Winning at Life with Gregory Ricks

Rhonda in New Orleans wants to know if the Windfall Elimination Provision will prevent her from getting anything from Social Security. Alicia in Mandeville has a web of financial issues. Will she have enough credits to get around Social Security's Windfall Elimination Provision? What's her Spousal Social Security options? What's difference between a 403b and a 457 plan? Johnny in Grand Bay is now...

If you're looking for some reliable help finding answers to your financial situation, you can use this show's archives, the Ask Gregory podcast, the Winning at Life app, and GregoryRicks.com. The Jobs Report shows more reasons for optimism than pessimism. Donald Luskin was on Larry Kudlow's show making some interesting points on the jobs report, inflation, and stocks. Should you get out of the mar...

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's comments on inflation and low rates gives the stock market a gut punch. Tom in Houma asks Gregory's thoughts on the Great Reset. Do prisoners get Social Security benefits? Gregory continues explaining the Invest 50-50 strategy, and the 3 asset classes he blends to give you the highest probability of getting ahead. http://www. WinningAtLife.com

The Numbers show a rough drop in stocks, and pandemic stocks are jumping based on positive coronavirus news. Gregory introduces new listeners to Gregory Ricks and Associates, the Guided Planning System, and the Invest 50-50 strategy. Sean in Luling wants to start getting some money into a Roth IRA. Can he contribute directly to a Roth 401k, or does he need to use a backdoor Roth conversion? Gregor...

The Numbers segment kicks off the show, and leads to the discussion of a couple big stories. The European Central Bank is slowing its asset purchases, and a huge Chinese corporation is defaulting on its debt. Dale in Long Beach asks Gregory how his PPP loan affects his taxes. Will he still be able to write off business expenses that were paid by PPP funds? A Wallethub survey shows people are still...

Winning at Life welcomes a new affiliate in Baton Rouge: Talk1073! Hear a quick summary of this show and what it's all about. Steven in New Orleans asks what he should do with the money in his wife's DROP account? The Numbers gives you a summary of how stocks performed today, with a special focus on a few big stories of the day. The new parent company of Chrysler - Stellantis - is added to the sho...

William in Long Beach is looking to turn Social Security on this year. How much in advance does he need to apply for Social Security to be sure it starts on time? Karen in Hammond asks if her State Pension that cuts into her Social Security benefit would affect her spousal benefit as well. Dwayne Stein joins the show to explain how to use a floating interest rate during times of rising mortgage in...

The Numbers show the markets taking a breather from its new record highs. Now is a good time to reinforce the role bonds play in the Invest 50-50 strategy. Gregory does the math on taking Social Security Early, starting Social Security at Full Retirement Age, and maxing out your Social Security at age 70. Starting at age 70 clearly gives you the biggest monthly benefit, but is it worth the wait? P...

The Dow pops to a fresh new record close, and crosses 32K. Tesla and Bitcoin fell into bear territory. Dwayne Stein of MortgageGumbo.com calls in to preview his guest appearance on Saturday. Mortgage rates are going up, and the window for these ultra-low rates is closing. Marsha in Covington wants to set up a Roth IRA for her college-age kids. Is that a good idea? Tiger Woods brutal car accident b...

Is the bond market signaling inflation is on the way? There appears to be universal agreement that inflation will be ramping up this year, so how should this affect your investing? Russ in River Ridge asks Gregory to explain index-linked investments with no downside. Charlie in Covington is selling his business. What should he do with that big pile of money? How is Social Security taxed? Gregory e...

The Numbers show the stock market taking a breather, while bond yields are on the rise. Jude emails: his mom passed away last year, and a neighbor immediately bought her house with cash. Since they didn't get an appraisal, how will they know how much they owe in taxes on the gain? Keith emails Gregory asking his opinion on the company stock and target date funds in his 401k. Richard emails: he's g...

The markets have paused their record breaking ways this week. Is this the sign of a bigger pullback, or are stocks just catching their breath before resuming their bull run? Emile on Facebook Live asks if it's OK to take Social Security early if your career prevents you from working all of the way up to your Full Retirement Age. Danny in New Orleans has money in a TSP he recently moved to the G fu...

