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The Return That Matters Most: What You Keep After Taxes

by Eric Seyboldt, MBA

Most investors focus on performance. That’s understandable. Markets rise, markets fall, and headlines celebrate returns. But in real household finance, the number that matters most is not the gross return—it is what remains after taxes.

Taxes are not a seasonal nuisance. They are a structural cost. Left unmanaged, they steadily reduce compounding over time. Managed thoughtfully, they can become one of the most controllable variables in a financial plan.

Here are six strategies that consistently improve after-tax outcomes.

1) Select investments with tax efficiency in mind

In taxable brokerage accounts, investment structure matters. Some funds generate higher annual taxable distributions due to turnover and realized gains. Others—particularly lower-turnover index-oriented strategies and many ETFs—tend to distribute fewer capital gains.

Consider two investors earning the same 7% annual return. One owns a higher-turnover strategy that distributes taxable gains each year. The other holds a lower-turnover portfolio that defers gains. Over a decade, the difference is not market skill—it is tax drag. Deferral allows more capital to compound.

2) Use a Health Savings Account as a long-term planning tool

For those eligible through a high-deductible health plan, an HSA offers a rare combination: deductible contributions, tax-deferred growth, and tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses.

Many households use HSAs for current expenses. A more strategic approach is to allow funds to accumulate and invest them for future healthcare costs in retirement. Given the rising cost of medical care later in life, this account can serve as a targeted reserve that reduces pressure on taxable withdrawals.

3) Align asset location with tax characteristics

Asset allocation determines risk exposure. Asset location determines tax efficiency.

Taxable accounts, tax-deferred accounts (like traditional IRAs or 401(k)s), and tax-free accounts (like Roth IRAs) each operate under different rules. Investments that generate higher ordinary income may be more efficient inside tax-advantaged accounts. More tax-efficient assets often belong in taxable accounts.

This is not a tactical adjustment. It is structural planning. Over decades, proper asset location can meaningfully increase after-tax wealth without increasing investment risk.

4) Use realized losses strategically

Tax-loss harvesting involves selling investments at a loss to offset capital gains and, within limits, ordinary income. Losses in excess of gains can often be carried forward to future years.

This is not reactive selling. It is disciplined tax management. During market downturns, unrealized losses can become future tax assets if handled properly and within wash-sale rules. The objective is to maintain portfolio integrity while improving tax efficiency.

5) Coordinate withdrawals to manage lifetime tax exposure

In retirement, the sequence and source of withdrawals matter. Drawing exclusively from tax-deferred accounts may increase marginal tax rates, affect Medicare premiums, and influence the taxation of Social Security benefits.

A coordinated strategy—balancing taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free accounts—can smooth taxable income over time. The goal is not simply meeting spending needs, but controlling lifetime tax brackets.

Two retirees with identical portfolios can experience very different after-tax outcomes depending on withdrawal sequencing.

6) Structure charitable giving thoughtfully

Philanthropy and tax planning often intersect. Donating appreciated securities can avoid embedded capital gains while generating a charitable deduction if itemizing. Some households consolidate multiple years of giving into a single year to exceed the standard deduction threshold.

For those age 70½ or older, qualified charitable distributions from IRAs can satisfy required distributions while excluding the amount from taxable income, subject to annual limits and eligibility rules.

The Conclusion

Taxes do not respond to emotion. They respond to structure. Households that treat taxes as a manageable cost—rather than an afterthought—tend to preserve more capital over time.

The difference between a good financial plan and an excellent one is rarely found in speculation. It is found in discipline, coordination, and attention to the mechanics that compound quietly in the background.

In the end, success is not defined by what a portfolio earns on paper. It is defined by what remains available to support retirement, family, and long-term goals.

Reach out to us for a complimentary, 10-minute consultation call. A well-constructed retirement strategy should do more than just manage risk—it should provide clarity, confidence, and long-term stability. Schedule a complimentary 10-minute consultation by calling 614-943-2265 or email at [email protected]. Thoughtful planning today can help ensure your retirement is built on a foundation of informed choices—not guesswork.

