Before the Year Ends: What Does Your Retirement Plan Need?

What retirement decisions could become harder to change once the calendar flips? Gerry Ricken examines year-end planning considerations, including traditional versus Roth contributions, retirement spending needs, required minimum distributions, charitable giving, and tax planning. He also discusses…

How Do You Pick the Right Retirement Advisor?

Choosing a retirement advisor can feel a lot like picking apples: what looks good at first glance may deserve a closer look. Heidi Ricken Provost and Gerry Ricken discuss what to consider when choosing someone to help guide your retirement, from understanding risk tolerance and income needs to taxe…

Is Your Retirement Ready for the Year-End Tax Clock?

The year-end tax clock is ticking, but taxes are only one piece of the retirement puzzle. Heidi Ricken Provost and Gerry Ricken discuss Roth conversions, tax-loss and tax-gain harvesting, Medicare and long-term care planning, and why a million-dollar portfolio alone doesn’t determine retirement rea…

Do You Have Enough Time to Keep Working?

What if the biggest retirement question isn’t whether you have enough money, but whether you have enough time to keep waiting? Heidi Ricken Provost shares how her upcoming charity hike and a recent retirement-planning conversation brought that question into focus. She discusses early retirement, br…

Is Your Retirement Plan Ready for the 3 A.M. Test?

Is your retirement plan ready for the decisions that can change everything? Heidi Ricken Provost explores how choosing the right home, managing mortgage debt, preparing for market risk, and building a long-term tax strategy can shape retirement. She also tackles Roth conversions, Social Security ti…

What Really Happens at a Retirement Seminar?

What really happens at a retirement seminar, and is it anything like the stereotypes? Heidi Ricken Provost pulls back the curtain on Ricken Financial’s educational events, explaining how attendees can learn about income, taxes, Social Security, risk, and retirement planning in a relaxed, community-…

Would You Kick It or Keep It? Retirement Decisions Put to the Test

What if some of the most common retirement moves are actually costly mistakes? Retirement planner Heidi Ricken Provost and licensed insurance professional Gerry Ricken play a round of “Kick It or Keep It,” tackling real-world decisions involving Social Security, AI-generated financial advice, CDs, …

Are You Living Your Purpose or Just Following a Routine?

What happens when you realize you're no longer living with purpose? Heidi Ricken Provost and Gerry Ricken discuss finding joy in everyday moments, overcoming fear of change, and recognizing when it's time to pursue something more meaningful. From career transitions to retirement goals, they explore…

Are You Making These Retirement Mistakes Without Realizing It?

Is retiring at 65 really the smartest move, or could it cost you more than you realize? Heidi Ricken Provost and Gerry Ricken tackle a series of common retirement questions, separating what’s smart, what’s risky, and what depends on your personal situation. From Social Security timing and Roth conv…

Why Spending Money in Retirement Feels So Hard

What if the biggest challenge in retirement isn’t saving money, but learning how to spend it? Heidi Ricken Provost and Gerry Ricken discuss why many retirees struggle to shift from accumulating wealth to using it with purpose. They explore retirement income, changing spending habits, emergency fund…