Posts tagged Financial Advice
#254 Talking Bout My Generation, File and Suspend

Cam Marston, a leading expert on the difference among generations in the workplace, joins the show to help us become better co-workers, bosses and employees. Marston’s books, articles, columns, and blog describe and analyze the major generations of our time: Matures (born before 1946), Baby Boomers, (born 1946-64), Generation X (born 1965-79), and Millennials (born 1980-2000).  He explains the basic characteristics  of each generation and their differences, some of which may surprise you.

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We also answered some questions on the soon-to-defunct Social Security claiming strategy, file and suspend. Here's a great synopsis from Money Magazine.

How can you determine the correct amount to save for a specific goal? Easy--just use EBRI's Choose To Save Ballpark Estimate...

And if you are worried about your savings habits, one way to cut to the core is to create a financial plan--it will open your eyes as to how your spending patterns today may be robbing you of the ability of achieving your long term goals.

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer in the World. Here's how to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#253 The Money Queen Reigns

The "Money Queen" Cary Carbonaro, CFP  is in the house to help us build wealth and banish fears about money. Cary has been an investment advisor for over 25 years and says that women have unique a relationship with money. "We strive for financial security to support our family, ensure we can retire comfortably, create independence separate from our partners....as much as we are motivated to make money, we often do not consider the crucial relationship between what we do today and how it can impact our life tomorrow."

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Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer in the World. Here's how to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#252 The New Year's Show

Have you made financial resolutions? We're ready to help you keep 'em!!

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Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer in the World, who is on the correct side of the pond this holiday season! Here's how to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#251 The Christmas Show

Maybe you have some down time or perhaps you are hitting the road...either way, there's plenty of financial advice left for the last week of the year!

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Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer in the World, who is on the correct side of the pond this holiday season! Here's how to contact us:

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#250 Fed Rate Hike, Divorce Planning

What a big show...just in time for #250, the Fed raised short-term interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade; Congress voted on a budget, which extended and made permanent a bunch of tax deals; and guest Jane MacAuliffe  of Forbes Financial Planning outlined important financial decisions associated with divorce.

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Now that we have lift off, how long will the journey last? As expected, the Federal Reserve raised rates by 0.25 percent. While the economy is far from perfect, officials noted that activity has been strong enough to strengthen the labor market, foster consumer spending, and prompt business investment.

The big question for investors is whether the Fed will be able to gradually increase rates over the next few years, as the officials themselves predict, or will changing economic conditions force either a slower or quicker pace. The next big question: When will savers benefit from the rate hike? Unfortunately for consumers, while the nation’s big banks chose to immediately increase their prime lending rates, most chose NOT to increase deposit rates on savings accounts. That means that beleaguered savers will have to wait until next year to see a bump up in their income.

Jane McAuliffe is pursuing the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst Certification (CDFA) to help clients achieve an equitable outcome during the divorce process. She helped us understand the various reasons why such a niche exists and how she provides much-needed advice during the emotional rollercoaster of a divorce.

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer in the World. Sadly, Mark did not appear on the show in honor of #250...we may need to wait until #300! Here's how to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#249 Portfolio Clean Up with Dan Forbes

The end of the year is the perfect time to clean up your portfolio, says our guest, Dan Forbes, CFP®. Many moons ago, Dan was my intern and he is now the owner of the thriving Forbes Financial Planning in RI, where he specializes in working with individuals and small businesses. He was named a Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Ambassador and appeared in the Board’s media campaign in 2014. He is the financial planning expert and weekly contributor to www.GoLocalProv.com and also appears on NBC 10 and ABC6, and contributes to Providence Business News, US World & News Report and Time Magazine.

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Dan noted that end of the year is a perfect time to dump tax losers and to also clean up your portfolio. He warned that you should compare your positions to the appropriate benchmarks. Dan mentioned an interesting Morningstar article about 529 plans and also mentioned that immediate annuities are once again back on his front burner.

