Maximizing Your Tax-Free Wealth & Income For Retirement | Ed Slott

Smart retirement planning is key to living well after you've stopped working.Sadly many Americans find themselves falling behind.According to the Federal Reserve’s “Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households” report, 65% of Americans either believe their retirement savings are off track or aren’t sure. For those who do have retirement accounts, the median savings balance stands at $87,000 -- far too little to retire on.Today's guest is going to tell us how to increase your odds of not only being able to afford to retire, but doing so with ample excess to live your golden years the way you want.Ed Slott, CPA, is a renowned IRA distribution expert, author, and professional speaker known as "America’s IRA Expert." He is the founder of Ed Slott and Company, creator of the Elite IRA Advisor Group, and a Professor of Practice at The American College of Financial Services. He focuses on advanced tax strategies for retirement savings. HAVE QUESTIONS? SCHEDULE YOUR FREE PORTFOLIO REVIEW with Thoughtful Money's endorsed financial advisors at https://www.thoughtfulmoney.com#rothconversion #rothira #retirementplanning 0:00 Retirement Savings Crisis2:53 #1 Mistake in Retirement Planning3:46 Always Pay Taxes at the Lowest Rates6:42 Why Roth IRAs Are Great For Tax-Free Wealth9:36 The Real Risk of Doing Nothing15:09 Widow's Penalty Explained19:21 The Secret to Lifetime Tax Savings32:43 Roth Conversions Explained39:39 Creative Strategy: Gift Up the Family Tree49:06 Using Annuities For Tax-Free Income In Retirement_____________________________________________ Thoughtful Money LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor Promoter.We produce educational content geared for the individual investor. It’s important to note that this content is NOT investment advice, individual or otherwise, nor should be construed as such.We recommend that most investors, especially if inexperienced, should consider benefiting from the direction and guidance of a qualified financial advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities regulators who can develop & implement a personalized financial plan based on a customer’s unique goals, needs & risk tolerance.IMPORTANT NOTE: There are risks associated with investing in securities.Investing in stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, money market funds, and other types of securities involve risk of loss. Loss of principal is possible. Some high risk investments may use leverage, which will accentuate gains & losses. Foreign investing involves special risks, including a greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods.A security’s or a firm’s past investment performance is not a guarantee or predictor of future investment performance.Thoughtful Money and the Thoughtful Money logo are trademarks of Thoughtful Money LLC.Copyright © 2026 Thoughtful Money LLC. All rights reserved.

Smart retirement planning is key to living well after you've stopped working.Sadly many Americans find themselves falling behind.According to the Federal Reserve’s “Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households” report, 65% of Americans either believe their retirement savings are off track or aren’t sure. For those who do have retirement accounts, the median savings balance stands at $87,000 -- far too little to retire on.Today's guest is going to tell us how to increase your odds of not only being able to afford to retire, but doing so with ample excess to live your golden years the way you want.Ed Slott, CPA, is a renowned IRA distribution expert, author, and professional speaker known as "America’s IRA Expert." He is the founder of Ed Slott and Company, creator of the Elite IRA Advisor Group, and a Professor of Practice at The American College of Financial Services. He focuses on advanced tax strategies for retirement savings. HAVE QUESTIONS? SCHEDULE YOUR FREE PORTFOLIO REVIEW with Thoughtful Money's endorsed financial advisors at https://www.thoughtfulmoney.com#rothconversion #rothira #retirementplanning _____________________________________________ Thoughtful Money LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor Promoter.We produce educational content geared for the individual investor. It’s important to note that this content is NOT investment advice, individual or otherwise, nor should be construed as such.We recommend that most investors, especially if inexperienced, should consider benefiting from the direction and guidance of a qualified financial advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities regulators who can develop & implement a personalized financial plan based on a customer’s unique goals, needs & risk tolerance.IMPORTANT NOTE: There are risks associated with investing in securities.Investing in stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, money market funds, and other types of securities involve risk of loss. Loss of principal is possible. Some high risk investments may use leverage, which will accentuate gains & losses. Foreign investing involves special risks, including a greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods.A security’s or a firm’s past investment performance is not a guarantee or predictor of future investment performance.Thoughtful Money and the Thoughtful Money logo are trademarks of Thoughtful Money LLC.Copyright © 2026 Thoughtful Money LLC. All rights reserved.

There is so much short-term worry in the financial markets right now, that even a whiff of good news could send stocks into a face-ripping rally claims portfolio manager Lance Roberts.That's not to say there still aren't reasons to be concerned that lower prices may lie ahead.But don't ignore the reflexible upward potential of stock prices given how dominant the fear trade has been over the past few weeks.Lance and I discuss the odds of such a rally, plus discuss rising credit spreads, rising bond yields, high oil prices and other implications of the Iran war. And of course, we discuss Lance's firm's latest trades.For everything that mattered to markets this week, watch this video.WORRIED ABOUT THE MARKET? SCHEDULE YOUR FREE PORTFOLIO REVIEW with Thoughtful Money's endorsed financial advisors at https://www.thoughtfulmoney.com#oilprice #iranwar #inflation _____________________________________________ Thoughtful Money LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor Promoter.We produce educational content geared for the individual investor. It’s important to note that this content is NOT investment advice, individual or otherwise, nor should be construed as such.We recommend that most investors, especially if inexperienced, should consider benefiting from the direction and guidance of a qualified financial advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities regulators who can develop & implement a personalized financial plan based on a customer’s unique goals, needs & risk tolerance.All the details on Thoughtful Money's relationship with the financial advisors it endorses, many of whom regularly appear on this program, can be found in the following documents. We highly recommend you review these documents as they cover the terms that will apply should you choose to work with one of these firms at any time after watching this video.Thoughtful Money Disclosure Document: https://thoughtfulmoney.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Thoughtful-Money-Disclosure-Document-12.6.23.pdf?pid=227Thoughtful Money Agreement: https://thoughtfulmoney.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Thoughtful-Money-Agreement-Agreement.docx?pid=227IMPORTANT NOTE: There are risks associated with investing in securities.Investing in stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, money market funds, and other types of securities involve risk of loss. Loss of principal is possible. Some high risk investments may use leverage, which will accentuate gains & losses. Foreign investing involves special risks, including a greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods.A security’s or a firm’s past investment performance is not a guarantee or predictor of future investment performance.Thoughtful Money and the Thoughtful Money logo are trademarks of Thoughtful Money LLC.Copyright © 2026 Thoughtful Money LLC. All rights reserved.

SCHEDULE YOUR FREE CONSULTATION WITH TED'S FIRM at https://www.thoughtfulmoney.com/oxbowThe extreme valuations, heightened uncertainty and potential threats in today's financial markets lead high-net worth advisor Ted Oakley to encourage investors to raise cash at this time."If you don't have at least 20-25% in cash or T-bills, I think you're taking a bigger risk", he warns.The danger he sees is both the earnings and earnings multiples of stocks declining, hitting investors from both directions.To find out how he's investing client capital right now, watch this video.#oilprices #goldprice #marketcorrection _____________________________________________ Thoughtful Money LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor Promoter.We produce educational content geared for the individual investor. It’s important to note that this content is NOT investment advice, individual or otherwise, nor should be construed as such.We recommend that most investors, especially if inexperienced, should consider benefiting from the direction and guidance of a qualified financial advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities regulators who can develop & implement a personalized financial plan based on a customer’s unique goals, needs & risk tolerance.IMPORTANT NOTE: There are risks associated with investing in securities.Investing in stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, money market funds, and other types of securities involve risk of loss. Loss of principal is possible. Some high risk investments may use leverage, which will accentuate gains & losses. Foreign investing involves special risks, including a greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods.A security’s or a firm’s past investment performance is not a guarantee or predictor of future investment performance.Thoughtful Money and the Thoughtful Money logo are trademarks of Thoughtful Money LLC.Copyright © 2026 Thoughtful Money LLC. All rights reserved.

The Trump Administration is now openly saying it may "take Cuba next".What does that mean?What would it look like?And why does the US want to do this?To address, RANE's LatAm analyst Mario Braga joins us for this livestream where he'll provide his latest assessment of the situation and take live audience Q&ABUY THE REPLAY OF THOUGHTFUL MONEY'S SPRING ONLINE CONFERENCE at https://www.thoughtfulmoney.com/conference#cuba #monroedoctrine #venezuela _____________________________________________Thoughtful Money LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor Promoter.We produce educational content geared for the individual investor. It’s important to note that this content is NOT investment advice, individual or otherwise, nor should be construed as such.We recommend that most investors, especially if inexperienced, should consider benefiting from the direction and guidance of a qualified financial advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities regulators who can develop & implement a personalized financial plan based on a customer’s unique goals, needs & risk tolerance.IMPORTANT NOTE: There are risks associated with investing in securities.Investing in stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, money market funds, and other types of securities involve risk of loss. Loss of principal is possible. Some high risk investments may use leverage, which will accentuate gains & losses. Foreign investing involves special risks, including a greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods.A security’s or a firm’s past investment performance is not a guarantee or predictor of future investment performance.Thoughtful Money and the Thoughtful Money logo are trademarks of Thoughtful Money LLC.Copyright © 2026 Thoughtful Money LLC. All rights reserved.

