Winning at Life with Gregory Ricks

00:58 - The US has announced new sanctions on PDVSA, the Venezuelan national oil company, in an attempt to help transfer control from Maduro to Guaido. Kudlow says the China slowdown may have effects on our economy, but overall we're still going in the right direction. 09:09 - The Numbers are down overall, but Gregory's concern for Caterpiller's big drop is how the global slowdown could cause a ou...

00:57 - There's a 3 week spending bill to end the partial shutdown with no wall funded. Trump says he'll do emergency powers for the wall if it's not in the final compromise. Gregory thinks it's not going to be in the final compromise, and this will end up decided by the courts. 08:02 - Gregory stresses federal employees should not bear negative consequences for political stalemates. 13:05 - Grego...

01:46 - A former financial planner talks about what has surprised him after 10 years of retirement. 13:04 - Gregory is offering a free book that talks about building tax free income streams. 19:03 - A deal was announced to end the partial shutdown. Gregory breaks down some of the details of the deal, and we may end up back in a shutdown in three weeks? 25:46 - The Numbers are green across all the...

00:59 - Would you like a free book explaining ways to build tax-free income streams for retirement? Gregory is giving away copies of this quick read only to those who are serious about taking their investments to the next level. 03:09 - The Numbers are largely negative across the stock indices, but there's solid news coming from earning season. 11:33 - Soccer start Cristiano Ronaldo pays a $21 mil...

01:04 - Would you like a free book explaining ways to build tax-free income streams for retirement? Gregory is giving away copies of this quick read only to those who are serious about taking their investments to the next level. 15:04 - We review a highlight call from the Weekly Wrap: Larry in Slidell loves the show, but not the taxes on his Social Security benefits. Is there anything he can do ab...

01:11 - Would you like a free book explaining ways to build tax-free income streams for retirement? Gregory is giving away copies of this quick read only to those who are serious about taking their investments to the next level. 12:29 - Gregory and James discuss a couple of news items: how some people think the national debt is not a problem, and is it a good idea to import thousands/millions of h...

01:15 - Gregory and James do a quick football preview and then get to the financial news of the week. James asks Gregory if he frowns on the idea of heading out to the casinos on the MS Gulf Coast to take advantage of the sports betting. 15:49 - Emanuel in Gautier wants to know how Social Security benefits work once you get divorced. Gregory reviews the rules for Social Security benefits for divor...

01:17 - The next Gregory Ricks Live in almost full, and it's worth the drive. Reserve your seat for our wine, wisdom, and food experience and find out if you should be working with Gregory Ricks and Associates. 05:36 - How do rising interest rates change the balance between risk and safety? 15:50 - The Numbers were down for the day, but only slightly. The markets just finished three positive weeks...

01:50 - The World's Richest Man and his wife announce they are getting divorced, which brings up an interesting financial scenario. Gregory talks about some of the different demands negotiated into divorce settlements. 16:33 - Gregory reviews a call from Saturday's show: Lori in Vancleave leans on Gregory for financial help going through a divorce settlement, and what her Social Security options a...

01:04 - After three positive days in a row on Wall St, and weekly gains the last two weeks, could this be the end of the market downturn? Gregory reads what he sees in the S&P chart, and it looks like we are due for a cyclical downturn, and the real test is will it create a higher high, or a lower low? Gregory explains more of what he looks for in chart trends, and previews Trump's address to...

02:53 - During the shutdown, a complaint was made about the number of people who died at a National Park affected by the shutdown. Gregory checks out the stats, and shows it's safer now compared to the normal death rate at National Parks. 06:52 - David in Uptown is 78 and receiving Social Security, but asks Gregory if he can increase his benefit by suspending it for a couple years? Gregory explain...

01:18 - Volatility in the stock markets have been incredible lately. Gregory sees more downside coming, and the first big test to the falling market will be earnings season. 04:47 - Sears isn't dead, but Gregory explains how it's on life support. 08:19 - Wells Fargo pays a big settlement, but no one really gets in trouble. It appears the CFPB is OK with business scams as long as they get their cut...

00:56 - Gregory and James discuss the big financial headlines of the day. A judge overturns Obamacare. The big Bitcoin peak was this day last year. It's also been one year since Net Neutrality was repealed and the internet is 40% faster. 09:14 - Paul in Metairie asks about his wife's money at an old employer's plan that was forgotten about. 13:37 - John in Jackson: Should I accelerate my mortgage...