Finally, Dan was nice enough to mention the fact that I was named one of the top 10 Influencers on LinkedIn...and I am keeping some pretty fancy company on this list!

Here are a few of the resources that we mentioned during the show:

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer in the World. Here's how to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#248 Year End Money Moves with Ed Slott

Ed Slott, CPA is a nationally recognized IRA expert, television personality and best-selling author who has dedicated his life to educating Americans on saving for retirement and the intricacies of IRAs.  He was named “The Best Source for IRA Advice” by The Wall Street Journal and is the author of numerous best-selling books, which is why we are so happy he joined the show to help you make smart, year-end money moves.

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 Ed covered a lot of ground, including a great rule of thumb about filing for Social Security: "The longer you wait, the more you get!" Here's a quick list of things to remember to maximize the remaining days of 2015:

  • Make your 2015 Roth IRA conversion and consider a back door conversion, if you earn too much money to qualify for a contribution
  • Check the taxes on stock or mutual fund sales; use losses to offset gains
  • Max out your retirement accounts (yes, there's still time to get to $18,000 or $24,000 if you are over age 50)
  • Take Required Minimum Distributions: RMDs must start in the year you turn 70 1/2 or the year. Fail to do so and the amount you should have withdrawn will be taxed at 50 percent!
  • Donate your IRA distributions to charity: Although this is still in limbo, Ed recommends that you take advantage of it and assume that Congress will once again make it part of an extender package
  • Check / Update Beneficiary Forms
  • Bunch your deductions and if you are self-employed, project your 2016 income. If it will be higher than 2015, consider deferring income and expenses until next year, when you are in a higher tax bracket
  • Be aware of stealth taxes

Check out Ed's web site www.IRAHelp.com for more information!

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer in the World. Here's how to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#247 The Thanksgiving Show

Guest Hart Lambur, CEO and co-founder of Openfolio joins the show to discuss how investors can make smarter, more confident investment decisions by sharing their portfolios with one another.

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Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer in the World. Here's how to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#246 The Holiday Shopping Show

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines...holiday shopping season begins RIGHT NOW. I provide some tips as to when to score the best deals and give you permission to take a break from football and family to shop from the privacy of your own home on Thanksgiving Day -- especially to snag that average discount of 27 percent!

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Out guest James Nichols is the head of Retirement Income and Advice Strategy for Retirement for Voya Financial, but we prefer the title, "Retirement Yoda". James talked about the Voya Born to Save program, where any child born on October 19th 2015 can receive $500 from Voya! James also discussed great ways to break down financial goals by key life stages and milestones.

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer in the World. Here's how to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#245 The Pre-Pre Thanksgiving Show

It's the weekend before the weekend before Thanksgiving and we are answering your financial questions! Before we got going, we needed to discuss some ramifications of the recently signed budget deal. For those who were planning to execute one of the interesting Social Security strategies that we have discussed here, listen up!

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Congress has decided to close perceived “loopholes” in the Social Security rules and has killed off the “File and Suspend” strategy, which allow spousal and dependent benefits to be paid while still earning delayed retirement credits AND, it will no longer be possible to file a restricted application for just spousal benefits.

According to SS expert and JOM guest Mary Beth Franklin, "existing beneficiaries are grandfathered. So are those who are 66 with the next six months. Gone after that. Restricted claim for spousal benefits will still be available at 66 for those who are 62 or older by the end of this year. Gone for people who are younger. Oh well...

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer in the World. Here's how to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#244 The Mets Lost, Your Financial Questions Win

Oh sure, Mark and I are bummed about the Mets, but your great questions lifted us out of our post-World Series funks!!

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Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer in the World. Here's how to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#243 The Halloween Money Show

Don't be spooked by money issues--tune in for lots of treats!!

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Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer in the World. Here's how to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#242 Medicare Enrollment Tips

Investment Advisor Greg Hammer joins the show to provide advice about Medicare Open Enrollment period, which is open until December 7th. We also cover questions about REITs, consolidating investment accounts and Roth conversions!

