The Road Less Taxed

Helping your clients outsmart Washington - and take control of their retirement
The Road Less Taxed is the flagship guide to building a tax-efficient retirement that holds up no matter who's in office.
The Road Less Taxed The Road Less Taxed

copies sold

for client conversations

by hundreds of independent advisors

A smarter way to talk about taxes in retirement

Tax and legislative changes pose a significant risk to today’s savers. The Road Less Taxed will help your clients protect themselves (and their retirement assets) from what’s ahead. The book delivers easy-to-understand insights on evaluating taxes in retirement, repositioning assets, and achieving the retirement your clients deserve.

The Road Less Taxed has quickly become the industry's most informative and effective book on building a tax-free retirement plan that works - regardless of who’s in office.

Through stories, real-world examples and practical questions, readers learn to consider:

  • How decisions in Washington have changed the rules for retirement savers
  • How tax-deferred accounts may create a larger tax obligation than expected
  • How a tax-free approach may help protect more of their retirement income
  • What actions they can take today - with the help of an advisor like you

What clients will understand after reading
The Road Less Taxed

Legislative risk

How changes in Washington, from tax code revisions to new legislation, can alter the value of a retirement account, even for clients who have done everything right.

Tax risk

The difference between tax-deferred and tax-free income in retirement, and why the tax treatment of an account can matter as much as the balance inside it.

Income risk

How rising taxes and increased IRMAA (Medicare) surcharges can combine to create a higher tax burden than many retirees expect.

How to protect themselves

Why smart savers are choosing to address their tax risk now, while rates are lower, rather than waiting and being exposed to the risk of rising taxes in the future.

A practical look at retirement tax strategies

The book discusses familiar tools such as traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, and Roth accounts in a new content: Protecting assets from changes in Washington.

The discussion covers topics such as:

  • How tax-deferred accounts are taxed in retirement
  • How Roth conversions work and when they may make sense
  • How legislative changes have affected retirement savers over time
  • How required minimum distributions and IRMAA interact
  • Why working with a qualified financial professional matters

How financial advisors use this book

The Road Less Taxed helps advisors drive decisions with clients and prospects who are concerned about taxes.

Use it as:

  • A seminar takeaway that reinforces your tax-focused presentation
  • A follow-up gift after an introductory call or first appointment
  • A digital book offer in email, social media or webinar campaigns
  • A conversation starter during annual reviews with clients holding large traditional IRAs
  • A resource for prospects evaluating Roth conversions or tax-free income strategies
  • A natural reason to follow up with a specific question from the book

Written to be read, remembered and discussed

Stonewood books are designed to make complex retirement topics easier for clients to understand. This book was written to help advisors nurture leads and add value to client relationships by being:

Clear and conversational

The book uses relatable stories and practical examples instead of technical explanations.

Focused enough to finish

Designed to be read in under 90 minutes, making it useful before a meeting, after a seminar or during a follow-up sequence.

Built around better questions

Readers finish with a framework they can use to discuss their accounts, tax exposure and retirement income with an advisor.

Ready for follow-through

The narrative naturally guides readers toward a personal review with a qualified financial professional like you.

Written by retirement tax experts
with firsthand Washington experience

Becky & Neil give readers a clear, informed perspective on how changes in Washington can affect their retirement assets - and the practical steps savers can take with the help of a financial professional like you.

Becky Ruby Swansburg Becky Ruby Swansburg
Becky Ruby Swansburg
Becky Ruby Swansburg
Becky is the nation's leading expert on legislative risk in retirement. She spent her early career in Congress and the White House, working on tax policy and legislation that directly affects American savers. Now, as CEO of Stonewood Financial, she helps prepare U.S. savers for the risks that come from Washington.
Neil Wilding Neil Wilding
Neil Wilding
Neil Wilding
Neil brings extensive experience in retirement markets and is one of the nation's foremost experts in client and advisor retirement education. He has spent his career aligning financial strategies with the emerging needs of American savers.

Get The Road Less Taxed your way

Buy on Amazon

Purchase the standard public edition for an individual reader, client or personal review.

Customize for your practice

Put your name on the cover as author of the pre-written foreword. Add your photo and bio to the back cover and your contact information inside the book.

The $1,299 customization package includes your first 50 copies.

Use the digital edition

Share a password-protected version through email campaigns, social media, webinars and online book offers.

A digital subscription is $150 for a 30-day license and can be used with the standard or customized edition.

Order copies in bulk

Keep books ready for seminars, prospect mailings, client reviews and referral conversations.

Bulk copies are currently available for $14.99 per book plus shipping.

Open new tax conversations with clients and prospects

Give clients a clear, approachable way to understand how Washington could impact their retirement, and what questions they may want to ask next.

Choose the format that fits your practice, then put The Road Less Taxed to work across your seminars, nurture campaigns, and client meetings.

Suggested FAQs

Who is The Road Less Taxed written for?

It is designed for clients and prospects who are approaching retirement or already retired and want to understand how tax policy, legislative changes and account structure may affect their retirement income.

What retirement topics does the book cover? +

The book covers legislative risk, tax risk, income risk, required minimum distributions, IRMAA (Medicare surcharges), Roth conversions, and tax-deferred versus tax-free income.

Can a financial advisor customize the book? +

Yes. The custom edition includes the advisor’s name on the cover as author of the pre-written foreword, along with their photo, biography and contact information.

Is a digital edition available? +

Yes. Advisors can subscribe to a password-protected digital edition for use in email campaigns, social media, webinars and online lead generation.

Can advisors order books for seminars or client meetings? +

Yes. Bulk copies can be ordered for seminars, prospect mailings, annual reviews and other client education uses.

Who wrote The Road Less Taxed? +

The book was written by Becky Ruby Swansburg and Neil Wilding. Becky brings firsthand experience in Congress and the White House on tax and retirement policy. Neil brings extensive experience in retirement education and financial strategy.