Articles and Insights
Creative Financial Group’s Retirement Articles & Insights provide practical guidance for people approaching retirement, already retired, or planning for the next generation. Explore expert insights on retirement taxes, investing, Social Security, Medicare, estate planning, and other important financial decisions.
When Should You Take Social Security?
The right age to take Social Security depends on your health, marital status, other income sources, and tax situation, which is why this decision is best made as part of...
What Happens If the Stock Market Crashes the Year You Retire?
A stock market crash in the first few years of retirement can cause permanent damage to a retirement plan even if the crash is the same size as one later....
How Do You Avoid IRMAA in Retirement?
You avoid IRMAA by managing your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) to stay below specific Medicare income thresholds each year. For 2026, IRMAA begins at $109,000 of MAGI for single...
When Should You Do a Roth Conversion?
A Roth conversion typically makes sense in years when your taxable income is unusually low and you have room in a lower tax bracket to absorb the converted amount. For...
Can You Retire Now? And If Not, When?
You may be in a position to retire when your guaranteed income plus sustainable portfolio withdrawals can reasonably fund your expected spending for 30 plus years after taxes. A useful...
Trump Accounts for Grandkids: How Grandparents Can Build Tax-Free Wealth
How the new Trump Account works, who qualifies for the $1,000 seed, and the one move at age 18 that turns family contributions into tax-free wealth.A new way to help...
How Much Do You Need to Retire?
Most retirees need 70 to 85 percent of their pre-retirement income to maintain their lifestyle, but the right number depends on three things most calculators ignore: actual spending patterns by...
What Is a Fiduciary Financial Advisor? The 2026 Rules Are Confusing. Here’s What Actually Matters.
A fiduciary financial advisor is legally required to act in the client's best interest, with a duty of loyalty and a duty of care that applies across the advisory relationship....
Why the 4% Rule Is Dead — New Retirement Withdrawal Strategies for 2026
I want to talk about one of the most dangerous ideas in retirement planning. Not dangerous because it’s wrong, exactly. Dangerous because it’s right enough to feel safe — and...
When Should You Claim Social Security? The Break-Even Math That Changes Everything
After nearly 30 years of doing retirement planning, I can tell you that the Social Security claiming decision is one of the most consequential choices my clients face — and...
IRMAA 2026: The Medicare Surcharge That Quietly Drains Retirement Income
I've had clients call me confused after getting a letter from Social Security telling them their Medicare Part B premium just went up — sometimes by hundreds of dollars a...
How to Reduce Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) Before Age 73
One of my clients — I'll call him Gary — came to me at 74 completely blindsided. He had $1.8 million sitting in a traditional IRA, had lived frugally his...
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