Executive Retirement Compass: Financial Planning to Maximize Your Wealth and Reduce Taxes

Ray Godleski

You’ve done everything right - but how confident are you that retirement won’t expose a blind spot you didn’t see coming? If you’re an executive planning to retire in the next 3 years, this episode is for you. I want you walking into retirement with clarity, confidence, and no fear that you’ve missed a move you should have made. Listen to gain: • Clarity on which retirement decisions actually matter in the final 36 months—and which ones don’t • Insight into the costly moves executives commonly miss right before retirement (and how to avoid them) • A framework to retire with confidence, not second-guessing, even in uncertain markets I created this podcast because retirement confidence isn’t about guessing the market; it’s about sequencing decisions correctly, managing taxes intentionally, and eliminating uncertainty before your last paycheck ends. New episodes are released twice per week every Tuesday (and Friday), cutting through the noise and myth-busting the financial untruths that surround retirement planning. Follow and listen each week for clear, practical insights that help you make smarter retirement decisions...before timing and taxes make them for you.

  1. 3 days ago

    Ep72 | After the First Death: Social Security, Taxes, and Survivor Income

    One of the biggest planning failures is building a retirement plan that only works while both spouses are alive. In this episode, Ray Godleski tackles one of the most important and most uncomfortable topics in retirement planning: what happens financially when the first spouse dies? From Social Security income loss to the widow's tax penalty to irrevocable pension decisions, this episode walks through every major financial area that changes after the first death, and what couples need to do now to protect the spouse who lives longer. You'll learn: Why Social Security income can drop by $24,000 a year or more after the first spouse diesHow pension elections can have permanent and irrevocable survivor consequencesWhy the widow or widower tax penalty can leave a surviving spouse paying higher taxes on lower incomeHow to review beneficiary designations and account titling for survivor planningWhy simplifying accounts is an act of love for the spouse who may have to manage them aloneWhy both spouses need to understand the retirement plan before one of them is forced to manage it alone If you're within a few years of retirement and want clarity around your retirement plan, book a complimentary consultation to build a strategy tailored to you: Book a Consultation: https://app.greminders.com/e/9bfdfdf70740f21a2e1cec4140dd884dd4ef6365 Planning cannot remove grief. But it can reduce confusion, reduce panic, and give the surviving spouse clarity during one of the hardest seasons of life. 🎙 Follow the show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/executive-retirement-compass-financial-planning-to/id1796392113 📧 info@SeWealthPartners.com Questions welcome. Real answers given. Explore our free tools and resources at: www.YourNextStepFinancial.com

  2. 25 Aug

    Ep71 | Risk, Withdrawals, and the Portfolio That Supports Your Retirement Life

    The portfolio that helped you build wealth may not be the same portfolio that helps you retire well. In this episode, Ray Godleski wraps up the retirement planning series with a deep dive into retirement investing. When withdrawals begin, the math changes. Volatility that felt manageable during your working years can become a real planning problem in retirement. This episode gives you a practical framework for thinking about risk, income, and how to build a portfolio designed for the life you actually want to live. You'll learn: Why retirement investing is fundamentally different from accumulation investingThe difference between risk tolerance and risk capacity, and why both matterWhat sequence of return risk is and how to plan around itHow to think about cash reserves, bond ladders, dividend strategies, and time segmentation bucketsWhy tax diversification across pre-tax, Roth, and taxable accounts gives you more flexibilityHow to know which dollars are for near-term spending, which are for growth, and which are for safety Take the RISA Profile to discover your retirement income style before your next planning conversation: RISA Profile (Retirement Income Style Awareness): https://account.myrisaprofile.com/invitation-link/7D53JBKUZS If you're within a few years of retirement and want clarity around your retirement plan, book a complimentary consultation to build a strategy tailored to you: Book a Consultation: https://app.greminders.com/e/9bfdfdf70740f21a2e1cec4140dd884dd4ef6365 Tune in and make sure your portfolio is built for retirement, not just for getting there. 🎙 Follow the show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/executive-retirement-compass-financial-planning-to/id1796392113 📧 info@SeWealthPartners.com Questions welcome. Real answers given. Explore our free tools and resources at: www.YourNextStepFinancial.com

  3. 18 Aug

    Ep70 | Required Minimum Distributions: The Tax Problem Most Retirees Don't See Coming

