Money Guy Show

I talk about the need to save for retirement all the time on the Money Guy Show. However, I have not done a show discussing what you can expect from these savings once you hit the retirement phase of your life. Before all of my young readers and listeners tune out or click to close […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I was asked to write a guest post for fivecentnickel.com that will be posted while nickel is on vacation. I decided to base my post on the timeless advice of Warren Buffett and some of his most notable quotes. As I was researching the post I could not help but notice a trend in Buffett’s quotes: growing money takes time and patience. Read more at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/02/time-and-money-it-c...

Have you ever wondered if you should prepay your mortgage? In today's show I give you the information to make an informed decision based upon your personal situation. We take into account the analytical side of the decision as well as the emotional relief that can come from being DEBT FREE…. Read more at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/02/should-you-prepay-your-mortgage-and-mutual-fund-opportunities ...

January is officially history and there was a tremendous amount of volatility. On today's show I share how you can turn the lemons of January into sweet lemonade that can provide complete peace of mind on one of your largest assets (your home). For more information, visit the show notes at www.moneyguy.com/2008/02/nuts-and-bolts-of-obtaining-a-mortgage-and-how-to-cut-closing-costs Learn more about...

We are covering: Details of the Government’s bipartisan economic stimulus program “How to drive your tax preparer crazy” discussion with CPA, Brandon Verner Listener’s Question Answered: What to do with 401k accounts from prior jobs Read more at http://moneyguy.com/2008/01/stimulus-package-tax-preparation-discussion-and-ira-rollovers   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you need proof that this broad sell-off is nothing new then read an article that I wrote back in October 2002. (click here for a copy) In the article I let readers know that diversification and not letting their emotions get the best of them is the secret to long-term investing. Read more at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/01/coping-with-an-uncertain-market-us-credit-under-fire-and-what-does-900-g...

A new year can represent a fresh start for many. I know that many out there have made financial resolutions and I want to be a resource to help you reach that goal of financial independence. Let's talk about some of the big areas that may need attention: Wills Life Insurance Beneficiary Designations on Life Insurance and Retirement Plans Asset Allocation For more information, visit the show notes...

The emotions that your brain creates can lead to disaster if you do not know how to recognize where your decisions and actions are coming from (analytical side of the brain or emotional instinct to avoid risk). Remember when you are wondering if the financial markets are going up or down the answer is always, “YES” For more information, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2007/12/money...

If you are a Georgia listener then Christmas has come early this year. As of December 11th the GA 529 plan has been drastically improved (probably because of the pressure of competition between the different 529 plans). The big improvements included: ** Georgia state income tax deduction update – For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2007, contributions to an account are deductible up to...

Current events are impacting the world of personal finance and the financial markets. Many of you have asked me to provide more input on current financial events, and if you are one of those listeners you will get more than your fill with this show.   For more information, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2007/12/mortgage-plan-review-e-commerce-booming-and-candidates-take-on-social-...

The White House lowers ’08 economic forecast (click here for more information) October foreclosure filings up 94% over last year (click here for more information) I did not want you to think that I was only pulling out the bad news… I did want to give you a little ray of hope with this article: Q3 economic growth fastest in four years, revision shows (click here for more information) ** "Free" cre...

 Capital Gains Looming Once Again by David Hoffman with Investment News… Investment News is an industry magazine that I get, but I think the information in the article is important because it ties to our discussion from last week about the level of distributions that many of us will recieve this year from our Mutual Funds. What Kind of Loan Should You Get provided by SmartMoney.com… Many of you ha...

On today’s show we discuss: 1st Segment includes information on what you need to look at with your portfolio at year end. ** Harvesting Tax Losses ** Avoiding Year End Mutual Fund purchases until after you determine whether year end distributions have been made by the fund (could be as high as 10% in some popular funds this year). ** Charitable donation reminder 2nd Segment Six Ways to Save on Aut...

Defending credit card companies is hard to do because they do have quite a few practices that are down right sleazy (shrinking grace periods, escalating interest rate, holiday due dates, etc.), but if used properly they can be a helpful financial tool. In this episode we share articles from the following: "8 Experts Recall Their Best Personal Finance Advice" by Dana Dratch from bankrate.com "Are C...

"Should You Be Investing In the Roth 401(k)?" – I have received several emails from listeners asking questions about Roth 401k options at their workplace. I actually covered this topic in the first quarter issue of the "Wealth Report" newsletter. I am using that article in today’s show. For more information, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2007/10/roth-401k-financial-records-to-kee...

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) called last week and let me know that they were stopping by our offices. As you can imagine, this is not my favorite kind of phone call. We had nothing to hide or worry about, but it’s still a stressful situation. In light of this visit I decided that this would be a great time for me to focus the show on a few "rainy day" articles I had put away to dis...

Points of Consideration for Education Planning Many of you have written to ask that I provide some guidance on education planning and I have stayed away from the subject because education planning is one of those subjects that has a limited audience. I always try to do the Money Guy show with the understanding that we have listeners that are new to investing and personal financial planning as well...

Terms needed to understand asset allocation: Domestic Stocks = US Companies Market Capitalization of US Stocks (According to Morningstar): Large Cap = US Companies with a Market Cap greater than $11 Billion (these are the companies that are household names like Wal-Mart, GE, Home Depot, Coca-Cola, Pfizer, and so forth) Mid Cap = US Companies with a Market Cap between $2-$11 Billion (these are comp...

Basic Definitions Diversification: The idea of spreading out your money across many different types of investments.  Choosing to diversify your investment holdings reduces your risk tremendously. Risk Tolerance: An investor’s ability to withstand losses caused by one or more of the different types of risk. This ability can be limited by your temperament as well as your time frame and financial cir...

The focus of the program is on the changing retirement landscape. 1974 Retirement Funding: 11% Employee 89% Employer 2006 Retirement Funding: 51% Employee 49% Employer Defined Pensions: The Endangered Species   For more information, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2007/09/retirement-in-crisis-update Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The most important concept that determines how financially successful an individual/family is going to be is: * Deferred gratification * The hardest part of financial independence is not the investing… it is the savings factor: In today’s world it is getting harder to be a good disciplined financial household. Â There is so much outside influence and temptation that only the strongest make it (fak...

I personally make use of both credit cards and the large sum of equity that I have in my personal residence. I responsibly pay my credit cards off each month, but thoroughly enjoy the $1,200 to $1,500 of annual rewards and cash back that I receive. I also use my home equity as a tool that allows me not to keep huge sums of cash sitting on the sidelines just in case I need money for an emergency. I...

the benefits of using Long/Short Funds.   A long/short fund takes advantage of a technique that many hedge funds use that allows them to make money in both a rising and falling market. Long/short fund managers divide their funds’ assets into two types of positions (long and short holdings). Long positions – meaning they buy stocks expecting that they will rise in value and can be sold at some poin...

I have spent the last two weeks preparing for the IRS. Unfortunately, I still do a small number of business tax returns (old habits are hard to get away from). One of my small business tax clients was selected for a full examination (Audit). I have over over 10 years of experience in completing tax returns, and this is the first business return that has been selected for an audit. I guess it was m...

I’m a straight talker, so please don’t hate me for a harsh, but true statement: when people are falling short of their financial goals, it’s almost always because of their own actions and decisions. Examples: Putting off investing in your Roth IRA or maximizing your 401k at work (“I need the extra money to fake success for my friends and family”) Hating your boss and job, but doing nothing to chan...