Jeffrey Mohlman, CTS®, CES™

Because taxes will be the biggest drain on your retirement I focus my retirement strategies on tax strategy to provide more certainty leading up to and into retirement. It never made sense to me, and you might see it the same way. How could anyone ever say they have 'planned for retirement' if the planning process does not focus on taxes?

We live in a society that for some reason thought that it would be a good idea to tax defer as much money as possible to a future date in which we plan to retire. That might be okay in a world where we can count on the government to limit spending and keep a 'rainy day fund'.

For the majority of people who chose this route that means they have to choose; Save more, much more to account for the increase in the amount you will need to withdrawal each month to account for Uncle Sam's increased share. Work longer to be able to accumulate more assets and begin decumulating those assets at a later date. Or work with someone who has the knowledge, experience and team to create a customized tax efficient strategy for you and your family.

A successful strategy will minimize taxation, fees and risk while increasing liquidity throughout your working years and into retirement.