The Retirement Game Plan

You spent years saving and investing for retirement. But what happens if a market drop, a health scare, or an unexpected loss threatens to throw that plan off track? 
In this episode, Greg Johnson walks through the risks that matter most as you get closer to retirement, and the proactive planning that can help you face them with more confidence instead of more worry. 
Here's what Greg covers: 
Why the shift from growing your money to protecting it catches so many pre-retirees off guard 
The three-bucket strategy Greg uses with clients to take the panic out of market corrections 
How to think through healthcare and long-term care costs before they catch you by surprise 
The spousal protection conversation most couples never have, including a candid story from Greg and his wife, Marsha 
A pre-retirement risk audit you can walk through with your own plan 
Greg also shares a personal, unscripted moment from a coffee-shop conversation with Marsha in Key West that changed how he thinks about protecting his own family. 
A good retirement plan doesn't just answer whether you can retire. It should also answer whether your retirement can handle whatever comes next. 
Greg Johnson is President and Investment Advisor Representative at Vantagus Wealth in Belle Plaine, Iowa, home of the Financial Game Plan. 
If this episode was useful, subscribe to The Retirement Game Plan so the next one lands automatically, and consider leaving a review. It’s one of the best ways to help another pre-retiree or retiree find the show. 
Read the full transcript and show notes: https://www.vantaguswealth.com/podcast-the-retirement-game-plan-episode-5
Take the free Retirement Readiness Quiz: https://mailchi.mp/5398553252c5/retirement-readiness-quiz 
 

You've spent decades saving into your 401(k) and IRA, watching the balance climb. But have you ever stopped to ask how much of that number is actually yours, and how much belongs to the IRS? 
In this episode, Greg breaks down the most overlooked piece of retirement planning: taxes. He covers what's really going on, and what you can do about it: 
Why your tax-deferred accounts are worth less than the number on the statement 
The retirement tax bomb: how required minimum distributions (RMDs) can push you into a higher bracket than you were in while working 
How Social Security benefits get taxed, and why two retirees with the same benefit can owe very different amounts 
Roth conversions: what they are, and how optimizing your tax bracket now can reduce your lifetime tax bill 
Why coordinating which account you pull income from matters just as much as how much you saved 
Greg shares a story about a couple who did everything right, saved diligently, paid off their house, and still got surprised by a higher tax bracket, a Medicare premium increase, and new taxes on their Social Security once RMDs kicked in. 
The question to sit with by the end of this one: do you know where your retirement income is going to come from, and do you know how it's going to be taxed? 
 
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Not sure where you actually stand? Take our free Retirement Readiness Quiz and find out in minutes what's working in your plan — and what still needs attention.
Ready to take the next step? Complete our short Financial Questionnaire, and our team will personally reach out to schedule your complimentary Discovery Session — a clear, no-pressure look at your specific retirement plan. 
CONNECT WITH US:
📸 Follow us on Instagram: @vantaguswealth📘 Follow us on Facebook: Greg Johnson▶️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
If this episode helped you, take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. It helps us reach more people preparing for this exact transition. Thanks for listening — see you next time.

Here's a truth that trips up a lot of retirees: you don't retire on assets, you retire on income. Once the employer paycheck stops, you become responsible for creating your own, and that means understanding exactly where it's going to come from, in what order, and how to protect it once the market gets involved.
We start with income layering, the different sources retirees typically rely on. That includes Social Security (and why the timing decision matters so much more than most people think), pension elections, your investment portfolio, and other guaranteed income sources like rental income or annuities. From there we move into withdrawal order, one of the most overlooked parts of retirement planning. Pulling money from the wrong account at the wrong time can create tax consequences you never saw coming, and we walk through taxable accounts, pre tax accounts, and Roth accounts, plus why the "textbook" withdrawal order isn't always the smartest one in today's tax environment.
We also cover required minimum distributions, Medicare premium surcharges tied to income (IRMAA), and a concept we call the widow's tax trap, a real and personal story about what happens to a surviving spouse's tax situation after losing a partner. Finally, we tackle sequence of returns, the risk that market losses early in retirement can do far more damage to your income plan than the same losses would during your working years. We walk through a real example of how a single bad year in the market can force you into withdrawing a higher percentage than planned, and the strategies we use to protect against it.
The takeaway is simple: it's not about how big your portfolio is, it's about how much reliable income it can produce, and how well that income is coordinated, protected, and tax aware.
Key Takeaways:
Why retirement income planning starts with knowing you don't retire on assets, you retire on income
The four common sources of retirement income and how to coordinate them
Why Social Security timing can mean an 8 percent guaranteed increase in benefits for every year you delay between 62 and 70
Why withdrawal order matters and how taxable, pre tax, and Roth accounts are treated differently
Required minimum distributions and why planning ahead can help you avoid a bigger tax bill later
The widow's tax trap and why deferring taxes too long can backfire for a surviving spouse
Sequence of returns risk and why a bad market early in retirement is far more dangerous than the same downturn during your working years
Strategies for protecting your income plan, including buffer approaches and guaranteed income products
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Not sure where you actually stand? Take our free Retirement Readiness Quiz and find out in minutes what's working in your plan — and what still needs attention.
Ready to take the next step? Complete our short Financial Questionnaire, and our team will personally reach out to schedule your complimentary Discovery Session — a clear, no-pressure look at your specific retirement plan. 
CONNECT WITH US:
📸 Follow us on Instagram: @vantaguswealth📘 Follow us on Facebook: Greg Johnson▶️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
If this episode helped you, take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. It helps us reach more people preparing for this exact transition. Thanks for listening — see you next time.

