Finerate

How can you fund attending college in the U.S.? Bill and Anastasia first discuss reasons why an individual should attend college and when they shouldn't, before launching into a discussion of the various ways you can save or pay for college if you are a U.S. citizen. How does FAFSA work? What type of student loans are available? How and when should you begin saving for a child's or grandchild's co...

Is investing the same as gambling? Bill and Anastasia dive into a topic that has come up in separate conversations with millennials about cryptocurrency trading. They start by defining investing, gambling, and speculating, then launch into a discussion of casino gambling, sports betting, why people may conflate investing with gambling, and why the rise of Bitcoin seems to be affecting how millenni...

What are the common financial concerns of those in their 60s and 70s? Bill and Anastasia tackle the third and final life stage to discuss common questions that individuals ask before, during, or after retirement. How should you balance your portfolio in this life stage? How do you receive Social Security benefits - do you have to register for it? As your health expenses typically increase in this...

What are the common financial concerns of those in their 40s and 50s? Bill and Anastasia tackle the second of three life stages to discuss common questions that individuals ask in the middle of adulthood, sometimes called "The Sandwich Generation." How do you balance a family budget of food, utilities, travel, child care costs, assisting any aging family members, etc? How might you manage moving t...

What are the common financial concerns of those in their 20s and 30s? Bill and Anastasia tackle the first of three life stages to discuss common questions that individuals ask at the beginning of adulthood. When should you start saving for retirement? When you get married, how do you merge financial assets? If you have kids, how should you start funding their education? When should you write a wil...

How do you buy a home and how do you know when you are ready to do so? What matters more - your credit score or the amount of money you have saved up? Should you base any decisions on macroeconomic trends--for example, wait to buy in an overheated market? Anastasia and Bill discuss housing ratios to determine what you can afford, what contingencies are and what you might use them for, and how much...

In the last few years, cryptocurrency has become a full blown phenomenon. In Part Two, Bill and Anastasia discuss listeners' questions on the tax ramifications and liquidity of cryptocurrencies, and where they see cryptocurrency going from here. Stay tuned: Anastasia makes an important announcement near the end of their discussion. Since this is a two-part episode, be sure to check out Part One fi...

In the last few years, cryptocurrency has become a full-blown phenomenon. Bill and Anastasia discuss Bitcoin and what makes people so excited, and concerned, about cryptocurrencies. Bill answers what makes cryptocurrency valuable and why it's different from any financial product he's ever seen before in his 42 year career. There was so much to cover that we had to split the episode. Part Two will...

What is the difference between income and wealth, and why is it fundamental to understanding wealth creation? What do people get wrong by focusing on income instead of wealth? Bill talks about the importance of building wealth for retirement and reiterates a formula introduced in the Season One episode "Spending Control" for determining how much your net worth should be by age, how to find out wha...

What happens in the aftermath of a parent's death? What is an executor and what are they responsible for? How different is it to work with a non-family executor versus a family member who acts as one? How different is the process when a parent dies with a living spouse than when a widow/widower dies? Bill and Anastasia discuss the myriad of questions that may come up in the aftermath of a parent's...

On TV, a lack of money is often used as an obstacle to challenge characters. Anastasia describes the money problems of characters in TV shows Breaking Bad, The Office, Gilmore Girls, etc and Bill suggests possibilities that the characters could have considered to avoid or resolve their financial difficulties, providing a few takeaways for real, non-fictional listeners. If you have any questions fo...

What is a tax and its purpose? What are the benefits of taxes? Bill and Anastasia discuss the major forms of taxes in the U.S. and what you should know about each one. Why do some states have income tax and others don't? Bill discusses from a financial advisor's perspective when you should file your own taxes and when to hire a tax expert. For questions and comments, you can email us at  askcreati...

Bill and Anastasia discuss when they first heard of bonds, which bonds are the riskiest, which bonds are short-term, medium-term, and long-term, and what is important to know about those bonds. For questions and comments, you can email us at  askcreatingwealth@taberasset.com .

What are four simple actions you can take to increase your savings rate? Why is focusing on your savings rate so important? Do younger people struggle more with saving or is it a challenge for all ages? Bill provides an example from his career of someone who was frugal and diligent with budgeting. As the world exits the pandemic era, what should you keep in mind as our spending habits change again...

What is the purpose of a national stimulus and why should individuals care about it? When has the U.S. done a national stimulus before? Bill mentions when a stimulus is helpful and what investors need to keep in mind about economic cycles. Anastasia discusses an update to the conclusion of Creating Wealth's National Debt episode. For questions and comments, you can email us at  askcreatingwealth@t...

What are bonds and why do people invest in them? What should you keep in mind when investing in bonds and can you have a successful investment strategy without them? Bill discusses periods of rising interest rates, Puerto Rico municipal bonds after Hurricane Maria in 2017, and mortgage bonds during the Great Recession of 2008/2009 as examples when bonds can involve risk. For questions and comments...

Bill applies his perspective of decades as an investment advisor to what happened with GameStop (GME-nyse) stock in late January 2021. What fueled the rise of GME? What made the event so unique and what are the implications for the financial industry moving forward? Bill compares GME stock to what happened with tulips in the Netherlands in the 1600s. Anastasia relates one of the most poignant mome...

What is a trade deficit and should individuals be concerned if their country has a high trade deficit? What should the average citizen consider when it comes to how trade functions in their country and in the world? Bill and Anastasia discuss bilateral vs. multilateral trade deals, and also notable current and future trends in U.S. trade. For questions and comments, you can email us at  askcreatin...

Bill and Anastasia return to one of their favorite topics to discuss what goes into forming an annual household budget. How do you create a yearly budget? How do you budget for specific goals like going on a long vacation or a house renovation project? As a future-oriented thinker, Bill explains how he starts by visualizing goals before he sits down to crunch the numbers. Anastasia mentions her hu...

2020 has been a difficult year for most, and also an incredible year of change. As a practice in the abundance mindset, Bill and Anastasia read messages of gratitude in the past year from listeners and discuss what they are thankful for in a year that has thrown many curve balls. A special thanks to those who contributed a message, and to the many frontline workers and countless others who have ma...

What should you be doing to manage your 401(k)? How does active vs. passive investing apply to your retirement accounts? Bill provides some historical context for the rise of the 401(k) plan and a few important takeaways when it comes to saving for retirement. Anastasia discusses the various employer sponsored 401(k) presentations she's sat through and Bill gives his thoughts on the oft recommende...

Bill and Anastasia answer a listener question about credit reports before diving into a free-form discussion based on financial and lifestyle tips from famous experts known for their financial prowess. Bill talks about his career and finally achieving a role he loved. They discuss how hard work early in a career can open up opportunities later in life. Anastasia connects the Great British Bake-Off...

When should we focus on paying off debt and when can we start investing? Are there certain loans you need to pay down before you can really start putting money away towards investments? Bill and Anastasia discuss a common sentiment expressed by younger generations who are eager to build wealth and how to figure out what to prioritize. Bill mentions what the debt experts have to say on the topic. A...

How important is thinking positively when it comes to creating wealth? How can you retrain your brain to think abundantly? In this follow-up to the third episode, "Having an Abundance Mentality," Bill and Anastasia discuss what it takes to think positively about your finances. Bill mentions examples of negative thoughts you or family members may have about wealth and how to address them. Anastasia...

What kind of insurance policies can you buy and why should you have them? Are there policies you should avoid, or insurance that is only needed at certain points in your life? Both Bill and Anastasia share anecdotes from their careers. Anastasia somewhat reluctantly shares why she is glad she had wedding ring insurance and discusses the Taber curse.  For questions and comments, you can email us at...