Perfect Game Retirement

Retirement Lessons From The Masters

The Masters is a beautiful reminder of just how much strategy, patience, and long-term focus goes into a great round of golf. Turns out, retirement works a lot like the game. Today, Ryan is teeing up a few key lessons from the course and how they translate into smarter planning for your financial future.
Here’s what we discuss in this episode:
⛳ Why chasing a “hole-in-one” rarely pays off
📆 Why timing matters more than you think in retirement
🕓 The “back nine” of retirement is critical
📉 Recovering from financial setbacks with strategy, not emotion
 
Visit us online: https://blackoakam.com/
Phone: (470) 508-0508
Get in touch with the Black Oak team: https://blackoakam.com/contact-us/
Schedule a call with Ryan: https://speakwithryan.com/
Get your tax-free retirement toolkit: https://bit.ly/3PMjKqc
Get more financial education on our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/45kJlwI

Key 2025 Tax Breaks & Adjustment Opportunities

Tax season is here, but filing your 2024 return is just one piece of the puzzle. Now is also the perfect time to take advantage of new tax rules for 2025 before the year gets away from you. With higher standard deductions, increased retirement contribution limits, and updated HSA rules, there are plenty of opportunities to potentially lower your tax bill and boost your savings. In this episode, we’ll break down the key changes and how you can start planning now to make the most of them.
Here’s what we discuss in this episode:
📄 New standard deduction for 2025: what you need to know
📈 401(k) limits increase
🏥 HSA: The triple tax threat
💡 Tools and tips to get ahead before 2026
 
Visit us online: https://blackoakam.com/
Phone: (470) 508-0508
Get in touch with the Black Oak team: https://blackoakam.com/contact-us/
Schedule a call with Ryan: https://speakwithryan.com/
Get your tax-free retirement toolkit: https://bit.ly/3PMjKqc
Get more financial education on our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/45kJlwI

Preparing For Taxes on Your RMDs

In this episode, Ryan unpacks a listener question that’s becoming increasingly common: What should I do about my RMDs if I’m still working at 74 and contributing to my 401(k)? Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), and the tax penalties for missing them, can catch even the most financially prepared retirees off guard, especially those still working into their 70s.
Here’s what we discuss in this episode:
📆 Working past RMD age can delay required distributions (in some cases)
💸 IRAs and 401(k)s follow different rules, you need to know the difference
🏦 Moving IRAs into a 401(k) may buy you some extra time
🎁 QCDs may offer a tax-savvy way to satisfy your RMDs
⚠️ Missing an RMD can trigger steep penalties, so planning ahead is key
 
Visit us online: https://blackoakam.com/
Phone: (470) 508-0508
Get in touch with the Black Oak team: https://blackoakam.com/contact-us/
Schedule a call with Ryan: https://speakwithryan.com/
Get your tax-free retirement toolkit: https://bit.ly/3PMjKqc
Get more financial education on our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/45kJlwI

April Fool’s: Beliefs That Fool Retirement Savers The Most

April Fool’s Day is all about jokes and pranks, but when it comes to retirement planning, getting fooled can cost you real money. Today, we’re unpacking five retirement myths that often trick retirees into making decisions based on fear or flawed assumptions.
Here’s what we discuss in this episode:
🧠 Don’t let fear rush your Social Security decisions
💸 Tax planning is essential, not optional
⚠️ The 4% rule isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution
📉 Dividend stocks alone won’t fund your retirement
🔄 Retirement planning isn’t “set it and forget it”—adjustments are key
 
Visit us online: https://blackoakam.com/
Phone: (470) 508-0508
Get in touch with the Black Oak team: https://blackoakam.com/contact-us/
Schedule a call with Ryan: https://speakwithryan.com/
Get your tax-free retirement toolkit: https://bit.ly/3PMjKqc
Get more financial education on our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/45kJlwI

The Money Questions Every Couple Needs To Discuss

Valentine’s season is all about love, but let’s be honest, money plays a huge role in any relationship. Whether you’ve been together for decades or just starting out, financial stress can put a strain on even the strongest partnerships. So, how do you talk about money without killing the romance? In today’s episode, looking at the questions every couple should ask about finances and retirement.
Here’s what we discuss in this episode:
💰 Spenders vs. Savers – Finding common ground on financial decisions
📊 Merging Finances in Retirement – Should couples combine or keep things separate?
🏡 Estate Planning Conversations – How to talk about wills, inheritances & legacy planning
👥 Supporting Family Without Sacrificing Retirement – Setting boundaries with kids & loved ones
⚠️ Why Both Spouses Need to Be Involved in Financial Planning
 
Get in touch with the Black Oak team: https://blackoakam.com/contact-us/
Schedule a call with Ryan: https://speakwithryan.com/
Get your tax-free retirement toolkit: https://bit.ly/3PMjKqc
Get more financial education on our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/45kJlwI

Built a Business, But Not a Retirement Plan? Here’s What to Do Now

You’ve built a successful business, but now the big question is, how do you turn that into a retirement plan? If you’re like many entrepreneurs, you’ve spent years reinvesting in your business, but what happens when it’s time to step away? Can you sell it? Can you create passive income from it? Or should you start saving in other ways right now?
In this episode, we’re breaking down strategies for business owners who need to turn years of hard work into long-term financial security.
Here are some of the highlights in this episode:
💼 Your Business is NOT Your Retirement Plan – Why you need additional savings
💰 Cash Flow to Retirement Savings
⚖️ Tax-Efficient Exit Strategies – Lump sum vs. phased buyouts
🏡 Selling, Passing Down, or Passive Ownership –
📊 When to Start Planning?
 
