The Retirement Planners of America Podcast

Choosing health coverage in the years before Medicare can be confusing—and costly. Ken Moraif and licensed health-insurance pro Lynn Timm break down practical options: when COBRA makes sense, when an ACA (Affordable Care Act) Marketplace plan may be a better fit, and how to think about timing and transitions.

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Medicare can be confusing when phone calls, mailers, and pop-up offers ramp up. In this episode, Ken Moraif and Medicare specialist Lynn Timm explain practical ways to protect yourself: how unsolicited plan “switch” calls happen, why beneficiary forms and provider networks matter, how Part D changes can affect prescriptions, and why your safest move is working with a trusted, licensed professional who knows your needs and doctors.<...

Geopolitics is back on the front page—Venezuela sanctions shifts, unrest in Iran, and fresh supply/demand puzzles for global oil. In this episode, Jordan, and Jeremy unpack what rising or falling crude could mean for U.S. gas prices, market leadership, and long-term retirement planning. We cover sequencing risk, diversification, and why disciplined rules matter more than headlines.

If you’re retired or retiring soon, your ...

Medicaid headlines can be confusing—and costly. In this episode, Ken talks with benefits expert Lynn Timm about how fraud can slip into large public programs and what states are doing to strengthen oversight. We also discuss practical steps families can use to keep paperwork current and avoid unintended gaps in coverage and in future episodes we'll give you tips to avoid being a victim of Medicare and Medicaid scams.

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Is the streaming landscape on the verge of a mega-merger? In this episode, Ken Moraif (with Jeremy and Jordan) breaks down the Netflix/Warner Bros/Paramount bidding battle, why lawmakers are pushing antitrust scrutiny, and how consolidation could reshape streaming, movie theaters, and broad market exposure. We also talk about concentration risk inside major indexes and why diversification still matters.

We keep it practica...

Buy-and-hold has a place—but retirement brings new risks like sequence-of-returns, required withdrawals, and tax considerations. In this conversation, Ken and the team break down how market downturns can affect lifetime income, why diversification alone may not limit losses, and where a rules-based “sell discipline” can fit into a retirement plan.

We cover:
• Sequence-of-returns risk and why early losses can sting in r...

How much market risk do you actually need to reach your retirement goals? In this episode, Ken and Jeremy walk through the trade-off between return and volatility, how mix (e.g., 60/40 vs. 30/70) changes portfolio behavior, why diversification helps—but isn’t a cure-all—and why the “most important decade” (five years before and five years after retirement) deserves extra care.
Ready to talk through your plan? Visit rpoa.com to ...

Will your savings reliably support you through your retirement years?

In this episode of the Retirement Planners of America podcast, Ken Moraif and co-host Jeremy Thornton walk through their Retirement Cash Flow Plan framework — a practical way to think about income, withdrawals, taxes, inflation, and bear markets when you’re in (or approaching) retirement.

Using a real-world style example, they discuss:

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Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) can impact taxes, Medicare premiums, and cash-flow in retirement. In this episode, Ken Moraif and Jeremy Thornton explain when RMDs start (age rules), how the penalties work, and practical ways retirees plan ahead—like tax-bracket management, Roth conversions, qualified charitable distributions (QCDs), spousal planning, and timing tactics that help you stay organized and invested.

RPOA...

Inflation eats into purchasing power—especially once pay raises stop. In this episode, Ken and Jeremy cover practical, level-headed ways retirees can plan for inflation without hype: from choosing where to keep cash, to timing Social Security, budgeting with intention, and setting the right mix of stocks versus safer assets.

We keep it simple, educational, and actionable so you can feel more confident about your retirement...

Retirement has a “red zone”: the 5 years before and the 5 years after you retire. Decisions in this window can shape the rest of your financial life. In this episode, Ken Moraif and CIO Jordan Roach discuss why this decade matters, how major market drawdowns have impacted real families, and practical ways to think about risk, withdrawals, and planning so your savings can support your goals for the long run.

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Many families are surprised to learn that while life insurance proceeds are generally income-tax free, they can still be included in your taxable estate if ownership and premium rules aren’t handled correctly. In this episode, Ken and Jeremy break down when a policy may be pulled into your estate and how a properly structured Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT) can help. We also cover the three IRS “ownership/incidents/premiums...

Protecting an inheritance for children and grandkids can be done thoughtfully and within the law. In this episode, we unpack how dynasty (aka generation-skipping) trusts are structured, what they can and cannot do, and why some families use them to help insulate assets from lawsuits, divorce, bankruptcy, and potential estate taxes—subject to state rules and careful drafting. This discussion is educational, not legal advice. Please ...

Thinking about how to pass your home to family the right way? In this episode, Ken and Jeremy walk through the Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT)—what it is, when it’s considered, key trade-offs, and common pitfalls to avoid. You’ll learn high-level concepts like present-value discounting, trust timelines, living arrangements, and why professional advice is essential.
What we cover:
• What a QPRT is (at a high level)...

Thinking about excluding an heir from your estate? This video gives you a clear, education-focused guide to what’s involved, what commonly goes wrong, and legal tools that may help (like living trusts).
What you’ll see in the video:
• Why disinheritance is almost always emotional, not just financial
• Risks to your plan if you don’t set up documents carefully
• How a living trust can help avoid surprises or challeng...

✍️ Estate planning may not be the most glamorous topic—but it’s one of the most important steps you can take to protect your family and your legacy. Without a plan, you risk letting the government decide what happens to your wealth, or worse, creating family conflicts that last for generations.

In this episode of the Retirement Planners of America Podcast, Ken Moraif and Jeremy Thornton break down:
✅ The basics of will...

If you’re not careful, the way you take money out of your retirement accounts could cost you tens of thousands of dollars in unnecessary taxes. The good news? With the right strategy, you can keep more of your hard-earned savings.

In this episode, Ken Moraif (Founder & CEO of Retirement Planners of America) and CIO Jordan Roach cover:
✅ The biggest withdrawal mistakes retirees make
✅ How tax treatment differs a...

What if you could receive your Social Security tax free? Sounds too good to be true — but for millions of retirees, new rules could make it possible until 2029.

In this episode, Ken Moraif (Founder & CEO of Retirement Planners of America) and CIO Jordan Roach break down:
✅ How Social Security is taxed using provisional income
✅ The new $6,000 deduction per person — and what it means for retirees
✅ How retir...

President Trump just signed an executive order that could allow cryptocurrency, real estate, and private equity inside your 401(k).

But what does this mean for retirees and those nearing retirement? Is it a golden opportunity—or a risky move?

In this episode of the Retirement Planners of America Podcast, Ken Moraif and Chief Investment Officer Jordan Roach break it all down:
• The potential benefits of adding ...