Planning Matters Radio

There are times when moving your money isn’t just a good idea, it’s necessary. Figuring out *when can help you protect your investments, reduce your taxes, and stay aligned with your long-term goals. In this video, Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy detail the 8 moments you should move your money. They are:

-Rebalancing

-Roth conversions

-Age 59 1/2, the in-service distribution

-Leaving a job

-Fees are too high

-Under perf...

‎As of April , about 60,000 people have been laid off or fired, including thousands more at U.S. health agencies. With the markets rattled and a potential recession on the way, a lot of people are worried about their job right now. In this video, Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy outline 4 action steps you should take if you've been laid off, or if you're concerned you might be:

File for Unemployment

Update Your Resume

Re...

New rules for Required Minimum Distributions could catch retirees off guard—especially if you're turning 73 this year. One key headline: RMDs now have to be the first money out of your account. From stricter timing requirements to steeper penalties, the IRS is cracking down. In this video, Peter with Richon Planning talks through the new rules with Erin Kennedy, including:

 -What “first money out” means for your accounts and rollov...

When it comes to retirement, saving enough is only part of the equation. You also need to plan for the risks that could derail your financial future. In this video, Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy break down the 9 Critical Risks You Need to Plan For:

✅ Sequence Risk – How market downturns early in retirement can deplete your savings.

✅ Legislative Risk – The impact of changing laws and policies.

✅ Withdrawal Rate Risk –...

Recently, stocks closed out their worst quarter since 2022. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq logged their worst performance since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While these headlines can be upsetting, as Peter with Richon Planning explains to Erin Kennedy, the market downturn can also provide some very specific opportunities for smart investors, including:

Put Your Cash to Work – Lower valuations let you buy quality investments at a disco...

The “retirement red zone” is the 5 years before and after retirement—a critical time when your decisions about investments, income, and risk can have a lasting impact on your retirement security. In this video, Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy zero in on the 10 Steps to Prepare for Retirement:

✅ Define Your Budget – Why knowing what you’ll spend is the foundation of your plan.

✅ Define Your Sources of Guaranteed Income –...

Once people retire, their spending habits often change. Housing, healthcare, and groceries will still make up a significant part of your budget, however, as Peter with Richon Planning explains to Erin Kennedy since retirement often means more free time, you'll probably be spending more "fun money" on these common expenses:

1. Travel 

2. Recreational Vehicles

3. Vacation Home

4. Hobbies

If you'd like to talk with Peter to create a r...

Join Peter Richon on Dash Town — highlighting local businesses making an impact in Fuquay! Today, we visit with Sarah Wills, who works in sales for Spray-Net, a home improvement company specializing in exterior painting and kitchen cabinet refinishing.

She holds Bachelor's degrees in International Studies and Spanish with focus areas in Latin American Studies and Ethnobiology from Capital University. Her experience includes 18 year...

Investing during market volatility or downturns requires a very different approach. In light of recent volatility and stubborn inflation rates, Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy walk through a few tips, including:

-Is Cash Really King?

-Defensive Stocks: healthcare, utilities, and consumer staples like food and beverages are fairly recession proof

-Dividend Stocks and Fixed Income Investments like Bonds and Structured Not...

Everyone's most favorite retirement account, the 401(k), is a great way to save, but it is just a tool, not a strategy. As Peter with Richon Planning explains to Erin Kennedy, without proper planning, you could face unexpected taxes, income gaps, and market risk.

There's a reason 401ks are known as tax time bombs: beyond being tax-deferred (which means you will pay taxes at an unknown and probably higher rate in the future), the Re...

Roth Conversions can be one of the best strategies to create tax-free income in retirement. And those accounts can grow tax-free indefinitely because they don't have required minimum distributions. In this video, Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy talk through the pros and the cons of converting your tax deferred accounts to Roth accounts while you're still working.

Keep in mind, when you convert those funds, you'll need t...

According to @Vanguard's "Advisor’s Alpha" study, a good financial advisor can add about 3% in net returns *per year* through behavioral coaching, asset allocation, rebalancing, and tax planning. In this video, Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy discuss, in detail, the reasons behind that performance gap. DIY investors often underperform the market because they tend to react emotionally to market movement versus sticking t...

Before you retire, there are very specific questions you should ask your advisor. In this video Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy talk through those questions, which, when answered, can give you a much clearer picture as to whether you are really ready to retire. Those questions are:

1. Am I financially ready to retire? 

2. What income sources will I rely on in retirement?

3. How can I minimize taxes on my retirement inco...

Taxes don’t disappear in retirement. In fact, understanding tax implications becomes even more important when you're retired. In this video, Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy talk through the 4 tax questions you should ask your financial advisor before retiring, including:

1. How will my tax situation change once I retire? 

2. Are there strategies to reduce my tax liability in retirement?

3. Should I consider a Roth conve...

Investing can seem complex and confusing, and you may wonder whether you're doing all you can to achieve your goals. In this video, Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy talk through 5 mistakes you might be making and how to turn things around. Here are those mistakes:

1. Getting out when the going gets tough 

2. Taking on too much (or too little) risk

3. Not rebalancing your portfolio regularly

4. Paying too much in taxes

5....

A new bill, called the Social Security Fairness Act, was just signed into law and will increase payments for nearly 3 million current and former public employees. As Peter with Richon Planning explains to Erin Kennedy, the law repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, which limited benefits for recipients with other pensions.

That means teachers, firefighters and police officers, among other publ...

Join Peter Richon on Dash Town - highlighting local businesses making an impact in Fuquay! Today, we visit with Colton Owczarzak, owner of Iron Varsity, a physical therapy and sports performance business dedicated to helping athletes move, recover, and perform at their best.

Colton holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from High Point University and a Bachelor’s in Exercise Physiology from California State University - Chico. His e...

It's that time of year, time to get ready for tax day. Yes, it's stressful, but as Peter with Richon Planning explains to Erin Kennedy, with a little bit of preparation, it doesn't have to be.

 To set yourself up for success and a stress-free filing, Peter outlines:

-The steps you should take now to ensure you’re fully prepared for tax season

-How to avoid common tax filing mistakes

-How to maximize deductions and credits

If you'd ...

Annuity sales set new records in 2024. In the first nine months of the year, we saw a 23% increase to $331.2 billion! In this video, Peter with Richon Planning and Erin Kennedy walk through why annuity sales have seen a huge jump in sales, and they discuss whether the Fed's decision to lower interest rates will affect their returns.

People often turn to annuities to create sustainable income in retirement. If you'd like to learn mo...