The Life Planning 101 Podcast

The Dow hit another all-time high last week! Should you be celebrating… or worried? The market highs of last week will eventually be just a blip in history. Focus on the long-term—and your future.

Would You Like a Financial Windfall? We all would! The good news is you can create one. Remember...Watch your pennies and your dollars will be there.

It is not an easy feat to understand all the aspects of Medicare, much less choosing the plan that is right for you. And unfortunately, we cannot sum up in one article - or even two - how to choose the right plan for you. This is a task that really needs to be coordinated with your entire life plan. But what we can do is help you understand the system so that the task is not so daunting.

Do you want to be able to leave money to your heirs and be able to leave money to the charities and organizations that are near to your heart? Here are some creative strategies that could possibly help.

Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboy Roger Staubach one said: "There are no traffic jams along the extra mile." Are you up for the Greatness Challenge? Check out this week's episode to find out more info.

As a business owner, you spend a lot of time working to make your business succeed. But have you spent the time to protect it or the “golden egg” your business has laid?

With around 80 million Baby Boomers in retirement or entering retirement, it doesn’t matter if you are one of them or part of Generation X, you might not be able to obtain the same pensions and government benefits your parents enjoyed, thereby placing a much larger burden on your own children and bringing them into the same club.

When it comes to funding college education there is not a one size fits all formula. Planning early for college can be life changing. Not only are there possibilities to graduate with a thriving sense of purpose, but also better health and increased financial security. When paired with the college education, stepping stones are created for a successful future.

Many individuals make the assumption that money is about money. Well, it is and it isn’t. Money is a tool…but how it is earned, saved, invested, maximized, leveraged, taxed, lost, protected, spent, given, or inherited can be done in a million different ways. How can the word on the street be the right thing for you, your unique situation, your family dynamics, your past, your future, your goals, your feelings about risk?

The only guarantee is that there are no guarantees in life. When you retire there is no guarantee what the next three years will be. And, if you are retired, there is no guarantee what the next three years will be. The key is to plan for just this.

Have you considered your marital status during retirement – and its financial and social impact on you? According to the US Census Bureau, 42.4% of people over age 65 were single in 2015 and 1 in 4 of those was a widow or a widower. So whether you are already single or believe you will never be single - this is for you.

I urge you to consider long-term care planning as a chapter in your estate plan. Yes, long-term care insurance is lousy, but it may be the only option. Would be worth giving up ½ of 1% of the return on your estate to protect your estate? Just remember plan for it when you don’t need it, because when you do need it; it will be too late.

According to the US Bureau of Census, 1,300 new blended families form every day. Sadly, too many estate planners employ a canned estate plan that only employs solutions for traditional families when simply traditional planning does not work!

If today is the first day of the rest of your life, how long will that be? 20 years…30 years…40, 50? People don’t plan to fail; they just fail to plan.

Don’t let Uncle Sam stick you with another 2016 tax bill. Here are 7 deductions that allow you to not only keep, but potentially grow your money.