How to Retire on Time

A Retirement Plan That Ran Out of Money Doing Everything "Right"

Michael Decker, NSSA® runs the same million-dollar IRA forward in two different ways, one converting aggressively to a Roth and one does not. Only one of them still has m

How to Plan for a Big Expense in Retirement

How do you fit the large bills in your retirement plan? New roof? New car?  Michael Decker, NSSA® answers a viewer question on planning around a big one-time expense and

What's Changing with Medicare This Year

Don’t let yourself auto-renew your current plan.  Big changes could cause you to want to shop this season before you commit. Michael Decker, NSSA® covers what's changing

Can Anyone Time the AI Bubble?

Is there an AI bubble and if so, can you time your exit?  Michael Decker, NSSA® answers a viewer's question on whether he believes AI stocks are a bubble, and why he says

Why Tax Planning Starts with Where to Put Your Savings

Where your money goes and when you want to pull it out shapes the planning on where you should place it in the first place. The 401(k) is only one place to save for retir

Which is better, lifetime income from an annuity or a bond?

There is no such thing as a perfect investment, product, or strategy, which is why the comparison between a 30-year treasury vs an indexed annuity is so interesting.  Mic

Why the Surviving Spouse Carries More Risk

Michael Decker, NSSA® walks through the tax risk, longevity risk, healthcare risk, and other risks unique to the spouse who lives longer, and what many people miss when p

What If It Takes Year To Recover From a Market Crash

Michael Decker, NSSA® takes on a market-crash reserves question and a Roth conversion sizing question back-to-back, and why the right answer to each one depends entirely

How Retirees Plan for Healthcare Before Medicare Kicks In

Michael Decker, NSSA® answers a viewer question on retiring before 65, and how the options for covering healthcare before Medicare actually compare. The following is fro

Why Complicated Doesn’t Mean Better

Michael Decker, NSSA® breaks down complicated investments like non-traded REITs, private credit, structured notes, and gold and crypto pitches, and the risk that gets lef

How to Retire on Time, 9/1/26

Michael Decker, NSSA® walks through annuities, options trading, and "be your own bank" life insurance, what that word "guaranteed" does and doesn't actually promise, and

What Happens to Your IRA After You're Gone

Two viewers ask about protecting their money after death, one from Medicaid and one from the IRS. The answers are more restrictive than either expected. The following is

When Roth Conversions Might Not Be the Right Move

A high income earner asks about all the Roth conversion hype, and Michael Decker, NSSA® explains why her situation is when that advice falls apart. The following is from

When Your Advisor Fees Are More Than Your Tax Bill

Michael Decker, NSSA® runs the numbers on a million-dollar retirement account and shows how the advisor fee is twice as expensive as what the government actually charged.

Tax Brackets Matter Less Than People Realize

There’s more to tax planning than looking at your income tax brackets Discover the different ways to take income and how to get the most out of your money while navigatin

When Roth Conversion Don’t Apply in Retirement

Many advisors talk about converting to a Roth before taxes go up. Michael Decker, NSSA® says most retirees with a million dollars or less should be doing something else e

The Tax Bill Landlords Don't See Until They Sell

Selling a rental property can trigger a bigger tax bill than most landlords expect, and Mike Decker walks through two lesser known ways to exit instead. The following is

Why Income Order Matters More Than the Amount

One line on your tax return could be quietly costing you thousands a year, and Mike Decker ties it straight into the biggest Social Security filing mistake he sees. The

Two Risks Retirement Calculators Don't Warn You About

A question about retiring in your fifties and a question about hyperinflation turn out to have the exact same answer. The following is from Mike’s weekly webinar. Ready

Why "I'm Comfortable With Risk" Is the Wrong Answer

Every retiree says the same four words about risk tolerance, and Mike Decker says all four of them miss the point. The following is from Mike’s weekly webinar. Ready to