In this episode of The Asset Preservation Hour, financial advisor Stewart Willis and Spike Spengel are joined by Scott Preble, an advisor from the Arizona offices, to talk about the tax bill that could be hiding inside the retirement savings you worked so hard to build. The conversation starts with the headline that Social Security benefits could be cut by 22%, and Stewart explains why that number is widely misunderstood and why rushing to file early out of fear could be the wrong move.

You'll also hear why Social Security is often the most overlooked part of a retirement plan, even though it can represent between one and two and a half million dollars over a married couple's lifetime. Stewart and Scott explain why they believe taxes are likely headed higher for people who saved in IRAs and 401ks, and why Social Security may not stay as tax friendly as many people assume.

Then, a real question from one of our events: a couple in their sixties who share a home and a life but are not legally married. Stewart and Scott break down what that means for survivor benefits, spousal continuance on an IRA, the 10 year rule for non spouse beneficiaries, and the shorter five year clock that can hit your kids when an inherited IRA gets passed along again. Stewart shares a story about a longtime client who is nearly 90 and just now rethinking Roth conversions, and he explains why the "you're too old for a Roth conversion" advice is nonsense, and why some advisors may steer you away from it.

If you want to avoid leaving your family with a tax bill instead of a legacy, this episode will give you plenty to think about before tax planning season begins.

📞 Call 877-5-RETIRE or visit AssetPreservationWealth.com to schedule your complimentary Social Security and tax planning review.

In this episode of The Asset Preservation Hour, financial advisor Stewart Willis and co-host Spike Spengel tackle a problem nobody warns you about: retirees who did everything right, saved diligently for decades, and then spend their retirement too afraid to enjoy it. Stewart makes the case that living far below your means out of fear is just as damaging as never saving at all, and that the cure is a clear plan showing exactly what you can spend and why.

Much of that fear traces back to taxes. Stewart explains why taxes are on sale right now, why he expects rates to climb back toward historical highs, and how scheduling Roth conversions over several years can help you get ahead of it. You'll hear why the money sitting in your IRA, 401k, or 403b isn't entirely yours, how Uncle Sam takes a bigger piece the more you withdraw, and how IRMAA penalties, state taxes, and Social Security taxation can stack up until a huge share of every dollar disappears.

The conversation also digs into a real client situation involving a $200,000 withdrawal meant to fund a down payment for an adult daughter who earns a seven figure household income, a decision that would have triggered penalties and unnecessary taxes on a Roth still inside its five year window. Stewart and Spike walk through estate tax exposure for property rich families like Midwestern farmers, the training discipline Stewart brings to jiu jitsu and why it mirrors retirement planning, and the reason he flew to Denver to meet three generations of one family in a single trip. As Asset Preservation approaches its 30th year in business, the message is simple: the greatest legacy you can leave is a family that knows what to do with what you leave them.

📞 Call 877-5-RETIRE or visit AssetPreservationWealth.com to schedule your complimentary tax review and portfolio review.

In this episode of The Asset Preservation Hour, financial advisor Stewart Willis and co host Spike Spengel tackle the longevity revolution: the reality that Americans are living longer than any generation before them, and what that means for the money you spent a lifetime building. Stewart explains why living an extra decade is a blessing that most retirement plans were never designed to handle, and why hoping for the best is no substitute for actually preparing.

The conversation opens with fourth quarter tax planning and why Stewart wants Roth conversions handled before December 31 rather than rushed in January, when a single early conversion can box you in for the rest of the year. From there, Stewart pulls back the curtain on how advisors get paid, the difference between fee only fiduciary guidance and commission driven product sales, and how to spot loaded mutual funds hiding on your own statements. He compares portfolio fees to running across a parking lot with a parachute strapped to your back, and explains what a real portfolio review should uncover about risk, costs, and double dipping you may never have noticed.

You will also hear the numbers behind Peak 65, with roughly 11,000 Americans turning 65 every single day into 2027 and 2028, and what happens to the market when an entire generation stops contributing to their portfolios and starts withdrawing from them. Stewart and Spike dig into rapid advances in health care, artificial intelligence in medicine, required distributions at 73, and why the retirement products of 20 years from now may not even exist yet.

📞 Call 877-5-RETIRE or visit AssetPreservationWealth.com to schedule your complimentary tax review and portfolio review.

In this episode of The Asset Preservation Hour, financial advisor Stewart Willis and Spike Spengel break down the financial power moves that matter most as you head into your 60s. The first one takes real effort: paying taxes sooner rather than later. Stewart explains why we are living through one of the lowest tax environments in modern American history, why taxes are essentially on sale, and why leaving money sitting in tax deferred IRAs and 401ks may simply be building a bigger tax time bomb for later.

You will also hear why tax laws are written in pencil and not in pen, how taxable income quietly drags Social Security benefits and IRMAA surcharges into the picture, and why the ripple effects of a Roth conversion reach far beyond a single tax bill. Stewart makes the case for scheduling conversions over several years and letting compounding do the rest, calling it the closest thing to a guaranteed advantage a retiree has.

