Your retirement doesn’t fail because of one bad market day; it fails when you trust the wrong person. That’s the hard lesson we bring home by connecting a weekend of tactical training to the choices that make or break your nest egg. Awareness, technique, and preparation save lives in dangerous moments, and they save wealth when salesmanship masquerades as expertise.

We unpack the Dunning Kruger effect and why so many polished presenters overestimate their skill. You’ll hear how dinner seminars, “nonprofit” workshops, and scripted pitches lure smart people into needless moves—like surrendering strong annuities for lower-rate products—just to feed commissions. We share a real case where a couple nearly paid steep penalties to swap a well-performing, principal-protected contract for an inferior option. The fix wasn’t complicated; it was awareness, research, and a fiduciary standard that put the client’s interests first.

From there, we translate field-tested rules into money rules. Don’t go to risky products at risky times with risky people and do risky things. Keep your head up: verify designations like Retirement Income Certified Professional, confirm complaint histories, and demand a clear plan for income, taxes, and risk across decades. Balance is the point, not ideology. Equities can fuel growth, while annuity-based strategies can secure essential income and reduce sequence risk. Technique is the religion of dangerous trades, and retirement income planning is one of them—so choose technicians, not entertainers.

If you’re serious about protecting what took 30 years to build, use this conversation as your checklist: purpose for every dollar, transparency on fees, tax-aware withdrawals, and annual reviews with a fiduciary who explains everything in plain English. Subscribe, share this with someone who’s swimming in dinner invitations, and leave a review with the credential you look for first in an advisor. Ready for a second opinion and a plan you can trust? Call 866-780-7233 and ask for your free consultation and a copy of Bulletproof, The Safe And Secure Retirement Income Plan.

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To learn more about Brad Pistole and the Ozark Retirement Group, please visit www.ozarksretirement.com