Back in 2019, we had a lot of fun discussing billionaire Ray Dalio’s statement that “Cash is Trash.”  Recently Ray flip flopped on that, telling CNBC that “Cash is a better investment than stocks and bonds.” Steve, do you agree? Isn’t this a great example of why we need a financial advisor because the economy is constantly changing… and so should our investments? Deciding whether to retire now during an economic downturn can be a scary decision.  It might force someone to put off leaving the workforce.  T. Rowe Price has researched something it calls a “pre-tirement” strategy, i ..read more

Massive layoffs in the tech world have been grabbing headlines lately.  Companies like Google, Meta and Amazon are letting workers go by the thousands.  Just a few years ago, many were looking at finishing their careers with these jobs.  If someone is close to retirement – and that ‘forever job’ is becoming less stable – what can they do now to prepare for an unplanned retirement and still get guaranteed income? Then, once you turn 73, Uncle Sam makes you withdraw money from your tax-deferred retirement accounts so the government can collect its taxes.  It’s called a Requir ..read more

The guy who invented the concept of the “4% percent” rule thinks it’s too early to cut the withdrawal rate to 3% because of today’s volatile markets.   Bill Bengen feels it would take a “catastrophic” set of circumstances before people reduce their withdrawal rate.  Hear Steve's strategy about how much to take from retirement accounts during this economy and how he can help you protect and grow your income despite current market climate.  An article in the Wall Street Journal talked about now being a great time to do a conversion to an after-tax Roth IRA.  The reason i ..read more

It’s estimated that more than half of us will need some sort of long-term care in our senior years, just to help us with our daily living needs.  Hear Steve discuss options to save for long-term care, especially if you don’t want to self-fund it.  Then, in the next few weeks, a lot of retirees age 72 and up will get reminders to take their required minimum distributions – or RMDs – by the end of the year so Uncle Sam gets his tax money.  But an article in the Wall Street Journal suggests taking monthly or quarterly RMDs rather than waiting until year’s end.  Hear Steve weig ..read more

How diversified should a portfolio be in these volatile times?  One study found that most believe it takes only 30 holdings to be diversified.  But one chief investment officer recently said it should be more like 200 stocks!  So what’s a diversified portfolio look like to you and your clients?  Then, an 8-year-old boy in Kentucky (Lexington) wanted an Xbox and was willing to get a job and earn the money to get one.  So, Nash Johnson filled out an application to be a dishwasher at a local restaurant, even though he’s far short of the legal age of 16! Nash’s mom says he ..read more

Stocks are down.  And so are bonds, which are supposed to leverage against a falling market.  So where can we turn for a bond replacement?  Steve discusses other options and strategies when it comes to replacing bonds. While many Hollywood stars are richer than most of us, there’s one way they’re the same – they have mortgages.  Theirs is just much bigger.  For example, even though Beyonce and her husband Jay Z are worth $1.8 billion, they still took out a $53 million loan for their Bel Air mansion.  That’s a monthly payment of $227 grand!  Now, some approach ..read more

There was a recent study on self-made millionaires.  It discovered that most generated their income from multiple sources: 65% had three streams of income 45% had four streams of income About 30% had five or more streams of income So maybe you won’t retire with a million dollars, but we can learn from this.  Most of us will have Social Security and a 401(k).  Hear how Steve can help you build, grow and protect your streams of income. Then, there isn’t much good that comes from inflation, but there will be an exception in 2023.  The IRS is adjusting tax brackets and standa ..read more

Sometimes, we talk about the “myths” of retirement.  And Forbes says one of the most common ones is that we’ll be in a lower tax bracket, when we quit working.  That certainly seems to make sense – why would it not be true? Then, one of the big “unknowns” of retirement is what you’re going to spend on healthcare.  So, what if I told you that you might lose as much as 14% of your nest egg to unexpected healthcare costs?  That’s what a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research found.  That’s a significant percentage, and the researchers say – for wealthier reti ..read more

We’ve been getting good news lately.  The stock market is trying to continue its rally.  And prices – especially gas – have been coming down.  So, what moves are you making to protect your retirement savings? Steve explains his process in helping you de-risk your money and create income for life!    ..read more

This is a very special episode focusing on women and wealth.  To all the women reading this right now, how many times have you been with your husband/spouse and have been overlooked in an important conversation? You know, you both go to drop the car off to get repairs - who does the tech talk to? 99.9% of the time, they look at him. Situations like this can be so frustrating! It's assumed that the man in the relationship makes the money, and makes the decisions. As women we thrive on relationships. You've been going to that same hair salon for 10 years because of your hairdresser, not the ..read more