The Power Of Zero Show

While on the golf course with his son, David McKnight got asked a question, by a couple of men in their early 70s, every pre-retiree and retiree wonders at some point: “What’s the biggest mistake people make when preparing for retirement?”

Many people spend their entire career saving money in tax-deferred accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs.

As that balance grows larger every year, it’s easy to get the illusion that all that money belon...

For many people, an approach that incorporates whole life insurance has become part of their broader retirement strategy. Is that a good way to go? That’s what David McKnight addresses in this episode.

While Whole Life has some legitimate applications, especially for people who are risk-averse and are looking for guaranteed steady accumulation, there’s an option that does the job more effectively: Indexed Universal Life (IUL).

Davi...

In this episode of The Power of Zero Show, host David McKnight discusses why it may make sense to replace the bonds in your retirement portfolio with a Fixed Index Annuity, and how doing so could lead to a much better outcome for your retirement.

For decades, financial advisors have followed the conventional wisdom of the 60-40, 60% stocks, 40% bonds.

As you approach retirement, that ratio shifts even further in favor of bonds…

…ho...

David sits down with John Manganaro to unpack the advice of financial gurus like Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman. While their guidance has helped countless Americans get out of debt, David explains why their cookie-cutter approach to retirement income planning can fall short.

Why “hope over math” is a dangerous foundation for retirement planning—David explains why advice built on optimistic return assumptions leaves disciplined savers e...

David explains why A.I. could make Universal Basic Income (UBI) a reality sooner than you think. As machines take over more jobs—especially white-collar ones—we may need a new safety net just to keep society stable.

Why UBI is no longer a fringe idea but a serious policy being considered in Washington. It promises monthly cash payments to every adult, regardless of their job or income.

David highlights the staggering cost of UBI if...

David starts by talking about the apocalyptic headwinds facing Social Security and Medicare and what it means for your retirement plan.

The Social Security and Medicare trust funds are projected to be insolvent by 2033, with the combined Social Security trust fund gone by 2034.

David explains why this isn’t just a distant problem: Without intervention, roughly 70 million Americans will face major benefit cuts—23% for Social Securit...

How could postponing your retirement by just five years transform your retirement picture? David McKnight shares mathematical reasons that could help. 

Reason #1 is compounding. As David explains, “When you delay retirement, your money has more time to grow.”

The second reason for considering the postponement of your retirement has to do with the fact that an extra 5 years would give you more time to save.

Reason #3: Worried that y...

In this episode of the Power of Zero Show, David McKnight looks at headlines, such as those from Vanguard, BlackRock or Morningstar, that have predicted a dismal forecast for stock market returns over the next decade.

Since such articles predict 4-5% annual growth for the next decade, many investors are pondering whether they should take some chips off the table.

Back in 2015, those same institutions and companies stressed that val...

The 2025 Social Security Trustees Report is out and the news is bleak. This episode of the Power of Zero Show looks at the potential repercussions if nothing changes by 2033.

If things don't improve, Social Security will face a cash flow deficit that triggers a 23% across-the-board benefit cut - and that's one year earlier than predicted.

But that's not all… in fact, it gets far worse, says host David McKnight.

The system is alread...

Ernst & Young recently came out with a new updated study, which is likely to scandalize mainstream financial experts like they did with their 2021 study.

Back then, they asked the question, “Is the stock market-only retirement approach really the strategy that gives you the highest levels of income and the best outcomes over a 30-year retirement?”

In their new study, on the other hand, they substituted Indexed Universal Life for Wh...

President Trump’s proposed Big Beautiful Bill (BBB), which has been getting everyone’s attention of late, is the topic of this episode of The Power of Zero Show. 

Host David McKnight points out that the “crown jewel” of the BBB is the extension of the 2017 Trump tax cuts.

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCGA) brought about cuts to individual income taxes, corporate taxes, and a dramatic expansion of the estate tax exemption.

While ...

David McKnight addresses Doug Andrew’s recommendation of turning your IRA into an IUL.

David agrees with some of Andrew’s views, including his objection to rolling a 401(k) into an IRA, and then leaving it there until you die.

Given the exploding national debt, most experts predict that taxes 10 years from now will have to rise dramatically to keep the U.S. solvent…

Doug Andrew lists Indexed Universal Life as his “favorite financia...

This episode of The Power of Zero Show revolves around a recent Ray Dalio video in which he issued warnings about the U.S. debt crisis.

In the clip, Dalio appears to be giving America three years to get their act together and to right the fiscal ship of state.

Dalio mentions the draft of his new book that goes through the mechanics of the debt – and highlights the supply-demand problem he believes will occur if the deficit doesn’t ...

David McKnight looks at why many people wait until the fourth quarter to do a Roth conversion, the potential penalties, and what can be done to avoid having to pay underpayment penalties to the IRS.

David begins the episode by highlighting the fact that a lot of investors wait until Q4 before they do a Roth conversion – and they prefer to pay taxes on it in cash instead of simply having the taxes withheld by the IRS.

From a mathema...

In today’s episode, David McKnight focuses on whether you should do a Roth conversion, how much you should convert per year, and whether it’s possible to over-convert to Roth.

David explains that an effective tax rate is the actual percentage of your income that you pay in taxes after accounting for deductions, exemptions, and credits.

For David, the only reason you should do a Roth conversion is if you believe that your effective ...

David McKnight looks at Target Date Funds (TDFs) and why their set-it-and-forget-it approach to investing is NOT something you should rely on.

David kicks things off by explaining how TDFs work, including why they tend to be a popular option for novice investors.

While it sounds like an excellent approach, David points out two major flaws.

“A lot of the problems with TDFs come down to sustainable withdrawal rates in retirement,” sa...

In this episode of the Power of Zero Show, host David McKnight discusses the scenario in which you have maxed out your 401(k) and are wondering where you should invest the rest of your money.

The episode kicks off with David addressing the type of 401(k)s you should be investing in first.

There are two types of 401(k)s: the traditional pre-tax 401(k) and the Roth 401(k).

Should you go for a traditional 401(k) or a Roth 401(k)? It a...

In this episode of the Power of Zero Show, host David McKnight addresses the claim that sees Paul Atkins owning 54 life insurance policies for an astounding 10% of his $327 million net worth.

Someone may ask themselves why someone with such a massive net worth would own so many life insurance policies…and even why someone who has equity in Chinese tech giant Alibaba, holdings in cryptocurrency, and stakes in venture capital firms w...

In this episode of the Power of Zero Show, host David McKnight looks at every possible tax or cost that may result from a Roth conversion.

The first tax you’ll have to pay when executing a Roth conversion is federal income tax. 

Whatever portion of your IRA you convert to Roth is realized as ordinary income and piled right on top of all your other income.

David is an advocate for not converting to Roth unless you think your federal...