Welcome back to another edition of Retirement Rewind -- episodes so good we played them twice!  Time for travel is by far the number one thing that Retirement Starts Today Radio listeners look forward to in retirement. That’s why I interviewed David Jacoby on to this episode and why it was chosen as a Retirement Rewind.  David Jacoby is a financial planner and travel expert who specializes in helping travelers and expats. David, himself has lived in 4 different countries and even built his business while living abroad. On this episode, he’ll help us understand the unique aspects of retiring abroad. If travel abroad piques your interest then you won't want to miss this interview. Outline of This Episode [2:06] The 3 types of people that are interested in travel abroad [5:22] When does traveling extensively turn into living abroad?  [9:10] How to determine where you might want to live? [13:33] How do people plan for their elderly years? [15:26] How does health insurance work when you live abroad? [17:42] What do people neglect to plan for? The 3 types of people that are interested in travel abroad  Many people are interested in traveling when they retire, but David Jacoby has found that there are 3 types of people that come to him for his services.  Digital nomads or globetrotters are people who work remotely or are location independent entrepreneurs.  Next are people who want to retire abroad for financial or social reasons. They are looking for the right country to move to.  The last group of people is those who are not quite ready to retire abroad and still live in the U.S. They may be traveling a bit right now to scope out potential locations.  Would you consider living abroad when you retire? When does traveling extensively turn into living abroad?  Traveling abroad and living abroad aren’t quite the same. Rather than living full time in another country, some people would rather keep their house in the U.S. and spend extended vacations in other parts of the world. Others just want to sell it all and start fresh in exotic locales. However, before this romantic idea sets in, it’s important to do your homework first. David encourages his clients to visit a place 2-3 times in different parts of the year before making any final plans. Renting a place for 3 months or so will give you a better feel for everyday life in your desired location.  How to determine where you might want to live? Some people may not know exactly where they want to live, they just have a general idea. They may prefer a tropical climate, be near the ocean, or perhaps they have always wanted to live in Europe.  David can help his clients consider practicalities when choosing a location. Oftentimes visas and taxes play a huge part in choosing where to settle. For instance, Portugal, Spain, and Italy have easily obtainable visas for Americans while other countries in Europe are more challenging for American citizens to move to. But what about healthcare? Have you considered travel health insurance? No matter where in the world you choose to settle you’ll need to think about health care especially since Medicare does not work outside the U.S. Depending on where you live you’ll either rely on the local system of care or pay for private health insurance.  Some people even chose to forgo health insurance. This sounds crazy but when you consider that the costs of medicine in many parts of the world are 1/10 of what you pay in the U.S. it isn’t that scary.  You need to understand why you should still enroll in Medicare even if you plan to live abroad for several years, so make sure to listen to this interview with international travel expert, David Jacoby. Connect with David Jacoby Remote Financial Planner 4 Ways Moving Abroad Can Radically Improve Your Finances Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podbean,Player FM, iHeart, or Spotify

Welcome to this episode of our Retirement Rewind. Retirement Rewind episodes are so informative that we decided to play them again while I take the month of December to spend a bit more time to enjoy my family. Estate planning attorney, John Ross from the Big Picture Retirement podcast, joins me to discuss how you can preserve your IRAs for your heirs in the wake of the SECURE Act. Check out this interview to discover how to optimize legacy tax planning, how to utilize an accumulation trust, and learn about the charitable remainder trust. Outline of This Episode [1:22] How has the loss of the stretch IRA changed estate planning? [4:06] An accumulation trust may be the key to planning your estate [6:44] A new opportunity for state income tax planning [9:22] How to turn a 10-year stretch into a 20-year stretch [16:32] A case study [18:44] You may want to consider a charitable remainder trust How has estate planning changed with the elimination of the stretch IRA? The SECURE Act brought about huge changes to estate planning when it effectively killed the stretch IRA. The stretch IRA provided the opportunity for people to name their spouse as a primary beneficiary and their children as secondary beneficiaries.  Upon inheritance, the IRA could be sent into a conduit trust and the RMDs were sent directly to the beneficiary. Those RMDs were based on the life expectancy of the beneficiary. One benefit of this trust was that it was doled out over a lifetime, another is that the IRA was preserved and protected from creditors. With the SECURE Act in place the conduit trust will no longer set the standard. What will replace the conduit trust? Now that the conduit trust is defunct, how should people plan their estate? An accumulation trust may be the key. Inheritors can no longer withdraw those IRA funds over the course of their lifetime. They now have only 10 years to draw on the IRA. In those 10 years a lot can happen. If your inheritor gets sued, divorced, or has problems with creditors then the IRA is at risk of disappearing. One solution to this problem is to set up an accumulation trust.  You may want to rethink your beneficiaries Now that the long-term stretch IRA is gone we need to rethink legacy planning. You may be thinking that 10 years is too short of a window for your inheritors. However, there is a way to stretch that 10-year window into 20. You could stretch these funds into 20 years by leaving your spouse half of your IRA and your kids the other half. Find out how this could work by listening to this interview with Johnn Ross.  Now is the time to review your estate plan Instead of thinking of this change in the law as an inconvenience, take the opportunity to review and update your estate plan. Many people set up their estate plan and then never revise it, but a lot can change over the years. When was the last time you reviewed your estate plan?  Connect with John Ross Ross and Shoalmire Law Firm Big Picture Retirement Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, orSpotify

What would happen if you go over your tax bracket by $1 when doing a Roth IRA conversion? On this Retirement Rewind episode, we’ll explore the best way that you can take advantage of the current tax cuts and get the most out of your money. What will Roth conversion season mean for you? Listen in and find out! Outline of This Episode [1:22] Why do we wait so long to convert our Roth IRA’s? [3:44] What happens if I go over my tax rate? [6:40] What about Medicare? [13:15] Why are Roth IRA conversions such a big deal? [15:48] How do Duane’s earnings this year affect his Medicare premiums? [17:15] Should Don put 100% of his portfolio in stocks? Why should you wait until the end of the year to convert your Roth IRAs? It’s a good idea to wait until the end of the year to convert your IRAs into a Roth. This is because you’ll have a good idea as to how much you will earn during the year.  The reason that you’ll want to wait until the end of the year to make a Roth conversion is to understand how much you’ll be making this year so you can fill up your tax bracket with the conversions. Will you take advantage of Roth conversion season? Why should you bother to convert your traditional IRA into a Roth?  The funds in your IRA are pretax dollars so when you convert them to a Roth you pay taxes on them. It’s a good idea to convert your IRA into a Roth so that you can pay taxes now rather than later. Roth conversions are a fantastic way to take advantage of the current tax cuts since it’s better to pay the devil you know than wait until later on in retirement when you’ll have no idea what the tax rates will be like. Have you been converting some of your traditional IRA into a Roth over the years? If you haven’t now is a great time to start! What happens if you go $1 over your tax bracket? You may have the idea that if you go even just $1 over your tax bracket that all of your planning will be for naught. Before you panic too much, let’s talk about marginal income tax rates.  Those couples who are married and file jointly and earn $79,000 per year will be taxed at a 22% federal income tax rate. However, that doesn’t mean that all $79,000 is taxed at the same rate. The rates are different for different parts of your income. The first $19,400 is taxed at 10%. Then the income from $19,400 to $78,951 is taxed at 12%. So that means only $49 would be taxed at 22%.  This type of taxation is called marginal income tax. A marginal income tax ensures that if you get a raise your net income won’t decrease. Hopefully, understanding how marginal income taxes work will help you understand that the sky will not fall if you go over your tax bracket by a few dollars. What if you go over the income bracket for Medicare? Unfortunately, Medicare is not as forgiving as the marginal income tax system. Many people don’t realize that Medicare has income-based premiums. If you make over $170,000 then you will no longer qualify for the Medicare Part B standard premium and you will also pay more for the Part D drug plan. Listen in to hear how much your Medicare premiums could be and find out the answers to our listener questions. Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, orSpotify

Welcome back to the Retirement Rewind! I take the last part of the year off from podcasting to spend more time with my family. But that doesn’t mean that you miss out on your favorite retirement podcast. Actually, I have a treat for you today. This episode is so good this is the 3rd time I’m playing it. Press play to find out which retirement podcasts I listen to in my spare time and scroll down to the bottom of the page to find links to my favorite episodes of those podcasts.  On this episode, you’ll discover more amazing retirement podcasts to listen to. In addition, you’ll learn about the confusing world of reverse mortgages and whether you should plan for a 20% cut to your Social Security. Outline of This Episode [2:22] Do you understand reverse mortgages? [8:26] Will you be taking a 20% cut on social security? [12:46] Get retirement ready with my favorite retirement podcasts Do you find reverse mortgages confusing? I’m sure you’ve seen the ads for reverse mortgages before, but do you really know what they are? A study done on a focus group showed that most people thought reverse mortgages were a government welfare program. They didn’t realize that there were interest and fees involved and many thought that with a reverse mortgage they wouldn’t have to pay any more property taxes. Do you have questions about reverse mortgages? What exactly is a reverse mortgage? Commonly known as a reverse mortgage, a Home Equity Credit Mortgage (HECM) is just like any other mortgage -- it has to be paid back. Reverse mortgages are sometimes taken on by people in retirement who are looking for a lifetime income.  A reverse mortgage works when the HECM calculates half of your home equity value and they set up a lifetime annuity based on that amount. Reverse mortgages can be complicated, so if you are considering one, make sure you read all the fine print. My 5 favorite retirement podcasts If you’re listening to Retirement Starts Today you probably love podcasts as much as I do. I got into podcasting because I realized it would be a fantastic way to share my knowledge with a wider audience without having to be a writer. You may be surprised to learn that I have my own favorite retirement podcasts.  Learning to save for retirement can be kind of boring since all of us retirement podcasters are essentially saying the same thing. It’s the personality of the podcast hosts that really sets these shows apart from the rest. Here are 5 retirement podcasts that I love to listen to and learn from. Stay Wealthy with Taylor Schulte Retirement Answer Man by Roger Whitney Sound Retirement Radio with Jason Parker Stacking Benjamins by Joe Saul-Sehy & OG Retirement Repair Shop by Mary Beth Franklin Resources & People Mentioned BOOK – How to Use Reverse Mortgages to Secure Your Retirement by Wade Pfau Forbes article on reverse mortgages by Wade Pfau Washington Examiner article on Social Security Stay Wealthy Podcast How to Lower Taxes in Retirement Avoid Massive Investing Mistakes Retirement Answer Man Podcast RV in Retirement Series Episodes 263, 264, 265, 266 Sound Retirement Radio Will You Run Out of Money in Retirement? Urgent vs. Important Retirement Repair Shop Stacking Benjamins Here’s Why You Aren’t Rich We Make 500k a Year and Struggle with Our Budget Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podbean, Player FM, iHeart, or Spotify

Welcome to Retirement Rewind! Each year I take the holiday season off from podcasting to spend more time with my family. The good news is that I prepare my favorite episodes from the past for you to enjoy.  This episode is an interview with Fritz Gilbert over at the Retirement Manifesto blog. In this interview, Fritz and I discuss his new book, Keys to a Successful Retirement as well as his firsthand experience now that he has recently retired. If you’ve already listened to this episode before you might be surprised to hear the tidbits that you forgot about and if you missed it the first time around, you won’t want to miss the interview this time. Outline of This Episode [2:37] Why your first cup of coffee in retirement is the best cup of your life [5:22] Retirement advice for a 38-year-old [9:53] If you only had $500 to spend on retirement education what would you do? [13:28] Are we in the golden era of Roth Conversions? [16:27] A question about chapter 4 of Fritz’s book [20:21] How to create the ideal retirement You have to experience retirement to really understand it Fritz spent years leading up to retirement trying to understand what retirement would be like. However, after finally retiring, he realized that it isn’t something that you can explain to others. You have to actually experience it yourself to understand. I like his analogy of having a locked door in front of you your whole life and on the day of your retirement, you are finally given the key. What do you think? Do you think the feeling of retirement can be conveyed to others? More than half of all people retire before they think they will Save, save, save! Even if you are one of those people that think they will continue working forever, it is still important to save for retirement. 60% of all people are forced into retirement before they have planned. What if you were forced into retirement tomorrow? Would you be ready? What are you doing now to help yourself prepare for the inevitable time when you won’t be able to work anymore? What is the biggest bang for your buck for learning about retirement? I asked Fritz how he would spend his money if he only had $500 to spend on learning about retirement. It’s not a lot of money to spend on such an important topic, but fortunately, there is so much free content available; you can learn just about anything without too much money. YouTube, podcasts, and blogs provide a lot of information for free.  Fritz would spend his $500 in one of two ways. He loves books and feels like they provide a wealth of information. He also values the money he spent on hiring a CFP for a once over on his accounts. As a DIY investor, the peace of mind of having a professional give him the green light was invaluable. If you only had $500 to spend learning about retirement how would you spend it? Create your ideal retirement by embracing your passion Retirement is a fantastic time to devote yourself to the passions that you’ve had to put on the backburner during your working years. Do you have a passion? How will you pursue it in retirement? If you don’t have a passion yet a curious mind can take you a long way to discovering one. Fritz found a passion that he never knew he had. Find out what it is by listening to this interview.  Resources & People Mentioned Garrett Planning Network XY Planning Network Connect with Fritz Gilbert Retirement Manifesto Keys to a Successful Retirement Fritz on Twitter @RetireManifesto Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podbean, Player FM, iHeart, or Spotify

