🏠📄 Is a Trust a Must? What Every Family Should Know About Estate Planning
Planning Matters Radio
Trusts can feel complicated, and for many families, unnecessary. But in the right situation, a trust can be a powerful tool to protect your assets, avoid probate, and keep control in the right hands. In this conversation, Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy break down when a trust makes sense, when it doesn’t, and why beneficiary designations can be just as important as the estate plan itself. If you'd like to sit down with Peter to talk through whether a trust makes sense for you and your family, please call (919) 300 - 5886 or schedule a complimentary appointment by visiting...
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🛡️💼 How Do You Know If Your Advisor Is Really Working for You?
Planning Matters Radio
A recent case involving a Georgia advisor who pleaded guilty to a $380 million Ponzi scheme is a scary reminder: trust matters... and so does transparency. ⚠️ In this interview, Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy walk through how investors can evaluate whether their advisor is truly acting in their best interest, what red flags to watch for 🚩, and what questions every client should feel comfortable asking. Because protecting your financial future starts with choosing the right advisor. 🔐If you'd like a second opinion, or if you'd simply like to work with an advisor who...
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Retirement Milestones: The Ages That Trigger Big Financial Decisions
Planning Matters Radio
There are a few birthdays that matter a lot more than the candles on the cake 🎂 Certain ages can unlock benefits, or create costly mistakes, if you don’t plan ahead. In this interview, Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy break down the key ages every investor and retiree should know, including: • 62 – When Social Security becomes available… but should you claim? • 59½ – Penalty-free withdrawals and in-service rollovers • 65 – Medicare eligibility (and why missing this can be expensive) • 70½ – A powerful opportunity for charitable giving with QCDs • 73 –...
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Five Financial Blind Spots That Can Burden a Grieving Spouse
Planning Matters Radio
The loss of a spouse is emotionally overwhelming, and for many families, it also brings unexpected financial stress. In this interview, Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy walk through five common financial blind spots that often surface after a spouse’s death... and the proactive steps couples can take now to protect each other later: • Surprise Debt – Financial obligations that catch surviving spouses off guard • Being Locked Out of Accounts – When assets are frozen or tied up in probate...
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4 Ways to Improve Your Investment Performance
Planning Matters Radio
Improving your investment performance doesn’t always mean taking more risk... or chasing the latest trend. In this video, Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy break down 4 simple, fundamentals-based ways to improve results without adding complexity: ✔️ Automate and get out of your own way ✔️ Consolidate old accounts ✔️ Define your time horizon before investing ✔️ Save a little more each year Sometimes the biggest gains come from doing the basics consistently, and avoiding the mistakes that could derail long-term plans. If you'd like to make sure your fundamentals are...
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⚖️ 3 Signs You’re Invested Too Conservatively
Planning Matters Radio
You've heard a lot about the stress of taking on too much risk in retirement. But as Peter with Richon Planning talks through with Erin Kennedy, playing it too safe can create just as much financial pressure. In this interview, we walk through three warning signs your portfolio may be holding you back: 🔹 You constantly worry about running out of money Being overly conservative can limit growth—especially during a long retirement. 🔹 Your money isn’t working for you If your portfolio barely moves while inflation keeps rising, your purchasing power may be shrinking. 🔹 You...
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👶💰 Tax Bill Includes a $1,000 Baby Bonus in ‘Trump Accounts’ — Here’s Who Is Eligible
Planning Matters Radio
A new provision in President Trump’s tax bill is getting a lot of attention: a government-funded $1,000 savings account for children, now known as “Trump Accounts.” But as with most things in tax policy, the details matter. In this interview, Peter with Richonplanning and Erin Kennedy break down: Who’s eligible — and how families actually receive the money Who can contribute and how much How these accounts are invested How tax-deferred growth and capital-gains treatment compare to other options When it makes sense to fund a Trump Account vs. a 529...
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Are You Ever Too Old For An Annuity?
Planning Matters Radio
How old is too old to buy an annuity? It typically doesn't make sense to buy one if you're under 50, and most insurance companies stop selling them once you hit 90. But as Americans live longer, our fear of outliving our savings has pushed sales of annuities to record highs. In fact, annuity sales topped $432 billion in 2024, but as Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy discuss, that doesn’t mean they’re right for everyone. In this interview, we break down: 🔹 When an annuity actually makes sense — and why timing is everything 🔹 The core problem annuities solve 🔹 How much...
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Are You Taking on Too Much Risk? 4 Signs to Watch 🚩
Planning Matters Radio
Risk isn’t just a number on a chart... it’s how you feel when markets move. If you’ve ever wondered whether your portfolio matches your true risk tolerance, Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy lay out four red flags to pay attention to: 🔹 You check your accounts constantly. How often is too often? If market swings dictate your mood, it may be time to reassess. 🔹 Market drops keep you up at night. The headlines are loud, and it’s hard to tune out the noise. 🔹 You’ve made panic-driven decisions before. Emotional investing is one of the biggest threats to long-term...
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3 Easy Ways to Jeopardize Your Retirement ⚠️💸
Planning Matters Radio
Most people are so focused on saving for retirement that they overlook the everyday habits that can derail it. According to Kiplinger, only 44% of Americans have calculated what they’ll need to live on in retirement, and without that number, it’s easy to overspend or take on risks that shrink your nest egg. In this week’s interview, Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy break down the three most common pitfalls pre-retirees face: 🚫 Maintaining Debt Many retirees carry credit cards, car loans, mortgages, sometimes totaling $55,000. We discuss why entering retirement debt-free is...
info_outlineStarting next year, workers age 50 and older earning more than $145,000 will lose a major 401(k) tax break.
As Peter with Richon Planning explains to Erin Kennedy, catch-up contributions that used to reduce taxable income must now be made after tax - as Roth contributions. That could mean less take-home pay today, but potentially tax-free withdrawals later. In this interview, Peter answers:
💬 What does this mean for your retirement strategy?
💬 Should you reconsider Roth vs. traditional contributions?
💬 And can strategies like Roth conversions or HSAs help offset the lost deduction?
If you'd like to speak with Peter to determine if tax-deferred or tax-free is better for you and your retirement, if you'd like to learn about other strategies to reduce your taxable income, or if you want to supercharge your retirement savings, please call (919) 300-5886 or visit www.RichonPlanning.com