Your Retirement Elevated Podcast with Scott Dougan

The fear for many right now is that once the pandemic finally passes, the financial impact will knock them off track for the future. If you’re worried that the coronavirus could rob you of your retirement, there are four areas of your finances that you can check right now. Find out what they are and why they’re good indicators of where you’re headed.   Read more and get additional financial resour...

With so much news to process these last few months, financial updates might not be at the top of your list. But part of the recent relief efforts included new rollover rolls that impact people that need to take RMDs. Find out what it all means and whether this impacts you.   Read more and get additional financial resources here:  https://wp.me/paeENs-8O     Today's show schedule:  0:52 – How’s eve...

Building a financial plan is as much about protecting your portfolio as it is building it, and that’s why it’s important to prepare for the unexpected. These five life events would likely fall into that category so what should you financially if any of these things impact you? We’ll talk about each one and discuss what adjustments might be made.   Read more and get additional financial resources: ...

Maybe even more so now than ever, we are looking for more and more financial guidance. A lot of times we turn to lots of different sources to find that information. And while these sources might have the best intentions, that doesn’t mean that the advice is always going to fit you. Let’s look at some examples and explore the reasons why we have to be very careful from whom we’re taking this import...

Since we aren’t able to bring David McKnight to Kansas City for an in-person appearance, we decided to do the next best thing and bring him on the podcast. Join us as the author and tax planning expert gives us his perspective of what we’re experiencing with a turbulent economy and what opportunities investors have to move closer to a zero percent tax bracket.   Read more and get additional resour...

The CARES Act is a recent bill that passed and became law in order to provide some relief during this economic slowdown. There are some provisions in this bill that retirees and pre-retirees should take a closer look at because they may change your retirement plan. Scott will list the 5 key points in this new piece of legislation and will discuss the possible impacts of each point. Show Notes & In...

The $2 trillion coronavirus (COVID-19) economic stimulus bill was signed into law on March 27, 2020 aimed to provide relief and opportunities for individuals and businesses impacted negatively by the current pandemic. On this episode, we'll cover some of the key provisions in the bill with Scott Dougan and special guest Mark O'ffill of Prairie Fire Resources LLC. Small business owners, check out t...

Take a deep breath. Yes, the Coronavirus is scary and we know it's causing a lot of you to worry. But on today's show we try to put the crisis in historical perspective, share stories about how other people like you are responding to the situation, and look ahead to the future with a sense of hope, not doom. Give a listen as Scott analyzes the purposeful pumping of the brakes on the economy and wh...

Do you have a good sense of what documents you should keep on file throughout your life? We'll give you an overview on this episode of some of the important items you should tuck away. And be sure to check out the full list on our downloadable guide. Show Notes & Info: SECURE Act PDF:  https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/q49eyi/Podcast_PDF_-_What_Documents_Do_I_Need_To_Keep_On_File_-_Download.pdf Podc...

The Chiefs are Super Bowl Champions! We celebrate that fact on this episode and also discuss one of the biggest news stories of late, the coronavirus pandemic. Although these events are extreme ends of the spectrum, we can learn some important financial lessons from both. Show Notes & Info: S&P Chart Podcast Site:  https://listentoscott.com/ Retirement Classes:  https://www.retirementelevated.com/...

Respected financial author David McKnight joined Scott Dougan and the Elevated Retirement Group team for a recent event to learn about tax strategies that can lead you to the zero percent tax bracket in retirement. Scott recaps the event and details some of the strategies David talks about in his book, The Power of Zero. Show Notes & Info: SECURE Act PDF:  https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/yg7vqr/Th...

After it simmered in Congress for a year, the SECURE Act is now law. If you have a retirement account of any kind, or will one day inherit a retirement account, this will affect you... Show Notes & Info: SECURE Act PDF:  https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/yg7vqr/The_Secure_Act_-_ERG_-_Downloadable_Guide.pdf Podcast Site:  https://listentoscott.com/ Retirement Classes:  https://www.retirementelevated....

