures and what US inflation could look like going forward.

Estate Planning Article

What Is the Guided Retirement System?

You’ve probably heard Dean Barber and Bud Kasper mention the Guided Retirement System several times on America’s Wealth Management. Here is their step-by-step breakdown of the Guided Retirement System to ensure people understand what it is all about.

Retirement Article

7 Ways to Build the Best Retirement Plan

No one retirement plan is exactly the same, nor should it be. While your friends and family might have retirement plans that work well for them, that doesn’t mean they'll work for you.  

At Modern Wealth Management, we understand the importance of building the best retirement plan for YOU. Here are seven ways in which you can build your best retirement plan. 

Investments Article

5 Retirement Planning Tasks for a Better 2022

After coming off a strong year of market returns in 2021, let's look at five retirement planning tasks that can help make for an even better year in 2022.

Retirement Article

Benefits of Charitable Giving During the Holidays

Do you enjoy spreading holiday cheer by reaping the benefits of charitable giving? Here are a few things to keep in mind on Giving Tuesday.

Retirement Article

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

Don’t Miss Out on Your Money: Redefining Risk Management

Shane Barber redefines risk management to help mitigate the occurrences of people missing out on their money in retirement.

Retirement Article

5 Ways to Avoid College Debt

Are you or your children looking for a head start in the Game of Life? Matt Kasper can help by offering five ways to avoid college debt.

Retirement Article

3 Steps to Help Evaluate Your Pension: Lump Sum or Regular Payments

Pensions as an employee benefit are on the decline, but for some, pension benefits will contribute to a meaningful and lasting retirement, and you need to make sure you are prepared to make the right decision.

Retirement Article

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

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? 

Retirement Article

Lumber, Commodities, and Inflation Fears

If recent events are any indication, and I believe they are, we may already be seeing the end of this inflationary trend and the beginning of a return to more normal prices. I'm going to focus a lot on lumber in this article. However, I am also discussing the big three agricultural commodities we farm in the Midwest: corn, wheat, and soybeans.

Investments Article

Buying Real Estate in Your IRA? Not So Fast

There is no shortage of people and companies out there trying to convince you that buying actual real estate in your IRA is a good idea. A quick google search of the term real estate IRA brings up about 63,800,000 results in just under a half a second. Really.

Investments Article

Traditional Versus Roth 401(k)

People frequently ask us whether they should contribute to a Roth 401(k) or a traditional 401(k). The answer to this question depends on your personal situation. There are several factors you should consider.

Retirement Article

Paying for Your Child’s Wedding Costs

There are few things more exciting than learning about your child's engagement. Sometimes, that news can come as a big surprise, like in this clip from Father of the Bride. Hopefully, that surprise eventually comes as a delight to you and your family. That delight can quickly turn into stress once it is time to discuss your child's wedding. Paying for your child's wedding costs will come later in your career when retirement saving is critical. That's why it's crucial to have a solid plan, so you can avoid derailing your retirement.

Estate Planning Article

Is the Stretch IRA Dead?

In December 2019, Congress passed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement (SECURE) Act. One of the most significant changes is the elimination of the stretch provision for most beneficiaries of inherited retirement plans like IRAs and 401(k)s. What does this change mean for you? What opportunities does it present?

Estate Planning Article

SECURE Act Changes Retirement Planning

In 2019, there was a lot of buzz about the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement or the SECURE Act. Early on, this bill had bipartisan support, unusual in today's political climate. The SECURE Act passed both chambers of Congress, and on December 20, 2019, was signed into law by President Trump. This single piece of legislation will have significant impacts on retirees and their beneficiaries. So, let's dive deeper and discuss how the SECURE Act changes retirement planning.

Estate Planning Article

20 Things to Do Before You Retire in the 2020s

Well, here we are approaching the close of another decade. As many often do near the end of a milestone, we’re doing a countdown. However, this countdown isn’t looking back over the past decade, but rather forward toward the decade on the horizon. New decades often mean new goals, and for many, it’s likely the ultimate goal during our working years, retirement. 

Investments Article

No More Roth IRA Do-Overs Under the New Tax Bill

Now that the Senate and the House of Representatives have both passed versions of the new tax reform law, one of the things that got the ax was Roth IRA recharacterizations after December 31, 2017.

Investments Article

Tax Reform Proposal Finally Unveiled

Note: After weeks of discussion, disagreements, and postponements, the House announced their plan for tax reform yesterday, November 2, 2017.

Retirement Article

5 Fun Activities for Kansas City Retirees

Reaching retirement brings many benefits, one of which is having more time to relax and explore.

Watch

Video

Year-End Tax Planning for 2023

Managing Directors Dean Barber and Marty James, CPA discuss some key things to keep in mind while doing year-end tax planning for 2023.

