Retirement Solutions Group: What You Should Know

When I first heard about Retirement Solutions Group, I thought it might be another generic financial planning firm promising the same old strategies that leave most Americans scrambling in retirement. But after digging deeper into what this approach actually represents, I discovered it’s really about understanding a fundamental shift in how we think about retirement planning—and why the traditional methods so many people rely on might not be enough anymore.

For a complete overview, see our comprehensive MPI guide.

Let me walk you through what a retirement solutions group actually does, why this approach matters, and what you should know if you’re looking for alternatives to the conventional retirement planning that’s quietly failing millions of Americans.

What Is a Retirement Solutions Group?

A retirement solutions group isn’t necessarily a single company—it’s more of an approach to retirement planning that focuses on solutions rather than just products. Traditional financial advisors often push the same handful of options: 401(k)s, IRAs, mutual funds, and maybe some bonds. But a solutions-focused group looks at the bigger picture.

In my experience working with families, I’ve seen how the one-size-fits-all approach leaves huge gaps. The average American retires with around $200,000 saved, and even those who diligently follow conventional advice often find themselves facing a harsh reality: their retirement accounts weren’t actually designed to produce reliable income.

That’s where the solutions mindset becomes critical. Instead of just asking “how much can you save?” the right questions become:

• How much income do you need in retirement?
• What happens if the market crashes right when you retire?
• How do you protect against taxes eating into your retirement distributions?
• What if you live longer than expected?

The Problem with Traditional Retirement Planning

Here’s something that shocked me when I first learned it: most retirement strategies people follow today were built decades ago in a completely different world. The 401(k) system, for instance, was never actually designed to be anyone’s primary retirement plan. It was meant to be a supplement to pensions—but pensions have largely disappeared.

Let’s look at the math that most people don’t realize. Say you diligently save and accumulate $1 million in your 401(k)—a number most people never reach. Using the 4% rule that most advisors recommend, that gives you $40,000 a year. After federal taxes, you’re looking at maybe $31,200 take-home. After state taxes, maybe $29,640. That’s about $2,470 a month.

Think about it: you save your whole life, hit the million-dollar mark that sounds so impressive, and you’re living on less than $2,500 a month. That’s barely surviving, not thriving.

How Modern Retirement Solutions Groups Approach This Differently

The retirement solutions groups I respect most start with a different question: “What good is saving your whole life to build a retirement account if it wasn’t designed to produce good income?”

They focus on strategies that address the core problems:

Principal Protection

Traditional retirement accounts are fully exposed to market losses. If you retire during a market crash—like 2008 or early 2020—you could see decades of savings disappear right when you need the money most. Solutions-focused planners look for strategies that protect your principal while still allowing for growth.

Tax Efficiency

Here’s what most people don’t realize: traditional 401(k)s and IRAs are tax-deferred, not tax-free. You’re essentially in partnership with the IRS—they’re just letting you hold their money until retirement. Modern solutions often focus on tax-advantaged strategies that can provide tax-free income in retirement.

Higher Safe Withdrawal Rates

While traditional accounts force you into that 4% rule, properly structured alternatives can potentially support much higher withdrawal rates—sometimes up to 10% or more—because they’re not subject to the same sequence of returns risk.

The MPI Strategy: A Prime Example

One strategy that exemplifies this solutions-based thinking is what’s called the MPI (Maximum Premium Indexing) strategy. It uses a properly designed, max-funded Indexed Universal Life policy to create retirement income.

Here’s how it addresses those core problems:

Principal Protection: Your money never actually enters the stock market. It’s protected by a contractual 0% floor—you can earn index-linked growth when markets go up, but you never lose money when markets go down.

Tax Advantages: Growth is tax-deferred, and retirement income can be accessed through policy loans, which are generally not treated as taxable income when structured properly.

Higher Income Potential: Because there’s no sequence of returns risk and the principal is protected, you can potentially take higher distribution rates than the traditional 4% rule allows.

