Your advisor may not be as independent as you think. Your 401(k) may not be doing anything at all. And your plan may not actually be a plan. In this episode of Cover Your Assets, Logan and Don break down the hidden structure behind advisory firms, the limitations most clients never see, and why control matters more than credentials. They dig into the reality of old 401(k)s left unmanaged, portfolios built without intention, and strategies—like registered indexing—that many investors arenever shown. But the biggest risk is not what is in your portfolio. It is the fact that nothing is connected. If your retirement depends on accounts instead of a coordinated strategy, this episode will show you exactly where things tend to break and break down.

What looks “fine” on paper is often where retirement plans break down. In this episode of Cover Your Assets, Logan Marcus and Don Spini expose hidden fees, the illusion of diversification, and advisors who default to convenience over strategy. They challenge the myth of choosing between safety and growth and explain what a real portfolio should do. But the real issue is lack of coordination—no true income plan, unfunded estate documents, and tax strategies that ignore IRA consequences. If your plan has not been fully aligned, you do not have a strategy—you have assumptions.

Your COLA raise got taken, the markets dropped, and your advisor has not called you about any of it. A lot moved this week and none of it was small. The Social Security Administration quietly overhauled how it operates — starting today — and that 2.8% cost of living raise you got in January? Medicare already took most of it back. Then the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, oil surged, and a lot of people woke up Monday morning staring at their portfolios with that familiar knot in their stomach. Logan, Don, and income planning advisor Justin Henderson break down what is actually happening, what history tells us you should do, and why the worst financial decisions people make are the ones they make in moments exactly like this. They also connect the dots on something most people have never considered — why your Roth conversion strategy, your estate plan, and your powers of attorney need to be in the same room. Because when they are not, the government ends up with far more of your money than it ever needed to. This is the episode where it all comes together. The question is whether your plan does too.

Retirement income isn't a number — it's a system. This week, Logan and Don dig into the real cost of passive money management: forced IRA distributions you didn't ask for, estate documents that are signed but not funded, and tax strategies that most advisors leave on the table. If your retirement plan hasn't been touched since you filled out a risk questionnaire decades ago, this one's for you. Because doing nothing is still a decision — it just means the IRS, the courts, and a formula you've never seen are making it for you. The question isn't whether you have a plan. It's whether your plan is actually working.

In this episode of Cover Your Assets, Logan and Don take on the most expensive retirement mistake of all: doing nothing. From unfunded estate plans and lazy advising to the ticking tax time bomb inside traditional IRAs, they break down how procrastination quietly benefits the IRS and underperforming advisors — not you. Retirement should not feel like an oasis you never reach. With real income planning, tax strategy, and proactive guidance, it becomes achievable — not theoretical. If you have been waiting to “deal with it later,” this conversation is your wake-up call.

Are you loyal to your advisor—or just stuck? In this episode of Cover Your Assets, Logan Marcus and Don Spini call out lazy advising, mutual fund complacency, and the false security of “set-it-and-forget-it” portfolios that quietly finance your advisor’s retirement instead of your own. They break down the difference between owning real companies and being pushed around inside pooled funds, explain how registered index linked annuities (RILAs) offer growth with guardrails and annual resets, and show why Roth conversions must work hand-in-hand with your estate plan so the IRS does not become your largest beneficiary. If your retirement plan has not been actively structured, stress-tested, and integrated, this episode connects the dots most firms leave scattered.

Half of America is struggling to pay housing costs right now — and it has nothing to do with real estate and everything to do with income not keeping pace with inflation. Logan and Don break down exactly what that means for your retirement, why the probably fine feeling is the most dangerous place to be financially, and what a real fiduciary advisor should be doing for the fees you are paying. They close with five questions that every retirement plan should be able to answer. Simple questions. Foundational questions. Questions most advisors have never once brought up. This is the episode that changes the conversation.

Most “estate plans” are just paperwork until they are funded, beneficiary designations are cleaned up, and powers of attorney actually work when life happens. Logan Marcus and Don Spini break down the trust-funding gap that blindsides families, then pivot to the other quiet threat: big IRAs that are really a joint account with the IRS, and how strategic Roth conversions can keep taxes and Medicare penalties from detonating later. Finally, they call out the industry problem nobody says out loud: advisors who are great at helping you save, but have no real income plan beyond the outdated 4 percent rule, and get paid whether you retire confidently or stay stuck. If your plan has not been coordinated, stress-tested, and updated, this episode shows what fails first and how to fix it.