Session 1

Section 1: Life Planning for Retirement

• Traditional vs. new retirement
• New retirement opportunities
• Values and objectives in nine areas of life
• The retirement planning process

Section 2: Retirement Needs & Expenses

• Early retirement trends
• How long must your money last?
• Inflation, prices and purchasing power
• Retirement expectations
• How much will you need to retire?
• Can you retire today?

Section 3: Retirement Roadblocks & Mistakes

• Ten retirement planning mistakes
• Financial and cash–flow statements
• Credit and debt
• Taxes and marginal tax rates
• Eleven strategies to save money on taxes
• Taxable investments
• Capital gains income tax exclusion
• Investments with tax advantages

Section 4: Retirement Income Sources

• Traditional IRAs
• Roth IRAs
• IRA to Roth IRA conversions
• Other retirement income sources
• Social Security eligibility and benefits
• Employment income and Social Security
• Employer–sponsored defined benefit plans
• Employer–sponsored defined contribution plans

Section 5: Retirement Plan Distributions

• Retiring or changing jobs?
• Defined benefit and contribution plans
• Three important considerations
• Lump sum vs. IRA transfer vs. annuity payments
• Rollovers, direct rollovers and transfers
• Annuity income and choices
• Early retirement considerations
• Minimum required distributions

Session 2

Section 6: Investments

• Considerations before you invest
• Cash accounts
• Stocks and bonds
• Mutual funds
• Exchange traded funds
• Unit investment trusts
• Individually managed accounts
• Tax–deferred annuities
• Investment risk management strategies

Section 7: Risk Management & Asset Preservation

• Disability income insurance
• Health insurance and Medicare
• Long–term care and insurance
• Comparing life insurance

Section 8: Estate Planning

• Planning for incapacity
• Taxes
• Shortfalls of will–only estates plans
• Probate
• Gifting assets
• Joint ownership of property
• Direct transfer assets
• Types and benefits of trusts

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