Your Money & Your Life Podcast

What many people are starting to realize is that taxes in retirement might actually be more than they were when they were working. We’ve been taught our entire lives to defer taxes by contributing to an IRA and 401(k), but that ends up leaving retirees with more to pay down the road. What’s important to know is that the taxman will cometh at some point, and it could be for more than you are paying...

The biggest news in the financial world this month has been the failure of major banks like Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. There didn’t seem to be any concerns about their stability even a few weeks ago, but things fell apart quickly. So the obvious question is what happened and how will this impact me? In this episode, Don will provide a breakdown of what went wrong with SVB and how this...

This episode will help explain what ESG investing is and how it impacts your retirement planning. Plus, are these investments actually helping the environment and why is the government getting involved? Don Cash will sort out a lot of the facts on this topic so you’ll be more informed. Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode: What is ESG investing and why we’re talking about this today? (3:...

What we want to do in this episode is make sense of what exactly is happening with Social Security and which concerns are legit and which ones might be overblown. This isn’t the first time Social Security has had to make adjustments since it was originally introduced in 1935, and we’ll take you through what has changed over the past nearly 90 years.   Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode...

Tax season is officially here for 2023 and while many of us will slowly ease into it, now is the time to start thinking about what you need to accomplish over the next few months. In this episode, Don is going to help you prepare for tax season by explaining the key documents that you’ll want to be on the lookout for, highlighting the financial planning conversations you need to be having with you...

Another round of retirement changes are on the way after President Biden passed SECURE Act 2.0 into law on December 23rd. While we’ve been anticipating this legislation for a while, we didn’t know exactly what we be in the final bill. Retirees and pre-retirees need to spend some time with their advisor to discuss what this legislation means, how it might impact you, and what planning opportunities...

Market volatility became the norm in 2022. In this episode, we will be discussing the ups and downs of the last year, from volatility to celebrity news. Here's some of what we discuss in this episode: Current inflation and the outlook for next year. (5:19) Examples of volatility throughout this last year. (14:47) Big events/drama that happened in 2022. (20:34) Get additional financial information:...

We are heading toward Christmas and The New Year at lightning speed. We are only weeks away from 2023.  It looks like we came off Black Friday and Cyber Monday with lots of shoppers and over the past week we have had better-than-expected economic data, yet the stock market has dropped. What are we to make of that?? Right now, all of the pundits are trying to read the tea leaves (so to speak) about...

Happy Thanksgiving! We wish you all the blessings of the holiday as we spend time with family and friends and gather for the long Holiday weekend. As we rapidly move From Thanksgiving into the Christmas season and New Year’s Day (I can’t believe it’s almost 2023), we want to talk about finishing strong as well as touch on the difference between knowledge and wisdom, the big FTX scandal, and how go...

The elections are over! (At least most of them are) Now what? It seems like, over the past month, we have been bombarded with nasty political ads or commercials by Joe Namath, Jimmy JJ Walker, and Tom Selleck pitching Medicare plans. At least the political ads are over for now (except for Georgia). We just have to put up with the Medicare ads for the next month. In this episode, we discuss the ele...

You’ve probably seen the commercials with the legendary quarterback, Joe Namath or Tom Selleck and William Shatner (Captain Kirk). They are selling Medicare Advantage plans letting us know that now, October 15th through December 7th is open enrollment season. So, what is a Medicare Advantage plan and should you get one? On today’s show, we are going to discuss Medicare with expert Ray Martin. This...

Weather enthusiasts and retirement planning worlds collide… Each Fall we spend a lot of time watching and listening to the news and the Weather Channel getting reports of developing hurricanes and are treated to lots of updated graphics to bring us a refresher on how hurricanes work. So, let’s take the opportunity to see what we can learn about retirement planning from a discussion about hurricane...

In a normal year, just one of these topics would be significant news for us to discuss, but 2022 is filled with headlines that impact retirement planning. On this episode, we’re going to provide an update on inflation and the indicators to be watching, share stats on the early retirement trend, and give you the truth on the latest proposed legislation that impacts Social Security.   Here’s some of...

Washington recently passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which on the surface appears to be aimed at solving the inflation problem. But there’s much more inside the bill, including a few different items that directly impacts financial planning. We’ll break down this new legislation on the podcast and highlight other laws that might be on the way.   Here’s some of what you’ll learn on this episode:...

