The Retirement Domino Effect: Forced Income, Rising Premiums, and Why AI Can't Stop the Fall

Will Your Family Inherit Wealth or a Tax Problem? The Great Wealth Transfer, Retirement Confidence, & Market Panic Mistakes

Will your family inherit wealth—or a tax problem? On this week's episode of Cover Your Assets with Logan & Don, we discuss the Great Wealth Transfer and why inherited IRAs, beneficiary designations, and poor tax planning can leave families with unexpected tax burdens. We also explore Roth conversion strategies, widowhood tax traps, and how to keep more of your hard-earned assets in the hands of your loved ones instead of the IRS. Plus, is retirement really a math problem? We discuss why confidence, behavior, and income planning often matter more than investment returns alone. Finally, we examine why market volatility is not usually what derails retirement plans—emotional reactions, panic selling, and poor decision-making are often the real risks. Learn how proper planning can help create greater confidence, reduce taxes, and keep you on track through changing market conditions.

Is Your Advisor Doing Their Job? Retirement Income, Tax and Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid

Think your advisor is doing a great job? If you only meet once a year (or less), that's your first red flag! This week, Logan and Don expose the biggest retirement planning gaps they see every day; from advisors managing investments without a real income plan to missed tax-saving opportunities, outdated estate plans, and costly beneficiary mistakes. Learn the five retirement mistakes that can quietly derail your future, how to know if your advisor is earning their fee, and why having money is not the same thing as having a plan. Are you building your retirement or your advisor’s? Find out in this episode.

Evict the IRS, Defuse the Tax Bomb, Build the Blueprint & Lock the Gates — Roth Conversions, Smart Income Planning & the Estate Plan Your Family Actually Needs

Your IRA isn't all yours. The IRS is your silent partner — and they didn't ask permission. This week Logan and Don pull no punches. They're breaking down how to evict the IRS with a Roth conversion before the tax sale ends, how to build an income blueprint so you know exactly what you can spend without running out, and why skipping your estate plan doesn't protect your family — it leaves them a legal scavenger hunt while they're grieving. Taxes are on sale. The window is open. And doing nothing is still a decision — it's just the IRS's favorite one. Your family will inherit one of two things: clarity or chaos. This episode decides which.

The Retirement Domino Effect: Forced Income, Rising Premiums, and Why AI Can't Stop the Fall

Most retirees assume taxes get easier in retirement — they don't. In this episode of Cover Your Assets, Logan Marcus and Don Spini break down the domino effect of RMDs, IRMAA surcharges, and Social Security taxation, and why one incomedecision can trigger three financial penalties at once. They also take on the growing trend of Americans replacing their financial advisor with AI — and why that shortcut is costing people real money. ChatGPT doesn't know your tax return, your estate structure, or what you'll do when markets drop. And finally, Logan and Don make the case for why a will alone won't protect your family, why an unfunded trust is worthless, and why the best thing you can do for the people you love is have your affairs in order before you need to.

Why Sophisticated Investors Pay Taxes on Purpose — And Why the Most Important Retirement Planning Conversations Are Usually About Control, Not Returns

Most people spend decades trying to grow their retirement accounts while paying as little tax as possible along the way. But many sophisticated investors think about taxes very differently. In this episode of Cover Your Assets, Logan Marcus and Don Spini break down why some wealthy investorsvoluntarily pay massive tax bills on purpose—and what retirees can learn from that mindset when it comes to Roth conversions, RMDs, and long-term retirement planning. The conversation covers the hidden tax exposure inside traditional IRAs and 401(k)s, why “tax deferred” does not mean tax free, and how poor coordination between advisors, CPAs, and estate planning can quietly create larger problems later in retirement. Logan and Don also discuss inherited IRArules, Medicare premium surcharges, risk tolerance, beneficiary mistakes, and why many retirees are still receiving little more than basic asset management instead of proactive financial planning.