When most people think about “investment strategy,” they immediately jump to asset allocation —the mix of stocks, bonds, and alternative investments that matches their risk tolerance and time horizon. But there’s a second, equally important concept that rarely gets discussed outside of professional planning circles: Asset location. If asset allocation is what  you invest in, asset location is where  you place those investments. And getting this right can add tens of thousands of dollars to...

You’ve worked hard your entire career and made the right financial decisions to build a solid nest egg and to be positioned to retire on your own terms.  But the accumulation phase in life is only half of the story.  Now you have to start distributing and living off your assets.  First, are you ready for that shift in mindset? It turns out that it is harder than you think.  Second, do you know how to access your money in a logical and tax-efficient manner? These are common questions that many...

One of the most powerful tools in the financial planning toolbelt in terms of tax strategy is called a Roth conversion.  It is simply moving money from your pre-tax retirement accounts to your tax-free (or Roth) retirement accounts after you have stopped working and when you are in a lower income tax bracket.  Let’s review how it works. Nest-egg buckets As you save, invest, and grow your retirement nest egg, there are three possible destinations, or buckets, where those assets could end up:...