Choosing the right time to draw Social Security can feel overwhelming. It’s tempting to draw as soon as possible, yet also nerve-racking to permanently reduce your benefits if you file early. What if you wait to draw at a later age?
Deciding when to file for Social Security is a personal decision. It’s always best to start with your goals and other retirement income sources, then build a cohesive plan.
The “Rule of 55” is a useful tool for early retirement. However, retiring early is a relatively new concept, so the mechanics of withdrawing funds from retirement accounts can be a little complex. If you know the rules and exceptions, you can easily patch together a penalty-free withdrawal strategy to fund your retirement.
We want to preface by saying the starting point isn’t access to your retirement accounts; it’s what you want retirement to look like. This is why going through a comprehensive review like our COLLAB™ Financial Planning Process is a must. You want to uncover your deeper “why” and design your ideal retirement lifestyle before ironing out the nuanced details.
Many employer 401 (k) plans offer an option to purchase an annuity. But should you? This isn’t a decision to be made lightly.
Annuities can be overly complex and expensive products. An annuity can be a useful tool in certain situations, but there’s more to the situation than many people realize. You really need to think through your long-term retirement income and tax situation.
Annuities and required minimum distributions (RMDs) are some of the most confusing and buzzworthy topics in retirement. But do you need to worry about either one? Maybe, maybe not.
Annuities often create confusion because of their complexity and the high-pressure sales tactics used to get you to buy them. RMDs are annoying because nobody wants to be forced to do anything in retirement, let alone pay taxes on top of it. It’s important to understand what type of annuity you’re talking about, whether RMDs are going to be an issue for you, and what alternatives you might have.
Annuities are often sold as "tax-advantaged," but what do taxes actually look like when you’re in retirement? It’s important to understand the "wait now, pay later" nature of tax-deferred growth and annuity taxation. Retirement isn’t the time to get caught off guard by tax surprises.
The name of the game is keeping more of your retirement check and not overpaying Uncle Sam. The first step in maximizing your tax strategy is understanding what you have and how your investments are taxed. This is an essential part of a comprehensive financial plan to make the most of your retirement savings.
Is an annuity you purchased 5, 10, or 15 years ago worth keeping? Many retirees enter retirement with more savings than they need. If you’re not sure you need your old annuity or whole life policy, you’re not alone.
It’s important to evaluate whether your old annuity contract still serves a purpose in your portfolio or if it's dragging down your retirement plan. We want to move beyond the "annuities are good or bad" debate and discover what’s best for your specific situation.
Looking for financial advice can be confusing and overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. The financial industry uses ambiguous and overlapping terms, but what do they really mean?
If you’re like most people, you just need an honest answer to tough financial questions. Yet, when you start looking for help, you’re met with a variety of terms like adviser, advicer, manager, and planner – all with the words financial, wealth, fiduciary, and investment added to spice things up.
This post was last updated on March 31, 2026, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.
Before 2026 ends, retirees need to make sure they’ve covered all their bases for taxes, charitable giving, RMDs, and more. With recent changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, there’s even more to consider for your retirement checklist. Whether you’re thinking about retirement, currently transitioning into retirement, or are already fully retired, there are many items on the to-do list.
This post was last updated on March 31, 2026, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.
Social Security changes from the 'One, Big, Beautiful Bill' could have the longest-lasting impacts on your retirement. Healthcare and tax reforms have dominated headlines, but they also have numerous secondary effects.
The One Big Beautiful Bill affects retirees in many ways. But how will it change Medicare? Although it’s too early to tell, there will be some immediate changes and several potential long-term impacts you need to be aware of.
We provided a broader overview in our article, "How the One Big Beautiful Bill Affects Retirees." Now we’re going to discuss how this new law impacts Medicare and what you can do to prepare.
There’s a ton of noise out there regarding the One Big Beautiful Bill. But how does it affect retirees? For many retirees, there won’t be any major game changers, but there are some key changes you need to know.
Fortunately, there are no significant changes to tax bracket structures. However, there were several changes to standard and itemized deductions, as well as increased gift and estate tax exemptions. We also get some new deductions, lose others, and see many modified credits, deductions, and phase-outs.
If you’re nearing retirement, you might have life insurance or an annuity you no longer need. If so, you should be aware of what’s called a 1035 exchange.
A 1035 exchange can help you if you’re unsure about what to do with an old life insurance policy or an annuity.
Annuities can be incredibly confusing, but they don’t have to be. Once you understand the most common annuity acronyms, it’s a lot less scary. Each annuity contract will be unique to your needs, the insurance company, and the optional riders available.
When buying an annuity, it’s best to zoom out and look at your entire financial picture first, and then decide if an annuity is right for you. We don’t want you to get excited about one particular type of annuity first, and then figure out how to make it fit your goals. Your life and retirement goals should drive all your retirement decisions.
If we're not careful, we can easily fall victim to pushy sales tactics to buy expensive annuities. Annuities and other life insurance products are often sold using your fears against you. There is a tendency for annuities to be oversold because of the handsome commissions paid to sell them.
To be clear, there are times when an annuity might make sense, but many retirees have other guaranteed income sources like Social Security. There are various annuities (fixed, single premium, deferred, etc.), so it can get confusing.
Most retirees don’t really understand how their Social Security benefits are calculated. The more we learn, the more surprised we are. Social Security has evolved over the years to become a major piece of the retirement puzzle for most Americans.
In short, those who understand Social Security can get the most out of the benefits they earned. On the other hand, if you start drawing Social Security without fully understanding the impact on your situation, it could cost you big time.
This post was last updated on March 31, 2026, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.
Receiving an inherited IRA is a significant and emotional event. Sadly, inheriting a retirement account means someone close to you has passed away. The last thing anyone wants to think about is having to avoid tax penalties on the account they inherited, but it’s a real concern.
Supplying the greater Kansas City area with the city’s energy needs is no easy feat. However, Evergy employees must take time off their demanding jobs and invest in their retirement planning.
Smart Evergy employees know how to maximize their benefits to make the most of their working years while building the retirement lifestyle of their dreams. Let's see how to make your retirement dreams a reality.
Choosing between a lump sum or annuity payout is one of the largest decisions an Evergy retiree will make. Evergy has many pension payout options, but which one is best for you? A lump sum payout is an option for all the different pension programs under the Evergy umbrella.
It’s important to know exactly what options you have and what you can or can’t control regarding a lump sum payout. Doing your research and really thinking through your options is absolutely necessary.
Pension plans are incredibly valuable retirement assets, but they can also be incredibly confusing. Cash balance plans are a fairly popular option for many modern-day pensions. We’d like to share the basics of what cash balance plans are and how to get the most out of them.
If your employer offers a cash balance plan, it’s important to know how these plans work so you can maximize your pension payout. We’ll discuss what a cash balance pension plan is and how it compares to other pension plans you may have heard about. We’ll also discuss how to integrate a pension with your other retirement assets and benefits.
Retirement isn’t an individual sport. It takes many key players and essential tools to make the most of your golden years. As the saying goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
As we watch our beloved Kansas City Chiefs continue another great season, it’s important to understand what it really takes to make a great team. The Chiefs took a long-term approach to success when they signed a $503 Million, 10-year contract with Patrick Mahomes. They understood the value of keeping key teammates in place long-term.
