Is Right Now The Ideal Time For A Roth Conversion?
Happy Thanksgiving to all of our listeners! We are so thankful to each of you who tune into the podcasts regularly. Your feedback and input is invaluable. On this episode, Barbara and Phil will assess the country’s debt and tax situation as we wrap up 2020 and discuss why right now, before the end of the calendar year, might be the best time to do a Roth conversion. Make sure to listen to this episode right away in case you need to take action before Dec 31st. […]
Is It Too Good to Be True?
The S&P 500 has risen on strong growth from large cap stocks but is it too good to be true? You might be feeling like you’re missing out on these investments but maybe you aren’t. Let’s talk about whether it’s a good investment moving forward and what we’ve learned from previous market data. […]
Is The Illinois Fair Tax Really Fair?
Illinois voters will soon be deciding on an issue impacting the state’s financial future as well as their own bank accounts. This fair tax proposal has been a hot topic of conversation across the state but also with our clients. Today we’ll break down the proposal to help you better understand exactly what this means for you. […]
Here Are Some Easy Ways To Ruin Your Retirement
Everyone has read blogs, watched shows, and listened to people talk about all the key ways to improve or succeed in retirement. But what about how you can mess it all up? Let’s tackle five easy ways to ruin your retirement (then just do the opposite of these things and you’ll be fine). […]
Financial Issues Particularly Challenging For Women
Many financial issues impact us all the same. But, of course, other challenges have varying impacts from person to person because our situations are all unique. Let’s take a look at some of the financial and retirement challenges that are unique to women. […]
Mailbag: Bonds, REITs, & Paying Off The Mortgage
On this mailbag edition of the podcast, we’ll talk about whether it’s a good idea to invest in bonds or REITs, what services you should expect from your financial advisor, and whether or not you should pay off your mortgage. We’ll also get Phil’s take on the current state of student loan debt and whether or not colleges should be held accountable. […]
Survival Guide: Lessons Learned For The Next Stock Market Crash
So, we’ve all experienced what a market crash feels like in recent memory. If you had forgotten what it felt like in 2008, then 2020 should have been a sobering reminder of what it’s like to experience that sudden market drop. Now, we don’t know when the next market crash will come. Will rising virus cases now or a resurgence in the fall cause another one? Will the lead up to, or result of, the election cause turbulence? We just don’t know what factor is going to come along and serve as the catalyst for the problem. But what we can do is follow some basic rules to ensure we don’t lose our shirts next time the arrow on the graph tumbles down. […]
Mailbag: Penalty Fees, Inheritance, Travel Budget, & Using A Trust In Your Plan
On today’s show, we answer questions that have come in the mailbag. We discuss if it’s worth paying a penalty fee on a variable annuity, letting your children know about their inheritance, how to budget for travel, and if incorporating a trust in your plan is a good strategy. […]