For economic geeks like ourselves and those old enough to remember, this week will be seen as the anniversary of one of the greatest bull markets in history. It was on August 12, 1982, that the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped to its low of 777 (lucky number) —almost precisely where the Index had closed in January 1964, more than 18 years earlier!   Here’s some of what you’ll learn on this epi...

There’s a heat wave spreading across the world right now, along with a lot of economic stress. On today’s episode, we’ll explore some expert opinions on our current bear market. Does Don agree or disagree with them?   Listen for these key points:  0:29 – Did you have a good summer trip? 1:25 – Don’s daughter is getting married! 2:42 – What we’re going to analyze today 4:53 – Demand for services ar...

Are we losing our financial independence to inflation, a possible recession, and longevity? On today’s episode, we’ll explore the various risks that can complicate your plan and your finances.   Listen for these key points:  0:28 – Happy 4th of July! 3:20 – Fear of running out of money 6:06 – Life expectancy 7:48 – Pushing your plan to 90+ 8:35 – Dying too young, living too long 9:32 – Costs for l...

With summer comes rising temperatures and this year, rising inflation! On today’s episode we’re going to discuss the importance of education, managing expectations, and understanding when it comes to navigating a volatile market.   Listen for these key points:  0:40 – Are you ready for summer? 2:53 – Is this permanent? 4:56 – Raise rates fast or slow? 6:35 – Fewer people working 8:00 – What are we...

Last week we spoke on the cycle of investor anxiety. How can we break this cycle and enjoy a fruitful financial future without the stress?   Listen for these key points:  0:35 – This past Memorial Day 4:40 – Phase 1 7:02 – Phase 2 8:56 – Phase 3 13:19 – Phase 4 & 5 15:52 – How do we break the cycle? 18:12 – Change your news up! 18:45 – Maximize returns, minimize risk 20:50 – Let others be emotiona...

How do we overcome the cycle of anxiety we face as investors? On today’s episode, Don breaks down the 5 stages of investor anxiety and how we can overcome these obstacles in today’s world.   Listen for these key points:  0:55 – It’s hot here! 3:36 – Phases of anxiety 4:49 – A broken process 5:45 – Fear of the future 6:38 – Addicted to technology 10:06 – You can’t predict the future 11:15 – Track r...

It seems like all the talk lately as been inflation, interest rates and investment volatility. Every time you look at the news you see rising inflation numbers, gas prices seem to have actually gone up again and the stock market has been crazy volatile. Add in another interest rate increase by the Federal Reserve and the list of issues gets longer and longer. We didn't have enough time to dig deep...

Interest rates are going up, inflation is impacting our wallets, and bond prices are down. On today’s episode, we break down these issues and how they could impact you.   What we discuss:  0:53 – Changing mask rules 2:16 – Will travel start up again? 3:16 – Air travel and fuel are up 5:09 – Why are rates jumping up? 7:16 – Prices of homes have gone up 9:55 – Impact on stocks and bonds 11:07 – Bond...

What does it take to be a winner in today’s stock market? We’ll explore the difference between winners and losers when it comes to investing on today’s episode.   What we discuss:  0:53 – UNC versus Kansas 3:43 – The market since 2020 5:10 – Winners have a plan 6:49 – Changes since 2020 11:19 – Greed and gains 14:20 – What makes a winner? 16:55 – Waiting to get back in 19:49 – Mailbag: “Non-financ...

Last month some new IRA changes were proposed. How could these possible changes impact your financial future and your family’s?   What we discuss:  0:32 – Spring has sprung 2:27 – IRS rule changes 4:29 - Inheritance rules 6:47 – New proposed required distributions 7:49 – When the original owner dies 9:21 – Designated beneficiaries 11:37 – Impact on generational wealth 13:13 – Make a comment to the...

Today, we will discuss the geopolitical events of the past and present. Geopolitical risk is nothing new, but will current conflicts significantly impact the economy?    What we discuss:  0:30 – Things change quickly 2:05 – Keeping perspective 3:16 – Ukraine and Russia history 3:56 - Ukraine wanting to join NATO 6:00 – Different types of risk 8:37 – Geopolitical risk in perspective 10:46 – 26 mark...