Video

Pursuing Passions in Your Financial Plan

Commemorative Air Force Heart of America Wing Leader Steve Zimmerman shares how his financial plan has given him the confidence to further pursue his passion for flying and much more on the Modern Wealth Management Educational Series with Wayne Robinson, CRPC®, AIF®.

Video

How to Build Wealth in Your 20s

From saving early to understanding where you're saving to, Logan DeGraeve reviews some quick tips on how to build wealth in your 20s on the Modern Wealth Management Educational Series

Video

Retirement Regrets at the End of Your Life

Chris Rett shares five regrets that people have at the end of retirement and how to plan accordingly so that you don't have those regrets.

Video

Roth Conversion Decisions for 2023

Matt Kasper reviews Roth conversion decisions for 2023 in a case study on the Modern Wealth Management Educational Series.

Video

When Is It Time to Stop Saving for Retirement?

We always talk about the importance of saving early for retirement, but how do you know when it's time to stop saving for retirement? Drew Jones gets down to the bottom of how to answer that on the Modern Wealth Management Educational Series.

Video

What to Do with Your 401(k) After Retirement

Chris Rett discusses what to do with your 401(k) after retirement—leave it in your previous employer plan or roll it over to an IRA?

Video

Retirement Preparation: 5 Things You’ll Wish You Knew Before Retiring

Preparation is key when it comes to retirement as well. That’s why Logan is going to discuss retirement preparation and the five things that you’ll wish you knew before retiring on the Modern Wealth Management Educational Series.

Video

Why Compound Interest Is Key

Chris Rett, CFP® discusses compound interest, the difference between compounding interest and simple interest, the value of compounding interest for retirement, the Rule of 72, and how to use compound interest for your retirement on the Modern Wealth Management Educational Series.

Video

Your First Year of Retirement: Here Are 4 Things You Can Expect

Have you thought about your retirement goals? So many people get caught up in trying to save as much as possible and haven’t thought about what they want their retirement to look like. Your retirement goals are obviously part of what will make your plan unique. But there are several things that many people will experience in retirement that we want to prepare you for. Modern Wealth Management Managing Directors Dean Barber and Ken Osiwala are going to review four things that you can expect in your first year in retirement to help you in your retirement planning process.

Video

Rising Long-Term Care Costs

Matt Kasper and Logan DeGraeve tackle the crucial topic of rising long-term care costs on the Modern Wealth Management Educational Series.

Video

Items to Review as You Step into Retirement

Logan DeGraeve shares several key items to review as you step into retirement and why it's important to review them well before retirement.

Video

Q1 2023 Quarterly Market Update

We’re constantly thinking about how to keep people updated about things that can impact their retirement. It’s important to us that you’re making informed financial decisions so that you can live your one best financial life. So, we’ve decided that we’re going to start sharing quarterly market updates from Dean Barber and Bud Kasper. Let’s get right into it with our Q1 2023 quarterly market update.

Video

Considering RMDs Before and After Retirement

There have been some major changes regarding Required Minimum Distributions thanks to SECURE 2.0. Dean Barber and Will Doty, CFP® will look at Considering RMDs Before and After Retirement in our latest Modern Wealth Management Educational Series webinar.

Video

Financial Planning Tips for 2023

For our second Modern Wealth Management Educational Series event of the year, Logan DeGraeve shares some financial planning tips for 2023.

Video

ABCs of Medicare

Tom Allen, Insurance Consultant & Medicare Expert, breaks down the many letters of Medicare in this webinar. The intention of the ABCs of Medicare is to help people understand what Medicare Parts A & B cover, and more importantly, what they don't cover and what you need to do about it. You'll learn how the Medicare Open Enrollment Period actually works, how to find out what prescription drugs are covered under certain plans, what Parts C & D cover, and more.

Video

What Is Tax Diversification?

Tax Diversification may not sound like a very exciting topic, but if done correctly over your lifetime, you can pay substantially less in taxes. Our Director of Tax, Corey Hulstein, joins Dean Barber on the Barber Educational Series to explain what tax diversification is and why it’s so important to achieve a successful retirement.

Video

Creating a Game Plan for Retirement

A lot of us at Modern Wealth Management are excited about football season finally being underway. Football and sports can be used as parallels to teach many life lessons. One of those parallels that football can be used for is with retirement planning. As football season kicks off, Logan DeGraeve joins Dean Barber to discuss creating a retirement game plan.

Video

Retiring During a Recession

Uncertainty has been the theme of 2022. We’ve experienced some jaw-dropping market volatility and inflation, and after back-to-back quarters of negative GDP growth, we’re technically in a recession. All this uncertainty has only enhanced our firm’s commitment to help people continuing living their one best financial life. In this Modern Wealth Management Educational Series event, Drew Jones joins Dean Barber to discuss what it’s like to retire during a recession.

