Strategies Designed to Help You Keep More of What You’ve Saved. Explore How Tax-Efficient Planning Can Help Manage What You Owe Over Your Lifetime.
Most retirement portfolios are built to grow. Very few are built to be spent in a tax-smart order. We help retirees and pre-retirees across New Smyrna Beach and Volusia County restructure withdrawals, time Roth conversions, and plan around RMDs to help limit taxes that can reduce a client's nest egg. Individual results depend on tax brackets, account mix, and timing.
The Problem Most Retirees Face
You spent 30 or 40 years saving in IRAs, 401(k)s, and brokerage accounts. Now you have to figure out how to spend it without handing the IRS more than your fair share.
The default approach, pull from the easiest account first, is rarely the smartest. Without a sequence, three things tend to happen:
- You pay tax in your highest-bracket years instead of your lowest
- Required Minimum Distributions force you into brackets you could have avoided
- A surviving spouse ends up in a tax cliff nobody saw coming
The good news: most of this is fixable. But it takes planning across 20 to 30 years of retirement, not one tax return at a time.
Not All Retirement Dollars Are Taxed the Same
Most people retire with three buckets of money and no idea how the IRS treats each one differently:
Pre-tax (Traditional IRA, 401(k), 403(b)) - every dollar is taxed as ordinary income when you withdraw it
After-tax taxable (brokerage, savings) - you owe tax on gains and dividends along the way, with preferential rates on long-term gains
Tax-free (Roth IRA, Roth 401(k), HSA) - withdrawals come out tax-free if the rules are followed
The order you spend from these buckets, and the years you spend from each, can swing your lifetime tax bill by six figures. Most people pull from the easiest account first. That is rarely the smartest one.
What Tax-Efficient Planning Looks Like
There is no single trick. There is a sequence of decisions made over the rest of your life. The ones that matter most:
Withdrawal sequencing. Which account funds your spending each year, based on your current bracket, future RMDs, and Social Security taxation.
Roth conversion windows. The years between retirement and age 73, before RMDs and full Social Security kick in, often create a low-bracket gap. That gap can be one of the most valuable planning windows of your life.
RMD planning. Required Minimum Distributions begin at age 73 for most people. Plan ahead and you control the bracket. Wait and the IRS decides for you.
Capital gains harvesting. In some years, retired households fall into the 0% long-term capital gains bracket. That window is worth using.
Social Security taxation. Up to 85% of your benefit can be taxed depending on your other income. Sequencing matters here too.
Surviving spouse planning. Joint to single filing is one of the largest tax cliffs in the tax code. We plan for it before it happens, not after.
Charitable strategies. Qualified Charitable Distributions and donor-advised funds can lower your tax bill while supporting the causes you already give to.
What You Get
When you become a client, your tax planning work includes:
- A multi-year tax projection comparing your current path to a tax-optimized alternative
- A written withdrawal sequence by account type
- A Roth conversion analysis, including how much to convert and in which years
- An RMD readiness review so you control the bracket, not the IRS
- Coordination with your CPA or tax preparer
You leave with a written plan that maps the next 20 years, not a one-page summary.
Important: We are not CPAs and we do not file your taxes. We work alongside your tax preparer, or refer you to one if needed, to make sure the strategy and the return match.
Who This Is For
This work tends to deliver the most value for households who are:
- Age 55 to 75, within 10 years of retirement or already retired
- Holding $500,000 or more in pre-tax accounts (IRA, 401(k), 403(b))
- Concerned about a future RMD problem
- Married, and worried about what happens tax-wise when one spouse passes
- Already retired but never had a multi-year tax projection done
If that sounds like you, the next step is a 45-minute conversation. No charge, no pressure.
Why Steven
- RICP® (Retirement Income Certified Professional®), the designation built specifically for retirement income and tax sequencing
- NSSA® (National Social Security Advisor)
- CLTC® (Certified in Long-Term Care)
- CF2® (Certified Financial Fiduciary)
- 15 years of practice, Comprehensive retirement planning for families
- We don't have sales quotas, and Steven's pay isn't tied to hitting product-sales targets. We don't run a proprietary fund family, we recommend third-party investments, chosen to fit your risk profile and retirement goals.
- Local office on North Orange Street, downtown New Smyrna Beach
How to Get Started
Call or book.
Pick up the phone at (386) 402-4626, or schedule online.
