FINANCIALLY FOCUSED
August 2025 Newsletter
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WANT TO RETIRE IN 2026? HERE’S A STRATEGY!
If you want to retire sooner rather than later, you need a robust strategy!
A U.S. News and World Report article, If You Want to Retire in 2026, Here's What You Need to Prep Now, has some excellent details.
OPTIMIZATION AND WITHDRAWALS
Begin by optimizing your portfolio for the income and growth you’ll need in retirement. That means rethinking your mix of stocks, bonds, and other investments so you can potentially draw from them without draining your nest egg.
Next, understand how much you may be able to sustainably withdraw without running out of money. Strategies like the 4% rule can offer a starting point but consider more flexible approaches that adjust based on market performance.
TAXES AND INFLATION
Taxes can be a major retirement expense. A solid strategy may help you avoid surprises like Medicare surcharges, capital gains, and dividend taxes. Planning for taxes now could potentially lead to better retirement outcomes.
Inflation and market volatility remain real threats. Even well-diversified portfolios have taken hits recently, so you should consider both growth and potential downside protections for your retirement income strategy. This could include dividend stocks, inflation-protected securities, and buffered funds.
RELY ON YOUR FINANCIAL SERVICES PROFESSIONAL
Finally, consult with your financial services professional to ensure your plan fits your lifestyle and goals. They may be able to help adjust your withdrawal rates, optimize your asset mix, and integrate taxes to help you make your income last, and enjoy your retirement.
Prepare early, stay strategic, and stay flexible. If you want to retire next year, now’s the time to act.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Restructure your portfolio for retirement by focusing on income, growth, and risk management. Consider flexible withdrawal strategies that adjust to market conditions rather than relying solely on the 4% rule.
- Plan for taxes and inflation by coordinating your withdrawal strategy, minimizing Medicare surcharges, and exploring tools like tax-loss harvesting and inflation-protected investments.
- Work with a financial professional to tailor your plan, optimize income sources, and build a strategy that can adapt to market volatility and rising costs.
SOURCE
https://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/articles/if-you-want-to-retire-next-year-what-you-need-to-prep-now
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WHAT WE’RE READING
We’ve read some great things recently from our go-to financial news sources! Here’s a handful of our favorites:
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MOUNT EVEREST ISN'T THE TALLEST MOUNTAIN ON EARTH
Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa in Hawaii are taller than Mt. Everest by 1.4 km. This is because about half of their height is underwater! The two volcanoes reach a height of 10.2 km while Mt. Everest sits at 8.8 km.
SOURCE
https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/fun-facts
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GRILLED STEAK SALAD
This salad is simple enough for a weeknight but worthy of planning a dinner party around, thanks to its star ingredient—ribeye steak. You’ll grill it (and red onions), then combine it with cherry tomatoes, blue cheese, basil, and a drizzle of tangy balsamic dressing, turning it into the kind of impressive-but-secretly-easy dish you’ll be making all the time.
Get Cooking!
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Jeffrey Bird, Ronald Bird and Andrew Bird offer Investment Advisory Services through Gradient Advisors, LLC (Arden Hills, MN 877-885-0508), an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Gradient Advisors, LLC and its advisors do not render tax, legal, or accounting advice. Financial Concepts, Inc is not a registered investment advisor and is independent of Gradient Advisors, LLC. Insurance products and services are offered through Jeffrey Bird, Ronald Bird and Andrew Bird, independent agents.
This communication may contain information that is proprietary, privileged, or confidential, or otherwise legally exempt from disclosure. If you are not the named addressee, you are not authorized to read, retain, copy, or disseminate this memo or any part of it. If you have received this memo in error, please notify the sender immediately by Email or fax, and destroy all copies of this communication. Please be further advised that, pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, and similar laws, any communication in this e-mail is subject to regulatory, supervisory, and law enforcement review.
Financial Concepts, Inc, Jeffrey Bird, Ronald Bird, Andrew Bird and Gradient Advisors, LLC are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any government agency.
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Jeff Bird
Financial Advisor,
Gradient Advisors, LLC
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Ron Bird
Financial Advisor,
Gradient Advisors, LLC
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Andrew Bird
Financial Advisor,
Gradient Advisors, LLC
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