If you have money in a pre-tax account (think traditional IRA, 401(k), etc...), you will want to consider paying taxes on those funds now instead of later. With taxes indeed on sale, we'll give you some strategies to consider. Show Notes & Info: Podcast Site:  https://listentoscott.com/ Retirement Classes:  https://www.retirementelevated.com/courses/ Call: (913) 393-4724

Just like we did a year ago, Scott will give us a blow-by-blow account of the things we should be looking to do at the end of the year from a tax perspective. 2019 Tax Planning Checklist Show Notes & Info: Podcast Site:  https://listentoscott.com/ Retirement Classes:  https://www.retirementelevated.com/courses/ Call: (913) 393-4724

A lot of folks believe that politics have a dynamic and tremendous impact on their personal financial situations. Specifically, they'll often align their investment strategies with the prevailing political winds. But, as Scott tells us on today's show, that isn't very wise. You're making a big mistake if you mix investment decisions with politics and we'll tell you why on this episode. Show Notes...

On today's show, we'll follow-up on an earlier conversation about the SECURE Act's impact on the Stretch IRA and talk about how the Senate's plan (RESA) spells even greater doom for IRA owners with large balances. If you have a lot saved in an IRA and might pass it to a non-spouse beneficiary one day, this conversation better be on your radar. Show Notes & Info: Episode 21:  https://yourretirement...

How do the ultra-wealthy get away with paying fewer taxes than everyone else? Many people believe it’s because they use complicated, or questionable tax practices. But that’s not necessarily the case. In fact, many of the strategies the ultra-wealthy use to save a small fortune in taxes are also available to you. You just don’t know they exist, or you’re simply not taking advantage of them. On tod...

Taxes are very likely to increase in the future and failing to plan accordingly may have painful financial consequences. That said, not everybody should alter their plans, but some should. Like most financial matters, this is a very nuanced subject. There are very few absolutes or hard-and-fast rules here. Listen to today’s show to find out if you should make some changes in your plan to take adva...

As you near retirement, there are several different ages to keep in mind, each of which represents an important landmark in retirement planning. Let's discuss what those landmarks are, and why each of them is vital to consider and discuss with your financial advisor when planning for your retirement future. Show Notes & Info: Podcast Site:  https://listentoscott.com/ Retirement Classes:  https://w...

Over the course of two decades, Scott has developed a comprehensive 5-step plan for retirement. Listen to today's show to see if you have included these steps and why they are needed in a thorough retirement plan. Click here to get the PDF for the 5-Step Complete Planning Process

“Financial Security” might mean different things to different people, but for nearly everyone, making sure that they achieve their own definition of security is the most important part of their retirement plan. So, how do you define financial security? On today’s show, we’ll cover some of the popular responses we hear from clients during the planning process.

When it comes to investing and planning for retirement, everyone is affected by a handful of different biases that influence how they make decisions. And oftentimes, these biases can get us into quite a bit of trouble if we're not careful. So let's learn how to spot these biases and gain an overall healthier financial mindset.

With all of the technology available at our fingertips on a daily basis, the world's seven billion people are as connected as they've ever been. But is that always a good thing? In this episode, Scott gives us some perspective on how the media can influence the way we perceive the world and how that skews the reality of life.  

Congress is in the middle of passing the SECURE Act (passed in the House, waiting on the Senate). The bill brings a lot of positive changes for those of us planning for retirement, but it also threatens the elimination of an important and well-used planning strategy, the Stretch IRA. Scott will break down this bill for us and talk about how it might impact our financial plans going forward.

Part of discovering a financial advisor's true value and role in your life is coming to grips with the things they can and cannot actually do for you. Advisors aren't superheroes, so there will be some things you can't reasonably expect them to be able to do. Let's chat about some of these expectations and see how it all might impact your own financial situation.