Video

Maximizing Social Security Benefits

Will Doty joins Dean Barber to talk about Social Security claiming strategies and why maximizing your Social Security benefit is a critical part of your overall financial plan.

Video

Setting Up a Spending Plan for Retirement

Setting up a spending plan for retirement is one of the most critical components of a financial plan. Will Doty joins Dean Barber to help explain a few reasons why that’s the case on the Modern Wealth Management Educational Series.

Video

Finding Financial Independence

Bud Kasper joins Dean Barber for the Barber Educational Series to discuss the journey toward reaching financial independence and what financial independence could mean for you.

Video

The Guided Retirement System

Logan DeGraeve and Dean Barber discuss how the Guided Retirement System gets people to and through retirement.

Video

Financial Literacy: How Do You Stack Up?

In honor of Financial Literacy Month, Dean Barber quizzes Logan DeGraeve on a recent financial literacy study from the TIAA Institute. Take the quiz yourself to see how you and Logan fared! If you didn't ace the quiz, that's OK. Our team of financial advisors is here to help.

Video

10 Financial Spring Cleaning Tips

While it's February and has been cold, it’s time to talk about spring cleaning your finances. As you begin to gather all the necessary information to file your tax return, Dean Barber and Drew Jones are excited to give a few extra tips about things to look for to keep your finances in order.

Video

IRA Planning for 2022

After reviewing 401(k) planning for 2022 in January, we’re slightly shifting gears here for this Modern Wealth Management Educational Series event to discuss IRA planning for 2022. While a 401(k) is often people’s largest asset, IRAs are oftentimes their second largest asset. Chris Rett recently joined Dean Barber to break down IRA planning for people at various stages of their lives.

Video

401(k) Planning for 2022

If your 401(k) isn’t already your largest asset, there’s a good chance that it could be very soon. It’s time to do some 401(k) planning for 2022, and Drew Jones and Dean Barber are here to help. They cover everything from a new employee choosing between a Roth and traditional 401(k) to decisions to make for people who are in their mid-working years, those approaching retirement, and retirees.

Video

Is Bitcoin Digital Gold?

With the popularity of cryptocurrency on the rise, Dean Barber sits down with Wayne Robinson to answer a question that has been on many peoples’ minds. Is Bitcoin digital gold?

Video

Preparing Financially for 2022

As 2021 comes to a close, Dean Barber and Bud Kasper highlight a few things to consider when preparing financially for 2022.

Video

Financial Planning for the Holidays

Are you budgeting for a special gift this holiday season? Dean Barber and Drew Jones provide some tips on financial planning for the holidays.

Video

Financial Horror Stories

As the spookiness builds with Halloween on the horizon, Wayne Robinson & Dean Barber give their thoughts on some financial horror stories.

Video

Dr. Alan Molk Presents “Saving Lives, Saving Dignity”

In this webinar, Dr. Alan Molk tells the story of why he wrote his book, Saving Lives, Saving Dignity. He presents his background as an emergency room physician of 40 years, and why he believes having advanced health care directives is imperative for you and your family.

Video

Retiring at Market Highs

Dean Barber and Jason Newcomer look at the recent history of 60/40 portfolios and withdrawal rates by measuring inflation, bonds, and equities. They analyze every rolling 20-year period since 1972 to see how annually increasing withdrawal rates—while accounting for inflation—accommodated for a constant standard of living.

Video

Making a Big Purchase in Retirement

In this webinar, Dean and Logan discuss making a big purchase in retirement. Retirement is supposed to be that time of your life where you're doing all the things you want to do. Sometimes we see people foregoing things that they can do because they don't have the clarity they need. 

Video

Planning a Large Family Vacation

In this webinar, Dean Barber and Will Doty, CFP®, AIF®, discuss how many people's number one desire in retirement is to spend time with their loved ones. So, why not plan a large family vacation into your retirement plan? Join Dean and Will as they break down how they were able to do just that for their clients.

Video

10 Financial Planning Steps

In this webinar, Will Doty, CFP®, discusses reviews 10 Financial Planning Steps that are a basic overview of financial planning. These action items will benefit those early on in their career, approaching retirement, and anyone in between. Join us to ensure your taking the right steps in your financial journey.

Video

Steps to Reduce Your Cyber Security Risks

Wayne Robinson, Financial Planner at Modern Wealth Management, discusses the complex world of cybersecurity. He'll cover some ways that you can eliminate up to 85% of your cybersecurity risks. The purpose of this webinar is to show you steps to reduce your cyber security risks and prevent yourself from being low-hanging fruit for nefarious online predators. 

