The Financial Compass

The coronavirus disease has dominated the news cycle for the past few weeks and it’s not going away. Instead of letting that get you down, here are some things you can do to respond and prepare your retirement strategy.

Tax season is a time of year when everyone is thinking about their finances. You can use it to help you make better decisions, not just this year but into the future.

The retirement you’ve been dreaming about is possible, if you’re prepared. This episode of Financially Tuned concisely addresses the Eight Obstacles of Retirement: income, life expectancy, taxes, market downturns, rising inflation, Medicare, long-term care and losing your spouse.

Saving up for major purchases like cars and home re-models, rather than going further into debt to pay for them, will help keep your other financial goals, like a rewarding retirement, on track.

Kiplinger and Personal Capital recently teamed up on a poll to see how Americans react to market volatility. How do you stack up?

With just a few changes you can turn your bad financial habits into good habits that leave you planning for the future with confidence and excitement.

There’s no better time than the new year to adopt some new, positive habits. Can 2020 be the year that you start to achieve your financial goals?

What happens if you leave a job or are considering rolling your 401(k) over? Today we tackle this question and more regarding your 401(k) or 403(b).

The financial media is flooded with information about annuities. Some of it may be good to know. Some may not be. How can you filter the perceptions that are rooted in reality from the ones that aren’t?

Could your personality type make you more likely to have trouble in retirement? A new study says it could. We also discuss a few mistakes to avoid regardless of your personality.

This episode looks at some ways to improve your efficiency and make the most of the time you spend managing your money. Most of us want to be better at managing our money. But it can feel like a time-consuming effort. Budgeting, credit monitoring and more all take time.

It can be a dangerous choice to make assumptions when it comes to money, retirement and investing. This episode looks at some false retirement assumptions as well as some things you may assume you know about what happens when the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates.

The 2020 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment has been announced. What does it mean for you? Will this adjustment keep pace with inflation? Are there costs that are rising faster? This episode looks at some potential answers. Will Social Security even be available to you in retirement?

Congress is proposing some big changes to Independent Retirement Accounts. What are some of these changes? How might they impact you? What is a Stretch IRA and how does it function? This episodes looks at all of these questions and more.

Smishing is a new challenge and attack on your financial information. Wishing without action can be a challenge and detriment to your financial future. This episode looks at each of these and provides some potential actions you may take to keep your financial future secure.

Everyone makes mistakes. Some of those mistakes happen in the area of personal finance. This episode looks at some common financial fails. Are you guilty of any of these?

There are many expenses in retirement. Will they be what you expect? Are you ready to deal with healthcare costs? Do you really know the fees your retirement account has? How will your family and children impact your retirement expenses? This segment looks at potential answers to all of these questions and more.

Every project requires the correct tools. When building your financial future, you need the right tools to evaluate and analysis your strategy. This episode examines some potential options.

401(k) plans are one of the most common retirement products. But what are they really? What are some common mistakes to avoid? And what even is a 403(b) and how is it different?! This episode examines the ins and outs of 401(k)s.

There are many things to consider when looking at housing options in retirement. Will you stay in your current home? Will you buy a new home or condo? Or is renting better for your situation? This episode examines some of the options.

Not everyone is prepared for retirement. How will you make up the difference? Do you have a plan? This episode looks at potential options, tips and tricks to address being unprepared.

Healthcare in retirement is expensive. But there are strategies to deal with this and mistakes to avoid. In this episode we explore those and give helpful tips to deal with this and plan for it.

Data breaches are all too common. Capital One, Equifax and even your favorite restaurant may have been hacked. What can you do to protect your important information?

Changes in Social Security can have a big impact on your personal finances in retirement. How will the most recently announced changes impact your personal economy?

How can you adjust your spending to save more to meet your financial goals? Are you spending money in a wasteful way? In this show we talk about some helpful tips to help you accomplish that.