0:00 – Intro
2:20 – Today’s question
5:22 – Turning business into an asset
8:03 – Saving options
9:59 – Balancing the business and saving
12:28 – When to start thinking about this
 
Get in touch with the Black Oak team: https://blackoakam.com/contact-us/
Schedule a call with Ryan: https://speakwithryan.com/
Get your tax-free retirement toolkit: https://bit.ly/3PMjKqc
Get more financial education on our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/45kJlwI

Do Smart Investors Need to Work With a Financial Advisor?

If you've successfully managed your own investments for years, do you really need a financial advisor? Many DIY investors see it as an unnecessary expense, but as you approach retirement, it might be time to enlist the help of someone to help you with the other areas of retirement? Today we’ll tackle this common question and explains how advisors add value beyond investment returns.
Here are some of the things we discuss:
💰 Investing is just one piece – Advisors offer much more than stock picking
⚖️ Tax efficiency matters – The right strategy can save you thousands
📜 Estate planning gaps – Avoid common DIY mistakes
🚀 Behavior & coaching – Why even experienced investors benefit from guidance
🔄 New laws & market shifts – Stay ahead of tax law changes & economic trends
 
0:00 – Intro
2:09 – Everything an advisor helps with
5:06 – Investing is just one piece
6:05 – DIY blind spots
9:50 – Addressing the skeptics
 
Visit us online: https://blackoakam.com/
Phone: (470) 508-0508
Get in touch with the Black Oak team: https://blackoakam.com/contact-us/
Schedule a call with Ryan: https://speakwithryan.com/
Get your tax-free retirement toolkit: https://bit.ly/3PMjKqc
Get more financial education on our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/45kJlwI

Retirement Lessons from Andy Reid: Championship-Worthy Financial Strategies

The Super Bowl may be over, but there’s still a lot to learn from one of the best coaches in the game, Andy Reid. Whether you’re planning the perfect play on the field or preparing for retirement, success comes down to strategy, discipline, and knowing when to adjust. Today, we’re breaking down some of Coach Reid’s best quotes and how they apply to building a winning retirement plan.
As a former professional athlete and teacher, this is a topic that hits close to home. The conversation covers how focusing on the "next play" instead of getting distracted by daily market fluctuations can help create a more strategic financial plan. They also discuss the idea that setbacks, whether in sports or finance, provide valuable learning experiences, and that making adjustments to your strategy is key to long-term success.
Here’s what we discuss in this episode:
0:00 – Intro
1:21 – Ryan’s memorable coach
2:52 – Quote 1
5:56 – Quote 2
8:07 – Quote 3
10:36 – Quote 4
12:40 – How we coach our clients
 
Schedule a call with Ryan: https://speakwithryan.com/
Get your tax-free retirement toolkit: https://bit.ly/3PMjKqc
Get more financial education on our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/45kJlwI

Which Retirement Account Should I Withdraw From First?

There’s a real mindset shift when someone gets to retirement and has to start taking money out of their accounts after saving for years. It gets even more difficult to figure out where to pull your money from when you have multiple types of accounts with different tax considerations. So which should you pull from first and does it really matter the order you choose?
That’s the question we’re tackling today and it’s an important one because income planning is the foundation of a retirement plan. Join us to discover how to navigate your 401k, IRA, Roth IRA, and individual accounts to create a sustainable income plan that minimizes tax liabilities and enhances your financial legacy.
Here’s what we discuss in this episode:
0:00 – Intro
0:30 – Today’s question
0:48 – Mindset shift in retirement
2:05 – Which account first?
5:05 – Does the order truly matter?
7:13 – When to start income planning
 
Visit us online: https://blackoakam.com/
Phone: (470) 508-0508
Get in touch with the Black Oak team: https://blackoakam.com/contact-us/
Schedule a call with Ryan: https://speakwithryan.com/
Get your tax-free retirement toolkit: https://bit.ly/3PMjKqc
Get more financial education on our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/45kJlwI

The New Retirement: Why Many Are Choosing Work Over Leisure

A recent article on Fortune highlights a growing trend among baby boomers: continuing to work well into their 60s and 70s, not out of necessity, but for the mental stimulation, social connections, and fulfillment that work provides. With nearly 20% of Americans over 65 still employed, this shift is challenging traditional views of retirement and sparking important conversations about what it means to truly retire.
Join Ryan as we discuss the reasons behind this phenomenon, from the desire for social interaction to the fulfillment of staying engaged in meaningful work.
Here’s what we discuss in this episode:
0:00 – Intro
3:29 – Finding fulfillment
5:48 – Financial impact in retirement
8:06 – How it changes long-term planning
9:55 – Are younger generations different?
Read the Fortune story here: https://fortune.com/article/the-new-retirement-is-no-retirement-baby-boomers-are-keeping-jobs-well-into-their-sixties-and-seventies-because-they-like-going-to-work/
 
Visit us online: https://blackoakam.com/
Phone: (470) 508-0508
Get in touch with the Black Oak team: https://blackoakam.com/contact-us/
Schedule a call with Ryan: https://speakwithryan.com/
Get your tax-free retirement toolkit: https://bit.ly/3PMjKqc
Get more financial education on our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/45kJlwI