Managing Your Financial Future

Which Assets Belong in Each Bucket? – Episode 193
Managing Your Financial Future

Which Assets Belong in Each Bucket? – Episode 193

October 22, 2024

The Bucket Strategy® is both simple and complex. It’s simple in the sense that there’s a short-term, midterm, and long-term bucket, and maybe a couple of others, depending on your needs. The complexity begins when you need to determine which assets should go into which buckets. There are many things to consider: time frame, taxability, income needs, and available assets, to name a few. How do you determine what to put into each bucket? We’ll tackle that question today.
Is It Really Better to Own More Stocks in Retirement? – Episode 192
Investing and Personal Finance

Is It Really Better to Own More Stocks in Retirement? – Episode 192

October 15, 2024

If stocks are inherently risky, and if you’re retired and you’re risk-averse, doesn’t it make sense to lessen your exposure to the stock market as you get older?  That’s the logic behind certain “rules of thumb” that say the older you are, the less money you should have in stocks. But that logic is faulty.  It assumes that everyone’s situation is the same, and, even worse, that people should be selling stocks in order to fund their short-term income needs.  It’s time to revisit this idea. Could it actually be better to own more stocks in retirement?
What’s the Best Age to Take Social Security Benefits? – Episode 191
Managing Your Financial Future

What’s the Best Age to Take Social Security Benefits? – Episode 191

September 24, 2024

Social Security retirement benefits are the bedrock of guaranteed income for most American retirees.  It forms the income basis that helps to build the rest of your portfolio’s withdrawal strategy.  So it makes sense to ask the question: at what age should I begin taking my retirement benefits? Everyone eligible for benefits has a “full retirement age” at which benefits may be paid out. You may also take them earlier and receive a reduced benefit, or you may take them later for an enhanced benefit.  Figuring out the “best” age to start those benefits depends on a number of factors and can be complicated. And that’s why we’re talking about it today!
IRA vs. 401(k) – Which Is Better??- Episode 187
Managing Your Financial Future

IRA vs. 401(k) – Which Is Better??- Episode 187

August 27, 2024

There are many ways to save for retirement.  Two of the most popular are the 401(k) and the IRA. Both are savings vehicles, but both have different attributes that may make one of them better for you.  There are advantages and disadvantages to both.  Do you need a tax break now? Are you able to deduct contributions to an IRA? Does your company have a match on any of your 401(k) contributions? These are important questions that you need to consider.
Why Your Bonds May Not Be Paying What You Think- Episode 183
Managing Your Financial Future

Why Your Bonds May Not Be Paying What You Think- Episode 183

July 30, 2024

When you buy a bond, you might expect that the amount of interest stated on the coupon is the amount of interest that you’ll be receiving.  So if you have, say, a $10,000 bond paying 5 percent interest, you probably figure it will pay you $500 each year. But that isn’t always the case.  This is where it’s important to understand not just the bond’s current yield, but probably more importantly, the bond’s yield to maturity. There may be a difference between the bond’s present cash flow and what you’ll ultimately receive after all interest payments and the return of the principal. Sound confusing? Let’s clear it up.