Stage Ready Financial Planning

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Stage Ready Financial Planning

Fee-only wealth management for Dayton and Southwest Ohio retirees, designed to handle the math so you can enjoy the music.

Stage Ready Financial Planning provides fee-only wealth management for retirement savers over age 50 and retirees in Dayton and Southwest Ohio. You’ve spent decades saving and preparing for this stage of life, but as retirement nears, the "noise" of complicated tax codes and market volatility can feel overwhelming. You shouldn't have to be your own full-time analyst. Stage Ready Financial Planning

believes that a great retirement plan isn't just about the accounts you own; it’s about how they work together. As a fee-only fiduciary, my focus remains solely on you. Stage Ready Financial Planning specializes in helping Dayton and Southwest Ohio families orchestrate their wealth. I don't just "manage accounts"; with the help of your CPA and Attorney, I coordinate your taxes, investments, and goals into a single, high-performance plan. From tax-efficient withdrawal strategies to risk-tuned portfolios, I provide the steady hand needed to ensure every financial move stays in step with your vision. Stage Ready Financial Planning handles the math, so you can enjoy the music. JOSEPH A ECK, CFP®
Owner & Financial Planner

Since 2015, I have helped families in Dayton and Southwest Ohio harmonize their financial resources with their retirement dreams. Before founding Stage Ready Financial Planning, I served as a Financial Planner at a large firm, where I realized that retirees deserved a more personal partnership—one that orchestrates a plan to stay "in step" with their lives. With a background in music education and over a decade of experience in financial planning, I believe a confident retirement begins with understanding. I don’t just manage portfolios; I "handle the math" and teach the strategies behind it so you can make informed, great decisions about your future. My mission is to combine my love for teaching with a passion for financial freedom, ensuring your investments are tuned to support your lifestyle. In addition to my years of experience, I've earned degrees from Wright State University, and the University of Houston, along with an Executive Certificate in Financial Planning from Xavier University. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional and a member of the XY Planning Network and NAPFA,
I am committed to the highest fiduciary standards. My wife Kristen and I live in Oakwood with our dachshund pups, Lily and Henry. When I’m not "at the podium" helping clients, you can find me enjoying music, fitness, the ocean, grilling with friends, and spending time with my family.

06/01/2026

Over the past few weeks, I've been helping an awesome client move a small taxable account away from a local bank that was hitting her with high fees and had over 20 expensive mutual funds. 🛑

We moved the money to Altruist and I really wanted to sell everything and reinvest it in Vanguard ETFs.

BUT... she's right on the cusp of Medicare IRMAA. If I sold all those funds, the capital gains would push her over the cliff. She’d save some investment fees, but her health premiums would spike in two years.

Even though I really wanted to fix her investments, I'm glad I slowed down.

Medicare premiums for 2026 are based on what you made in 2024. If your income was over $109,000 (single) or $218,000 (joint), you pay more for the exact same insurance, basically like an extra tax.

IRMAA isn't the end of the world and it's not permanent, but I think it’s worth avoiding if the math says you can.

I just finished a guide on 8 ways to manage or appeal these surcharges.

👇 Link in the comments

05/25/2026

Dayton & Southwest Ohio - I’m a pretty private person, and it seems like many of my clients are too...

Which is why it's important to understand that if you rely only on a Will for your estate plan, your private business eventually becomes public record. 🎉

When your Will hits the probate court in your county, it’s an open book. Anyone can see what you owned, who you owed money to, and exactly who's getting your stuff.

This is a big reason I recommend talking to an attorney about a Trust to the families I serve who really value privacy. Unlike your Will, a Trust stays off the public record and skips the court process entirely.

I just finished a side-by-side comparison of Wills vs. Trusts in my latest blog article.

👇 Link in the comments

05/18/2026

Dayton & Southwest, Ohio - Did you know that if you spend $2,500 on a beautifully drafted Trust to save your family stress and time, and don't actually move your accounts into it (or name it as a beneficiary), it’s just an expensive stack of paper? 🤔

I run into this situation pretty regularly:

Someone works hard to get a trust drafted, signed, and notarized. They put the huge binder the attorney gave them on their shelf and are thankful to have that task checked off the list.

But they've left out the most important part... retitling their house, cars, bank accounts, etc....or even just making the trust their beneficiary.

If your accounts and property are still in your name when you pass away, they’re probably heading to probate court....which is exactly what you paid the attorney to avoid.

If you have a trust, do yourself a favor and double check that things are actually titled in the name of trust. Or at least just make sure you've named the trust as your beneficiary.

I know it's boring and tedious, but it’s the only way your estate plan actually works. 🎻

For more helpful estate planning ideas, check out my latest blog article. Link in the comments ⬇️

05/11/2026

Plan on regularly traveling outside of Southwest Ohio in retirement? ⛰️

A lot of my clients in Dayton lean toward Medicare Advantage plans because of the $0 premiums and extra perks like dental coverage.

But If you want to visit your grandkids in California or go hiking in the Pacific Northwest, you might find yourself out-of-network for anything other than an emergency. In 2026, some of these bundled Advantage plans charge as much as 50% of the cost for out-of-network care.

Traditional Medicare works with any doctor or hospital in the country that accepts Medicare. You don't have to check a network map before you leave town.

If you're working with a retirement healthcare consultant, be sure to tell them about your travel plans before you sign up!

I've recently published an article about how to plan your retirement healthcare strategy.

