Retirement Planning With Tax Advice and Tax Preparation Built In
Roth conversions, pension elections, RMDs, Social Security claiming, when to sell the farmland or the business - many of these choices are permanent the moment you make them. We help you model the tax consequences first, then we prepare the tax return that reports them.
Based in Bismarck, North Dakota. Serving retirees in person and virtually nationwide.
Request a 20-Minute Introductory Call
No cost, no preparation needed. We'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit.
Josh Ross, CFP® · Enrolled to practice before the Internal Revenue Service · Tax planning and tax Preparation in one relationship
What Does Energized Retirement Planners Do?
Energized Retirement Planners is a Bismarck, North Dakota financial planning firm that combines investment management with retirement income planning, tax planning, and tax return preparation in one relationship. We work with retirees and near-retirees who have accumulated substantial retirement assets and face irreversible decisions about withdrawals, Roth conversions, and legacy planning. We serve clients in person and virtually nationwide.
Your Financial Advisor and your Tax Preparer Probably Haven't Spoken
Your advisor recommends a Roth conversion. Your tax preparer sees it next February, after the year has closed and nothing can be changed. Neither one is doing anything wrong; they're just working from half the information.
We do both jobs.
Because we prepare the tax return, we see the actual tax brackets, IRMAA thresholds and state tax treatment before the decision is final, not after.
One planning relationship. A clearer view of how the pieces fit together.
When planning and filing are separate
- Tax return in the spring, planning in the fall
- Planning built on last year's return
- Roth conversion decisions made in December, without a projection
Working with us
- One team, one set of numbers, all year
- Planning built on this year's projection
- Roth conversions modeled before you commit
Are These Decisions in Front of You?
Should I convert to a Roth — and how much?
Roth conversion capacity changes every year with your income, the brackets, and your Medicare premiums. Convert too little and you leave a larger RMD problem for later. Convert too much and you pay for bracket space you didn't need.
What happens to our taxes when one of us dies?
Filing status changes from married filing jointly to single, often while income stays nearly the same. The resulting jump in tax and Medicare surcharges is one of the most overlooked risks in retirement planning.
How do I take income without triggering something?
Social Security taxation, IRMAA brackets, capital gains rates, and your state's rules all interact. Which account you withdraw from changes the answer — and if you've moved recently or own property in more than one state, more than one state's rules may apply.
Will my kids inherit a tax problem?
Most non-spouse beneficiaries must now empty an inherited IRA within ten years. Under final regulations that took effect in 2025, if the original owner had already begun required distributions, annual withdrawals are required in years one through nine as well — often during the beneficiary's own peak earning years.
What if I have appreciated land, a business, or rental property?
Timing, basis, and entity structure drive the outcome, and the window to act is usually narrower than people expect.
Who We Work Best With
Our clients are typically within ten years of retirement or already retired, have built meaningful savings through decades of disciplined work, and are now facing decisions where the tax consequences outweigh the investment decisions.
We're likely a good fit if you: have substantial tax-deferred retirement assets, typically $1,000,000 or more, or comparable complexity from a business, farmland, or concentrated stock · want one professional coordinating income, taxes, and estate decisions · value being told when a strategy isn't worth it.
We're likely not the right fit if you: are looking only for investment management · want tax preparation without planning · prefer to make decisions without modeling them first.
Did You Attend One of Our Workshops?
Welcome back. If something from the session applied uncomfortably well to your own situation (the Roth conversion window, the survivor tax trap, IRMAA, the inherited IRA rules) the next step is a short conversation about your numbers rather than the generic examples.
How It Works
1. Introductory Call (20 minutes, no cost). You describe what's in front of you. We tell you whether this is something we handle well.
2. Planning Engagement (flat fee, quoted before we begin). We build a multi-year projection of income, taxes, and required distributions, and identify the decisions that are time-sensitive. The written plan is yours whether or not you continue with ongoing management.
3. Ongoing Planning and Tax Preparation. For clients who continue, we coordinate the plan, investments and prepare the tax returns, so the planning and the filing are built from the same numbers.
Do you prepare tax returns, or only give tax advice?
Both. The firm is led by an Enrolled Agent, so we prepare and file returns for planning clients. Preparing the return is what lets us plan against real numbers instead of estimates.
What is an Enrolled Agent?
An Enrolled Agent is a federally authorized tax practitioner enrolled to practice before the Internal Revenue Service, with unlimited rights to represent taxpayers before the IRS. Enrolled Agents pass a three-part examination on individual and business taxation and complete annual continuing education.
Do I have to live in North Dakota?
No. We're based in Bismarck and meet clients in person, and we work with clients across the country by video and secure document exchange.
How do you charge for your services?
We charge a flat planning fee at the beginning of a planning engagement. If clients choose to have us implement the plan going forward, we charge a tiered assets under management fee that is billed monthly, in arrears. Preparation of your personal federal and resident-state returns is included in the ongoing advisory fee. (Trust, estate, and business entity returns, amended returns, and prior-year filings are quoted separately.)
Do you manage investments too?
Yes, we manage investments. Client assets are held at Schwab and/or Fidelity, which serve as independent qualified custodians.
When is the best time to plan Roth conversions?
Generally in the years between retirement and the start of required minimum distributions, when taxable income is temporarily lower. The right amount depends on your bracket, Medicare premium thresholds, and long-term legacy goals, which is why it's modeled annually rather than decided once.