I'm getting ready to retire and have a 401K. What do I do with it?
When you retire, you need to roll over your 401K to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).
There are two main reasons you want to do this:
1. 401Ks generally have higher fees than most people understand, and that takes away from your returns and the funds you have available in retirement.
2. 401Ks usually are not actively managed, which could lead to larger losses or missed opportunities.
Rolling over your money from your 401K to an IRA is very simple. We can guide you through the process.
What are the tax consequences of moving my 401K to an IRA?
When done correctly, there are no tax consequences. We make sure you won't have any tax bills when you transfer your funds.
How does BHFG manage investments?
We do something called Tactically Managed Money. It's basically the opposite for the old "buy and hold" strategy that lots of large firms still use for their clients.
We have money managers who are watching our clients' funds every minute the market is open.
This means our clients receive an extra layer of protection during volatile times, like in April 2025, to minimize losses.
It also means that when there are opportunities for growth, our clients benefit from those too.
Tactically managed money is exactly how most people would prefer their funds to be handled.
How much do I need for retirement?
Mainstream media says you should have over $1,000,000 or more saved to retire. Sure, that would be great.
But having the retirement of your dreams is not about the total amount you have saved.
It's about having a solid income plan. If you have more income than you do expenses, you are going to be a great position.
We've seen people who have saved a few hundred thousand dollars with low expenses, and they should not run out of money.
We've also seen people come to us with a couple of million saved, but they spend a ton of money each month, and that means they could run out of money.
An income plan is more important than the total amount of money you have saved.
When should I take Social Security?
That depends. Social Security is one piece of the pie. You need to look at your entire situation to determine the right time to take Social Security.
There are a lot of factors to take into account, and we help guide you through that. There's so much to consider that we don't have enough space on this page to put all of it.
Just know: we help with this.
What are the biggest pitfalls to retirement planning?
Deep breath...
- Taking too much risk
- Not taking enough risk
- Inflation
- Taxes and "Stealth Taxes"
- Medicare premiums (they are going to get big in the future)
- Unexpected healthcare costs
- Market risk
- Not having a plan
- Leaving your money in a 401K
- Retirement is not the time for the DIY attitude
Just to name a few.
Should I consider annuities as part of my plan?
It's certainly worth a look.
The right annuity can have huge value for a retirement plan.
A few reasons we like to consider adding annuities to a retirement portfolio:
- Zero market risk - this means your account will never lose a penny due to poor market performance.
- Growth potential - even with no risk, you still have growth potential in the annuities we recommend.
- Guaranteed income - if you are worried about running out of money in retirement, then an annuity with a guaranteed income rider could be a good thing to consider.
Annuities are not for everyone. We can help determine if they are a good fit for you.
Should I pay off my mortgage before retirement?
Well, being debt-free with a paid-for home is the American dream.
But we're gonna say "No" in most cases. Retirement is about accumulation, not debt elimination.
There are a number of factors to consider, but having a paid-off home is not going to make sure the daily bills and trips around the world get funded.
We can guide you through this.
When should I sign up for Medicare?
Lots of people sign up when they first become eligible, which is age 65 for most people.
Some people work beyond age 65 and stay on their group plan. Once they retire then they need to sign up for Medicare.
Now, there are timeframes to consider to make sure you get signed up at the right time with the right plan.
If you miss a deadline, there are penalties that you can never get rid of. And, if you don't sign up for the right plan when you first become eligible for Medicare, you could be stuck with it.
Don't worry. We do this all the time and can guide you every step of the way.
Don't worry about all the mail, phone calls, and TV commercials. We got you.
What other services does BHFG offer?
Retirement & Income Planning
Medicare
Life Insurance
Long-Term Care & other extended healthcare planning
Estate Planning
Annuities
Basically, when our clients retire, they don't need to work with another advisor other than someone to help with their home and auto insurance. We have everything else covered.
