PODCAST: June 7, 2025 – The Retirement Red Zone: Your Seven-Part Pre-Retirement Playbook
June 7, 2025 - Full Episode ``The Retirement Red Zone: Your Seven-Part Pre-Retirement Playbook``
In this episode of The Roy Matlock, Jr. Money and Business Hour, Roy dives deep into the critical “Retirement Red Zone”—the 5 to 10-year window before retirement when every financial decision carries extra weight. Roy presents a seven-part retirement strategy aimed at helping listeners avoid costly mistakes and create a plan that supports long-term financial independence. Whether you’re nearing retirement or know someone who is, this episode serves as a powerful planning blueprint for turning retirement dreams into reality.
Key Takeaways:
-
Understand and Manage Your Tax Buckets:
-
Use a strategic mix of taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free accounts to minimize lifetime taxes.
-
Consider Roth conversions, drawdown strategies, and Social Security tax mitigation.
-
-
Allocate Your Risk Buckets Wisely:
-
Use conservative, moderate, and aggressive investments to protect against sequence-of-returns risk.
-
Align withdrawal strategies with market performance and liquidity needs.
-
-
Establish Guaranteed Income Streams:
-
Use Social Security, pensions, and annuities to build a base of income that lasts a lifetime.
-
Evaluate annuities as private pensions to mitigate longevity risk.
-
-
Plan for Long-Term Care Costs:
-
Recognize the 70% likelihood of needing some form of care.
-
Explore asset-based long-term care policies, annuity riders, and hybrid insurance strategies.
-
-
Cover Final Expenses and Income Gaps:
-
Address loss of income from a spouse’s passing, medical bills, and funeral costs.
-
Keep a blend of term and permanent life insurance in place based on your needs.
-
-
Optimize Social Security Timing:
-
Evaluate benefits of early vs. delayed claiming.
-
If still working past full retirement age, invest your benefits to potentially double net worth.
-
-
Complete Your Estate Plan:
-
Update wills, trusts, healthcare directives, and powers of attorney.
-
Avoid common beneficiary designation errors and plan for special needs or second-generation heirs.
-