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Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer in the World. Here's how to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#241 Coinage, Ancient and Present

I recently traveled to the site of ancient Lydia (now part of Turkey) where it is believed that the first coins made of precious metals were created in the fifth century--how fitting!

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Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer in the World. Here's how to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#240 Spanning Continents

Mark is in London, I am in Turkey and we're still answering your financial questions, from wherever you are!

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Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer in the World. Here's how to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#239 Mark's First Show from London

Instead of hanging with the Royals, the Best Producer in the World is toiling on our behalf from the U.K.!

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Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer in the World. Here's how to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#215 Retirement Planning Week

We celebrated the conclusion of National Retirement Planning Week with guest Anthony LoCascio, a fiduciary advisor with more than three decades of experience in retirement and tax planning. Anthony breaks down retirement for Boomers, Gen-Xers and Millennials.

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Speaking of the Millennials (those who are currently 18-34), did you know that they are the biggest generation in US history—even bigger than the Baby Boomers. According to Goldman Sachs, there are 92 million Millennials, compared to 77 million Boomers. And as it turns out, the generation has a firm grip on certain aspects of their financial lives. Check out this segment from CBS Evening News for more on the slackers-turned-savers.

We fielded great questions from Millennials Sam, Tim and Anon!

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#214 Are You Retirement Ready?

As we head into National Retirement Planning Week, guest James Nichols joins us to reveal the results of the Voya Financial "Retire Ready Index". The results emphasize that retirement savers need combine knowledge, planning and action to help reach their goals.

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Here are some of the online tools that James mentioned:

And check out this segment from CBS This Morning, where I discussed retirement planning.

Before James joined us, we fielded a retirement question from John (should he convert his 401 (k) into a Roth?); a beneficiary retirement query from Mike and Gary asked about REITs.

If you are toiling away at your taxes this weekend, here are some Last Minute Tax Filing Resources.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#213 Annuity Haters

Guest Gary Schatsky, a fee-only financial advisor, Chair Emeritus of NAPFA and Annuity Hater, joins the show to discuss why annuities are rarely advisable (Gary says just 5 percent of the time!) He also weighs in on the concept of fiduciary and explains why he believes that working with a fee-only advisor vastly reduces the potential for conflicts of interest.

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Kenny from NY read my recent post, "Spring Cleaning for your Money" and wanted to know how to reduce the taxable income generated from some of his mutual funds. One easy fix: use index funds in taxable accounts and keep managed funds in retirement accounts.

Meanwhile, Terry from MN is sitting pretty in her early retirement, but is not sure whether she should roll over her old 401 (k) into an IRA; and she also needs allocation tips. Poor Michael was unable to max out his retirement contributions and now is starting a fatter tax bill, while Steve asked about beneficiary IRA accounts and Wayne asked for advice about changing careers - from a pilot to a financial planner.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
#212 Asset Allocation, Taxes

The show may be called "Jill on Money", but listeners know that the man without the microphone - Mark - is the center of the action. This weekend, we help the best producer in the world with the asset allocation for his IRA rollover.

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It just so happens that David from Chicago is also seeking allocation advice, especially in light of Vanguard's shift on its target date funds. Here are two sample portfolio allocations to consider:

BALANCED

  • 10% Money Market fund
  • 30% Bond Index Fund
  • 10% International Bond Index
  • 30% Total Stock Market Index Fund
  • 5% Small Cap Index Fund
  • 10% International Stock Index Fund
  • 5% Emerging Market Stock Index Fund

GROWTH

  • 5% Money Market fund
  • 20% Bond Index Fund
  • 5% International Bond Index
  • 35% Total Stock Market Index Fund
  • 10% Small Cap Index Fund
  • 15% International Stock Index Fund
  • 10% Emerging Market Stock Index Fund

And this is the post about "Why We Are Lousy Investors"

Throughout the show we also discussed some estate questions and some tax issues.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE