Winning at Life with Gregory Ricks

01:28 - The House passes the Raise the Wage Act, which would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour in 6 years. If it's so great, why don't they make it go into effect immediately? 03:01 - The SECURE Act is making its way through Congress, and could have two big changes to IRAs. It could push back the age for Required Minimum Distributions from 70.5 to 72, and it could end the stretch options for i...

Hurricane Barry moves towards Louisiana, and we welcome Bob Breck to do a couple of weather updates, along with the regular financial talk. Estate Planning Attorney Wes Blanchard is our guest, and we take some great calls, too. http://www. WinningAtLife.com

04:09 - North Dakota's only billionaire started as a ranch hand in high school, became a gym teacher, got into the insurance business, and then finally rocketed to success owning motels. 12:31 - Gary in New Orleans has a great health plan with his employer. Does his wife need to sign up for Medicare if she's covered by his private health plan? 28:21 - How to turn on Medicare. When do you need to s...

The GRL road show: Gregory Ricks Live has upcoming events in Biloxi, Metairie, and the Northshore. How to have a retirement if you do not have enough money saved No really, America is #1. Hear the statistics and facts that overwhelmingly prove America truly is the best country in the world, despite the rash of attempts to make you think otherwise. What you need to know about saving for your kids'...

The Half Episode: Gregory and James bring you on a statistical journey through the world of halves.

03:23 - Gregory has been hosting a number of public events around the area, and is happy to announce his first event in Biloxi. Gregory Ricks Live: Wine, Wisdom, and Food, will be at the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in the Hard Rock Casino. 18:38 - Tom in Marrero asks Gregory's thoughts on where he can put some extra money to generate income. 38:50 - What should you do if your IRA loses money? Matt in...

03:28 - Zion Williamson signs with the New Orleans Pelicans, and the financial numbers behind the story are massive. He's going to lose about half of it to taxes, but it could've been worse had he been drafted to a high-tax state. 06:10 - The Numbers. 12:18 - Louis in Chalmette has noticed most of his portfolio is slowly shifting to cash and safety, but the markets are near all-time highs. Gregory...

00:55 - The Fed leaves rates unchanged, and even though many were under the impression a rate cut was coming, the markets responded positively to the news. 04:33 - The Numbers show a solid market rally for the day, with gold taking off and Treasuries going even lower. The two seem to indicate economic troubles abroad. Gregory and James discuss the mystery of the disappearing Venezuelan gold. 12:43...

01:04 - How do you grade your 401k's performance? Just checking your 401k balance isn't enough to know whether or not your 401k investments are doing well, because it often includes your contributions mixed in with the returns. Gregory has some guidance on how to evaluate your accounts, and see if adjustments need to be made. 13:41 - What should you do if your IRA loses money? Matt in Hammond asks...

00:59 - Tax cheats in the news are a good reminder that you should do everything you can do to keep your tax bill as low as possible, but DON'T BREAK THE LAW. Many of these stories involve the self-employed, because their tax compliance isn't as simple as a those who are a W2 employee. 04:47 - The attacks on oil tankers in the Straight of Hormuz have some folks pointing fingers at Iran, but the oi...

05:14 - Kelvin in Kiln asks Gregory to clarify how an annuity works, because he's heard two different things. Both are correct, because there's several kinds of annuities, and Gregory breaks down the differences. 26:14 - Matthew in Bush asks if he can delay paying his payroll taxes until the end of the year, and invest that money in the meantime. Gregory explains why a W2 employee probably can't,...

01:32 - Out of the years you plan to spend in retirement, how many of them will you still have the energy to do activities requiring some level of physical fitness? The earlier you retire, the more "energy years" you will have, and they require a different financial approach. Rambo 5 is coming out, and Stallone is 72 years old. 12:32 - Tariffs dominate the financial headline this week, with the tr...

00:58 - Because of the different tax rates between California and Texas, Chris Paul brings home more money than Steph Curry, despite having a gross salary that's $2 million less. 04:31 - The Numbers were mostly positive, but it's hard to get too excited considering the general trend is still down for the last 5 weeks or so. 14:02 - Uber releases its first quarterly earning report since going publi...