👇 Link in the comments below

05/04/2026

When I meet with families in Southwest Ohio who want to retire in their late 50s or early 60s, some version of this question usually comes up:

"Joe, how on earth am I going to pay for health insurance until I hit 65?" 🛡️

The fear of a $1,500 monthly premium is the only thing keeping them at their desk when they want to leap into retirement.

The good news is that you have a couple of different ways to find affordable health coverage before Medicare kicks in:

1️⃣ Spousal Coverage: Joining a spouse’s plan is usually the most cost-effective move if they're still working.

2️⃣ COBRA: You can keep your current employer coverage for 18 to 36 months. You’ll pay the full premium plus a small fee, but it keeps your doctors and deductibles in place.

3️⃣ Government Stipends: I regularly walk through specialized health options for my clients in OP&F, OPERS, STRS, SERS, and FERS.

4️⃣ ACA Marketplace (healthcare.gov): This is where your investment strategy matters. In 2026, if you can keep your reportable income under certain thresholds by pulling from brokerage or Roth accounts, you can qualify for significant tax discounts on your premiums.

I’ve recently broken down the 2026 retirement healthcare planning rules and common enrollment pitfalls in my latest blog article.

👇 Link in the comments

04/20/2026

If you’re hunting for a retirement home this spring, think about your 20-minute radius.📍

I really love living in Dayton. Between a Dragons game and an evening at the Schuster Center, our town has so much to offer and it’s easy to get around.

If you want to relocate in retirement, I'd suggest mapping at least these three things within about 20 minutes of your front door:

✅ A great hospital or medical facility: Proximity becomes more important as we age.

✅ Your favorite places and people: Your family, your library, a golf course, or a coffee shop where people know your name.

✅ A nearby airport: You want to be able to zip to the airport for frequent travel.

If you’ve lived here, you know that the Midwest is built for this. Shorter commutes and less congestion mean you can spend your time enjoying life rather than sitting in traffic.

04/13/2026

Dayton & Southwest Ohio - Maybe it’s just me, but after a long stretch of gray skies since November, the sun is finally back. The Easter flowers are blooming, and there’s a real sense of optimism in the air. 🌷☀️

For many of my retired clients, January through March is the hardest part of the year. I hear it all the time in our meetings: "Joe, we really want to snowbird in retirement."

But then life gets in the way. Or they worry about the cost. Or they just never quite pull the trigger.

In 2026, the median home price in Ohio is about $100,000 less than the national median. Staying in a lower-cost market like ours can help generate more than enough income to fund a two-month rental in a warmer climate.

You can keep the friendly community and world-class doctors of the Midwest for ten months, and still see the sun in February.

A good plan should give you the permission to head south before the gray skies become too much. How have you built that travel into your retirement strategy?

04/06/2026

Are your kids or grandkids planning a wedding in Dayton soon? Before you cut a $40,000 check, you might want to consider a different plan. 💍

Weddings are expensive and it's a natural instinct to give some cash to help the couple get started...but there might be a more tax-friendly way to handle the tab.

Instead of giving money to your kids/grandkids, you could pay the caterer, the florist, or the venue directly. If you act as the host of the event rather than a gift-giver, you might be able to cover the costs without the extra step of filing a gift tax return (Form 709).

It’s a subtle difference, but this is one of those technical details that keeps your financial plan in sync. Be sure to check with your tax pro, as every situation has its own rhythm.

I recently published an article on the smartest ways for retirees to gift money in 2026.

👇 Link in the comments

03/30/2026

The IRS is pretty patient when it comes to collecting taxes. They’ll wait 20+ years for your retirement to play out, as long as they stand to get a good cut of what’s left at the end...

You don't always need fancy trusts or complicated financial instruments to pay Uncle Sam less. One of the easiest ways to lower your lifetime tax bill is a basic gifting strategy.

If you’re in a high tax bracket, but your children or grandchildren are just starting out in a lower one, moving money now can lower your taxes and help your family. You're not only giving them money, but you're moving that money’s future growth out of your estate and into a lower tax bracket.

For example, your grandchild might sell a stock gift at a 0% or 10% capital gains rate, where those same gains might have cost you 15-20% (plus Ohio taxes) if you sold them.

2026 Gifting Rules to Know:

✅ You can give up to $19,000 per person ($38,000 for married couples) with no gift tax paperwork.
✅ Payments made directly to a college or medical provider don't count toward your annual gifting limit.
✅ In Ohio, married couples can deduct up to $8,000 per beneficiary for 529 contributions from their state taxable income.

I’ve broken down several strategic ways for retirees to give in my latest article.

👇 Link to article in the comments

03/23/2026

Dayton & Southwest Ohio - Did you know that in 2026, married couples can have taxable income up to $98,900 and pay $0 in federal capital gains tax? 🎁

Here's a way to make that happen with the help of your tax pro:

If you have a brokerage account and use it for income in the early years of retirement (before Social Security or RMDs kick in), you might be able to realize your investment gains at the 0% tax rate.

I regularly share with clients that your brokerage account is a versatile instrument. If it's used right, it allows your tax-deferred accounts to continue growing undisturbed, while you bridge the income gap using tax-efficient dollars.

At Stage Ready Financial Planning, I help families answer the technical questions that make this work:

❓ Which account should I spend from first to keep my income in that 0% bracket?
❓ How do I avoid tax issues if I need to rebalance my taxable money?
❓ How much cash do I really need to avoid being forced to sell stocks during a market dip?

I’ve broken down the 4 most common brokerage mistakes I see retirees make in my latest article.

👇 Link in the comments!

Address

1 Oakwood Avenue, Unit 694
Dayton, OH
45409

Website

https://www.stagereadyfp.com/

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