The Best of Refining Retirement

Dana and Brad discuss insurance expenses in retirement as well as ways a retirement planner can help you. Takeaways:  If you want to retire early, building a retirement plan can potentially help you save on insurance costs until you can get on Medicare. A retirement planner can help you optimize your Social Security, Taxes, and so much more.  Download our FREE helpful resource, “The Value of an Ob...

Dana and Brad discuss how to protect yourself from investment institution mistakes as well as preparing your children financially. Takeaways: Financial institutions can make mistakes; it’s important to keep track of your financial accounts to hold them accountable. Only 22% of parents are confident they can teach their children the basics of investing.  Download our FREE helpful resource, “The Gre...

Dana and Brad discuss maintaining your standard of living in retirement Takeaways: It’s important to update your retirement plan yearly to account for changes in your life. Download our FREE helpful resource, “Will Your Money Last as Long as You Do in Retirement?”  Securities and advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals of Madison Avenue Securities, LLC (MAS), member FINRA/SIP...

Dana and Brad discuss how the election can affect retirement plans. Takeaways: Historically elections have less of an effect on the market than the economy.  The market has done good, and bad, under both political parties. Download our FREE helpful resource, “The Value of an Objective Opinion”   Securities and advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals of Madison Avenue Securiti...

Dana and Brad welcome guest Randy Kemp, a long-time radio show listener, to discuss his thoughts on retirement. Takeaways: The number one cost in your lifetime will be retirement.  Don’t be afraid to spend when retired. You saved that money to live, not just survive. Download our FREE helpful resource, “Your Retirement Income Planning Checklist”   There is no compensation exchanged between Randy K...

Dana and Brad discuss the current real estate market as well as the importance of tax diversification. Takeaways: A house is only worth what someone in the market is willing to pay for it. When the 2017 Tax Cut Act sunsets at the end of 2025 taxes will revert to their previous rates. With the prospect of taxes raising in the future, tax diversification is even more important to your retirement pla...

Dana and Brad discuss how longer life expectancy affects retirement plans. Takeaways: If you are 65 and married there’s about an 80% chance one of you will live to your nineties. You must earn at least 40 credits to be eligible for Social Security.  Download our FREE helpful resource, “Will Your Money Last as Long as You Do?”   Securities and advisory services offered only by duly registered indiv...

Dana and Brad discuss the intricacies of estate planning as well as the cost of moving to a retirement community. Takeaways: Without a will, half of your assets go to your surviving spouse, while the other half is divided among your children. 62% of millennials don’t have a will in place. The average cost of homeowner’s insurance in Florida is 37% higher than the national average. Download our FRE...

Dana and Brad discuss the alternative investment vehicle, real estate, as well as unexpected expenses in retirement. Takeaways:  - In 2022, 10% of U.S. individuals over the age of 65 earned some form of income from a rental property. -You never know how exposed your assets are until the market crashes. - Download our FREE helpful resource, “Inflation & Your Retirement” Our firm is not licensed...

Dana and Brad discuss the beginning steps of building a retirement plan Takeaways: - We have renamed our first meeting to “Living Your Dream” meeting because that is the goal of building a retirement plan with Vineyard Financial. - If you are ready to take the first steps toward building a retirement plan, feel free to call us at 812-474-6200. - Download our FREE helpful resource, “Your Retirement...

Dana and Brad discuss living expenses in different U.S. states as well as different retirement age milestones. Takeaways: - On average, West Virginia is the cheapest state to live. - You can defer Social Security to age 70, but anything after that no longer provides an added benefit. - Download our FREE helpful resource, “Will Your Money Last as Long as You Do?” Our firm is not endorsed by or affi...

Dana and Brad discuss the shift from doing what you HAVE to do, to doing what you WANT to do. Takeaways: - It can be helpful to write down your dreams so you can start working towards making them a reality. - Taking Social Security at the wrong time can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars in your lifetime - Download our FREE helpful resource, “The Social Security Decisions” Our firm is not e...

Dana and Brad are joined by Judy Halstead, President of the Southwestern Indiana Master Gardener Association (SWIMGA), to discuss gardening tips. Takeaways: - Studies have shown that working in the garden can be good for your well-being and mental health. - You can learn more about SWIMGA by following this link: https://www.swimga.org/ - Download our FREE helpful resource, “Designing Your Fiscal H...