02:19 - A judge strikes down the Affordable Care Act, saying the tax provision repealed makes the entire law unconstitutional. Gregory reminds you of the metaphor between healthcare and buying an airline ticket. Few things wreck your financial world like unplanned medical costs. 25:14 - Gregory expands the amount of public events he's planning to cover additional topics like Social Security and Es...

01:02 - A tour of West Point was the highlight of Gregory's trip to New York. He shares his story of a historic and inspiring visit. A trip to Rockefeller Center was beautiful, but COLD. 05:44 The Numbers went from bad to worse, and there's little chance of it turning around in the near future. Too many forces are pushing stocks down, and the underlying economic growth just can't compensate for al...

01:12 - The next Gregory Ricks Live! is coming up January 16th. Maybe you're ready to take that next big step, maybe you would like to hear more information, we can do that together over a wine and food pairing hand picked by me. 08:00 - Gregory explains why he's not a buy-and-hold style investor. He shares the story of a recent couple graduating from Mutual Funds to ETFs and fixed annuitues. If y...

01:21 - Wow, the markets are all over the place! Stocks took a big dive today, but they were flying high last week after a month of getting crushed. Gas prices are dropping like a rock, and OPEC is taking a beating. Half of the economic news is great, the other half is a disaster. Gregory explains why the inverted yield curve on bonds is getting so much attention. 15:37 - Jennifer in Covington wan...

01:01 - Gregory and James reflect on the life of George H.W. Bush in the wake of his passing. 07:52 - Reforms to retirement planning laws have taken form in a Congressional Committee. Gregory breaks down what changes are on the table, and how they would affect your ability to save for retirement. 25:46 - Susan Roesgen from News With a Twist on WGNO calls in to ask Gregory's thoughts about the retu...

01:21 - Susan Roesgen from News With a Twist on WGNO calls in to ask Gregory's thoughts about the returns on her investments this year. Three different investment accounts have had wildly different results. 15:45 - How can you get out of a Reverse Mortgage? Mark texts in on the Winning at Life app asking Gregory for advice on how to get his mother-in-law out of her reverse mortgage. 21:42 - What d...

01:53 - How do you judge if your investments are doing well in a down market? Gregory shares a recent situation where he was helping a client shed some risk and move to safety. 05:30 - Beverly in Slidell asks Gregory how she knows if she's getting the most out of her Social Security options by staying on her husband's record while continuing to work. 09:31 - The Numbers: the market opens down, but...

01:13 - Gregory reviews his guest appearance on the Gallo Show about how pension buyout offers are becoming more frequent, and how to know if the lump sum is enough to take. 12:57 - Gregory Ricks Live was last night. It's the last live event from Gregory Ricks for 2018, and Gregory shares some event ideas for 2019. 15:01 - Gregory reviews his guest appearance on the Gallo Show about if Social Secu...

02:19 - Graham in New Orleans asks Gregory about how to best use life insurance as an investment vehicle. 12:59 - Gregory shares some quick thoughts on the California wildfires. 17:38 - Should you ditch your variable annuity? A client asks Gregory how he could best utilize an old variable annuity with a decent income rider and low cash value. 27:57 - What's good is a prospectus? Almost nobody read...

00:56 - Pat in Belle Chase asks Gregory why her Social Security estimate went down. There's several reasons your benefits estimate could be calculated down, and there's a few things you could check on to make sure there's not a mistake. 12:32 - If your Social Security check is smaller than you expected, it's probably your own fault. Gregory explains how if you understand all of Social Security's m...

01:18 - Some poor Chinese bondholders are getting a pig in leiu of payment. I'm not sure that would fly so well here in the States. 20:13 - What does it take to be in the top 1%? We break it down by income and net worth. 27:50 - Pat in Belle Chase asks Gregory why her Social Security estimate went down. There's several reasons your benefits estimate could be calculated down, and there's a few thin...

00:56 - What legislative changes are on the table that will affect your money? Social Security is unlikely to see any major changes anytime soon, but the Fiduciary Rule may make its return in some form. Generally, the markets love divided government. 08:10 - How is your inheritance taxed? Roger in Belle Chase is inheriting a sizable portion of a family trust. Gregory guides him on how to determine...