Leibel on FIRE

What's Up With The Volatility? The big question on everyone's mind today is what's up with the volatility, will it get worse? Are we nearing a turning point...how much longer can it all continue? Here are my quick takes and some tips on what you can do protect yourself. First, let's get the big question out of the way, the current volatility is likely to continue! This is due to several unresolved...

What happened with Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, and what does it mean for our retirement? What happened with Silicon Valley Bank? Silicon Valley Bank, a niche bank that focuses on the tech sector and funds startups in Silicon Valley, found itself in an unexpected situation. They were so successful at helping the startup community and that people were just throwing money at them left and...

One of the big questions we all have in retirement is, do we have enough money to retire? And how do we ensure that it lasts? Join us as we walk through how to answer these important questions in this week's episode of Leibel on FIRE! Why is it that it seems like every advisor has a different answer? Shouldn't there just be. One answer one size fits most isn't retirement planning, isn't it just ma...

More In The Bank or Bigger Social Security Check? When planning for retirement, one of the biggest concerns is having enough money to support oneself during the golden years. People often wonder whether it's better to have a large bank account or rely on a guaranteed income, such as a social security check, for a secure retirement. However, in my option, the real question you should be asking is n...

Should you delay filing for Social Security or claim early, discover the surprising answer that trips most retirees up and can get you up to 175% more in benefits. Can You Really Increase Your Social Security Benefits by 175%? Yes! You absolutely can. In fact, if you don't believe me go to the social security website, pull up your statement and look on the bottom left of it. It has a whole list of...

Are you a homeowner who's ever wondered if you should be putting extra money toward paying down your mortgage? Well, you're in luck because, in this article, we're diving into the world of mortgages. As a homeowner, the question of whether to pay off your mortgage is a common one. And in today's economic climate, it's more important than ever to make an informed decision. But the truth is, there's...

 Nobody likes to pay taxes, least of all the wealthy. Today we're going to talk about five ways you can save on your tax bill and keep more of your hard earned money. Why do the 1% pay the least in taxes? The tax code in the United States is a system designed to incentivize economic behaviors that benefit our country as a whole. So, yes, while percentage wise the 1% pay the least in taxes, dollar-...

 Secure 2.0 Act made massive changes to retirement planning. Today we're going to explore its impact on Roth conversions and tax planning in retirement. Secure 2.0 Act Recap The Secure 2.0 Act brings about several changes in the realm of retirement planning. One of the most significant changes is the increase in the age at which required minimum distributions must be taken. Previously, the age was...

 In today's episode, we dive into the newly passed Secure 2.0 Act and its impact on retirement calculations, from changes to contribution limits, RMDs, and new rules for 401k. This legislation has the potential to shake up the way we plan for retirement. So join us as we break down the details and help you understand how the Secure 2.0 ACT might affect your retirement. Secure Act 2.0 Increases RMD...

 Today we're going to talk about the biggest mistakes people make with Roth conversions and how to avoid them. We're also going to talk about how Aunt Irma and Uncle Ronald, r m d, and our good old friend, uncle Sam, so stick around while we go through the nitty gritty of what you need to know before doing a Roth conversion. What is a Roth conversion? So a Roth conversion is essentially when we de...

As investors transition into a new phase of their lives, it is critical to recognize and address the five major risks that could impact their financial well-being. Every financial decision should be made through the lens of how it impacts these risks. Drawdown Risk The first major risk retirees face is drawdown. This refers to anything that decreases the value of one's retirement savings or portfo...

Tips on how we can take advantage of our losses in the market: So end of the year and end of the year is a great time to start looking at your taxes because you got, you have an idea of how much income you're gonna have earned for this year, and that gives you the ability to actually do some real tax planning and to really. Really take steps to minimize your tax bill. There are things that you can...

We were talking about the 60 40 portfolio. If it was dead or not what do you do during the retirement years? How do you make adjustments and changes as the economy continues to shift and change? When we were together last week, we were talking about the 60 40 portfolio. We're wondering if it was dead or not, and as a thumbnail, what is a 60 40 portfolio and where does it stand right now? What is t...

Hello libel. How you feeling today, sir? I'm doing pretty good. How about you? I'm doing well, and I'm really excited to talk about today's topic because we've talked about it on the edges before. I'll say it that way. Uh, I'm looking at, uh, the idea that. Investing. In my opinion, investing strategies really don't get more classic than the so-called 60 40 allocation, holding 60% of your portfoli...

So what exactly is happening now in the world of crypto? I've seen some bankruptcies go across and people losing money. Yeah. As Warren Buffet likes to say, and I love quoting this, a rising tide lifts all ships, but it's only when the tide goes out that you see who is swimming without trunks. Right. . And that's never been truer than the last few months. People are calling in like the crypto wint...

There are many ways to participate in the market without having to ride the Wall Street Roller coaster. It is important first to identify what "safe" means to the individual and then create a strategy that allows for participation in the market without risking one's financial future. One can also contractually limit losses through the use of options, contracts, buffers, structured products, and in...

Q: What was the impetus for living with financial anxiety? Many people's biggest stumbling block to success is that they act out of fear. When it comes to financial planning, this manifests as the fear of not having enough money. The key to overcoming this is to find an investment strategy that allows you to enjoy life and make sound decisions without being ruled by fear. We can't completely conqu...

Q:  What type of advisor should I hire? A: The answer is, is the advisor who can help you, The advisor that you connect with..coming from the marketing side of this business, I have dealt with the full spectrum of advisors out there, from people who were completely unlicensed and were real estate investors, and other types of people who help people out of financial situations that just they w...

What is the 4% Rule? A: I t seems like even the people who seem to think that they know what the 4% rule is, and once they start talking, you kind of realize that everyone has a different impression of what the 4% rule is. And when you start actually digging into it, you discover that it isn't quite what anybody thinks. What People Think The 4% Rule Is The media and people have this idea that the...

Q: What type of financial advisor have you found to be the most helpful for those on the verge of retirement? (2:11) A: This is a little bit of a trick question of, you know, when we're thinking about financial advisors and retirement, there's a broad spectrum of people who can help us. It's important to understand where each of them is coming from so that we can understand the type of advice that...

Q: Is there such a thing as "winning" when it comes to investing? (1:58) Q: What should we be thinking about when it comes to investing for retirement right now? (3:20) Q: Can you talk about what people mean when we hear that you should be diversified? (6:30) Q: Is there ever a time when diversification is not a smart thing to do?   Q: how do you determine then what's the right investment for...

Q: What is the "market?" (1:30) A: G enerally speaking, when we talk about the market in general terms, we're talking about the stock exchange and the ability to buy and sell pieces of a company or pieces of a loan to a company. The stock market allows me to own a fraction of a percent of the company and participate in its profits. Now, there are lots of different things that we call the market I...

Q: How can retirees make the most of their money WITHOUT paying too much in taxes? (1:48) Q: So the tax codes are actually written in favor of his citizens? (3:54) Q: Where do we, how do we start making our money more efficient to benefit? Not only us, but our nation? (7:38) Q: Talk about the aspect of social security being taxed in retirement. (9:09) Q: So your guide, does your guide talk about t...

Q: What do I need to know in order to retire? (1:48) A: There are a lot of things that you need to know as we go into retirement. Unfortunately, there really isn't a handbook out there. HR doesn't give you your gold watch and a handbook that says welcome to retirement! Here's what you have to do first: You can see more in my guide: 5 Questions to Ask Before you Retire You need to create a process...

Why is Wall Street saying one thing and the White House another? How does any of it relate to your retirement portfolio? Are we in a recession? What do you need to know!