Winning at Life with Gregory Ricks

00:51 - The SECURE Act was rolled into the spending bill that passed the House, and if it gets through the Senate, it would make some HUGE changes to retirement savings. Gregory details the changes that may be coming to IRA contributions, Required Minimum Distributions, 401ks, and other details in the SECURE Act that affect your money. 25:15 - Do you like the self checkout lane at the grocery stor...

00:58 - This budget deal is awful. The House of Representatives passed a spending bill ahead of a looming shutdown, and James claims it's quite possibly the worst spending bill in the history of America. It explodes the deficit, and the details are even worse. 11:51 - Boeing suspends production on the 737 Max jets. Gregory sees this as a bad sign of how things are going for Boeing trying to reboun...

00:14 - The Dangers of Store Credit Cards. A report shows one of the biggest financial mistakes made over the holidays is signing up for new store credit cards. The interest rate on some of these cards is 30%! 09:55 - Gregory shares the story of a local retiree who had used the File and Suspend option on his Social Security record, and was surprised when he started receiving checks automatically a...

00:16 - Gregory walks your through the history of Amazon, and how they've evolved from a book store, to the cheapest general store, to the convenience leader. In some cases, people are willing to pay a little bit more to get it tomorrow, and Amazon is all over next day shipping. 08:24 - The rise of Dollar Stores is crowding out some local grocers in small town America. Gregory and James respond to...

00:28 - As LSU Football rolls through what may be their most historic season ever, the money moving behind the scenes is massive. It's no surprise that college football coaches are among the highest paid coaches in all of sports. 07:59 - The jobs report was a blowout, and should give a pause to all of those who have been predicting a recession all year. 12:17 - Is recession coming? An interesting...

00:51 - Joe Burrow's amazing season brings a new face to the debate on college athletes being able to make money from their likeness. If the legendary LSU QB was able to make a couple bucks per shirt from a line of Burreaux merchandise, he would already be rich. 07:54 - Cow Guy on Fox Business makes a good point: if the retail apocalypse is this bad when online spending is only 20% of the retail s...

01:27 - When three brothers auctioned off their late parent's collection in the attic, one painting was worth over a million dollars. 09:51 - Gregory warns of robocall scams, and James has the story of the biggest heist since WW2. 16:50 - Maybe you should sleep on a big decision. Gregory is a big believer in taking your time and getting multiple opinions when making a big decision. 25:16 - Ideas f...

00:29 - The Census Bureau releases its report on poverty in America, and the news is overwhelmingly good. Gregory reacts to the slew of stats that show the lower and middle classes gained ground over the last two years. 02:58 - Gregory explains the downsides to annuities. 07:48 - 10 RMD Mistakes to Avoid: learn how to avoid some of the common errors people make concerning the Required Minimum Dist...

00:48 - A 60 Minutes story on these metal-rich nodules in an area of the Pacific Ocean floor was amazing for several reasons. It's amazing that three rare metals needed for modern battery technology are concentrated in these rocks, and laid out on the ocean floor. At the end, they pushed for the Law of the Sea Treaty that would give the UN jurisdiction over the oceans, which is a horrible idea. 12...

00:37 - There's not a lot of headlines about the looming government shutdown that could happen if some budget bills aren't passed by Thursday. The news is paying much attention, but the markets don't seem spooked either. 04:06 - Jamie Dimon on 60 Minutes was badgered by Leslie Stahl to say something bad about the economy. Mark Cuban explains how Senator Warren's proposed wealth tax will run into l...

00:57 - We begin the show covering some of the public events coming up in the area. There's a Wine, Wisdom, and Food event each for Biloxi, New Orleans, and Madisonville left for the rest of the decade. Gregory and James take a look at things to come. 14:06 - Social Security scam calls are still swamping your phone. We review some tips on how to identify a scam call, and how new technology is bein...

01:06 - The Fed is buying treasuries again, just don't call it Quantitative Easing this time. 11:57 - Disney says Disney Plus signed up over 10 million subscribers in its first 48 hours. 18:20 - Amtrak may actually break even for the first time. Since the federal government took over passenger train service about 50 years ago, it has lost money every year. The numbers are even worse considering th...

03:20 - Another SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches an additional 60 mini-satellites, adding to the growing web of universal wifi routers in low orbit. 06:33 - Gregory responds to a few financial comments made by President Trump today at the New York Economic Club. Knowing where the President is heading gives you a chance to position yourself better for the future, and there is plenty of reasons to be...