Download

PDF Document

Roth Conversion Case Studies

We went through three Roth conversion case studies to help you make well-informed decisions when considering Roth conversions.

PDF Document

Retirement Plan Checklist

This checklist was created to give you a timeline of items that should be done prior to and during retirement.

PDF Document

401(k) Survival Guide

Not sure what to do with your 401(k) when you retire or are nearing retirement? Once you retire, a plan for withdrawing those funds that provides a constant source of income that isn’t eaten up by taxes and other costly traps must be constructed

Social Security

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Retirement Article

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.

Estate Planning Article

Top 5 Financial Planning Considerations

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper review their top five financial planning considerations on America's Wealth Management Show.

Investments Article

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.

Estate Planning Article

7 Wealth Protection Tactics

Dean Barber and Logan DeGraeve share 7 wealth protection tactics that can be helpful with planning for how to get to and through retirement.

Social Security Article

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Estate Planning Article

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

Retirement Analysis: Current vs. Proposed Plan

Drew Jones shares his perspective on retirement analysis while going through a sample couple's plan with our financial planning tool.

Estate Planning Article

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Investments Article

10 Ways to Fight Inflation in Retirement

In recent months, we’ve all felt inflation’s impact at restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, and so many other places. There’s no question that inflation has made its presence known, especially among retirees. It’s important to us that you to continue to live your one best financial life despite these inflationary issues, so we’ve compiled a list of ways to fight inflation.

Estate Planning Article

What Is the Guided Retirement System?

You’ve probably heard Dean Barber and Bud Kasper mention the Guided Retirement System several times on America’s Wealth Management. Here is their step-by-step breakdown of the Guided Retirement System to ensure people understand what it is all about.

Retirement Article

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

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

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? 

Estate Planning Article

20 Things to Do Before You Retire in the 2020s

Well, here we are approaching the close of another decade. As many often do near the end of a milestone, we’re doing a countdown. However, this countdown isn’t looking back over the past decade, but rather forward toward the decade on the horizon. New decades often mean new goals, and for many, it’s likely the ultimate goal during our working years, retirement. 

Watch

Video

What Is Tax Diversification?

Tax Diversification may not sound like a very exciting topic, but if done correctly over your lifetime, you can pay substantially less in taxes. Our Director of Tax, Corey Hulstein, joins Dean Barber on the Barber Educational Series to explain what tax diversification is and why it’s so important to achieve a successful retirement.

Video

Retiring During a Recession

Uncertainty has been the theme of 2022. We’ve experienced some jaw-dropping market volatility and inflation, and after back-to-back quarters of negative GDP growth, we’re technically in a recession. All this uncertainty has only enhanced our firm’s commitment to help people continuing living their one best financial life. In this Modern Wealth Management Educational Series event, Drew Jones joins Dean Barber to discuss what it’s like to retire during a recession.

Video

Maximizing Social Security Benefits

Will Doty joins Dean Barber to talk about Social Security claiming strategies and why maximizing your Social Security benefit is a critical part of your overall financial plan.

Video

IRA Planning for 2022

After reviewing 401(k) planning for 2022 in January, we’re slightly shifting gears here for this Modern Wealth Management Educational Series event to discuss IRA planning for 2022. While a 401(k) is often people’s largest asset, IRAs are oftentimes their second largest asset. Chris Rett recently joined Dean Barber to break down IRA planning for people at various stages of their lives.

Video

Claiming Your Social Security

In this webinar, Will Doty, CFP®, discusses the importance of properly claiming your Social Security. During this on-demand webinar, Will covers the differences in claiming strategies, spousal situations, the impact of Social Security on taxes, and more. This webinar is designed to give you a better understanding of how Social Security fits into your overall financial plan.

Download

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.

Taxes

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Retirement Article

Taxes on Retirement Income

When you leave your job and enter retirement, your tax situation can drastically change. We're often asked by clients, "How will my retirement income be taxed?" The short answer: it depends. Let's take a closer look at some of the typical income sources in retirement and learn more about how that income could be taxed.

Retirement Article

What Is the SECURE Act?

So many things changed on the retirement planning front when the SECURE Act was signed into law in 2019.1 And so many things related to the SECURE Act have changed since then, including SECURE 2.0 being signed into law in 2022.2 Let’s review what the SECURE Act is and how it has impacted retirement planning.

Taxes Article

9 Tax Filing Errors to Avoid

As you start gathering your tax documents and completing your return, here are some common tax filing errors to avoid.

Retirement Article

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.

Taxes Article

What If We Go Back to Old Tax Rates?

We take a deep dive into the recent history of tax rates and preview how they could change with the end of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2026.

Estate Planning Article

Top 5 Financial Planning Considerations

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper review their top five financial planning considerations on America's Wealth Management Show.