Are you worried about what the election means for your retirement portfolio? Many people are tempted to make big changes to their retirement savings to reflect their election concerns. On this episode of Retirement Starts Today Radio, you’ll learn what you can do to your portfolio if you are nervous about the transition. You’ll also hear what the new RMD tables mean and how the Biden proposals could change the entire retirement landscape. Outline of This Episode [2:12] What do the new RMD tables mean for you? [4:40] How much is the next Medicare Part B premium increase? [7:40] Should you make big changes to your retirement plan because of the election? [11:50] Which Biden proposals could affect you and your retirement? What do the new RMD tables mean for you? Since people are living longer than ever before, the IRS has finally decided to acknowledge these longer lifespans by updating their Required Minimum Distribution tables. According to the longer retirement timeline, retirees can take out smaller mandatory distributions and spread them out over a longer period of time.  What does this mean for you? You can expect to see smaller tax bills and larger IRA balances compounding over time. Listen in to hear the details and learn why this new tax table may seem familiar. Should you make big changes to your retirement plan because of the election? Thankfully, we’re not here to discuss politics. You can go just about anywhere else on the internet for that. However, I do want to touch on the changes that may arise due to the election.  An election year often brings about strong feelings one way or the other and many people feel that they need to make changes to their portfolio based on what they hear on the news. Just because there is an election doesn’t mean that you should make big changes to your retirement portfolio. It’s a good idea to keep in mind that there may be between 4 and 8 presidents in office over the course of your retirement. Major global policy shifts don’t equal major portfolio shifts Even if there are major shifts in global policy you only want to make tiny shifts in your portfolio. If you listen in I will give you specific examples of what you can do to prepare for the future transition without changing the essence of your portfolio.  I do want to clarify that you should never take advice from me or anyone that you find on the internet. Regardless of who is running the country, I want you to have an amazing retirement. Which Biden proposals could affect you and your retirement? One of Biden’s proposals could completely change the retirement landscape. How would your retirement plans change if the Medicare age was lowered from age 65 to 60? At this point, it is just a proposal. Stay tuned in to Retirement Starts Today Radio over the coming months to hear the latest on this Biden proposal as well as his plans for Social Security. Resources & People Mentioned Plan Adviser RMD tables Think Advisor Medicare Part B article NPR article about Biden’s Medicare proposal CNBC article about Social Security Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Follow Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, orSpotify  

After you finally get Medicare all figured out and everything in place, the last thing you want to do is ever think about it again. But unfortunately, you need to review your Medicare coverage annually.  Danielle Roberts is back, yet again, to help us understand what we need to do annually to review our Medicare plans. In this episode, you’ll learn what to do if you have a prescription drug change, if your Medicare Advantage plan gets discontinued, and how to change from supplemental plans to advantage plans and vice versa. There’s loads of information in this episode so make sure to pay attention so that you don’t miss any details.  Outline of This Episode [1:22] What do we need to think about each year when it comes to Medicare? [5:05] What to look for when you receive your annual notice of change [10:01] How to change from a Medicare supplement to an advantage plan? [14:43] Is switching between Medigap plans easy to do? [17:35] What is in store for Plan F? What is the annual election period? The Medicare annual election period runs from October 15 - December 7. This is the time when you can enroll in, change, or disenroll from a part d drug plan or a Medicare Advantage plan.  What to look for when you receive your annual notice of change When Medicare sends your annual notice of change it will lay out all of the benefit changes for the next year. This is one Medicare notification that you do not want to toss in the garbage. Take some time to go over this document to look for premium changes as well as changes in drug tiers for all of your medications. Even if you are happy with your current plans, it is still a good idea to check your coverage. Listen in to learn what you can learn from the MyMedicare.gov website.  What if I want to change my Medicare supplement to an advantage plan or vice versa? If you are looking to change plans you can do so during the open enrollment period which also takes place from October 15 - December 7. It’s quite easy to switch from a supplement to an advantage plan. Simply enroll during the open enrollment period and then cancel your supplement. There are no health questions to answer. However, if you would like to switch from an advantage plan to a Medigap plan, it is more complicated. Discover the order of events that must take place by hearing it straight from Danielle Roberts. Is switching between Medigap plans easy to do? Switching between Medigap plans generally requires a health screening and underwriting which is why it is important to wait until you have been approved for a new plan before canceling your old plan.  Using a broker can help you understand the nuances of Medicare and ensure that you don’t make costly mistakes. Learn more about Boomer Benefits at BoomerBenefits.com.  If you haven’t listened to all 4 of the Medicare episodes with Danielle Roberts, I encourage you to head on over to episode 163 to get started. I know I have learned a ton from Danielle’s expertise and you will too.  Resources & People Mentioned MyMedicare.gov Connect with Danielle Roberts Boomer Benefits YouTube Channel BOOK - 10 Costly Medicare Mistakes by Danielle Roberts Boomer Benefits Facebook page Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, orSpotify

Do you know the difference between a Medicare supplement and a Medicare advantage plan? You’ll need to understand their differences to make an educated decision about which to choose when it is time to sign up for Medicare. Danielle Roberts from Boomer Benefits joins me again to help us wade through the various Medicare supplement choices. Learn how best to fill the gaps that Medicare leaves by listening to this episode of Retirement Starts Today.  Outline of This Episode [2:12] What is covered by Medicare supplement plans? [8:00] Medicare advantage plans operate through a network of providers [15:02] Switching between plans may not be as easy as you think [20:24] Dental and vision insurance What is a Medicare supplement or Medigap plan? One benefit of choosing the original Medicare route is that the federal government will be processing your claims. While this is a positive aspect of choosing traditional Medicare, it also means that there will be deductibles and a 20% out of pocket cost on your claims. For this reason, it is important to consider purchasing a Medicare supplement plan. There are 10 different standardized plans to choose from, although most people choose one of 3 plans.  Plan F is the Cadillac of plans, it was so popular and easy to use that it is actually being discontinued. Plan G is the next most popular plan. However, it doesn’t cover the $198 outpatient deductible. Plan N is a consumer-driven plan. It has a lower premium, but you pay a deductible and some copays for doctors and ER visits. Find out why Medicare supplements are ideal for customers with some discretionary spending and frequent medical spending.  Medicare Advantage plans are becoming popular Medicare Advantage plans are gaining in popularity. The premiums are lower, but there is less choice for the consumer. You must use only the plan’s network of providers and their approved medications. There will also be extra spending on your part in the years that you have more medical spending.  If you want to switch from a Medigap to an Advantage plan there is no required medical questionnaire to fill out. However, if you would like to switch from an Advantage plan to a Medigap plan there is a possibility that you could be denied based on your health.  Listen in to hear what questions you need to ask before you sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan.  What about dental and vision insurance? Many people are surprised to discover that dental, vision, and hearing are not covered by Medicare. This is because in the 60s when Medicare was created, it wasn’t typical for insurance companies to cover these ancillary medical concerns. There are a couple of options that seniors have when it comes to dental, vision, and hearing. You could purchase a standalone plan which covers these areas. Or you could choose a Medicare Advantage plan that also covers dental, vision, and hearing.  There is an important consideration you need to be aware of if choosing the Medicare Advantage route. Find out what it is by listening to this episode of Retirement Starts Today.  Do you have a rainy day fund? One last consideration that you need to think of is having a rainy day fund for out of pocket medical costs. If you choose a high deductible plan and then you end up needing cancer treatment that year, you could be hit with a $6500 bill. An HSA is a great way to cover this cost.  Have you listened to all of Danielle’s episodes? If not, head over to episode 163 to get started from the beginning! Resources & People Mentioned Taxes and Retirement Facebook Group Connect with Danielle Roberts Medicare Q&A with Boomer Benefits Facebook Group Boomer Benefits BOOK - 10 Costly Medicare Mistakes by Danielle Roberts Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify

Deciding to retire before age 65 can be a tough decision to make. For most people, this decision will result in an extra $1000 or more a month in health insurance expenses. Retiring after age 65 has its pitfalls as well. On this episode of Retirement Starts Today, Danielle Roberts joins me again to discuss the potential landmines that you need to look out for whether you are planning to retire before or after age 65.  Outline of This Episode [2:22] What about retiring early? [6:29] Which is better, shopping on the exchange or going directly to the insurance company? [9:18] How to manage the risk? [13:25] What are some mistakes people make when they retire after age 65? [20:34] Why you don’t want to miss part D drug coverage.  Should you work longer just for health insurance? If you are considering working longer just for the insurance Danielle and I both recommend that you don’t. Instead, compare the cost of insurance through COBRA to the cost through the ACA. If you want to retire there are many plans to choose from through the ACA. One way to lessen the costs of insurance is to sign up for a high deductible plan that includes an HSA. That way you are building a healthcare nest egg at the same time. Discover a creative healthcare solution if you or your spouse is significantly younger by listening to Danielle’s advice.  Which is better, shopping on the exchange or going directly to the insurance company? It seems that it would be easy to shop insurance companies on your own these days by browsing through the companies websites. But Danielle recommends using the healthcare exchange at Healthcare.gov instead. She finds this to be a better way to compare carriers and their prices. The options are easier to find and the site will display all the plans that are offered in your area. Have you ever used the healthcare exchange?  How to manage the risk? Insurance is all about the transfer of risk. When trying to choose between a high deductible plan vs. a lower deductible plan you’ll want to compare your health concerns with your budget concerns. Consider how you use doctors. Do you have monthly visits with different specialists? Or do you visit the doctor once a year for your yearly check-up? If you only go to the doctor a couple of times a year then you don’t need to have a plan with a copay.  What are some mistakes people make when they retire after age 65? Many people delay their coverage of Medicare part B when they are still employed after age 65. This is fine while they are still employed, however, it is important to sign up for Medicare part B and D as soon as possible after leaving their employer-sponsored plan so as not to get stuck with a hefty penalty. Listen in to find out what you need to do to avoid penalties or a lengthy battle with Medicare.  Make sure you are signed up for the Every Day is Saturday newsletter so that you can respond to it and have a chance to receive a free copy of Danielle’s book, 10 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make.  Resources & People Mentioned Healthcare.gov Connect with Danielle Roberts BOOK - 10 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make by Danielle Roberts Boomer Benefits Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, orSpotify

You asked and I listened. This summer I asked you all for your thoughts on the show and many people responded that they wanted to hear more deep dives into complex subjects. We tried this out with the Living Off Your Savings series and now we’re taking some extra time to discuss Medicare. This episode is the first of a 4 episode series on Medicare. Grab your headphones and press play to begin your Medicare education.  Since I am not a Medicare expert, I have invited Danielle Roberts with Boomer Benefits to teach us about this nuanced subject. Make sure to stick around until the end of the episode to learn how you can get a free copy of Danielle’s new book, 10 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make. Outline of This Episode [3:22] When should people start looking into Medicare in earnest? [7:10] Why is Medicare Easy-Pay a good option? [10:03] What will medicare pay for? [12:25] What do your taxes pay for? [17:15] Part D is an optional drug plan When should someone start thinking about Medicare? The official Medicare enrollment period begins 3 months before your 65th birthday and this is often the time when people usually begin to start thinking about Medicare. Age 64.5 is a great time to begin to research your Medicare choices. In addition to Danielle’s book, there are plenty of resources online to help you educate yourself. After you listen to this series, YouTube and the Medicare website are good places to continue learning. What costs are involved in Medicare? Some people are surprised to find that Medicare is not free. There are costs involved that you need to be aware of to properly plan for retirement. In addition to the monthly fee taken directly out of your Social Security payment, there are deductibles for inpatient and outpatient services as well as copays or coinsurance for doctor visits. Listen in to understand why it’s important to do your research early on to decide on what kind of extra coverage you may need.  What are the different parts of Medicare? Medicare Part A is what your Medicare payroll taxes have been paying for all these years and it covers hospital stays. Part B is what gets taken out of your Social Security check each month and this piece covers outpatient care. Medicare Part B pays only 80% so it is important to consider how you will cover the other 20%. This 20% can be supplemented in 2 ways. Listen in to hear what the difference is between Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans.  How you can receive a FREE copy of Danielle’s book Danielle is a fountain of Medicare information, so you won’t want to miss this series. On the next episode, you’ll hear what to expect if you retire before or after age 65. If you want a chance to get a free copy of Danielle’s book sign up for the Every Day is Saturday newsletter and respond to that email with a promise to leave an honest review of this podcast and Danielle’s book. So, if you haven’t already signed up for Every Day is Saturday, head over to RetirementStartsToday.com and hit subscribe.  Resources & People Mentioned Start here to listen to the Living Off Your Savings series  Connect with Danielle Roberts Boomer Benefits BOOK - 10 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make by Danielle Roberts Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, orSpotify

