Smart Money Questions

Are you looking at the mortgage rates right now and considering making a home purchase or refinancing your home? If so, what do you need to know beforehand? Matt will also tackle a discussion of whether you should have a Health Savings Account. Show Notes, Resources & Contact Info: https://smartmoneyquestions.com/ Timestamps: 1:22 - Today we’re going over mortgages and HSAs. 4:17 - Mortgage rates...

Are you considering working as a consultant or independent contractor? What does that mean for your finances and what should you prepare for ahead of time? We’ll answer those questions plus talk about trusts on today’s episode   Read more and get additional financial resources here:  https://wp.me/p9B077-KL     Today's show schedule:  0:30 - Matt shares his excitement for the hope of reopening whe...

Where is your retirement money saved? Will it benefit you more now or later? On this episode of Smart Money Questions, Matt answers several FAQs when it comes to your retirement accounts as well as another question about inheritance plans.    Read more and get additional resources here:  https://wp.me/p9B077-KD     Today's show schedule:  0:30 - Philadelphia is moving into the next phase of reopen...

In today’s episode of Smart Money Questions, Matt answers a number of questions from listeners. From saving enough for retirement to claiming Social Security, we will talk through several scenarios listeners are currently facing.   Read more and get additional financial resources here:  https://wp.me/p9B077-Ku     Today's show schedule:  0:38 - We’re about to kick off summer with the holiday weeke...

Have you heard of some of the latest frauds? The more you know, the better you can keep safe from being fooled by a fraud. We'll also talk about staying positive and maintaining your well-being before addressing some inheritance questions.    Read more and get additional financial resources here:  https://wp.me/p9B077-Kp     Today's show schedule:  0:33 - How is everyone making the best of the las...

Are you wondering what the CARES Act is all about and how it might benefit you? What rules should you be aware of? Matt will share the key elements you should be aware of when it comes to the CARES Act in times of coronavirus.   Read more and get additional resources here:  https://wp.me/p9B077-Ki     Today's show rundown:  3:09 - What is the CARES Act doing with RMDs? 5:52 - Can you still make qu...

Coronavirus has already impacted all of our lives, be it through social distancing or through the stock market. How can you think strategically and stay level-headed financially?   Read more and get additional resources here:  https://wp.me/p9B077-Ka     Today's rundown:  1:13 - What is our new normal going to look like? 3:58 - What’s happening in the market? 8:06 - Everyone wants to know, am I re...

It is no secret that college tuition is expensive and many parents want to help out their children pay for a higher education. But is it worth risking your retirement? Today we will look at the factors that parents should consider when paying for their child's education. Especially for those parents that are near, or in retirement. We also answer a question from a listener who is looking to sell t...

The outbreak and spread of the coronavirus has caused a bit of a panic in the market in recent weeks. We'll talk about how these events should affect your investments, short-term and long-term. We'll also take a look into some important strategies for protecting your assets from the state if you were to move into a nursing home.   2:40- How the market has reacted to the coronavirus and the history...

There are many misconceptions that surround the idea of downsizing your house in retirement. Many people think that they will be able to make a huge profit if they downsize, but that is not always the case. We will guide you through some other considerations to keep in mind before you make the big sale. We also discuss reevaluating an old life insurance policy, how much company stock you should in...

Most people like to think that they always make decisions based on logic and facts, but the truth is that emotions usually play a role for all of us in the decision-making process. Matt will share examples he has seen where emotions have influenced the thought process of individuals. Understanding the emotions that come from financial planning and putting the right strategies in place leads to mak...

Recently, there was a COLA increase of 1.6% for Social Security benefits. Matt will give his thoughts on the long term benefit of having a COLA increase, even though the percentage may not seem impressive at first. We will also discuss why working past age 65 is not so uncommon anymore and the importance of mapping out a plan with how you would like to spend your time in retirement. Show Notes and...

