Episodes

In this episode of Future Focus, host Troy Branch sits down with financial professional, Keith Gillies, to explore the main sources of business owner stress and what can be done to navigate them. Keith brings decades of experience and a sharp focus on helping business owners thrive. Together, they unpack the biggest challenges facing business owners today—from taxes and succession planning to cash flow, employee retention, and balancing personal and business wealth. Keith shares his experience ...

When most people think about retirement, they imagine a permanent vacation—but what happens when the paycheck stops in retirement? It’s not just a lifestyle change; it’s a cash flow event. In this episode of Future Focus, we ask the critical question: Two weeks after you retire, where is your paycheck coming from? We’ll explore: - The myth of “I’ve saved enough, I’ll just draw it down.” - Risks that threaten retirement income (Sequence of Returns Risk, tax inefficiency, market volatility). -...

Looking for reasons to use life insurance in estates? On this episode of Future Focus, we're diving into how life insurance can be a powerful, multifunctional tool, especially in modest estates. Just like football fans build their dream teams, host Troy Branch and his guests are making the case for their top five reasons to use life insurance in estates below the federal estate tax limit, covering topics like: - Estate equalization - Income replacement - Tax and retirement planning - Avoidin...

In part two of our retirement income puzzle, we explore possible advantages of having tax-free income during your retirement years and the common pitfalls to avoid when pursuing a tax-free strategy. We cover how the different tax buckets of taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free can impact your income during retirement, including considerations of liquidity needs and flexibility options. There are risks and tradeoffs to consider, including funding challenges, poor planning design and the danger o...

When planning for retirement, it's not just about how much you save, but how your savings are taxed and when. In this episode, we focus on understanding the three tax buckets, taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free as we talk about the retirement income puzzle. We explore why most people focus on deferring taxes during their working years and why tax diversification might be the smarter end goal. Plus, we dive into powerful tools for creating tax-free income in retirement, including ROTH IRAs, ROT...

Estate planning has always been about more than just documents—it's about protecting your legacy and ensuring your final wishes are honored. But as technology evolves, so does the way we approach this deeply personal process. In this episode, Troy sits down with Jon Forster, attorney at BakerHostetler, to explore how artificial intelligence is beginning to influence estate planning. From streamlining paperwork to enhancing collaboration between clients, attorneys, financial professionals, and a...

Most people focus on saving for retirement, but what about the risks that no one talks about for after you retire? In this episode, we break down Sequence of Return Risk. SORR is the impact that the timing of investment returns can have on your retirement savings, especially during the early years of withdrawal. Using the powerful analogy of climbing and descending a mountain, we explain why preparing for retirement is only half the journey. The descent—how you take distributions—requires just ...

In part two of our deep dive into executive compensation, we go beyond the basics and explore the real value of recruit, retain, and reward strategies. Building loyalty, aligning long-term goals and creating financial advantages for both the employee and the business owner are just some examples. Check out part one of our executive compensation conversation if you missed it: https://youtu.be/jls0aRFNwFM?si=BRZyxL1gt6qQ4TBB We continue our “Myth or Reality” discussion in this episode and tackle...

What would happen if your top employee didn’t show up tomorrow? In this episode, we break down executive compensation strategies—including nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC), key person benefits and bonus plans—to help business owners attract, retain and reward top talent. Join us as we play “Myth or Reality” and answer key questions: Is executive compensation only for big corporations? Where do these conversations really begin? How do business size and tax considerations affect your opt...

Troy talks with guest, Tom Bacharach from RMC Group, to discuss the retirement gap for business owners. Troy and Tom look at the differences between 401(k), cash balance, and 412(e)(3) retirement plans to analyze options for business owners to meet their retirement goals. Future Focus: A Financial Strategies Podcast Welcome to Future Focus, a podcast designed to make sense of complex financial topics. Hosted by Troy Branch, a professional with over 25 years in the financial services industry, ...

Troy talks with guest, Tom Bacharach from RMC Group, to discuss retirement and tax planning for business owners. Business owners have specific retirement needs and may want to consider a defined benefit plan to meet their goals. These plans may also help with tax deductions while providing income during retirement. Check out this episode to hear Troy and Tom explain the difference between defined contribution and defined benefit plans. Future Focus: A Financial Strategies Podcast  Welcome to F...

If you’re a business owner and you have a vision for how you’d like your business to continue after you’re no longer involved, you need a documented succession plan. This can help you distribute your business fairly to your spouse, remaining heirs and other interested parties whether you leave your business for retirement, disability, death or other reason. This episode will walk you through items to consider for a business succession plan and the importance of regularly reviewing and updating t...

The Ameritas advanced planning team discusses why everyone needs an estate plan, not just the wealthy. Knowing the basics of estate planning is important for anyone with any kind of asset, no matter its worth. It can help you determine exactly who you want your properties distributed to, and it puts the management of that disbursement into the hands of someone you trust. In the end, creating an estate plan gives you control over your properties even after you’re gone. Future Focus: A Financial ...