Taxes Article

How to Maximize In-Plan Roth Conversions in 401(k) Plans

Many employer 401(k) plans offer in-plan conversions (referred to as in-plan rollovers in plan documents) of pre-tax amounts to the designated Roth accounts. Doing the in-plan Roth conversion will result in a current income tax bill on the converted amount in most cases. Many plan participants are unaware this option exists.

Investments Article

RMD Strategies for Before & After Retirement

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss Required Minimum Distributions by sharing major RMD strategies for both before and after retirement.

Investments Article

5 Factors More Important Than Rate of Return

When it comes to building your retirement plan, a lot of people think your rate of return is the No. 1 thing to keep in mind. While it is important, your investments aren’t the main factor when it comes to your plan. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper will review five factors that are more important than your rate of return on this episode of America's Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

Why When You Retire Matters

Do you know when you want to retire? There’s more to it than you might think. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper explain why when you retire matters.

Investments Article

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.

Taxes Article

What Is a Backdoor Roth IRA?

What is a backdoor Roth IRA? No, it's not a type of retirement account. It's a tax planning strategy for high-income earners who exceed the Roth IRA contribution limits to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.

Taxes Article

Tax Planning Case Study

There are two married couples—Sam and Samantha and Paul and Polly—in this tax planning case study. One has a tax plan and one doesn’t. Let's see the difference in their tax bills.

Taxes Article

2024 Tax Brackets: IRS Makes Inflation Adjustments

The IRS announced several inflation adjustments for the 2024 tax year. We examine the 2024 tax brackets, standard deduction, and much more.

Estate Planning Article

7 Wealth Protection Tactics

Dean Barber and Logan DeGraeve share 7 wealth protection tactics that can be helpful with planning for how to get to and through retirement.

Taxes Article

4 Big Tax Mistakes Retirees Need to Avoid

Do you think you know everything there is to know about the tax code? The truth is that you likely won’t even find a financial advisor that know everything about the tax code. Our advisors are even willing to acknowledge that. That’s exactly why we have CPAs on staff. Our CFP® Professionals work alongside our CPAs to make sure that people aware of tax planning opportunities and steering clear of big tax mistakes they need to avoid.

Taxes Article

5 Tax Secrets Retirees Need to Know

Tax planning isn't just for the ultra-wealthy. We reviewed five tax planning secrets that you need to know in retirement.

Retirement Article

What Is a QCD? Qualified Charitable Distribution

You may have heard the term QCD (Qualified Charitable Distribution), but what is a QCD? If you’re 70½ or older, charitably inclined, and have money in tax-deferred accounts—such as traditional IRAs—QCDs might be right up your alley. A QCD is a distribution from an IRA that goes directly to a qualified charity. QCDs aren’t taxed and won’t show up on your tax return. Does that sound intriguing? Let’s learn a little bit more about what a QCD is.

Retirement Article

RMD Questions: What Are Required Minimum Distributions?

Understanding Required Minimum Distributions rules isn't easy. We addressed the most frequently-asked-questions we receive about RMDs.

Investments Article

How Does a Roth IRA Grow?

How does a Roth IRA grow? Dean Barber and Bud Kasper explain that while sharing how the Roth IRA can play a huge role in saving for retirement.

Taxes Article

How Do Capital Gains Taxes Work?

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper explain how capital gains taxes are a tax that you do have some control over on America's Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

How to Reduce RMDs with 5 Strategies

Eventually, Uncle Sam will want his share and require funds to come out of your accounts. Let's look into how to reduce your RMDs.

Retirement Article

Will I Pay Taxes on My Inheritance?

Will you pay taxes on your inheritance? That sounds like it should have a clear-cut yes or no answer, but it's contingent on a few factors.

Estate Planning Article

Rules for Inherited IRA Distributions – What Are the Latest Changes?

IRS Notice 2023-54 provides relief for 2023 missed RMDs for non-eligible designated beneficiaries who must follow the 10-year payout rule. And for those who took or who were given unnecessary IRA distributions in 2023, the notice extends a 60-day rollover deadline to roll them back into their accounts.

Insurance Article

Retiring Before 65: What You Need to Consider

Are you waiting til 65 to retire since that's when you can get on Medicare? Well, what if you didn't have to? Let's look at retiring before 65 and the importance of having a financial plan when making that decision.

Retirement Article

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.

Taxes Article

The IRA Early Withdrawal Penalty: How to Avoid the 10% Penalty

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper review Ed Slott's list of 20 exceptions to the IRA early withdrawal penalty on America's Wealth Management Show.

Taxes Article

Converting to a Roth IRA: What Are the Pros and Cons?

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss some of the pros and cons of converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.

Taxes Article

Asset Allocation Versus Tax Allocation

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss asset allocation versus tax allocation and why both are critical when planning for retirement.

Retirement Article

Retiring with Debt: What’s OK?

Debt can be a complicated topic—both financially and emotionally. Should you pay it all off prior to retirement or is there some debt that’s OK to take into retirement? Is there debt that you shouldn’t even think about retiring with? Dean Barber and Bud Kasper examine retiring with debt on America’s Wealth Management Show.

Retirement Article

The Roth IRA Five-Year Rule

In true IRS fashion, there are five-year rules for Roth contributions AND Roth conversions. Let's review both Roth IRA five-year rules.

Retirement Article

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

2023 Taxes: Time to Start Planning

Another tax filing season is in the books, which is probably a big relief for some of you and our CPAs. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to take an out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach with your tax documents and 2023 taxes. Why? Because 2023 tax planning season is underway. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper will share why now is the optimal time to take advantage of tax planning opportunities so that tax filling won’t be so stressful in the future.

Retirement Article

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.

Retirement Article

RMD Age for 2023: What’s Your Required Beginning Date?

There are new rules about Required Minimum Distributions and the RMD age after the SECURE Act 2.0 went into effect on January 1, 2023. RMDs can be very tricky, but it’s critical to understand how to plan for them. What are your RMDs going to look like in retirement? Will they influence your taxes or your probability of success? Dean Barber and Logan DeGraeve discuss how to go about doing that and more on America’s Wealth Management Show.

Taxes Article

What Are Tax Brackets?

Even after basketball season ends, brackets will be a hot topic. Not NCAA tournament brackets, but tax brackets. But what are tax brackets?

Retirement Article

What Is Tax Planning?

Tax Day is near, but tax compliance isn't our focus when it comes to taxes. It's tax planning. What is tax planning, you ask? Let us explain.

Estate Planning Article

Estate Tax: How Will My Assets Be Taxed When I Die? 

You are probably aware that the government can tax you when you earn income from work, make money on investments, take withdrawals from accounts, and even tax the income you receive when you claim Social Security benefits. Were you aware that the government can also tax your estate (and your beneficiaries) on the assets you own when you die? 

Retirement Article

Are Retirement Benefits Taxable?

Are retirement benefits taxable? The quick answer is, probably, but not always. It depends on your unique situation. While you can control your taxes in retirement better than at any other point of your life, that doesn’t mean that it’s not complex. Because it is very complex. We’re going to look at several retirement benefits and assess if and how they’re taxable.

Investments Article

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

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.

Retirement Article

Ed Slott Elite IRA Advisor Group℠ Gathers in Las Vegas for Fall Conference

Dean Barber, Will Doty, Logan DeGraeve, & Drew Jones share their main takeaways from the Ed Slott Elite IRA Advisor Group℠ conference in Las Vegas.

Retirement Article

4 Ways Retirees Can Give Back

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Dean Barber and Bud Kasper have so many things that they’re thankful for. As they celebrate Thanksgiving, they want to talk about the giving part of Thanksgiving. Dean and Bud will highlight four ways that retirees can give back on this holiday edition of America's Wealth Management Show.

Estate Planning Article

Inherited IRA Rules and the SECURE Act

The rules of inherited IRAs are extremely difficult to understand due to the SECURE Act, yet they must be understood. Dean Barber and Bud Kasper review the inherited IRA rules and explain how they can affect different beneficiaries.

Estate Planning Article

RMD Penalty Waived for 2021 and 2022 Missed RMDs within 10-Year Rule

The IRS has issued a notice that waives the 50% penalty on missed RMDs from 2021 and 2022 on IRAs that fall within the 10-year payout rule.

Investments Article

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.

Estate Planning Article

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

Retirement Analysis: Current vs. Proposed Plan

Drew Jones shares his perspective on retirement analysis while going through a sample couple's plan with our financial planning tool.

Estate Planning Article

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

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.

Retirement Article

The Inflation Reduction Act Has No Impact on Inflation

What if we told you that the Inflation Reduction Act has no impact on inflation? Shane Barber details why that could likely be the case.

Investments Article

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

Tax Rates Sunset in 2026 and Why That Matters

The current tax rates of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will be sunsetting in 2026, meaning tax rates will be going back up to the rates from 2017. Here are a few things to keep in mind for how to put yourself in the best possible tax situation now, 2026, and beyond.

Retirement Article

Special Guest: Steven Jarvis, CPA

Modern Wealth Management is excited about our new strategic partnership with Retirement Tax Services. RTS’s Steven Jarvis, CPA joins Dean Barber and Bud Kasper on America's Wealth Management Show to discuss that partnership and the importance of CPAs and financial advisors collaborating in the best interests of the client.