    A large IRA can feel like a retirement trophy. Until required minimum distributions show up and remind you that the IRS has a co-pilot seat. In this episode, Ray Godleski breaks down one of the most overlooked tax problems in retirement planning: the IRA tax trap. When a large portion of your savings is in pre-tax accounts, RMDs can push you into a higher tax bracket, increase your Medicare premiums, cause more of your Social Security to be taxed, and create a bigger burden for your surviving spouse and beneficiaries. You'll learn: What RMDs are, when they begin, and how they are calculatedWhy RMDs are taxable income, not just forced cash flowHow RMDs affect your tax bracket, Social Security taxation, and Medicare premiumsThe inherited IRA 10-year rule and what beneficiaries need to knowHow Roth conversions and qualified charitable distributions can reduce the IRA tax trapA 10-step planning checklist to get ahead of RMDs before they become a problem If you're within a few years of retirement and want clarity around your retirement plan, book a complimentary consultation to build a strategy tailored to you: Book a Consultation: https://app.greminders.com/e/9bfdfdf70740f21a2e1cec4140dd884dd4ef6365 Tune in and make sure your IRA does not become a tax trap in retirement. 🎙 Follow the show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/executive-retirement-compass-financial-planning-to/id1796392113 📧 info@SeWealthPartners.com Questions welcome. Real answers given. Explore our free tools and resources at: www.YourNextStepFinancial.com

  4. 11 Aug

    Ep69 | Why Social Security Is a Retirement Planning Decision

    Social Security is often talked about like it is just a monthly check. It is not. In this episode, Ray Godleski breaks down one of the most important and most misunderstood decisions in retirement planning. When should you claim? What happens if you claim early and keep working? How does your decision affect your spouse, your taxes, and the surviving spouse? This episode gives you the framework to answer those questions before you file. You'll learn: The three key claiming ages: 62, full retirement age, and 70, and the trade-offs of eachHow delayed retirement credits work and when delaying makes sense and when it does notWhy the break-even age is important but should not be the only factor in your decisionHow Social Security affects your taxes, Medicare premiums, and portfolio withdrawalsWhy married couples should never make Social Security decisions independentlyA 9-question framework to help you decide when to claim If you're within a few years of retirement and want clarity around your retirement plan, book a complimentary consultation to build a strategy tailored to you: Book a Consultation: https://app.greminders.com/e/9bfdfdf70740f21a2e1cec4140dd884dd4ef6365 Tune in and make sure your Social Security decision is part of a real retirement income plan. 🎙 Follow the show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/executive-retirement-compass-financial-planning-to/id1796392113 📧 info@SeWealthPartners.com Questions welcome. Real answers given. Explore our free tools and resources at: www.YourNextStepFinancial.com

  5. 4 Aug

    Ep68 | How Much Can I Safely Spend in Retirement?

    You've saved well. But how much can you actually spend? In this episode, Ray Godleski tackles one of the most common and most misunderstood questions in retirement planning. The answer is not simply a percentage or a dollar amount. It depends on your income sources, expenses, tax strategy, health, legacy goals, and how flexible you are willing to be when markets change. You'll learn: Why the 4% rule is a helpful starting point but should never be treated like a commandmentHow inflation can silently double your retirement costs over 24 yearsWhy sequence of return risk can devastate a plan that looks fine on paperHow flexible spending guardrails give you a floor, a target, and a ceiling for smarter spendingA 10-question framework to help determine how much you can safely spend If you're within a few years of retirement and want clarity around your retirement plan, book a complimentary consultation to build a strategy tailored to you: Book a Consultation: https://app.greminders.com/e/9bfdfdf70740f21a2e1cec4140dd884dd4ef6365 Tune in and build a retirement spending strategy that gives you confidence, flexibility, and permission to enjoy your life. 🎙 Follow the show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/executive-retirement-compass-financial-planning-to/id1796392113 📧 info@SeWealthPartners.com Questions welcome. Real answers given. Explore our free tools and resources at: www.YourNextStepFinancial.com

  6. 28 Jul

    Ep67 | Retirement Income Planning: Where Will Your Paycheck Come From?

    The paycheck stops when you retire. The bills do not. In this episode, Ray Godleski breaks down the retirement income puzzle: where your income will come from, how the pieces fit together, and why a retirement plan needs to be more than just an investment account. This is part of an ongoing retirement planning series on the Executive Retirement Compass. You'll learn: The main sources of retirement income: Social Security, pensions, portfolio withdrawals, annuities, interest and dividends, and cash reservesWhy Social Security is not just an income source, it is also a risk management toolHow the order of your withdrawals affects your taxes, Medicare premiums, and long-term planThe difference between essential expenses and discretionary expenses and why it mattersWhy the question is not just how much have I saved, but how will I turn what I've saved into income that lasts If you're within a few years of retirement and want clarity around your retirement plan, book a complimentary consultation to build a strategy tailored to you: Book a Consultation: https://app.greminders.com/e/9bfdfdf70740f21a2e1cec4140dd884dd4ef6365 Tune in and start thinking about retirement differently. 🎙 Follow the show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/executive-retirement-compass-financial-planning-to/id1796392113 📧 info@SeWealthPartners.com Questions welcome. Real answers given. Explore our free tools and resources at: www.YourNextStepFinancial.com

  7. 21 Jul

    Ep66 | Why Your Beneficiary Forms May Override Your Will

    What happens to your money when you pass away? Most people assume their will controls everything. It does not. In this episode, Ray Godleski breaks down why beneficiary designations are often the most important, and most overlooked, part of an estate plan. One outdated form can send money to the wrong person, trigger unnecessary taxes, delay transfers for months, or accidentally disinherit someone you intended to protect. You'll learn: Why beneficiary forms often override your will and what that means for your estate planThe six most common beneficiary mistakes families make and how to avoid themWhen naming a trust as a beneficiary makes sense and when it creates a costly tax trapWhy trust tax brackets are punitive and how compressed they really are compared to individual ratesA simple checklist to review your beneficiary designations before it is too late If you're within a few years of retirement and want clarity around your retirement plan, book a complimentary consultation to build a strategy tailored to you: Book a Consultation: https://app.greminders.com/e/9bfdfdf70740f21a2e1cec4140dd884dd4ef6365 Tune in to make sure your estate plan actually works the way you intended. 🎙 Follow the show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/executive-retirement-compass-financial-planning-to/id1796392113 📧 info@SeWealthPartners.com Questions welcome. Real answers given. Explore our free tools and resources at: www.YourNextStepFinancial.com

  8. 14 Jul

    Ep65 | Retirement Planning Is Not Just Investment Planning

    Retirement changes the game. During your working years, the goal is simple: save more, invest wisely, and let time work for you. But the moment you retire, an entirely different set of questions and risks take over. In this episode, Ray Godleski kicks off a new series on building a retirement income framework. He breaks down why retirement planning is fundamentally different from investment planning and introduces the major risks every retiree needs to understand before they stop working. You'll learn: Why retirement planning is not just investment planning with a different labelThe seven major risks retirees face: longevity, inflation, market, sequence of returns, tax, healthcare, and emotional decision-making riskWhy the order of your investment returns matters just as much as the returns themselvesHow to start asking better questions about income, taxes, and long-term careWhy the best retirement plans are built around coordinated decisions, not one product or one magic number If you're within a few years of retirement and want clarity around your retirement plan, book a complimentary consultation to build a strategy tailored to you: Book a Consultation: https://app.greminders.com/e/9bfdfdf70740f21a2e1cec4140dd884dd4ef6365 Tune in and start building a retirement income framework that works in good markets and bad. 🎙 Follow the show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/executive-retirement-compass-financial-planning-to/id1796392113 📧 info@SeWealthPartners.com Questions welcome. Real answers given. Explore our free tools and resources at: www.YourNextStepFinancial.com

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About

You’ve done everything right - but how confident are you that retirement won’t expose a blind spot you didn’t see coming? If you’re an executive planning to retire in the next 3 years, this episode is for you. I want you walking into retirement with clarity, confidence, and no fear that you’ve missed a move you should have made. Listen to gain: • Clarity on which retirement decisions actually matter in the final 36 months—and which ones don’t • Insight into the costly moves executives commonly miss right before retirement (and how to avoid them) • A framework to retire with confidence, not second-guessing, even in uncertain markets I created this podcast because retirement confidence isn’t about guessing the market; it’s about sequencing decisions correctly, managing taxes intentionally, and eliminating uncertainty before your last paycheck ends. New episodes are released twice per week every Tuesday (and Friday), cutting through the noise and myth-busting the financial untruths that surround retirement planning. Follow and listen each week for clear, practical insights that help you make smarter retirement decisions...before timing and taxes make them for you.

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