Are you one of the many people still working from home due to the pandemic? What seemed like a phase that would last a few weeks has turned into a trend with no end in sight. While working from home creates exciting possibilities, especially for those considering retirement, it also has its downfalls. Many people have discovered that working from home means the lines between work life and home life are being erased. As long as you are conscious that burnout is a real risk then you can take active steps to keep your home life and work life in balance. On this episode, I’ll share an Inc. magazine article about avoiding burnout while working from home. We’ll also take a look at a WSJ article on early retirement buyouts. Then we’ll wrap up this episode with a listener question about strategies for those on the cusp of retirement. So, grab your Airpods or your favorite listening device and take a walk with me. Outline of This Episode [1:02] How to avoid burnout while working remotely [6:30] Should you consider early retirement? [11:55] Are there any one-time financial strategies for those on the cusp of retirement? Is working from home leading you to burnout? While the work from home revolution that picked up momentum during the pandemic has opened many doors, it has also revealed its own set of problems. People spend more time actively working and it seems that the 40-hour workweek has gone out of the window. Employees are now spending 25% more time ‘at work’ than before the pandemic. Many have stated that they find they are often sending work-related messages and emails after traditional work hours. Their desire to be productive now puts them at risk of burnout.  Try taking a virtual commute  Microsoft has come up with a creative way to help its team avoid burnout while working remotely. Their solution is to bring back the commute. They don’t recommend you jump in the car and drive to your workplace, but rather a virtual commute. The Inc. article recommends a 20-minute meditation commute. I love this idea. However, if you are not a meditator, a walk to work commute might be a better alternative. Before you start working each morning, head out your front door, and walk around the block. You can use this time to get in the right headspace for work and plan your day.  Working from home could extend your working life Working from home can create amazing possibilities, especially for those of you considering retirement. The possibility of working from anywhere means that you could extend your work timeline. However, to take full advantage of the possibilities it is imperative to avoid burnout. As long as you are conscious that burnout is a real risk then you can take active steps to keep your home/work life in balance.  Have you been offered an early retirement package? Press play and listen in to hear whether you should consider taking an early retirement package. And keep listening until the end to hear the answer to Frank’s question about one-time financial strategies for those on the cusp of retirement.  Resources & People Mentioned Inc magazine article on the virtual commute WSJ article on early retirement buyouts Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify

Are you worried about the seemingly constant news stories which claim that Social Security may run out of money? These articles highlight any problems that the Social Security program is facing which can lead the reader to fret about the future of the guaranteed income source in retirement. Not surprisingly, there are companies out there that want to capitalize on this worry.  Does Social Security insurance sound like a good idea to you? On this episode of Retirement Starts Today I read from and discuss an article about Social Security Insurance. You’ll learn what it is and how it works and hear my thoughts about this product. Outline of This Episode [3:22] Make sure there is not a planning solution before rushing out to buy a product [6:37] How does Social Security insurance work? [9:48] What is my opinion on Social Security insurance [12:10] How to begin a migration into bonds There is a product out there to solve every problem Investors are always looking for less volatility in their investment portfolios, but oftentimes they don’t realize that proper investment planning is the best way to achieve that. Those who don’t approach their portfolios with an investment plan in place are often looking for a product to buy to solve their problems. The low volatility fund is one product for people who want to buy a risk solution rather than plan.  Is a low-risk fund all it’s cracked up to be? Does this low volatility fund end up raising risk in the short run while at the same time reducing risk in the long run? These low-risk funds often paint a distorted picture. While trying to reduce the downside they ultimately limit the upside which leads to less risk yet ultimately fewer returns. Zweig explains it beautifully, “the market loves to make monkeys out of people who think they’ve solved it.” Solve your investing problems with strategy rather than products It is important to remember that in investing as well as in other areas of retirement planning there will always be someone there to charge you a fee for a product as a solution to your investment planning problem. So before you rush out to buy the first product that comes along, my advice to you is to think about your own behavior first. Consider if there is a planning or behavior management solution that could replace this product.  What is a good alternative to Social Security insurance? If you think that Social Security will run out of money or that you may see your benefits reduced that’s okay. But instead of rushing out to buy a product to hedge against the Social Security problem, be a prudent pessimist. A prudent pessimist doesn’t take a cut on their Social Security benefit by filing early, they wait until age 70 to receive a 32% bonus. That way if there is a cut to your benefit, it will be a cut on the bonus rather than on the reduced benefit. Press play to hear more about Social Security insurance, investment planning, and a listener question about how to migrate into the bond market. Resources & People Mentioned Jason Zweig’s WSJ article Social Security insurance article Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify

If you are listening to Retirement Starts Today, you probably have retirement on your mind. You have probably given thought as to how you will spend your money, where that money will come from, healthcare, and plenty of other subjects.  But have you put any thought into how much notice you will give your employer? Do you have one of those jobs where you relish the day that you give your retirement notice? Or will your announcement be bittersweet? You may want to put some extra thought into how you want to present your retirement notice, especially during challenging economic times. Outline of This Episode [1:12] How much notice will you give your employer of your pending retirement? [3:19] A cautionary tale [5:54] Real life examples for you to learn from [11:16] There is no one right answer A cautionary tale You may want to give your employer plenty of notice about your retirement. If you have a strong sense of duty, you may feel that it is the right thing to do. I talked to one person who did just that. He was an employee who deeply valued his work and wanted to leave his career better than he found it. But his thoughtfulness didn’t pay off in the end. When the company offered early retirement packages he was passed over since he had already announced his retirement.  There are a number of different ways to make your retirement announcement While there are disappointing stories such as that one, there are also positive responses to retirement news. When I asked readers of my Every Day is Saturday newsletter about how they plan to announce the news of their retirement I got several different answers. These answers vary based on the type of work they do and the type of employer they work for.  What factors should you consider when announcing your retirement? One listener that has a technical job in IT plans to give 6 months’ notice. He based this number on the amount the time it will take to train his replacement. You may also want to consider the size of the company you work for and your level of responsibility in the organization. Another listener’s 1-month retirement announcement was well received. He also offered flexibility and it ended up paying off. Listen in to find out how that story worked out.  There is no right answer So what can you learn from these examples? What is the right amount of notice to give? Unfortunately, like just about everything else in retirement, there is no one size fits all answer. However, we are generally rewarded when we make these decisions with careful due diligence and specific intentions. So how will you give your retirement notice?  Resources & People Mentioned Boomer Benefits Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify

Have you seen the news about Tesla and Apple lately? Their stock prices are surging to new highs after the announcement of a stock split. Is this what is supposed to happen with a stock split? Learn more about stock splits and what they mean for you by listening to this episode of Retirement Starts Today.  After we the Retirement Headlines I answer several listener questions. Have you been wondering about you and your spouse’s Social Security timeline? Should you roll over funds if you are happy with your 401K? Which is better--to dollar cost average or to max fund your retirement as quickly as possible? You’ll hear my take on the answers to these questions by pressing play now.  Outline of This Episode [1:32] Are stock splits good for stocks? [5:32] Should you run out and buy a stock upon the announcement of a split? [7:01] What factors should be considered when setting up a Social Security timeline? [9:23] Should you roll over your 401K if it is flexible and you are happy with it? [14:44] Should you dollar cost average over a year or max fund your retirement as quickly as possible? What is a stock split? Before I share my thoughts about the recent announcement of the Apple and Tesla split, I want to clarify what a stock split is. A stock split is simply dividing the price of a stock. When a stock split happens shareholders double the number of their shares but, essentially, they should hold the same monetary value. So if I own 1 share of Ben Brandt Industries at $10 per share before the split then afterward I’ll own 2 $5 shares that also equal $10. The whole point of a stock split is to bring down the price so that it becomes more affordable for everyday investors.  Should you buy a stock upon the announcement of a split? Recently Apple and Tesla both announced an upcoming stock split at about the same time. When they did so their share prices soared. This isn’t a typical market response of a stock split and is actually a surprising outcome. Listen in to discover why you should stay well away from announcements like these and you’ll even learn why stock splits should be obsolete in today’s world. What factors should be considered when setting up a Social Security timeline? Are you wondering what the best timeline is for setting up your Social Security benefits? If you have listened to my show at all, you know by now that I am a fan of maximizing the largest of the Social Security checks by delaying those benefits for as long as possible. Grow the larger Social Security check for as long as possible to help you build the foundation of your retirement plan. But what about the second Social Security check?  If you are married then you likely have 2 Social Security checks to look forward to. Should you delay taking that benefit until age 70 as well?  I recommend waiting until full retirement age to file for this benefit, but keep it in your back pocket as a contingency plan. So, in case of a market downturn, you can be ready to turn on this benefit rather than dip into your savings before the market bounces back. If you enjoy staying up to date on the latest retirement news, make sure to sign up for the Every Day Is Saturday newsletter.  Resources & People Mentioned CNBC article about Apple and Tesla splits Fractional shares article from Robinhood Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, orSpotify

 Have you been wanting to know a bit more about Biden’s tax plan without all the political spin? Me too! That’s why I dug deep to find the best information that I could share with you all. I promise, no politics here; just relevant information to help you best prepare for an amazing retirement.  In addition to learning how Biden’s tax plan could affect your retirement, I’ll answer a couple of listener questions. You’ll hear questions about TSP’s and Roth IRA conversions.  Outline of This Episode [2:15] Biden’s first proposal is to repeal the tax cuts [6:41] Biden’s proposal has some tax incentives as well [8:47] Takeaways from these proposals [11:02] The TSP in retirement [14:11] How to structure your Roth IRA conversions What’s the buzz about Biden’s tax proposal? There has been a lot of buzz about Biden’s tax plans in the news, but it can be challenging to find what those plans are without all of the political mumbo jumbo thrown in. I had to do some research, but I used the least politicized source I could find, TaxFoundation.org. Joe Biden has planned to raise taxes in several areas for certain groups of people, however, he has proposed a variety of tax incentives as well. Listen in to find out what Joe Biden’s tax proposal entails and how it could affect you. How could Biden’s tax plan affect your retirement? At the end of the day, all you want to know is how the proposed tax changes could affect you and your retirement. What I want you all to understand is how important it is to build a flexible retirement strategy. You don’t ever want to jump all in or all out of the stock market. The middle ground will save your retirement in times of uncertainty. Your retirement is more important than what is going on in Washington. If you have a portfolio consisting of half stocks and half bonds then you can even live off your bonds for an entire presidential term.  Remember, the stock market doesn’t care who is president. The top companies in the world will continue to succeed regardless of who sits in the Oval Office.  Taxes will always increase over time  Another key takeaway that I want you all to remember is to pay the devil you know. Both portfolio values and taxes will likely increase over time. So, if you are newly retired with some tax flexibility it makes sense to pay more taxes now to prevent yourself from paying a lot more later. Remember, pay taxes like a pessimist and invest like an optimist. What will you learn from our listener questions? Our listener questions today involve are about Thrift Savings Plans (TSP) and how to structure Roth IRA conversions. I’m not an expert in TSP’s, but if you are a government employee you’ll want to listen in to discover an excellent resource to help you plan your federal retirement. Stick around till the end of the episode to learn how to thread the needle and avoid a hefty tax burden with your RMD’s. Resources & People Mentioned Biden’s tax proposal from TaxFoundation.org Taxes in Retirement Facebook group Micah Shilanski, federal benefits and TSP expert Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, orSpotify

Have you ever hear of a bank bail-in? You read that right, bail-in, not a bail-out. I hadn’t heard of this concept until recently and wanted to share it with you so that you understand how it works. Listen in to understand how this buzzword could be used to trick you into worrying about your savings. You’ll also hear the latest about the Fed’s plans for interest rates in the coming years. Stay informed of the latest in retirement headlines on this episode of Retirement Starts Today.  Outline of This Episode [1:22] Is bail-in a new buzzword?  [6:04] What does FDIC insurance cover? [9:42] What protections are offered for investment accounts? [12:27] The Fed is planning to hold rates at zero for 5 years or more [15:11] What is a bond barbell? What is a bank bail-in? We’re all familiar with bank bailouts. These government-funded cash injections designed to prevent the collapse of a failing bank. Bank bailouts are unpopular across the board, from democrats to republicans to everyone in between.  A bail-in is also a way to prevent the collapse of a failing bank. But rather than being funded by taxpayers, bail-in money comes from deposit holders and creditors. The bank is allowed to convert its debt into equity to increase its capital requirements. How does this affect your money? Listen in to hear why a bank bail-in isn’t as worrisome as you may think. What does the FDIC insurance cover? The FDIC insures each bank account up to $250,000 per person per bank. This insurance covers checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, CD’s, etc. However, the FDIC doesn’t cover stocks, bonds, annuities, and life insurance. Generally speaking, the FDIC doesn’t insure anything that is considered to be an investment.  What is SIPC? Now you know that investments aren’t covered under FDIC, but are investments covered by any type of insurance? Similar to the FDIC for bank accounts there exists the SIPC for brokerage accounts. SIPC is the acronym for Securities Investor Protection Corporation. SIPC covers up to $500,000 in the event that your brokerage financially fails. It is important to remember that this insurance is not protection against poor investments. Did you know about SIPC? What do zero interest rates mean for your portfolio? The Fed announced recently that it was planning on keeping interest rates near zero for five years. So, what does this mean for you? Well, unfortunately, that means that bonds won’t pay much interest in the near future.  Do you need to drastically change your investment outlook? Obviously I’m not here to give you investment advice, but if you have a Swiss Army Knife portfolio that is adaptable then you should be just fine. Learn why you may want to start using a dynamic withdrawal strategy and how that can help you weather any storm in retirement by listening to this episode of Retirement Starts Today.  Resources & People Mentioned Investopedia article about bank bail-ins Kiplinger FDIC article Nerd Wallet SIPC article Bloomberg article Fed Holding Rates at Zero Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, orSpotify

You may be wondering why I have invited Shark Tank star, Kevin Harrington on the show today. I often talk about how becoming a mentor in retirement is an amazing way to continue to get fulfillment while still enjoying the benefits of retirement. When I discovered that Kevin has a new book out called Mentor to Millions, I knew that my listeners could learn a lot from this interview. Kevin has mentored many business owners and can help you learn what it takes to become a powerful mentor.  Outline of This Episode [1:02] A mentor changed Kevin Harrington’s business [5:52] How can you become an amazing mentor [11:10] How to decide on compensation? [13:20] What kind of calculations does he use to make deals on Shark Tank? [19:08] Is there any mentee he is particularly proud of? A retired mentor changed Kevin’s business Kevin was already a successful business owner, but he couldn’t figure out how to get banks to loan his business any money. He was struggling to stay on top of inventory since the profits he was making had to go directly back into the business to buy more inventory. He went to every bank he could think of to try to get a business loan, but none would loan him the money he needed for his business.  That is when he decided to seek the help of a mentor. A retired finance expert took him under his wing and showed him how to make bank presentations. This help changed the course of his business.  How can you become an amazing mentor? The mentor-mentee relationship is a symbiotic one. As a mentor, you need to ensure that you find a mentee that fits. Make sure that your skill set matches what the student is looking for.  It’s also important to clearly understand and define expectations. Ask yourself and your student these questions. What are the terms of this relationship? How often will you communicate? What are the terms of service? What are the deliverables?  What will you get out of becoming a mentor? There are many ways of being a mentor. You could provide your services pro bono, you could charge a fee, or even use some combination of the two. If you do decide to charge for your services make sure that the terms of the service are crystal clear.  There are more than just financial benefits of becoming a mentor. In addition to the fulfillment that you get from helping someone out and passing on your expertise, you could create additional contacts and build key relationships. You never know where the role of mentor could take you. Check out Kevin’s new book Kevin’s new book is called Mentor to Millions and is coming out soon and it is now available for preorder. If you order his book through his website KevinMentor.com you can receive 30 days of free mentoring! His book will teach you how to develop a strong mentor-mentee relationship and you’ll even learn about Kevin’s role as a mentor.  Connect with Kevin Harrington KevinMentor.com - buy the book directly from his website and get 30 days of free mentoring! KevinHarrington.tv Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, orSpotify

Have you thought about what you’ll do with your life insurance policy in retirement? One listener is considering what he should do with his policy. Find out 3 options you have available as well as my opinion on whether you still need to carry life insurance in retirement. On this episode, you’ll also hear a retirement headline about the entrepreneurial boom that’s happening now as well as how you should calculate your home equity when using a retirement calculator. Press play to hear about all of these topics to help you prepare for an amazing retirement Outline of This Episode [2:02] More people are working for themselves now [4:07] What is the best way to fund a trust for a special needs dependent? [9:32] A thought experiment [12:10] When using retirement calculators how much weight to put into home equity? Would you delay your retirement to become an entrepreneur?  According to a recent article in Bloomberg, more Americans have started working for themselves during this pandemic began. Self-employment brings more flexibility so that you can have time for work and play. For those on the cusp of retirement, becoming an entrepreneur could mean extending your work life. The longer you work the less time you will have to live off of your savings. If you were able to have more flexibility in your work, how many more years would you work? Life insurance in retirement One listener has a question about his life insurance in retirement. He is considering using it as a trust for a special needs dependent. With life insurance in retirement you have 3 options: Cancel the policy the day you retire. Term insurance has no cash value, so when you cancel the policy you are done. Keep paying your premium until the end of the contract.  Convert the term insurance policy into a permanent insurance policy. If this option interests you, contact your insurance adjuster to see which kind of insurance would best suit your needs. Keep in mind that your premium will change but you may not have to go through a health screening in underwriting.  Do you really need life insurance in retirement? Whether or not to keep your life insurance policy is a very personal decision. It’s actually a decision that shouldn’t be made by you. Your life insurance isn’t for you. It’s for your dependents. Since your dependents are the recipients of the policy upon your death they should have a say in this decision. I personally don’t recommend life insurance in retirement since being retired means being financially independent. If you have a hard time envisioning your life without life insurance, then listen in to hear my thought experiment that explains why I don’t think that retirees need insurance.  How to use your home equity in a retirement calculator When using retirement calculators, how much weight should you put into your home equity? While your home equity is a part of your net worth, you don’t necessarily want to include it in your retirement plan. The value of your home functions differently in retirement. It can be used as part of a contingency plan if all else fails, but you shouldn’t use your home’s value as part of the calculations of your retirement funds. Instead, consider your home equity more like a multi-line insurance policy.  Resources & People Mentioned Bloomberg article about self-employment Reverse Mortgage episode with Dirk Cotton Reverse mortgage calculator Listener Survey Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, orSpotify

Welcome back to another exciting episode of Retirement Starts Today. I want to say thank you to everyone who has participated in the Listener Survey. There is still time until the end of August 2020 to participate in the survey and voice your opinion about what you would like to hear on the show next year. You can fill out the survey here. It will take just a few short minutes of your time. In this episode, we’ve got a couple of listener questions plus you’ll hear about an interesting new addition to your 401K. Press play now to begin to learn how to make your retirement dreams a reality. Outline of This Episode [2:07] A new lifetime income disclosure rule [7:46] Can you perform a Roth conversion while still contributing to a 401K? [12:32] A Roth conversion tax question  [17:58] Don’t forget to take the listener survey Lifetime income illustrations may be a new part of your 401K disclosure The Labor Department has just revealed a new rule for plan administrators of contribution plans like 401Ks and 403Bs. This rule states that the plan administrators must begin to demonstrate how your account balance can be used as an income stream. They will need to illustrate how the retirement plan could realistically provide the account holder with a lifetime income. The goal is to help people understand how their savings could translate to retirement income.  How will this rule help you plan for retirement? I think this visualization will be helpful but it misses the bigger picture. Seeing the basic math laid out is helpful for general retirement planning, but it won’t help you put the nuts and bolts together to build a comprehensive retirement plan. It’s important to remember that your retirement income is rarely linear. It changes throughout retirement. These illustrations can simply help you get a birds-eye view of how your savings can turn into retirement income. If you are looking for something a bit more comprehensive, download my Retire Ready Toolkit.  Can you contribute to a Roth and a 401K at the same time? John asks if he can begin contributing to a Roth while also contributing to a 401K. You can make Roth conversions at any time. A Roth conversion is when you send money from your IRA to a Roth IRA and pay the taxes on that money. You can do this at any time since the government is always happy to collect your tax dollars. Press play to hear why I suggest waiting until retirement to start converting your IRA.  A Roth conversion tax question Greg has a question on maximizing Roth conversions now to save on taxes in the future. It may make sense for some people to make large conversions this year. My opinion is that it’s better to pay the devil you know. The current tax cuts are set to expire soon so there will probably be tax hikes in the coming years. I like to call this the Golden Era of Roth Conversions. It’s always a good idea to fill up your tax bracket with Roth conversions as well. Having a decent amount of your money in a Roth IRA adds tax flexibility Resources & People Mentioned Annual Listener Survey Pensions and Investments article Taxes in Retirement episode with Andy Panko Andy Panko’s Facebook retirement group Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podbean, Player FM, iHeart, or Spotify

Do you have a lot of stuff? If you said yes, you are not alone. 60% of Americans think that they have too much stuff. We’ll take a look at an article that addresses this problem in the Retirement Headlines segment today. I also have 2 listener questions that I will respond to. But before we get into any of that I would love it if you could help me out and take our annual listener survey. After you take the survey, press play to learn more to help you make the most of the only retirement you’ll get.  Outline of This Episode [2:42] How to get rid of stuff [10:09] The 5-year conversion rule [15:39] Guyton-Clinger rules We’re ready to hear your voice with our annual listener survey Before we get into our Retirement Headline, I would love it if you could help me out and take our annual listener survey. This 10 question survey only takes a few minutes and it helps me guide the topics of the show next year. You can tell me what you love and don’t love about the show. You can also voice your opinion and let me know what kind of topics you’d like to hear more about. I’d love to hear all of your opinions, so please make your voices heard by responding to this survey! Do you have too much stuff? I am like most people in America, I feel like I have too much stuff. But with 6 kids at home, I’m just going to have to deal with it for a bit longer. Recently, I came across an article that had an interview with the author of Downsizing. The interview with the “King of Downsizing” highlights why we have so much and what we can do to get rid of it.  He remarks that early retirement provides a window of opportunity for downsizing and shedding away those things that you don’t need anymore. Once people reach their 70s, 80s, and beyond the ability to stoop and crouch can be limited which can make downsizing much more difficult. Tips for downsizing When we finally decide to relinquish our possessions there is a hierarchy of ways to part with them. Give it away - when we pass on a special object to someone who shares a similar attachment to the item it makes everyone happy. Sell it - if the item still has some value then selling it is a great option. Donate it - giving the item to someone who needs it more can still make you feel good.  Throw it away - this sometimes has an added cost to it. You may need to pay someone else to help you get rid of it.  Often the downsizing process takes between 2-6 months. The experts recommend giving yourself a deadline to complete the process. This article had some interesting ideas that I hadn’t thought of. Press play to hear advice for receiving your parents’ stuff.  A 5-year Roth conversion rule clarification Gerry had a question about Roth contributions and conversions after age 59 ½. We all know that after age 59 ½ we no longer subject to the early withdrawal penalty, but what about the 5-year rule? What triggers the 5-year rule?  The 5-year rule can be a bit confusing, so here are the basics. At age 59½, you can withdraw both your contributions and your earnings with no penalty provided your Roth IRA has been open for at least five tax years.  The 5-year rule is triggered by three circumstances:  You withdraw earnings from your Roth IRA You convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA You inherit a Roth IRA Are you curious to find out what you can do to make sure that you have no issues with the 5-year rule? Make sure to listen in to hear the full answer to Gerry’s question and you’ll also learn what kinds of funds you can use to build a Guyton-Clinger model.  Resources & People Mentioned RetirementStartsTodayRadio.com/Survey BOOK - Downsizing by David Ekerdt Ed Slott tax expert Next Avenue article - How to Get Rid of Stuff Journal of Financial Planning Kitces article on Roth contributions and conversions Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify

Welcome back to Retirement Starts Today! I have long been a proponent of saving in 401K’s, but will this article in Bloomberg make me change my mind? That’s the first article in the Retirement Headlines segment. We’ll also check out an article about the coin shortage and another about how hobbies can improve your financial fitness. Couple that with some listener questions and you’ll gain tons of financial insight. Listen in to continue expanding your financial knowledge.  Outline of This Episode [1:22] Do 401K’s still made sense? [6:58] Why are coins so difficult to find during the pandemic? [8:55] How can your hobbies make you financially fit? [11:10] A Roth conversion question [14:00] How to describe real estate income in retirement Do 401K’s still make sense? The 401K retirement savings plan was authorized in 1978 and began to take hold in the ’80s. Many different employers take advantage of these types of retirement savings plans. Recently there was a Bloomberg article written that questioned whether the 401K still made sense to save in.  The author argued that today’s low tax rates and the high fees of many 401K’s make it an undesirable vessel for saving. He does make some interesting suggestions on ways to improve the 401K program.  Listen in to hear whether this article changed my opinion about 401Ks and what I think the best way to save for retirement is.  Why are coins so difficult to find during the pandemic? Have you noticed the coin shortage? If you have been just about anywhere lately you have probably seen the signs on various stores and establishments about the shortage of coins.  I have been wondering why there has been a coin shortage during the pandemic until recently. My hometown newspaper, the Bismarck Tribune, published an article that helped me understand why. Listen in if you are curious why there has been a shortage of coins in circulation lately. How can your hobbies make you financially fit? I often tout the benefits of retiring to something rather than away from something. It’s much healthier to keep active with hobbies in retirement, but your hobbies are more than a way to simply keep you busy. Hobbies can actually help you lower your stress levels. Hobbies can actually get you out of a negative mindset and help you to break away from financial stress. Have you noticed that your hobbies help you reduce stress? Will I have to pay a penalty for a Roth conversion? A listener is wondering about converting funds from a 401K to a Roth before the age of 59.5 He knows that he will have to pay taxes on the conversion but he was wondering whether he had to pay the 10% withdrawal penalty as well. The good news is that you don’t have to pay a penalty for converting funds into a Roth. However, it is important to have money set aside for the tax liability.  Do you have a question for me? I love answering listener questions on the show, so please send in your questions! Resources & People Mentioned Bloomberg article about 401K Bismarck Tribune article about the coin shortage How Your Hobbies Can Make You Financially Fit Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podbean, Player FM, iHeart, or Spotify

