The Power Of Zero Show

David talks about the Power of Zero "philosophy," as well as a recent Penn Wharton study saying that, if all we do is continue on this same course, by 2043 there will be no arrest in the financial collapse of our country. 95% of Americans have the lion's share of their retirement savings sitting in what we call tax-deferred vehicles like 401(k)s and IRAs. A big problem most Americans face: every year the IRS gets a vote on what percentage of your profits they get to keep. David shares the Power of Zero origin story and he explains what someone should do to get as close as possible to someone else. David addresses the question "Where should we be investing our retirement dollars? $29,200 is the limit under which you'll get to experience the water. "A lot of people don't realize that their social security number can be taxed," says David. Mentioned in this episode: David's books: Power of Zero, Look Before You LIRP, The Volatility Shield, Tax-Free Income for Life and The Infinity Code DavidMcKnight.com DavidMcKnightBooks.com PowerOfZero.com (free 3-part video series) @mcknightandco on Twitter @davidcmcknight on Instagram David McKnight on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at taxfreetoolkit.com Penn Wharton The Insurance Buzz

How much of your social security is getting taxed, at what rate, and is there anything you can do about it? Unfortunately, the IRS doesn't make it easy for people to understand how much of their social security is taxable and at what rate. David explains that the best way to understand social security taxation is to first know about provisional income--this is the income the IRS tracks to determine how much of your social security will be taxable. As you continue to increase your IRA distributions and, therefore, your total provisional income, the percentage of your social security that becomes taxable quickly begins to rise. The IRS says that if your provisional income is between $32,000 and $44,000, up to 50% of your social security can become taxable. Fortunately, there are some scenarios where you wouldn't pay any taxes, thanks to standard deductions. The most obvious thing to do if you don't want social security taxation is to do a Roth conversion. According to David, any income taken from a Roth IRA does not count as provisional income and, therefore, does not count against the thresholds that cause social security taxation. However, the only time it makes sense to do a Roth conversion is if you believe that your tax rate in the future is likely to be higher than it is today. Mentioned in this episode: David's books: Power of Zero, Look Before You LIRP, The Volatility Shield, Tax-Free Income for Life and The Infinity Code DavidMcKnight.com DavidMcKnightBooks.com PowerOfZero.com (free 3-part video series) @mcknightandco on Twitter @davidcmcknight on Instagram David McKnight on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at taxfreetoolkit.com

This episode addresses whether the mainstream financial planning community is justified in avoiding Indexed Universal Life. Lately, social media has been filled with videos praising the virtues of a financial tool known as Indexed Universal Life (IUL). David explains why the IUL has been taking such a beating from traditional financial planners. David discusses three different viewpoints against the IUL – including that of scammy salesmen on TikTok who often describe the IUL as "a stock market replacement on steroids." Financial gurus tend to be jack of all trades but masters of none with IUL critiques that are either plain wrong or far too simplistic, says David. As a result of these groups' cumulative efforts, IUL is widely viewed as a caricature of a financial product. David goes over how to objectively evaluate IUL on its merits and shares three of its positive utilizations as a dynamic financial tool. Mentioned in this episode: David's books: Power of Zero, Look Before You LIRP, The Volatility Shield, Tax-Free Income for Life and The Infinity Code DavidMcKnight.com DavidMcKnightBooks.com PowerOfZero.com (free 3-part video series) @mcknightandco on Twitter @davidcmcknight on Instagram David McKnight on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at taxfreetoolkit.com Suze Orman Dave Ramsey George Kamel Ernst & Young

David discusses how much of your IRA you should convert, in what amounts and over what time frame. If you're not convinced by the possible dramatic increase in tax rates in 2031 to bump you into the 32% bracket, you're not alone… A whole battery of experts predict that tax rates will have to rise dramatically to help service the national debt and with the $200 trillion in shortfalls in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. In Comeback America, former Comptroller General David Walker predicted that effective tax rates for all taxpayers need to double by 2030. David touches upon what would happen if the government doesn't increase its taxes by 2043. David mentions what your Roth conversion roadmap should look like in the next 10 years – and beyond – if you have the lion's share of your retirement savings in tax deferred accounts like IRAs and 401(k) plans. There's one thing that you shouldn't do before the "tax deadline." You should not bump into the 32% tax bracket or higher. David goes over what he refers to as a "wait-and-see approach." Mentioned in this episode: David's books: Power of Zero, Look Before You LIRP, The Volatility Shield, Tax-Free Income for Life and The Infinity Code DavidMcKnight.com DavidMcKnightBooks.com PowerOfZero.com (free 3-part video series) @mcknightandco on Twitter @davidcmcknight on Instagram David McKnight on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at taxfreetoolkit.com Comeback America: Turning the Country Around and Restoring Fiscal Responsibility by David Walker Penn Wharton