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The Retirement Tax Question No One Wants to Ask

by Eric Seyboldt, MBA

There is a narrative floating around financial circles: if income is in the $250,000 to $300,000 range, load up the pre-tax 401(k), take the deduction today, and deal with taxes later when income is lower. Clean. Simple. Efficient.

That advice works beautifully—if tomorrow looks like yesterday.

But serious retirement planning does not rely on comfort. It relies on arithmetic.

What happens if tax rates rise? What happens if there are fewer workers paying into the system and government spending does not decline? Those are not political questions. They are demographic and fiscal realities worth examining carefully.

Below is a conversation that reflects how this issue should be analyzed.

Client: If someone is earning $275,000 a year, isn’t it obvious? Max the pre-tax 401(k). Take the deduction at 35% or 37% today. Why voluntarily pay taxes now through a Roth?

Eric: The deduction today is powerful. A $23,000 contribution at a 37% marginal rate saves roughly $8,500 in federal taxes immediately. That improves cash flow and compounds if reinvested.

But the real question is not what saves the most tax this year. The real question is: what will the lifetime tax bill look like?

The assumption behind heavy pre-tax saving is that taxable income in retirement will be meaningfully lower and that tax rates will not increase. Both assumptions deserve scrutiny.

Client: But most people are in a lower bracket once they retire, right?

Eric: Many are. High earners often are not.

Consider a couple retiring with $2.5 million in traditional pre-tax accounts. At age 75, Required Minimum Distributions alone can exceed $100,000 per year. Add Social Security benefits, perhaps $60,000 combined. Add taxable dividends and interest. Suddenly, taxable income may land squarely in the 24% or 32% bracket—and that is under today’s law.

Now layer in the broader picture. The workforce is not growing at the pace it once did. The ratio of workers to retirees continues to tighten. Social Security and Medicare obligations do not shrink automatically. If spending does not materially decline, revenue must rise somewhere. Historically, that has meant higher marginal rates, surtaxes, phaseouts, or reduced deductions.

If marginal rates climb even modestly over the next 20 years, the “I’ll be in a lower bracket later” argument weakens quickly.

Client: So should high earners abandon pre-tax contributions and go all Roth?

Eric: Not necessarily. This is not about abandoning the deduction. It is about managing risk.

Pre-tax savings defer taxes. Roth savings prepay them. When the future path of tax policy is uncertain—and arguably tilted toward higher rates—it is prudent to diversify tax exposure.

Think of it the same way you would think about asset allocation. Few sophisticated investors put 100% of their capital in one sector. Yet many households put 100% of their retirement savings into one future tax assumption.

Client: But paying 37% today to avoid a possible 30% tomorrow still seems inefficient.

Eric: That is exactly why this must be modeled carefully. The decision depends on projected retirement income, state residency, pension streams, Social Security timing, and legislative risk.

A disciplined strategy often blends approaches. Contribute partly pre-tax and partly Roth during peak earning years. Then, in early retirement—before Social Security and RMDs begin—execute measured Roth conversions while taxable income is temporarily lower. That allows the household to arbitrage brackets deliberately rather than reactively.

Real-world example: A couple retires at 62, delays Social Security to 70, and lives off taxable savings for several years. During that window, they convert $150,000 annually from traditional IRA to Roth at moderate rates. By the time RMDs begin, their taxable base is smaller, and a meaningful portion of assets is permanently shielded from future rate hikes.

Client: So the real risk is assuming the tax code stands still?

Eric: Precisely. Retirement is a 25- to 30-year horizon. It is not conservative to assume Congress will leave marginal rates untouched while demographic pressures intensify.

The objective is not to guess the future. It is to build resilience against it.

The deduction today is valuable. But so is flexibility tomorrow. In an era where fiscal math suggests that revenue pressures may increase rather than decrease, a retirement strategy built solely on deferral may prove fragile.