Retirement Article

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

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

4 Retirement Risks That Are Out of Your Control

A huge factor of financial planning is controlling what you can control. It’s pivotal to understand that as you’re determining if you have enough money to get to and through retirement. The fear of outliving your money is a retirement risk that’s big concern for a lot of people. However, with a financial plan, it’s a controllable retirement risk. In this episode of America's Wealth Management Show, Dean Barber and Bud Kasper discuss four retirement risks that you can plan for but are out of your control.

Taxes Article

Taxes on Inherited Property

Inheritance situations can be very complicated, especially if they aren't quickly addressed. Today, we discuss taxes on inherited property.

Retirement Article

Kansas City Hosts Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisory Group℠ Workshop

Being charter members of Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisory Group℠ has helped connect Dean Barber and Bud Kasper with other advisors all over the country. In the coming weeks, you will hear much more from Dean and Bud on their main takeaways from Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisory Group℠ latest workshop, which was hosted in Kansas City. For this article, we caught up with a few other members of Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisory Group℠ to share what they've learned over the years about wide range of topics related to IRAs.

Investments Article

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.

Retirement Article

The Impact of SECURE Act 2.0

Dean Barber and Bud Kasper joined hundreds of other financial advisors and CPAs at Kansas City's Crown Center two weeks ago for Ed Slott's Elite IRA Advisor GroupSM workshop, where they spent a lot of time reviewing the impact of SECURE Act 2.0. Dean and Bud share some of the biggest takeaways of the SECURE Act's proposed regulations and how they could impact you.

Investments Article

529 Plans and Planning for Your Grandchildren’s Futures

There are few prouder moments for grandparents than their grandchildren's graduation. You can help plan their future by building them a 529 plan.

Taxes Article

5 Tax Planning Examples

We talk about tax planning often here at Modern Wealth Management. Why? Because we believe it can have a significant impact on your financial future. With that, today we’re going to dive into some simple, yet effective, tax planning examples. We’ll use a sample couple named Sam and Samantha Sample as our stand-ins for these cases. We want to provide you with a better understanding of the impact tax planning can have on a retirement plan as Sam and Samantha encounter these example scenarios.

Investments Article

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.

Retirement Article

Reviewing the Latest SECURE Act Proposed Regulations

Amid all that has been going on in the financial world this year, don't overlook the IRS's latest proposed regulations on the SECURE Act.

Investments Article

The Impact of Rising Interest Rates

It's been just over a week since Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell announced a 0.25% hike of the Fed funds rate, and that six more increases have been penciled in for the remainder of 2022. The Federal Reserve's goal with these moves is to slow down inflation, but what can we expect the impact to be from rising interest rates? Bud Kasper and Logan DeGraeve discuss the importance of making necessary adjustments to your portfolio in a rising interest rate environment.

Insurance Article

How to Mitigate Inflation on Healthcare Costs

Healthcare costs and inflation are uncomfortable to talk about, yet they are important and oftentimes related subjects. Here are a few solutions of how to mitigate inflation on healthcare costs.

Estate Planning Article

What Is the Guided Retirement System?

You’ve probably heard Dean Barber and Bud Kasper mention the Guided Retirement System several times on America’s Wealth Management. Here is their step-by-step breakdown of the Guided Retirement System to ensure people understand what it is all about.

Investments Article

5 Retirement Planning Tasks for a Better 2022

After coming off a strong year of market returns in 2021, let's look at five retirement planning tasks that can help make for an even better year in 2022.

Retirement Article

5 Ways to Avoid College Debt

Are you or your children looking for a head start in the Game of Life? Matt Kasper can help by offering five ways to avoid college debt.

Retirement Article

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

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? 

Investments Article

Traditional Versus Roth 401(k)

People frequently ask us whether they should contribute to a Roth 401(k) or a traditional 401(k). The answer to this question depends on your personal situation. There are several factors you should consider.

Estate Planning Article

SECURE Act Changes Retirement Planning

In 2019, there was a lot of buzz about the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement or the SECURE Act. Early on, this bill had bipartisan support, unusual in today's political climate. The SECURE Act passed both chambers of Congress, and on December 20, 2019, was signed into law by President Trump. This single piece of legislation will have significant impacts on retirees and their beneficiaries. So, let's dive deeper and discuss how the SECURE Act changes retirement planning.

Estate Planning Article

20 Things to Do Before You Retire in the 2020s

Well, here we are approaching the close of another decade. As many often do near the end of a milestone, we’re doing a countdown. However, this countdown isn’t looking back over the past decade, but rather forward toward the decade on the horizon. New decades often mean new goals, and for many, it’s likely the ultimate goal during our working years, retirement. 

