Retirement should be simple: you worked, you saved, you stop working, you spend. Except the mistakes people make in this one transition can be the kind you don't recover from. This week we walk through eight of them — the ones we've actually watched happen — so you can see them coming. On this week's Money On Tap, we start with the frame that changes everything: retirement success isn't about how much you've accumulated — it's how intelligently you manage the money after the paycheck stops. We walk the eight mistakes in order: treating retirement like the accumulation years (two retirees, same million dollars, completely different outcomes), taking too much risk or too little, ignoring sequence of returns risk and the brutal math behind it, claiming Social Security without a strategy, assuming taxes will automatically be lower in retirement, using a withdrawal rule instead of an income plan, underestimating healthcare and long-term care, and helping family at the expense of your own retirement — including the $100,000 gift that really costs $321,000. The thread running through all of it: segment your money by when you'll need it, cover foundational expenses with predictable income, and let your long-term money grow without income pressure. What you'll learn: The mindset shift from accumulation to distribution — and the light switch people forget to flipRetiree A vs. Retiree B: why the same downturn ruins one and barely touches the otherFoundational expenses first: the floor your income plan gets built onToo much risk, too little risk, and the over-diversified portfolio that never movesLongevity, inflation, and reinvestment risk — the three that sneakThe bucket strategy: harvesting market highs instead of selling lowsSequence of returns: why a 10% loss plus a withdrawal needs a 24% recoverySocial Security timing: the $1,700-a-month spread, spousal strategy, and the break-even mathThe retirement tax stack: RMDs, Social Security taxation, IRMAA, and the Roth conversion windowGo-go, slow-go, and no-go years — why no flat rule fits all threeHealthcare's real price tag — and pricing long-term care before it prices youThe family gift math every generous parent should run firstPlus Money In The News: The US economy grows faster than expected in Q2 — and why it doesn't change the price of milkThe Wall Street Journal stress-tests the 4% rule: what finally broke itApple's smart home hub debuts October 13 — and what all that convenience knows about youWant this week's white paper — the full list of retirement mistakes, including the ones we couldn't fit on air? Email us at info@yourmoneyontap.com and we'll send it over. Read our most recent Blog Post on this topic here: https://www.fmgwebsites.com/d772de05-9833-44e4-9676-f510f85cef74/blog/its-retirement-what-could-go-wrong-eight-mistakes-to-avoid Schedule a free consultation: https://app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsulta Browse the full Money On Tap library: https://www.brayshawfinancial.com/money-on-tap Contact Us Phone: 855-226-8551Email: info@yourmoneyontap.comOffice: 116 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110Web: brayshawfinancial.comSecurities and advisory services offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. All other services offered through Brayshaw Financial Group, LLC are independent of Osaic Wealth, Inc. Osaic Wealth, Inc. and Brayshaw Financial Group do not provide tax or legal advice. Hypothetical examples are for illustrative purposes only. Social Security, tax, and Medicare strategies depend on individual circumstances and current program rules. Annuity and insurance guarantees are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurer. Third-party figures are approximate as of the air date and subject to change. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. What are the biggest retirement mistakes to avoid? The ones we see most: treating retirement like the accumulation years instead of shifting to a distribution mindset; ignoring sequence of returns risk, where early losses plus withdrawals compound against you; claiming Social Security without a strategy, a largely irreversible decision; assuming taxes will automatically be lower in retirement while RMDs, Social Security taxation, and IRMAA quietly stack; following a flat withdrawal rule instead of building an income plan around foundational expenses; leaving healthcare and long-term care unpriced; and making family gifts whose 20-year opportunity cost the plan can't afford. Every one is avoidable — with planning done before the problem arrives, not after.
