Retirement Starts Today Radio

Have you wondered why the markets had such an amazing year in 2020 when the economy was a mess and everyone was stuck at home? You aren’t the only one. That’s why in this episode, we’ll look at a New York Times article that examines this question.  We’ll also answer some listener questions directly from our newsletter readers. Dave asks about dividend investing in retirement and Brian asks about how to pivot away from target-date funds after retiring.  Outline of This Episode [1:22] How data can help us understand the stock market’s response to Covid 19 [7:50] Is it better to reinvest dividends from stock funds and interest from bond funds in retirement? [10:30] Should you maintain your assets in a target-date fund after retirement? Covid brought about even bigger differences between the haves and have nots Recently the New York Times investigated Why Markets Boomed in a Year of Human Misery. This article analyzed the income, spending, and savings levels from March through November of 2020 and during that s

Has the Covid-19 pandemic cut into your vacation plans? It seems like everyone’s travel plans have changed over the past year. But what does that mean for employees and companies? Anne Steele and Chip Cutter examine the effects of Covid-19 and vacation taking in a recent Wall Street Journal article that we’ll look at today.  In addition to our Retirement Headline, I’ll answer two listener questions. One is about Medicare before age 65 and the other about investing in bonds. Grab your favorite listening device and join me to help you get retirement ready. Outline of This Episode [1:22] Many people aren’t taking time off right now [6:10] Will Rich’s wife qualify for Medicare after he retires? [10:28] Should we own bonds with these low interest rates? Working too much decreases productivity We have discussed the importance of taking vacations on Retirement Starts Today before. And if you have listened in the past you know that vacations actually increase worker productivity and boost morale. However, this past

Has the news about the ups and downs in the market lately got you a bit worried? You aren’t the only one. Many people are even thinking about pulling their money out in case there is a market correction. Does this sound like you? If so, you’ll definitely need to listen to this episode.  When you press play you’ll hear what would happen if you only invested at the market peaks, what to do with an inherited IRA, and what the benefits are of an umbrella insurance policy.  Outline of This Episode [1:25] What if you only invested at market peaks? [5:21] What to do with an inherited IRA? [9:00] The benefits of an umbrella insurance policy What if you only invest at market peaks? Have you ever wondered what would happen if you invested at all the wrong times? Our retirement headline this week is from Ben Carlson who reflects in his widely read 2014 piece, What If You Only Invested at Market Peaks? In his newest article with the same title, Ben introduces a video illustration to turn his story of the world’s worst

Are you setting yourself up for a single-ply retirement? Do you find yourself trying to save money out of habit rather than necessity? Listen to the retirement headlines segment to find out why this may not be the best idea in retirement.  In the listener questions segment, I actually have a listener answer. I asked the subscribers of my Every Day is Saturday newsletter what they were doing to combat Zoom fatigue and Ann replied with a detailed answer. After that, we’ll analyze Social Security claiming strategies and discuss retirement rebalancing strategies.  Outline of This Episode [2:02] What might it feel like to be frugal by choice rather than by default? [5:46] What is your strategy to step away from Zoom calls and recharge your batteries? [8:48] Social Security claiming strategy [11:42] When is the right time to rebalance? How would it feel to be frugal by choice rather than by default? Do you find yourself making money-saving decisions out of habit? Are you like Tim Ferriss and who still buys single

I figured that you all may be a bit sick of hearing the news lately which is why this week’s episode will focus only on listener questions without the Retirement Headlines segment. I’ve got 2 listener questions that will pique your interest. Chris asks about long term care insurance. What is the difference between hybrid and traditional policies and when can someone self insure? And Janet wants to know about the tax benefits of life insurance to fund your retirement. Don’t miss the answers to these complex questions, press play now! Outline of This Episode [1:22] Chris has a long-term care insurance question [8:33] Consider your home equity as a quasi-long-term care policy [10:09] Janet is curious as to how life insurance could be used as a tax strategy Do you even need long term care coverage? The question of how to pay for long term care comes up when creating every retirement plan. It is extremely difficult to plan for long-term care due to the myriad unknowns. Will you even need coverage? This question