Let me use my bucket analogy to explain how this works: Think of your cash value like a bucket. When you take a policy loan for retirement income, you’re not taking water out of the bucket—you’re just putting a lien against it. The bucket stays full, and that full amount keeps earning index credits. Meanwhile, you’re using the loan proceeds as tax-free retirement income.

What to Look for in a Retirement Solutions Group

If you’re considering working with a group that focuses on comprehensive retirement solutions, here are the key things I’d look for:

Education-First Approach

They should take time to educate you about different strategies, not just push products. In my experience, the best outcomes happen when people actually understand what they’re doing and why.

Multiple Options

Be wary of anyone who only talks about one strategy or product. The right solution depends on your specific situation, age, income, and goals.

Long-Term Focus

True retirement solutions require time and consistency. Anyone promising quick fixes or get-rich-quick schemes isn’t offering real solutions.

Transparency About Trade-Offs

Every strategy has trade-offs. For instance, with the MPI strategy, you need to understand that it requires commitment—this isn’t a short-term play. There are surrender charges in early years, and it works best as a 20-40 year strategy.

The Generational Wealth Perspective

One thing I’ve learned is that the best retirement solutions groups think beyond just your retirement. They consider generational wealth—how your financial decisions today can benefit your children and grandchildren.

Traditional retirement accounts often get decimated by taxes when they pass to the next generation. But strategies like properly structured life insurance can provide tax-free death benefits that create lasting family wealth.

As I tell my clients, “We’re not just planning your retirement—we’re potentially setting up your family for generations.”

Common Objections I Hear

“This sounds too good to be true”

I understand the skepticism. But here’s the thing—every component of modern retirement solutions like MPI already exists inside standard financial contracts that have been used for decades. The innovation isn’t in creating new products; it’s in strategically combining existing features that most people don’t know about.

“My financial advisor says these strategies don’t work”

Most traditional financial advisors are trained in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. They’re typically paid based on assets under management—meaning they get paid more when your account value is higher, regardless of whether that translates to good retirement income for you.

Few have studied insurance-based retirement strategies in depth, and many have conflicts of interest. It’s worth asking your advisor: “Are you paid based on my retirement income or my account value?”

The Reality Check

Here’s what I tell everyone: a retirement solutions group isn’t magic. These strategies require discipline, time, and understanding. If you’re looking for a get-rich-quick scheme or you’re not willing to commit to a long-term approach, traditional methods might be simpler.

But if you’re concerned that the conventional system might not provide the retirement lifestyle you want—if you’re worried about market crashes, taxes, or outliving your money—then exploring alternatives makes sense.

The key is finding someone who takes the time to educate you properly, shows you multiple options, and helps you understand both the benefits and the requirements of different approaches.

Taking the Next Step

If you’re realizing that your current retirement planning might not be enough—if you’re concerned about the 4% rule limiting your retirement income, or if you want to explore strategies that could provide tax-free income and principal protection—it’s worth having a conversation with someone who understands these alternatives.

In my experience, the families who do best are those who start exploring their options sooner rather than later. The power of compound growth means that even waiting one year can cost thousands in future retirement income.

The beautiful thing about working with a true solutions-focused approach is that it’s not about pushing you toward one specific product. It’s about understanding your situation, your goals, and your concerns, then finding the strategy that best addresses your specific needs.

Whether that’s the MPI strategy, a different insurance-based approach, or even optimizing your existing retirement accounts—the goal is always the same: helping you create reliable, tax-advantaged income that can support the retirement lifestyle you want.

Finding the right retirement strategy doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does require working with someone who understands the full range of options available. As an independent agent, I work with multiple top-rated carriers and can help you explore alternatives to traditional retirement planning.

Related Reading

• Indexed Universal Life Insurance Pros and Cons
• LIRP Life Insurance: What You Should Know
• Benefits of IUL: What You Should Know
• Retirement Income Solutions: What You Should Know

Let me help you understand your options. I’ll take the time to educate you about different strategies and help you determine what might work best for your specific situation and goals.

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