How do you find a fee-only financial advisor who’s the right fit for you? I’ve outlined a detailed process that you can use to not create a list, research your list, and interview and hire the perfect fit for you. I’ll cover it all in this episode.

What are the three different types of financial advisors? Why do I believe a fee-only financial advisor is the best? If you’re considering hiring a financial advisor for the first time—or questioning if your current advisor has your best interests at heart—don’t miss this one.

I’ve spent the last 18 months writing my first book, “Fiduciary: How to Find, Hire, and Establish a Trusted Partnership with a Fee-Only Advisor,” which will officially be published on May 28th. I wrote this book to help everyone find a financial advisor who will put their interests first. Why? I see too many bad financial advisors harming their clients.

With that in mind, I’m going to kick off a series of episodes on financial advisors that will run over the next five weeks. I’ll cover the different types of financial advisors and what they do. I’ll share why the fiduciary model is best. I’ll even cover how to find your ideal advisor, what to expect once you hire one, and how to ensure that your partnership is delivering value.

Have you inherited an IRA from a non-spouse who passed away after 1/1/2020? Beneficiaries of pre-tax retirement accounts have always had to pay taxes on what they inherit. However, on 1/1/2020, the SECURE Act was passed, changing the annual amount that beneficiaries would have to withdraw. Watch to learn more!

If you are divorced and approaching 62, you may qualify for social security benefits based on your ex-spouse's earning record. But who qualifies? When can you collect it? How much can you collect? Does your ex-spouse find out? I’ll answer the things you need to know in this episode of Retire with Ryan.

Medicare is confusing and complicated. Most people nearing retirement age have likely heard numerous mistruths regarding when to get it, what it does for you, and so much more. That’s why I’m busting the 10 most commonly perpetrated Medicare myths so you’ll know how to discern fact from fiction—and put your mind at ease.

How can you protect your data and personal information from IRS scammers and criminals? Everyone is afraid of being audited by the IRS. Maybe you’re scared you may have filed your taxes incorrectly. Criminals take advantage of that fear to perpetuate their scams. But there are some simple things you can do to avoid falling victim to these scams. I’ll share 7 tips you can use to protect yourself from IRS scammers in this episode!

Do you usually get a tax refund? What do you typically do with your tax refund? Do you have it earmarked for a specific purpose? As we are inching close to the tax filing deadline, I thought it would be interesting to share some ways you can wisely invest your tax refund. In this video, I will cover 9 ways you can consider to make good use of your money.

Do you own stock in the company that you work for in your 401K? Net unrealized appreciation could potentially save you a significant amount of money on your taxes when you start making withdrawals. I’ll share how to take advantage of the process as well as mistakes to avoid making in this episode of Retire with Ryan.

The Federal Reserve met on 3/20/24 to discuss monetary policy and whether or not to raise or lower interest rates. They announced that they won’t make any changes. Most experts believe that they’ll lower interest rates in June.

So, should you start selling your money market funds and short-term bond funds? When should you do it? Should you move the money into something that could benefit from decreasing interest rates? In this episode, I’ll discuss why we invest in money market funds, if you should move your money out, and where you should consider shifting it.

As we get closer to the tax filing deadline (April 15th), I wanted to talk about contributing to a Roth IRA or traditional IRA. In this episode, I’ll cover contribution and deduction limits, spousal IRAs, and non-deductible IRA contributions (and why you’d want to consider them).

What is Indexed Universal Life Insurance? Is it something you should consider investing in? Are the rumors you’ve heard about it true? In this episode, Andy Panko (of Tenon Financial) and I dispel 7 myths that are circulating about UILs and we cover what you need to know to make an informed decision about the insurance product.

Disclaimer: We don’t sell insurance, we’re just trying to do what’s best for our clients.

If you have unused money in a 529 plan, it can be rolled over to a Roth IRA for the beneficiary of that 529 plan—tax and penalty-free. The added benefit is tax-free growth and tax-free distributions when they take money out down the road. Watch to learn how to correctly fill out the Fidelity form to move your assets from a 529 plan to a Roth IRA held at Fidelity.

On December 23rd, 2022, congress passed the SECURE 2.0 Act. Among the many changes, one of them had to do with 529 plans. You can now make tax-free and penalty-free rollovers from a 529 plan to a Roth IRA.

This became effective 1/1/2024. Before this, if you wanted to take a non-qualified withdrawal from a 529 plan (using the money for something outside of school expenses) the gain was subject to income tax and a 10% penalty. It’s similar to taking a withdrawal from an IRA.

If you have unused money in a 529 plan, it can be rolled over to a Roth IRA for the beneficiary of that 529 plan—tax and penalty-free. The added benefit is tax-free growth and tax-free distributions when they take money out down the road.

What are some overlooked benefits of investing for retirement in a brokerage account? Why would you want to invest in a brokerage account in addition to a 401k or other retirement account? Shaun Jones—the President of Jones Fiduciary Wealth Management and author of “Unbrainwashed Investing”—shares 7 reasons to invest in a taxable brokerage account in this episode of Retire with Ryan.

Are you aware of how your biases—both conscious and unconscious—impact your investment decisions? Brie Williams of State Street Global Advisors joins me in this conversation to talk not only about the impact of biases on decision-making but how to cultivate an awareness of your biases to change your behavior, ultimately leading to better decisions.

Last year’s Super Bowl set the record as the most-watched TV event in Nielsen rating history at over 150 million viewers. It’s hypothesized that this year’s Super Bowl is going to set a record for something completely different: The most amount of money bet on a Super Bowl. Why? Because sports betting is now legal in 38 states.

Before you think about when you’re going to retire there’s another question that should be addressed: Are you going to retire? It’s assumed that when you turn 62 or 65, you’re going to retire. And many people do count the days until they retire.

But many others love the careers they’re in and can’t imagine stopping. Their concern is that they’ll get pushed out the door. The bottom line is that age tells us nothing. No one is the same. So we can’t treat them the same.

As you enter retirement, tax planning is something that must be prioritized. A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) can be a great tool in your arsenal to help you minimize the taxes you have to pay. So what is a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)? How can it actually help you lower your taxes? In this episode, I’m going to cover what a QCD is, how you make one, and how it can help lower your taxes. I’ll also share a few examples of what a QCD might look like.

The SEC recently and historically approved 11 Bitcoin spot ETFs on January 10th. This is big news because now you can invest in Bitcoin through a brokerage account. In this video, I’m discussing what this means for you, how you can invest in Bitcoin ETFs, and what to look out for if you're going to take that plunge.