MDRN Wealth

08/29/2026

The 3-6 month rule breaks in early retirement 👀

Most people spend decades following the same emergency fund advice, and it works great while you have a paycheck.

But the moment you retire early, the rules change completely.

Here's the problem: your portfolio becomes your income in retirement. Stocks will be part of that mix, and at some point, markets will drop. If you're forced to sell those investments just to cover monthly expenses during a downturn, you're locking in permanent losses.

That's the sequence of returns risk that quietly wrecks early retirement plans.

The solution is a much larger cash cushion than most people expect. Holding 24 to 36 months of living expenses in cash gives you the ability to ride out a market decline without touching your investments at the worst possible time.

It's not about hoarding cash. It's about protecting the rest of your portfolio so it has time to recover.

1) 'Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training.' 2) 'The information in this brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or by any state securities authority.' 3) Additional information available on SEC's website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. 4) CRD number: 323177. 5) Fee-only disclosure: compensation comes solely from transparent fee charged — no commissions, no hidden incentives.

John Damion Boyd is a financial advisor.

08/28/2026

Retiring before 59½? The IRS has a rule for that. 👀

Most people assume early retirement means one of two things: grind through a job you've outgrown just to protect the paycheck, or retire and slowly drain your taxable accounts while your IRA collects dust.

What most people don't realize is that there's a legitimate, tax-code-approved strategy that lets you pull from your IRA before 59½, completely penalty-free.

The IRS gives you three different calculation methods to choose from. But the rules are strict, and the consequences of getting it wrong are steep. One missed payment or a single misstep, and the IRS can go back and apply that 10% penalty to every distribution you've already taken, plus interest.

Knowing when this strategy makes sense, and how to execute it correctly, could be the difference between retiring on your terms or staying stuck.

Learn more about setting yourself up to retire on your schedule by hitting follow.

1) 'Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training.' 2) 'The information in this brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or by any state securities authority.' 3) Additional information available on SEC's website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. 4) CRD number: 323177. 5) Fee-only disclosure: compensation comes solely from transparent fee charged — no commissions, no hidden incentives.

John Damion Boyd is a financial advisor.

08/27/2026

Roth conversions can secretly cost you 40% 🚨

If you're planning to retire in your 50s, this is something your financial plan needs to account for before you convert a single dollar.

Most people hear "Roth conversion" and assume it's always a smart tax move. But for early retirees on ACA health insurance, the math can flip fast.

Converting pre-tax money raises your Modified Adjusted Gross Income, and when that number climbs, your premium tax credits shrink or disappear entirely. Suddenly the 22% you thought you were paying on the conversion balloons when you add in the subsidy losses.

There's another layer too. If your living expenses in early retirement are already being funded by pre-tax withdrawals, those distributions are already filling your tax bracket. Converting on top of that, with a break-even point that might be 20 to 30 years out, can work against the very retirement you planned for.

Roth conversions are a valuable tool, but only when the timing and circumstances are right.

Learn more about retiring early by hitting follow.

1) 'Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training.' 2) 'The information in this brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or by any state securities authority.' 3) Additional information available on SEC's website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. 4) CRD number: 323177. 5) Fee-only disclosure: compensation comes solely from transparent fee charged — no commissions, no hidden incentives.

John Damion Boyd is a financial advisor.

01/08/2024

It's not about how much you earn, but about how much you keep.

Join our Tax & Planning Insights newsletter in our learning center on MDRNWEALTH.com for tips on how you can optimize your wealth.

01/06/2024

Let's talk Housing:

The 3-2-1 buydown is a financing strategy aimed at helping potential homebuyers address the challenges of high home prices and steep interest rates.

This approach involves temporarily reducing the mortgage interest rate for the first three years of a mortgage, which results in lower monthly payments during that initial period. After this period, the interest rate typically returns to the standard rate.

To implement this strategy, the cost of the reduced interest rate during the initial years can be covered through various means, such as prepaying interest upfront, receiving credits from a builder (for new homes), or having the home seller finance it to make the property more attractive.

Individuals considering this strategy should evaluate factors like affordability, potential income growth, and their outlook on future interest rates to determine if it suits their specific financial circumstances and goals.

01/02/2024

New Year - New Legislation in Effect!

In 2022, the Secure 2.0 Act became federal legislation to encourage Americans to save more for retirement. Some of its changes will start in 2024.

What's new this year? Many students struggle to save for retirement while paying off their student loans. This makes it harder for them to benefit from employer contributions to retirement plans, and therefore can negatively impact an employee's future retirement savings. The new law allows employers to match their employees' retirement plan contributions based on their student loan payments. This helps employees save more for retirement, even as they pay off their loans.

12/28/2023

The celebration of a New Year is a great time to review your financial health and reevaluate financial goals for the upcoming year ahead. Here's your (starting) checklist for a financially happy new year.

1) Reevaluate your household budget
2) Check your emergency fund
3) Prioritize paying off your debt
4) Reevaluate your asset allocation


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11/16/2023

11/15/2023

If you're looking for a sign to start your estate plan, this is it.

10/23/2023

Loading: MDRN Estate Planning Month

We are excited to share with you all month of November the importance of Estate Planning and preparing for the next generation.