Retirement Talk Podcast with Laura Stover

Laura Stover, RFC® discusses the concept of time segmentation and its application in allocating retirement savings for a stable income during retirement. Time segmentation involves matching investments with the point in time when they will be needed to meet retirement income needs. This strategy provides clarity, comfort, and control over retirement income and helps mitigate the effects of market...

Simple diversification used to be the go-to plan for a typical portfolio. A balanced plan of stocks, bonds, and cash would simply do the trick. But that type of diversification has been proven less effective in recent years with the abundance of market volatility. Today, Laura Stover, RFC® takes on financial guru Dave Ramsey's version of a Safe withdrawal rule.    As we approach retirement, our pr...

Today Laura Stover, RFC®  explores the concept of choice overload and how it can affect your investment behavior and retirement planning. With so many options and information available to us, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure of the best path to take. But today we will provide you with tips and insights to help you navigate through this sea of choices and make informed decisions that align...

Laura Stover, RFC®, takes on the topic of interest rates today, and how they relate to your financial future. It is important to consider the historical context of interest rates. Over the past few decades, interest rates have been kept artificially low by central banks around the world. This was done in an effort to stimulate economic growth and prevent deflation. However, it was only a matter of...

Laura Stover, RFC® looks at the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and how it might affect interest rates and your financial future.. With ongoing uncertainty about the economy, wars in Europe and the Middle East, and protests at home, it's no wonder that Americans are taking a closer look at their financial plans. In particular, we will explore the potential impact of the Israel-Hamas war on the US, the im...

Laura Stover, RFC® discusses the Federal Reserve's Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP) today, a topic that is often overlooked but has significant implications for our economy. This program, which was introduced in response to the failures of banks earlier this year, has the potential to create new money and impact the value of long-term securities. Let's dive deeper into this issue and explore its i...

Laura Stover, RFC® is discussing the recent decision by the Federal Reserve to leave interest rates unchanged and the potential implications for retirees and investors. We will also explore the ongoing efforts by the Fed to combat inflation and the impact it may have on the economy. The Federal Reserve recently announced that it would be keeping interest rates unchanged at its October meeting. Whi...

Laura Stover, RFC is solo today for a special episode as we cover this week's featured article from Kiplinger "Consistency Is the Key to Investing When You're Retired."  We need to focus on consistent returns rather than average returns or market fluctuations. While volatility may be advantageous during the accumulation phase, it can be detrimental to retirees who rely on their investments for inc...

Laura Stover, RFC® is joined by guest co-host Darlene Tucker, CFP® today. This week's weekend brief comes from Forbes:  "5 Predictions For An Economic 'Soft Landing' That Were Totally Wrong."  With a lot of uncertainty in the world, and now 2 wars going on, investors are asking what that means for their futures.  Are we in for a soft landing?  Before we answer that, Darlene and I look at some hist...

In this week's  Retirement Talk podcast, with Laura Stover, RFC®, and Michael Wallin, CFP®, we delve into the major advantages of separately managed accounts (SMAs), a topic that doesn't often make its way into the podcasting world. SMAs can be a game-changer for those nearing retirement or already in retirement. SMAs offer direct ownership of investments, reduced transaction costs, and the potent...

Laura Stover, RFC®, and Michael Wallin, CFP®, discuss this week's featured article from the weekend brief: "Investment Trade Offs: Why You Should Know Your Return on the Hassle Spectrum."  It's a critical consideration for investors, especially in today's financial landscape. We discuss the fascinating story about a couple who decided to invest in real estate back in 2018. They were making around...

Today, Laura Stover, RFC® and Michael Wallin, CFP® discuss the importance of planning for retirement income and the role of annuities in retirement planning. They start by emphasizing the significance of having a solid plan in place, especially in the face of economic uncertainties like the pandemic, supply chain disruptions, inflation, and market corrections. Over one-third of Americans over the...

In this episode of Retirement Talk: The Redefining Wealth Show, Laura Stover, RFC® and Michael Wallin, CFP® delve into what clients value most in a financial advisor. They emphasize the importance of effective communication between clients and advisors and the need for a well-defined process that aligns discussions with clients' long-term goals. They also discuss the significance of a seasoned fin...

Today, Laura Stover, RFC® and Michael Wallin, CFP® discuss the importance of planning for retirement income and the role of annuities in retirement planning. They start by emphasizing the significance of having a solid plan in place, especially in the face of economic uncertainties like the pandemic, supply chain disruptions, inflation, and market corrections. They mention that over one-third of A...

Laura Stover, RFC® and Michael Wallin, CFP® discuss the Baby Boomer Dilemma documentary and its implications for pre-retirees and retirees. The film talks about many topics we routinely cover on the show- the growing national debt crisis, the potential for higher tax rates in the future, and the need for proactive tax planning. The national debt has exceeded $32 trillion and is expected to rise fu...

Laura Stover, RFC® and Michael Wallin, CFP® discuss why 1966 was the worst year to retire and why it matters in 2023. They explore the market downturn in 1966 and its impact on retirees, as well as the similarities and differences between that time period and the current economic climate. The market downturn in 1966 was a harbinger for difficult times ahead, with inflation and recessions following...

Investors often underestimate the risk in their portfolio.  Today, Laura Stover and Michael Wallin break down 5 common portfolio mistakes, as outlined by Christine Benz in Morningstar.  They are portfolio sprawl, when your assets often overlap and have too high a correlation A redundant individual stock portfolio can be risky as well. For example, if you are overly weighted in tech stocks, what ha...

Retirement planning involves mitigating risk and understanding the various risks that retirees face. Laura Stover and Michael Wallin break down these risks today, including reduced earnings capacity, visible spending constraint, heightened investment risk, unknown longevity, spending shocks, compounding inflation, and declining cognitive abilities. It is important to have a comprehensive retiremen...

In this episode, Laura Stover, RFC® and Michael Wallin, CFP®, discuss the concept of a cookie-cutter retirement portfolio and its implications for retirees. They start by addressing the recent news of the US being downgraded due to its high debt levels. They explain how the ability to pay off debt and the impact of rising interest rates can affect the economy and investors. The hosts then delve in...

Once you make the decision to take the next step toward ensuring a solid financial future, the next is who you should work with. There are all types of financial professionals that provide a variety of services, and one that we get asked about is the registered investment advisor or RIA. Are they an individual financial advisor or is it a company? In this episode, Laura Stover, RFC® and Michael Wa...

Big tech has seen strong gains in 2023 and has outpaced most other sectors. In doing so, the S&P 500 has also performed well, but when you take away a handful of tech companies like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and others, the S&P 500 is only up 2%. This is a great reminder of why overconcentration can hurt a portfolio. Being overweight in this tech position feels great when the market is doing...

Every investor, whether you do it yourself or have professional help, needs to understand the fees they are paying because this is one of the most important factors attributing to investment performance overall. Fees can really eat into returns but they might also return better value than you would have achieved without the help. So let's unpack this idea a bit more with Laura Stover, RFC® and Mic...

No one can predict the future of finance, so how do you make sure your portfolio is able to withstand the inevitable swings in the market? The answer is through stress testing, which has proven to be a valuable tool in financial planning. In this episode, Laura Stover, RFC® and Michael Wallin, CFP® will walk you through how a portfolio is stress tested and explain what it's trying to accomplish. T...

We're more than halfway through 2023 and we've already seen the impact SECURE Act 2.0 has on retirement planning. These first six months have given the financial industry time to identify some of the potential pitfalls that the legislation creates for retirees. In this episode, Laura Stover, RFC® and Michael Wallin, CFP® will walk you through these key planning items that SECURE Act 2.0 made adjus...

Fiscally conscious investors want to get the most for their money, and when it comes to working with an advisor, it's important to understand the fee structure and what value they'll provide. Now that anyone can research and access information at the click of a mouse, this question is extremely important to ask.   With more than 50 years of experience combined, Laura Stover, RFC® and Michael Walli...