Taxes Article

Charitable Giving in Retirement

As the end of the year approaches, many individuals make charitable donations to the charitable organizations they care about. Most charitable giving is for reasons other than the tax benefit. However, tax benefits are an important consideration that can help offset the cost of the donation.

Investments Article

No More Roth IRA Do-Overs Under the New Tax Bill

Now that the Senate and the House of Representatives have both passed versions of the new tax reform law, one of the things that got the ax was Roth IRA recharacterizations after December 31, 2017.

Taxes Article

Tax Reform: What First In, First Out (FIFO) Means for Investors

You have probably heard much about the pending tax legislation and all the provisions that are being debated.

Investments Article

Tax Reform Proposal Finally Unveiled

Note: After weeks of discussion, disagreements, and postponements, the House announced their plan for tax reform yesterday, November 2, 2017.

Watch

Video

Year-End Tax Planning for 2023

Managing Directors Dean Barber and Marty James, CPA discuss some key things to keep in mind while doing year-end tax planning for 2023.

Video

The Lifetime Learning Credit vs. the American Opportunity Tax Credit

Given the complexity of the tax code and how often it changes, the education never stops for our Director of Tax Corey Hulstein, CPA. He continuously studies the tax code to help our clients and prospective clients make informed decisions when it comes to tax planning. Today, Corey is going to educate us about tax credits for qualified tuition and related costs for eligible students on the Modern Wealth Management Educational Series. Let’s learn about the Lifetime Learning Credit and how it compares and contrasts to the American Opportunity Tax Credit.

Video

Roth Conversion Decisions for 2023

Matt Kasper reviews Roth conversion decisions for 2023 in a case study on the Modern Wealth Management Educational Series.

Video

Rules on Gifting Money to Family

How do wealth transfer and gifting affect your taxes? What are some strategies that you can use to transfer wealth to the next generation as tax efficiently as possible? Director of Tax Corey Hulstein answers those questions and review rules on gifting money to family on the Modern Wealth Management Educational Series.

Video

Tax Planning for Individuals: 5 Tips to Save

Tax planning is important. There’s no disputing that. After answering the question, “What is tax planning?” on America’s Wealth Management Show, our Director of Tax Corey Hulstein, CPA discusses tax planning for individuals and five tips for saving during our Barber Financial Group Educational Series.

Video

What Is Tax Diversification?

Tax Diversification may not sound like a very exciting topic, but if done correctly over your lifetime, you can pay substantially less in taxes. Our Director of Tax, Corey Hulstein, joins Dean Barber on the Barber Educational Series to explain what tax diversification is and why it’s so important to achieve a successful retirement.

Video

Retiring During a Recession

Uncertainty has been the theme of 2022. We’ve experienced some jaw-dropping market volatility and inflation, and after back-to-back quarters of negative GDP growth, we’re technically in a recession. All this uncertainty has only enhanced our firm’s commitment to help people continuing living their one best financial life. In this Modern Wealth Management Educational Series event, Drew Jones joins Dean Barber to discuss what it’s like to retire during a recession.

Video

Maximizing Social Security Benefits

Will Doty joins Dean Barber to talk about Social Security claiming strategies and why maximizing your Social Security benefit is a critical part of your overall financial plan.

Video

10 Financial Spring Cleaning Tips

While it's February and has been cold, it’s time to talk about spring cleaning your finances. As you begin to gather all the necessary information to file your tax return, Dean Barber and Drew Jones are excited to give a few extra tips about things to look for to keep your finances in order.

Video

IRA Planning for 2022

After reviewing 401(k) planning for 2022 in January, we’re slightly shifting gears here for this Modern Wealth Management Educational Series event to discuss IRA planning for 2022. While a 401(k) is often people’s largest asset, IRAs are oftentimes their second largest asset. Chris Rett recently joined Dean Barber to break down IRA planning for people at various stages of their lives.

Video

401(k) Planning for 2022

If your 401(k) isn’t already your largest asset, there’s a good chance that it could be very soon. It’s time to do some 401(k) planning for 2022, and Drew Jones and Dean Barber are here to help. They cover everything from a new employee choosing between a Roth and traditional 401(k) to decisions to make for people who are in their mid-working years, those approaching retirement, and retirees.

Video

Preparing Financially for 2022

As 2021 comes to a close, Dean Barber and Bud Kasper highlight a few things to consider when preparing financially for 2022.

Video

Roth Conversions Before & After Retirement

In this webinar, Dean and JoAnn discuss the best part of the tax code that was ever created, the Roth IRA. Specifically diving into Roth conversions both before and after retirement.

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PDF Document

Tax Reduction Strategies

Here’s a list of a few tax strategies to consider that could improve your overall tax structure during your retirement years and for your beneficiaries inheriting your estate.