I’m feeling optimistic this year and I want to continue to spread that optimism. That’s why I want to focus several shows on travel. Most people’s travel plans were foiled by covid in 2020, so 2021 will be the year of the vacation! We’ll be interviewing experts and discussing the mental and physical health benefits of travel. We get started on that road today with a Retirement Headline from Harvard Business Review.  Outline of This Episode [1:52] Let’s explore the relationship between well-being and time away from the office [5:02] What should Seth’s mom do with her $500,000 portfolio? Are fewer vacation days negatively impacting your work? You have probably heard that without recovery periods, your ability to perform tasks effectively diminishes significantly. However, this is in direct conflict with the common practice of powering through work without a break.  The Harvard Business Review performed a study with the US Travel Association to help understand the relationship between wellbeing and taking time

Would you want to raise your standard of living for half of what you live on now? Tim Leffel did, which is why he chose to uproot his family from their life in Nashville to move to a small city in Mexico. Tim is the author of the book A Better Life for Half the Price and he joins me today to discuss the pros and cons of living abroad. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn how you can save money by living abroad. Tim is an expert in the subject and has written extensively about this topic. Listen in to hear this interview.  Outline of This Episode [1:22] What made Tim decide to live in Mexico? [5:06] Why did he rent before buying? [7:08] What are examples of how he saves money by living in Mexico? [10:45] Do you need to know Spanish before moving to Mexico? [13:55] Why would people not want to move abroad? Why did Tim choose to move to Mexico? Tim and his wife have traveled extensively and even lived in Seoul, Korea, and Istanbul, Turkey when they were young. When they had their daughter they knew that they d

I’m thrilled to be back sharing the latest retirement headlines with you after my short holiday break. The biggest news on the retirement radar this week is that the 2nd Coronavirus stimulus package has passed. Together, we’ll take a look at the most relevant parts. Then I’ll answer the question: do you need a Roth IRA even if you make more than the income limits allow for? Let’s start preparing for tomorrow by learning today. Press play now.  Outline of This Episode [1:22] What will the Coronavirus stimulus package bring for us? [7:19] Health expenses are now deductible after 7.5% AGI [9:07] Standard deduction + $600 if you are married filing jointly in 2021 [10:45] Unemployment benefits have been extended [13:09] Does Janet need a Roth IRA? Will you be cashing a $600 stimulus check? The 2nd Coronavirus stimulus package has recently been passed and rather than have you read this 5500 page piece of legislation, I’ll cover the highlights that most pertain to you. Jeff Levine, @CPAPlanner on Twitter was a gre

Welcome back to another edition of Retirement Rewind -- episodes so good we played them twice!  Time for travel is by far the number one thing that Retirement Starts Today Radio listeners look forward to in retirement. That’s why I interviewed David Jacoby on to this episode and why it was chosen as a Retirement Rewind.  David Jacoby is a financial planner and travel expert who specializes in helping travelers and expats. David, himself has lived in 4 different countries and even built his business while living abroad. On this episode, he’ll help us understand the unique aspects of retiring abroad. If travel abroad piques your interest then you won't want to miss this interview. Outline of This Episode [2:06] The 3 types of people that are interested in travel abroad [5:22] When does traveling extensively turn into living abroad?  [9:10] How to determine where you might want to live? [13:33] How do people plan for their elderly years? [15:26] How does health insurance work when you live abroad? [17:42] What

Welcome to this episode of our Retirement Rewind. Retirement Rewind episodes are so informative that we decided to play them again while I take the month of December to spend a bit more time to enjoy my family. Estate planning attorney, John Ross from the Big Picture Retirement podcast, joins me to discuss how you can preserve your IRAs for your heirs in the wake of the SECURE Act. Check out this interview to discover how to optimize legacy tax planning, how to utilize an accumulation trust, and learn about the charitable remainder trust. Outline of This Episode [1:22] How has the loss of the stretch IRA changed estate planning? [4:06] An accumulation trust may be the key to planning your estate [6:44] A new opportunity for state income tax planning [9:22] How to turn a 10-year stretch into a 20-year stretch [16:32] A case study [18:44] You may want to consider a charitable remainder trust How has estate planning changed with the elimination of the stretch IRA? The SECURE Act brought about huge changes to e

