Protecting What You've Built

You've Built Something Worth Protecting. Let's Make Sure It Lasts.

A Clear Plan for Social Security timing, Medicare costs, and retirement income — so your money outlasts you.

Schedule a Call Free Risk Score
Smiling man with short dark hair and wire-frame glasses, wearing a dark suit and striped tie.

Richard Kirk

  • Investment Advisor Representative
  • CAPP™, RFC®, CSS™, NSSA™, IRMAACP™

"I've been doing this for over 20 years, and the question I hear most is some version of: am I going to be okay? People entering or already in retirement have worked their whole lives to get here. They're not looking for jargon. They want someone who will take the time to understand their situation, be straight with them, and guide them to a plan they can trust. That's what I do. We don't move any money until we've met multiple times and we both know the plan makes sense."

Read Full Bio
AdvisorShare Wealth Management
IRMAA Certified Planner
NSSA — National Social Security Advisors
Asset Protection Society

Certifications and affiliations shown above — see the disclosures page for what each one means and who issues it.

A Fiduciary Who Works for You
For investment advisory services, I'm fee-based and legally required to act in your interest — I don't earn commissions on the accounts I manage. When a strategy is implemented through an insurance product, any commission is paid by the carrier, never out of your account, and it's disclosed to you before you decide.
Certified in What Matters Most
I hold certifications in Social Security, Medicare, and IRMAA. These aren't electives for me. They're the decisions that have the biggest impact on your retirement income, and I study them so you don't have to.
No Rush. No Pressure.
We meet multiple times before we touch a single dollar. You'll never feel like you're being moved toward a sale. When we build your plan, it's because we both know it makes sense.

What's Keeping You Up at Night?

You've spent decades building toward retirement. You're close. But the closer you get, the louder these questions get. These are the three fears I hear most from people entering or in retirement.

Woman sitting thoughtfully in a chair, looking out a window in a calm, well-lit room.

Running Out of Money

What if you live to 90? What if healthcare costs more than you planned? What if the market drops right after you retire? These aren't abstract questions. They're the math problem every retirement plan has to solve. We build your income strategy around what you actually need.

Couple sitting at a kitchen table reviewing documents together, looking relaxed and focused.

Social Security and Medicare Surprises

Most people don't realize how much they can leave on the table by claiming Social Security at the wrong time. And Medicare is its own maze: Part A, Part B, Part D, IRMAA surcharges that can cost thousands a year if your income is too high. I'm NSSA and IRMAA certified. Getting these decisions right is what I specialize in.

Older man sitting quietly with a thoughtful expression, hands folded, in a comfortable home setting.

A Bad Market at the Worst Possible Time

Losing 30% of your portfolio in year one of retirement hits differently than losing it at 45. You can't wait for a recovery when you're already drawing income. The market may come back, but the damage to your long-term plan can be permanent. The order of your withdrawals matters as much as the total.

Where We Take the Guesswork Out

Every person's situation is different. We don't walk in with a product to sell. We walk in with questions. We get to know your full picture first. Then we build a plan that actually fits where you are and where you're going.

Smiling couple outdoors, relaxed and enjoying time together.

Social Security and Medicare Planning

Getting Social Security Right

When you claim matters more than most people realize. Claiming too early can cost you tens of thousands of dollars over a long retirement. We analyze your specific situation and build a claiming strategy around when it actually makes sense for you.

Navigating Medicare Without the Surprises

Part A, Part B, Part D, Medigap, IRMAA surcharges. It's a lot. I'm NSSA and IRMAA certified, which means this is an area I study and keep current on. We'll map out your Medicare options clearly so you can make a confident decision before your enrollment window closes.

Coordination Between the Two

Social Security and Medicare decisions interact with each other in ways that catch a lot of people off guard. We look at them together, not in isolation, so nothing slips through the cracks.

Senior couple sitting together on a porch at dusk, calm and content.

Retirement Income Strategy

Income You Can't Outlive

The biggest fear in retirement is outliving your money. We use a three-bucket approach: a safe bucket for what you need now, a middle bucket for the medium term, and a growth bucket for the long haul. Each piece has a job. Together they give you stability without giving up on growth.

A Plan Built Around Your Number

We start by figuring out what your retirement actually costs. Not a generic estimate. Your number. Once we know that, we build income streams designed to cover it for as long as you live.

Protecting What You've Built

The solution to sequence of returns risk is structure. The safe bucket covers your near-term income so you're never forced to sell investments at the wrong time. The growth bucket stays invested and has room to recover. How you draw down matters as much as how much you have.

Older couple sitting across from a financial advisor at a table, relaxed and engaged in conversation.

Fee-Based Fiduciary Planning

A Legal Standard, Not a Marketing Claim

I hold a Series 65 license and operate as a fee-based fiduciary for investment advisory services. That's a regulated standard with real legal teeth: I'm required by law to recommend what's in your best interest, and I don't earn a commission on the accounts I manage. When a recommendation is implemented through an insurance product like an annuity, the insurance company pays a commission out of its own revenue — never out of your account — and that's disclosed to you up front.