David addresses Clark Howard's viewpoint that seems to want to invite people to never consider a fixed index annuity. Despite interacting with thousands of financial advisors who offer fixed index annuities every year, David has never heard one of them describe them the same way as Clark Howard. Since financial gurus have to get their points across in short three-minute segments, they don't have the luxury of nuance, says David. David explains how fixed index annuities actually work, and why you can't lose money in a fixed index annuity in its simplest form. David touches upon the role of surrender charges and how Howard is wrong about them. In traditional stock market investing, you're not supposed to withdraw more than 4% per year. Mentioned in this episode: David's books: Power of Zero, Look Before You LIRP, The Volatility Shield, Tax-Free Income for Life and The Infinity Code DavidMcKnight.com DavidMcKnightBooks.com PowerOfZero.com (free 3-part video series) @mcknightandco on Twitter @davidcmcknight on Instagram David McKnight on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at taxfreetoolkit.com Clark Howard

Doug Andrew called the IUL a dream investment, but is it the silver bullet retirement account he claims it to be? David goes through Doug Andrew's controversial remarks about IULs, and explains why he politely disagrees with his one-size-fits-all approach to index universal life. David explains why the 4% rule is a very expensive way to pay for retirement. He reveals why it's much more economical to guarantee your living expenses with a lifetime income annuity. If you only utilize the IUL, you will dramatically underperform the stock market over time. Furthermore, you won't be taking advantage of all the unique benefits each of the tax-free alternatives the IRS tax code affords you. The IUL should only be used as a complement to all these other streams of tax-free income, not a replacement for them. David goes through the characteristics that make the IUL a unique investment avenue. Would you rather adopt a retirement approach where you put every last dime of your retirement savings into an indexed universal life insurance policy? Or would you prefer your IUL to be just one component of a balanced, comprehensive approach to tax-free retirement? For David, the IUL is not the only way to grow your money productively over the course of a lifetime. When you have an experienced financial advisor shepherding you through the process, you can get extremely productive returns from the stock market. If you're younger than age 50, David recommends earmarking 30% of your retirement savings towards an IUL. Why 30% and not 100%? Because 30% is a much more balanced, math-corroborated approach to using the indexed universal life policy. The IUL is not a dream in a dream. It's merely a financial tool. When utilized in concert with all of the other available alternatives in the IRS tax code, it can help you create a balanced, comprehensive approach to tax-free retirement planning. David reveals why Wall Street wants you to believe that the stock market is the only solution to stress-free retirement planning. Most financial experts agree that tax rates in the future are likely to be higher than they are today. But that doesn't mean that you must reflexively default to putting all your retirement savings into an IUL. If you want to make money in the stock market, you're supposed to buy low and sell high. Unfortunately, most do-it-yourself investors do the exact opposite. Mentioned in this episode: David's books: Power of Zero, Look Before You LIRP, The Volatility Shield, Tax-Free Income for Life and The Infinity Code DavidMcKnight.com DavidMcKnightBooks.com PowerOfZero.com (free 3-part video series) @mcknightandco on Twitter @davidcmcknight on Instagram David McKnight on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at taxfreetoolkit.com

This episode explores the two different five-year rules for Roth IRAs instituted by the IRS to prevent people from abusing them. The first five-year rule applies to earnings on Roth contributions and determines whether those distributions can be taken tax-free. The second rule concerns Roth conversions and lets you know whether conversion principles can be accessed penalty-free. David explains that, for the purposes of the five-year rule, the clock starts the first time any money is contributed to a Roth IRA by either contribution or conversion. Once the five-year rule has been met, it's been satisfied for good. Remember: any recent contribution to a Roth IRA can count as qualified tax-free distributions, even if they've been in the account for less than five years. David shares that Roth 401k plans have their own five-year rule, which is counted separately from a traditional Roth IRA. In case you're unable to make a Roth contribution due to income limitations, you can make a non-deductible contribution to an IRA and then do a Roth conversion. Don't forget that there aren't income limits for IRA contributions. Dave discusses the fact that "the ordering rules for Roth IRA stipulate that withdrawals of after-tax contributions are made first, then conversions, and finally, earnings." The Roth conversion five-year rule lets you know if you can access your converted principal penalty-free. The Roth contribution five-year period, on the other hand, lets you know if you can access your Roth earnings tax-free. Mentioned in this episode: David's books: Power of Zero, Look Before You LIRP, The Volatility Shield, Tax-Free Income for Life and The Infinity Code DavidMcKnight.com DavidMcKnightBooks.com PowerOfZero.com (free 3-part video series) @mcknightandco on Twitter @davidcmcknight on Instagram David McKnight on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at taxfreetoolkit.com

