A Smarter Way To Retire with Tony Leonardi, CFP®

Anthony Leonardi
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Investing
  • Weekly

A Smarter Way to Retire is your guide to building a confident financial future. Hosted by Tony Leonardi, CFP® this podcast breaks down the key steps to retirement planning in a clear, actionable way. Whether you’re approaching retirement or already there, you’ll get expert insights on financial modeling, wealth preservation, and making informed decisions for your future. Tune in for practical advice, thoughtful discussions, and a smarter way to retire. See website for full disclosures: www.LeonardiFamilyWealthcare.com

  1. 2d ago

    5 Year-End Tax Moves to Make Before December 31 (2026)

    It’s late October, and several important tax moves still need to be completed before December 31. In this episode, Tony Leonardi, CFP® walks through five year-end tax strategies that many retirees overlook or wait too long to address. You'll learn about: • Roth conversions and why timing and modeling matter • Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) and how they can reduce taxable income • Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) timing and inherited IRA deadlines • Tax-loss harvesting in taxable accounts • How the additional standard deduction for seniors can interact with these strategies These moves are not one-size-fits-all. The right approach depends on your income, tax bracket, Medicare IRMAA thresholds, and overall plan. A financial model can help you see how these strategies interact before the year ends. Free resources: Smart Retirement Strategy Quiz: LeonardiFamilyWealthcare.com/quizRoth IRA Conversion Playbook (2026 Edition)Smart Tax Shield Legacy Playbook Both guides are available under the Books and Guides tab on the website.You can also schedule a complimentary Fit Call using the green button at the top of LeonardiFamilyWealthcare.com. Because there is A Smarter Way to Retire. #RetirementPlanning #YearEndTaxPlanning #RothConversions #QCDs#TaxLossHarvesting #IRMAA #ASmarterWayToRetire

  2. Oct 23

    Most People Won’t Keep the Full $75 Social Security Raise

    Most people won’t keep the full $75 from the 3.6% Social Security COLA for 2027. The Medicare Trustees have projected the standard Part B premium will rise about $6.60 a month, and that amount is deducted from the check for most beneficiaries. This episode explains the gap between the headline raise and the net amount, plus what to know during the current Medicare open enrollment window (October 15–December 7). Education only. Please refer to the website forfull disclosures.

  3. Oct 16

    Did a mysterious $90 deposit just show up in your bank account?

    Around October 8, the government started sending a one-time $90 Medicare Improvement Fund Premium Rebate to roughly 20.8 million people on Original Medicare Part B. Not everyone gets it. And Medicare open enrollment starts October 15. In this episode of A Smarter Way to Retire, Tony Leonardi, CFP® professional, explains: • What the $90 actually is (and what it is not)• Who qualifies and who does not (Medicare Advantage, IRMAA, Medicaid)• Why one spouse can get it and the other does not• How the IRMAA cliff can cost you both the surcharge and the rebate• What you can change during open enrollment (Oct 15–Dec 7)• Why 2026 income sets your 2028 Medicare premiumEducation only, not tax or Medicare advice. Please refer to the website for full disclosures. Resources: • Roth IRA Conversion Playbook, 2026 Edition and Smart Retirement Tax Shield Playbook: LeonardiFamilyWealthcare.com• Complimentary 15-minute Fit Call: big green button on the homepage• CMS fact sheet on the Medicare Improvement Fund Premium RebateSubscribe for weekly retirement planning insights.Plan smarter, retire happier — because there really is a smarter way to retire. #Medicare #IRMAA #OpenEnrollment #RetirementPlanning #ASmarterWayToRetire#TonyLeonardiCFP

  4. Oct 9

    60 Million Kids’ Accounts Just Opened. The $1,000 Still Isn’t Automatic.

    Treasury auto-opened a Trump Account for eligible childrenunder 18 around October 1. Tony Leonardi, CFP® professional, explains why that is account creation, not the $1,000 deposit. Parents and guardians still have to claim the account at TrumpAccounts.gov or in the official app, and elect the seed for a U.S. citizen child born 2025 through 2028. He also separates the kids’ Section 530A account from TrumpIRA.gov, the adult Saver’s Match site, andintroduces America.gov as a federal search front door, not the place you finish the claim. Compared with a 529, a UTMA, and a custodial Roth. Education only, not a recommendation to fund any account. The June 5 episode is stillavailable. Fit Call: LeonardiFamilyWealthcare.com/fit-call. Disclosures on the website.

  5. Oct 2

    Inherited IRA 10-Year Rule: What Adult Children Need to Know

    Most adult children who inherit a traditional IRA after 2019cannot stretch withdrawals over a lifetime. Tony Leonardi, CFP®, walks through the SECURE Act 10-year rule, eligible designated beneficiaries, annual inherited RMDs when the owner had already started distributions, estates andcharities as beneficiaries, and why waiting until year 10 can stack income, state tax, and IRMAA. Educational only — confirm your facts with a custodianand tax professional.   Fit Call: Leonardifamilywealthcare.com/fit-call  Guides: Leonardifamilywealthcare.com  Disclosures on the website.  Because there is A Smarter Way to Retire.

