Influential Entrepreneurs with Mike Saunders, MBA - Roma Pithadiya, President and CEO of Affordable Insurance and Financial Services Discussing Managing Risk in Retirement

Episode Date: February 18, 2026

Roma Pithadiya is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Affordable Insurance and Financial Services (AIFS), a financial services and insurance advisory firm based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas. She is a seasoned financial professional and entrepreneur with extensive experience in insurance, financial planning, and wealth protection.Roma immigrated to the United States with limited resources and has built her career from the ground up, becoming a respected advisor to individuals, families, and small businesses in matters of health insurance, life insurance, auto and home protection, and long-term financial planning. She has been active in the financial services industry for well over a decade and is known for her deep commitment to client education and advocacy.She is also recognized as a Million Dollar Immigrant, a title reflecting her journey from starting penniless in the U.S. to achieving significant success in the insurance and financial advisory business.In addition to her executive role, Roma engages heavily in community service: she is active with the Lions Club, participates in senior citizen organizations, and serves on committees for cultural and religious groups. She frequently speaks on financial literacy and planning topics at national stages, including events hosted by CNN, the Harvard Club of Boston, New York Life, Nasdaq, and the MDRT (Million Dollar Round Table).Her expertise spans health insurance (including Medicare and individual policies), life and annuity products, retirement planning, and strategies for tax-efficient financial growth. Roma also works to empower clients to manage their finances wisely and protect their financial futures with well-structured, personalized solutions.Learn more: https://aifsgroupbyroma.com/Roma Pithadiya is not an attorney or CPA. Affordable Insurance and Financial Services does not provide legal or tax advice. Any discussion of financial strategies is general in nature and not a recommendation. Insurance and financial products involve risk and may not be suitable for all individuals. Licensing and availability vary by state.Influential Entrepreneurs with Mike Saundershttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/influential-entrepreneurs-with-mike-saunders/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/roma-pithadiya-president-and-ceo-of-affordable-insurance-and-financial-services-discussing-managing-risk-in-retirement

Welcome to influential entrepreneurs, bringing you interviews with elite business leaders and experts, sharing tips and strategies for elevating your business to the next level. Here's your host, Mike Saunders. Hello and welcome to this episode of Influential Entrepreneurs. This is Mike Saunders, the authority positioning coach. Today we have back with us, Roman Pita Dia, who's the president and CEO of affordable insurance and financial services, and we'll be talking about managing risk and retirement. Roma, welcome back to the program.

Thank you, Mike. Thank you for having this opportunity to talk about today. You know, talking and thank you for inviting me over here. You are welcome. It's always great to chat with you. And I know that you have a special feeling towards your clients to help them reduce risk because we all are afraid of risk in many areas, but especially in retirement because we've worked so hard to save up money and hope we have enough save for retirement.

We certainly don't want to lose it. So talk a little bit about your hybrid approach to protect risk in retirement because there's not really one formula that tends to be the solution for everyone. So you take a unique approach that way. That is, yes, that is correct because hybrid approach is the most important. long time ago it was a pager days now it's iPhone 15 and 17 pro max days so we have to think pager is being can change from iPhone an entire offices in a cell phone why not in the savings market or investment or all that things tax-free retirement is all about a combination of tax defer tax free and liquid the

assets no matter what happens, that tax laws, market, economy, even though managing risks spreading the money across. And that's why hybrid policy, just like if I take one example, as a life insurance. So life insurance is the olden days like a pager. Everybody was thinking that life insurance means talking about my time and I don't want to talk about. But no, nowadays are change as a pro max 17. Kids education fund is in there, mortgage is in there, business, savings, executive plan, key employees, long-term care, even though I want to at home, nursing home, at home. That's only, not only for life after death, but I can use my life insurance for go-go, slow-go, and no-go.

