Category: Retirement Planning
Starting the Year With the Right Retirement Questions (Ep. 192)

Starting the Year With the Right Retirement Questions (Ep. 192)

By |

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

The start of a new year is one of the most valuable planning moments for retirees, not because everything needs to change, but because the right questions can shape better decisions all year long.

In this episode, Larry Heller, CFP®, CDFA®, walks through the key January questions retirees should be asking, covering taxes, withdrawals, cash management, portfolio alignment, and lifestyle planning, so small adjustments now can help reduce stress later.

Larry discusses:

  • Why it matters which accounts you withdraw from in retirement, not just how much you take
  • How tax-efficient withdrawal planning can help manage future tax brackets
  • When Roth conversions may still make sense during retirement
  • How much cash do retirees want on hand to avoid selling investments during market downturns
  • Why portfolio alignment should support spending needs, inflation, and peace of mind
  • The importance of reviewing beneficiaries, estate documents, and healthcare cost planning
  • How planning builds confidence to enjoy retirement without overspending or underspending
  • And more!

Resources: 

Connect with Larry Heller: 

FEATURE - USE THIS ONE
Selling Your Business the Right Way: Timing, Buyers, and Value with Gregg Schor (Ep. 191)

Selling Your Business the Right Way: Timing, Buyers, and Value with Gregg Schor (Ep. 191)

By |

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

Selling a business is one of the biggest financial decisions an owner will ever make, and the right preparation can shape both the outcome and the next chapter of life.

In this episode, Larry Heller, CFP®, CDFA®, speaks with Gregg Schor, CEO of Protegrity Advisors, about what business owners need to understand before entering the mergers and acquisitions process. Gregg shares practical, experience-based insights into how different buyer types approach transactions and how sellers can position themselves well ahead of a sale to improve both financial and non-financial outcomes. Together, they walk through the typical Mergers & Acquisitions timeline and key decision points business owners should be prepared to navigate from early planning through closing.

Gregg discusses:

  • The different types of buyers in today’s market, including strategic buyers, private equity firms, and family offices
  • How seller goals influence deal structure, timing, and buyer fit
  • The role of cash at closing, earnouts, and rollover equity in a transaction
  • Why the best time to consider selling is often when the business is performing well
  • What preparation really looks like, from financials and contracts to reducing owner dependency
  • How the M&A process typically unfolds, from early planning through closing
  • And more

Connect with Gregg Schor:

Connect with Larry Heller: 

About Our Guest:

Gregg Schor is the CEO of Protegrity Advisors and has over 25 years of experience managing mergers and acquisitions, corporate development, legal, and human resources for companies of all sizes in a wide range of industries. He has previously held senior management positions at companies that have been acquired by IBM, Microsoft, and EMC, including Deputy and General Counsel, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, and Director of European Operations. As a result, he brings a very unique perspective to Protegrity clients, having been on all sides of M&A transactions and in a variety of roles.

Over the years, he has developed an extensive network of national and international relationships with public and private companies, private equity firms, family offices, search funds, and serial entrepreneurs, looking for businesses to acquire. He is on the boards of the Exit Planning Institute and the Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors, and is a member of the Exit Planning Exchange (Long Island Chapters).

Gregg received a J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law and a Diploma on International and Comparative Law for study in Russia and Poland from the University of San Diego School of Law. He also completed the Mergers and Acquisitions Executive Education Program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Certificate Program in Family Business Leadership and Governance from Cornell University.

FEATURE - USE THIS ONE
Key Decisions to Get Right in Your 60s for a Confident Retirement (Ep. 190)

Key Decisions to Get Right in Your 60s for a Confident Retirement (Ep. 190)

By |

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

Planning for retirement in your sixties involves a series of decisions that shape the rest of your life. Many retirees and pre-retirees are unsure how Social Security, healthcare, taxes, investments, and estate planning all work together, and this uncertainty can lead to costly missteps.

In this episode, Larry Heller, CFP®, CDFA®, breaks down the most common mistakes he sees people make during this decade and explains how thoughtful planning can help you approach retirement with clarity and confidence. He highlights real-world scenarios where timing, income needs, and coordination across financial decisions can make a meaningful difference for retirees and their families.

