Dolphin Financial Radio

The SECURE Act has been signed by the President and new rules will impact your retirement. In particular, the age to begin taking Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) has been raised from 70.5 to 72. How will this impact your retirement income plans? What changes should be made to benefit from this new rule? We'll discuss RMDs and these recent changes in this show.

It's that time of year to make resolutions and improve your life. In this show we focus on financial resolutions. In particular, we discuss an article Tony found that discusses 14 resolutions that financial planners are recommending. Are they pie-in-the-sky or realistic? Listen in as Dan and Tony give a practical take on these suggested financial resolutions.

Capital gains are a good thing. You made a profit on an investment. However, the IRS wants to tax those gains. In this show we talk about the different types of capital gains and provide specifics on how to pay 0% in taxes. If you have some capital gains that you are thinking about taking, listen to this show first and save some money!

Do you ever feel like you need a guide to help navigate your retirement? Retirement can be scary, but it doesn't have to be! Listen in to learn more about creating a RELIABLE and LONG-TERM retirement and download your COMPLIMENTARY Retirement Income Toolkit.

The student loan situation has reached crisis levels. It has become a 2020 campaign issue. In this show we talk about student loans. We discuss the causes and how to deal with it. And, after some differing opinions, we do provide some tips and strategies in the end. If you are thinking of taking out a student loan, co-signing, or dealing with repayment problems, listen in.

Is Social Security itself a scam? Or have you been contacted by a scam artist claiming to be from Social Security? In this show we will discuss both of these seemingly related topics. We will talk about the newest phone scams surrounding Social Security. We will also discuss the viral emails that describe Social Security as a huge Ponzi Scheme run by the government.

Qualified Charitable Distributions or QCDs are a specific giving strategy that allows people to donate directly from there IRA. This can be used to satisfy a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). In this show we'll discuss the IRS rules of QCDs and RMDs and discuss why some people might consider using this tax and giving strategy. If you give to charity and want to avoid paying unnecessary tax...

What if on Black Friday you stayed home and spend nothing? Rather than buy the great "deal" on stuff you "need," save your money and spend time with family and friends. We will discuss the concept of a Buy Nothing Day and see if Dan and/or Tony will join in this growing international trend.

Don't spend more than 10% of your income on a new car. That's the advice that we debate in today's show. We'll talk about the financial impact of buying a new car and whether or not paying more than 10% of your income on a car purchase makes sense. Besides the price tag, what other factors go into the cost of a new car?

Who is going to take care of your loved one as they age and can't care for themselves? Will you send them to a nursing facility? Will you personally care for them in your home? What is the cost in dollars and emotions? Join Dan Wendol and his special guest Linda Burhans, a care giver expert, as they share stories and tips from experiences on the costs of caring for their aging parents.

Open enrollment is here for health insurance plans in 2020. Whether you are on Medicare or Affordable Care Act plan (ACA), now is the time to plan for 2020. In this episode we will discuss the changes coming to the Tampa Bay area health insurance markets. Be sure to listen to hear Dan's tip about how a couple can potentially save $18,000 per year!

When you dwell on past effort/money/time spent on something rather than the future value of that thing, you might be falling victim to the Sunk Cost Fallacy. For example - do you stay to finish watching a movie if you know within the first 10 minutes it is absolutely terrible? In this show we explore the Sunk Cost Fallacy and some common situations where it may impact your retirement.

Recently the Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) was announced for 2020. In this show we discuss the COLA increase and its impact on retirees. We also touch upon the effects of inflation on retirement and some tips on dealing with inflation and/or a COLA that never seems to be enough.

This show is about money and politics. Lately politics is a very emotional topic and emotions do not mix very well with investing. However, this show doesn't focus on the politic drama surrounding our President, but instead shines the spotlight on certain financial issues this country faces. Special guest, Matt Becker, is running for US congress to represent most of the people in Pinellas Cou...

Does retiring early lead to a longer life? If you wait too long to retire, will you die sooner? In this episode Dan and Tony address an sensational headline that has been making its way around social media again- Retire at 55 and live to 80; work to until 65 and die at 67. Is this a game changer or fake news?

Taking a break from our usual retirement chat, in this episode we discuss Oktoberfest. We talk about some interesting facts about the festival in Germany and in the U.S. We even share a few tips on saving some money during this massive celebration. Prost!

We know that it is never too late to learn something new, but what about moving back onto a college campus at age 65? There is quite a lot of higher education opportunities for the 55 and older crowd. In this show we explore the why and how of retirees going back to school.

What retirement planning lesson can be learned from the old story about the woman carrying water with a cracked pot? Tune in this week as we use an old tale to discuss the topic of building your retirement income over time.

What happens to my Social Security when: I lose my spouse? I get divorced? My ex-spouse dies? I get remarried? How much will I get? Can I claim against an ex-spouse? We will answer all of these questions and more in this special Social Security podcast focused on common questions. If you are dealing with the loss of a spouse due to death or divorce, you don't want to miss this episode.

We've been in a low interest rate environment for a long while. CDs rates have been low and the Federal Reserve just lowered the benchmark rate recently. So what are those looking for retirement income to do? We'll talk about how to deal with these low rates if you are planning to retire any time soon.

If you planned to retire early (by age 40), which cities would be best to live in? In this show we discuss a recent article which listed "The 6 U.S. Cities Where You Can Retire By Age 40." Spoiler Alert - it's much more difficult than it sounds.

There are decisions that need to be made as you approach retirement. These decisions can make or break retirement dreams. Many of the decisions will revolve around topics you never had to deal with before. It will be new, it can be scary, but you don't need to go in unprepared. In this show we talk about the important decisions that must be made around retirement. SPECIAL GUEST: Richard Lange...

Do retirees spend more as they age? Do expenses go up in a straight line with inflation? The answer is no. In reality, many retirees actually spend much more early in retirement. In today's show we talk about the reality of early spending in retirement and how it can be done without running out of money. We'll address the battle many new retirees face - Fear of running out of money vs. F...

Can I retire with $1 million in savings? Do I need $2 million? Is $5 million the number to reach? In this show, we will answer this common question. How much do you need saved for retirement? How much is enough?

Part 3 of 3: Needy Family Members In Part Two of this three part series, we explore how family members can actually become one of the top threats to a successful retirement plan. This "punch to the mouth" is really "close to home." When an aging parent or an adult child comes to you in a time of need, it is natural to want to help. But what if helping results in a financial dra...