Discovery meeting (free).
We review your current accounts, any existing insurance or annuity policies, and the tax picture you are working with today. About 45 minutes.
Plan delivery.
If we are a fit, you receive a written tax-aware income strategy you can take home.
No pressure to buy anything on day one.
Workshops
Steven teaches Taxes in Retirement monthly at the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach and the Lakeside Community Center in Port Orange. The class is hosted through the American Financial Education Alliance, a non-profit. This is an educational conversation, not a sales pitch. We'll only call you afterward if you ask us to.
FAQ
Are you a CPA?
No. We focus on retirement income, investment, and insurance planning, with tax efficiency built into the strategy. We work with your CPA, or can refer you to one if you do not have a preferred preparer.
Can you actually reduce my tax bill?
We cannot promise a specific outcome. What we can do is model your situation across multiple years and show you what a tax-aware drawdown looks like compared to what you would otherwise do by default.
What is a Roth conversion and why does it matter?
A Roth conversion moves money from a pre-tax IRA to a Roth IRA. You pay tax now on the converted amount, but future growth and withdrawals are tax-free. Done in the right years, this can lower your lifetime tax bill and protect against future rate increases.
Do I have to move my accounts to work with you?
The first meeting is a complimentary review of what you already have, and there is no obligation. Ongoing planning, where we actually build, monitor, and adjust your tax strategy over time, is delivered through our advisory relationship, which means we manage the accounts that fund the plan. We will walk you through exactly what that looks like before you decide anything.
How much do you charge?
The initial review is complimentary. Ongoing advisory fees are disclosed in writing before you sign anything and are based on assets under management.
Are you a fiduciary?
Investment advisory services are offered by Signal Advisors Wealth, LLC (“Signal Wealth”), a Registered Investment Adviser with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training. In that capacity, we have a fiduciary duty to act in your best interest.
Do you work with people who live outside New Smyrna Beach?
Yes. We regularly serve households in Edgewater, Port Orange, South Daytona, Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, DeLand, Deltona, Orange City, Palm Coast, Sanford, Titusville, Holly Hill, Lake Helen, Glencoe, and the rest of Volusia County.
See what a tax-efficient retirement could look like for your household.
Schedule a free 45-minute review or call our New Smyrna Beach office.
Office: 112 N. Orange Street, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168 Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 5:00
Investment advisory services are offered by Signal Advisors Wealth, LLC ("Signal Wealth"), a Registered Investment Adviser with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Steven L. Rich is an Investment Adviser Representative of Signal Wealth. Insurance products and services are offered through New Smyrna Beach Retirement Solutions ("NSBRS"). Signal Wealth does not offer insurance products. NSBRS is not affiliated with Signal Wealth. Additionally, when NSBRS and/or its agents are recommending and/or selling insurance products they are not acting on behalf of Signal Wealth or in a fiduciary capacity, and instead are governed by the applicable insurance rules and regulations. For more information about Signal Wealth, or to receive a copy of our Form ADV or Form CRS, please click here.
NSBRS is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or any governmental agency. NSBRS and its agents do not provide tax, legal, or Social Security advice. Clients are advised to consult their tax advisor or attorney regarding tax and legal matters and to contact the Social Security Administration at their local office or online at www.ssa.gov.
Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The information provided herein is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a recommendation or as investment, tax, or legal advice. None of the information contained herein shall constitute an offer to sell or solicit any offer to buy any security, investment advisory, or insurance product. Investment advisory services are provided in accordance with a fiduciary duty of care and loyalty that includes putting client interests first and disclosing conflicts. Insurance services are subject to a best interest standard, which requires recommendations to be in the client's best interest. Advisors may receive commissions and other compensation for the sale of insurance and annuity products. Annuity guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
Any tax savings figures, projections, examples, or multi-year tax projections referenced are hypothetical and provided for illustrative purposes only. They are based on assumptions that may not reflect your individual circumstances, do not represent actual results, and are not a guarantee of future performance or outcomes. Individual results will vary.
Strategies such as Roth conversions, capital gains harvesting, required minimum distribution planning, and charitable giving are not suitable for all individuals, involve trade-offs, and depend on your specific circumstances and current tax law, which is subject to change. There is no assurance that any strategy will reduce your overall tax liability. Neither Signal Wealth nor NSBRS provides tax or legal advice; consult your qualified tax professional or attorney regarding your situation.