What to expect:

  • The Social Security mistakes many people make at ages 62 to 67
  • How income needs, longevity, and spousal benefits affect the right claiming strategy
  • Why knowing your spending is one of the most powerful pieces of retirement planning
  • Healthcare planning essentials, including Medicare, IRMAA, and long-term care
  • Managing investments in your sixties without becoming too conservative too quickly
  • Missed tax opportunities such as Roth conversions and withdrawal sequencing
  • Emotional preparation and lifestyle planning for a fulfilling retirement
  • Why updated estate documents and beneficiary designations matter
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Larry Heller: 
How to Build a Confident Retirement as a Northwell Employee with Belinda Tsui (Ep. 189)

How to Build a Confident Retirement as a Northwell Employee with Belinda Tsui (Ep. 189)

By |

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

Retirement planning for Northwell Health employees involves understanding a range of unique benefits and making strategic financial decisions. Many employees across all tiers and roles are unsure how these pieces fit together as they approach retirement.

In this episode, Larry Heller, CFP®, CDFA®, speaks with Belinda Tsui, CFP®, about how strategic planning can help employees understand what they have, what they may be leaving unclaimed, and how each decision affects retirement planning goals. 

They explore common scenarios for physicians, nurses, administrators, and other employees navigating their retirement plan options. The message is clear: knowing your benefits early, coordinating income sources, and avoiding costly timing mistakes can make a meaningful difference for Northwell employees when it’s time to retire.

What to expect:

  • The most common benefits Northwell employees might miss
  • Key decisions employees face as they approach age 65
  • Northwell pensions, cash balance plans, and deferred compensations
  • How Heller Wealth Management has helped their Northwell clients that are nurses, administrators, & physicians to set up for a successful retirement
  • And more!

Resources: 

Connect with Belinda Tsui:

Connect with Larry Heller: 

About Our Guest:

Belinda Tsui, CFP® approaches wealth management the same way she undertakes any other discipline in her life. She has many clients that are working for Northwell Health or have retired from Northwell Health with her help. With laser focus, cool reserve, steely resolve and unwavering adherence to the principals and fundamentals that foster success and lead – ultimately – to mastery of the craft. The ‘craft’ in this case being comprehensive financial and investment planning. The finer points of which include designing customized portfolios, plan implementation, portfolio rebalancing, customizing asset reports and operations management.  Skills acquired and finely honed over 20 years of advising, counselling and creating financial resilience for high net worth individuals, family trusts, foundations, corporate executives and business owners.

FEATURE - USE THIS ONE
What You Can Still Do to Cut Your 2025 Tax Bill with Jonathan Niyazov (Ep. 188)

What You Can Still Do to Cut Your 2025 Tax Bill with Jonathan Niyazov (Ep. 188)

By |

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

Year-end tax season doesn’t have to catch you off guard. With the latest tax law updates now in effect, there are new windows of opportunity, but also new limitations, especially for high-income earners and business owners.

In this episode, Larry Heller, CFP®, CDFA®, sits down with Jonathan Niyazov, CPA, to unpack how the 2025 tax code changes are reshaping financial planning conversations. From expanded SALT deductions and personal exemptions to permanent bonus depreciation and R&D credits, the 2025 tax code changes are reshaping planning conversations. The real challenge? Knowing how and when to act before December 31st to keep more of what you’ve earned.

What to expect from this release:

  • How income thresholds impact the new deduction and exemption limits
  • Strategic planning moves for high earners, senior taxpayers, and business owners
  • The power of Roth conversions, tax-loss harvesting, and retroactive refund claims
  • Why choosing the right business structure may help reduce your tax bill in 2025 and beyond
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Jonathan Niyazov:

Connect with Larry Heller: 

About Our Guest:

Jonathan Niyazov is an accomplished Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with a wealth of experience assisting mid-size to large businesses and high-net-worth individuals with their tax needs. With a distinguished career spanning prestigious international accounting firms, he brings an acute understanding of the tax code that is crucial for any growing business and its owners. Jonathan’s expertise extends to assisting overseas companies in establishing a business presence in the United States and providing guidance to US companies expanding abroad.