From there the conversation turns to the market. Should someone six months from retirement be fully exposed to today's gains, or are they out over their skis? Stewart talks about fear, greed, and the very human mistakes that happen when the news cycle collides with a down market, plus why cooler heads and a long term strategy almost always win. He closes with a story about flying out on a weekend to meet a client's adult children, the 401k that was quietly misinvested for years, and the reminder that your second job in retirement is being a good steward of the money you already saved.

If you are 59 and a half or older and have not looked closely at your IRA, 401k, thrift savings plan, or 403b in years, this episode is your nudge to take action.

📞 Call 877-5-RETIRE or visit AssetPreservationWealth.com to schedule your complimentary tax review and portfolio review.

In this episode of The Asset Preservation Hour, financial advisor Stewart Willis continues the financial jujitsu conversation, this time focusing on leverage and knowing when to tap out. Stewart explains how the same principles that apply on the mat apply to your portfolio: small, incremental improvements across every part of your financial plan can create real leverage, while waiting too long to make a change can cost you dearly.

Stewart breaks down why Social Security claiming decisions should never be guesswork, how survivor benefits can matter more than most people realize, and why Roth conversions deserve serious attention while tax brackets remain historically low. He also shares hard lessons on tapping out of high cost, high risk products like variable annuities before the market forces the issue, and how biases like loss aversion and fear of missing out can quietly steer bad decisions.

Along the way, Stewart opens up about a hard learned lesson from his own jujitsu training and ties it back to the importance of stress testing your retirement plan through Monte Carlo simulations before a real downturn puts it to the test.

📞 Call 877-5-RETIRE or visit AssetPreservationWealth.com to schedule your complimentary portfolio review and risk analysis.

In this episode of The Asset Preservation Hour, financial advisor Stewart Willis draws on an unexpected source of inspiration: his recent jujitsu training camp. Fresh off the mats (and nursing a few bumps and bruises to prove it), Stewart joins cohost Spike Spengel to explore what martial arts preparation can teach us about preparing for retirement.

Stewart explains why the best retirement plans, like the best fighters, rely on repetition, discipline, and rigorous testing rather than guesswork. He breaks down the Monte Carlo simulation, a tool that stress tests a portfolio against historical market crashes, dot com bubbles, and financial crises, to reveal how prepared your plan really is. He also unpacks sequence of return risk, explaining why a market downturn early in retirement can be far more damaging than the same downturn later on, and why cash flow drilling helps determine whether your money can survive a serious hit.

Along the way, Stewart and Spike discuss the danger of chasing hot tips from friends, the emotional traps that cause investors to buy high and sell low, and why understanding your true risk exposure matters more than ever as retirement approaches. They also touch on how Social Security benefits can be up to 85% taxable depending on your income structure, reinforcing the need for a comprehensive tax plan alongside your investment strategy.

Whether you are just starting to think about retirement or already deep into it, this episode makes the case that preparation, not prediction, is what determines success.

📞 Call 877-5-RETIRE or visit AssetPreservationWealth.com to schedule your complimentary portfolio and risk review.

In this episode of The Asset Preservation Hour, Stewart Willis and Spike Spengel dig into what they call the longevity revolution and what it means for how you plan your retirement. With more Americans turning 65 every day than at any point in history, a trend known as peak 65, Stewart explains why retiring at a set age like 62 or 65 may not make sense if your retirement could realistically last 25 to 30 years or longer.

The two also explore the record breaking growth in annuity sales, now averaging around 100 billion dollars a quarter, and what is really driving it. Stewart breaks down the concept of refinancing your retirement, how rising interest rates have created an opportunity to move out of older, underperforming annuities and into better ones, and why fees and unnecessary riders can quietly erode your returns over time.

Beyond the numbers, Stewart shares personal reflections on staying mentally and physically active in retirement, the risks of isolation, and why he believes retirement should be viewed as a transition rather than an end zone. It is a thoughtful look at both the financial and personal sides of planning for a longer, healthier retirement.

📞 Call 877-5-RETIRE or visit AssetPreservationWealth.com to schedule your complimentary retirement review.

In this episode of The Asset Preservation Hour, Stewart Willis and Spike Spengel break down why social media has become one of the most dangerous places to get financial guidance and what to trust instead. After a wild week in the markets, with an 1100 point drop followed by a sharp rebound, Stewart explains why volatility is simply part of investing and why your ability to tolerate it matters just as much as your portfolio itself.

The conversation then turns to a revealing MassMutual study that found 82% of Americans over 55 believe a financial advisor adds value, yet only 34% actually work with one. Stewart shares why that gap exists, from procrastination to the psychological traps people fall into when they try to go it alone. He also opens up about a viral moment on Instagram that taught him a hard lesson about how easily financial advice gets twisted for clicks, and why 36% of people who made a major financial decision based on social media later regretted it.

Stewart and Spike also touch on inflation, the ratchet effect on prices, and why the estate tax threshold has changed dramatically since the 1990s. It is a candid, practical conversation about filtering out the noise and getting advice you can actually rely on.

📞 Call 877-5-RETIRE or visit AssetPreservationWealth.com to schedule your complimentary portfolio review.