A Simple Three-Step Process

We start with a Discovery Call to understand where you are. Then we gather your financial data and run the numbers. Then we come back with a full plan and our recommendations. Three to six meetings before we move anything. You'll know exactly where things stand at every step, and you can walk away at any point.

20 Years. Clean Record.

I've been in this industry for over 20 years with no regulatory complaints or disciplinary actions. You can verify that on FINRA BrokerCheck. I bring that up not to brag, but because in this industry it actually matters.

View All Services

Your 3-Step Path to a Confident Retirement.

The Discovery Call

A short conversation, nothing more. We talk through what's keeping you up at night, figure out if we're a fit, and whether there's a real problem worth solving together.

The Deep Dive

We gather your financial data: income, taxes, Social Security, Medicare, retirement accounts, estate situation, everything, and run the numbers. This confirms exactly what's working, what's missing, and what needs to change.

Your Personalized Plan

We come back with a full plan built around your number, not a generic template. You'll know exactly where you stand and what to do next, then we work together to put it into action.

Schedule a Call

Meet Richard & the AdvisorShare Wealth Management Team

Richard Kirk isn't alone in this. LifeGuard Retirement Planning partners with the elite team at AdvisorShare Wealth Management to make sure you get the full picture, and full support in all areas.

Richard is an independent partner of AdvisorShare Wealth Management — see our disclosures for the full breakdown.

Real Client Outcomes

Protecting Principal Through a Market Crash

A client inherited an IRA that was invested in mutual funds and told us plainly: she didn't want to lose money. We moved it into a fixed index annuity. A year later, the market dropped roughly 40% — her account didn't lose a dime.

A Net Unrealized Appreciation Strategy

A retiring engineer held roughly $1.2 million in company stock inside his 401(k). By using a Net Unrealized Appreciation strategy, we paid ordinary income tax only on his cost basis and capital gains tax on the rest, saving him approximately $250,000 in taxes versus a standard rollover.

Two anonymized examples from clients we've worked with. Every situation is different — these aren't a guarantee that any other client will see similar results.

Common Questions

Six questions I hear most often. For everything else — Medicare, Roth conversions, asset protection, estate planning, and more — the full FAQ has answers organized by topic.

Is Richard a fiduciary?

For investment advisory services, yes. I hold a Series 65 license and I'm required by law to recommend what's actually in your best interest — not whatever pays the biggest commission. That's a legal standard, not a marketing slogan, and I don't earn a commission on the accounts I manage.

Read the full compensation disclosure →
What happens if the market drops right after I retire?

This is one of the biggest risks in retirement planning, and it's different from the risk you took while you were still working. Losing a large chunk of your portfolio in year one of retirement hits differently than losing it at 45, because you can't wait it out while you're also drawing income from it. That's why I build income around a bucket approach — money you need soon stays safe, money you don't need for years stays invested and has time to recover.

See how principal-protected tools fit in →
Should I convert my traditional IRA to a Roth?

It depends on more variables than a rule of thumb can capture — mainly whether you expect a higher or lower tax bracket in retirement, and whether you'd pay the conversion tax from the IRA itself or from other funds. As a general starting point, converting tends to make less sense if you'll be in the same or lower bracket later, and more sense if you expect a higher one. I run the actual numbers for your specific situation rather than guessing.

Read the full Roth conversion breakdown →
When can I actually get help with Medicare?

Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period opens every October 15, but as a Medicare-qualified agent, I'm available for guidance year-round — and Medicare Supplement (Medigap) coverage specifically can be reviewed or enrolled in at any time of year, not just during Annual Enrollment.

See how I can help →
How do I get started?

Call, email, send a message through the contact form, or book a Discovery Call directly — whichever is easiest for you. There's no cost and no obligation to that first conversation. Some people come in with one specific question; others want to walk through their whole situation. Either way is a fine place to start.

Get in touch →
Is there a cost or obligation for a first conversation?

No. The first conversation — and tools like the Risk Analyzer or a H.E.A.P.™ mortgage review — are offered as free, no-obligation starting points, so you can see where you actually stand before deciding whether to move forward with anything.

Schedule a Call →

I don't offer every Medicare plan available in your area. For a full list of every plan and every carrier, visit Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

See All FAQs
Cover of "Top 5 Roth IRA Conversion Mistakes: How to Reduce Taxes in Retirement" by David F. Royer

Top 5 Roth IRA Conversion Mistakes

How to Reduce Taxes in Retirement

Written by Best-Selling Author David Royer

For decades, savers were told the same story: contribute pre-tax now, and you'll be in a lower bracket when you retire. For many retirees, it hasn't worked out that way — Required Minimum Distributions and shifting tax rates can quietly erode a lifetime of savings. This free guide breaks down the five most common Roth conversion mistakes and the strategies that put more of what you've earned back in your pocket.

We'll never sell or share your information. See our privacy policy.