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The Case for Roth Accounts Intensifies

December 1, 2024

By David Brooks, Founder & President of Retire SMART I am glad that the Roth IRA and Roth 401(k) are common knowledge in the general public and are increasingly used to reduce taxes. Nearly 90% of employers offer a Roth 401(k). Only in the last…

Future-Focused Tax Planning is Critical

November 1, 2024

Future-Focused Tax Planning is Critical By David Brooks, Founder & President of Retire SMART In the near future, taxes are going up. It’s the law. Unless the law is changed, the federal income tax reductions enacted in 2017 will end Dec. 31, 2025. The expected…

Plan Now for Retirement as a Surviving Spouse

October 1, 2024

Plan Now for Retirement as a Surviving Spouse By David Brooks, Founder & President of Retire SMART There is a growing number of single women – widowed, divorced, or never married – who find themselves confronted with unfamiliar and uncomfortable financial decisions as they approach…

Prepare for a Major Retirement Expense: Healthcare

August 26, 2024

Prepare for a Major Retirement Expense: Healthcare By David Brooks, Founder & President of Retire SMART Retirees need to know their options when it comes to healthcare expenses. The average 65-year-old couple retiring today will need more than $300,000 to cover healthcare expenses. Healthcare ranks…

New Portfolio Diversification

Portfolio Diversification Is Vital to a Successful Retirement Plan

August 5, 2024

Portfolio Diversification Is Vital to a Successful Retirement Plan By David Brooks, Founder & President of Retire SMART Investors in the stock market will experience ups and downs. A properly diversified portfolio can help you smooth out the ride, especially as you transition from working…

New Bucket List Retirement

It’s OK to Spend in Retirement; Just Make Sure You Plan for It

July 19, 2024

It’s OK to Spend in Retirement; Just Make Sure You Plan for It By David Brooks, Founder & President of Retire SMART Early in my career, I thought my job as a financial advisor was to convince people to be disciplined with their money. Be…

Go Tell It on the Mountain: Planning Is the Key to a Great Retirement

June 14, 2024

By David Brooks, Founder & President of Retire SMART I like hiking, but my brother is a serious mountain climber. He has scaled Denali and other major mountains. The more I listen to him talk about everything that goes into a successful climb, the more…

Don’t Get Blindsided By Taxes in Retirement

May 17, 2024

By David Brooks, Founder & President of Retire SMART When people think of expenses in retirement, they tend to think of housing and health care. Those certainly are two major budget items in any retirement plan. But a successful retirement plan also accounts for the…

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