So you think you know a thing or two about Social Security? Let’s put it to the test! I came across a Social Security Quiz from CNBC that I thought was fun, so I wanted to share it with you all. Stick around after the quiz to hear some listener questions. You’ll learn how to compare the 4% rule to a dynamic withdrawal rate. You’ll also learn about rolling over an IRA and the tax consequences. Let’s have some fun today, so listen in to find out just how much you really know about Social Security. Outline of This Episode [1:42] Take this Social Security quiz [9:15] How do the dynamic withdrawal system and 4% rule compare? [14:10] How to draw money from tax-deferred accounts and  [17:35] Do I need a separate IRA to roll over my pension? Test your social security knowledge Sure, you are probably more educated about Social Security than the average Joe, but how much do you really know about Social Security? Take this Social Security quiz to test your knowledge. Let’s see how much you really know. Can you get 8 out of 12 correct? You’ll have to listen in to hear the answers.  If you take benefits before full retirement age, will those benefits be reduced for early filing? If you take benefits before full retirement age, will your Social Security benefits be reduced if you continue to work? Once you start collecting Social Security, your benefits will never change. True or false? If your spouse passes away, will you continue to receive both benefits?  Can your spouse receive benefits from your record if they have no individual earnings history? Does the money that you put into Social Security go into a specific account solely for you until you receive Social Security benefits? Under the current law, is 65 the full retirement age for Social Security? Could you claim Social Security benefits based on your ex-spouse? Could Social Security benefits be reduced for everyone in 2035 based on the current law? If you claim Social Security and have dependents age 18 or younger could they qualify for my Social Security benefits? Can you continue to get delayed retirement credit increases after age 70? Do you have to be a U.S. citizen to collect Social Security retirement benefits? How do the dynamic withdrawal system and 4% rule compare? I’ve mentioned in the past that by using the 4% rule, 96% of the time people will have more money left over than when they started. Pete is curious about how the dynamic withdrawal system compares to that 4% rule. The 4% rule is easy to assess because you can look backward in time to analyze the data. With a dynamic withdrawal system, the amount of money left at the end would depend on your sequence of returns. Since the dynamic withdrawal system looks forward rather than back, there isn’t the same kind of data to assess. The difference between the two systems is that one is looking backward and the other is looking forward. How to draw money from tax-deferred accounts and already taxed accounts One listener has money in tax-deferred accounts as well as in accounts that have already been taxed. He is trying to decide the best way to withdraw money from these in retirement. My advice is to think about what you are trying to solve. Are you interested in paying taxes now or later? When would you prefer to have the least tax burden? It is also important to note that Roth conversions are very appealing right now. Resources & People Mentioned Take this CNBC Social Security quiz The Prudent Pessimist episode Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify

Tax expert, Andy Panko, joins me today to discuss taxes in retirement. Andy and I know each other from his Taxes in Retirement Facebook group. I figured he would be the perfect person to have on the show to help me answer several questions about this topic. Retirement is one time in life when you can plan for taxes in the long-term, so you’ll want to do as much tax planning as you can. Listen to hear the different types of tax questions that people have about retirement.  Outline of This Episode [2:22] Do spouses have to calculate their RMD’s separately? [8:32] An IRMAA question [15:09] Bill wants to know about the 5-year rule [20:36] How do RMD’s work? [25:10] It’s not what you make it’s what you keep An IRA question Wouldn’t it be easier to combine a husband and wife’s assets and just take one RMD? If a husband and wife have separate 401K’s and IRA’s even though it would seem easier to take those RMD’s together, they must be taken individually. The RMD is based on your age and each IRA and 401K has its own calculator.  One way to simplify the various retirement accounts is to take a rollover whenever you leave an employer-sponsored 401K. Remember the RMD penalty is steep, 50% of the required amount. So if you can find a way to simplify your retirement accounts then do it.  An IRMAA question The next question is actually from me. Normally I help my clients stay within the $174,000 income limit that IRMAA allows. But I recently discovered a case in which a client should go over that limit. Are there cases where people should deliberately go over the IRMAA limit?  If you already have a large pot of tax-deferred money it makes sense to pay those taxes now rather than later. We are experiencing all-time lows in tax rates and those rates are subject to change at any point. It may make sense to pay the $70 extra per month in Medicare costs rather than be stuck with a large tax bill later. Listen in to hear what the next IRMAA income cap is.  What are the rules of converting a Roth IRA?  If you are already over 59.5 and the Roth account has been open more than 5 years then you are set. You can withdraw funds from that account without penalty. Any money that comes out is a qualified distribution. However, if you do not meet those requirements there could be a penalty. There are further rules and regulations surrounding Roth IRA’s and they can be very confusing. To ensure that you don’t encounter any problems with your Roth IRA, open one as soon as possible and fund it with a rollover.  How do RMD’s work? When you save into your IRA you are saving into a tax-deferred account. The RMD is simply there to make sure you pay the income tax on that money. It’s important to remember that the money isn’t entirely yours, you need to split it with Uncle Sam. You want to maximize the amount that you get and minimize Uncle Sam’s portion.  You and Uncle Sam see your IRA in different ways. You see that account as an asset and Uncle Sam sees it as (untaxed) income. It won’t allow you to put it off paying those taxes indefinitely. The RMD is simply the government’s way of ensuring that you pay the taxes owed on that money.  Press play to discover the answers to all of these listener questions and help realize all the tax planning opportunities that retirement brings. Connect with Andy Panko Andy Panko’s Taxes in Retirement Facebook Group Tenon Financial Retirement Planning Demystified YouTube channel Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify  

Have you ever wondered what I sound like on a different podcast? Well, today you get to find out. Since I am attempting a family road trip with 6 kids under 12, I can’t personally be with you all this week. But I am excited to share with you a bit of my interview with my friend Grant Bledsoe on his podcast, Grow Money Business. Listen in to hear my thoughts on several hot retirement topics like the 4% rule, how to set up your income in retirement, and stay tuned until the end to hear people’s biggest problem people in retirement.  Outline of This Episode [2:12] Our lives are too dynamic for a linear approach to retirement [4:50] How do you adjust your tactics? [8:47] What are Guyten’s guardrails? [12:00 How do you set up your income in retirement? [14:23] What is the biggest thing that people get wrong in retirement planning? [20:10] How much cash should you have on hand in retirement? Is the 4% rule the best way to plan for retirement? Most people who are deep into retirement planning are familiar with the 4% rule. The idea that if you take 4% out of your retirement portfolio each year and never run out of money is simple and easy to remember. However, I argue that you need more flexibility than the 4% rule offers. In practice, our lives are too dynamic to take such a linear approach. Your income in retirement may end up changing several times and you need to have a retirement plan that can adjust to the changes that life brings.  How do you adjust your retirement planning strategies? So how do you adjust your retirement plan to account for all those life changes? You and I aren’t the only ones with this question. Guyton is a retirement researcher who wanted to figure out another way of not running out of money in retirement. In a nutshell, Guyton’s guardrails state that you can increase your spending when the market is good and decrease your income when the market takes a downturn. Guyton’s guardrails start you off with a higher income at the beginning of retirement. This retirement model takes into account the more human side of retirement planning. Is your retirement plan flexible? How do you set up your income in retirement? One of the biggest problems people have about retirement planning is, how do they get their money? I think it is important to stick with what you know. You probably aren’t used to getting one lump sum of money each year, so that may be hard to adjust to. I like to set up distributions once a month. These distributions come from the boring side of your portfolio. I call it the mullet distribution strategy Just like that memorable 80’s haircut your portfolio is business up front and a party in the back. I like to let the exciting stuff ride it out and party while taking from the business end of the portfolio. Listen in to hear more about the mullet distribution strategy. What is the biggest thing that people get wrong in retirement planning? The number one problem that I see people having in retirement is that they are retiring away from something rather than towards something. Retirement shouldn’t only be about telling your boss to kiss-off. It’s important to find a meaningful way to spend your time. Find something to do with your newfound time freedom. Take a class, discover a hobby, or mentor someone. Remember you are jumping into a void. You’ll need a way to find contentment outside of the things that are related to money. What will you do after you retire? Resources & People Mentioned Grow Money Business Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, orSpotify

It’s true, money can’t buy happiness. But does how you choose to spend your money affect your happiness? Today we’ll discuss one article that challenges that old adage. We’ll also discuss a multifaceted question from a listener who just accepted an early retirement package. We’ll help her consider whether to rollover funds into an IRA and figure out what to do with her target-date funds. Listen in to hear the answers to this question and to consider whether money could actually buy happiness.  Outline of This Episode [1:12] What we spend our money on can give us happiness [4:28] Amy has accepted an early retirement package [9:02] An IRA offers more choices How we choose to spend our money matters  Although money can’t purchase a deep, meaningful feeling, how we choose to spend our money matters. What we spend our money on can contribute to our happiness. The Washington Post recently published an article that reported on a study about how money affects our happiness. Having more money can make life better for those who struggle to make ends meet. Once their basics are covered they may have money to spend on things they enjoy. How to use your money to make you happy People who spend their money on activities and causes that are important to them are more satisfied with their lives. Rather than worrying about how to make more money, start using your money in ways that benefit your happiness. Let’s think about how your money can buy you happiness. When you do have extra cash think about what you are trying to accomplish. What makes you happy? Don’t buy just something to buy it. Instead, ask yourself whether spending money on a certain product will actually help you lead the type of lifestyle that you want to lead. Should I roll over my 401K into an IRA after retirement? The short answer is yes. One reason to move from a 401K to an IRA in retirement is that you will have many more investment options in an IRA than a 401K. A 401K is designed to please the general public as they accumulate their wealth. An IRA can be tailored to your individual needs and offer many more options than a 401K. A properly diversified retirement portfolio will have much more diversity than a 401K can provide.  What to do about target-date funds in retirement? I love target-date funds for the accumulation period of life but they don’t work as well in retirement. (If you haven’t listened to the Set It and Forget It episode about target-date funds, bookmark it for later.) Target date funds are great for keeping your savings well balanced and adjusted according to your target retirement date. But in retirement, you’ll want to be more surgical with your investing and slice away at your portfolio as needed.  Resources & People Mentioned Washington Post article - Money Can Buy Happiness Set It and Forget It episode Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify

Would you consider adding private equity funds to your 401K? We’ll weight the pros and cons of this interesting idea as we explore the retirement headlines. No listener questions today, instead, this episode is all about the headlines. We have news about RMD’s, private equity funds, tax strategy in retirement, and a shocking Fidelity study. Make sure to listen until the end to hear the surprise twist. Outline of This Episode [1:22] All unwanted RMD’s taken in 2020 can be returned  [2:16] Including private equity funds in your 401K [8:08] Many Retirees forget to plan for taxes in the long term [10:35] A Fidelity study stated that ⅓ of investors over 65 moved their money out of stocks What are private equity funds? You may have heard of private equity funds before but many people aren’t exactly sure what they are. So before we explore this retirement headline I want to define the term. Private equity funds are an investment class of their own which consists of capital that isn’t listed on the public exchange. Whereas public equity involves buying shares on the stock exchange, private equity funds invest directly in private companies.  Do Private equity funds belong in your 401K? Recently changes were made that opened the door to allow private equity funds into 401K plans. There are pros and cons to this idea. One positive is that they can provide added diversification to your investments. Another positive is the potential for increased returns. However, there are 3 serious downsides you need to consider before adding private equity funds to your 401K.  A lack of transparency - It’s difficult to understand what you own when you own a private equity fund. Mutual funds are designed to be transparent, but with private equity, you won’t have that same clarity.  A lack of liquidity - With mutual funds, if you need cash out of your retirement account you could sell and have the funds within 3 days. However, it could take months to get your money out of a private equity fund.  High fees - Private equity funds can charge 2 & 20 which means that they have a 2% annual fee and take 20% of your profits. This is a huge difference when compared to the ever-lowering fees of mutual funds. Listen in to hear my opinion about private equity funds in your 401K. Many Retirees forget to plan for taxes in the long term The pandemic has caused many of us to reevaluate a number of things in our lives. One of those considerations was taxes. 59% of Americans surveyed said that they are more worried about taxes now than before. And 63% responded that it’s more important to develop a tax strategy in retirement. I am a proponent of long-term tax strategy in retirement in conjunction with your yearly tax planning. My takeaway from this article is that it is important to get professional tax advice early on so that the taxman doesn’t sneak up on you.  The importance of accurate reporting The Wall Street Journal published an article that stated that ⅓ of investors over age 65 moved their money out of stocks. But the article published inaccurate data. Although the article was corrected, it took 3 days for the correction, an eternity in this time of instant news. Mistakes in reporting will inevitably happen which is why it is important to read news surrounding statistics and investing with a grain of salt. It’s also important to be conscious of your own bias when reading news articles.  Resources & People Mentioned Unwanted RMD’s can be returned by August 31 Market Watch story on private equity Retirees planning for taxes Wall Street Journal article about retirees withdrawing from the market Think Investor correction article Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify

Retirement Manifesto blogger, Fritz Gilbert joins me today. Fritz was actually my very first guest on the show and is now my first repeat guest. I’m excited to have him join me again since he has recently retired. Fritz shares insight from his research in writing his blog and book but also from his first-hand knowledge of retirement. Listen in to our conversation as we discuss hidden challenges of retirement, how it feels to be newly retired, and how to get the most bang for your buck in retirement planning.  Outline of This Episode [2:22] The first cup of coffee you drink after you retire is the best cup of your life [5:25] Even if you don’t plan to retire you should still save for retirement [9:48] Books can offer a lot of knowledge [13:28] Is 2020 the golden era of Roth Conversions? [16:27] The hidden challenges question [20:21] Embrace your passion to create your ideal retirement The first cup of coffee is the best cup of coffee of your entire life  In Fritz’s book he mentions that the first cup of coffee he drank the day after he retired was the best cup of coffee he ever had in his life. Fritz was obsessed with trying to figure out what retirement would be like, but mentions that it is something that you can never understand until you actually do it. He compares it to marriage or having a child. One metaphor he uses is that it’s like having a locked door in front of you your whole life and then you are finally given the key.  Did he always think about retirement? At 38 years old, I can’t picture myself retired. So I ask Fritz, did he always picture retirement? His response is that he didn’t really begin to think about retirement until his mid 40’s and then when he was in his early 50’s he began to get serious about retirement planning. When he started running the numbers he realized that retirement was a possibility sooner rather than later. He realized he could get out of the rat race early and enjoy more out of life. He thinks it is important to do some serious planning when you are within 5 years of retiring.  One thing that is important to consider is that many people get pushed into early retirement, so whether you are planning for it or not, it is important to be prepared financially. We both agree that whether you are thinking about retirement or you plan to work forever, it is important to save for it. The hidden challenges of retirement One of the chapters of his book discusses the hidden challenges of retirement. I was surprised that market volatility was not one of the challenges that he mentioned in that chapter. His reasoning is that market volatility is not a hidden challenge. It is to be expected and planned for. If you create a sound financial plan then market volatility won’t worry you. The hidden challenges that he mentions are not financial and not as widely communicated as the financial aspects of retirement. Listen in to hear what some of those hidden challenges are.  Embrace your passion to create your ideal retirement In his book, Fritz states that finding a focus or passion in retirement is so important. But what should someone do if they don’t have a passion? How should they go about finding their passion? Should they do that before retirement or can they wait until after they have already retired? Fritz answers that finding your passion is a matter of being curious and maintaining a willingness to learn. Discover how Fritz found the passion he never knew he had and how you can find your passion to create an ideal retirement by listening to this chat. Resources & People Mentioned Garrett Planning Network XY Planning Network Connect with Fritz Gilbert  BOOK - Keys to a Successful Retirement by Fritz Gilbert The Retirement Manifesto blog Fritz on Twitter @RetireManifesto Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify

I’ve got an exciting episode planned for you today. This episode will focus solely on listener questions but as an added twist I’ve asked my friend Grant Bledsoe over at Grow Money Business Podcast to join me in answering these questions. I think you’ll benefit from Grant’s expertise as a Registered Investment Advisor and enjoy hearing his perspective as he helps me answer your questions. Listen in to hear our two points of view about rebalancing in difficult markets, quarterly tax payments, and choosing between a lump sum or monthly payments.  Outline of This Episode [1:22] How to rebalance your portfolio when dealing with difficult markets [7:00] What is the classification of REITs? [15:30] After a Roth conversion should you send in quarterly tax payments? [17:55] A $200,000 lump sum or $1500 a month payments for life? How to rebalance your portfolio when dealing with difficult markets With all of the market turmoil over the past few months, many of us are left scratching our heads when the time comes to rebalance. How are we supposed to rebalance when the stock market is so volatile? Grant sees 2 sides to this thought equation. One side contains the math and the other part has the psychology. The math side will tell you that you are better off investing all your cash at once. But, psychologically, not many of us are prepared to jump all in today’s turbulent market. Grant suggests waiting or using the dollar cost average to divide up the cash over the next year or two. He stresses that you should choose a reasonable method and stick with it. Consistency is key, especially in times of uncertainty. Listen in to hear my response to this timely question.  How should REITs be classified? Do you have REITs in your portfolio? One listener wonders whether they should be classified as a stock or a bond. While Grant thinks they act more like a stock, I tend to put them in the same category as bonds, but really, they are neither. Most REIT funds will invest in big commercial real estate, such as hospitals and shopping malls. They behave in their own way since the returns are driven by rents, interest rates, and appreciation. Having REITs in your ‘other’ category is one way to diversify your portfolio. Discover the risks of owning REITs as well as the difference between traded and non traded REITs on this episode of Retirement Starts Today.  Should you send in quarterly tax payments when doing a Roth conversion early in the year? One listener asks if you do a Roth conversion early in the year should you be making quarterly tax payments to the IRS? This is a great question to ask your tax professional. If you do your own taxes then the IRS website is the resource to help you with the logistics. Basically, if you have 90-100% of the payments prepaid you won’t incur a penalty. This is why it is important to understand what your tax burden will be.  A $200,000 lump sum or $1500 a month payments for life?  To people that love math problems, deciding whether to take a lump-sum or monthly payments may seem as easy as plugging in the numbers. But there are more factors to consider beyond the math. You should examine what your retirement plan looks like. Will you be receiving Social Security payments? Think about your risk tolerance and your longevity as well. Grant helps me answer this common listener question, find out his take on it by pressing play. Connect with Grant Bledsoe Grow Money Business Podcast with Grant Bledsoe Three Oaks Capital Above the Canopy blog Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify

Can you imagine this nightmare? You’re newly retired and then a global pandemic comes along and threatens financial markets all over the world leaving you bankrupt in only two weeks. Listen to this cautionary tale in the retirement headlines segment of our show today. But what is more important than hearing the frightening scenario is learning what you can do to prevent yourself from taking this kind of risk.  Outline of This Episode [3:22] How did one man go from retired to bankrupt in just 2 weeks? [7:40] How to protect yourself from risk [9:15] Few use the CARES Act to tap into their retirement savings [11:50] Should you cover non-discretionary expenses with Social Security or an annuity? Retired to bankrupt in 2 weeks How could someone go from retired to bankrupt in two weeks? This Wall Street Journal article notes that one investor reentered the stock market after the 2008 financial crisis by investing solely in leveraged exchange-traded notes (ETN’s). ETN’s are similar to ETF’s but they don’t own the assets they track. The investor’s ETN’s were earning 18% a year until the bottom dropped out. It’s important to remember that highly profitable investments come with added risk.  How to protect yourself from risk Hearing a story like that may cause you to think twice about risk, but to stay on top of inflation we have to take on some risk. Instead of running from risk, we must understand it. If you want to maintain your purchasing power your money has to grow beyond inflation. You can do this safely by creating a war chest of cash and bonds that has several years’ worth of income. Your war chest will allow you to ride out the market dips so that your portfolio has time to recover. Listen in to learn what else you can do to protect yourself from risk.  Few use the CARES Act to tap into their retirement savings If you’ve listened to this show in the past few months you have heard the different retirement benefits of the CARES Act. One of the provisions waives RMD’s for 2020. Another allows individuals younger than 59.5 to access their retirement portfolio without penalty. According to this Investment News article, few people have taken advantage of this aspect of the new law. Even those who did dip into their retirement savings didn’t typically take too much out. This leaves me cautiously optimistic about people’s retirement plans.  Should you cover non-discretionary expenses with your guaranteed income? Mike has an interesting question. He asks if his essential expenses should be covered by Social Security or other guaranteed income. I think it’s a smart idea to pair non-discretionary expenses with your known income. Although I like Mike’s idea, it’s not what I do.  I create a budget based on expenses then subtract guaranteed income. The deficit is what needs to be covered by the retirement portfolio. Find out more by listening to this episode of Retirement Starts Today.  Resources & People Mentioned Retirement Answer Man episode with me Wall Street Journal article about going bankrupt Investment News article on CARES Act Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify

Do you know what you would do if your employer offered you an early retirement package? Before you rush into an answer, I have 4 questions for you to consider. Given the present economic climate, this is an important consideration. On this episode, we’ll also talk about survivorship bias and what you can learn from it. Then I answer a listener question about alternative minimum tax and donor-advised funds. Lastly, we’ll discuss 3 different retirement headlines. Don’t miss out if you have been considering taking an early retirement package from your employer.  Outline of This Episode [1:32] Survivorship bias [4:21] AMT’s and DAV’s [6:45] Unlikely to be a social security boost in 2021 [8:53] Retirement savers stayed calm during the market hiccup [11:05] Delta airlines is offering a buyout package [14:12] What is the appropriate amount of time to give when contemplating retirement? What can we learn from survivorship bias? Survivorship bias can often leave us dead wrong. We often look to the successes to try and learn how to succeed ourselves. This is often because we don’t see the failures. But in failure is where we can find the lessons to be learned. For every Amazon or Apple, there are hundreds of potential ideas that didn’t pan out. Next time you plan for success look to the failures to guide you. Listen in to hear an interesting story of how to learn from failure. Will a donor-advised fund be excluded from alternative minimum tax calculations? I don’t often get questions about alternative minimum tax (AMT) so I am excited to share some insight on this one. According to the American Endowment Foundation, there are 5 primary tax benefits to becoming a donor with a donor-advised fund (DAF). If you are subject to AMT your contribution to a DAF will reduce the AMT impact. You will receive an immediate income tax deduction in the year you contribute to your DAF. The deduction for a cash donation is up to 60% of AGI. The deduction for securities or other appreciated assets is up to 30% of AGI. You will not incur any capital gains tax on gifts of appreciated assets. Your DAF will not be subject to estate taxes. Your investments in a DAF can appreciate tax-free. Delta is offering buyout packages to its employees I recently read an article from CNBC about employee buyouts. Delta airlines is offering a buyout package to its employees since under the conditions of their federal aid package they cannot layoff or cut the pay of any workers until September 30. Those who qualify for early retirement would receive up to 26 weeks of severance, 2 years of medical coverage, and a year of travel benefits. Given the current economic climate, Delta may not be the only large company we see offering buyouts in the coming months.  Tips to consider if you are offered an early retirement package Have you considered what you would do if your employer offered you an early retirement package? I chose to highlight the article about Delta’s buyouts to get you to think a bit about what to do if you are offered early retirement. Here are 4 questions to ask yourself if your job offers you an early retirement package.  Why is your employer is offering this package? This early retirement package may be a sign that your employer is in financial distress. If you don’t accept the buyout, you may still be laid off later on and the terms may not be as good.  Where will your income come from? While periods of 4-26 weeks like the Delta offers may sound like a long time, they will go by quickly. You may have the opportunity to withdraw from your retirement funds, but doing so earlier than projected may deplete your savings faster than you think.  Where will you get your health insurance? Early-retirement packages typically allow workers to keep their health insurance for a period after leaving the company, but after that, those people are on their own unless they have reached age 65 and can enroll in Medicare.  Is there a good reason to stay put? Your pension may be based on the average of your last three years of income. If you expect that number to rise, you may have a good reason to reject the offer.  Listen in to hear what you should consider when offered an early retirement package and to learn why you might not want to give too much notice of your retirement.  Resources & People Mentioned Survivorship Bias fallacy Don’t focus on the successful to become successful Investment News article about Social Security Retirement savers stayed calm CNBC article on Delta buyout Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify

Are you an eternal optimist or a prudent pessimist? It may seem like the stock market is the eternal optimist. Have you seen the headline that Uber laid off 3,000 employees? If you have, you may be wondering why their stock jumped up. Learn why this is a common occurrence by listening in. Then on the other side of the coin, you’ll learn how you can be a prudent pessimist after reading the latest Social Security headlines. But first, let’s get to a listener question from Jennifer.  Outline of This Episode [1:22] Should Jennifer roll over her lump sum pension payment into a Roth IRA? [6:45] Bad news and stock prices [10:15] Should you worry about the latest Social Security news? [16:10] If you want to be a pessimist, be a pessimist the right way Should Jennifer roll over her lump sum pension payment into a Roth IRA? We may be hearing more and more questions regarding lump sum pension payments in the coming months due to dropping interest rates. These lowered interest rates make lump sum pension payouts more attractive. Jennifer is considering rolling over her lump sum pension payment into a Roth IRA. I would advise against this due to the high tax rate. You don’t want to have that heavy tax bill all at at the same time. Instead of rolling everything into a Roth IRA, a partial Roth conversion could be a better option. Listen in to hear why.  Why does the stock market favor bad news? I recently came across an article on Tech Crunch which stated that Uber laid off 3000 employees. However, the stock market’s reaction to the tightening of Uber’s purse strings was positive. Many people wonder why news like Uber’s often leads to increased stock values. This is because the stock market looks forward in time, months, or even years ahead. While the news is bad for the company and the employees right now, this fiscal responsibility may pay off in the long run, or so investors think.  Should you worry about the latest Social Security news?  While the stock market may seem overly optimistic, any news surrounding Social Security seems pessimistic. How about this headline from Investment News? Pandemic Will Deplete Social Security Trust Fund, is that scary enough for you? Of course, like all headlines, this one is meant to grab your attention. The truth is, legislators will probably figure this out in the end. The pandemic will not last forever and soon people will get back to work and their Social Security tax contributions will be collected once again. As long as people are paying into Social Security, this fund will not run out of money.  If you want to be a pessimist, be a prudent pessimist the right way  If you still believe that Social Security is doomed, don’t let that cause you to change your retirement plans. If you think that claiming your benefit early at age 62 will be the best way to make use of your contribution, think again. If you really want to be the prudent pessimist you’ll wait all the way until age 70 so that you receive a 32% increase on your benefit. Listen in to hear why waiting to take Social Security at age 70 is the best choice for the prudent pessimist.  Resources & People Mentioned Uber Layoffs Tech Crunch article Social Security Investment News article Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, orSpotify