Dana and Brad discuss the importance of a mid-year check-up for your retirement plan as well retirement planning tips. Takeaways: - Brad recently finished writing his first book, if you are interested in receiving a complimentary copy you can call our office at 812-474-6200. - Not only is it important to have an estate plan, but you need to update it whenever there are any substantial changes to y...

Dana and Brad discuss the importance of having an estate plan. Takeaways: - Social Security is projected to only pay $0.78 to the $1.00 by 2035. - A trust can allow a third-party to help take the emotion out of money decisions between family members. - Download our FREE helpful resource, “The Greatest Gift: Outline Your Wishes with an Estate Plan” Our firm does not offer tax or legal advice. Consu...

Dana and Brad are joined by Cole Craven of Move Health Partners to discuss Medicare. Takeaways: - If you are under 65 and don’t get health insurance through a job, there are ways to get subsidies from the government to help pay for coverage. - Move Health Partners helps you navigate the confusing landscape of signing up for Medicare. - Download our FREE helpful resource, “The Value of an Objective...

Dana and Brad discuss Social Security as well as building a sustainable retirement plan. Takeaways: - The optimal time to take Social Security is different for every individual. - If you are worried about when you can retire, it would be beneficial to reach out to a retirement planner to help ease your worries. - Download our FREE helpful resource, “The Value of an Objective Opinion” Our firm does...

Dana and Brad discuss medical insurance as well as alternative retirement living. Takeaways: - It’s better to have Long-Term Care insurance and not need it than to need it and not happen. You never know what could happen. - On average, over 90,000 hours are spent accumulating funds for retirement. - Download our FREE helpful resource, “The Value of an Objective Opinion” Our firm does not offer tax...

Dana and Brad discuss ways to reduce your taxes. Takeaways: - If you are over 70.5 you can donate from your IRA to a charity and not pay taxes because it will satisfy your RMD requirement. - Many companies have started offering a Roth option for their employee plans. This may be worth looking into depending on your situation. - Download our FREE helpful resource, “Are You Paying Too Much in Taxes...

Dana and Brad discuss student loan debt as well as vacation planning. Takeaways: - When paying off debts, invest any excess that you can so you are still growing your assets. - A 529 Account can be used as a college fund while also being a tax write off. - Download our FREE helpful resource, “The Value of an Objective Opinion” Our firm does not offer tax or legal advice. Consult your tax or legal...

Dana and Brad discuss home insurance as well as answer listener questions. Takeaways: - It’s important to read over your entire insurance policy on your home to ensure you have the correct amount of coverage for all you own. - If you are widowed you have the opportunity to take Social Security earlier than 62. - Download our FREE helpful resource, “The Social Security Decisions” Our firm does not...

Dana and Brad discuss the current state of retirement savings. Takeaways: - A study by Goldman-Sachs found that due to competing spending employee retirement savings are down on average 37%. - 21% of people reported that they had to delay their retirement by 4 or more years. - Download our FREE helpful resource, “Inflation & Your Retirement” Our firm does not offer tax or legal advice. Consult...

Dana and Brad discuss the expenses of moving as well as potential tax implications. Takeaways: - Moving is a fresh start and it’s important to have a plan for what you will do with the proceeds from selling your house to make sure they are protected. - Many people hide things, whether that be documents or money. It’s important to let at least one person you trust know where that stuff is in case o...

Dana and Brad discuss cleaning up your financials and making sure you know where everything is. They also answer listener questions. Takeaways: - If you have a junk drawer at home full of old retirement documents it may be a good idea to scan them to save digitally in one place. - If you plan to move when retiring it may be worth it to rent for a few months to make sure the new area meets all of y...

Dana and Brad welcome CPA, Michele Bennett, to discuss the benefits of tax planning for individuals as well as business owners. Takeaways: - Tax planning can help minimize taxes by looking ahead and calculating when may be the best time to make big decisions. - Meeting with a tax planner quarterly could save you thousands if you are self-employed or are an independent contractor - Download our FRE...