American College of Financial Services (Horizons Conference): Part 3

When the market moves, your account balance may swing, but the factor that can quietly rewrite your retirement is taxes. We’re back at the American College of Financial Services Horizons conference with three interviews that zoom in on the decisions that determine how much of your IRA you actually get to keep and how much ends up going to the IRS.First, we sit down with Ed Slott, America’s IRA expert, to unpack why Roth conversions have become so complex and so important. We talk about the SECURE Act as a true game changer, the end of the old stretch IRA for most non-spouse heirs, and how the 10-year inherited IRA rule can create a giant taxable “cliff” for your kids. Ed frames it clearly: Uncle Sam is a special kind of joint owner, and timing your tax payments when rates are low can be a powerful way to reduce future RMD pressure and build more tax-free income.Next, Jeffrey Levine breaks down the difference between tax preparation and tax planning, and why modern financial advice keeps moving toward proactive, forward-looking strategy. We dig into continuing education, the value behind the TPCP designation, and the real goal: the lowest lifetime tax bill. That includes the hidden costs tied to income like IRMAA Medicare premiums, phaseouts, and other triggers that can make your effective rate higher than your bracket suggests.We close with John Manganaro of The Daily Upside on the human side of retirement planning: caregiving, long-term care planning, widowhood, and why empathy and pacing matter when families are under stress. If this helped you think differently, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find smarter retirement planning.Send us Fan MailTo learn more about Brad Pistole and the Ozark Retirement Group, please visit www.ozarksretirement.com