What Are Bob Carlson’s “Retirement Dead Zones” All About?

America’s #1 Retirement Income Expert Bob Carlson believes the retirement blueprint of the past 40 years is dead.

To comfortably retire today, we need a new blueprint that avoids “Retirement Dead Zones” and includes some guaranteed income streams.

The Teaser

For the first time in 50 years, we are at the doorstep of a dangerous market pit called a “Retirement Dead Zone” (RDZ).

Bob's claim of being “America’s #1 Retirement Income Expert” is backed by some casual experience, like helping Virginia's Fairfax County Employee Retirement System grow from $600 million to over $5 billion in assets since 1995. No big deal.

He's also penned several books on retirement, including the Personal Finance After 50 Guide For Dummies.

Returning to the teaser, what exactly is a “Retirement Dead Zone?“

Bob describes them as recessions and depressions, during which “your nest egg could shrink by over 80%.”

This may sound extreme, but RDZs have happened twice before.

October 29th, 1929

The first Retirement Dead Zone lasted a full decade.

You may know it by its other name – The Great Depression.

This was the most devastating period in American history, with the market collapsing by 12% in a single day, just in time for Halloween on October 29th, 1929. All told, the market fell by 60% over the next two years, and 25% of the population ended up out of work.

By some accounts, there were so many people starving in the United States that even Cameroon sent money in relief.

It took markets 30 years to recover from this disaster…just in time for the next Retirement Dead Zone.

1970s Stagflation

Just like with the first RDZ, there was another financial crisis.

Only this time, the trigger was a foreign oil embargo.

Oil prices jumped to over $33 a barrel, more than 4.4 million Americans were left unemployed, and by the end of the decade, inflation, even by official accounts, peaked at 15%.

Following the RDZ of the 1970s, it took the S&P 500 24 years to break even after adjusting for inflation.

Bob is adamant that we are facing the exact same market threats today, but on a far more threatening scale and he has a “Guaranteed Income Blueprint” to help us sidestep the carnage.

The Pitch

This blueprint includes 11 guaranteed streams of lifetime income that 96% of Americans are missing out on and they can be ours by signing up to Bob's premiere advisory service, Retirement Watch.

A subscription costs $87 and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee, monthly newsletters containing “up-to-the-minute advice you won’t find anywhere else,” access to five proprietary investment portfolios, members-only live conference calls, and more.

The 3 Things Causing The Next Retirement Deadzone

The Retirement Dead Zone we are facing today is supposed to be the harshest environment for retirees we have ever seen.

Here is why:

#1 Surging Inflation

When Bob originally compiled his research for this teaser, inflation was raging as high as 9.1%.

It has since fallen to an official figure of 2.4% as of September if the CPI index is to be believed.

The problem is, that this calculation does not include food and energy prices, because they are “too volatile.”

If we add these two everyday, essential items back, the rate today would still be somewhere around 10%, as an approximate figure, because no official number including food and energy exists.

#2 A Historic Retirement Wave

A whopping four million Americans are expected to turn 65 every year over the next four years.

Most of us have heard about the baby boomer retirement trend and it is here, initiating the biggest retirement wave in U.S. history.

Not only will this strain the social security system, but it will also affect the economy because most retirees tend to reduce their spending as they age.

#3 New Government Regulations

From contribution limits on 401(k) plans increasing to the normal retirement age going up by one month every two years for those aged 62 starting next year, bureaucratic edicts are beginning to wreak havoc on retirement plans.

Bob believes this will accelerate, as Social Security's unfunded liability continues to grow.

There is no better way to protect ourselves than with some guaranteed sources of dependable income. So let's find out what they are.

What Are Bob Carlson's 11 Guaranteed Streams of Lifetime Income?

After 30 years in tax law, estate planning, accounting, and retirement finance, Bob has picked up a few tricks and income maneuvers.

Here are 11 of the best ones:

“Roaring 20s Stipend”

Which is easy to set up, and once it’s locked in, it pays us no matter what.

An Income Deduction

We've all had to pay for all our working years, which was built to support us in retirement and which we can increase with a nifty maneuver.

The Homeowner's Loophole

Those in the know have been using this tax-free, guaranteed income maneuver to pay for their living expenses, their mortgages, and even to buy a second vacation home.

A Rightful Share 

That as many as 96% of Americans are unknowingly forfeiting every year.

One Backdoor Tax Line

One simple line in the tax code makes it possible for nearly anyone to take advantage of.

A Medical Refund

That can be used to put up to $333 back into your pocket every month.

An Inflation Hedge Investment

That soared 2,100% higher than stocks during the 1970s Retirement Dead Zone. 

A So-Called “Hedge Fund”

Which anyone can use to protect their portfolios just like top funds do.

A Way to Turn the Tables on the Fed

By using rising interest rates to your advantage with a simple “ladder technique.”

An “Old Age Insurance” Income Stream

A risk-free income stream that never runs out and…

A Department of Labor Exemption

Which could potentially fund your dream vacation home with one little-known exemption made possible by the Department of Labor.

The Most Reliable Income Sources In Existence?

I was able to track down nearly half of Bob's Guaranteed Income Sources.

The findings were…curious:

A Rightful Share 

This is all about claiming social security benefits at the most optimal time.

According to financial planning advisory United Income, only 4% of retirees make the financially optimal Social Security claiming decision, with some estimates saying that 92% of retirees would be better off waiting to claim until at least 65.

A Medical Refund

This sounds like it could be a Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan (MERP).

A MERP reimburses employees for out-of-pocket medical expenses tax-free up to an allowance amount.

An Inflation Hedge Investment

During the decade of the “Great Inflation” from January 1970 to January 1980, silver soared 2,100%.

A Way to Turn the Tables on the Fed

This is a bond investing strategy that entails reinvesting the principal from a maturing bond into a new longer-term bond to reduce interest rate and reinvestment risk.

An “Old Age Insurance” Income Stream

What Bob is getting at here is a type of insurance product called a superannuation.

This is money set aside while you're working to support your financial needs in retirement. When you are no longer working, These funds are drawn down (subject to a maximum).

The rest of Bob's guaranteed income streams could be any number of different things, so there's no way to know for sure.

However, what I will add is that if recent events are any indication, relying solely on government benefits to fund your retirement isn't the best idea.

Tapping into other passive income streams, like the kind Bob recommends, or creating some of your own is the way to go.

From what I was able to reveal, physical silver bullion and high-yielding, low-volatility assets that provide steady income, are a good start.

Quick Recap & Conclusion

• America’s #1 Retirement Income Expert Bob Carlson believes the retirement blueprint of the past 40 years is dead and he has a blueprint to avoid something he calls “Retirement Dead Zones.”
• We learn that a “Retirement Dead Zone” is a recession or depression, during which “your nest egg could shrink by over 80%.”
• Bob's Guaranteed Income Blueprint includes 11 guaranteed streams of lifetime income that 96% of Americans are missing out on and we can learn all about them by signing up to his premiere advisory service, Retirement Watch, which costs $87 for the first year.
• We were able to reveal nearly half of Bob's Guaranteed Income Streams, including the most optimal time to claim social security benefits, a Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan (MERP), silver bullion as an inflation hedge, and a foreign insurance product called a superannuation.
• From all of the above, physical silver bullion and high-yielding, low-volatility assets that provide steady income, are the best bets for your retirement.

How many streams of income do you have? Share what has been working for you in the comments.