BOB DICKINSON

Dear Retiree Hopeful,

I say “hopeful” because retiring isn’t easy… And despite our best efforts, it doesn’t always go according to plan.

Hi, my name is Bob Carlson and for over 30 years I’ve helped thousands of retirees plan for and reach their retirement goals. And in that time I’ve seen retirees who made some big mistakes… Mistakes that cost them thousands in lifetime savings, and years added to their already distant retirement date. Mistakes that could have meant coming up short on rent or mortgage payments and utility bills, barely able to afford the retirement and the lifestyle they worked their whole life for, some even returning to the workforce…

But here’s the thing… EVEN IF you nailed it and made all the right decisions… And EVEN IF you worked hard and saved, and have already begun your retirement journey, there’s one thing that could bring it all down and this thing has done it before and will no doubt do it again…

So what is this thing? You guessed it. Congress. Yea, it’s Congress.

Congress has mucked with your retirement for decades because Congress just can’t help itself. Liberal or Conservative, right or left, young or old, it doesn’t matter. Congress hasn’t cared about that in decades. Congress just wants the revenue.

Why? Well, since the nation’s founding, Congress passed an annual budget for things like a military and other things necessary to promote the general welfare, Then in 1935, Congress passed the Social Security Act of 1935 which in keeping with the welfare part, required every working American to pay a tax into a “Trust Fund” which established a retirement age of 65 at which point, retirees could receive a benefit in the form of a monthly payment from Uncle Sam, for the rest of their lives. It wasn’t much but it was intended to create a sort of “Social Safety Net” that would assist Americans when they could no longer work.

For 50 years, Congress passed legislation after legislation affecting how the system worked but remember how I said Congress can’t help itself? Well, in 1983 Congress overhauled Social Security which among other things raised that retirement age gradually over the following 40 years to 67, in effect cutting retirement benefits by 13% for those born in 1960, or later.

So where does that leave us today? Well, to begin with, Social Security’s trust fund has been drying up. According to the 2022 Trustees’ Report, as it stands now Social Security will only be able to pay full benefits for about 12 more years.

After that — starting in 2034 — the Report concludes that Americans can expect to see as much as a 22% to 26% cut to their benefits.

But that’s not even the worst of it.

Lost in the fog of recession fears and stock market volatility, is a little-known law that Congress recently passed that should have every American retiree up in arms — because starting this year it could have a significant impact on retirement accounts, such as 401(k)s, IRAs, Roth IRAs, and pensions. The law has been described as “devastating” and has the potential to derail the retirement you have diligently saved for over the years, possibly putting your financial future at risk.

That leaves me worried. Worried that Congress has been making things so difficult for retirees and for those close to retirement, that my job may soon be impossible to do if Congress continues to get its way.

Bottom line is if you don’t have a plan to avoid the pitfalls and landmines that Congress is and will be putting in front of you, the next few years are going to be tough.

While all of this may sound alarming, it’s crucial not to panic. Understanding the implications of this law and taking appropriate action can make a significant difference in securing your retirement.

That’s why I wrote a book called the “New American Retirement Plan”.

This book was specifically designed to help future retirees like you and I navigate the complexities of this and other laws and to safeguard our hard-earned savings. My book offers valuable insights and strategies to protect your retirement accounts from the government’s actions.

What makes this book compelling is that it provides clear steps and “end-around maneuvers” to counter the potential negative impact of the law. It aims to equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to preserve your IRAs and 401(k)s, ensuring that your retirement remains secure.

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