Category: money
Retirement Income Blind Spots (Ep. 39)

Retirement Income Blind Spots (Ep. 39)

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Having a $2–3 million portfolio doesn’t guarantee a comfortable retirement. The real question is whether that lump sum can become reliable monthly income that lasts as long as you do.

In the fourth installment of the Blind Spot Series, Mike and Terry Wheeler look at the gap between what retirees have and what they’ll actually need. Terry explains why the strategies that built your nest egg can quietly drain it in retirement, and how to build a portfolio designed for cash flow, inflation, and longevity.

In this episode:

  • Securing a base level of income you can’t outlive, through Social Security, pensions, and private pensions
  • Why $15,000 a month today could mean $30,000 a month 15 years from now
  • Planning for the “go-go” and “slow-go” years of retirement
  • Why the classic 60/40 portfolio can put your income at risk
  • How defined outcome investing adds defense to your portfolio
  • Laddered bonds versus bond funds when interest rates rise
  • How proactive tax planning can close an income gap without adding risk
  • Longevity analysis and why your personal life expectancy should shape your Social Security, pension, and insurance decisions
  • The difference between a salesperson and a true financial advocate

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Estate Planning Blind Spots (Ep. 38)

Estate Planning Blind Spots (Ep. 38)

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Think having a revocable living trust means your estate plan is complete? For most families, standard “fill-in-the-blank” legal documents leave massive blind spots that can accidentally disinherit children, trigger unnecessary taxes, or leave wealth exposed to lawsuits and divorce.

In this episode of Laugh When the Market Crashes, Terry Wheeler breaks down family-centered estate planning and why true legacy protection goes far beyond simply avoiding California probate. Discover how proactive legal and financial coordination keeps your wealth protected across generations.

🔗 Schedule a consultation & explore our retirement resources:

👉 https://www.weriaadvisors.com

What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

  • The “Check-the-Box” Trap: Why most basic revocable living trusts leave major gaps.

  • Remarriage & Bloodline Protection: How surviving spouses unintentionally disinherit biological children and grandchildren.

  • Invisible Divorce & Creditor Protection: Shielding your heirs’ inheritances from lawsuits, creditors, and ex-spouses.

  • “Yellow School Bus” Liability: Safeguarding surviving spouses from catastrophic liability and freak accidents.

  • Family-Centered Inheritance Planning: Using family banks and milestone-based distributions so wealth empowers the next generation rather than being spent in under three years.

  • The 3-Step Estate Planning System: How regular updates and counseling-oriented guidance drastically reduce administration costs down the road.

Key Moments & Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction: What is More Important Than Legacy?

01:00 – Portfolio Defense & Tax-Efficient Estate Integration

02:58 – Why Avoiding Probate in California is Only Step One

06:17 – The Real Risks of “Fill-in-the-Blank” Living Trusts

07:23 – Remarriage & Bloodline Protection

10:43 – Guardianship Planning: Passing on Values, Not Just Money

12:28 – Divorce & Creditor Protection for Inheritances

13:30 – The “Yellow School Bus” Asset Protection Scenario

16:03 – Protecting Adult Heirs From Themselves: Family Banks & Gifting

17:42 – The 3-Step Ongoing Estate Planning Framework

19:56 – Real Case Study: Fixing a Blended Family’s Seven-Figure Estate Plan

23:42 – How to Connect with Terry Wheeler

Connect & Learn More:

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#EstatePlanning #LivingTrust #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement #AssetProtection #Inheritance #FinancialPlanning
Taxes & Tax Blind Spots (Ep. 37)

Taxes & Tax Blind Spots (Ep. 37)

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Laugh When the Market Crashes | The Retirement Tax Blind Spot with Terry Wheeler & Mike Saunders

It’s not just about what you make it’s about what you keep. In this episode of Laugh When the Market Crashes, host Terry Wheeler joins Mike Saunders to break down the massive tax blind spots that catch high-earning professionals and retirees off guard.

Discover why traditional tax preparation (reactively filling in forms during tax season) fails retirees, why a basic Roth conversion is only scratching the surface of tax strategy, and how a proactive, multi-generational tax plan can potentially save six to seven figures over your lifetime.

In This Episode, We Cover:

  • Reactive Filing vs. Proactive Planning: Why your CPA is too busy during tax season to build long-term wealth strategies—and why planning belongs in the fall.

  • The “Two Sets of Tax Codes”: How knowing advanced tax strategies transforms a financial planner from a portfolio expense into a high-return profit center.

  • Beyond the Standard Roth Conversion: Advanced methods, including discounted Roth conversion strategies and tax stacking to aggressively lower or eliminate conversion taxes.

  • Multi-Generational & Large IRA Strategies: Navigating Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), the 10-year inherited IRA rule, and using charitable tax approaches to protect family wealth across generations.

  • The High-Income Payout Trap: Strategic moves (such as residency planning and structured deferrals) to legally mitigate massive state and federal tax bills on large lump sums.

Keep More of What You’ve Built Taxes are often the single largest fee you will pay in retirement. Don’t let Uncle Sam be an equal partner in your nest egg. Learn how our fully integrated financial and tax planning approach helps you retain wealth and step into retirement with confidence.

👉 Connect with our team: https://www.weareiadvisors.com

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#TaxPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement #RothConversion #InheritedIRA #FinancialAdvisor #LaughWhenTheMarketCrashes #ProactiveTaxPlanning #TaxStrategy
Investment & Retirement Blind Spots (Ep. 36)

Investment & Retirement Blind Spots (Ep. 36)

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Laugh When the Market Crashes | Uncovering Hidden Retirement Blind Spots with Terry Wheeler & Mike Saunders

Is your retirement portfolio truly prepared for a major market crash? In this episode of Laugh When the Market Crashes, Terry Wheeler sits down with Mike Saunders to unpack the critical difference between getting to retirement and getting through retirement.

Discover why traditional strategies like the standard 60/40 portfolio and relying solely on diversification might leave your savings vulnerable—and how a defined outcome investing approach can protect your downside so that “zero is your hero” when market downturns strike.

Key Takeaways From This Episode:

  • Getting To vs. Through Retirement: Why the portfolio strategy that grew your wealth shouldn’t be the same one you use for withdrawals.

  • The Danger of the 60/40 Portfolio: How withdrawal rates in a declining market can rapidly deplete long-term savings.

  • Defined Outcome Investing: Using private pensions, volatility buffers, target positions, and capped/buffered strategies to systematically buy the dip.

  • Fixing Hidden Tax Leaks: Why proper asset location between IRAs and non-qualified accounts matters just as much as returns.

Ready to identify the blind spots in your retirement plan?

Schedule a portfolio review and learn how our integrated planning approach can help bring true peace of mind to your financial future:

👉 Visit us at: https://www.weareiadvisors.com

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#RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement #MarketVolatility #FinancialAdvisor #DefinedOutcomeInvesting #LaughWhenTheMarketCrashes #PortfolioDefense #InvestingStrategy