The Power Of Zero Show

Tax rates 10 years from now are likely to be much higher than they are today. Is your retirement plan ready? Learn how to avoid the coming tax freight train and maximize your retirement dollars.

The Retirement Problem No One Can Solve? Not So Fast. 10/21/2026

The Retirement Problem No One Can Solve? Not So Fast. Financial planning expert Rob Berger says the biggest challenge in retirement planning is one that no one can solve, since nobody knows how long retirement will last. David McKnight shares his disagreement, and explains why a financial product designed for exactly this problem – annuities – may be the answer. Show Notes In this episode, David McKnight responds to Rob Berger’s video The Retirement Problem No One Can Solve. Rob compares retirement to entering a race without knowing how long it is, how fast you can safely run, or when someone will tell you that you’ve reached the finish line. David thinks Rob did an excellent job of identifying the problem, but he strongly disagrees with the premise that no one can solve it. The fundamental challenge for every retiree is that you don’t know whether your savings will need to support you for five, twenty-five years, or longer than that. David shares a different analogy, inspired by retirement economist Michael Finke: a birthday party with one large cake and no idea how many children will show up. The cake is the pool of money you’ve accumulated, the children are the years you’ll live after retiring, and the slices are your annual retirement income. If you cut the cake into thirty tiny pieces just in case, and only five children show up, everyone gets an unnecessarily small piece and most of the cake goes uneaten – that’s traditional retirement planning. You ration your savings as though you might live to 95, 100, or beyond, and if you die earlier than expected, you leave behind a very large portfolio because you were afraid to spend your money. According to David, Rob is wrong in saying that no one can solve this problem, as annuities were literally invented to solve it. Imagine a bakery promising to keep delivering more cake if you run out. You’ve transferred your longevity risk to the bakery, which is what an insurance company does. An insurance company doesn’t need to know how long you personally will live, it only needs to estimate, with reasonable actuarial accuracy, how long a large group of people will live. An annuity doesn’t tell you how many children are coming to the party, it guarantees that you won’t run out of birthday cake. This isn’t a new or controversial concept, economists have been studying it for at least six decades, including in Menahem Yaari’s 1965 paper. Annuities can support more retirement income than a portfolio alone because of risk pooling and mortality credits. If you rely exclusively on a stock and bond portfolio, you have to self-insure against the possibility of living to a hundred. Ernst & Young compared investment-only retirement strategies with strategies that integrated permanent life insurance and deferred income annuities, using 1,000 Monte Carlo scenarios. They found that strategies combining investments with deferred income annuities produced more retirement income than investment-only approaches. One integrated strategy produced 5% more retirement income and 19% more projected legacy than the investment-only strategy. Critics often assume an annuity must reduce what you leave to your heirs, but if guaranteed income prevents you from selling investments at the wrong time, you can end up passing more to your children and grandchildren. Sounds interesting? Start by identifying your essential retirement expenses (housing, food, etc.), then subtract reliable income like Social Security and pensions. If a gap remains, use an annuity to fill it with guaranteed lifetime income, and the remainder of your assets can stay invested for growth, discretionary spending, emergencies, and legacy. The 4% Rule tries to solve the same problem without transferring longevity risk. In other words, you may live 10 years and could have enjoyed larger pieces, or you may live 35 or 40 years and the framework becomes increasingly uncertain. That’s why retirees with portfolio-only strategies often underspend: they experience their portfolio as one finite cake instead of spendable income, while an annuity gives them permission to spend because another check is coming. Ken Fisher has argued that whatever an annuity can do, a conventional portfolio can do better. David disagrees, asking: “Really? Then why are we calling longevity an unsolvable problem?”. A portfolio can provide growth, liquidity, dividends, and legacy, but it can’t guarantee that your income will continue for the rest of your life, regardless of market performance and how long you live. You don’t solve longevity risk by predicting how long the birthday party will last… you solve it by guaranteeing that the cake never runs out. Mentioned in this episode: David’s national bestselling book: (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube video by Rob Berger /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/43380139

This TikTok Finfluencer Says His 76-Year-Old Dad Can Spend 7.5% and Still Grow His Portfolio. Let's Check the Math. 10/14/2026

This TikTok Finfluencer Says His 76-Year-Old Dad Can Spend 7.5% and Still Grow His Portfolio. Let's Check the Math. Viral TikTok “finfluencer” Tyler Gardner claims his 76-year-old father can stay 100% in stocks. David McKnight breaks down exactly where that approach falls apart. Additionally, he reveals the retirement planning strategy that actually makes a 100% stocks allocation safe, so a market downturn doesn’t force you to sell at the worst possible time. Show Notes In this episode, David McKnight fact-checks a viral TikTok video from “finfluencer” Tyler Gardner explaining why his 76-year-old father is still invested 100% in stocks. David stresses that he doesn't have a problem with being invested 100% in stocks under the right circumstances, and that a retiree can absolutely have 100% of his portfolio in stocks. However, Tyler's explanation for why this works is where David says we have some problems, and he breaks down his rationale. Tyler claims that by investing in dividend stocks, he can get about 3.5% return from dividends alone, then sell 4% of his stocks and live off 7.5% per year – all while still having his portfolio grow at 4%. David points out a mistake Tyler made in his calculations: if you take out 3.5% in dividends and sell another 4% of the portfolio, you've removed 7.5% of an 8% total return, leaving roughly 0.5%, not 4%. Tyler predicts his portfolio to be worth three times the initial investment in just 15 years… but David notes that you don't get to spend most of the return and simultaneously compound as though you didn't spend any of it. One thing Tyler forgets to mention in his approach is sequence of returns risks, something that’s heavily impacted by the order in which you experience returns whenever you’re withdrawing money from your portfolio in retirement. Tyler concludes that even if the market had its worst 20 years in history and returned only 4% a year on average, he'd wind up in the same scenario as if he'd invested 100% in bonds. However, "Average returns aren’t a predictor of whether or not your strategy will survive”, says David. Two retirees with the exact same return over 20 years, without taking withdrawals, would have identical ending values…unless what considers withdrawals too. If a retiree is forced to sell shares while their portfolio is down, permanently removing shares from the portfolio and preventing them from participating in the eventual recovery, they would find themselves in a very different situation. Despite pointing out various flaws in Tyler’s video, David agrees with the moral of the story: before you listen to anyone about your appropriate allocation strategy, crunch the numbers yourself and figure out what’s right for you and your risk tolerance. David doesn't think there's anything inherently crazy about a 76-year-old being 100% invested in stocks – what he wants to know is how much of his dad's lifestyle depends on that portfolio. If Tyler's father receives enough Social Security, pension income, or guaranteed lifetime income through annuities to completely cover his basic living expenses, that changes things entirely. If the stock market falls 40%, and your basic living expenses are already covered, you don't have to sell stocks to pay for them. You can give your portfolio a chance to recover before you take further distributions. David is a big believer in creating an income floor in retirement: cover your basic living expenses with reliable lifetime income, create a separate volatility shield for discretionary spending, and then invest the rest of your money in a pedal-to-the-metal, high-octane stock portfolio. David’s strategy addresses sequence of returns risk through guaranteed lifetime income, a volatility buffer, and a 100% stock allocation. Mentioned in this episode: David’s national bestselling book: (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/43284654

Five Years from Retirement? Do This. 10/07/2026

Five Years from Retirement? Do This. The five years before retirement are what David McKnight calls the Retirement Danger Zone, a window where a stock market crash could trigger Sequence of Returns Risk and even derail a well-designed plan. In this episode, he breaks down the retirement planning strategies that build an income floor, create a Volatility Shield, and protect your tax rate before it’s too late. Show Notes In this episode, David McKnight talks all things “Retirement Danger Zone”, the 5-year time window that precedes your retirement. When you’re 20 years from retirement and the stock market crashes, it stings but you still have time to recover. If you’re only a few years from retirement, on the other hand, a stock market crash may force you to take distributions from a portfolio that just lost 30 or even 40%. That move may send your portfolio into a death spiral from which it never recovers, also known as Sequence of Returns Risk. Even a well-designed retirement plan can be devastated by that risk. If you’re five years from retirement, the first step is to establish an income floor: figure out how much income you’ll need each year to cover your essential living expenses. Your essential living expenses may be completely covered but you’re still going to have discretionary expenses – which fall into two categories. Those can be so-called shock expenses (e.g. a new roof, an unexpected medical expense, etc.) or aspirational expenses (e.g. vacations, hobbies, etc.). Normally, you would pay for those expenses by taking money from your stock portfolio… but what if the market is down when one of those expenses arises? “This is why, by the time you retire, you should have 3-5 years of discretionary expenses accumulated in a properly structured, properly funded Indexed Universal Life Insurance Policy”, stresses David. David explains how a so-called Volatility Shield can help you when the stock market takes a tumble. The strategy shared by David can increase the sustainable withdrawal rate on your stock portfolio from 4% to as high as 8% with a 95% confidence rate. And there’s one more critical step to consider during your final five years before retirement: protecting yourself against higher taxes. Mentioned in this episode: David’s national bestselling book: (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/43196328

I Have $1 Million in Taxable Accounts and $1 Million in IRAs. How Can I Prepare for Higher Taxes? 09/30/2026

I Have $1 Million in Taxable Accounts and $1 Million in IRAs. How Can I Prepare for Higher Taxes? If you've built up $1M in your IRA and $1M in taxable investments, David McKnight has a warning: every year that money stays put, the IRS gets to vote on your tax rate. He breaks down a retirement planning strategy for gradually converting your IRA to Roth – fast enough to beat rising rates, slow enough to avoid painful brackets. In this episode, David McKnight looks at what you should do if you have accumulated $1M in taxable investments, and $1M in traditional IRAs and are concerned about the possibility of higher taxes in retirement. He stresses that having money in IRAs is like going into a business partnership with the IRS – every year they get to vote on what percentage of your profits they get to keep… The solution to the IRA problem is relatively straightforward: start doing Roth conversions. True, by doing so, you’ll pay taxes on the conversion today, but you’ll be doing so at near historically low tax rates. Remember: the key is to convert money slowly enough that you don’t rise into a tax bracket that gives you heartburn, but quickly enough that you get all the heavy lifting done before tax rates go up for good. David predicts that, given the trajectory of the American national debt, the window of time to execute that strategy is about ten years. Beware: just because you believe taxes are going to increase, it doesn’t mean that you should reflexively convert all your money to tax-free. You want to leave enough money in your traditional IRA to take advantage of your standard deduction in retirement. If you’re married and retiring today, your standard deduction is $32,000. Single? Then, it’s half that amount. David shares a couple of strategies that can help you skinny down the $1M in your taxable bucket. The first and most efficient way to shrink this bucket is to use it to pay the taxes on your Roth conversions. The second strategy, which applies if you’re still working, is to fully fund your Roth 401(k) or Roth 403(b). One challenge with this approach is that those contributions must come out of your paychecks, which may lead you to have less money available to cover your monthly lifestyle. The next strategy comes into play once you retire and it’s about living out of your taxable account during the first few years of retirement (which may be the lowest income years of your adult life). Furthermore, you may want to consider repositioning a portion of your taxable account into a properly structured cash value life insurance policy – such as an indexed universal life policy or IUL. David warns that IULs are not for everyone, as they require a sufficient funding period, careful design, and ongoing policy management. However, when structured correctly, IULs can serve as a volatility shield in retirement. The idea is, in the year following a down year in your stock market portfolio, to pay for your living expenses out of your IUL. Doing so gives your portfolio a chance to recover before you take further distributions. That act alone can increase the sustainable withdrawal rate of your stock portfolio from 4% to as high as 8% with a 95% confidence rate. Mentioned in this episode: David’s national bestselling book: (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/43075803

Best Reason to Delay Social Security To Age 70 09/23/2026

Best Reason to Delay Social Security To Age 70 When is a good time to start your Social Security? David McKnight reveals why smart retirement planning means waiting until age 70 for reasons that have nothing to do with a bigger check… and everything to do with the years in between being your best window for Roth conversions. In this episode, David McKnight addresses one of the most common questions he gets from people approaching retirement: “When should I start taking Social Security?” David believes that there’s a compelling reason for having 70 as your default Social Security claiming age – and that isn’t so that you get a bigger Social Security check… One of the key reasons to wait until 70 is something that rarely comes up in the traditional Social Security discussion: it has to do with taxes. David stresses that the years between retirement and age 70 can be some of the most valuable years of your entire financial life. Why? Because they may represent your best opportunity to execute Roth conversions. David touches upon the so-called Retirement Income Valley and the benefits it brings about. With a wrong approach, you may lock yourself into a permanently smaller Social Security check, and may have caused much of that check to become taxable because you simultaneously do Roth conversions. David suggests a different approach: retiring, delaying Social Security, and spending the next several years aggressively repositioning your tax-deductible dollars to tax-free. Once all that heavy lifting is done, you can then turn on Social Security. By following that strategy you accomplish two things: you lock in a substantially larger Social Security benefit and potentially reduce the other income that could cause that larger benefit to become taxable. Remember: delaying Social Security doesn’t automatically make your Social Security tax-free. David talks about the IRMAA objection some may make as they hear his recommended strategy, and also touches upon his so-called “rip the band-aid off” approach to Roth conversions. David stresses that his interest isn’t in whether a Roth conversion causes you to pay an extra few thousand dollars in Medicare premiums in one particular year. What he’s interested in is whether the strategy reduces the total amount you pay in taxes and Medicare premiums over the balance of your retirement. “Social Security shouldn’t be thought of as an investment, it’s more like longevity insurance”, says David. According to the 2026 Social Security Trustees Report, the Retirement Survivors Trust Fund is projected to exhaust its reserves in 2032 if Congress does nothing. However, that doesn’t mean it’s going to disappear, ongoing payroll tax revenue would still be sufficient. If higher taxes ultimately become part of the solution, then that only reinforces the importance of getting to tax-free before that happens. Your goal shouldn’t simply be to maximize Social Security, it should be to maximize all of your after-tax streams of income. Mentioned in this episode: David’s national bestselling book: (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/42987418

Should You Stop Roth Conversions at the 22% Tax Bracket? 09/16/2026

Should You Stop Roth Conversions at the 22% Tax Bracket? Should you stop your Roth conversions at the 22% tax rate, or push into the 24% bracket? David McKnight responds to a viewer's detailed case for stopping early, revealing why optimizing this year's tax bill can be the wrong retirement planning move over a 30-year horizon. You'll discover his "rip the band-aid off" approach and why saving money on taxes today isn't a victory if it costs you more tomorrow. In a recent video, David McKnight explained why he believes the 24% tax bracket is the sweet spot in the current tax code for Roth conversions. In this episode, he addresses a viewer’s comment that laid out a pretty detailed case for why he believes it makes sense to stop at the 22% bracket. The main difference between these approaches, David stresses, is that his viewer is optimizing the tax bill in the year of conversion – while David tries to optimize your tax bill over the balance of your lifetime. David illustrates why those two approaches can lead you in two entire different directions. Depending on the size of your IRA, the amount you’re spending every year, your expected rate of return, and how many years you have before RMDs begin, you may simply not have enough space in the 22% bracket to get any meaningful amount of conversion done. Most of David’s clients don’t have $100,000 per year of taxable investment income coming out of a brokerage account. The lion’s share of their retirement savings tends to be sitting in IRAs and 401(k)s, and they’re generally taking distributions from those accounts to support their lifestyle. David discusses his so-called “rip the band-aid off” approach to Roth conversions. The biggest problem with his viewer’s argument is the focus on calculating what it costs to convert the money today, without asking what it’s going to cost if we don’t convert it. The choice may be between paying a somewhat painful tax rate today or allowing that money to compound inside the IRA for another 10-15 years. That may lead you to deal with larger RMDs, potentially higher tax rates, more taxation of social security, potentially more IRMAA, and the eventual death of one of the spouses. David wonders whether, with the approach suggested by his viewer, you’re actually solving the problem or just postponing it. “Because saving money on taxes today isn’t much of a victory if doing so ultimately causes you to pay even more over a 30-year retirement”, he concludes. Mentioned in this episode: David’s national bestselling book: (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/42913117

Why Not Put Your Entire Retirement into 5.25% Treasuries? (Have You Won the Game?) 09/09/2026

Why Not Put Your Entire Retirement into 5.25% Treasuries? (Have You Won the Game?) Is putting your entire retirement planning strategy into 30-year treasuries really the safe bet it seems? David McKnight reveals why this approach could expose you to two hidden risks, and explains how the stock market and annuities might hold the real key to protecting your income. In this episode, David McKnight looks at whether putting your entire retirement portfolio into 30-year treasuries is the way to go. While it may seem like a pretty compelling argument, there’s a major problem with this strategy – and it comes down to two things: taxes and inflation. The U.S. just crossed $40 trillion in national debt. It will continue to grow $2 trillion per year over the next 10 years, and $3 trillion per year after that… with no end in sight. David points out that buying a 30-year bond with this status quo isn’t just making an interest rate decision, it’s making a 30-year tax bet. The problem with inflation is that, with a conventional Treasury bond, your retirement income doesn’t get automatically indexed to keep up with inflation. Try to think of the impact of a 3% inflation on your income over the next 30 years. “The issue with declaring victory at retirement and putting everything into a 5.25% 30-year treasury is that you exchange one type of risk, market volatility, for two other catastrophic risks: rising taxes and inflation”, says David. The solution to this problem is to give different portions of your retirement assets different jobs. The strategy starts with inflation-adjusted, tax-free, guaranteed lifetime income and continues with the so-called Volatility Shield. David recommends paying for discretionary expenses out of your Indexed Universal Life Policy (IUL) during a flat or down market. That will give your stock portfolio a chance to recover before you start taking more withdrawals. That act alone can nearly double the sustainable withdrawal rate on your stock portfolio over a 30-year retirement. When it comes to investing, David prefers allocating about 70% in a total U.S. stock market index and 30% in a total international stock market. Remember: over a 30-year retirement, it isn’t much about how much interest you earn, it’s how much you can spend after taxes and inflation are figured into the equation. Mentioned in this episode: David’s national bestselling book: (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/42837325

Dave Ramsey’s 8% Retirement Rule: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? 09/02/2026

Dave Ramsey’s 8% Retirement Rule: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Dave Ramsey says retirees can safely withdraw 8% a year from the stock market, but does his retirement planning math actually hold up? David McKnight breaks down why Ramsey’s approach overlooks a critical risk, and why annuities may be the missing piece to sustainably boosting your retirement income beyond the traditional 4% Rule. In this episode, David McKnight examines Dave Ramsey’s 8% withdrawal rate claim and why retirement planning may need annuities, and not just the stock market. For Ramsey, you can take 8% per year out of your stock market portfolio in retirement, despite what other financial planning advisors may say. Ramsey believes that advisors suggesting their clients follow the so-called 4% Rule are misadvising their clients. Wade Pfau, one of the most respected retirement researchers in the U.S. looked at what would happen if a retiree invested 100% of their money in stocks and took an 8% annual withdrawal each year, adjusted for inflation. The attempt to make that money last for 30 years failed in an astounding 63% of the cases. David thinks that Ramsey’s calculations are flawed because he didn’t take into consideration the sequence of returns risk. He shares an example that illustrates how Ramsey’s 12% growth rate actually ends up falling apart (and costing retirees their hard-earned money). Once you’re taking distributions, the order in which you experience sequence of returns can make the difference between your money lasting for the rest of your life or running out sooner. While David agrees with Ramsey in that retirees shouldn’t settle for a 4% withdrawal rate in retirement, he believes that there are more reliable ways to improve upon the 4% Rule. The irony is that the most reliable ways to improve upon the 4% Rule is to use financial instruments Ramsey has spent decades telling his audience to avoid. Those tools are guaranteed lifetime income annuities and permanent cash value life insurance. David discusses the volatility shield, an account outside your stock portfolio that holds 3-5 years of discretionary expenses. The idea is to live out of that account in the year following a down year in the stock market. That way, your stock portfolio has a chance to recover before you take further distributions. This act alone can increase the sustainable withdrawal rate on your stock portfolio from 4% to as high as 8% with a 95% confidence rate. David’s preferred vehicle for accomplishing that is properly structured, property funded indexed universal life insurance (IUL). An Ernst & Young study focused on what happens when you combine investments with permanent life insurance with guaranteed lifetime income annuities. What they found is that when you adopt an integrated approach that incorporates both cash value life insurance and annuities, you draw more retirement income with better outcomes than if you relied on investments alone. While David agrees with Ramsey’s point that a 100% stock allocation in retirement makes sense, there’s something he disagrees with – he explains what it is and their views differ. “Perhaps, Dave Ramsey isn’t wrong about wanting retirees to enjoy an 8% level of income, he’s just using the wrong tools to get there”, David argues. Mentioned in this episode: David’s national bestselling book: (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/42669510

The Three Biggest Reasons Americans Hate Annuities 08/26/2026

The Three Biggest Reasons Americans Hate Annuities Most Americans hate annuities and would tell you to avoid them… But what if the version you’ve been warned about isn’t the only option for retirement planning? David McKnight breaks down a strategy that’s quietly helping retirees sleep better at night and safeguard themselves against the 3 biggest annuities-related problems. In this episode, David McKnight looks at three perfectly legitimate reasons why Americans have been reluctant to embrace annuities, as well as a solution. The first problem is liquidity. David points out that one of the biggest fears in retirement is running out of money before you run out of life. He shares an example that shows you how, in the process of purging longevity risk from your retirement, you create an entirely different problem. The second reason why people dislike annuities has to do with what happens if you die early – what happens to what an insurance company promised to pay you for life? The third problem has everything to do with inflation. Sure, your income may be guaranteed for life but, with inflation, the lifestyle that income supports certainly isn’t. David wonders whether there’s a way to get guaranteed income you can never outlive without having to accept the three traditional drawbacks. “Over the years, life insurance companies recognized the shortfalls of the traditional guaranteed lifetime income annuity, so they designed a solution known as the Fixed Index Annuity”, says David. With many Fixed Index Annuities (FIAs) you can access up to 10% of your contract value annually during the surrender period without paying a surrender charge. When you consider that most Americans with stock portfolios are relying on the 4% rule in retirement, 10% withdrawals are an absolute smorgasbord of liquidity. David explains how FIAs help with the second reason why Americans hate annuities, and what happens even if you end up living for a long time. He then illustrates how FIAs can come into play to help you deal with inflation – and why the so-called piecemeal internal Roth conversion feature is something you may want to explore. Remember: not all annuities are created equal. If you’re interested in the benefits of guaranteed lifetime income without all the pitfalls that go along with traditional single premium immediate annuities, fixed index annuities may be a viable alternative. Mentioned in this episode: David’s national bestselling book: (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/42555775

Should High Earners Contribute to a Roth 401k? 08/19/2026

Should High Earners Contribute to a Roth 401k? Should every dollar go into a Roth 401(k) if taxes will be higher? David McKnight reveals why that instinct could actually be one of the most expensive tax decisions a high-income earner can make when it comes to retirement planning. In this episode, David McKnight addresses two frequently asked questions: “If tax rates are going to be higher in the future, should I be putting every dollar into a Roth 401(k)?” and “Should I be converting as much of my IRA to Roth as quickly as possible?”. David believes that the current tax rates are as low as we’re likely to see in your lifetime. The national fiscal trajectory is apocalyptic: there is over $39 trillion in debt that’s going to increase by $2 trillion per year over the next 10 years, and over $200 trillion in unfunded obligations for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Despite all of this, politicians on both sides of the aisle seem unwilling to make the tough decisions necessary to address the crisis. Many people hear that taxes will be higher in the future and conclude that every retirement planning contribution should be immediately redirected into Roth accounts. However, if you’re a high-income earner contributing heavily into a Roth 401(k) today as part of your retirement planning may actually be one of the most expensive tax decisions you can make. When evaluating whether to contribute to a traditional 401(k) or a Roth 401(k), the question isn’t whether taxes will be higher in the future. Rather, it’s “Will my effective tax rate in retirement be higher than the tax rates I’m currently paying on the marginal dollar today?”. David discusses the so-called Retirement Income Valley, the period of time after your paycheck stops but before social security and RMDs fully kick in. An Ernst & Young study examining what happens when retirees allocate a portion of their retirement savings to a maximum-funded index universal life policy produced striking results. Researchers found that if you could divert 30% of your retirement contributions to an IUL with the goal of saving 3-5 years of living expenses by day one of retirement, it helps shield you from stock market volatility. David stresses that an IUL isn’t designed to replace the investment portion of your portfolio, rather to protect it. Mentioned in this episode: David’s national bestselling book: (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/42481290

The Latest Proposal to Tax Roth IRAs: Should you be worried? 08/12/2026

The Latest Proposal to Tax Roth IRAs: Should you be worried? Should you stop doing Roth conversions as part of your retirement planning after Senator Ron Wyden’s new legislation targeting specific retirement accounts? David McKnight breaks down the key aspects of the proposal and what it actually means for the average American (and their retirement). Show Notes In this episode, David McKnight looks at whether you should stop doing Roth conversions following Senator Ron Wyden’s introduction of legislation for taxing Roth IRAs. For David, 99.9% of Americans should continue investing in Roth accounts with a high degree of confidence. One of the biggest misconceptions floating around is that Congress wants to start taxing everyone’s Roth IRA. However, that is simply not what Senator Wyden’s proposal does, as its focus are so-called mega-retirement accounts. These are retirement accounts – whether traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, or Roth 401(k)s – that have grown to extraordinary sizes, often tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars. Senator Wyden’s proposal only applies to taxpayers with very high incomes ($400,000 for individuals; $450,000 for married couples) and only if your combined retirement accounts exceed $10 million. In other words, if you don’t have more than $10 million spread across your retirement accounts, the proposal doesn’t apply to you. Do you exceed that threshold? Then, know that the proposal would require annual distributions from the excess amount. The rule becomes even more restrictive when balances exceed $20 million. David believes that the average American shouldn’t be nervous about investing in Roth accounts – he shares four reasons why. Reason #1: Congress likes Roth accounts, because, from a Government’s perspective, Roth accounts accelerate tax revenue. The second reason is the fact that Roth assets are still a relatively small piece of the retirement landscape. “Most retirement money in America is still sitting inside traditional tax-deferred accounts”, he explains. Reason #3: the Government has always had an implicit agreement with America on Roth accounts. The fourth reason why David doesn’t believe you should be nervous about investing in Roth accounts is that they’re still your best protection against what’s coming down the road. The national debt is set to grow by $2 trillion per year over the next 10 years and $3 trillion per year after that. According to a Penn Wharton study, once the country hits a debt-to-GDP of 200% in 2040, no combination of increasing taxes or cutting spending will prevent the nation’s financial collapse. That’s why, David is confident that around 2035 Congress will have little choice but to tax increases. Mentioned in this episode: David’s national bestselling book: (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/42396410

The Hidden Reason Married Couples Need Roth Conversions 08/05/2026

The Hidden Reason Married Couples Need Roth Conversions One spouse passes away, and suddenly the survivor is filing alone, pushed into tax brackets they never saw coming. David McKnight explains why a Roth conversion, done now through smart retirement planning, could spare your loved ones the painful surprise known as Widow’s Penalty. Show Notes In this episode, David McKnight discusses something that could cause your taxes to rise dramatically even if Congress never raises taxes by a single percentage point! That's the so-called Widow's Penalty, and it's a critical piece of retirement planning that too many people overlook. The U.S. national debt consists of hundreds of trillions of dollars in unfunded obligations for programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. At some point, David points out, the Government is going to need huge infusions of cash to meet those obligations. Most people don't realize that a surviving spouse often inherits a tax problem at the moment in life when they're least equipped to deal with it – David explains the repercussions of this common scenario and why a Roth conversion can help. David stresses that one of the most important retirement planning windows in your entire lifetime occurs during the years when both spouses are still alive and filing jointly. During those years, you have an opportunity to take advantage of wider tax brackets and proactively reposition money from tax-deferred accounts into tax-free accounts through a Roth conversion. When people contemplate the prospect of future higher taxes or the widow's penalty, they often panic and reflexively convert all of their IRAs and 401(k)s to Roth over one or several years. That's an approach to Roth conversion that causes you to pay much more taxes than was really required. The key to avoiding that, as part of any sound retirement planning strategy, is to move money slowly enough that you don't rise into a tax bracket that gives you heartburn. And, on the other hand, move money quickly enough that you get all the heavy lifting done before tax rates increase for good. Mentioned in this episode: David’s national bestselling book: (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/42326075

What If I Retire Into A Market Crash? 07/29/2026

What If I Retire Into A Market Crash? David McKnight addresses one of the biggest fears people have as they approach retirement: “What if I retire right into a market crash?”. Not only this represents one of the biggest challenges in retirement planning but it’s also one of the reasons why David advocates for protecting yourself from sequence of returns risk. When it comes to long-term stock market investing, it’s important to understand the difference between retirement years and accumulation years. Sequence of returns is the order in which market returns occur in your portfolio. That order, David stresses, can make or break your retirement unless you’ve taken steps to prepare your portfolio ahead of time. The danger isn’t simply that the market goes down, as markets always recover eventually. The danger is being forced to sell investments while they’re down in order to fund your lifestyle. David touches upon the dot-com collapse and 2008 mortgage meltdown as extraordinarily difficult periods for retirees who only relied on investment portfolios for income. There are two approaches David recommends adopting. The first one is to build a guaranteed income floor before retirement – ideally 5-10 years before retiring. The role of the guaranteed lifetime income is for it to cover essential expenses so that your lifestyle is no longer entirely dependent on the performance of your stock portfolio. Remember: by living off your guaranteed streams of income you give your portfolio a chance to recover from down years in the stock market. The second approach is the so-called Volatility Shield strategy, which sees a properly funded cash value life insurance – in the form of Indexed Universal Life (IUL) – play a critical role. The first step of the Volatility Shield way is to begin funding an IUL well before retirement with 3-5 years of living expenses covered by day one of retirement. David breaks down the process that can increase the sustainable withdrawal rate on your stock portfolio from 4% to as high as 8% with a 95% success rate. The Volatility Shield is a strategy that you can begin implementing much earlier than the guaranteed lifetime income one. You can use guaranteed lifetime income to help cover essential expenses, and an IUL volatility shield to get tax-free liquidity to cover discretionary needs during periods of market downturn. When people ask David “When is the ideal time to reposition money to avoid retiring into a market crash?”, he always suggests not to wait for the crash, or to try to predict one, rather to build protection intentionally. Mentioned in this episode: David’s national bestselling book: (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/42247105

The Five Biggest Roth Conversion Traps 07/22/2026

The Five Biggest Roth Conversion Traps In this episode, David McKnight walks you through the five biggest Roth conversion traps, and how to avoid them. He is a big believer in Roth conversions. Because of the apocalyptic fiscal trajectory of the U.S., taxes in the future are likely to be dramatically higher than they are today. Hence, every dollar you reposition from tax-deferred to tax-free at these historically low tax rates may be one of the smartest financial decisions you ever make. However, while many people understand Roth conversions in theory, they still get them wrong in practice – David has seen some very costly mistakes over the years. The first big Roth conversion trap is waiting too long. True: nobody wakes up excited to pay a tax 10-20 years before the IRS absolutely requires it of them… …but we’re living in the middle of “the tax sale of a lifetime”, which is likely to end in or around 2035 and will see the Federal Government forced to raise taxes. The second Roth conversion mistake has to do with not maxing out the appropriate tax bracket. If you have a substantial amount of money in your IRA or 401(k), David says that you won’t be able to fully execute your Roth conversion strategy unless you take full advantage of the 24% bracket. “When 2035 rolls around, we’ll look back at the 24% bracket as a good deal of historic proportions”, highlights David. Over-converting is the third big mistake people make when it comes to Roth conversions. When people come to the conclusion that future tax rates are going to be higher than the current ones, they often panic and reflexively convert all of their tax-deferred retirement savings to Roth. What they forget, however, is that, in retirement, they will still have a standard deduction. Remember: Eevery retirement strategy you undertake should be calculated to extend the life of your investments, not shorten it. Roth conversion trap #4 is letting the fear of IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount) dictate your Roth conversion strategy. The fifth Roth conversion trap is not paying taxes on your Roth conversion out of the right place. Mentioned in this episode: David’s national bestselling book: (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/42155820

High Earners: Stop Making This Roth vs. Traditional Tax Mistake! 07/15/2026

High Earners: Stop Making This Roth vs. Traditional Tax Mistake! David McKnight addresses one of the most common questions he gets: “If tax rates are going to be dramatically higher in the future, shouldn’t I be putting every dollar into a Roth 401(k)?”. Moreover, people often wonder whether they should be converting as much of their IRA to Roth as quickly as possible. David is a firm believer that the current tax rates are as low as we’re likely to see in our lifetime. The U.S. has over $39 trillion in debt and it’s going to increase by two trillion per year over the next 10 years and over $200 trillion in unfunded obligations for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Many people make the critical mistake of thinking that every retirement plan contribution should be immediately redirected into Roth accounts. However, David stresses, if you’re a high-income earner contributing heavily to a Roth 401(k) today may actually be one of the most expensive tax decisions you can make. David explains why he has long argued that 24% is the sweet spot. The so-called Retirement Income Valley is the window of opportunity that opens up immediately after retirement and before social security required minimum distributions kick in. David touches upon IUL and why he doesn’t suggest that it should replace your 401(k) or serve as a stock market alternative… Remember: your 401(k) should remain the primary engine driving your retirement plan. Once you’ve maximized that tax deduction, an IUL can serve a very important supporting role, though. An Ernst & Young study examined what happens when retirees allocate a portion of their retirement savings to a maximum-funded index universal life policy. Researchers found that if you could divert 30% of your retirement contributions to an IUL with the goal of saving 3-5 years of living expenses by day one of retirement, it helps shield you from stock market volatility. “The IUL isn’t designed to replace the investment portion of your portfolio, it’s there to protect it”, clarifies David. The best retirement strategy isn’t the one that sounds the most compelling, it’s the one that maximizes the likelihood that your money lasts as long as you do. Mentioned in this episode: David’s national bestselling book: (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/42063715

What REALLY Happens When Your Kids Inherit Your IRA 07/08/2026

The Hidden Reason Married Couples Need Roth Conversions 07/01/2026

The Hidden Reason Married Couples Need Roth Conversions David McKnight kicks off this Power of Zero Show episode by stressing that, in his opinion, tax rates in the future are likely to be much higher than they are today. Why? Because the U.S. has a national debt that continues to grow at an alarming rate. It has hundreds of trillions of dollars in unfunded obligations for programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. At some point, the Government is going to need huge infusions of cash to meet such obligations. The so-called “Widow’s Penalty” is a very compelling reason, David believes, to consider doing Roth conversions while today’s tax rates are still around. And that’s true even if you don’t think that future tax rates will be higher than the current ones… David explains how, when a spouse passes away before the other, the surviving spouse often inherits a tax problem at a moment in life when they’re least equipped to deal with it. The ugly truth is that, in many cases, surviving spouses earn nearly the same amount of income as before while being forced to operate within a less favorable tax framework. That means that income that previously fit comfortably inside the 24% tax bracket can suddenly spill over into the 32%, 35% or even 37% bracket! David touches upon the fact that one of the most important tax planning windows in their entire lifetime occurs during the years when both spouses are still alive and filing taxes jointly. Remember: this topic is crucial because tax consequences don’t necessarily end with the surviving spouse. Whatever remains in your IRA may pass on to your children. David’s advice is to move money slowly enough that you don’t rise into a tax bracket that gives you heartburn, but quickly enough that you get all the heavy lifting done before tax rates go up for good. Mentioned in this episode: David’s new book: David’s national bestselling book: by David McKnight (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/41870645

Did Suze Orman Just Endorse Annuities? 06/24/2026

Did Suze Orman Just Endorse Annuities? David McKnight discusses the Woman’s World article Suze Orman Reveals When to Buy an Annuity - and the One Question You Must Answer First. For years, Orman has warned investors away from annuities, often lumping them into the category of expensive financial products that enrich salespeople at the expense of consumers. David has been surprised by what the current views of Orman appear to be, completely in line with what David has been preaching for years. Orman’s analysis begins with a key consideration: annuities can be a helpful tool in retirement, but whether they make sense for you depends on one key factor: your income needs. In the Woman’s World article, Orman writes that the first step is to figure out how much money you need each month to cover your essential expenses. Next, you should look at your guaranteed income sources like Social Security, a pension, rental properties, interest, or dividends. David paints out the scenario in which you get permission to take more risk in the stock market portion of your portfolio. A recent BlackRock study showed that people whose living expenses are guaranteed spend 22% more than those who rely on their stock market portfolio alone in retirement. David talks about what he refers to as a “piecemeal internal Roth conversion feature” and why it may be a beneficial asset. David sees Orman’s approach as short-sided for the fact that guaranteed lifetime income isn’t the only mathematically appropriate use of annuities. True, most retirees own bonds because they want stability, but bonds do come with reinvestment risks, interest rate risks, inflation risks, and often low long-term returns. David explains what would happen if you reached into your portfolio, removed bonds, and replaced them with an annuity. According to David, the conversation needs more nuance because “not all annuities are created equal”. Remember: retirement planning isn’t about one-size-fits-all financial advice; it’s about creating a customized approach that will help you wring the most efficiency out of your retirement savings. Mentioned in this episode: David’s new book: David’s national bestselling book: by David McKnight (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at Woman’s World article - /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/41704900

The Truth About Buy-and-Hold Investing in Retirement 06/17/2026

The Truth About Buy-and-Hold Investing in Retirement In this episode, David McKnight addresses one of the biggest myths in retirement planning: once you retire, you need to dramatically reduce your exposure to stocks. The reason why most financial advisors recommend reducing stock exposure in retirement has very little to do with stocks and everything to do with sequence of returns risk. Sequence of returns risk is what happens when you’re forced to withdraw money from your investment portfolio during a market downturn. If the market falls 30% and you’re simultaneously taking withdrawals to pay for your living expenses, you’re locking in losses and permanently impairing your portfolio’s ability to recover. According to David, the way to solve this problem is by ensuring that your essential expenses are covered before you ever retire. When you’re at least five years out from retirement, David believes that one of the most important decisions you can make is to create the so-called income floor. An income floor is a guaranteed stream of income that covers your basic living expenses regardless of what the stock market is doing. The volatility shield adds a second layer of protection that has to do with discretionary expenses (e.g., a trip around the world, taking the grandchildren to Disney World, etc.). Suze Orman has controversially recommended that retirees keep 3-5 years' worth of living expenses in a savings account, so they don’t have to sell investments during a market downturn. While David agrees with the concept, he doesn’t see savings accounts as the most efficient place to put that money in. Instead, he’d rather have retirees accumulate that money in a completely separate account (a volatility shield) – which, unlike a savings account, has the potential to grow 5-7% net fees over time. Looking for an alternative volatility shield? Look at cash value life insurance in the form of indexed universal life (IUL), says David. An Ernst & Young study found that retirees who included the volatility shield strategy and a guaranteed lifetime income annuity in the retirement plan were able to dramatically increase the sustainable withdrawal rate on their investment portfolio. Since the early 1990s, the gold standard on sustainable withdrawal rates has been 4%. The 4% Rule says that if you withdraw approximately 4% of your portfolio each year, there’s a reasonably high chance that your money will last a full 30-year retirement. However, when retirees had access to a volatility buffer and could avoid taking distributions following market downturns, sustainable withdrawal rates increased dramatically (in some scenarios, up to 8%). David is a believer of the fact that the portfolio that got you into retirement can also take you through retirement – with a recommended 70% in U.S. stock market index funds and 30% in international stock market index funds. For David, the reason why this approach works well is that, with it, you solve the two biggest issues in retirement: income and volatility. Moreover, if you can position these assets inside tax-free accounts through strategic Roth contributions and Roth conversions, you gain protection against yet another threat, tax rate risk. David concludes by stressing that it is not that the buy-and-hold strategy doesn’t work, it’s that most retirees don’t have the protection tools necessary to stay committed to the strategy when markets become turbulent. Mentioned in this episode: David’s new book: David’s national bestselling book: by David McKnight (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/41614420

The New Case Against Bonds in Retirement 06/10/2026

The New Case Against Bonds in Retirement David McKnight kicks this episode off by explaining how, for decades, conventional financial wisdom has been saying that, as you approach retirement, you should begin dialing down your stock exposure and increasing your bond allocation. A 60-year-old, for example, would have 40% of their portfolio in stocks and 60% in bonds. Historically, bonds served three primary functions: They provided income, they reduced portfolio volatility, and they protected retirees from so-called sequence of returns risk. David touches upon how the sequence of returns risk works. Retirees who get hit early often run out of money earlier – in some cases, even 15 years prior to life expectancy. The old approach to retirement planning assumes that bonds could provide meaningful returns while still acting as a stabilizer. However, recent years have shown that bonds are not risk-free. Back in 2022, for instance, the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index lost 13%. Long-term treasuries did even worse, as many lost between 25 to 30% due to rapidly rising interest rates. David stresses that an annuity can do something bonds cannot do: It can guarantee income that you cannot outlive. It’s important to realize that whenever your basic living expenses are covered, something profound happens psychologically: You stop depending on your investment portfolio to solve every problem. Furthermore, you feel as if you now have permission to spend. Studies show that those who have guaranteed lifetime income spend 22% more than those who rely strictly on a stock bond portfolio. A properly funded IUL can create a pool of tax-free money that’s insulated from stock market loss and available during downturns. David unpacks a strategy that can increase the sustainable withdrawal rate on your stock portfolio from 4% to as high as 8% with a 95% success rate. When you combine guaranteed lifetime income from annuities with a volatility shield in the form of IUL, you are no longer reliant on bonds, says David. He also touches upon why retirees who adopt the no-bond power of zero approach begin to take a lot more risk in their stock market allocations. David wraps things up by sharing insights on what retirees should think about and do to increase the likelihood that, in retirement, their money will last as long as they do. Mentioned in this episode: David’s new book: David’s national bestselling book: by David McKnight (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/41575140

This Small Trick Could Increase Your Retirement Income by 22% 06/03/2026

This Small Trick Could Increase Your Retirement Income by 22% A recent landmark study from BlackRock caught David McKnight – he shares what it was all about and why you should care in this new episode of the Power of Zero Show. For decades, Americans were told that if they simply contributed faithfully to their 401(k) and avoided emotional decisions during market downturns, they would have enough money in retirement. According to the BlackRock study, retirees who incorporated guaranteed lifetime income in the form of an annuity into their retirement portfolio experienced an average increase of 22% in potential retirement spending. That number became approximately a 25% increase for lower income retirees! The increase came primarily from giving retirees greater confidence to spend money because a portion of their retirement income was guaranteed for life. David explains that, while 30 or 40 years ago retirees could rely on company pensions that provided predictable monthly income for life, the modern retirement system has shifted enormous responsibility onto the shoulders of ordinary Americans. Employers used to bear the responsibility for generating the income stream and ensuring that retirees did not outlive their money. Today, however, pensions have all but disappeared, and most Americans now rely on 401(k) or other tax-qualified retirement plans. One of the big problems is the fact that such tax-affirmed accounts can help you build wealth, but don’t come with instructions on how to make sure your money lasts a full 30-year retirement. The BlackRock study echoes something that David has stressed several times on the show: retirees spend more when at least a portion of their retirement income is guaranteed. David clarifies that when he talks about guaranteed lifetime income, he does not suggest retirees place all of their assets into annuities or eliminate market exposure altogether. David talks about 100% stock allocation and why you can be much more aggressive in your stock market allocation once you create an income floor in retirement. The current status quo of the American fiscal system – and exploding national debt – appears to be painting a picture where future tax rates will be significantly higher than they are today. David is a strong advocate for tax-free investment accounts in retirement. In particular, he points to six different tax-free income streams: Roth IRAs, Roth 401(k)s, Roth conversions, RMDs up to standard deductions, certain types of cash value life insurance as a volatility shield in retirement and, if you can keep your provisional income low enough, your Social Security can be 100% tax-free. David touches upon a strategy that can give you guaranteed tax-free income for life. The old retirement model gave Americans confidence through company pensions. The modern model requires retirees to create their own personal private pension in the form of an annuity. It’s important to understand that retirement isn’t just about accumulating wealth, but also about creating a stream of lifetime income that’s guaranteed to last as long as you do. David concludes by explaining what retirement planning should accomplish beyond merely maximizing account balances. Mentioned in this episode: David’s new book: David’s national bestselling book: by David McKnight (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/41501975

Should I Do a Roth Conversion in my 60s? 05/27/2026

The 5 Most Common Objections to Roth Conversions (and Why They’re Wrong) 05/20/2026

The 5 Most Common Objections to Roth Conversions (and Why They’re Wrong) David McKnight unpacks the five most common objections to Roth conversions and why they simply don’t hold up under scrutiny. The first objection has to do with people not wanting to voluntarily pay taxes before the IRS requires them to. While on the surface, postponing this may sound logical, it ignores a fundamental aspect: the state of the U.S. national debt. It has just passed $39 trillion, and it’s slated to grow by $2 trillion per year for the next 10 years, and $3 trillion after that. In other words, interest on the national debt is becoming one of the largest line items in the federal budget. That means that by refusing to pay taxes today, you’re making an insanely risky bet that taxes in the future will be lower than they are right now. All, while your IRA keeps growing and compounding over time. Thus, 10 years from now, not only could tax rates be higher, but your required minimum distributions could be dramatically larger. The second most common objection to Roth conversions revolves around people saying, “If I do Roth conversions, that additional income will force me to pay increasingly higher levels of IRMAA or cause my Social Security to be taxed.” David points out that Roth conversions do increase your taxable income, which can trigger those additional expenses during the conversion period. However, while it’s true that you’ll pay IRMAA and Social Security taxation in the short term, you’ll get rid of those additional expenses for the rest of your life once your conversion period is over. Objection #3 is “There’s too much opportunity cost, I won’t have time to make up for the taxes I paid”. David explains that, despite sounding sophisticated, this objection is based on a flawed premise. Your IRA is a “business partnership” with the IRS – and every year they get to vote on what percentage of your profits they get to keep. So, when you do a Roth conversion, you’re not losing money. You’re simply buying out your “silent business partner” at today’s historically low tax rates. David highlights that, if taxes double in the future, you’ll be glad you bought them out while taxes were still on sale. The fourth objection – “In retirement, I’ll be in a lower tax bracket” – is actually one of the most dangerous assumptions in all of retirement planning. People assume that when they retire, their taxes automatically go down. For many Americans, the exact opposite happens, though. Once required minimum distributions kick in, they can force huge amounts of taxable income onto your tax returns. David touches upon an additional issue almost nobody talks about: the so-called widow’s penalty. The fifth objection to Roth conversions revolves around the question, “Won’t the federal government tax Roth IRAs sometime down the road?” People don’t realize that the government loves Roth IRAs because they generate tax revenue today – unlike traditional IRAs, which delay tax revenue. That’s why, every time Congress needs money, they tend to pass legislation that makes Roth accounts even more attractive. Remember: Roth conversions are about taking advantage of the tax sale of a lifetime before catastrophic levels of debt force tax rates higher. Mentioned in this episode: David’s new book: David’s national bestselling book: by David McKnight (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/41310870

How Roth Conversions Affect Social Security Taxes and IRMAA 05/13/2026

How Roth Conversions Affect Social Security Taxes and IRMAA David McKnight dissects a topic that causes a lot of confusion for retirees and pre-retirees: How Roth conversions affect social security taxation and Medicare premiums (IRMAA). Some warn against Roth conversions in retirement as they can cause your Social Security to become taxable and could also raise your Medicare premiums. While that’s true, David believes that the long-term benefits of Roth conversions can far outweigh the temporary, short-term pain they can cause. In order to determine whether your Social Security benefits will be taxed, the IRS tracks the so-called provisional income. If you perform a Roth conversion after you begin collecting Social Security, that additional income can push you above certain thresholds that cause your Social Security benefits to become taxable. Medicare premiums are also influenced by your income through IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount), and they look at your income from two years earlier to determine your IRMAA bracket, Remember: A Roth conversion today could trigger higher Medicare premiums two years from now. David also explains that Roth withdrawals are not included in provisional income. Not only do they not cause your Social Security benefits to become taxable, but they also do not count towards the income thresholds that trigger higher Medicare premiums. As David points out, with the approach discussed in this episode, you’re essentially compressing the tax pain into a few years, so you can enjoy decades of tax-free income later on. The national debt continues to spiral out of control to the point where economists are now predicting massive tax increases within the next 10 to 20 years. If such predictions are accurate, the people who will benefit most are those who have already shifted large portions of their retirement savings into tax-free accounts like Roth IRAs. By performing Roth conversions today – while tax rates are historically low – you’re effectively locking in today’s tax rates and protecting yourself from the possibility of much higher rates down the road. When talking about Roth conversions affecting Social Security taxation and IRMAA, we have to remember that those impacts are temporary, while the tax-free benefits can last for the rest of your life. David touches upon two reasons why it may make sense to delay taking Social Security while you’re performing Roth conversions. Increasing the likelihood that your money will last as long as you do should be the #1 goal of every retirement plan. Mentioned in this episode: David’s new book: David’s national bestselling book: by David McKnight (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/41208375

How to Protect Against a Market Crash in the First Ten Years of Retirement 05/06/2026

How I’d Invest $2 Million Right Now 04/29/2026

How I’d Invest $2 Million Right Now David McKnight breaks down the approach he would follow if he were to invest a $2 million 401(k) in retirement. David points out that when you retire, you’re no longer just investing for growth; you’re investing for income. Remember: If you get this wrong, you don’t get a do-over. In the case David discusses, many financial advisors would recommend investing the $2 million in the market and withdrawing whatever your lifestyle requires. The problem with that way of doing things, however, is the exposure to the sequence of returns risk. If the market crashes early in retirement and you’re pulling money out at the same time, your portfolio could go into a death spiral from which it never recovers. The main trap those planning their retirement and retirees should avoid is running out of money before running out of life. David touches upon the role that a guaranteed lifetime income annuity plays in retirement planning. As far as annuities are concerned, he’s in favor of annuities that have what he refers to as “piecemeal internal Roth conversion feature." That means being able to gradually convert that annuity from tax-deferred to tax-free during the annuity’s deferral period. David recommends investing discretionary funds with the following ratio: 70% in a total U.S. stock index, 30% in a total international stock index. He would automatically rebalance if his allocations ever got more than about 5% out of alignment. The reason why David’s approach lacks bonds is simple: if your portfolio goes down in your retirement years, your guaranteed lifetime income gives you the luxury of watching it recover before you take further distributions. Long-term care is a piece of the strategy that most advisors completely ignore – David explains why it shouldn’t be overlooked. Moreover, the cash value inside that policy can also act as a volatility buffer. David brings up a move that can increase the sustainable withdrawal rate on your stock portfolio from 4% to as high as 8% with a 95% confidence rate. “I believe we’re currently experiencing the lowest tax rates we’re likely to see in our lifetime," says David. Many experts believe that by 2035, when the debt-to-GDP ratio will hit about 150%, the Federal Government would have to begin phasing in tax increases over time to avoid an all-out economic crisis. That’s why David would like to convert his IRA to Roth, little by little, over the next 10 years in the most tax-efficient way possible. David provides a bird’s eye view of the entire strategy, which by his own admission, “checks every single box.” An Ernst & Young study looked at this type of strategy combining investments with insurance-based solutions like annuities and life insurance – David discusses its findings. “I’m proposing a strategy that gives you certainty where you need it most, your income and tax-free flexibility everywhere else,” he adds. Such an approach allows you to neutralize longevity risk and tax rate risks all in one cohesive strategy. Mentioned in this episode: David’s new book, available now for pre-order: David’s national bestselling book: by David McKnight (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/40998035

What Is the 22% Roth Conversion Mistake? 04/22/2026

What Is the 22% Roth Conversion Mistake? David McKnight explores the so-called “22% Roth conversion mistake,” which he considers a common and costly mistake when it comes to Roth conversions. He points out that, despite Trump tax cuts being made permanent with the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025, tax rates can change at any time with a simple act of Congress. That’s why he refers to this as a “temporary permanent tax cut.” The $200 trillion underfunding of entitlement programs and the exploding interest on the national debt makes it clear that tax rates are unlikely to stay this low for long. Many Americans currently find themselves in the 22% bracket and refuse to bump into the 24% bracket for Roth conversion purposes – because they’ve been told to stay in their current bracket. However, if you stay in the 22% bracket, you are unlikely to be able to convert a meaningful amount of your IRA to Roth before tax rates go up for good. David shares an example that illustrates why, by trying to save a little bit on taxes today, you actually set yourself up for a massive tax bill down the road. The other scenario – where you allowed yourself to rise into the 24% bracket – buys you the ability to convert a lot more money every single year. Even though most people would be willing to pay 2% more in taxes today if it meant avoiding potentially much higher tax rates in the future, most people don’t consider this option. That’s because they have been conditioned to believe that any move into a higher tax bracket during the Roth conversion period is inherently bad… 10 years from now, you are probably going to look back at the 24% tax bracket as a good deal of historic proportions… Remember: you are not trying to minimize taxes this year, you are trying to minimize taxes over the rest of your life. For David, you shouldn’t let the 22% Roth conversion mistake keep you from fully insulating your hard-earned retirement savings from the impact of future higher taxes. The goal, he reminds everyone, should be to get to the 0% tax bracket in retirement. Mentioned in this episode: David’s new book, available now for pre-order: David’s national bestselling book: by David McKnight (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/40915805

The Three Biggest Retirement Planning Mistakes I See All the Time 04/15/2026

The Three Biggest Retirement Planning Mistakes I See All the Time David McKnight discusses the three biggest retirement planning mistakes that show up over and over again. Avoiding them will dramatically increase the likelihood that your retirement savings will last as long as you do. Mistake #1 pertains to over-accumulating in tax-deferred accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs – a mistake that surprises many people as they feel they’re doing everything right. The problem here is that you’re taking a deduction at historically low tax rates only to postpone the payment of those taxes to a point in the future where tax rates are likely to be much higher than they are today. The moment you hit age 73 or 75, Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) kick in. In other words, the IRS is forcing you to take money out, whether you need it or not. Those RMDs get combined with all your other sources of income: The taxable portion of your social security, your pension(s), and your investment income. David notes that, before long, you can find yourself in a higher tax bracket in retirement than you were during your working years. Remember, RMDs count as provisional income, which can cause up to 85% of your social security to become taxable – plus, it can trigger IRMAA surcharges on your Medicare premiums too. Building a retirement plan that is almost entirely tax-deferred looks good on paper but leaves you entirely exposed to the impact of higher taxes in the future. The second mistake is waiting too long to execute Roth conversions. David touches upon the so-called “retirement income valley,” the ideal window within which to fully execute your Roth conversion. Many people ignore it. They’re hesitant, reluctant to pay a tax to the IRS before it’s absolutely required of them. Failing to take advantage of the “retirement income valley” puts you at risk of having your social security become taxable, while also paying higher Medicare premiums for the rest of your life. When it comes to Roth conversions, David recommends having a “rip the band-aid off” approach. It may hurt a little during the conversion period but once that money is in the Roth bucket, it’s tax-free for the rest of your life. The third big mistake David sees over and over again is underestimating future tax rates and overestimating your control over them. Most retirement plans today are built on the dangerous assumption that tax rates in the future will look a lot like they do today. However, David stresses that looking at the fiscal trajectory of our country paints a different picture. The national debt will grow by $2 trillion per year over the next 10 years, and $3 trillion per year after that. With the rising interest costs and $200 trillion in unfunded obligations for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, there will be a financial day of reckoning where tax rates will be forced higher. David predicts that to be around 2035 – which gives you around 10 years to plan and execute on your plan. People spend their entire lives focusing on building as big a retirement nest egg as possible, but they give almost no thought to the type of accounts within which that nest egg is being built. The lack of consideration for the tax implications upon distributions is a huge oversight, says David. At the end of the day, the only thing that really matters in retirement is how much money you get to spend after taxes. David concludes by highlighting that the best way to regain control over your after-tax income retirement is to pay taxes on it preemptively at historically low tax rates and on your terms (rather than on the IRS’ terms). Mentioned in this episode: David’s new book, available now for pre-order: David’s national bestselling book: by David McKnight (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/40805125

Why Retirees with Guaranteed Income Spend More (and Are Happier!) 04/08/2026

Why Retirees with Guaranteed Income Spend More (and Are Happier!) David McKnight explores a retirement planning phenomenon that almost nobody discusses, but that has been documented repeatedly in academic research. It’s the idea that when retirees convert some of their savings into guaranteed lifetime income through an annuity, they actually spend more money and enjoy retirement more than those who rely on their liquid retirement savings alone. Even though many people assume that doing so would make retirees more conservative with their spending, research actually shows the opposite. According to academic studies, when retirees have reliable lifetime income, they actually feel more comfortable spending money. Moreover, when retirees rely purely on investment accounts for income, they often underspend even when they have more than enough money to support their lifestyle. One of the findings of David Blanchett’s and Michael Finke's License to Spend research has found that retirees treat guaranteed income very differently than they treat investment portfolios. In some cases, those who have money sitting in investment accounts – rather than guaranteed income – spend about 40 to 50% of what financial models say they could safely withdraw from their portfolios. Behavioral economics, and the so-called loss aversion, more specifically, highlight the fact that human beings are wired to fear loss more than they value gain. David notes that guaranteed lifetime income annuities can actually increase the amount retirees spend and enjoy during retirement. David breaks down the concept of the Retirement Consumption Puzzle. People are comfortable spending income but are terrified of spending principle. In other words, if you give someone a monthly payment, they treat it as income and spend it freely. On the other hand, if you give them a large investment account and tell them to withdraw money from it each year, they all of a sudden become cautious and tighten up the purse strings. When it comes to the stock portfolio, David suggests allocating 70% to a total U.S. stock market index and 30% toward a total international stock market index – and rebalance every time that allocation gets more than 5% out of whack. Mentioned in this episode: David’s new book, available now for pre-order: David’s national bestselling book: by David McKnight (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/40748145

The Best Tax-Free Account for Retirement 04/01/2026

The Best Tax-Free Account for Retirement David McKnight touches upon what he considers the most overlooked tax-free income stream. What he’s referring to is to leave enough money in your traditional IRA so that your required minimum distributions can be completely offset by your standard deduction in retirement. David believes that focusing on tax-free retirement strategies is more crucial than ever, since it’s becoming increasingly clear that taxes are likely to rise dramatically in the future. The United States is $39 trillion in debt and, as interest on that debt continues to grow and compound, the Government will eventually have to find ways to service it. Historically, when Governments face massive debt burdens, they typically do a combination of two things: cut spending or raise taxes. David lists what he considers the best tools for tax-free income in retirement – and why you can justify their inclusion in your balanced, comprehensive tax-free retirement plan. The first resource is Roth IRAs, which allow your money to grow tax-free and be distributed tax-free in retirement. Plus, they provide tremendous liquidity too. Then there are Roth 401(k)s. They have many of the same tax-free benefits as Roth IRAs, but also have an additional advantage. Many employers provide matching Roth 401(k)s contributions in their retirement plans. Hence, you can receive free money from your employer while still building tax-free retirement income. When it comes to Roth conversions, they’re beneficial in that they allow you to convert money from tax-deferred accounts like traditional IRAs or 401(k)s into Roth accounts. Additionally, Roth conversions don’t have limits on how much money you can convert each year – as long as you’re willing to pay the taxes today, you can shift large amounts of money into the tax-free bucket. When designed correctly, cash value life insurance policies allow money to grow tax-deferred and to be accessed tax-free through policy loans. Moreover, they also provide a death benefit that you can receive in advance of your death for the purpose of paying for long-term care. In case you need a volatility buffer, you can use cash value life insurance to draw money from the policy after a down year on the market instead of selling stocks at depressed prices. Leaving enough money in your traditional IRA so that your required minimum distributions can be completely offset by your standard deduction in retirement is the most overlooked tax-free income stream – David illustrates “the Holy Grail of financial planning”. HSAs, health saving accounts, are the only other financial tool that allows contributions to be tax-deductible, the growth is tax-deferred, and withdrawals can be tax-free if used for qualified medical purposes. However, HSAs come with certain restrictions on how the money must be spent… David notes that, in a perfect retirement plan, you may have as many as six different streams of tax-free income. The idea behind it is to take advantage of every nook and cranny in the IRS tax code instead of relying on just one tax-free account. Mentioned in this episode: David’s new book, available now for pre-order: David’s national bestselling book: by David McKnight (free video series) on Twitter on Instagram on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at /episode/index/show/powerofzeroaudio/id/40684425

The Power Of Zero Show

TOPICS