The Power Of Zero Show

When is a good time to start your Social Security?

David McKnight reveals why smart retirement planning means waiting until age 70 for reasons that have nothing to do with a bigger check… and everything to do with the years in between being your best window for Roth conversions. 

• In this episode, David McKnight addresses one of...

Should you stop your Roth conversions at the 22% tax rate, or push into the 24% bracket? 

David McKnight responds to a viewer's detailed case for stopping early, revealing why optimizing this year's tax bill can be the wrong retirement planning move over a 30-year horizon. You'll discover his "rip the band-aid off" approach and why saving money on taxes today isn't a victory if it costs you more tomor...

Is putting your entire retirement planning strategy into 30-year treasuries really the safe bet it seems? 

David McKnight reveals why this approach could expose you to two hidden risks, and explains how the stock market and annuities might hold the real key to protecting your income.

• In this episode, David McKnight looks at whether pu...

Dave Ramsey says retirees can safely withdraw 8% a year from the stock market, but does his retirement planning math actually hold up?

David McKnight breaks down why Ramsey's approach overlooks a critical risk, and why annuities may be the missing piece to sustainably boosting your retirement income beyond the traditional 4% Rule.

• In this ...

Most Americans hate annuities and would tell you to avoid them… But what if the version you've been warned about isn't the only option for retirement planning?

David McKnight breaks down a strategy that's quietly helping retirees sleep better at night and safeguard themselves against the 3 biggest annuities-related problems. 

• I...

Should every dollar go into a Roth 401(k) if taxes will be higher?

David McKnight reveals why that instinct could actually be one of the most expensive tax decisions a high-income earner can make when it comes to retirement planning.

• In this episode, David McKnight addresses two frequently asked questions: "If tax rates are going to be hig...

Should you stop doing Roth conversions as part of your retirement planning after Senator Ron Wyden's new legislation targeting specific retirement accounts? David McKnight breaks down the key aspects of the proposal and what it actually means for the average American (and their retirement). 

Show Notes

• In this episode, David McK...

One spouse passes away, and suddenly the survivor is filing alone, pushed into tax brackets they never saw coming. David McKnight explains why a Roth conversion, done now through smart retirement planning, could spare your loved ones the painful surprise known as Widow's Penalty.

Show Notes

• In this episode, David McKnight discusses s...

David McKnight addresses one of the biggest fears people have as they approach retirement: "What if I retire right into a market crash?".

Not only this represents one of the biggest challenges in retirement planning but it's also one of the reasons why David advocates for protecting yourself from sequence of returns risk. 

When i...

In this episode, David McKnight walks you through the five biggest Roth conversion traps, and how to avoid them.

He is a big believer in Roth conversions. 

Because of the apocalyptic fiscal trajectory of the U.S., taxes in the future are likely to be dramatically higher than they are today.

Hence,...

David McKnight addresses one of the most common questions he gets: "If tax rates are going to be dramatically higher in the future, shouldn't I be putting every dollar into a Roth 401(k)?".

Moreover, people often wonder whether they should be converting as much of their IRA to Roth as quickly as possible.

David is a firm believer that...

In today's episode, David McKnight discusses what many people don't get about the IRS and what happens to their IRA and what their children are supposed to get at some point.

Many people spend decades building up tax-affirmed retirement accounts without fully appreciating what happens when those accounts pass to the next generation.

W...

David McKnight kicks off this Power of Zero Show episode by stressing that, in his opinion, tax rates in the future are likely to be much higher than they are today.

Why? Because the U.S. has a national debt that continues to grow at an alarming rate. It has hundreds of trillions of dollars in unfunded obligations for programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

At some point, the Government is going to need huge infusion...

David McKnight discusses the Woman's World article Suze Orman Reveals When to Buy an Annuity - and the One Question You Must Answer First.

For years, Orman has warned investors away from annuities, often lumping them into the category of expensive financial products that enrich salespeople at the expense of consumers.

David has been surprised by what the current views of Orman appear to be, completely in line with what David has be...

In this episode, David McKnight addresses one of the biggest myths in retirement planning: once you retire, you need to dramatically reduce your exposure to stocks.

The reason why most financial advisors recommend reducing stock exposure in retirement has very little to do with stocks and everything to do with sequence of returns risk.

Sequence of returns risk is what happens when you're forced to withdraw money from your investmen...

David McKnight kicks this episode off by explaining how, for decades, conventional financial wisdom has been saying that, as you approach retirement, you should begin dialing down your stock exposure and increasing your bond allocation.

A 60-year-old, for example, would have 40% of their portfolio in stocks and 60% in bonds. 

Historically, bonds served three primary functions: They provided income, they reduced portfolio volat...