Retirement isn't a date on the calendar, it's a coordinated process, and getting the sequencing wrong can cost you more than you'd expect.
This episode is about the questions that come up once you've decided you're ready: how do I actually retire? That's where most people feel unprepared, not because of the money, but because of the transition itself.
We walk through the key decisions that shape a smooth transition: how to time your retirement date and build a "day one" income plan, what to consider with pension elections (lump sum vs. lifetime income), the age related rules that affect your 401(k) rollover options, and why Medicare and healthcare coordination needs to start two to three months before your target date. We also break down "exit sequencing," the idea that every lever in your plan (income, Social Security, pensions, healthcare) has to be pulled in the right order, or you risk running into trouble just weeks into retirement.
Beyond the numbers, we dig into what's often overlooked entirely: the emotional side of retiring. Your routine changes. Your sense of purpose changes. And without a plan for how you'll spend your time and who you'll spend it with, that adjustment can be harder than the financial one. Real client stories throughout illustrate how these decisions play out, and what happens when they're made in isolation instead of as part of one connected plan.
If you know someone wrestling with these questions, share this episode with them. A little clarity goes a long way.
Key Takeaways:
Why your retirement date isn't just a date, it's the result of careful planning and coordination
How to build a "day one" income plan when other income sources (like Social Security) haven't started yet
Pension elections: when a lump sum makes sense vs. when lifetime income is the better choice
Why age matters so much when deciding what to do with your 401(k)
The Medicare timeline, and why starting the process 2-3 months early avoids costly gaps
"Exit sequencing": why the order you pull your financial levers matters as much as the levers themselves
Why your first year of retirement rarely goes as planned, and how to build in room to adjust
The emotional side of retirement, routine, purpose, and connection, and why it deserves as much planning as your finances
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Not sure where you actually stand? Take our free Retirement Readiness Quiz and find out in minutes what's working in your plan — and what still needs attention.
Ready to take the next step? Complete our short Financial Questionnaire, and our team will personally reach out to schedule your complimentary Discovery Session — a clear, no-pressure look at your specific retirement plan. 
CONNECT WITH US:
📸 Follow us on Instagram: @vantaguswealth📘 Follow us on Facebook: Greg Johnson▶️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
If this episode helped you, take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. It helps us reach more people preparing for this exact transition. Thanks for listening — see you next time.

Welcome to The Retirement Game Plan. Today's question is simple but critical: can I retire? It's one of the biggest decisions you'll ever make, and it's normal to feel stuck. Common fears, running out of money, retiring too early, regretting the decision, are things almost everyone wrestles with. The goal isn't to have a perfect answer, but a clear one.
We start by tackling a common misconception: retirement readiness isn't about hitting a magic number. It's about the income that number can actually generate, and whether that income supports the lifestyle you want, what happens when "every day is Saturday." From there, we break down the four areas that determine if you truly have enough: your income sources (Social Security, pensions, rental income, investments), your spending across fixed expenses and lifestyle ("paychecks and playchecks"), longevity and how long your plan needs to last, and market impact, the risks you can't control but still have to plan around.
We also get into a question people don't ask enough: will I regret retiring? The emotional side of this decision matters just as much as the financial side. We talk through the importance of having a purpose and something to be passionate about after you leave work, why partial retirement is becoming more common, and why there's nothing wrong with continuing to work if you genuinely enjoy it. Real client stories throughout show how this plays out, including families who found clarity almost immediately once they had a real plan in place, and others who learned the hard way what happens without one.
By the end, retirement isn't about guessing, it's about knowing three things: how much income you need, where that money is coming from and how long it will last, and whether you're prepared for whatever might disrupt the plan along the way.
Key Takeaways:
Why retirement readiness isn't about a dollar amount, it's about the income that amount can generate
The four areas that determine if you truly have enough: income sources, spending, longevity, and market impact
How to think through "paychecks vs. playchecks" when budgeting for retirement
Why healthcare costs are consistently underestimated in retirement planning
The emotional side of retiring, purpose, passion, and why some people regret retiring too soon
Why partial retirement is becoming a popular middle ground
The three questions you need clear answers to before you can confidently say "yes, I can retire"
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Not sure where you actually stand? Take our free Retirement Readiness Quiz and find out in minutes what's working in your plan — and what still needs attention.
Ready to take the next step? Complete our short Financial Questionnaire, and our team will personally reach out to schedule your complimentary Discovery Session — a clear, no-pressure look at your specific retirement plan. 
CONNECT WITH US:
📸 Follow us on Instagram: @vantaguswealth📘 Follow us on Facebook: Greg Johnson▶️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
If this episode helped you, take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. It helps us reach more people preparing for this exact transition. Thanks for listening — see you next time.

Can you retire? And once you do, will you stay retired? Welcome to The Retirement Game Plan with Greg Johnson of Vantagus Wealth. Hear who this show is for and what to expect. If you've saved well but still feel unsure, you're in the right place. Real talk on the decisions of retirement, no jargon, no sales pitch, just a path toward clarity and confidence. New episodes every other week. Go be great.