03:20 - Alibaba did $38 billion in sales on Singles Day. That's bigger than Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Amazon Prime Day combined. As the online marketplace continues to grow and evolve, what comes next? 12:37 - In honor of Veterans Day, we have some financial guidance for vets. 19:51 - A note to presidential candidates: we already have a federal program that covers the cost of college. It's c...

00:52 - The IRS announces new contribution limits for 401ks and IRAs. 07:38 - At what point do you need a financial advisor? David in Gulfport is building up enough assets he's thinking about getting some help. 12:52 - We review the storyline of Tim in Metairie who called two days ago to say that Uber stock will plummet when a shares are unlocked, then called yesterday to confirm he was correct, b...

01:23 - What is the 401k Maximizer? Gregory explains how the 401k Maximizer can be your guide to making the right investments within your 401k. 09:51 - Time in Metairie calls back to update the show: yesterday's prediction about Uber's stock going down when the shares unlock came true. 13:19 - Have you lost a spouse? Learn how to get the most out of Social Security widow's benefits. 21:08 - Gregor...

00:39 - Things to keep in mind when changing careers late in life. 04:27 - When talking about the most profitable company in the world, Troy in Metairie chats about how Aramco's low cost-per-barrel is their key. 07:40 - Tim in Metairie predicts Uber stocks will fall after hundreds of millions of shares become unlocked tomorrow. 14:37 - Learn how Social Security survivors benefit works. http://www....

00:41 - Gregory answers a few text questions from the app. 04:27 - Should you take Social Security Survivors Benefit if you're still working? AJ in Pontchatoula asks Gregory to walk him through his options when it comes to Social Security widows benefit. 08:19 - Dean in Madisonville isn't so sure about his life insurance setup, and asks for a second opinion from Gregory. 11:34 - A recent report sh...

00:51 - John in New Orleans asks Gregory how to get the most out of his Social Security benefits utilizing the right spousal benefits strategy. The rules have changed in the last few years, and Gregory checks the rules to let John know where he stands. 09:45 - Is Long Term Care Insurance worth the cost? Sharon in Picayune is not a fan of the high premiums and likelyhood the insurance will go unuse...

01:15 - Kanye West described his financial situation in a recent interview, and there's a lot to learn from the ground he covered on income, debt, spending, and taxes. 11:34 - The Fed lowers the interest rates again. We review comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell. 20:11 - Gregory addresses some big financial headlines: recession in Hong Kong, PMI down, and Lisa Marie Presley's financial turmoil....

00:47 - Can you turn on your spousal benefit and let your own Social Security benefit continue to grow? James asks Gregory about someone who is definitely not his mother-in-law who plans to continue working after her Full Retirement Age, and wants to get the most out of her Social Security options. 03:19 - Gregory reviews a list of the US companies with the most debt. Debt load can be a huge drag...

01:20 - The S&P 500 closes at an all-time high. Does that mean it's time to get out? 08:11 - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg answered questions in a Congressional hearing that was supposed to be about the crypto-currency project: Libra. Some people had trouble staying on topic, but it does give you a sense of what politicians think about cryptos, and how they might regulate it. 14:54 - Millenials...

Gregory answers questions from the comment cards at his last public speaking event. 02:09 - How do 401k distributions work? 05:34 - What you need to know about life insurance and fixed annuities. 08:48 - Eric in Mandeville asks Gregory what he should do about the stocks in his former employer's ESOP plan? 12:39 - Earl in St Rose: Should I pay off my mortgage early or invest that money? Gregory ans...

Gregory answers questions from the comment cards at his last public speaking event. 15:37 - What do you do with money at an old pension? Kenneth in Picayune asks Gregory's thoughts on what he should do with the money vested in a pension from a previous job. Gregory answers more questions from the comment cards at his last public speaking event. http://www. WinningAtLife.com

02:42 - Another big data hack reminds us to check up on our identity theft protection. This time, it's data from a popular app game: Words With Friends. 04:17 - The Fortnite black hole was a big deal for a huge gaming community. Gregory points out the daily revenue for Fortnite was reported to be over $6 million a day. 12:10 - Cyber security experts recommend you don't recycle passwords. Gregroy a...