Todd asks Gregory some advice on how to pick the right financial advisor. Marsha in Covington wants to set up a Roth IRA for her college-age kids. Is that a good idea? Gregory gives you red flags for when you're dealing with an annuity salesman. The Gamestop hearings are bringing up some scary stories about people who lost a fortune trying to score on the mania. Norman in Garyville: Can I take out...

Gregory goes into more detail about Roth IRA's 5 year rule. Taking a distribution from a Roth account that's less than 5 years old comes with a penalty. How to tell when you're dealing with an annuity salesman, and not a true financial advisor. http://www. WinningAtLife.com

The price of oil is about double where it is last year, but where is it headed from here? The winter storm was a good excuse for prices to spike, but they didn't. Good reasons to start Social Security early. Dale in Long Beach started Social Security early, and just landed a great new job. Gregory explains why it might be time to pause Social Security. Bad excuses to start Social Security early. h...

David in Elkhart: how much will my wife get from Social Security when I pass away? David also asks Gregory about the tax implications for his VA benefits, Social Security, and other income streams. Matthew in Houma has some comments to add for David's situation regarding VA benefits. Steve in Cleveland makes too much income to contribute to a Roth IRA. Gregory explains how Steve can get one starte...

We continue with the basics of Social Security, and the questions kept rolling in for the rest of the show. Jack in Metairie wants to know if his ex-wife drawing a spousal benefit from his Social Security record will have any affect on his benefit. Gregory assures him he will have zero impact on his benefit based on what she does. Gary in Marrero wants to wait 6 months past his Full Retirement Age...

Gregory encourages generous tipping to help restaurant workers in hard times. Gregory explains the basics of Social Security for new listeners, and a few callers ask about their specific Social Security options. Joseph in Covington knows Social Security pays less if you take it early, but he doesn't want to miss years of checks. Al in Gulfport asks about the Social Security options for his non-wor...

Bitcoin is spiking again, but it is still not behaving like a currency. Oil is on the rise, and the industry is getting pulled in all directions. Despite the persistent myth: Social Security is NOT going away! Gregory explains why this stubborn belief in Social Security's doom is overblown. There are a few good reasons why you would want to turn on Social Security early, rather than waiting on you...

The Superbowl was pretty amazing, and Tom Brady's performance bonuses clocked him almost $3 million extra last night. What are some of your options for a 401k left from a previous job? Cashing it in to buy rental properties is an awfully big burden. Do not take it lightly. Should you buy silver in your IRA? Gregory explains how the process works, but he's not a big fan of metals as an investment....

The jobs report shows a slowly improving economy. The numbers aren't anything to get excited about, but still good news. Netflix's rise to the top is a lesson in how monopolies are always a temporary economic mirage. Steven in Gonzales asks how he can best use the proceeds from a life insurance policy to wash the taxes on an inherited IRA. Is Social Security going away? Gregory thinks the better q...

Learn 10 mistakes to avoid when rolling over your 401k. There's a minefield of taxes, penalties, and fines. Gregory gives you the map. http://www. WinningAtLife.com

Google's earnings report crushed expectations, and the stock is soaring. The other huge story in the business news is Jeff Bezos stepping down as CEO of Amazon. Is he going to focus his efforts on another project, or simply looking to lighten his load? When you're trying to get started investing, you have to have an emergency fund first. Why did my Medicare premiums jump, and my Social Security go...

There's so much talk of raising taxes, one gets the feeling a tax increase is inevitable. The only questions left: WHICH taxes are going up, and by how much? Danial in Metairie is concerned about rampant abuse and fraud in the PPP loans. Frank in New Orleans is trying to restore his credit after a rough divorce. David in Metairie is thinking about dipping into his 401k to pay off his rental proper...

Wall Street's wild ride continues, as the trading of targeted stocks was halted by many retail trading outlets. After people, politicians, and media on both sides of the aisle cried foul, there may be legal consequences. Are investing apps a good idea? Jay in Covington is interested in using some of these new trading apps on his phone, but wants to hear Gregory's thoughts first. Gregory feels much...