American College of Financial Services (Horizons Conference): Part 4

Social Security headlines push a lot of smart people into costly snap decisions, and the most common one is racing to claim at 62 out of fear. We sit down at the American College Horizons Conference with Dr. Jason Fichtner, former deputy commissioner at the Social Security Administration and a leading voice on retirement security, to separate rumors from reality. Social Security is not “going bankrupt,” but the trust fund timeline matters and it changes how we should think about claiming, spousal protection, and building a paycheck that can last.From there, we get practical about retirement income planning. If fewer workers have pensions, the burden shifts to your 401(k) and IRA to produce reliable income while also managing market volatility and sequence of returns risk. We talk about why “income is the outcome,” how annuities can be used as a bridge to delay Social Security, and why this is rarely an all-or-nothing choice. The point is to match the tool to the need: essential expenses, flexibility, and peace of mind.Then Dr. Michael Finke challenges the idea that retirement success is only financial, breaking satisfaction into three pillars: money, relationships, and health. Finally, Dr. David Blanchett weighs in on the 4% rule, longevity risk, and a simple baseline approach: cover essentials with lifetime income, then decide how much liquidity and risk you truly need using a “liquidity waterfall” mindset.If you want clearer Social Security strategy, smarter retirement spending, and a more durable retirement plan, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave us a review. What part of your retirement plan needs the biggest upgrade right now?Send us Fan MailTo learn more about Brad Pistole and the Ozark Retirement Group, please visit www.ozarksretirement.com