Articles and Videos

Managing Your Financial Future

Will Your Taxes Be Lower in Retirement?- Season 6: Episode 7

July 20, 2021

It would seem to make some sense that once you begin retirement retirement, your tax bill will tend to increase – at least in the early years.  The logic is that people normally have much, if not most, of their retirement funds in a company retirement plan (401k, 403b, etc.), which are all taxable upon… View Article

Capitalize

How I became a CAPitalizer -Season 2: Episode 1

July 19, 2021

Why “CAPitalize?” And what does it mean? On today’s podcast, as we kick off Season 2, I want to focus on my personal history for a moment. I’ll give you my “back story,” as they call it in the media biz, and how – and why – my life changed for the better just a few short years ago. To capitalize means to take the advantage when it presents itself. I struggled at an early age trying to figure out what my own personal strengths were. Once they were made clear to me, though, I began to see just how much I could bring to the table – and I learned how to CAPitalize on that.

Lucia Capital Group Weekly

Are Taxes Higher or Lower in Retirement?

July 13, 2021

There are people out there who may be saving too much for retirement—and you might be one of them! Don’t get us wrong, building your savings is a good thing. In fact, we’re in the business of helping people do just that. You certainly don’t want to under-save, but over-saving can also be a problem.

Managing Your Financial Future

At What Age Should You Start Taking Your Social Security Benefits?- Season 6: Episode 6

July 13, 2021

It’s the most common question we get when we’re discussing Social Security: what’s the best age to start taking your benefits? Naturally, everyone’s situation is different, but there are general guidelines to determine if it’s better to take them early, or to wait until later for a larger monthly benefit. But it’s not as simple as just saying, “if you think you’ll live a long time, take them later; if not, take them sooner.” Because in some instances, doing the exact opposite may work out far better for you. Podcast host Johnny Dean and “Professor” Rick Plum, CFP® discuss this all-important topic on today’s episode of Managing Your Financial Future.

Articles

Is Now a Good Time to Capture Some Gains in My Portfolio?

July 8, 2021

A lot of people we’ve been meeting with have noticed that the stock market has far exceeded their expectations since the “Covid Crash” in March 2020…  and now they’re wondering how long this good fortune is going to last. They want to know: “Is now a good time to get out and capture some of… View Article

Managing Your Financial Future

Buying Real Estate in Your IRA: Good Idea, or Bad?- Season 6: Episode 5

July 6, 2021

Maybe you’ve noticed that real estate prices have been soaring over the past year or so. And with the stock market gains we’ve experienced over that same period of time, you may have also seen a similar increase in the balances of your existing IRAs.   This has caused some people to wonder: if I want to buy real estate now, but I’ve only got my IRA funds available to do so, is it a good idea to buy real estate in my IRA, since that’s where my money is? In this week’s episode of Managing Your Financial Future, host Johnny Dean and his guest, “Professor” Rick Plum, CFP® discuss the benefits of owning real estate personally versus in an IRA, and how you may be able to use those funds without the headache and hassle of having your IRA own it. 

Managing Your Financial Future

Planning for Retirement When It’s Still 15-20 Years Away- Season 6: Episode 4

June 29, 2021

When you’re only a few years away from retirement, figuring out your basics — income needs, expenses, activities — is usually fairly easy.   In many cases, your current basics will be relatively close to those you’ll require once you’ve stopped working. But how do you plan for all of that when you’re much farther… View Article

Capitalize

The Creator of the 4% Withdrawal Rule – Interview with Bill Bengen-Season 1: Episode 14

June 28, 2021

For nearly 30 years, we’ve been referring to the guideline that taking 4% from your portfolio may be the most optimal amount to keep you from running out of money over an average retirement. Is this so-called “4% Rule” still valid in a time of high stock values and low interest rates? Or should it be revised higher — or lower? — to reflect more realistic scenarios?

Articles

The Zero-Percent Tax Bracket

June 24, 2021

Have you ever heard about a 0% tax bracket?  It does exist – although not officially. Here’s the deal. If you look up the federal income tax brackets and tax rates online for 2021, you may find a table that looks something like this: 2021 Federal Income Tax Brackets and Rates for Single Filers, Married… View Article

Managing Your Financial Future

Investing a Sum of Money: All at One Time, or Little By Little?- Season 6: Episode 3

June 22, 2021

Maybe you recently got a bonus from work, or — perhaps even better — an inheritance from a relative. Whatever the case, if you find yourself with a lump sum of cash that you’d like to invest, a question should come to mind: do I invest it all at once, or do I phase it… View Article

Managing Your Financial Future

Why Naming Your Estate’s Beneficiaries Is Vital- Season 6: Episode 2

June 15, 2021

Estate planning – it’s not just for the ultra rich! While many people don’t have estates that are large enough to warrant an estate tax (which, for married couples, is in excess of $23 million for 2021), there are other aspects of estate planning that most individuals should be aware of. The one that perhaps affects the most people is where beneficiaries are concerned. If you have assets that you want to go to specific people or certain organizations, it’s vital that you have your beneficiary assignments done correctly, even if you already have a will and a trust in place. What do you need to know about beneficiary assignments?  It’s all about making sure your assets go where you want them to go.

Capitalize

Are Annuities Good? Do You Actually Need Life Insurance? Interview with David Lau (Part 2) -Season 1: Episode 13

June 14, 2021

You may have heard that annuities are the greatest thing in finance. Or maybe you’ve heard that annuities aren’t right for anyone at all. The truth, though, lies somewhere in the middle: Annuities may be completely suitable for one individual, while another should never consider owning one. In today’s interview, Christoper Panagiotu, CFP®, CRPS®, talks about the good and bad of annuities, and brings up the question of whether life insurance is actually needed — or not — in part 2 of our interview with David Lau, founder and CEO of DPL Financial Partners.