Common Sense Financial Podcast Podcast Por Brian Skrobonja arte de portada

Common Sense Financial Podcast

Common Sense Financial Podcast

De: Brian Skrobonja
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The Common Sense Financial Podcast is all about finances, mindset and personal growth. The goal is to help you make smart choices with your money in your home and in your business. Some of the podcasts here are historical in nature. They aired before July 1, 2022 and were previously approved by Kalos Capital. The views and statistics discussed in these shows are relevant to that time period and may not be relevant to current events. This is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the particular needs of an individual's situation. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Any references to protection, safety or lifetime income, generally refer to fixed insurance products, never securities or investments. Insurance guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims paying abilities of the issuing carrier. Our firm is not permitted to offer and no statement made during this show shall constitute tax or legal advice. Our firm is not affiliated with or endorsed by the US Government or any governmental agency. The information and opinions contained herein provided by the third parties have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed by our firm. Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC. (MAS), Member FINRA & SIPC. Advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through Skrobonja Wealth Management (SWM), a registered investment advisor. Tax services offered only through Skrobonja Tax Consulting. MAS does not offer Build Banking or tax advice. Skrobonja Financial Group, LLC, Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC, Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC, Skrobonja Tax Consulting, and Build Banking are not affiliated with MAS. Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC is a registered investment adviser. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure.All rights reserved Economía Finanzas Personales
Episodios
  • Tax Deferred to Tax Free: Navigating Taxes in Retirement - Replay
    Dec 24 2025
    In this milestone 100th episode of the Common Sense Financial Podcast, host Brian Skrobonja delves into the critical topic of managing taxes in retirement. The episode focuses on strategies for minimizing tax liabilities, especially for retirees with tax-deferred accounts facing potential hefty tax bills. Brian emphasizes the importance of sustainable income creation during retirement and the role of tax optimization in this process. Most people envision their retirement to be built from predominantly tax-free income, but after many years of deferring taxes, retirees are facing a sizable tax bill on distributions taken from their retirement accounts that could be a third or more of what has been accumulated.When you're saving for retirement, growth of your assets is the priority. But many people don't realize that once they retire that's no longer true. The priority is actually creating sustainable income to support you through retirement while minimizing taxes.A common issue I've seen is future retirees knowing they will owe taxes on their deferred accounts, but not realizing the extent of the problem since the rules change once they retire.Many retirees we work with tend to have the same income goals in retirement, yet with fewer deductions. They no longer have children or mortgage interest to help them offset their tax burdens, which makes the situation more complex.Delaying distributions isn't an option either. Required Minimum Distributions will eventually force your hand.There are two tax problems facing retirees: taxes you will have to contend with today, and taxes that you will have to contend with in the future.With the national deficit continuing to rise, do you expect tax rates to go down in the future or go up? The most likely answer is that tax rates are on the rise, so we should be planning accordingly.There are two possibilities to help minimize the level at which you participate in paying your fair share towards the government's future revenue increases. You can either complete a Roth conversion or through tax deferred withdrawals contribute to an overfunded permanent life insurance policy.Making the decision of which strategy to implement is the easy part. The trick really is completing this process with minimal tax liabilities, which requires specialized knowledge.The progressive nature of the code makes understanding your tax burden complicated and miscalculating this could result in having a larger tax liability than anticipated.Depending on your income level, a taxable distribution can subject your Social Security to additional taxes. This is a separate calculation from the income tax brackets and uses a two step process to determine how much of your social security will be subject to taxation.This is important to know because a taxable distribution may not only push you into a higher income tax bracket, but it could trigger additional taxes on your social security, which could result in a higher effective rate.You should also be aware of the impact a taxable distribution can have on Medicare premiums. The impact of any possible premium increase is typically delayed by two years. This is one of those things that often comes as a surprise when people make decisions about distributions.The antidote to taxable income is deductions, credits and losses which can help reduce the net income subject to tax. There are a few options that can help offset the burden of taxes and make the transition from tax-deferred to tax-free easier, but they don't work for everyone, which is why we recommend working with a professional.The first thing is a donor advised fund or DAF. This allows you to contribute future charitable donations into a fund that you control when distributions are made that can also receive the tax benefit of the donation in the year you make the contribution into the fund. By making multiple years of donations in a single year into that fund, you have the potential of helping offset a taxable distribution from your retirement account in that year.The second is a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT), where you can contribute future charitable donations into the trust and receive the tax benefit of the donation in the year you make the contribution. You can also receive income from the trust while you're living within IRS limits. A CRT is a more complex arrangement than a DAF with many options and requires an attorney to draft the trust.The third is a qualified charitable donation or QCD, which allows for anyone over the age of 70 and a half to make a direct donation from a qualified account to a charity.The fourth is something known as IDCs, or intangible drilling costs, which allows accredited investors to participate in the drilling expenses of an oil and gas company that could provide reportable tax losses that can help offset all forms of income, as well as the potential for cash flow back to the investor once the wells are operational. Mentioned in this episode: ...
