When it comes to financial planning, we all have one end goal in mind. That’s retirement. For the past thirty seven years as a financial services professional, when people come to us with their yet to be taxed IRA or 401K statements, they are generally shocked when they find out how much they have to pay in taxes.Many don’t realize that after you earn your income and you pay your tax, whether or not you pay tax again on that money, the rest of your life is optional. It’s voluntary. The key is knowing what your choices are up front.