Unlocking Your Financial Future

It’s another mailbag edition of the show and we’re covering five different topics that you’ve been asking about. From company stock to old life insurance policies to hitting seven figures in your portfolio, it’s a wide range of retirement conversations but we’re hitting them all today.   Show notes and additional resources:  https://www.baschrock-fg.com/podcast/ep-23-mailbag-time-life-insurance-co...

For as long as we can remember, 65 has been the age that most people are expected to retire. That’s what we were taught at an early age and it’s the number that has guided planning for some time. But is that age a thing of the past? With a that number increasing around the world, should you go ahead and expect to retire at a later date?   Show notes and additional resources:  https://www.baschrock...

Attention has turned to the new SECURE Act to begin the new year and for good reason. This marks the first significant retirement legislation in years and it’ll be impacting both retirees and pre-retirees. What changes should you be planning for and what other considerations need to be made? That’s what we’ll be discussing on this episode.   Show notes and additional resources:  https://www.baschr...

Mutual funds have been a popular investment option for many years, but is the landscape changing? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of using mutual funds as part of your retirement plan and help you decide whether it needs to be a part of your strategy.   Show Notes and Additional Resources:  https://www.baschrock-fg.com/podcast/ep-20-the-pros-and-cons-of-investing-in-mutual-funds/     Today'...

No matter how long you’ve been investing, you’ve probably decided to put some portion of your money into mutual funds. They’ve always been a popular investment option, but how well do you understand the product? Let’s take some time to understand the common terminology, what makes up a mutual fund, and other basics.   Show Notes and Additional Resources:  https://www.baschrock-fg.com/podcast/ep-19...

Before we start up a new financial series, Ben’s going to open up the mailbag and answer a few questions from listeners that address retirement checklists, military pension benefits, and consolidating all of those retirement accounts you own.   Show Notes and Additional Resources:  https://www.baschrock-fg.com/podcast/ep-18-retirement-checklist-pensions-more-mailbag-questions/     Today's Rundown:...

Let’s wrap up our four-part series on Social Security misunderstandings by talking about the dreaded ‘T’ word. After years of paying the government, you might not think that you have to send more money their way when you start claiming your benefits. We’re going to clear up that subject today by explaining how taxes are calculated for an individual’s Social Security and how we work with our client...

Are you nearing retirement and thinking about how and when you’ll claim Social Security? It can be as simple as visiting your local Social Security Administration office and filling out the paperwork, but can they also help you decide which strategy to use? That’s the next topic in a four-part series on the top misunderstandings with Social Security.   Show Notes and Additional Resources:  https:/...

Our four-part series on Social Security misunderstandings continues with a discussion on the age you should target for claiming your benefits. Some people will tell you that claiming benefits as early as possible is your best option while others will insist on waiting as long as possible. So which is it? Let’s discuss the factors that go into the decision.   Show Notes and Additional Resources:  h...

As we begin a four-part series on Social Security misunderstandings, we begin with one that’s been on the minds of many retirees and pre-retirees. That’s the idea that Social Security is going broke and there’s a chance that benefits could disappear at some point. Should you be worried? We explain on this episode.   Show Notes and Additional Resources:  https://www.baschrock-fg.com/podcast/ep-14-i...

We’ve been hearing from a number of listeners who have sent in questions on a wide range of topics so we decided to dedicate an entire episode to answering as many as we can. From rental properties to fees and commissions to 401k company investing and more, we cover a lot of ground on this episode.   Full Show Notes:  https://www.baschrock-fg.com/podcast/ep-13-401k-investing-and-ira-volatility-oth...

We’re only a year away from the 2020 presidential election and that’s making some investors anxious. How will the election affect finance? What about the candidates and their platforms? We get Ben’s thoughts on this topic plus two other recent headlines that all relate to retirement planning.   Full Show Notes: https://www.baschrock-fg.com/podcast/ep-12-how-will-the-2020-election-impact-investing/...