  6. Sep 25

    Medicare Enrollment and IRMAA: The Other October Deadline

    October 15 through December 7 is Medicare Annual Enrollment— not the Social Security claiming window.   Tony Leonardi, CFP®, explains what you can change this fall,why the January–March window is only for people already on Medicare Advantage, and how IRMAA uses a two-year lookback. Official 2026 CMS figures: standardPart B is $202.90; the first surcharge starts above $109,000 single or $218,000 joint. Roth conversions, RMDs, capital gains, and even municipal-bond interest can push MAGI over that line. Crossing it by one dollar can apply the surcharge for the whole year.   Book a complimentary 15-minute Fit Call atLeonardiFamilyWealthcare.com/fit-call. Playbooks are under Books and Guides.Please see the website for full disclosures.

  7. Sep 18

    Social Security Optimization: Claiming Age, COLA Headlines, and Taxes

    Does a 3.6% Social Security COLA mean more money to spend? Not automatically. Medicare premiums, IRMAA, and taxes can take a bite out of the raise. In this episode of A Smarter Way to Retire, CFP® professional Tony Leonardi covers Social Security optimization before October: claiming age, how benefits get taxed, and what to model so you are not reacting to a headline. What you’ll learn• Why the 2027 COLA estimate (~3.6%) may not spend like a raise• Best age to claim Social Security — and why “always wait until 70” is aslogan, not a plan• How much more you get from 67 to 70 (about 24%) and when you break even• Early claiming at 62: about a 30% permanent cut from full retirement age• The earnings test if you claim early and keep working• Is Social Security taxable? Provisional income lines of $25k / $32k and $34k/ $44k• Why one IRA withdrawal or Roth conversion can tax more of your benefit andraise IRMAA two years later• Four things to model before mid-October Chapters00:00 Welcome + Tony and Maddie’s wedding01:30 Does a COLA mean more spending money?03:45 When is the best age to claim Social Security?08:00 67 vs 70: 24% more and the breakeven11:00 Mark and Pat: health, cash, survivor benefits13:30 Earnings test if you keep working15:00 Is Social Security taxable?18:00 Roth conversions, IRMAA, and stacking income21:00 What to model before October24:00 DIY spreadsheets vs a real model Fit Call: https://calendly.com/anthony-leonardi-leonardifwc/retirementWebsite / Books and Guides: https://www.leonardifamilywealthcare.comPlease refer to the website for full disclosures and additional resources. #SocialSecurityOptimization #TaxEfficientRetirement#RetirementIncomeStreams #IRMAA #RothConversion #CFP #ASmarterWayToRetire Apple / SpotifytitleSocial

  8. Sep 11

    September Tax Planning 2026: Don’t Wait Until December for RMDs, Roths & IRMAA

    December 31 is the deadline. September is when the work should get done. In this episode of A Smarter Way to Retire, Tony Leonardi, CFP®, walks through why last-minute IRA withdrawals and Roth conversions can create April tax surprises — and Medicare IRMAA surcharges two years later. We use ahypothetical couple, Tom and Diane, to show what a napkin calculation misses: gains already taken, RMDs still due, and IRMAA cliffs. What we cover:• Why 2026 income can affect 2028 Medicare premiums• How to build a year-to-date income picture before adding more taxable income• RMD timing, including first-year delays that can stack two withdrawals• QCDs for 2026 (limit $111,000 per person) and why paperwork should start now• Roth conversions as a full-year decision, not a December reflex• Tax-loss harvesting in taxable accounts before year-end• Why DIY spreadsheets often miss the combined tax, RMD, and IRMAA effect Book a complimentary 15-minute Fit Call:https://calendly.com/anthony-leonardi-leonardifwc/retirement Free Roth IRA Conversion Playbook (2026 Edition):https://www.fmgwebsites.com/d54859da-0e12-4038-be06-9bd78dad323b/roth-ira-conversion-playbook-2026-edition Smart Tax Shield Legacy Playbook:https://www.fmgwebsites.com/d54859da-0e12-4038-be06-9bd78dad323b/smart-tax-shield-legacy-playbook Website and disclosures:https://www.leonardifamilywealthcare.com Listen on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-smarter-way-to-retire/id1793796703 Listen on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/643N9lbuQYiXXc188Rb1z8 Subscribe for weekly retirement income planning, tax-efficient retirementstrategies, and Social Security / RMD education. #RetirementPlanning #TaxEfficientRetirement #RothConversion #RMD #IRMAA #QCD#RetirementIncomePlanning #CFP #ASmarterWayToRetire Please see LeonardiFamilyWealthcare.com for full disclosures. Educationalcontent only. Not tax, legal, or personalized investment advice.

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About

A Smarter Way to Retire is your guide to building a confident financial future. Hosted by Tony Leonardi, CFP® this podcast breaks down the key steps to retirement planning in a clear, actionable way. Whether you’re approaching retirement or already there, you’ll get expert insights on financial modeling, wealth preservation, and making informed decisions for your future. Tune in for practical advice, thoughtful discussions, and a smarter way to retire. See website for full disclosures: www.LeonardiFamilyWealthcare.com

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