Podcasts

The 2023 RMD Rules Have Changed: How to Keep Your Tax Bill Down – Episode 155
Managing Your Financial Future

The 2023 RMD Rules Have Changed: How to Keep Your Tax Bill Down – Episode 155

December 5, 2023

Just a few years ago, the rules regarding Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) were fairly simple: you turned age 70 ½, you had an RMD.  But since the passage of the SECURE Acts, you may – or may not – be required to take an RMD this year.  How do you know? That answer isn’t necessarily an easy one, for both IRA owners and for those who are the beneficiaries of an IRA.  Did you know that you can be subject to RMDs even if you’re nowhere near age 73?  If you aren’t familiar with the rules, you may wind up paying a lot more in taxes than you thought. As usual, it’s all about strategy.
Is Sequence of Returns Risk a Threat to Your Nest Egg?- Episode 154
Managing Your Financial Future

Is Sequence of Returns Risk a Threat to Your Nest Egg?- Episode 154

October 24, 2023

After years of building your savings, there are a number of scenarios that threaten to deplete it. One of them is called Sequence of Returns Risk. Simply put, this means that if you retire just when the stock market takes a downturn, and you’re selling stocks to provide yourself with an income, you’re courting disaster. What can you do about this? The answer may be as easy as choosing the right withdrawal strategy.
Strategies To Protect Your Family’s Wealth – Episode 153
Managing Your Financial Future

Strategies To Protect Your Family’s Wealth – Episode 153

October 17, 2023

Most people are aware that there are two phases of your financial life: building your life savings, and then distributing that money to you at retirement.  But there’s a third phase that happens after you’re gone, which many people pay less attention to than they should: distributing your life’s assets to your heirs. Making sure your money and your possessions go where you want them to go should be one of your primary concerns.  If you don’t state your wishes in writing, your entire estate could wind up being distributed by a legal entity, thus potentially cutting out those who should be receiving it.  How do you keep this from happening?
Do Higher Interest Rates Change Your Bucket Strategy?- Episode 149
Managing Your Financial Future

Do Higher Interest Rates Change Your Bucket Strategy?- Episode 149

August 29, 2023

The past 18 months or so have seen interest rates rise from near zero to levels we haven’t seen in more than a decade. This is great for savers, especially those who have become accustomed to earning little to nothing on their non-volatile assets.  Of course, a key part of the Bucket Strategy® involves taking income (cash flow) from those non-volatile assets, regardless of what they may or may not be earning. Now that interest rates have come back up, what does this new environment mean for the strategy going forward? Does it change the way you should be setting up your buckets? 
What Some Critics Get Wrong About Buckets- Episode 148
Managing Your Financial Future

What Some Critics Get Wrong About Buckets- Episode 148

August 22, 2023

One of the biggest fears that retirees have is that they’ll run short of money.  A Bucket Strategy® aims to solve that problem by matching assets to liabilities, so that you’re never in a situation where you need to sell a volatile asset in order to meet your spending needs. The key, though, is that the strategy must be set up properly.  How much safe (non-volatile) money should you have at hand, and how much should be allocated toward growth?  This important aspect is one that too many financial pundits and journalists simply get wrong.
Will Your Nest Egg Last Longer Than You Do?- Episode 147
Managing Your Financial Future

Will Your Nest Egg Last Longer Than You Do?- Episode 147

August 15, 2023

You may have heard that if you take no more than 4 percent of your portfolio’s value every year, it will (statistically) last at least 30 years. But does following this “4-percent rule” actually guarantee that you won’t run out of money? It does not. Too many factors can come into play over the course of a retirement that can interrupt – or completely disrupt – your ability to generate a lifetime of income.  So what can you do to avoid the increasing worry as you get older that your money will eventually run out? The short, simple answer is this: have a strategy.
401k or IRA – Where Should You Keep Your Retirement Money?- Episode 145
Managing Your Financial Future

401k or IRA – Where Should You Keep Your Retirement Money?- Episode 145

August 1, 2023

Maybe you’ve been saving most of your working life in a 401k. Great! But what happens when you retire? Should you leave that money in the 401k, or transfer it to an IRA? The answer, as it turns out, is “it depends.” Today’s episode starts off with an email asking why someone may want to do one or the other – or both. Further along, we answer more of your email questions: taxes, 401k matching funds, Social Security benefits, and how pension payments may affect your ability to collect a full retirement benefit.