What would happen if you go over your tax bracket by $1 when doing a Roth IRA conversion? On this Retirement Rewind episode, we’ll explore the best way that you can take advantage of the current tax cuts and get the most out of your money. What will Roth conversion season mean for you? Listen in and find out! Outline of This Episode [1:22] Why do we wait so long to convert our Roth IRA’s? [3:44] What happens if I go over my tax rate? [6:40] What about Medicare? [13:15] Why are Roth IRA conversions such a big deal? [15:48] How do Duane’s earnings this year affect his Medicare premiums? [17:15] Should Don put 100% of his portfolio in stocks? Why should you wait until the end of the year to convert your Roth IRAs? It’s a good idea to wait until the end of the year to convert your IRAs into a Roth. This is because you’ll have a good idea as to how much you will earn during the year.  The reason that you’ll want to wait until the end of the year to make a Roth conversion is to understand how much you’ll be makin

Welcome back to the Retirement Rewind! I take the last part of the year off from podcasting to spend more time with my family. But that doesn’t mean that you miss out on your favorite retirement podcast. Actually, I have a treat for you today. This episode is so good this is the 3rd time I’m playing it. Press play to find out which retirement podcasts I listen to in my spare time and scroll down to the bottom of the page to find links to my favorite episodes of those podcasts.  On this episode, you’ll discover more amazing retirement podcasts to listen to. In addition, you’ll learn about the confusing world of reverse mortgages and whether you should plan for a 20% cut to your Social Security. Outline of This Episode [2:22] Do you understand reverse mortgages? [8:26] Will you be taking a 20% cut on social security? [12:46] Get retirement ready with my favorite retirement podcasts Do you find reverse mortgages confusing? I’m sure you’ve seen the ads for reverse mortgages before, but do you really know what t

Welcome to Retirement Rewind! Each year I take the holiday season off from podcasting to spend more time with my family. The good news is that I prepare my favorite episodes from the past for you to enjoy.  This episode is an interview with Fritz Gilbert over at the Retirement Manifesto blog. In this interview, Fritz and I discuss his new book, Keys to a Successful Retirement as well as his firsthand experience now that he has recently retired. If you’ve already listened to this episode before you might be surprised to hear the tidbits that you forgot about and if you missed it the first time around, you won’t want to miss the interview this time. Outline of This Episode [2:37] Why your first cup of coffee in retirement is the best cup of your life [5:22] Retirement advice for a 38-year-old [9:53] If you only had $500 to spend on retirement education what would you do? [13:28] Are we in the golden era of Roth Conversions? [16:27] A question about chapter 4 of Fritz’s book [20:21] How to create the ideal reti

Are you worried about what the election means for your retirement portfolio? Many people are tempted to make big changes to their retirement savings to reflect their election concerns. On this episode of Retirement Starts Today Radio, you’ll learn what you can do to your portfolio if you are nervous about the transition. You’ll also hear what the new RMD tables mean and how the Biden proposals could change the entire retirement landscape. Outline of This Episode [2:12] What do the new RMD tables mean for you? [4:40] How much is the next Medicare Part B premium increase? [7:40] Should you make big changes to your retirement plan because of the election? [11:50] Which Biden proposals could affect you and your retirement? What do the new RMD tables mean for you? Since people are living longer than ever before, the IRS has finally decided to acknowledge these longer lifespans by updating their Required Minimum Distribution tables. According to the longer retirement timeline, retirees can take out smaller mandat

After you finally get Medicare all figured out and everything in place, the last thing you want to do is ever think about it again. But unfortunately, you need to review your Medicare coverage annually.  Danielle Roberts is back, yet again, to help us understand what we need to do annually to review our Medicare plans. In this episode, you’ll learn what to do if you have a prescription drug change, if your Medicare Advantage plan gets discontinued, and how to change from supplemental plans to advantage plans and vice versa. There’s loads of information in this episode so make sure to pay attention so that you don’t miss any details.  Outline of This Episode [1:22] What do we need to think about each year when it comes to Medicare? [5:05] What to look for when you receive your annual notice of change [10:01] How to change from a Medicare supplement to an advantage plan? [14:43] Is switching between Medigap plans easy to do? [17:35] What is in store for Plan F? What is the annual election period? The Medicare