Balanced tax positioning—intentional, measured, and modeled—turns uncertainty into manageable risk. That is how durable retirement plans are constructed.

Contact us for a complimentary, 10-minute estate planning consultation. Moving across state lines—or through life’s major milestones—deserves the same level of care and foresight as building your wealth in the first place.

Call Eric Seyboldt at 614-943-2265 or email at [email protected] to schedule your free estate and legacy review. Because the plans that protect your family’s future are worth keeping as strong and up-to-date as the life you’ve worked so hard to build.

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Fixed annuities can be an essential component of a well-rounded retirement strategy, offering security, predictability, and efficiency in financial planning.

These are current fixed annuity rates and their durations from Top A-rated carriers (subject to change at any time, not FDIC insured):

Rates Are Dropping! Don’t Wait To Lock These Fixed Annuity Rates In Today!

3-year: 5.45% (under $100k Deposited)

3-year: 5.60% (over $100k Deposited)

5-year: 6.05% (under $100k Deposited)

5-year: 6.30% (over $100k Deposited)

7-year: 6.25% (under $100k Deposited)

7-year: 6.50% (over $100k Deposited)

Please feel free to call Eric at 614-943-2265 if you’d like to ask any questions or request information on these fixed annuities or other retirement topics that are on your mind.

REAL ASSETS, Invest Like the Ultra-Wealthy

Invest Like the Ultra-Wealthy: Why Smart Money Is Flocking to Real Assets Like Gold

Let’s call it like it is: the traditional retirement game plan is starting to look outdated. Inflation keeps climbing, the dollar doesn’t stretch like it used to, and central banks continue flooding the system with liquidity. Meanwhile, the markets? Still as volatile and unpredictable as ever.

That’s why today’s smartest investors aren’t sitting on the sidelines—they’re taking action.

They’re turning to gold—a timeless, tangible asset that doesn’t disappear when Wall Street stumbles. Gold has quietly built and preserved wealth through centuries of financial upheaval.

This isn’t just a hedge. It’s a proven strategy for uncertain times.

📌 Gold has stood the test of time as a store of value across every major crisis.
📌 It provides a reliable safeguard against inflation and currency devaluation.
📌 Unlike stocks or bonds, gold is a physical asset you can see, hold, and control on your terms.

When the future feels uncertain, gold offers stability, security, and peace of mind. Make it a cornerstone of your retirement strategy today.

During market chaos, real assets don’t flinch. They thrive. History proves it. While equities tumble, hard assets often surge—shielding portfolios and delivering asymmetric returns when they're needed most.

And even in calm times? They add powerful diversification. That’s why the ultra-wealthy use them as a cornerstone—not a sideshow—in their wealth strategy.

Ask yourself:

🧠 Are you truly diversified?
🧠 What happens to your retirement if inflation stays elevated?
🧠 If the dollar weakens, what asset in your portfolio gets stronger?

If you don’t have a good answer, it’s time for a new conversation.

Allocating funds into the asset class known as “Real Assets” may be a strategy that you should consider.

Ask us how to Rollover a portion of Your IRA or 401k To a GOLD IRA (see link below) and:

• Safeguard your assets from the collapsing dollar

• Incorporate the ‘REAL ASSET’ class into your portfolio like the ultra-wealthy

• Hedge against the current high-inflation conditions

• Protect your retirement assets against economic crises

Just get in touch. We make it easier than ever.

Feedback or Questions?

You’re invited to get in touch with us if you’d like to find out how the Novus Financial Group can help you on your journey to a happy, fulfilling life in Retirement. 

Office: 614-943-2265

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Investment advisory services are offered by duly registered individuals on behalf of CreativeOne Wealth, LLC a Registered Investment Adviser.

The content we provide here isn’t financial advice and cannot be taken as such. Please speak to your financial advisor before making any investment decision. Also, note that every investment comes with its risks and drawbacks. Lastly, we would like to remind you that past results cannot guarantee future returns.

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