Social Security planning is one of the most important elements in any retirement plan, but getting the most from your Social Security benefit can also feel complex and frustrating. In our guide, “Optimizing Your Social Security in Today’s World,” you’ll uncover practical tips and easy-to-understand steps to get the most out of your Social Security benefits.

We believe it’s important that you look to employ tax diversity in your retirement plan. Different types of investments can impact your taxes differently. Having accounts that receive varying tax treatments is a key strategy. You should work with a qualified professional to help determine exactly how much you should have in each tax “bucket” to help minimize your overall tax burden in retirement.

While the tax code can be incredibly complex, you still need to stick to the basics when it comes to filing and preparing your tax returns. So, here are our 5 tips to help you better prepare for tax filing this year.

A retirement strategy is all about affording the lifestyle you want in your later years. For most of your life, you worked hard to save for your retirement as best you could. But now, it’s about turning those savings into an actionable plan that affords you the lifestyle you planned for as safely and efficiently as possible. You’re likely faced with these questions: What do you want your retirement to look like, and how much income do you need each year to make it happen? On one hand, today’s retirees are the wealthiest generation of retirees in history. On the other hand, they face new challenges that previous generations of retirees never had to face, such as the lack of a pension, a diminishing social security fund, market volatility, inflation, rising healthcare costs, and the possibility of outliving their savings.