Our 2 Cents

This week has flown by and we’re back with another great installment of Our 2 Cents. Here’s what to look forward to on this episode: President Biden’s Big Plans: We start with a quick rundown of what you can expect to see in the months and years ahead now that we have a new administration. From taxes to healthcare to a stimulus package and more–there’s a lot to keep on your radar. 5 Important Reti...

Our 2 Cents is back after a brief holiday hiatus! Here’s a look at what we’re discussing on our first podcast episode of 2021. Our 2021 New Year’s Resolutions: Gabriel and Steve kick things off by revealing a New Year’s Resolutions they’ve set for themselves and how they plan to make 2021 a great year ahead. New Year, New (or Updated) Plan: Have you procrastinated reviewing your financial plan, or...

We’re back with another podcast episode of Our 2 Cents! Here’s what we we’re discussing this week. Lessons from the Stock Market Crash “Hall of Fame”: We don’t know when the next market crash will be, and we don’t know the severity of it, but we do know that it will happen so you need to be prepared for it. We’re covering common themes we’ve seen in past crashes, the lessons we’ve learned personal...

Join us for our 56th episode of Our 2 Cents podcast! Here’s what we’ve got in store for you when you tune in. “Things You Never Hear People Say:” When it comes to money and retirement, there are some tried and true strategies that simply make too much sense. In this episode, we discuss five “Things You Never Hear People Say,” or in other words, 5 things you can do with your money and finances that...

Do you need Long-Term Care Insurance? Does your spouse? And is it worth the costs? There are new long-term care coverage options out there that can be quite advantageous, and they are a major upgrade to the old LTC policy that Mom and Dad might have had. Next, we discuss the idea of ‘Retiring Solo,’ or in other words, when a couple's retirement dates don’t align. What is one spouse supposed t...

Today we put variable annuities under a microscope. When someone wants to gain the advantages of the stock market yet still have some guarantees, is a variable annuity the route to go? Next we cover some estate planning essentials. Can you keep your assets out of the courts and away from probate? Estate planning is one of the items that should be definitely be on your list of planning areas to rev...

It’s been quite the rollercoaster this last week and a half! With apparent President-elect Joe Biden winning both the electoral and popular votes, we talk about what that can mean, as well as discuss what lawmakers are proposing in their emergency bill to raise 2021’s Social Security COLA adjustment. After that discussion, we move to our next topic and have a little fun. What are the top 15 destin...

There’s a lot of uncertainty in today’s world with COVID, high unemployment numbers, the Presidential election, and the constant turmoil 2020 has brought us thus far. So how can you really know if you’re ready to retire? Take our self-health financial assessment and see if you are ready today! 1. How much money do you have in assets? 2. Do you know how much you spend? 3. What’s in your investment...

The uncertainty of both Coronavirus and the 2020 presidential election are casting an uneasy shroud across the nation. On today’s show, we discuss the state of the economy and the stock market—and what impact the COVID-19 resurgence and the upcoming presidential election may have on both. For many, questions are lingering… Who will win the election? Will more jobs be lost due to COVID-19? What tax...

On our special 50th episode-anniversary , we want to send a big THANK YOU to all our loyal listeners for staying by our side. We truly enjoy your questions, comments, and continuous feedback of our show, and we look forward to the next 50 episodes together! ON THIS EXTRA-AWESOME 50th EPISODE: Today we start off with some FUN retirement quotes and some clarifications of our last show based on comme...

There are many questions surrounding the inner workings of a 401(k) and the best approach to the ‘do’s and don’ts during your working and retirement years. On this month’s ‘Deep Dive’ we answer questions such as; 1. What is dollar cost averaging? 2. How much can one contribute on an annual basis? 3. What is a target date fund and how can it benefit your retirement? 4. Should one rebalance their 40...

On today’s show, we kick it off with the new tax act you’ve been hearing all about. The new Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) has proposed sweeping changes to Illinois’ tax code, advocating a constitutional amendment to permit a graduated-rate income tax and proposing a new rate and bracket structure. After we discuss the details and inner workings of these proposed changes, we dive into the upcomin...