All the time of my life, I want to use it. That's why hybrid approach is the most important work because it doesn't pull your money from the one bucket. It's spreading out all risk. Let's talk a little bit about that go-go, slow-go, and no-go. I've heard that before, but I really want to dive a little bit deeper on that because I think that sometimes people make the assumption that I'm just going to save up all my money and have this wonderful retirement where I'm just going and traveling and doing all these things, but sometimes

our bodies don't cooperate. Yes, go go means I am already, when I was young, I did enough savings like a 401 case. You know what, generally what happened, that people of America, millions of Americans, Retiring feel like they are already They did proper savings. But no, if I am on age 65, now time for retirement,

I did enough work so hard. Now, I want luxury vacations. I want to enjoy my life. Great vacation on the ocean, great vacation on the cruise. I can do luxury way, my vacation. That is my go-go money. And also I want a nice car to drive around. That is my go-go time. Slow go time. Yeah, I did enough vacation. I enjoy my life. Now I want to stay with my family and

friends around me on my age 70 and up, like a 70 and 80. Yeah, I just want to enjoy with. So that is a slow go time but also bill comes there so we have to think about too and no go no go means think about a longevity risk if i am on 80 plus living my life and i'm in the long term care so i want a nursing home at home so that means no go i am not going anywhere i'm in the bed take care of myself i cannot do my activities by myself. Somebody is cooking for me, cleaning for me, taking me to the doctors and hospitals and all that things is a no-go, but also I want luxurious way.

So go-go, slow-go and no-go is the most important for tax-free retirement. Make sure during the any of these three states, I don't lose my money or end up with my social security. Make sure I covered up enough social security and my retirement with long term, long jeopardy risk and also with the market risk. You know, I was talking just recently to my wife about what you just said in a different realm, which is planning ahead. And I feel that too many times people don't plan ahead at all. And then if they do, they don't plan ahead the right way. So what you just described was the fact that we must realize that there are times in our life that we will be able to go, go, go, and then

we're going to be able to do all the things we want to do, but we need to recognize the fact that maybe we aren't going to be able to do all the things we need, and then we factor in that risk. That's a planning factor. So in your work with your clients, What are some of the misconceptions they have about a tax-free retirement that they come to you and you notice that they really don't understand it correctly and you need to help them understand that tax-free retirement planning? Because we're not just talking about risk. We're now talking about tax-free retirement planning.

And that's huge because a lot of times I'm sure you've seen this before, people will come to you with a million dollars in the 401k and be all happy. and saying, I've got a million dollars and you will say, you really don't because your silent partner, the government, Uncle Sam, he owns a big chunk of that. So talk a little bit about that tax-free retirement. Biggest misconcepts of the tax-free retirement, generally wealthy people think that this is only we are billed only to pay the tax. But that's not true. The millions of Americans, retired feels like a promise, reward waiting for the end of the decades of the hard works. But the truth is far more than complications. Misconceptions like 401K, they think that a 401K is enough. But did you thought about the

longevity risk as well? Did they thought about the market risk? All that things is a very important. Even though Social Security, what you are paying the tax right now, did you open your Social Security account as a Social Security SSA.G-O-V account? Did you check how much did you pay the tax and how much you allow in case something happened today? Did you check that? Figure it out when I'm old. Instead of, of thinking all I will do later on instead of I am saving, so I must be fine. That's the people think that. But behind the illusion lies a reality.

Many don't see until it's too late. So instead of illusion, we have to think about the solution from today, not when we are going to retire. Taxes will like be higher in the future, just like you said. Mortality risk, market risk, market. Whatality doesn't stop when you retire. Longevity risk is also real people are living longer than what you think. Even though health care cost is been raising dramatically with age,

guarantee income is not a guaranteed until and unless you create it. Retire illusion is just a gap between people think and actually. So instead of think about the illusion, we can talk about the solution. And that is today and right now. You know, it really is you got to have your finger on the pulse of what's happening now. and what can happen in the future. And if you plan for some of these risks that you're talking about and they actually come to fruition, then you're ready. If you plan for those risks and they don't come about, then you're ahead of the game.

So I think that's a really big realization. What do you feel that some steps that people can take today are that can move them a little closer to that secure and tax-free retirement in the future? That is the first step is get the clarity on where your money is today. How much is a taxable money? Already you have a buckets. How much you have a taxable? How much you have a tax deeper? And also how much you have a tax free.

