Be Wealthy & Smart

Learn reasons Americans don't retire when they want to, how many retire unexpectedly, and how confident they are or aren't about affording a comfortable retirement. About 45% of Americans are retiring earlier than they expected and also 45% are retiring about when they planned. 5% are retiring later than expected. Why people retire earlier than planned: 1. Hardship 60% 2. Able to afford it 35% 3....

Learn about buying your first home, what to look at, and things to avoid so you have a smooth transaction. It starts with having a financial/economic plan for buying a home and do lots of due diligence before buying a home. Get a thorough inspection. Jules also covers documents, title insurance, closing costs, etc. Jules can be reached at his website (along with more information about real estate...

Listener question Friday - Linda, I used to have a self-directed IRA but closed it. Now I'm planning on opening one up again to invest in things, including precious metals. It's saying XX Bullion prefers XX Depository, but will ship your metals to any depository you choose. If it has to go into a depository, what depository would you recommend?

Learn all about our trip to Naxos, Greece aboard a 110 ft. yacht which was televised this week and last on the Bravo TV show, Below Deck Mediterranean. Note: This podcast has NO financial information in it and is just about our trip! We appeared in "Episode 9: Fever pitch" on June 28th. Hear me discuss the crew, eating Ben's cooking, wave runners, the tender to the beach, how Bobby carries us, Ben...

Learn from reinvention expert Pamela Mitchell about how to find your passion, become an entrepreneur and find success. Pamela was called "The Queen of Reinvention" by Fortune magazine. She's a former entertainment exec-turned-coach. Pamela Mitchell is founder and CEO of The Reinvention Institute and host of The LiftOff Project podcast. As the nation's premier expert in reinvention, Pamela has appe...

149: Crazy Surprise! Learn what's going on as I pull the curtain back and let you in on what's happening in my personal life. If you've been listening to me for a while, you know I stick to business and get to the point pretty fast. I want you to get value from my podcasts. Today is a little different because I am letting you in on what's happening behind the scenes in my life. The exciting news i...

Learn why the Brexit leave vote won, what it means for Europe and the US and the impact it will have on investments going forward. 
Brexit is the term for the British exit from the European Union or EU. It voted 52 to 48 to leave. This impacts things like trade tariffs, migration, auto and car regulations. The politicians engaged world leaders, celebrities, and everyone they could to vote to remai...

Learn how to analyze stock performance by checking the 1, 5, and 10 year performance numbers. Research is from FORTUNE magazine, June 15, 2016. Too often investors pick a stock that has only done well for one year. Look at the longer-term, especially 3 and 5 year numbers or 5 and 10 year numbers. I'm sharing numbers from 2015, but my point is to get you to think differently. What companies have do...

Learn what smart moves LeBron has made that are very different from other successful pro athletes, high-paid actors and lottery winners. Congratulations to the Cleveland Cavaliers for winning the 2016 NBA Championship! I've been reading about LeBron James and what a smart businessman he is. I have to agree. 1. He knows a good deal when he sees one. LeBron signed a contract right out of high school...

Today is Listener Question Day! Brian asks: Dear Linda: Thank you for podcast #125, which brought me back as I began to drift into investing outer space. I want to know how earnings forecasts are made; what are they based on? Are earnings forecasts the same as earnings predictions? Are they based on past earnings? Because I didn't think we used a company's historical data when looking at current m...

Learn 7 Signs Why a Recession May Be Looming. 1. Corporate profits are tanking. Corporate profits have been weak since late in 2014 according to JP Morgan economist Michael Feroli. Growth in corporate profits has been negative since Q3 and Q4 of 2015 and flat Q1 of 2016. The three main reasons corporates are under so much pressure are the strong US dollar, collapsing oil prices, and rising wages....

Learn why wealth building requires investing, that frugality is not what is going to make you rich and the steps to move forward. In financial articles, I often hear people say the secret to being financially successful is "spend less than you earn." Spending less than you earn will obviously keep you out of debt, but it won't make you rich. People miss the point. Spending less and earning more ar...

Learn where you're wasting money, what's really causing problems with saving money and 6 ways to have more money at the end of the month. This is listener question Friday. Here is our question for today: Linda, I make a good income but at the end of every month I don't have any money and I can't seem to save money. What can I do? Thank you, Chris Well Chris, this is a common problem. Many American...

Learn the 4 steps to automate your personal finances and the apps and websites to help you. Interview with Jen Turrell from the "Financial Fluency, Speaking the Language of Money" podcast. Here are the 4 steps: 1. Automate bills at your own bank for free. Batch your bills on the 5th and the 20th. 2. Set up a separate bill pay checking account that is attached to autopay bills. Add up all your regu...

Learn how to raise kids that are financially fit and savvy with money. Interview with Shannon McLay from Financially-blonde.com. Tweet: Financial literacy begins in the home. @financially-blonde @lindapjones Here are the 7 steps to raising financially fit kids: 1. Say no. Limit the things you say "yes" to and learn to say "no" more often. 2. When you say "yes", have a budget and constraints. A "ye...

Today is listener question Friday. I received an email about asset allocation and I thought that would be a good topic to podcast about. Asset allocation is how you decide to divide up your equities and fixed income (stocks and bonds) as determined by your risk tolerance in order to minimize risk and maximize return. Think of it like a pie that is cut into varying sized pieces. Each piece of the p...

Learn how to overcome financial stress, why finances can affect your health, what kind of stress money can cause, and how to overcome health issues related to money. According to the American Psychological Association, 73% of respondents cited money as a significant source of stress in their lives…and for people coping with existing health problems financial and interpersonal stress can exacerbate...

Learn the advantages and disadvantages of renting vs. owning a home, how to decide what's right for you and the ONE thing that should be the deciding factor. Advantages of Home Ownership: Forced savings in the form of equity Tax benefits (interest deduction) In control You own the property Can do what you want to it Benefit from prices rising Disadvantages of Home Ownership: Mortgage interest to p...

Learn how much money you need to invest in stocks. I worked in the mutual fund industry for most of my career. That's where professional money managers manage a pool of stocks, bonds or a combination on behalf of investors. The investor pays a commission or fee or both for it. One of the reasons mutual funds became so popular in the last 50 years, was not only because of professional management, e...

Learn how to choose a Financial Adviser and what questions to ask for investment advice. Interview with best selling author of Rich as a King, Doug Goldstein. Places to check up on Financial Advisers: Finra.org/brokercheck CFP.net Sec.gov/investor/brokers.htm Doug's book: Rich as a King Doug's website: RichAsAKing.com

Learn 2 ways you can make money during a stock and/or bond market decline: inverse ETFs and Puts. Listener question: Hi Linda, I've been listening to you and I'm concerned about the stock and bond markets. How do you recommend I protect my account? Christy There are 2 ways you can make money during a stock and/or bond market decline: Inverse ETF's and Puts. Inverse ETF's are Exchange Traded Funds...

Learn are a few of the important terms you need to know as an investor. 1. What is a stock? Shares in a company. A way to raise capital. It creates wealth. Increases in value if growing earnings. Risk is limited to amount invested. Example of Tory Burch - wants to open boutiques worldwide and sells stock in an IPO - Initial Public Offering - to do it and raise capital for boutiques, inventory, etc...

Learn about billionaire Carl Icahn, how he made his money, what stocks he owns and his outlook on the stock and bond market. Carl Icahn is an 80 year old investor worth $20 billion and one of the 50 wealthiest people in the world. He owns 90% of Icahn Enterprises, an investment fund, the symbol is IEP. He's a shareholder activist, one of the original corporate raiders and greenmailers. That means...

Listener Questions - How to Get a Spouse on the Same Page; Broker/Dealers And now for listener questions... From Jacob: Hi Linda! I just wanted to thank you. I have listened to your first 20 podcasts and I am a believer.  I am a hairstylist, and I give quality service for a dollar store price, and I have been pretty unsuccessful. Your podcasts have been helpful for helping me understand why. I'm d...

First, let's see if you qualify for a Traditonal or Roth IRA. Annual contributions to both accounts are the same in 2016 as in 2015 -- up to $5,500 per person, or $6,500 for individuals who are 50 or older. You may earn too much to fund a Roth, because they're available only to individuals whose modified adjusted gross income doesn't exceed a maximum of $132,000 in 2016. For married couples filing...