At a recent Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting, Warren Buffett shared his thoughts on why he sees financial advisors as the worst people to trust with your money. Buffett believes that financial professionals in aggregate can't do better than the aggregate of the people who just sit tight. David agrees with Buffett's view on active versus passive investing. According to David, Buffett's point of view and approach don't account for the high cost of investor behavior. The fact that 90% of investment decisions are driven by emotions is a big problem David sees in Buffett's line of thinking. David sheds light on what has become known as the Prospect Theory. What leads "DIY investors" to buy high and sell low, instead of buying low and selling high as logic would suggest? David shares his thoughts on the matter. Adopting an index-based, Do-It-Yourself, motion-driven approach to investing will make you less likely to remain invested during extreme market volatility. For David, one of the main purposes of a financial advisor is to hold your hand and keep you invested during jittery periods in the market. Mentioned in this episode: David's books: Power of Zero, Look Before You LIRP, The Volatility Shield, Tax-Free Income for Life and The Infinity Code DavidMcKnight.com DavidMcKnightBooks.com PowerOfZero.com (free 3-part video series) @mcknightandco on Twitter @davidcmcknight on Instagram David McKnight on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at taxfreetoolkit.com Warren Buffett Berkshire Hathaway

George Kamel recently released a video on index universal life. On the surface, it looks like a ruthless exposé of a financial scam that millions of Americans are falling for. But when you scratch just below the surface, his critique of IUL is a steaming cesspool of half-truths and outright lies that are designed to sell you a term insurance policy through a Dave Ramsey-sponsored term insurance broker. According to Kamel, the IUL is a financial scam marketed as a secret wealth hack, yet in reality, it's a money-eating monster. Yes, IULs are marketed by pretty scammy people on social media. However, there is a big difference between scammy life insurance agents and scammy life insurance products. IUL products are not created equal. It all depends on your personal situation and needs. Some products can be fantastic tools for building and protecting wealth and others can be catastrophic to your retirement. For David, not only does the IUL serve as an extremely competitive bond alternative, but it's also a great volatility buffer in retirement. Financial gurus are not in the business of nuance. It's all about making sweeping black-and-white characterizations that fit neatly into their tiny box. According to David, recent studies demonstrate that bonds are much more volatile and much more correlated to the stock market than was previously thought. David explains that fees are only a problem in the absence of value. And when utilized in the right context, an IUL provides value that you simply can't get any other way. David explains how the IUL fees are a strength and not a liability that the uninformed life insurance critics make it out to be. When George says that the IUL is a money-eating monster, he's only fixating on the fees in the early years of the contract. If he were to look at the average fees over the life of the program, a much different picture would emerge--one that paints the IUL as lower than the most cost-effective 401K plan. David goes through the things George gets wrong about the death benefit options in an IUL. The entire purpose of George's video is not to educate you on the evils of an IUL. It's to get you to buy a term life insurance policy through Dave Ramsey's endorsed broker of choice. George's ultimate goal is to get you to take the money that you might otherwise have allocated towards an index universal life policy and redirect it towards a term insurance policy from which Ramsey himself ultimately benefits. Mentioned in this episode: David's books: Power of Zero, Look Before You LIRP, The Volatility Shield, Tax-Free Income for Life and The Infinity Code DavidMcKnight.com DavidMcKnightBooks.com PowerOfZero.com (free 3-part video series) @mcknightandco on Twitter @davidcmcknight on Instagram David McKnight on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at taxfreetoolkit.com

According to David, Ken Fisher's hate toward annuities is visible in what can be considered "one of the most successful attacks on any financial product in history". David discusses why, in his opinion, Ken Fisher sees annuities as the perfect marketing tool to build his own asset management firm. There are two things annuities can do that no other financial product can – David explains what they are. Academic studies that go back to the early 1960s seem to suggest that annuities are the best way to maximize retirement income. There appears to be a massive information gap facing a generation of retirees who are unaware of the value annuities can play in helping them spend more income in retirement. David shares an example by Dr. Michael Finke, one of the foremost experts on the benefits of guaranteed lifetime income. David touches upon whether what Ken Fisher is doing can be considered illegal. Mentioned in this episode: David's books: Power of Zero, Look Before You LIRP, The Volatility Shield, Tax-Free Income for Life and The Infinity Code DavidMcKnight.com DavidMcKnightBooks.com PowerOfZero.com (free 3-part video series) @mcknightandco on Twitter @davidcmcknight on Instagram David McKnight on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at taxfreetoolkit.com Ken Fisher Richard Thaler's New York Times articles Peter Diamond "Ken Fisher Can't Have It All" by Dr. Michael Finke