RETIREMENT MADE EASY

The Social Security Expansion Act is being introduced to congress, sponsored by Bernie Sanders, with the "goal" of increasing the solvency of the Social Security fund. Sadly, by 2035, Social Security benefits will have to be reduced by 25% if nothing is done. Senator Elizabeth Warren states that the Social Security trust fund would remain solvent until 2096 if these changes are put into place. But...

When you retire, where does your income come from? How frequently will you get "paid?" Can you choose when you'll get social security income? In this episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast, I'll cover how income works in retirement and what you're able to "customize" to you. I'll also cover some listener questions regarding social security and who you should trust. Don't miss it!  You will wa...

There's a lot of misunderstanding circulating regarding social security claiming strategies with spousal and survivor benefits. Spousal benefits and survivor benefits can be confusing and difficult to understand. So in this episode of Retirement Made Easy, I'm going to tackle this topic. I'll also cover the FairTax Act of 2023 and why you shouldn't make changes to your retirement planning based on...

What does your dream retirement look like? What will make you happy? What are you working to achieve? Your goals don't have to sound good to other people. They're  your  goals. They're based on your dreams. To reach your dream retirement, you have to figure out what you want and set specific goals to get there.  You also can't let emotions rule your decision-making. In this episode of the Retireme...

It can be hard to look back at 2022 and see anything positive, right? Inflation is the highest it's been in 40 years. The stock market had a volatile year and many people's investments are down. But the market conditions allowed us to do some positive things we normally couldn't. In this episode of Retirement Made Easy, I share 6 ways that we helped clients find some wins in 2022.  You will want t...

The beginning of a new year is a great time to review what you should and shouldn't be doing. That's why in this special retirement replay edition of the Retirement Made Easy podcast, we're revisiting episode #110:  The Great 8 IRA Mistakes that WILL Cost You Money . This episode covers 8 things you should be mindful of as we dive into 2023: If you're a non-working spouse, take advantage of the  s...

I've been talking about this bill for well over six months and it finally passed in December of 2022 as part of a $1.7 trillion-dollar package. So in this episode of Retirement Made Easy, I'll cover the nine core provisions that are changing and what it means for everyone. There are some changes that I've been campaigning for and there are others that just don't make sense. Many of the provisions...

How is a fiduciary different? What can you expect to pay a CFP? How does capital gains tax work? Did contribution limits increase? In the first episode of 2023, I'm going to revisit some important listener questions from the last few months. They're important things to remember as we enter tax planning season. Check it out!  You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [0:40] Lis...

In this special final episode of 2022, I'm going to share clips from the top five most downloaded episodes of 2022. I cover everything from huge retirement mistakes that you should avoid to the types of accounts you want to use to save for retirement. These contain some of my best tips from the year. Don't miss this special edition of the Retirement Made Easy podcast! You will want to hear this ep...

How do you gift money to individuals without getting hit with having to pay taxes on the gift? How do you make withdrawals if you're gifted a beneficiary IRA? What is the most tax-efficient way to carry out charitable giving? These are just a few of the questions that I'll answer in this special end-of-the-year episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast! You will want to hear this episode if you...

When I help a client craft a retirement plan, we want to make sure it lasts at least 30 years, (based on average life expectancy). A lot can change over a 30-year time period, right? So in this episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast, I share why you can't embrace the "set it and forget it" mentality and tell you why your retirement portfolio must change and adapt with your changing needs and...

What happens when you sell your primary home? What are the tax implications? What's the deal with long-term care insurance? Do you need it? What are Roth 401ks and IRAs and why do you need one? I've been getting numerous questions about these three topics, so in today's episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast I'll break them down. Don't miss it! You will want to hear this episode if you are in...

Are you ready to retire? Or does the thought of retiring leave you questioning what you'll spend your time doing? Guess what? Retirement doesn't  have  to be all or nothing. In some circumstances, you may want to consider only partially retiring. Why? I share some viable reasons in this episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast. Don't miss it! You will want to hear this episode if you are intere...

The St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster, Dan McLaughlin, was asked what makes the best professional baseball manager. He believes that the  vision  of a manager is one of their greatest attributes. They're not just focused on the present, but looking forward and putting a strategy together based on what's coming next.  When we are talking about end-of-year tax planning, we are looking at the years ahe...

Do you feel like you're late to the game? Are you in your 50s and just now seriously looking at what you have saved for retirement? If you feel like you don't have any hope of reaching the retirement of your dreams, I'm here to tell you that you still can. But it will take some sacrifice. So how do you get caught up saving for retirement? I share some ideas in this episode of the Retirement Made E...

The listener questions have been rolling in so I decided it was time to do another listener Q&A edition of the Retirement Made Easy podcast! In this episode, I cover everything from investing your 401k to health insurance, and capital gains tax to social security spousal benefits for divorcees. Don't miss this informative episode—I just might answer questions that have been circling in your mind!...

In  episode #106  of the Retirement Made Easy podcast, I talked about the risks associated with investing in bonds. I also mentioned a Fidelity® U.S. Bond Index Fund, right? In this episode, I'm going to share an update about this index fund to help you understand how bonds  can be risky . I'll also talk about the #1 contributing factor that can help you retire wealthy. Don't miss it!  You will wa...

What is forcing people to retire by the end of 2022? What's happening to corporate pensions? What's changing with social security because of inflation? Rising interest rates are making an impact on the economy—and your retirement. Find out how in this episode of Retirement Made Easy! You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [1:20] Book a FREE retirement coaching call! [2:11]...

In this episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast, I focus on some listener questions that I've received that have to do with investing. I'll share what the questions are and address why I don't give out advice on specific investments. However, I will share some best practices and talk about why retirement planners get into the nitty-gritty details. Don't miss it! < < < < < < < < < < < < < < >>>...

I recently had a call with a listener who had great questions—but the call didn't go as he had planned. Why? One of his main questions was point blank, "Can I retire by the end of the year?" His house was paid off. He had an emergency fund, a brokerage account, and a 401k. He felt like he was in good shape to retire so he was shocked when I told him that he  wasn't ready . Find out why I told him...

There are three types of accounts—that are not the same as my  bucket strategy —that I believe everyone needs to use to save for their retirement. These accounts will  benefit you in retirement . They are Roth accounts, traditional accounts, and brokerage accounts. Listen to this episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast to learn more about each and how they can benefit you! You will want to hea...

I've been offering free 30-minute retirement coaching sessions this year and recently, three themes have emerged in these conversations: Whether or not you should keep life insurance once you retire Struggling with losses in your retirement portfolio Legacy planning and beneficiary planning So in this episode of Retirement Made Easy, I'll cover each of these topics and how you can decide what to d...

Emergency funds. Cash reserve funds. Safe money. They're all the same name for money that you need to set aside for—you guessed it— emergencies . As interest rates continue to climb to combat inflation, what should conservative investors do? What opportunities should you take advantage of with rising interest rates? Should you look at bonds or fixed-interest investments? Higher interest rates make...

Do you have a plan for charitable giving in retirement? What about saving for a grandchild's college education? Retirement planning goes far deeper than covering your basic bills in retirement—it's about  all  of the goals you have. In this episode of the Retirement Made Easy podcast, I'll cover two things I'm often asked about: charitable giving and college savings plans. Check it out! You will w...

How should you invest your money once you're retired? I get asked this question frequently because people are hoping for a quick recipe for success. But that's not how it works. When I help you build a retirement portfolio, I start by looking at three factors. These three factors will dictate how we invest your money for a successful outcome: Do you need an income to supplement your social securit...