Retire Texas Style!

Is it a good idea to set a solid retirement age?  Or should you be more flexible as your nest egg grows? Then, what does Steve tell his clients when it comes to setting their own “end” date?  What are the factors he walks them through? hear Steve explain what a first time meeting with him is like, what to bring and what to expect!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it time to take drastic steps to protect your retirement savings as the market continues dramatic volatility?  It’s in response to how the Fed is dealing with rising inflation.  Chair Jerome Powell is hinting interest rate hikes could begin as soon as March. But here’s the question – should we “wait out” all this turbulence, or make portfolio changes to help safeguard our retirement future?  St...

The sixth richest man in the world ($104 billion net worth) enjoys a simple, frugal life.  Buffett still lives in the same starter home he bought in 1958.  He begins the day with a McDonald’s breakfast and even clips coupons.  And Buffett doesn’t splurge on expensive hobbies.  In fact, he told CBS Sunday Morning that he plays bridge about 8 hours a week! How important is it for retirees to stay fr...

The National Financial Educators Council did their annual study asking people how many used a financial advisor.  Of those 55 and up, the number is now at 41%.  That seems to be a modest improvement.  Hear why Steve thinks more people are seeking help from a financial professional!  Researchers say they’ve zeroed in on the perfect time to fall asleep.  They found it’s between 10 and 11 p.m.  Outsi...

Congress needs to raise the debt-ceiling from time-to-time so the government can pay its bills.  We keep hearing about the downside of not raising the limit:  like interest rates going up and the market getting spooked.  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen even tells CNBC it could also delay Social Security payments. So we’ve heard this song before, and we’re likely to hear it again.  Is this somethin...

Hear Steve talk about the "Income For Life" tool that he uses to help his clients, and how he can help you. Then, President Biden is pushing trillions of dollars in new spending … and his supporters in Congress are considering several different tax hikes to pay for it all.  One of them is a so-called “death tax” … that’s a tax that your family has to pay whenever they inherit something from you. ...

While a lot of talk surrounds the fear of inflation pushing us into another recession, an expert says we may already be in one.  Dartmouth College professor David Blanchflower points to two major indices of consumer confidence that have dropped more or just as much as they did ahead of the 2008 crash.  He believes that the U.S. will firmly be in a recession at the end of this year.  That’s scary. ...

Believe it or not we’re already in the fourth quarter of the year!  And Morningstar’s Christine Benz says that means it’s time to take stock of your investments…what are some other things we might want to look at as we approach the end of another year? Do you have any retirement accounts that you’re not aware of?  Don’t laugh, there’s a lot of them out there.  CNBC says that’s why there’s legislat...

One of the most basic retirement planning questions people have is  “ How am I doing ?”  We want to know if we’re on track for a comfortable retirement, or if we might need to change something.  To help, Fidelity came up with some so-called “benchmarks” for how much money we should have set aside, by certain ages.  Are these kinds of things generally helpful, or is there a better way of determinin...

Liz Weston, a personal finance writer for Nerd Wallet, says you can gain … or lose … as much as $100,000, just by the way you claim Social Security!  And she says you never want to make your claim based on something a Social Security employee tells you.  But if we can’t rely on someone who works there to give us good advice, who can we turn to? It’s November and Investopedia says you don’t want to...

Fidelity says the average IRA balance is up 21% from a year ago, while the average 401(k) balance is up 24%!  And the total number of million-dollar retirement accounts has nearly doubled over the same period!  Obviously, we have the markets to thank for that.  But before we celebrate too much, remember what those same markets did to our retirement accounts back in 2008! We know that we have zero...

I know we’re supposed to put 3-to-6 months worth of living expenses in an emergency fund, but where do we keep that money?  Wouldn’t it earn more in a Roth IRA than in a regular savings account?  Is that a good idea, or would you advise against it? This may surprise you:  A new report from the Credit Suisse investment bank estimates that nearly 1 of every 10 American adults is now … a millionaire!...

Football is finally back and there’s an old saying, “Offense wins games, but defense wins championships.”  Best-selling financial author Patrick Kelly says the same can be true for your retirement strategy…but how do we keep from “giving up points” when it comes to our nest egg? Then, both the Dow and the S&P 500 recently closed at new record highs.  So, what does that mean for your investing stra...

Blackrock CEO Larry Fink tells CNBC that record-low interest rates are a major problem for those of us trying to save for retirement and we are headed for a silent crisis - is he right?  Are these low rates going to force some of us change our retirement plans?, Inflation has been a hot topic in recent months, but Market Watch says – if you’re planning for retirement – inflation should always be a...

Steve talks about income for life keep pace with inflation. Have you taken the time to draw up an actual estate plan or are you just going to leave your family to hope for the best?  According to the latest Gallup poll, a majority (54%) of Americans don’t even have a will !  Why does it matter so much?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Debt has grown to a cool $16 million since the beginning of the pandemic! Experts say the bill is coming due soon and guess who gets to pay it? US! YES - ME AND YOU! That means higher taxes! Steve, what does this mean for us as we get close to retirement or are already retired?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Senior Citizens League says if you’d retired in the year 2000 with a total income of $100,000, you’d now need $156,000 to be able to afford the same standard of living.  That’s thanks to inflation, which – by the way – has been rising much faster than usual lately.  We’d like to think that we’ll be able to replace our current income in retirement, but it appears we’re losing ground.  What’s th...

With inflation back, the Fed may have to at least consider changing some of its policies.  And Moody’s Analytics economist Mark Zandi tells CNBC that’s going to make your portfolio vulnerable to a 10-to-20 percent correction! He goes on to say that it could take up to a year to return to break-even.  First, do you agree with what he’s predicting?  And second, is that a problem ? Then, Kiplinger wa...

Hear Steve's interview on Good Morning Texas with Michael Wiiest....  While it seems like a simple question, think about it – how do you know WHEN you’re ready to retire? When a lot of us think about retirement – we think about FREEDOM! But it also means that the paycheck we have counted on for decades is no longer there right?   Most importantly, how can Steve help you secure income for life you...

President Biden wants to change the way assets are taxed when they’re passed on to our children or other heirs.  He says the changes would affect only the ultra-rich , but critics argue that middle-class Americans would be hit hard as well.  South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem tells Fox Business that her family had first-hand experience with the kind of tax Biden is pushing and the impact was HUGE. ...

Inflation is up … but the Fed says it’s not worried.  Should we be concerned?  Portfolio manager Nancy Davis tells CNBC that we absolutely should be! So, what threat do we need to be most concerned about now ? If you know someone who’s already retired, ask them to tell you their biggest financial regret .  The people at Nationwide Financial did that and the number-one response was … people wish th...

Hear Steve's interview on Good Morning Texas with Michael Wiiest....  Steve talks about the steps you need to make sure you are successful retirement without being overconfident about it !  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now that President Biden is trying to raise the inheritance tax, CNBC says some people are considering life insurance as an estate planning tool.  Is that really an option?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The CDC says America’s birth rate dropped last year by 4% – our biggest decrease in half-a-century.  Professor Kasey Buckles, an economist at Notre Dame, tells CNBC that’s bad news for retirees - why? Hear why Steve is so passionate about helping people with retirement and how he can replace that paycheck in retirement!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) found that roughly 10% of baby boomers in the highest income group will run short of money!  And the percentage is even greater for those in the more modest income groups.  So, we clearly have a problem here.  How do we keep that from happening? Steve talks about the difference between income and money. You may have see that Census Bureau...