BUY THE REPLAY of the full Thoughtful Money conference here at https://thoughtfulmoney.com/conferenceWell, the Spring Thoughtful Money conference was held online this past weekend and I’m delighted to say the event was a real success.That was due primarily to the amazing line-up of speakers who presented and took live audience Q&A throughout the insight-packed 11-hour day.Lacy Hunt delivered the keynote, followed by Ed Dowd, Luke Gromen, Michael Howell, Melody Wright, Michael Oliver, Stephanie Pomboy & Grant Williams, Brent Johnson, Darius Dale, Matt Taibbi, Judy Shelton & Danielle DiMartino Booth, Andy Schectman, Rick Rule, David Hay, Lyn Alden, New Harbor Financial and Jonathan Wellum. And Jeff Clark provided a bonus video focused on gold & silver mining stocks.For those of you who didn’t attend, I thought you’d enjoy hearing some of the conference highlights.You can also lock in your Early Bird ticket price to our Fall 2026 online conference at 0% inflation at https://thoughtfulmoney.com/fall#recession #investing #marketcorrection_____________________________________________ Thoughtful Money LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor Promoter.We produce educational content geared for the individual investor. It’s important to note that this content is NOT investment advice, individual or otherwise, nor should be construed as such.We recommend that most investors, especially if inexperienced, should consider benefiting from the direction and guidance of a qualified financial advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities regulators who can develop & implement a personalized financial plan based on a customer’s unique goals, needs & risk tolerance.IMPORTANT NOTE: There are risks associated with investing in securities.Investing in stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, money market funds, and other types of securities involve risk of loss. Loss of principal is possible. Some high risk investments may use leverage, which will accentuate gains & losses. Foreign investing involves special risks, including a greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods.A security’s or a firm’s past investment performance is not a guarantee or predictor of future investment performance.Thoughtful Money and the Thoughtful Money logo are trademarks of Thoughtful Money LLC.Copyright © 2026 Thoughtful Money LLC. All rights reserved.

Canada financial advisor Jonathan Wellum of Rocklinc Investment Partners gives an update on the current stock market situation.He concerned that the odds of a "market retrenchment" look uncomfortably high now that oil prices are surging.#marketcorrection #oilprice #stockmarket _____________________________________________ Thoughtful Money LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor Promoter.We produce educational content geared for the individual investor. It’s important to note that this content is NOT investment advice, individual or otherwise, nor should be construed as such.We recommend that most investors, especially if inexperienced, should consider benefiting from the direction and guidance of a qualified financial advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities regulators who can develop & implement a personalized financial plan based on a customer’s unique goals, needs & risk tolerance.IMPORTANT NOTE: There are risks associated with investing in securities.Investing in stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, money market funds, and other types of securities involve risk of loss. Loss of principal is possible. Some high risk investments may use leverage, which will accentuate gains & losses. Foreign investing involves special risks, including a greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods.A security’s or a firm’s past investment performance is not a guarantee or predictor of future investment performance.Thoughtful Money and the Thoughtful Money logo are trademarks of Thoughtful Money LLC.Copyright © 2026 Thoughtful Money LLC. All rights reserved.

PURCHASE THE REPLAY OF THOUGHTFUL MONEY'S SPRING ONLINE CONFERENCE at https://www.thoughtfulmoney.com/conferenceThe S&P just broke below its 200 Daily Moving Average, which is a critical support level.This substantially increases the odds that stocks could really start to drop materially from here.Lance and I discuss which indicators he's be monitoring most closely over the next few weeks to determine whether a true break down is indeed starting now or not. We also discuss the impact of spiking oil prices, the concerns of private credit and his firm's latest trades.For everything that mattered to markets this week, watch this video.#oilprice #iranwar #privatecredit _____________________________________________ Thoughtful Money LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor Promoter.We produce educational content geared for the individual investor. It’s important to note that this content is NOT investment advice, individual or otherwise, nor should be construed as such.We recommend that most investors, especially if inexperienced, should consider benefiting from the direction and guidance of a qualified financial advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities regulators who can develop & implement a personalized financial plan based on a customer’s unique goals, needs & risk tolerance.IMPORTANT NOTE: There are risks associated with investing in securities.Investing in stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, money market funds, and other types of securities involve risk of loss. Loss of principal is possible. Some high risk investments may use leverage, which will accentuate gains & losses. Foreign investing involves special risks, including a greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods.A security’s or a firm’s past investment performance is not a guarantee or predictor of future investment performance.Thoughtful Money and the Thoughtful Money logo are trademarks of Thoughtful Money LLC.Copyright © 2026 Thoughtful Money LLC. All rights reserved.