02:57 - Gregory was right to curb your enthusiasm about the Uber IPO. The ride-sharing giant opened on the stock market with a small loss. Uber is losing tons of money, and has no plans on turning a profit anytime soon. Gregory and James speculate on the future of Uber, and how various disruptions coming to their business model make this an incredibly risky investment. 12:27 - Should you take Soci...

01:17 - An update on the upcoming Uber IPO. This is the IPO with the largest operating loss in history, beating the record set earlier this year by Lyft. Having a record of consistently hemmoraging money isn't enough to scare off investors, even though IPOs haven't been very succesful lately. 13:35 - The Numbers were red all of the way around. More spooked selling from China talks, Uber 24:05 - If...

03:25 - The Numbers were mixed, but more red than green across the short sheet. China trade talks are getting much of the attention, and there's some excitement about the upcoming Uber IPO. 09:35 - Gregory shares his thoughts on what's really going on with the trade negotiations between the US and China. Depending on what kind of deal gets done, this can market our markets blast off, or grind into...

00:54 - The markets were spooked by news the US-China trade talks have taken a big step back, with new tarrifs looming. 03:24 - Are Mining and Precious Metal investments a good idea? Alan in Gulfport asks Gregory his thoughts on where the mining industry is headed, because he is testing an investment option in his company's 401k. 06:52 - Doug on the Northshore heard a rumor that taking military re...

01:13 - Gregory returns from his vacation with tales of adventures in Milan, Italy and in Austin at the iHeartCountry Festival. The food and wine experience in Italy is noticably different, especially considering dinner takes 2-3 hours most days. 14:23 - Gregory shares some of the ways Italy has a different mindset on economic issues like taxes and manufacturing. 19:17 - Gerard in New Orleans want...

01:11 - The annual Social Security projection have been updated, and funds are now expected to run out in 2035. Gregory expects there to be changes to the program before benefits get cut, probably increasing the taxes, and maybe even raising the retirement age. James hopes for privatization. 19:27 - Are you doing better financially than the average American? Compare yourself to the average America...

01:27 - Real Estate sales have slowed for the first quarter, but Gregory reminds you how often a sluggish home market isn't a sign of a slowing economy. The real effect on you as you are approaching retirement is the ability to strike a good deal on your retirement home. 16:00 - The Numbers are mixed, with Trump's repeal of Iran sanction waivers rocking the oil market and getting the biggest headl...

00:58 - Gregory and James do a brief summary of the major topics to be covered on today's show. Real Estate, reducing your tax bills, reverse mortgages, Social Security planning. 02:33 - A recent survey shows 42% of college graduates say their degree wasn't worth the cost. 12:42 - More Americans these days are enjoying an encore career in retirement. Sometimes it's for the money, sometimes it's fo...

01:39 - Gregory has some core rules for maximizing your Social Security benefit. Several factors go into your check amount, and Gregory breaks down how work credits and your starting age figure into your benefit. 04:52 - Initial jobless claims just set ANOTHER 50 year record low for the second week in a row. We haven't had this few people signing up for unemployment since before we landing on the...

01:08 - Gregory Ricks Live was last night at Keith Young's in Madisonville, and the place was packed, with a great response. 12:19 - More people are forced to retire earlier than expected, than forced to work longer than expected. How can you be prepared to retire before your preferred retirement timeline? The evolving job market also makes it easier for displaced workers to find a quick gig. 21:2...

01:23 - The financial side of Tiger Woods' amazing comeback win at the Masters begins with a dazzling $2.07 million first prize, and the guys that miss the cut get $10,000. Gregory reveals Augusta National has been on a property-buying spree in their area and may have big plans for development. 12:32 - It's Tax Day! Today is an ideal time to remember to plan for tax diversity in your retirement pl...

01:20 - Wes Blanchard is the Estate Planning Attorney of the Total Wealth Authority. Gregory and Wes have a live event coming up in Madisonville this Tuesday at Keith Young's steakhouse. 05:34 - Wes Blanchard shares some of the pitfalls of dealing with Usufruct and Naked Ownership. He has seen people try and use Usufruct to settle property disputed upon death, only to have it put the parties in di...