Articles and Videos

Managing Your Financial Future

How Should You Invest in Your 401k?- Season 7: Episode 2

September 21, 2021

If you’ve ever looked at your investment options inside your 401k plan (or other retirement plan at work), you might have felt overwhelmed by the number of choices. Even if your choices aren’t necessarily numerous, how do you know whether you should go all in with stocks, or maybe keep it safer with a blend of volatile and non-volatile assets?  This decision is big, and going the wrong way can lead to significantly different outcomes in the future. 

Managing Your Financial Future

Roth or Traditional IRA – How Do You Decide?- Season 7: Episode 1

September 14, 2021

When it comes to saving for retirement, the decision to put your money into either a Roth or a Traditional IRA may be more complicated than you think.  Part of the decision involves your tax bracket today vs. your tax bracket at retirement, but there’s more to it than that. When is investing in a Roth IRA a better idea than a traditional?  On the other hand, who should consider a Traditional IRA over a Roth?  And what are the consequences, good and bad, of doing one or the other? 

Lucia Capital Group Weekly

Two Roth Rules You Need to Know

September 14, 2021

The Roth IRA was made available to us back in 1998, and for many people it’s been a useful tax-advantaged tool to help save for retirement.  If you’re unfamiliar with the Roth IRA, it works like this: You put money in on a post-tax basis, and, if you follow the rules properly, any potential gains you realize from… View Article

Capitalize

CAPitalize Your Expenses -Season 2: Episode 5

September 13, 2021

An often-overlooked aspect of personal finance is how much you spend each month — yet getting a grasp on it is “mission critical.” For many people, talking about spending and expenses is embarrassing, overwhelming, and sometimes downright despicable.  My question is this: why does it have to be that way? Wouldn’t it be great if you could have someone to listen to, who can calmly and systematically break down “Expenses 101” so you could walk away and feel confident about everything there is to know regarding your spending habits and needs? Well, guess what: you’ve come to the right place!

Lucia Capital Group Weekly

Can You Reduce Your Risk Without Sacrificing Your Return?

September 8, 2021

When we meet with someone for the first time, we often find that they’re taking far more risk than they should, given their stated objectives.  They understandably like the greater potential for return, but in order to get that return, they figure they’ve got to raise the risk. And yes: risk and return do generally go… View Article

Capitalize

CAPitalizing Your Cash -Season 2: Episode 4

August 30, 2021

Cash: is it good or is it bad? Here’s a better question: How much is too much?  Believe it or not, there is such thing as having too much cash! On today’s Episode, “CAPitalizing Your Cash,” I take you through the good, bad and ugly in regards to this often-misunderstood asset.  Cash is both valuable and useless — so understanding the BALANCE is key. Tune in, and prepare to view cash in a totally different way!

Managing Your Financial Future

How Much Can I Withdraw From My Portfolio?- Season 6: Episode 12

August 23, 2021

So you’ve made it to retirement, and, presumably, you’ve got a certain amount of money saved up that you’ll need to tap into from time to time.  But you’re concerned: you don’t want to take too much, because you don’t now how long you’ll live, and thus have no idea how much is “too much” to take out. This is a common dilemma for retirees.  You need a certain amount to meet your basic expenses, but the money may have to last at least a few decades.  Is there a “safe” amount you can withdraw each month so that you won’t outlive your savings?

Managing Your Financial Future

How Your Pension May Reduce Your Social Security Benefits- Season 6: Episode 11

August 17, 2021

So let’s say your idea is to take your Social Security early, maybe age 62 or 63, and then wait until age 65 to begin your pension benefits.  You know what both your Social Security and pension payments will be, and so you set up your budget and your lifestyle accordingly. But then you find out, maybe too late, that your Social Security payments have been reduced — or even eliminated — once those pension benefits kick in.  All of your careful planning has been cast overboard, and now you have to wing it.  That scenario can happen to those who aren’t aware of the rules regarding Social Security benefits and certain pension payments.  Find out more about what to expect, and how to deal with it

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?