Smart Money Questions

We met recently with a young client who was just getting started and wanted to learn more about investing. They were so eager to get a jump on the finances and figure everything out. Today we’re going to share insightful anecdotes from this recent meeting, where we talked about the underlying principles of planning, highlighting the importance of understanding risk, diversification, and keeping a...

This week on the Smart Money Questions podcast, Matt Hausman tackles the big question: Will you be okay after retirement? With a blend of financial expertise and real-life examples, we’ll share a Wall Street Journal article outlining the financial mistakes to avoid as you get within five or ten years of retirement.   Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode: You always want to have cash on h...

Life insurance is a product we get asked about all the time as people are trying to determine if they need to hold on to an old policy or even bother getting one at all. We get this question all the time and there have been a couple different scenarios come up recently that we wanted to bring to the show. So we’ll address those and go through the reasoning behind what we’ve discussed with clients....

What can we expect or what has the market done with regards to returns during presidential election years? After talking with clients the first couple of months, it’s clear that this is going to be a crazy year. That’s not uncommon during election years but this one seems to be setting up for unprecedented craziness.   Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode: An update on a quick trip we to...

Everyone wants to know. What is going to happen in 2024? Join us as we explore a range of topics, from the outlook of the economy, a potential tax surprise for a lot of people, and some new provisions that will take effect this year. We’ll give you a high-level look at what we’re paying attention to and what we’re discussing with our clients as the year begins. There’s plenty to address within you...

We’re coming down to the final few days of 2023 and we hope you have all enjoyed a good holiday season. As we close out the year, we wanted to go over a couple of client conversations we had recently dealing with small businesses and the power of money.   Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode: How should business owners balance saving for retirement and putting money back into the busines...

It’s hard to beat this time of the year with the holidays and everything that comes along with it, and we hope that you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be thankful for and hope you do as well when you look back on this year and what’s to come in 2024. Today we want to go over a couple of meetings we’ve had recently with clients who had needed to address some specific scenarios....

As we close in on the final two months of the year, there’s a lot happening now and plenty to look ahead to for 2024. That’s what we want to spend some time on today by sharing some of the discussions we’re having in our office and some of the questions we’re answering from clients in this final quarter of the year. This includes open enrollment, world conflicts, and financing a new home.   Here’s...

Last month, we held an educational event and covered a lot of important information. We even featured estate attorney Jennifer Walker, who talked about the estate planning do’s and don’ts. It was a great event and we appreciate everyone that came out. Because we went over a list of key planning items for the year, we wanted to provide all of that information and education for you on the podcast. S...

As we move beyond the mid-point of the year, we always take this time to have a check-up with clients to run through a number of items that might need attention before the end of the year. Today we’ll share a few of those things, including budgeting, Roth contributions, and SECURE Act 2.0 changes. Then we’ll spend some time running through a few different scenarios we’ve helped clients out in rece...

Hard to believe we’re already into July but we’ve had a great summer so far. Hopefully you’ve been making the most of the warm weather and longer days. Today’s episode isn’t a long one but we wanted to take a little time to update on what’s going on at Old Security Group and talk about some of financial topics we’ve been paying attention to.      On today’s show, here’s some of what you’ll learn:...

Today we have a special guest. My 21-year-old daughter Ashley and I have been talking about doing this interview for several months. We want to share the importance of personal finance and personal finance education. My wife and I constantly talk to our kids about this topic, including behavioral finance, so we are excited to share this episode with you!    On today’s show, here’s some of what you...

We’re covering several important topics today derived from client questions and concerns. Given the relevance of today’s questions, Matt thought you’d like to hear these answers as well. Join us as we touch on the recent events taking place in the financial sector and explore actionable steps that we can take to help set up our heirs for success.   On today’s show, here’s some of what you’ll learn...

We met with a new client recently and looked at a snapshot of their financial situation. One of the things we noticed was their outstanding debt, including credit cards and car loans. The client wanted to take about $40,000 to $50,000 out of their 401k and take a financial hit in order to pay down that debt. Is that a good idea? We’ll share what advice we gave them and how you can handle a similar...

We have a lot to talk about today, so let’s jump into it. We read some articles recently about the travel industry and how people are getting back out there and traveling. Many of our clients have been doing some big trips. If you want to travel and get deals, we’ll share some insight on that topic. You’ll need to think about advanced planning and figure out how you’ll pay for the trip. We’ll also...

On this episode of Smart Money Questions, we'll be discussing one of the most pressing concerns for retirees: taxes. As you prepare for retirement, it's important to consider how your income sources will affect your tax obligations, and to plan accordingly. Whether you're transitioning into retirement or already retired, taxes can have a significant impact on your financial well-being. Matt has sp...

As we begin a new year, let’s talk about the SECURE Act 2.0, which was signed into law in December. We’ll share some of the highlights, including new requirements for companies with new 401(k) and 403(b) plans. Did you know that companies can automatically enroll their employees into these plans? We’ll explain this along with some other key changes to RMDs, retirement accounys, and other planning...

Today we’re joined by Robert Khoury, the founder and CEO of Agile Rainmakers, a high-impact business development consulting and advisory firm based in Chicago’s Gold Coast.    Robert’s 20+ year career in the financial industry has seen him in many roles: an equity derivatives trader, portfolio manager, corporate strategist, chief operating officer, recruiter, hedge fund executive, and private equi...

We love to talk on our show about different scenarios and questions we hear from clients in our office, and the topic of annuities and life insurance has come up quite a bit in recent weeks. You won’t find a lack of opinion on either of these two products and they both can get a little complicated.   On today’s show, here’s some of what you’ll learn: What should you do with an older annuity? (4:36...

There has finally been some clarification from the IRS about the SECURE Act rule regarding inherited IRAs from 2020 and beyond. We’ve had some questions from clients about this, so it’s great to finally have some answers. It’s important for you as an owner of an IRA, 401k, etc. to know how this works and understand it. It’s also important for your heirs to understand this important topic and know...

If you’re wondering what taxes will look like in 2023, as far as standard deductions and increase in tax brackets, today’s show is for you. The IRS just released this information recently and we want to take you through the key changes. Whether you’re filing single or married filing jointly, we’ll explain what will will be different for you next year. Check out today’s full show to learn more abou...

We get questions all the time about Medicare. It can be confusing when there are Medicare parts A, B, C and D and supplements. Today we are welcoming a guest who has been in the Medicare industry for more than 30 years.   On today’s show, here’s some of what you’ll learn: What Medicare is and how it works. (2:58) How you can access Medicare. (3:42) The different aspects of Medicare and how they wo...

Choosing when to claim Social Security can have a huge impact on your retirement plan. A lot of people are unsure about whether they should delay Social Security or take advantage of another significant COLA increase. Today we are going to look at some of the different options you may have and narrow down the reasons they may or may not be for you.   What we discuss in this episode:  Do you time t...

We’re bombarded with headlines about money all the time. With technology and social media at our fingertips, it’s more important than ever to control how you react to that. We’ll explain why it’s critical to your long-term financial success.   What we discuss on this episode:  2:10 – Financial headlines are everywhere 5:10 – Invest like the 1% 6:08 – Become a master of the market 8:37 – Protect ne...

Recently, we’ve been getting some unique questions about investing in company-sponsored plans, like a 401k, for example. The client wanted to know where else to invest once they max out the 401k. We’ll dive into this question and more on today’s show.   What we discuss in this episode:  2:23 – Max out 401k 4:53 – Be consistent 5:44 - Match 8:04 – Vested 9:49 – Saving more 11:38 – Health insurance...