Do you know the difference between a Medicare supplement and a Medicare advantage plan? You’ll need to understand their differences to make an educated decision about which to choose when it is time to sign up for Medicare. Danielle Roberts from Boomer Benefits joins me again to help us wade through the various Medicare supplement choices. Learn how best to fill the gaps that Medicare leaves by listening to this episode of Retirement Starts Today.  Outline of This Episode [2:12] What is covered by Medicare supplement plans? [8:00] Medicare advantage plans operate through a network of providers [15:02] Switching between plans may not be as easy as you think [20:24] Dental and vision insurance What is a Medicare supplement or Medigap plan? One benefit of choosing the original Medicare route is that the federal government will be processing your claims. While this is a positive aspect of choosing traditional Medicare, it also means that there will be deductibles and a 20% out of pocket cost on your claims. For

Deciding to retire before age 65 can be a tough decision to make. For most people, this decision will result in an extra $1000 or more a month in health insurance expenses. Retiring after age 65 has its pitfalls as well. On this episode of Retirement Starts Today, Danielle Roberts joins me again to discuss the potential landmines that you need to look out for whether you are planning to retire before or after age 65.  Outline of This Episode [2:22] What about retiring early? [6:29] Which is better, shopping on the exchange or going directly to the insurance company? [9:18] How to manage the risk? [13:25] What are some mistakes people make when they retire after age 65? [20:34] Why you don’t want to miss part D drug coverage.  Should you work longer just for health insurance? If you are considering working longer just for the insurance Danielle and I both recommend that you don’t. Instead, compare the cost of insurance through COBRA to the cost through the ACA. If you want to retire there are many plans to c

You asked and I listened. This summer I asked you all for your thoughts on the show and many people responded that they wanted to hear more deep dives into complex subjects. We tried this out with the Living Off Your Savings series and now we’re taking some extra time to discuss Medicare. This episode is the first of a 4 episode series on Medicare. Grab your headphones and press play to begin your Medicare education.  Since I am not a Medicare expert, I have invited Danielle Roberts with Boomer Benefits to teach us about this nuanced subject. Make sure to stick around until the end of the episode to learn how you can get a free copy of Danielle’s new book, 10 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make. Outline of This Episode [3:22] When should people start looking into Medicare in earnest? [7:10] Why is Medicare Easy-Pay a good option? [10:03] What will medicare pay for? [12:25] What do your taxes pay for? [17:15] Part D is an optional drug plan When should someone start thinking about Medicare? The

Are you one of the many people still working from home due to the pandemic? What seemed like a phase that would last a few weeks has turned into a trend with no end in sight. While working from home creates exciting possibilities, especially for those considering retirement, it also has its downfalls. Many people have discovered that working from home means the lines between work life and home life are being erased. As long as you are conscious that burnout is a real risk then you can take active steps to keep your home life and work life in balance. On this episode, I’ll share an Inc. magazine article about avoiding burnout while working from home. We’ll also take a look at a WSJ article on early retirement buyouts. Then we’ll wrap up this episode with a listener question about strategies for those on the cusp of retirement. So, grab your Airpods or your favorite listening device and take a walk with me. Outline of This Episode [1:02] How to avoid burnout while working remotely [6:30] Should you consider ea

Are you worried about the seemingly constant news stories which claim that Social Security may run out of money? These articles highlight any problems that the Social Security program is facing which can lead the reader to fret about the future of the guaranteed income source in retirement. Not surprisingly, there are companies out there that want to capitalize on this worry.  Does Social Security insurance sound like a good idea to you? On this episode of Retirement Starts Today I read from and discuss an article about Social Security Insurance. You’ll learn what it is and how it works and hear my thoughts about this product. Outline of This Episode [3:22] Make sure there is not a planning solution before rushing out to buy a product [6:37] How does Social Security insurance work? [9:48] What is my opinion on Social Security insurance [12:10] How to begin a migration into bonds There is a product out there to solve every problem Investors are always looking for less volatility in their investment portfolio