Articles and Videos

Managing Your Financial Future

Can Kids and Ex-Spouses Receive Social Security Benefits?- Season 6: Episode 10

August 10, 2021

The topic of Social Security always brings with it many questions, which isn’t surprising, given the complex nature of the program. Beyond the most popular questions, though, are a few that may impact you, even if you didn’t think to ask about them. Two of those topics are these:  Can I work and still collect a Social Security benefit? Can my  kids, or my ex-spouse, collect a benefit based on my work record? The answer to each of these questions is yes — if.  What are the “ifs” you need to know about? 

Managing Your Financial Future

Owning Stocks in Retirement: Why We Do Buckets- Season 6: Episode 9

August 3, 2021

Have you ever heard the idea that stocks are too volatile for retired people to own?  There’s even an old rule-of-thumb formula that tells you to decrease your stock holdings by 1 percent every year and replace them with bonds.  These generic “guidelines,” though, are hardly prudent advice for most people, because everyone’s situation requires a different approach. It may actually be more beneficial for some people to hold steady — or even increase — their exposure to stocks as they get older.  What often matters more is having a suitable withdrawal strategy: one that aims to take volatility into account, potentially avoiding selling stocks when they’re declining in value.

Capitalize

What is Your Purpose? -Season 2: Episode 2

August 2, 2021

In the previous episode of my podcast, I told you about my personal experiences and how I got to where I am today. As we continue our journey toward becoming CAPitalizers, one vital question to ask yourself is this: what is your purpose? It’s a bigger — and broader — question than it may seem. You may want to have a financial purpose, and that’s great. But if you just dig a little bit and think more deeply, you’ll discover that your purpose is actually everything.

Managing Your Financial Future

Should You Pay Cash For Your Home, or Get a Mortgage?- Season 6: Episode 8

July 27, 2021

Real estate prices have been ticking up steadily over the past year or two, especially for mid-range single family homes.  And while many people find that the only way they can afford a new home is to take out a mortgage, there are also those who have either enough current gains or enough cash on hand to consider buying a home outright. Having the cash to pay for a home, versus investing that amount and taking out a mortgage, is something of a dilemma for some people.  There are those who like the security of owning a home outright, but there are also those who believe they can earn more than the cost of the mortgage through savvy investing. Which way may be potentially right for you? 

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?