If you're a small business owner or independent contractor with a high income and you're tired of paying excessive taxes, this podcast is for you! We explore the little-known, IRS pre-approved, retirement strategy known as the Defined Benefit Plan. Defined Benefit Plans can significantly reduce your tax burden and accelerate your retirement timeline, potentially saving you more than you ever thought possible. If you qualify, this strategy could mean tens of thousands of dollars returned to you, from the IRS, each year.

 As a small business owner or self-employed individual, managing your daily operations alone can be a burden. You may have thought about retirement and saved a bit, but with retirement just five to fifteen years away, you might worry that you've reinvested too much in your business and haven't saved enough. The Defined Benefit Plan is designed for high-income earners like you to help catch up on retirement savings and secure your financial future. Tune in to learn how this plan how this plan works and the intricacies of managing it!

Ed’s Food for thought:

Chocolate sauce recipe

·         2 tablespoon butter

·         1/2 bar unsweetened chocolate 

o    Baker’s - for the regular version

o    Ghirardelli Premium - for the decadent version

·         1 cup granulated sugar

·         2/3 cup of carnation evaporated milk

1 - Bring water to a boil and then lower it some to medium. 

2 - Put butter and chocolate on top of the double broiler. On the bottom of the double broiler, put half to one inch of water.

3 - Set the top of the double broiler on top of boiling water. Stir chocolate and butter until it's liquid

4 - Stir sugar into the liquid. Once it gets too thick, slowly stir a little bit of the Carnation milk into the liquid. Then stir more sugar in until it gets too thick. Repeat the process with the Carnation milk until both ingredients are in.

5 - Once it's all in and liquid continue to stir until it thickens.

In this episode of Ed’s Edge, Ed and James discuss the importance of being proactive with managing your taxes both now and in the future. They share strategies that can benefit you in years of lower taxable income as well as strategies that can be used in years of higher taxable income. Ed & James explain the benefits of these strategies and what to consider before using them to optimize your tax situation over the long run.

In this episode, Ed and James are joined by Charitable Giving expert, Parissa Zargar, a Charitable Planning Consultant & Digital Regional Director for Fidelity Charitable®. Ed, James, and Parissa discuss the benefits of using a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) for charitable giving purposes, and some common strategies that these funds are often used for.

Parissa explains what a DAF is along with the pros & cons, common strategies, and when a Donor Advised Fund makes sense for you. You will learn how to take advantage of additional benefits when it comes to Charitable Giving and how you can use these strategies to put yourself in a better position going forward.

In this two-part episode, we explore some of the key benefits of using structured notes to generate income and growth in your investment portfolio, particularly as you prepare for and enter retirement.

Join us as we delve deeper into the world of structured notes and explore how they can be leveraged to generate income, protect your portfolio, and achieve your financial goals, whether you’re in the accumulation phase or transitioning into retirement.

Growing your portfolio while managing risk is essential throughout your financial life. We introduce structured growth notes as an alternative investment that can help you achieve this goal:

• Provides downside protection to safeguard your portfolio during market downturns

• Offers additional growth potential to help your portfolio keep pace with inflation and achieve your long-term financial objectives

• Structured growth notes can be used to grow and stabilize your investment portfolio over time

In this two-part episode, we explore some of the key benefits of using structured notes to generate income and growth in your investment portfolio, particularly as you prepare for and enter retirement.

Join us as we delve deeper into the world of structured notes and explore how they can be leveraged to generate income, protect your portfolio, and achieve your financial goals, whether you’re in the accumulation phase or transitioning into retirement.

As you transition into retirement, generating a steady income stream from your portfolio becomes crucial. We discuss an alternative investment called structured income notes that offer several advantages:

• Provides a stable income stream to support your retirement lifestyle

• Offers downside market protection, reducing the impact of market volatility on your portfolio

• Many of our clients use structured income notes to add stability and increase yield in their portfolios

In this episode, Ed and James are joined by insurance expert, Finny Rajchel, the President of the Finny Rajchel Office of State Farm with over 34 years of experience in the insurance industry. Ed, James, and Finny discuss the importance of evaluating your insurance policies and needs, to make sure they are aligned with your ever-changing financial situation.

Finny explains how insurance companies have changed their policies since COVID, the most important things to look for in a home or auto policy, what is NOT covered by these types of policies, and real-life examples of Umbrella liability insurance. You will learn how to put yourself in a better position when it comes to property & casualty insurance, as well as to make informed decisions that align with your unique situation.

In this episode of Ed’s Edge, Ed & James breakdown the most common financial myths that are holding you back. They cover everything from the correct way to build wealth and the Latte Effect, to Social Security running out. You will learn the truth about these common misconceptions and how they could be affecting your lifestyle.

In this episode, Ed and James are joined by insurance expert, Bruce Hersh, the President of Smart Money Financial with over 40 years of experience in the insurance industry. Ed, James, and Bruce discuss the importance of a Long-Term Care policy and how it can de-rail your financial future if not planned for.

Bruce provides guidance on what Long Term Care insurance is, who can benefit from it, and when to start looking for a policy. You will come away with a well-rounded understanding of long-term care insurance and actionable insights on making informed decisions that align with your financial plan.

In this episode, Ed & James discuss what we can and can’t control relating to the stock market, taxes, social security, and more. You will gain practical information about managing your finances and how to plan for your future.