It's All About The $money, Honey!

Most people have some idea about what their retirement will look like. Travel, spending time with family and friends, volunteering, etc. However, other things they thought would be important often turn out not to be. In this episode, we share 4 retirement realities that many people get wrong.

Preparing for retirement is a journey that takes planning and time with a multitude of decisions to make. Some, like how much cash flow you'll need each month, are pretty evident. Others are less so. These are the misunderstood and overlooked decisions you didn't even consider. In this episode, we share some of those spooky retirement decisions that hide like monsters under your bed, ready to scare you when least expected.

Most people think of planning for retirement as creating the perfect investment portfolio. That's definitely a big part. However, there are so many others parts that are easy to overlook, even by professional financial advisors. Often, they aren't thought of until there's a problem. In this episode, we share some interesting and little asked questions retirees face and how to deal with them.

Do you feel in total control of your financial choices? You buy or invest in something and believe you know exactly what to expect as a result. However, there are often unintended consequences from the financial choices we make. You pull one lever not realizing it could trigger others down the road you can't see. In this episode, we examine some common financial decisions people make and how to anticipate the consequences beyond your initial choice.

Hurricanes, wars, election tension, labor strikes? That was all in just the last week of September 2024. It doesn’t matter the time or season, there will always be bad news that causes uncertainty and fear in the market. It can truly be a mad, mad, mad mad world. However, making financial decisions based on your emotional reactions to these headlines will usually end up costing you. On today’s show, we are giving you the playbook we use for our Millionaire clients so you can avoid spending mad money.

As we near the 4th quarter of 2024, many year-end deadlines are approaching that impact you financially. This means you have just three short months, or less, to make some of the biggest financial decisions you will make all year long. In this episode, we share your year-end financial housekeeping list and options you should consider before the calendar turns to 2025.

It's often said the greatest fear retirees have is running out of money. While that is true, and probably always will be, it's not quite accurate enough. What retirees truly fear is not being able to generate income in retirement. This makes sense because choosing retirement is choosing 30+ years of voluntary unemployment. With no more paycheck from work, you must find a way to generate income in retirement. In this episode, we share our favorite strategies for building your retirement paycheck so you can keep doing all the things you enjoy.

While it’s not a given, there is a high probability that we will soon see The Federal Reserve announce they are lowering interest rates. Naturally, many are asking, "How far and how fast will rates fall?" Regardless of when and how much interest rates decrease, what can we expect to happen when they do? In this episode, we share 5 things to expect as interest rates begin to fall and how you can use them to your advantage.

The Great Wealth Transfer is underway! As Baby Boomers age over the next decade, it is is expected that nearly $90 trillion in wealth will pass from them to their heirs. If you plan to leave a legacy to your family, at some point, they need to know your plans, where the money is, and what to do and whom to call should something happen to you. In this episode, we share the essential estate planning documents you should have to make the transition of your wealth to your heirs much smoother.

With Election Day just two months away, our thoughts begin turning to the Presidential race. Among the many things Americans will consider as they step up to the ballot box, the potential impacts to their families' financial futures will likely be near the top of the list. Of chief concern will be taxes. There are few things the economy and market care about in Washington, D.C., but taxes are one of them. In this episode, we compare the likely tax policies of the two Presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

If you haven’t heard already, a massive data breach was recently reported involving the theft of more than 2 billion pieces of personal data, including, among many other things, Social Security Numbers of millions of Americans. It is very possible that every Social Security number was stolen, with the true scope of the breach yet to be understood. So, what should you do to protect yourself? In this episode, we share the exact steps we’ve advised our clients to take so you can protect yourself and your family from identity theft.

Have you ever heard someone say, "I love playing the stock market.”? Usually, they mean they enjoy trying to hit the big winners. It's a rush they get from guessing right. Sounds a lot like going to the casino, right? However, we rarely hear anyone say, “I love playing the interest rate market.” The impact of interest rates on your wealth is just as, and perhaps more, important as stock prices. Yet, so few investors actually understand what power interest rates truly have. In this episode, we share ways that you can use changing interest rates to your advantage.

With the threat of a recession still lurking, higher interest rates, and unemployment rising, it's no surprise that the market recently had a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad week. This led a lot of investors to run for cover and proclaim the sky is falling. If you don't have a plan, this could well be the case. However, those that have prepared their money for whatever comes are much less fearful. In this episode, we share some simple strategies for surviving the stock market roller coaster and enjoying the ride a lot more than some of the people you know.

When you become a Millionaire, lots of opportunities will come your way. It will also cause you to have a lot more questions. As these questions pile up, you may find yourself suffering from paralysis by analysis. A good wealth manager will help you focus on what's really important to consider and provide clarity. In this episode, we share some of the big questions Millionaires ask and insights into how we as advisors answer them.

In a follow up to our previous episode on avoiding travel headaches, we share even more tips to help you travel like a pro including how to find hotel upgrades reserved for only the most well-connected travelers.

It's nearly the middle of summer which means a lot of people are or soon will be traveling. If you've traveled anywhere recently, particularly by plane, you've likely experienced delays, cancellations, bad weather, traffic, and all sorts of other problems. If you choose to travel, some of this comes with the territory. Still, there are things you can do to travel like a pro. In this episode, we share some of our favorite pro tips for making your summer travel heavenly rather than a headache.

If there is one thing that connects every single one of us, it is our distaste for paying taxes. Regardless of who you are or how much money you have, disinheriting Uncle Sam is one task that every American has on their to do list. Yet, while we are working to disinherit him, Uncle Sam has one major weapon in his arsenal to stymie us – changing the tax code. Beginning in 2026, major tax code changes are coming that will impact literally every American. In this episode, we share some of the biggest and what you can do now to prepare.

As you plan your retirement, you'll read and hear a lot about what to expect. Much of it will be true. However, some of it will be based on myths people believe. As with any myth, they are often based in some facts. Yet, as time goes by, the facts get twisted and it's hard to know what's real and what's not. In this episode, we share some of the biggest retirement myths people believe, what's really happening, and what you can do to prepare.

So long as you work to earn money and build wealth, there will be scammers, con artists, and criminals who make it their job to separate you from it. In this episode, we share some of the most common scams you'll run across and step you can take to protect yourself and help put those scammers in the slammer.

Perhaps more than any other financial strategy, there seems to be a deep love-hate relationship when it comes to insurance. We hate paying for it when we don't use it, but love it when we need it to save us from a catastrophic financial loss. In this episode, we share four situations when having insurance can really save you.