Thanks for participating in the office hours that we’ve held for the past several weeks. Due to that question and answer period, we have exhausted all of our listener questions. But don’t worry we have some interesting articles to discuss on today’s episode. Listen in to learn more about the CARES Act, the lack of inflation, market positions from the big, and why so many people plan to return to work after being laid off.  Outline of This Episode [2:42] Financial planning opportunities within the CARES Act [5:02] Taking a coronavirus distribution [8:10] What’s up with inflation? [10:55] The outsized position of FAANG stocks [13:22] 80% of workers think they will return to their previous jobs Financial planning opportunities within the CARES Act The CARES Act was recently passed to provide more options to those affected by the COVID situation. This landmark legislation presents savvy with a few financial planning opportunities. The CARES Act has allowed for money saved in employer-sponsored retirement plans to become more readily available. Up to $100,000 can be moved to a less restrictive plan. Another opportunity is if you have already taken your yearly RMD. If you have done so, you have the opportunity to return the money to the account and let it keep growing tax-deferred.  Be careful when taking a coronavirus distribution One more benefit from the CARES Act is that if you are under 59 ½ and you take income from a distribution over 3 years without the 10% IRS penalty. This was written into the law to help people economically that have been affected by Coronavirus in some way. If you feel that you qualify to take money out of your IRA it is important to make sure that you only take the amount that you need so that you don’t end up with a hefty tax bill at the end of the year.  Where’s the inflation? When the government pumps trillions of dollars into the economy all of the economic textbooks say that there should be inflation. But nothing much is happening. Travel and apparel fell 0.4%, gas dropped 20%, and food costs went up 2.6%. While these numbers are interesting, what do they mean for the average investor? We can learn a lesson from this. Every time we think the market is going to zig, it zags. Remember this when you try to insulate your portfolio from a specific type of risk. There is always a different risk that you weren’t anticipating. The market will always throw you a curveball. Listen in to hear what you can plan for all kinds of risks in retirement.  80% of laid-off workers believe they will return to their old jobs soon As the country slowly begins to return to normal after the quarantine over the past couple of months many laid-off workers are optimistic. I find myself sharing their optimistic, albeit cautiously. Typically fewer than half of laid-off workers expect to return to their previous jobs but this time there is hope that things could be different. Only time will tell if this will be the case.  Resources & People Mentioned Michael Kitces article Forbes article Bloomberg article on inflation Professor Galloway article Washington Post article about laid-off workers Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, orSpotify

Have you been listening to what has been going on in the commodities markets lately? People around the world were shocked when oil prices went negative in the month of May. I didn’t even know that this could happen and I’m a financial professional! This interesting turn of events led me to seek the expertise of someone more knowledgable in the oil commodities sector. This is why I’ve asked oil expert, Dan Eberhart, to come on the show today and explain how the price of oil could drop into negative numbers. We’ll also talk about the importance of diversification and not only in your portfolio.  Outline of This Episode [2:02] What the heck happened to oil prices in May? [4:18] Should we start thinking of the city we may end up in? [6:35] Should we avoid the Middle East in our international investments? [9:32] What are the long term implications on oil? [11:58] If we have the capital is it a good idea to invest in oil right now? [13:15] Is the oil industry a viable industry for the future? How did oil prices drop into negative numbers in May? The price of oil is actually based on a futures contract. That contract is set for delivery at a certain date and these contracts roll over each month. Oil is traded by commodities brokers who don’t actually take possession of the product. Most people who want to trade in oil don’t actually want to take over the physical delivery of this commodity. What happened in May is that when it was time for the traders to exit and hand over the delivery of the product no one wanted to take it due to the lack of available storage facilities. This caused a panic in the market and sent the price into negative numbers. Listen in to find out if this could happen again.  Should we start thinking about the city we may end up in? We all know about the importance of diversification in our portfolios, but have you ever thought about the economical drivers of the town that you live in or want to live in during retirement. If that place’s sole economy lies in one market you may be taking on extra risk. Before purchasing a home in retirement think about what kind of economy drives the place. North Dakota and Texas have strong ties to oil. Wyoming and Pennsylvania are large producers of natural gas. And Silicon Valley and the tech economy drive much of California. If you do live in one of these places it is a good idea to pay even more attention to the diversification of your portfolio so it is not tied to one of these sectors. Should we avoid master limited partnerships? Retirees are often looking to have some income-producing investments in their portfolios. Until recently, master limited partnerships (MLPs) seemed like a great way to provide income and diversification. There were some MLPs that were paying between 7-9% annual yield on investments. Since these have been more volatile should we steer away from MLPs in the future? Dan recommends approaching these with caution. They will be less volatile than oil and gas stocks but more volatile than they have been in the past.  What are the long-term implications for the oil industry? With more people working from home, the increasing popularity of electric cars, and the green movement it seems like the future of the oil industry could be bleak. Dan mentions that it’s not practical to flip a switch to change our energy from oil and gas to renewables. He is confident that the free market will help solve this puzzle. As those in the sector already know, the oil and gas industry has always followed a boom and bust cycle. The demand for oil is down right now but it will begin to increase over the next 18-24 months.  Has the wild swing in oil changed your diversification strategy? Resources & People Mentioned Interactive Brokers article Connect with Dan Eberhart Dan Eberhart on Forbes @DanKEberhart on Twitter Canary LLC Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify

 One of the effects of the Coronavirus has been a number of cancelled plans. Have you had to cancel plans due to the pandemic? Today we’ll explore how to get a refund. I’ll also share a CNBC article that I use as a cautionary tale. Then we’ll look at some cosmic opportunities that may arise post-pandemic. And lastly, we’ll listen to a listener question about home mortgages in retirement. We’ve got an action-packed episode, so press play now. Outline of This Episode [1:02] Resist the urge to swing at a fat pitch [5:24] How to get a refund from your canceled plans [7:13] The cosmic opportunity post-Corona [10:00] A home mortgage question Resist the urge to swing at a fat pitch  A recent CNBC article came across my feed right before I started recording and I wanted to share it with you all as a precaution. The headline states that investors are betting that 2 of the hardest-hit sectors, airlines and energy, have hit their bottoms. ETF’s including these 2 sectors have increased in the past few weeks. I want to warn you away from betting on the large companies with household names that have taken a beating recently. Just because a company has suffered huge losses over the past few months doesn’t necessarily mean that it will eventually bounce back to its all-time highs. These may seem like huge opportunities but taking risks with your retirement money is a frightening gamble right now.  How to get a refund from your cancelled plans 59 million people have been forced to cancel their plans due to the Coronavirus pandemic. But shockingly, only ⅓ of them expect to get a 100% refund. Have you tried to get a refund from your cancelled plans? If you have and haven’t been successful try these strategies. Start by calling the merchant. But before you call to ask for a refund develop a plan. Consider whether you are looking for a full refund or if you’ll settle for a credit. You may yield better results by being willing to take a credit. If the merchant doesn’t cooperate try calling your credit card company.  The cosmic opportunity post-Corona I’m always looking for positive news coming out of the pandemic. Recently I read an article written by Professor Scott Galloway. If you haven’t heard of Professor Galloway, he is a fun follow on Twitter @ProfGalloway. His article showcases the idea that we can use this downtime that Corona has offered to invest in ourselves. By investing in ourselves and our relationships we are really investing in our future. So ask yourself how can you use this time to improve yourself? A home mortgage question To pay off the house or to retain a mortgage? That is a common question folks have as they get closer to retirement. There really is no correct answer. The answer is different for every person and it depends on your own personal goals. On the one hand, no one ever laments their paid-off house. And no mortgage means less risk. But… With interest rates being so low you could see much more growth by leaving those funds in the market. Where do you stand on this subject? Resources & People Mentioned CNBC article about investing in hard hit sectors CNBC article about canceling plans @ProfGalloway on Twitter Post-Corona, the Cosmic Opportunity on ScottGalloway.com Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify

With the recent market volatility, people are looking for financial advisors now more than ever. But how can you choose a financial advisor that’s right for you? I created a PDF with 8 questions to ask a financial advisor when you are looking. I’ll discuss these 8 questions as well as answer 2 listener questions and discuss the retirement headlines on this episode of Retirement Starts Today. Outline of This Episode [1:42] What is the best way to take Social Security benefits? [5:15] A 60/40 question [11:55] 8 Questions to ask a potential financial advisor [19:21] Nationwide has decided to have 50% of their staff work from home permanently How to decide the best way to take Social Security benefits Often in a marriage, the Social Security benefits vary greatly between the 2 partners. One may be much larger than the other. So how should you determine which one to take when? Many people don’t realize that if one spouse has a very small or even no Social Security benefit they are actually entitled to half of their spouse’s benefit. Find out how to decide what to do if one of the Social Security benefits is much smaller than the other by listening to this episode of Retirement Starts Today. You can also check out one of the Social Security calculators on the Social Security website. How much bond diversity should you have in your bond portfolio? I often call the 60-40 portfolio the swiss army knife of portfolios for a good reason. The 60% in stocks is for growth and the 40% in bonds is for short term spending. A listener asks how diversified their bond portfolio should be. I think that just like your stock portfolio, your bond portfolio should be as diversified as possible. It should include short term, intermediate-term, and long term bonds. These types of bonds have different levels of volatility.  8 Questions to ask a financial advisor With the recent market volatility, people are looking for financial advisors now more than ever. But how do you find the right financial advisor to meet your needs? I created a free PDF of questions you can ask potential financial advisor candidates. Included are these questions: Are your questions truly in my best interest? Will your recommendations be focused in one area or will they be comprehensive? Do you have the knowledge and experience to help me achieve my financial goals? How many clients do you serve and how does their situation compare to mine? How often will I hear from you? What will my total investment expense be? Will you help me solve any financial problems I may encounter? Where do you keep my money and how can I see it? Download the PDF to see the full questions and my answers. A Fortune 100 company plans to have 50% of their staff work from home permanently This pandemic has shown that many people can do their jobs from a home office. One company plans to continue this trend in the long term by having 50% of their staff work from home. This is a huge benefit for the company and will save them a lot of money on commercial real estate, but the potential benefits for employees looking for flexibility is even greater. Many people looking to retire are really looking for time flexibility. If your company offered you a semi-retirement option where you could work from home and have flexible hours would you take it? How many more working years would that afford you? This may be the wave of the future.  Resources & People Mentioned Social Security calculators Download your free PDF with the 8 questions to ask a potential financial advisor Investment News article about people seeking financial advisors Biz Journal article about Fortune 100 company closing offices Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify  

On this episode of Retirement Starts Today I want to share with you the retirement questions I received through my Friday Office Hours. Office Hours is an online space where I am available to answer any financial questions that come to mind. Over the past 2 weeks, we’ve had a great turn out with about 50 people joining each session. If you want to come to Office Hours make sure you are signed up for my Every Day is Saturday newsletter to get the invite. The next Office Hours session is on Friday, May 1 at 10:30 am CDT. Listen in to hear these retirement questions from my Office Hours session on April 24, 2020. Outline of This Episode [1:22] The solvency of the PBGC [7:00] Do I still recommend delaying Social Security until age 70? [15:34] How will the new money being pumped into the economy affect inflation? [18:15] Tax diversification [22:14] Should deflation be a worry? What do I think about the solvency of the PBGC? The PBGC or the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation is a private insurance company that insures pensions. This corporation is a safety net for private pension plans. Many people are choosing to cash out their pensions in favor of a lump sum. The lump-sum payments are artificially high right now due to low interest rates which and this fact has put extra stress on the PBGC. Whether or not the PBGC remains solvent should not affect your decision to take a lump sum or to keep your pension.  How you should decide whether to take a lump-sum payment or a pension The solvency of the PBGC shouldn’t play much of a role in your decision to take a lump sum or an annuity, instead, you should first consider other factors. First, consider your lifestyle and then do the math, after you have done both of these things then you can factor in whether you think the PBGC will remain solvent. You should really think about how much flexibility you need with your money. If you need a lot of flexibility the lump sum is the right choice for you. But if you are risk-averse then the annuity is your best bet. You’ll also want to factor in your own longevity and how much you value simplicity. Next, you’ll want to factor in the math. Listen in to hear all the factors that you should consider when making this decision. How will the new money being pumped into the economy affect inflation? We have been printing money for years and that should have led to inflation but it hasn’t yet. This also should have led to high gold prices but that hasn’t happened either. None of the things are happening the way the textbooks told us they would. This may be due to technological advances leading to deflation or it could be because the dollar is the reserve currency of the world. Learn how to outgrow inflation by listening in.  A strategy for tax diversification  In an ideal world, you would start your retirement with 30% of your assets in a Roth IRA, 30% in tax-deferred accounts like IRAs, and the last 30% in a brokerage account. This would give you a lot of flexibility to live life how you really want. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have our assets perfectly distributed so we need to consider how we can diversify our assets before we reach age 72. It’s important to figure out what your RMD’s will be and planning your taxes. Find out about tax diversification and the answers to many other questions on this episode of Retirement Starts Today.  Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify

You may have gotten your stimulus check last week, but whether or not you have received the funds you may still have stimulus check questions. On this episode, I’ll answer several common questions surrounding the stimulus checks. I’ll also highlight some positive news for most of us. Positive news is hard to find today so let’s relish it a bit! Listen in to get your stimulus check questions answered and bask in the glow of some happy news.  Outline of This Episode [0:22] will you be benefitting from auto insurance discounts? [4:45] Did you receive your stimulus check this past week? [6:15] Questions surrounding the stimulus check Is your car insurance going to give you money? When I see good news I want to spread it far and wide, especially during these trying times. Since there has been less traffic on the roads there have been fewer car accidents which, in turn, has led to fewer car insurance claims. Many insurance companies have decided to pass their savings back to their policyholders. Listen in to hear whether your insurance company is one of those that are offering discounts or refunds. We all have stimulus check questions The Senate passed the stimulus package bill in record time and the treasury started rolling out the money even faster. Our government wanted to get the money in the hands of the citizens as soon as possible. We all have questions about the stimulus checks that we will be receiving soon. So, I thought I would do some digging since there is so much information out there it can be difficult to determine what is true and what is false.  Will this stimulus check eat into my 2020 tax refund? One of the biggest questions people have is whether this federal benefit is simply an advance on next year’s tax refund. Thankfully I was able to find a reliable source that could help me answer this question. The answer is no. This is considered a special tax credit and is simply an addition to anything you might have otherwise expected.  Will this money count toward my taxable income for 2020? The stimulus funds aren’t considered income so the money is not taxable and it won’t affect your tax bracket for 2020. Some people also wonder whether they will still get a stimulus check if they don’t normally receive tax refunds. Eligibility for a refund check is determined by your 2018 or 2019 AGI. If you look at line 8b on your 2018 1040 or line 7 on the 2019 tax return you will see your AGI. You can check the status of your refund on the IRS website. Did you receive your stimulus check this past week? Listen in to hear more questions about the stimulus money answered.  Resources & People Mentioned State Farm issuing $2 billion in dividends Auto insurance companies offering refunds Bloomberg article about travel and work Only use the IRS website to check on your stimulus payment Money article on stimulus checks Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify

We all know that scammers are out there looking for the next opportunity to prey on their targets. The Coronavirus isn’t just a worldwide pandemic, for scammers its an opportunity to try new scams. On this episode of Retirement Starts Today you’ll learn how to spot a Coronavirus scam, stimulus check scam, and a grandparent scam. I also have lots of links to resources for you to learn more about this topic so be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this page when you’re done listening.  Outline of This Episode [1:02] Thanks for coming to the webinar [6:02] How to Coronavirus scams [13:22] Stimulus check scams [15:07] Grandparent scams I’m holding office hours Since we are all experiencing heightened stress and worry during this pandemic I thought I would try something new. On Friday 4/17 at 10:30 am CDT I’m holding office hours so that we can chat and discuss all things retirement. I’ve had many attendees during my recent webinars, but they aren’t very interactive. During this Zoom meeting, you’ll be able to ask questions. If you are nearing retirement and have worries about the virus, the markets, or anything retirement-related this will a great place to bring your questions. So please join me here on Friday 4/17 at 10:30 CDT The Coronavirus is a great time for scammers Anytime is a good time for scammers, but people are even more susceptible to scams during times of stress. The Coronavirus has brought stress upon us all so scammers are having a field day. A plethora of new scams have sprung up during the past few months. These scams range the gamut from apps with viruses, phishing emails, Robo phone calls, and so many others. Listen in to hear how to identify a Coronavirus scam and find out what you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones from these tricksters.  Stimulus payment scams The thought of $1200 per person has scammers ready to pounce. Your stimulus check is not in the mail. Paper checks won’t arrive until May. If you receive a paper check for more than you were expecting it’s probably a scam. Remember the IRS call, text, or email you to ask you for your bank account information. If you need information about your stimulus check go directly to their website irs.gov/coronavirus.  Grandparent scams with a new Coronavirus twist Grandma, I’m sick in the hospital, please wire money right away! Grandpa, I’m stuck overseas and can’t get home, please send me money! These old scams can pull at the heartstrings even more in these challenging times. You are probably savvy enough not to fall for these types of tricks but maybe someone you know and love could be easy prey. Do them a favor and educate them about these tactics. Listen in to hear about all the different types of Coronavirus scams and what you can do to help the ones you love not fall for them.  Resources & People Mentioned My Office Hours link - Friday 4-17 at 10:30 am CDT Physician on Fire article - 5 Ways to Spot Investment Scams CNET article - Coronavirus stimulus check scams IRS website - IRS Coronavirus information FTC article - Coronavirus scams part 1 FTC article - Coronavirus scams part 2 FTC article - Grandparent scams in the Coronavirus age Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify

Everyone is talking about buying the dip, but what is the best way to do that? I’m not an investment advisor, but since the stock market has taken a serious downturn, now may be a good time to consider your overall investment strategy. That’s why I’ve invited investing expert, Lawrence Hamtil, co-founder of Fortune Financial Advisors, to chat with me about the ups and downs of investing after the recent stock market collapse. Listen in on this discussion to hear the pros and cons of buying the dip, investment timelines when buying today, and exceptional industries that have stood the tests of time.  Outline of This Episode [1:22] He does custom portfolios for clients [2:35] What should people look for when buying the dip? [4:18] What kind of timeline should you consider when investing today? [5:44] How to pick and choose? [7:50] How much time should you spend studying the stocks before investing? [11:05] What do some of the exceptional industries have in common? What should people look for when buying the dip? Now that the stock market has dropped everyone is talking about buying the dip, but how should an individual investor approach this? Lawrence recommends sticking to your investment strategy. You need to have an idea of how much of your portfolio you want committed to a particular sector. Once you establish that then it is important to stay within the confines of your plan and rebalance as necessary. He points out that sometimes rebalancing can be a challenge, but the best time to rebalance is when your portfolio is off-kilter. Stay within your target allocations rather than focusing on the daily moves of the market. What kind of timeline should you consider when investing today? Investing in today’s market can be a bit nerve-wracking, but in the long-term, it can really pay off. The stocks of many large corporations are down 20-80%. But that just means that you are getting more for your money now than just a few months ago. The investment that you make today won’t immediately bear fruit and it could take up to 5-10 years to really pay off. Rather than trying to pick individual winners and losers a better strategy is to make broad sector bets.  How much research should you do before investing? It is important to understand how a company drives revenue before you purchase their stock. Some important questions to ask are: How do they compete? How does the company react to crises? And how does buying that stock fit into your individual thesis? Don’t just study the company before you invest. It is important to study the behavior of the company while you hold the investment. Listen in to hear what else you can consider when investing in individual stocks. What do exceptional industries have in common? We all know that many companies’ valuations have taken a nosedive, but there are some exceptions to note. Tobacco, food, and defense are some examples of industries that are insulated. Some of these are historically undervalued or underappreciated. Think about what can be learned from this downturn. How will this affect your investment strategy going forward? Keep your eyes open to see which companies survive and why.  Connect with Lawrence Hamtil @LHamtil on twitter Fortune Financial Advisors Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify  

With the Coronavirus situation bringing so much change into our lives, I decided to bring an abrupt conclusion to the Living Off Your Savings series. Instead, today, we’ll talk about some of the changes that the Coronavirus legislation will bring. Now that President Trump signed the Coronavirus stimulus package into law I wanted to give you an idea of what you can expect from this landmark legislation. Join me on this episode of Retirement Starts Today to discover how the Coronavirus stimulus package affects you.  Outline of This Episode [3:58] Who is eligible for a stimulus check [8:02] Take advantage of tax-loss harvesting [12:10] RMD’s are waived in 2020 [13:43] Waiver of early IRA distribution penalties [15:44] 401K loans have changed [16:40] Charitable deductions have a change [18:10] The COVID19 test and vaccine will be covered by health insurance Join me for the Living Off Your Savings webinar! I wanted to make sure to fulfill my promise of having a webinar to cap off the Living Off Your Savings series especially since the series was shorter than expected. You’ll have 2 options to join the webinar. Option A takes place on April 2 at 10:30 AM CDT. Option B is April 2 at 2 PM CDT. This webinar will cover how to turn your accumulated savings into monthly retirement income. We’ll cover case studies, portfolio breakdowns, and how to have an amazing retirement even in the midst of a market meltdown! Sign up soon since we are already at ⅔ capacity.  What you should know about the Coronavirus stimulus package Have you filed your taxes yet? If you haven’t, pay attention. If your income was over $150,000 in 2018, but under in 2019 then file immediately. If your income was under $150,000 in 2018 but over in 2019 and you haven’t filed then wait to file. The stimulus checks that are coming are based on your AGI in 2018 or 2019 if you have already filed.  Those stimulus checks will be $1200 per adult and $500 for each dependent child. If you filed jointly the income threshold is $150,000. The stimulus checks will be directly deposited into the bank account in which you received your 2018 return. Let’s hope that it’s still open! How a retiree can put their stimulus check to good use If you are losing sleep at night about the stock market then take this money and put it where it is needed most -- put it in a savings account, checking account, or stash the cash under the mattress. Do whatever will help you sleep at night. If you aren’t having trouble sleeping and you know where your income is coming from, think about making a Roth IRA contribution. If you have the stomach for it and don’t need it for a while, consider using that check for long-term investments. Listen in to hear a great way to teach the grandkids about the power of compound interest.  How else could the Coronavirus stimulus package affect your retirement You have until July 15th not only to file taxes, but you can also make your 2019 IRA and HSA contributions.  RMDs are waived for 2020 The IRA distribution penalty has been waived for 2020 in some cases 401K loans have expanded provisions You can now take charitable deductions of up to $300 Tests for the virus and the eventual vaccine will be covered by health insurance Listen in to hear all the details on how this landmark stimulus package could affect you and your retirement.  Resources & People Mentioned Living Off Your Savings webinar April 2, 10:30 AM CDT Living Off Your Savings webinar April 2, 2 PM CDT Jeff Levine on Twitter @CPAPlanner CNBC article on tax filing Bloomberg article on how Coronavirus will change the world Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/ Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap Subscribe to Retirement Starts Today on Apple Podcasts,Stitcher,TuneIn,Podbean,Player FM,iHeart, or Spotify  

Before you retire you’ll need to think about how to turn your assets into retirement income. Today I’ll share with you my 2 favorite ways to turn your assets into retirement income. You’ll hear about the pros and cons of the 4% rule. I’ll also teach you about the guardrail strategy. After listening, you’ll be […]

I promise I did not crash the market just to give you guys an example of a bear market for this episode! But I guess this episode is releasing at the right time. As of this recording, we are not in a bear market yet, but it looks like we’re heading there. It doesn’t really […]

Now you know what your spending in retirement will be, but how do you know where and when to withdraw money? Welcome back to the second episode in the Living Off Your Savings series. Last week we established how much you needed to retire and you learned how to create a retirement budget. Today we’ll […]

Have you created a retirement budget? That’s what we’re going to cover this week on Retirement Starts Today. The month of March brings a change in format for us. We are going to try a monthly series format. The theme of this month’s series is Living Off of Your savings. For the entire 5 week […]

Last year 14 million Americans paid for tax prep that they could have had for free. Are you one of those people? Today, we’ll take a look at why people are spending money they don’t need to and how to rectify that. I’ll also answer some insightful listener questions concerning legal documents for retirees, the […]

I’m sure you’ve seen Tesla all over the news lately, today we’ll think about what we can learn from its parabolic trajectory. We’ll also cover additional questions about the SECURE Act and I make a correction about something I said about the SECURE Act as it pertains to minor beneficiaries. Then we’ll cap off the […]

Do you know how to avoid penalties on early retirement withdrawals? Is the 4% rule confusing to you? On this episode of Retirement Starts Today 2 astute listeners have some fantastic questions for me to answer today. You’ll want to listen in to hear 3 tips on how to take early retirement without the early […]

Welcome back to another episode of Retirement Starts Today. On this episode, I review the questions that were asked in both sessions of the SECURE Act webinar. You’ll want to listen even if you attended a webinar session since you didn’t hear the questions that were asked in the other session. I really enjoyed teaching […]