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    18 m
  • Are You Prepared for the Evolution of Retirement? - Replay
    Dec 17 2025
    In this podcast episode, Brian Skrobonja takes us on a thought-provoking journey through the evolving concept of retirement. As we dive into the past, present, and future of retirement, Brian helps us unravel the complexities of this modern-day concept which, though deeply ingrained in our society, is relatively new in human history. This episode is essential for anyone planning for retirement, offering a fresh perspective on how to approach this significant life stage in the context of rapid societal shifts, economic developments, and increasing human longevity. We start off by exploring the concept of retirement and its transformation from ancient societies to the modern era.The Industrial Revolution marked a significant shift from agrarian societies to industrial ones, influencing how people viewed work and retirement. It even shaped the way that families and communities lived together.The change in how work was done over the centuries resulted in the creation of a retirement system based on pensions, which was the precursor to modern-day retirement benefits.In the 1900's, Social Security was introduced which shifted the responsibility from families and communities onto the government.In a relatively short period of time, the concept of retirement has changed drastically, and the pace of change is continuing to accelerate. Based on the way technology and healthcare are developing, it's very likely that retirement will look very different in the future as well.As the Baby Boomer generation progresses toward retirement, it will put tremendous strain on programs like Social Security and Medicare due to a considerably lower worker-to-retiree ratio than ever before in history.The programs and retirement paradigm will change, similar to the way that pensions underwent change. Pensions used to be the default vehicle for retirement but have become scarce and relegated, mainly for those with government jobs.According to the Social Security Administration, benefits are projected to run negative by 2033. And according to the Congressional Budget Office, the national debt is projected to reach $52 trillion in 2033.Life expectancy also continues to rise, which puts pressure on the current retirement paradigm from another angle. With new breakthroughs in human longevity, the concept of retirement will have to adapt.Retirement was once considered a necessary transition when a person was no longer productive in their work and had a short life expectancy once retired. Today, people retire when they're still fully capable of working. That reality is widening the chasm between the number of workers and retirees, as well as the financial resources needed to sustain retirement for longer periods of time.Retirement needs to be redefined, since the reality of shorter lifespans is no longer the case for most people.There are three factors that contribute to success in retirement.The first is contribution. The longer you contribute, the better. Perhaps redefining expectations after the age of 60 and looking toward a second half of life with a meaningful career or business may be called for.The second is prevention. The longer your retirement is, the more risks are amplified and can have a significant impact. Finding ways to move things into your control helps prevent unforeseen problems that put your retirement at risk. Examples of this include: insurance, annuities, and tax-free investments.The third is delegation. Retirement planning is a team sport. You can delegate the heavy lifting of a retirement plan to financial advisors, attorneys, insurance agents and CPAs and then use that collective wisdom to implement the actual plan. Mentioned in this episode: BrianSkrobonja.com Common Sense Financial Podcast on YouTube Common Sense Financial Podcast on Spotify References for this episode: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2023/aging-america-retirees-workforce-economy/ https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/TRSUM/index.html https://www.cbo.gov/publication/58946 https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/IndustrialRevolutionandtheStandardofLiving.html#:~:text=On%20the%20other%20hand%2C%20according,come%2C%20it%20was%20nevertheless%20substantial https://www.ssa.gov/history/lifeexpect.html#:~:text=Life%20expectancy%20at%20birth%20in,and%20paid%20into%20Social%20Security https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/USA/united-states/life-expectancy#:~:text=The%20current%20life%20expectancy%20for,a%200.08%25%20increase%20from%202020 https://www.diamandis.com/blog/mark-hyman https://www.kiplinger.com/taxes/what-to-do-before-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-tcja-provisions-sunset Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC. (MAS), Member FINRA &SIPC. Advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through Skrobonja Wealth Management (SWM), a registered investment advisor. Tax services offered only through Skrobonja Tax Consulting. MAS does not offer Build Banking or tax ...
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    16 m
  • The Three Retirement Mindsets That Could Have A Negative Impact On Your Retirement Plans - Replay
    Dec 10 2025
    In this episode, Brian Skrobonja goes over the three main retirement mindsets that could negatively impact your retirement plans. He sheds light on what most retirees get wrong about retirement planning, why being confident doesn't eliminate investment risks, and what to consider when hiring a financial planner. Brian goes over three retirement mindsets that have the potential to derail even the best-laid retirement plans.He starts by explaining that there is more to the conversation around retirement than just having a permanent vacation.Retirement is not a destination; it's a transition into a new stage of life.The different mindsets you need when saving money and growing a nest egg versus spending and withdrawing money from your retirement accounts.Mindset #1 - The Idea That Annuities Are Bad. For Brian, retirement is about having a steady stream of income you can rely on no matter what Wall Street throws your way.Brian reveals that most retirees want consistency and predictability in retirement--they want to know exactly how much money they have coming in each month.Annuities are designed specifically to deliver this predictability and remove guesswork out of producing income for retirement.Remember, stock market risks are real and they don't disappear just because an investor is optimistic about what could potentially happen. Mindset #2 - The idea of the status quo of the stock market in retirement. Some people believe that a well-diversified portfolio will predictably turn out enough profit to sustain them throughout retirement.According to Brian, what is missing from this ideology is that the market doesn't go up in a straight line. If you experience a 50% loss, 50% in earnings will not get you back to even; you need 100%. And if you're making withdrawals, that only compounds the problem.Brian reveals why the stock market is a great tool for wealth creation--but only if you allow the money to grow and aren't making withdrawals for income purposes. Mindset #3 - Fee anchoring. What is a fee anchor? It's the amount someone has in their mind for what they should pay for financial related advice.When considering a fee for an advisor, it's important to understand that it's less about the fee and more about what you're getting in return.A fee is only an issue when there is a vacuum of value.For Brian, if you try to get an advisor to cut their fees, the more experienced and valued advisors will not take you as a client.Brian explains why finding the right advisor can be invaluable, especially when it comes to navigating complex financial products like annuities, private markets, or selling a business.Fees are important and you should understand them, but Brian encourages people to not use them as the primary consideration for making a decision. Mentioned in this episode: BrianSkrobonja.com SkrobonjaFinancial.com SkrobonjaWealth.com BUILDbanking.com Common Sense Financial Podcast on YouTube Common Sense Financial Podcast on Spotify Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC. (MAS), Member FINRA & SIPC. Advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through Skrobonja Wealth Management (SWM), a registered investment advisor. Tax services offered only through Skrobonja Tax Consulting. MAS does not offer Build Banking or tax advice. Skrobonja Financial Group, LLC, Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC, Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC, Skrobonja Tax Consulting, and Build Banking are not affiliated with MAS. Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC is a registered investment adviser. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. The firm is a registered investment adviser with the state of Missouri, and may only transact business with residents of those states, or residents of other states where otherwise legally permitted subject to exemption or exclusion from registration requirements. Registration with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities authority does not imply a certain level of skill or training. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Madison Avenue Securities, LLC This material contains forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Actual future results and trends may differ materially from what is forecast. Investing involves risk including the potential loss of principal. Consider your risk tolerance and specific situation before investing. Investments in securities are subject to investment risk, including possible loss of principal. Prices of securities may fluctuate from time to time and may even become valueless. Carefully read all of the ...
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    19 m
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