The Decisions You Make Today Define Your Retirement.

The Challenge

Tom and Carol had $1.1M in traditional 401(k)s, $180,000 in a brokerage account, and Carol had a teacher's pension. They had never done a Roth conversion and had no plan for RMDs. Their estate plan was from 2008. They attended an MSFE webinar after realizing their projected RMDs at age 73 would push them into the 32% tax bracket — and that their Medicare premiums would increase significantly.

What They Learned

The couple attended the 'Roth Conversion Strategy: The Pre-Retirement Window' webinar and enrolled in the Pre-Retirement Mastery Program. They learned how to model Roth conversions in the years before Social Security and RMDs begin, how Carol's pension affects their Social Security claiming strategy, and how to update their estate plan to reflect their current wealth.

The Outcome

Tom and Carol began a 7-year Roth conversion strategy, converting $80,000 per year at the 22% bracket — before their RMDs would force withdrawals at 32%. They delayed Social Security to age 70, increasing Tom's benefit by 32%. Their estate plan was updated with a revocable trust and updated beneficiary designations. Projected tax savings over retirement: $220,000.

The Challenge

David was planning to sell his business in 3 years for approximately $2.5M. Neither he nor his advisor had modeled the tax impact of the sale — which would generate a $1.8M capital gain. He had no estate plan beyond a basic will, and Susan had $420,000 in a 403(b) with no Roth assets. They had no Social Security claiming strategy.

What They Learned

The couple attended MSFE's 'Tax-Smart Retirement Transition Workshop' and enrolled in the Roth Conversion & Tax Planning for Pre-Retirees course. They learned about installment sales, Qualified Opportunity Zone investments, and charitable remainder trusts as tools to manage the capital gain from the business sale. They also learned how to coordinate Susan's 403(b) withdrawals with Social Security timing.

The Outcome

David structured the business sale as an installment sale over 5 years, spreading the capital gain across multiple tax years. A charitable remainder trust was established to handle a portion of the sale proceeds, generating an income stream and a charitable deduction. Susan began Roth conversions. Their combined Social Security strategy is projected to generate $180,000 more in lifetime benefits.

The Challenge

Michael was a divorced executive with $2.3M in a 401(k), $400,000 in company stock, and a deferred compensation plan paying out over 5 years. He had no estate plan, no trust, and his ex-wife was still listed as beneficiary on his 401(k). He had no long-term care plan and was unaware that his deferred compensation payouts would push him into the highest IRMAA bracket for 5 consecutive years.

What They Learned

Michael attended MSFE's 'Medicare 101: Enrollment, Costs & IRMAA Explained' webinar and enrolled in the Pre-Retirement Mastery Program. He learned how to time his deferred compensation payouts to minimize IRMAA exposure, how to diversify out of concentrated company stock using a tax-efficient strategy, and how to build a comprehensive estate plan as a single person.

The Outcome

Michael corrected his beneficiary designations immediately — a potentially catastrophic error. His deferred compensation payout schedule was restructured to stay below the IRMAA threshold, saving $9,600/year for 5 years. A revocable trust and healthcare directives were established. A long-term care hybrid policy was purchased. His company stock was diversified over 3 years using a tax-loss harvesting strategy.