He leverages his commercial tax expertise to deliver high-quality tax services to a diverse portfolio of clients across many industries and sectors. His experience and expertise is centered around tax management, consulting, and compliance, with a focus on S corporation, partnership, corporate, and individual taxation.
Later-in-Life Marriages: What You Need to Protect (Ep. 187)

Later-in-Life Marriages: What You Need to Protect (Ep. 187)

By |

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

When love finds you later in life, what happens to your legacy?

With over 1,300 stepfamilies forming every day, later-in-life relationships are more common than ever, but so are the financial complexities that come with them. 

Whether you’re remarrying, cohabiting, or just exploring the next chapter, decisions around Social Security, estate planning, asset titling, and medical directives can be emotionally and financially loaded.

We’re laying out what you need to think through before you say “I do” (or move in). Because when assets, families, and emotions all intersect, proactive planning is what brings peace of mind.

What to expect:

  • The critical age 60 rule that can impact your Social Security survivor benefits
  • How to protect your kids from a previous marriage, even if you trust your new spouse
  • What happens to your home if you’re unmarried and pass away first?
  • Why adult children need to be part of your planning conversations
  • And more!

Resources: 

Connect with Larry Heller: 

FEATURE - USE THIS ONE
Modern Estate Planning for Modern Retirees with Wendy Goidel (Ep. 186)

Modern Estate Planning for Modern Retirees with Wendy Goidel (Ep. 186)

By |

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

Planning for the future isn’t just about what you leave behind; it’s also about how you live today. 

Yet far too many retirees assume that a simple will is enough to protect their assets, their wishes, and their loved ones. In reality, effective estate planning involves proactive decisions, coordinated professionals, and a clear vision for both your life and your legacy.

In this episode of Retirement Unlocked, Larry Heller speaks with elder law attorney Wendy Goidel to surface overlooked strategies that can help families navigate the real-life complexity of aging, incapacity, and generational wealth transfer, from durable powers of attorney to personal care instructions and legacy letters.

What you’ll learn:

  • The core legal documents that every retiree should have, and how to make sure they actually work
  • How trust funding, titling, and beneficiary designations often make or break an estate plan
  • Why long-term care costs derail even well-built retirement plans, and how to prepare early
  • The overlooked value of legacy planning tools like ethical wills and caregiver instructions
  • And so much more!

Connect with Wendy Goidel:

Connect with Larry Heller: 

About Our Guest:

Wendy K. Goidel, the founding and managing member of Goidel Law Group PLLC, dedicates her practice to estate planning, elder law, and estate and trust administration.  Wendy helps individuals of all ages and stages to achieve their estate planning goals while protecting themselves, their loved ones, and their hard-earned assets.  She provides services in a compassionate and caring manner while respecting the dignity and promoting the independence of her clients. Recognizing that conversations about disability and death are difficult and emotional, Wendy is committed to diffusing tension and eliminating stress.   She earns her clients’ respect and confidence and creates lasting relationships with them and their family members so that their planning will work for them through all phases of their lives.

An out-of-the-box thinker, Wendy developed and implemented Concierge Care Coordination®, a holistic practice model which seamlessly integrates geriatric social work with legal planning.

Wendy created fellowship programs with two New York universities designed to encourage social work students to enter the field of gerontology and to promote collaboration between law and social work students.  She gives back to the community and sponsors multiple programs for individuals with cognitive impairment and their care partners. Wendy has been honored for her commitment and contributions to several adult day programs on Long Island and was named as one of the Top 50 Women in Business by the Long Island Business News.  For a decade, Wendy served on the Executive Board of Make-A-Wish, Suffolk County, NY.  She is a graduate of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and Syracuse University.
How to Avoid a Tax Time Bomb in Retirement (Ep. 185)

How to Avoid a Tax Time Bomb in Retirement (Ep. 185)

By |

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

Roth conversions may be one of the most overlooked tax planning opportunities in retirement, and the cost of waiting could be staggering. 

With recent legislative changes, longer life expectancies, and compressed inheritance timelines for your heirs, it’s never been more important to get this right.

In this episode of Retirement Unlocked, Larry Heller, CFP®, CDFA®, explains how to spot your best conversion window, why many people miss it, and the strategic tools that can make the move pay off. He also reveals how proactive planning can help reduce Medicare surcharges, reduce the tax burden passed on to your family, and give you far more flexibility in retirement.