That is we can see today, which is you already did in the past, whatever you thought about today. But and the second is let's diversify that tax exposers, not just investment, we have to think about investment and tax-free retirement. The third step is we already did the all portfolio, but now, right now, we have to think about start repositioning all of the assets into the tax. Advantage strategies? Hurry. Time is your biggest early. And finally,

work with the professional who understand your model of business. All professionals are great, but they don't know the business owner personally. What is their habits of investment?

What is their habits for taking the challenges? What is unexpected health issues can be. So knowing the professional, but who know your model of the business, practice of your business, and early you start, the more control and confidence you will have in the retirement. You know, I feel like what you just said there is so important because we as a society are so used to being self-sufficient and independent.

and then we couple that with technology like Google and AI. And we think, oh, well, I don't need to go see that financial professional. I'll just go Google it or go to AI and find out how to set up a tax-free retirement. And that might have some interesting information, but it won't be customized and personal to you. So talk a little bit about the power of working with someone individually like yourself who asks the right question. who's looking for opportunities to customize that plan and not just giving the same thing to everybody. That is a great question, actually, because I have all type of client, highest wealthy clients,

like doctors, hoteliers, but also middle of the wealthy clients and also somebody is a building their career. So all that three step of the business owner, we have to understand right now what they have reality is they are improving with this with a small business right now. They are learning right now. They are having a new family right now. They can have, you know, kids in the beginning of the years, buying a house, selling the house. So they have more liability than they have equity. and assets.

So we have to understand what kind of life insurance they need, what they can afford, and what is their future plan in the near, how much they are growing with the business. But the life insurance also we can do like on the hybrid way of the life insurance, which is a multiplying use of the life insurance. Instead of pager, we can go to all the way iPhone Pro Max 70. because of the one policy can use for the multi-purpose use.

And also when they are growing, when the kids are already gone to the school, college and everything, then they not need kids education fund. But in the new challenges come as a health. Health is also important. One challenge is going, but the other challenge is arriving. So we have to think about whatever. the reliability and responsibility gone, but the same time what the new challenge is coming.

But the same time, we are in the real estate business and all other things, we have to think about the equity and assets also to protect. Otherwise, Mr. Sam can come anytime. So we have to think about that too. So that is also financial advisor, main person to be advised or about the investment, understand them, recommendation them, and also the growth is also important. Once they finish that equity and assets, then we have to protect with leveraging that project.

Building the business is enough, but it's not enough. We have to think about grow the business. When we are growing the business, then we have to think about leveraging the business too. So we are a business people. We are putting one challenge. We are moving out from the previous challenge, but coming out with the new challenges.

We have to think about everything. So every client has their own challenges. And that's why we have to customize their needs. We have to understand what kind of respecter this business owner is being taking, moderate or extreme. That is the point. We have to understand as a financial advisor, when they need money,

make sure they say today, oh, I not need money for five years. But maybe next year they come say, Hey, Roma, I need money. We have to think before they think about their own money, our financial advisor. Because then people feel like you really are

caring for them and taking their needs into consideration when they're not the ones always bringing it up ahead of time. So many times even they don't have a question exist in their life. But as a financial professional, we have several different clients, all kind of wealthy clients. They already feel their challenges. They are already sharing with us. Already we are experience, which is our new client doesn't experience that. So it is our duty to make them understand, aware them with the reality. This can be possible to any emergency anytime.

Yeah, I love it. Well, Roma, it's been really great chatting with you again. This is really interesting and relevant information. If someone is interested in learning a little bit about what you guys do, what's the best way that they can reach out. connect with you. Yes, my name is Roma Pitharia. Phone number is 972-693-33-3315. Even though they can go in my website, www.AIFS group by Roma.com, they can put the comment and concern over there too. Even though YouTube channel, if they do Roma Pithadia, there is so many several information is already, maybe

they can get some information from there too. I can answer any phone call, any time, seven days a week, 24-7 because I'm fascinated and I love my client. Their future is my future. Yes, I love it. Well, that's been so great chatting with you again. Thank you so much for coming back on. Thank you for giving me this opportunity and chat with you. You've been listening to Influential Entrepreneurs with Mike Saunders. To learn more about the resources mentioned on today's show or listen to past episodes, visit www. www.Influentialentrepreneursradio.com.