034: Secure your Retirement by Planning like a Pro with Ed Slott

Few documents are as complicated and can have as much of an impact on your financial well-being than the US tax code. Many financial advisors don't know the rules as well as they think they do, and this can lead to costly mistakes for their clients. This is why Ed Slott is on a mission to help you keep more of your hard earned money. He's a nationally recognized speaker, the host of The Safe and Secure Retirement on public television, and the founder of Ed Slott's Elite IRA Advisor Group - an educational program that helps advisors learn the nuances of retirement tax rules. Today, Ed joins the podcast to share the horror stories that made him passionate about tax planning and to tell you how to take advantage of the golden era of low taxes we're currently living in. We also get into how to avoid the unfixable mistakes so many retirees make that lead to big tax headaches - and even bigger financial losses. In this podcast interview, you'll learn: Why taxes are a much greater risk than the stock market when it comes to losing money - and the reason it's so important to get professional help from a financial advisor who truly understands them. The big reason you shouldn't do a Roth conversion on your own - and why it may be more advantageous to do a series of conversions in lower tax brackets. Key takeaways from the SECURE Act which just passed the House, how the elimination of the Stretch IRA may impact retirees, and why many IRA trusts will no longer work if it passes. How to avoid penalties for failing to take distributions - and ways to defer and offset RMDs. If you enjoyed this podcast, click here for your own Roth Conversion Guide , and you can click here to get more information about our upcoming event together on October 22. Interview Resources IRAHelp.com Ed Slott's Elite IRA Advisor Group Retire Safe & Secure (video)