Smart Retirement Planning Strategies: Roth Conversions, Social Security Timing, and Income Gaps Explained

Allworth Financial‘s Money Matters

Allworth Financial

Investing, Business:investing, Business

4.9 • 782 Ratings

🗓️ 16 August 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On this week’s Money Matters, Scott and Pat answer real-life questions about retirement planning strategies that every pre-retiree should hear. One caller asks whether it’s better to build a cash bridge or continue Roth IRA contributions ahead of retirement—prompting a thoughtful breakdown of retirement planning strategies around income gaps, Social Security timing, and tax-smart withdrawals. You’ll also hear about the role Roth conversions can play between retirement and age 70, how pensions and spousal benefits factor into planning, and why detailed income modeling is key. Scott and Pat also touch on risks tied to high-yield municipal bonds and illiquid assets, offering a broader context for smart portfolio construction. If you're planning to retire in the next few years, this episode delivers essential, real-world retirement planning strategies that can help you retire with clarity and confidence. Join Money Matters: Get your most pressing financial questions answered by Allworth's co-founders Scott Hanson and Pat McClain live on-air! Call 833-99-WORTH. Or ask a question by clicking here. You can also be on the air by emailing Scott and Pat at [email protected]. Download and rate our podcast here.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Would you like an opinion on a financial matter you're dealing with?
0:13.1	Whether it's about retirement, investments, taxes, or 401ks, Scott Hanson and Pat McLean would like to help you by answering your call.
0:22.1	To join Allworth's Money Matters. Call now at 83399 Worth. That's 83399 W-O-R-T-H. Welcome to All-Worth's Money Matters, Scott Hanson.
0:33.2	Pat McLean, thanks for joining us. Yeah, glad you are here with us as we talk about financial matters.
0:39.3	Myself, my co-host, longtime business partner.
0:42.6	Yes.
0:43.2	We've been doing this for a lot.
0:44.1	So last week I had mentioned in, I guess at the beginning of the show that I wanted to talk about these high-yield municipal bonds.
0:53.9	Oh, and you never did. We never got to it. We got tied up in other conversations. The fake tease.
0:59.8	It was a fake tease. And for that, I apologize. Yes. That I enticed you with such a incredible topic that you listened to the end of the show about high yield muni bonds.
1:12.8	So I thought this is an interesting, really super interesting concept that applies to many asset classes.
1:26.1	What's the concept?
1:26.9	Is that because these high-yield municipal bonds that are sitting inside of
1:33.4	ETFs and mutual funds don't trade very often, right?
1:39.8	So let's step back.
1:41.1	Municipal, these are municipalities that raise money by issuing bonds.
1:46.2	Yes.
1:46.7	They become high yield when they're not, there's some question of whether they're going to be able
1:51.4	to repay these bonds.
1:52.5	Or pay them back on time or just the credit quality of the issuer.
1:58.0	And therefore, the interest rate is higher than you would normally receive because of the
2:04.0	fact.
	...

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