Never Buy an Annuity! No Stepped Up Basis. 100% Ordinary Income Tax.

by Ethan S. Braid, CFA | Feb 16, 2025 | Blog, Estate Planning, Tax Planning for Retirement

There are many reasons you should never buy an annuity; high fees, limited investment options, and surrender charges to name a few. But the number one reason to never buy annuities with after-tax funds is the tax structure. When you purchase standard investments like...

I am 60 with $2 Million Dollars. What Does my Retirement Income Look Like?

by Ethan S. Braid, CFA | Feb 12, 2025 | Blog, Retirement Planning

Over the last 25 years one of the most common questions I have received from clients is, “how much can I spend and not run out of money?” In my experience, many investors don’t know what a sustainable spending strategy looks like. Today’s article will be focused on...

Is $2 Million Enough to Retire?

by Ethan S. Braid, CFA | Jan 12, 2025 | Blog, Retirement Planning

Today I’m going to show you a simple way to quickly determine if $2 million is enough for your retirement. I’ve been a financial advisor for over 25 years and I have built hundreds of retirement plans. What I am about to show you is based upon that...

How Long Does $1 Million Last in Retirement?

by Ethan S. Braid, CFA | Jun 5, 2024 | Blog, Retirement Planning

The number of years a $1 million dollar portfolio will last a person in retirement will depend on the following four factors: Asset Allocation Spending Rate Percentage Investment Selection & Performance Behavior ASSET ALLOCATION Asset allocation is a critical...

5% Retirement Spending is Too Much!

by Ethan S. Braid, CFA | May 30, 2024 | Blog, Retirement Planning

HOW MUCH CAN I SPEND IN RETIREMENT? This question is one of the most common questions people ask me when working on their retirement plan. I have often had people tell me that they were planning to spend 5% of their portfolio during retirement. For some reason, many...