No one enjoys having to take part in those difficult conversations but it’s a necessary part of building a comprehensive retirement plan. Let’s finish up our two-part series with three additional topics that you might not enjoy discussing but your financial advisor needs to be asking these questions.      Show Notes: https://www.baschrock-fg.com/podcast/ep-11-awkward-conversations-with-your-financ...

No one enjoys having to take part in those difficult conversations but it’s a necessary part of building a comprehensive retirement plan. Let’s explore two of those awkward conversations every good financial advisor should be bringing up with you. In part one of this series, we’ll look at how the death of a spouse and the possibility of nursing home care can affect your plan.   Show Notes: https:/...

On the final installment on our series about the missteps that savers make along the way, we turn our attention to something most people love to do: spending. Savers aren’t the best at this because it’s a complete shift in mindset, but there will come a time when you need to spend the money you’ve been working so hard to accumulate.   Show Notes: https://www.baschrock-fg.com/podcast/ep-9-the-risks...

Part 3 of our series on savers and the missteps they can make in planning, we turn to the dreaded topic of taxes. As you save and invest for your future, are you considering the tax time bomb that could be looming down the road? What about strategies that can help lessen your tax burden? Let’s discuss the options that you have to save yourself money in taxes. On this episode:  0:43 – Today we’re t...

We continue our discussion on savers and some of the missteps they can make along the way. Saving is key to retirement success but are you getting the best return on your money? Today we look at risk and how it can impact your portfolio negatively if you don’t put a plan in place to deal with downturns.  On this episode: 2:03 – Today’s main topic is part 2 of our Risks Savers Face series.  2:18 –...

Even the best savers make mistakes when planning for retirement and we’re launching a new series that will go in-depth on that topic. Part 1 of The Risks that Savers Face will discuss cash and why becoming so enamored with it can end up costing you money over the long run. On today's show:  1:04 –  Introducing our guest today, Keith Lockwood 1:21 –  We are beginning a new series on ‘The Risks That...

Today we wrap up the five-part series on Busting the Biggest Financial Myths with a conversation on stocks and bonds. There’s a common belief that shifting to bonds removes all the volatility out of your portfolio, but that not a certainty. To help us explain this idea, we bring on a guest that specializes in building and maintaining client portfolios. On today's show:  1:02 – The guest on today’s...

On part four of our financial myths series, we take a look at the idea that financial planning today is much easier to do because of technology and it’s something you can easily take on by yourself. While it’s great to have access to everything the internet has to offer, it’s far from a perfect solution for planning your future. On this episode: 1:35 – Introducing part four of our series. 2:07 – S...

Now we move to part three of a five-part series about financial myths and this episode focuses on taxes. Once we finish working, it’s easy to assume that our taxes will drop because we’ll move into a lower tax bracket. Well, that’s not the case. Find out why your taxes might increase and what strategies you can use to offset that. Today's rundown: 1:10 – What’s in store on today’s show and introdu...

Today it’s part two of a five-part series about financial myths and this episode focuses on an important one.  The common belief in retirement is that you’ll need less income than you did while you were working. While we all hope this is true, basing your plan off this idea can put you in a difficult situation down the road.    Click here to see the full show notes.----more---- Today's rundown: 0:...

We kick off our five-part series about financial myths with a product that Ben has worked with in his career: life insurance. Many people feel life insurance isn’t needed after retirement, but that’s not the case. We’ll explain life insurance options, why it can be needed after retiring, and how it can become an income source. Today's rundown: 1:43 – Part 1 of the series focuses on the myth: ‘I do...

Before we launch the first official episode of Unlocking Your Financial Future, we wanted to introduce you to the show and the people. In this ‘Getting to Know You’ episode, we’ll learn more about Ben Schrock, his business, and the future of the podcast. Today's rundown: 1:06 – Getting to know Ben as an individual. 4:35 – Learning about the business and the philosophy behind B.A Schrock Financial...