We get a lot of questions about how the house (or houses) fit into retirement plans. From downsizing to rental properties to interest rates, today we explore some of the top retirement questions as it relates to all things housing. Should I pay off the house as soon as possible or pay it off slowly? Is it wise to downsize to a smaller home when I retire? Is rental property a good idea to create in...

Just like your iPhone or computer can become obsolete and need to be replaced, sometimes the way people think about retirement planning and investing is obsolete and needs to be replaced. On today’s show we talk about some outdated financial rules of thumb that people still cling to, and more current, modern alternatives to use instead. The 4% Rule The 10-5-3 Rule Moving stocks to bonds when you g...

On Today’s episode we feature another one of our popular ‘Deep-Dives,’ where we spend more time digging through a singular topic on the show! Today, that topic is 7 Steps to a Secure Retirement. What’s the real power of having a plan? Peace of mind, financial security and creating a future for you and your family that you can count on. But to accomplish that, you don’t want to just wing it, you’ve...

Life happens, things change, goals shift, and as a result, so should your financial plan. On today’s episode we expand on our topic from last week about why it’s so important to have your Mid-Year Plan Review and precisely what you should be including in that review. After that we dive into a detailed discussion of Longevity Risk, or what’s also known as the “Multiplier of Other Financial Risks.”...

Should you be stuffing the ole’ mattress with cash? Whether in the mattress or in your checking account, today we give some insight on alternatives to keeping your money in cash—where it earns 0%... zip, zero, nada. Additionally, we dive into some headlines and Gabriel & Steve give advice on how to avoid being a victim to scams such as “Hackers seize popular Celebrity Twitter accounts for gian...

On today’s episode we discuss the value and benefits of having a financial advisor and, if you’re unused to paying a fee for advice, overcoming what may feel like fee ‘sticker shock’ when hiring a financial advisor (and why it’s still very much worth it!). We’ll also discuss whether to pay those pesky capital gains in your portfolio and diversify, or just keep the holdings and avoid paying the tax...

There are two classic planning blunders to avoid at all costs. The first blunder is confusing tax preparation with tax planning. You may think that your CPA is providing "tax planning" for you, but the reality is he/she is probably not! The second blunder is taking on too much risk to make up for lost time. Have you ever wanted to "double-down" to make up for lost time? Doing s...

We’ve got a really fun show lined up for you this week! With the upcoming November election just four months away, what "money-moves" should you be making today to best be prepared? Also, what in the world is a ‘Corona Purchase?’ On today’s show we discuss a range of great topics, and even more importantly, we give you, our listeners, an opportunity to hear some fun and quirky facts abou...

There’s a formula for everything, even knowing when you’re ready to retire. Here’s five question to ask yourself: Do you have confidence in your budget? Can you control your spending? Do you have a solid emergency fund? Have you paid your debts? Do you have ‘enough’ to retire? Setting your retirement date can be exciting but being prepared for retirement is even MORE exciting so you can have peace...

Everyone loves the idea of tax-free income… what could be better? However, it seems that most people still don’t have a clear picture of whether they should contribute to a traditional IRA or a Roth. More importantly, why do people who say they want tax-free income, avoid taking action to achieve it? We look to investigate these curiosities and discuss the best strategies to get your money out of...

The Coronavirus pandemic has likely led you to hearing a lot more financial buzzwords and it’s possible you aren’t familiar with some of the terms getting thrown around. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular ones and see what we can learn from them. Tune in now to join us for this discussion! Today’s Topics · What to Call What Happened: Bear Market, Downturn, Bubble, meltdown? · Recession...

It’s been quite the ride in the stock market. Gabriel and Steve are back to discuss the market during the COVID-19 pandemic and what you should be doing today with your investments. Tune in now to join us for this discussion! Today’s Topics ·What’s happened in the stock market recently? Will volatility continue? Have we reached the bottom of the bear-market? What is SGL recommending to clients? Sh...

There is no doubt that we live in a world economy that needs supplies chains, people working, airports open and tourism to continue. But when the Stock Market follows suit, it leaves investors with a sense and feeling of uncertainty. After we discuss the fears and woes of the coronavirus, we answer Max and Scott’s questions on finding the right advisor and preparing for retirement. Tune in now to...