Today's episode will look at how you could possibly establish residency in a different state as part of your tax planning. We will also answer questions regarding what to do when you have a pension with no survivor benefit and how to consolidate your retirement accounts. Show Notes and Additional Resources:     Today's Rundown: 0:28- Bring on the new year and take us back to Y2K. 4:11- A women in...

You’ve likely carried an auto and homeowners policy for many years and don’t think too much about it, but your property and casualty insurance is your protection from major financial disaster. We talk with an insurance specialist to get a better understanding of these policies and what we should be paying attention to.   Show Notes and Additional Resources:  http://smartmoneyquestions.com/podcastp...

You never know what kind of questions or scenarios you’ll come across when working with clients. But that’s what makes planning exciting. Today we’ll pull three great questions that we’ve heard recently involving 401k rollovers, investing rental property proceeds, and the challenge of spending in retirement. We’ll go in-depth on each answer to show you how we approach each situation.   Full Show N...

Are you worried that your child is accumulating too many things? Do you wonder if you’re spoiling your child? John Lanza, author of The Art of Allowance, joins the show to give us an overview of his Money Mammals empowerment kit that teaches children how to share, save and spend. This is a great place to start if you want to lay a foundation for money management for your child.   Show Notes: http:...

Have you ever stopped to think about what your financial advisor invests in? You get a lot of advice and guidance but do they actually follow their own suggestions? We’re going to pull back the curtain and tell you how we manage our entire portfolio for the three businesses.   Show Notes: http://smartmoneyquestions.com/podcastposts/want-to-know-how-were-investing-our-money/   Today's Rundown:  0:3...

So much of our focus during retirement planning is saving money to protect ourselves and provide for our family, but there’s such a great opportunity to improve our lives even more by giving to others. Not only does it improve the lives of others but it also creates financial benefits for your portfolio. Arlene Cogen, a philanthropic leadership consultant and author, joins us to discuss this impor...

With 50 percent of marriages ending in divorce, there’s a good chance you or someone you know is going to face the choice later in life to remarry or stay single. Many things will factor into that decision but understanding how your finances will be impacted is a significant part of that discussion. These are the questions you need to be asking.   Today's rundown: 1:03 – The backstory behind today...

It’s a question we get a lot from clients. Everyone has enjoyed the long run upwards in the stock market but now we’ve moved into the stage of worry and pessimism. But it’s not your fault. Headlines always make you fear the worst, and that’s why we’re going to address the elephant in the room and how to be prepared for the worst. On this episode:  0:36 – We’ve been getting questions about the next...

Matt will be speaking at an event on the topic of empowering women in financial planning and it got him thinking a lot about examples in his personal and professional life that tie into the topic. This episode will run through statistics you need to know and the most important investment items you need to have in order.  Click here to see the full show notes.----more---- Today's rundown: 0:52 – Bu...

We’ve already rolled into the third quarter of the year and that presents us with a great opportunity to evaluate our portfolio. Giving your plan a check-up will help keep it on track headed towards your goals so use this checklist focus on the most important questions. Check out the full show notes by clicking here. ----more---- Today's rundown:  0:35 – Introducing today’s topic. 2:30 – Understan...

A recent tax bill was signed into law in July 2019 and it serves as a reminder that understanding taxes is an important aspect to planning your retirement. Knowing how much of your money will be yours when you decide to access it will determine how much you actually need. On this episode, we discuss this tax law and answer a few questions sent to us. Check out the full show notes by click here. --...

Do you ever wonder what you might not even know to ask about? For instance, do you know what a stretch IRA is and how it works? Or how to designate beneficiaries and joint ownership over your accounts appropriately? Matt talks through the ins and outs of these things, answering your questions before you ask them. See the full show notes here.  ----more---- Take a look at the full rundown below:  0...

We've got a few listener questions on the docket for today. First up, we'll discuss Abe's question about being forced into an early retirement. Should he get another job? What items should he address before he is no longer receiving a paycheck? We'll also answer Blair's question about tax brackets in retirement. What is the real outlook on future tax rates, and how should we prepare? Finally, we'l...