The Trump Administration reports it is decimating Iran's ruling regime and military capacity, claiming the war is all but won and should end soon.Others see Iran's continued strikes on key infrastructure, ships & civilians across it Gulf neighbors and worry the US is becoming stuck in another long-term Mideast quagmire.Which version is closer to reality?To address, RANE's Mideast analyst Ryan Bohl joins us for this livestream where he'll provide his latest assessment of the situation and take live audience Q&AFollow Ryan on X at @Ryan_BohlOr on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanbohl#iranwar #geopolitics #oilprice 00:00 - Ryan's high-level geopolitical framing: Power rankings02:20 - Why Iran qualifies as a middle power 03:30 - U.S. historical experience04:30 - Trump's strategy misapplied to Iran05:40 - Was this a miscalculation or a planned high-risk scenario?07:10 - Realistic "declare victory & leave" outcome?08:50 - Iran's incentive to prolong economic pain10:55 - If U.S. pulls out soon, will Iran keep disrupting the Strait of Hormuz / energy flows?14:45 - Escalation to destroying Iran's own energy infrastructure16:50 - Supply disruption vs. supply destruction18:30 - Risk of tit-for-tat energy war spiraling across the Gulf19:50 - Could this war accelerate global shift away from Gulf oil?21:40 - Gulf states' adaptation23:20 - Iran's "hostage strategy"24:55 - Probability GCC states join the war26:50 - UAE's potential interest in retaking Abu Musa / Tunb islands28:40 - Limited allied involvement32:15 - If U.S. declares victory & withdraws34:50 - Requirements for truly ending the Iranian threat36:20 - Iran's post-war alignment choices 38:55 - Low probability of near-term internal uprising / regime change from within40:50 - U.S. political will remains the fragile variable43:00 - Current status of Iran's ballistic / drone capabilities45:50 - Limits of air power alone47:40 - Nuclear program assessment50:55 - Most probable next chapter55:20 - Broader economic tailwinds_____________________________________________Thoughtful Money LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor Promoter.We produce educational content geared for the individual investor. It’s important to note that this content is NOT investment advice, individual or otherwise, nor should be construed as such.We recommend that most investors, especially if inexperienced, should consider benefiting from the direction and guidance of a qualified financial advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities regulators who can develop & implement a personalized financial plan based on a customer’s unique goals, needs & risk tolerance.IMPORTANT NOTE: There are risks associated with investing in securities.Investing in stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, money market funds, and other types of securities involve risk of loss. Loss of principal is possible. Some high risk investments may use leverage, which will accentuate gains & losses. Foreign investing involves special risks, including a greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods.A security’s or a firm’s past investment performance is not a guarantee or predictor of future investment performance.Thoughtful Money and the Thoughtful Money logo are trademarks of Thoughtful Money LLC.Copyright © 2026 Thoughtful Money LLC. All rights reserved.

Right now the world's attention is focused on Iran, which is under siege by the US and Israel.But many in America think the real threat to Amercia -- economically and geostrategically -- is a different country, perhaps one the war in Iran is designed to weaken = China.Many viewers of this channel have been asking for a deep dive on China -- its capabilities, its motivations and its likely future actions.Well today we're delivering on that. I have the good fortune to welcome to the program Peter Alexander, Founder & CEO of Z-Ben Advisors, a leading provider of market intelligence and strategic advice on every facet of China’s asset management industry.#china #geopolitics #monroedoctrine _____________________________________________ Thoughtful Money LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor Promoter.We produce educational content geared for the individual investor. It’s important to note that this content is NOT investment advice, individual or otherwise, nor should be construed as such.We recommend that most investors, especially if inexperienced, should consider benefiting from the direction and guidance of a qualified financial advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities regulators who can develop & implement a personalized financial plan based on a customer’s unique goals, needs & risk tolerance.IMPORTANT NOTE: There are risks associated with investing in securities.Investing in stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, money market funds, and other types of securities involve risk of loss. Loss of principal is possible. Some high risk investments may use leverage, which will accentuate gains & losses. Foreign investing involves special risks, including a greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods.A security’s or a firm’s past investment performance is not a guarantee or predictor of future investment performance.Thoughtful Money and the Thoughtful Money logo are trademarks of Thoughtful Money LLC.Copyright © 2026 Thoughtful Money LLC. All rights reserved.