If you’re between the ages of 60 and 75, or experiencing a few low-income years before required minimum distributions (RMDs) begin, you could be in a prime window to convert pre-tax retirement savings into tax-free Roth dollars, without triggering a future tax time bomb.

Beyond personal savings, this strategy can also help protect the next generation from inheriting a massive tax liability. But timing, income coordination, and strategic use of tools like Social Security deferral and partial conversions all play a role in whether a Roth move will actually benefit you.

What you can expect from this release:

  • Why accountants often overlook this opportunity, and how a CFP® can model your long-term tax impact
  • The ideal timeline to explore Roth conversions, especially in the “donut hole” between retirement and RMDs
  • How Roth IRAs can minimize Medicare surcharges, reduce required withdrawals, and increase future flexibility
  • The multi-generational benefits of converting, including how to shield your heirs from 10-year withdrawal rules
  • And more!

Connect with Larry Heller: 

FEATURE - USE THIS ONE
Our recommended title: How to Exit Your Business on Your Terms with Paul Cronin (Ep. 184)

Our recommended title: How to Exit Your Business on Your Terms with Paul Cronin (Ep. 184)

By |

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

You’ve built a business with care, grit, and vision. But what happens when the finish line is in sight and you realize you’re not ready to cross it? 

For business owners nearing retirement, the decision to sell is about far more than spreadsheets and valuations. It’s personal. It’s strategic. And it can be overwhelming.

In this episode of Retirement Unlocked, Larry Heller sits down with Paul Cronin, a seasoned entrepreneur and M&A advisor with Touchstone Advisors, to walk through how and when to start planning for your exit, on your terms.

What you can expect from this release:

  • The real (and often underestimated) timeline for selling a business
  • Why your business must be ready to sell before you are
  • The “Holy Trinity” of trusted advisors to involve early
  • Common mistakes that derail deals and how to avoid them
  • And more!

Resources: 

Connect with Paul Cronin:

Connect with Larry Heller: 

About Our Guest:

Paul Cronin has over 30 years of professional experience in sales, management, consulting, and entrepreneurship. He has owned three businesses, including a data analytics business, a golf training business, and an exit planning/consulting business. He has been part of the M&A world since 2009, initially in the exit planning field before moving to transactional work at several firms. Paul joined the M&A practice at Touchstone Advisors in 2025

Paul’s background includes being part of the team that grew Eden Toys, a small NY-based toy manufacturer, into a $100 million company serving thousands of US retailers, including TJX, Macy’s, and Nordstrom. Paul led a team of 16 salespeople (both field reps and inside sales reps,) generating $20 million/year and serving 6,000 customers.

As a speaker, Paul has presented at law firms, CPA societies, professional associations, and colleges such as Harvard Business School, Northeastern University, Babson College, Bentley University, Wheaton College (MA), Emerson College, Wellesley College, and Salem State University (MA).

Paul has a Bachelor of Science from the D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University in Boston. Paul is an avid golfer, splits his time between Boston and Cape Cod, and is married with two adult daughters.
SIMPLE IRA vs. 401(k): What’s Best for Your Business? (Ep. 183)

SIMPLE IRA vs. 401(k): What’s Best for Your Business? (Ep. 183)

By |

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

What seems like a small business decision, choosing between a SIMPLE IRA and a 401(k), can quietly shape everything from your personal retirement strategy to your firm’s employee retention. 

The truth? It’s not just about cost. It’s about control, flexibility, and future-proofing your business and your finances.

Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or managing a team, your retirement plan structure says a lot about your growth mindset.

In this episode of Retirement Unlocked, Larry Heller, CFP®, CDFA®, explores the practical trade-offs business owners face when deciding how much control they want, how much complexity they can handle, and how much opportunity they may be unknowingly leaving on the table.

Here’s what you can expect from this release:

  • How contribution limits and tax credits differ between SIMPLE IRAs and 401(k)s
  • How Safe Harbor rules can protect owners from compliance headaches
  • Why profit sharing and vesting can impact employee loyalty
  • The often-overlooked role of plan design in talent retention
  • Why cost-saving now may cost you more later, financially and culturally
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Larry Heller: