Retirement DNA

Duane and Aaron Johnson are co-founders of Bridger Financial Services.

Episode 39: The Debt Ceiling and What It Means for Americans 10/13/2023

Episode 39: The Debt Ceiling and What It Means for Americans 1. There are 3 potential ways to balance the US Budget and start to pay off debt. 2. 2. Soon the U.S. will be spending more on interest on our than we will spend on any other program. 3. 3. The math doesn’t work out to only raise taxes on the wealthy. 4. 4. Taxes will increase for everyone. 5. 5. Tax-Free accounts will become more important in the future. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/28309559

Episode 38: How to Stop Stressing Over Money and Start Enjoying Retirement 09/29/2023

Episode 38: How to Stop Stressing Over Money and Start Enjoying Retirement Take intermittent steps into retirement. Go part-time, then retire. Work with a financial planner that will look holistically at your income and assets. If you don’t have a pension, be sure you have a strategy for taking Social Security. That may include taking it early or waiting until after FRA. Have your adviser run different scenarios so you can see the difference with taxes, income and how your assets are used. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/28150718

Episode 37: Why You Should Separate Income and Growth 05/26/2023

Episode 37: Why You Should Separate Income and Growth The traditional way of investing doesn’t work. Research proves it It only works in up markets. Your income bucket should last 12+ years. It’s important to keep your income bucket away from your growth bucket. You can’t have your safe bucket going negative due to the market. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/26927781

Episode 36: How to Increase Your Confidence through Retirement 05/05/2023

Episode 36: How to Increase Your Confidence through Retirement Only about 25% of Americans have been able to reach this goal. A traditional balanced portfolio no longer works according to JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs studies. Add in some guaranteed products, like annuities. Even the big Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs, Fidelity, and Morgan Stanley are starting to see the value in them. Make sure you are talking to an adviser who specializes in retirement income planning and has the freedom to pick and choose products that are right fit for you. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/26743854

Episode 35: How to Retire and Aim for The Same Standard of Living 03/31/2023

Episode 35: How to Retire and Aim for The Same Standard of Living 1. Only about 25% of Americans are able to reach this goal. 2. A traditional balanced portfolio no longer works according to JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs studies. 3. If you add in guarantees to your portfolio, you can still take the 4% or more and have your money last your retirement. 4. The adviser you speak with matters. Some big firms limit what their advisors can do because they don’t make money off certain products. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/26377026

Episode 34: The Secure Act 2.0 01/18/2023

Episode 34: The Secure Act 2.0 Required Minimum Distribution changes to age 73 and will move to age 75 in 2033. The Required Minimum Distribution penalty of 50% decreased to 25% and possibly down to 10%. Catch-Up contributions have increased and will increase even further for those 60-63 in 2024. 529’s that have remaining balances can now be rolled to a Roth IRA for the beneficiary. There is still clarification on some things coming down the pike. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/25633314

Episode 33: Three Opportunities In Today’s Market 12/30/2022

Episode 33: Three Opportunities In Today’s Market Remember the 3 – legged stool? The pension leg has gone away. Maybe you can create your own now. Safe money on the sidelines has been earning nothing. Now might be a good time for the next few years for a CD Alternative or a short-term, high quality fixed income portfolio. Are you taking advantage of tax harvesting? If not, you should be. Has your advisor talked to you about your non-IRA account? Roth IRA Conversions. We talk about this a lot I know. But the market is down, when it comes back all those gains could be tax free. This year it’s too late, but the market will still be down early 2023. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/25450671

Episode 32: How To Win When The Market Is Down 11/15/2022

Episode 32: How To Win When The Market Is Down If things look bad, don’t freeze with indecision, come talk with us Don’t be afraid to make a change, even it if means paying taxes Sometimes you have to make a change to rescue your retirement Make sure you have a way to limit losses Base your retirement on math and not the markets /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/25003035

Episode 31: The Power of Zero 10/07/2022

Episode 31: The Power of Zero Knowing the average return of a portfolio doesn’t tell the whole story. You don’t have to have great returns to end up in a really good place. Bonds are the go-to safe haven for the stock market, but where do you go when bonds are down more than some stocks? How are you hedging your portfolio? How are you combining good return potential and risk hedging? /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/24568638

Episode 30: Reasons to Start Social Security Early Takeaways 09/09/2022

Episode 30: Reasons to Start Social Security Early Takeaways Everyone’s situation is different. What’s right for you may not be right for someone else. Be sure to run the numbers. Know when your breakeven age is. Your reason might be a good one to start early, but does it make the most financial sense? /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/24347571

Episode 29: Diversify Tax Efficiently and Cash Alternatives 08/05/2022

Episode 29: Diversify Tax Efficiently and Cash Alternatives Set a capital gains tax budget Work with someone that will tax loss harvest Don’t be afraid to sell the losers If you have cash on the sideline waiting for rates to go up, we have other options for you! /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/23968995

Episode 28: 3 Biggest Retirement Fears 07/21/2022

Episode 28: 3 Biggest Retirement Fears Three biggest fears: Out living their money, Health Care and rising taxes. Don’t be so paralyzed with fear that you keep working when you don’t have to and don’t want to. Work with an advisor that is going to address the whole retirement picture and shows you HOW you can retire. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/23805347

Episode 27: What Are Retirement Risks? 06/10/2022

Episode 27: What Are Retirement Risks? Your retirement plan must address, longevity, healthcare, inflation, taxes and investments. The conventional “Balanced Portfolio” is not going to work. Just one market drop of 20% or more in the first 10 years can have drastic consequences. Make sure you work with an advisor that SHOWS you how you are going to be ok in retirement. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/23379254

Episode 26: Why You May Need to Update Your Plan 05/13/2022

Episode 26: Why You May Need to Update Your Plan If your advisor doesn’t show you How you are good and set for retirement, then you probably aren’t. If your advisor just talks about how you have a 60/40 portfolio and says you’re good and set for retirement, you probably aren’t. What happens if markets don’t cooperate during retirement? Is there a plan for that? Don’t base your retirement income on the market, base it on math. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/23064317

Episode 25: Is Retirement Tax-Free? 04/14/2022

Episode 25: Is Retirement Tax-Free? Truth is, you may be in a higher tax bracket than when you were working. If you are still working, maybe you shouldn’t be following “conventional wisdom”. There are strategies that can be started now to save on taxes in retirement. Tax Planning needs to be a major part of your Retirement Plan. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/22780859

Episode 24: The Three Levels of Advisors and How They Are Different 03/21/2022

Episode 24: The Three Levels of Advisors and How They Are Different Which level of advisor are you currently using? What areas of planning does your advisor cover? Is your advisor addressing your planning needs? A good retirement plan covers more than just investments. It included taxes, health care, risk management and estate planning. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/22491776

Episode 23: Why You Should Pay Tax Now, Instead of Later 01/14/2022

Episode 23: Why You Should Pay Tax Now, Instead of Later Pay a lot of tax initially is an off-putting idea, especially when reducing taxes is your goal. But when you look at the long road ahead, paying your Roth conversion tax upfront can have a lot of benefits. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/21766253

Episode 22: Pay Less Tax 11/17/2021

Episode 22: Pay Less Tax Has anyone shown you what your future with taxes will look like? Tax planning is an essential aspect of retirement planning that can bite hard if not cared for. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/21357326

Episode 21: Don’t Ignore Life Insurance 10/22/2021

Episode 21: Don’t Ignore Life Insurance There's a lot of opinions on whether someone needs life insurance. While there can be hesitancy on the topic, when life insurance is designed correctly it can be a valuable tool in retirement. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/20892005

Episode 20: Achieving Financial Success 09/27/2021

Episode 20: Achieving Financial Success Being financially secure encompasses planning for all of your potential financial situations. Preparing for all tax, health and life situations is key securing your financial life. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/20588258

Episode 19: How Will Taxes Impact Your Investments 08/24/2021

Episode 19: How Will Taxes Impact Your Investments Being a smart investor is important to creating your wealth in preparation for retirement. However, not enough people discuss the huge impact that taxes have on your earnings upon entering retirement and withdrawing your hard-earned investments. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/20229263

Episode 18: When Should I Take Social Security 07/29/2021

Episode 18: When Should I Take Social Security Social security is a major part of your retirement income, even if you already have plenty of assets. Determining when to start collecting social security is an important financial decision that requires careful consideration of many factors. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/19960010

Episode 17: Two Retirements, Two Outcomes 07/09/2021

Episode 17: Two Retirements, Two Outcomes Aaron shares two real-life stories about retirement planning at the beginning of 2008. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/19745327

Episode 16: Should I Pay off My Mortgage 06/18/2021

Episode 16: Should I Pay off My Mortgage Paying off your home mortgage before you decide to retire is a huge achievement, but you don’t necessarily have to pay your home off to retire comfortably. Some people enjoy the peace of mind that comes with a debt-free retirement. However, you should always weigh good feelings against the financial facts. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/19511507

Episode 15: Mutual Funds and ETF’s 05/06/2021

Episode 15: Mutual Funds and ETF’s Have you ever been curious about the similarities and differences between Mutual Funds and Exchanged Traded Funds (ETF)? The truth is that both have a lot in common. There are several key differences, however, that could make one a better option for you than the other. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/18987404

Episode 14: How Much Money Do I Need To Retire? 04/16/2021

Episode 14: How Much Money Do I Need To Retire? Have you ever asked yourself "How much money do I need to retire?" That is a loaded question. But it's important to have some idea of where you want to go so you can plan for it. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/18724253

Episode 13: The Spousal Tax Trap 03/26/2021

Episode 13: The Spousal Tax Trap When you lose a spouse, your tax picture drastically changes, and not for the better. While this can be an uncomfortable topic, it is important to address this. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/18466853

Episode 12: RMD's in 2021 03/08/2021

Episode 12: RMD's in 2021 2020 was an eventful year and we experienced a lot of changes. One of those changes was the waiver of required minimum distributions (RMDs) in 2020. However, we are now in 2021 and RMDs are back. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/18203237

Episode 11: Asset Location and the Role it Plays in Portfolio Success 02/22/2021

Episode 11: Asset Location and the Role it Plays in Portfolio Success When talking about investment portfolios and plans, people tend to only focus on asset allocation. However, people don’t realize that the importance of asset LOCATION is just as important. Aaron discusses how you can plan, to not only make sure your investments are allocated properly. But to be sure they are in the right locations as well. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/18011495

Episode 10: Will the Election Affect My Financial Plan? 12/11/2020

Episode 10: Will the Election Affect My Financial Plan? Aaron and Duane discuss ways to make sure the election won't affect your retirement. /episode/index/show/retirementdna/id/17155334

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