Don Sowa's MoneyTalk

I For most of us, our mortgage is the greatest liability we will ever have, and if you are near retirement and still carrying a mortgage, the decision to pay-off or not to pay-off may be a legitimate toss up. Donna discusses the decision making factors for those choosing whether to pay off their mortgage or put their money to work in the market. Also on MoneyTalk, our hosts go over the top 10 reasons to save more for retirement.

Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 8/11/2023.

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We take it for granted that Social Security will be there for us when we retire, but what you may not know it the US was the last of the developed nations to adopt a Social Security program, and even then it took some major concessions to get it passed. Nathan covers the history of social security, from the early social safety nets created by the guilds and fraternal orders of the 16th century, to the adoption of military and old age pensions, through to the government response to the Great Depression: the Social Security Act.

Host: Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 8/9/2023.

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When planning to retire early, the sources of income you choose to draw from will have a direct impact on your ability to qualify for income dependent programs like private health insurance and Medicare. Donna and Nathan discuss strategies early retirees can use to minimize their taxable income in those years leading up to full retirement age. Also on MoneyTalk, after a year fraught with headwinds that had little influence on the resilient markets, are we approaching cyclical pullback territory?

Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 8/8/2023.

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When you first venture out beyond the investment limits of your 401K, it can be hard to know how much risk you are taking on. Donna discusses how various types of securities compare in terms of risk and strategic use, including: municipal bonds, commodities, leveraged ETFs, penny stocks and cryptocurrencies. Also on MoneyTalk, Donna takes a question on the benefits of placing your home in a living trust.

Host: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF®; Air Date: 8/7/2023.

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Income seeking investors often make the mistake of focusing too much on dividend yield, without accounting for the underlying causes for that high yield. Nathan and Donna talk about the inverse relationship between dividend yield and total return on investment, the unique features of preferred stocks, and why using alternative investments for portfolio diversification can increase your risk exposure.

Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 8/3/2023.

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We spend a lot of time focusing on the quantitative side of retirement planning, reducing debt, saving money, and planning for your income needs, but too often people enter into retirement without adequately planning for the lifestyle changes that come with it. Donna discusses the importance of taking the time to flesh out a realistic vision for your post-career life and eliminate those retirement blind spots. Also on MoneyTalk, how to pass on financial wisdom to the next generation, and where to put your non-retirement money.

Host: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF®; Air Date: 7/31/2023.

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There are 3 basic asset allocation strategies that investors use according to their risk tolerance and investment objectives, and understanding their differences can help us to regulate our behavior and keep us on track. Nathan discusses the differences between strategic, tactical and dynamic asset allocation strategies, and who they are most appropriate for. Also on MoneyTalk, Nathan tackles the exestential question, "what is money?", and takes us through some recent changes to 401K rules.

Host: Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 7/28/2023.

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With an aging population, increased life expectancy, and uncertainty about the future of social security, its safe to say that tomorrow’s retirees will have a very different set of challenges to negotiate than those of their parents. Donna and Nathan discuss how we can account for some of these changes in our retirement plan, and explain why tactical investing is typically not appropriate for your retirement accounts.

Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 7/27/2023.

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If you ask when the right time is to claim your social security benefits, you may hear "wait until 70 to maximize your benefit", or "don't wait, because it has no estate value and who knows what tomorrow will bring". Steve and Nathan explain why both of these social security claiming strategies are valid, but neither accounts for the whole picture. Also, our MoneyTalk Moment in Financial History covers Charles Schwab and the advent of retail investing.

Hosts: Steven Beauvais & Nathan Beauvais CFP®, CIMA®; Guest: Daniel Sowa; Air Date: 7/26/2023.

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Now that we are officially back in a bull market, we are able to look back on the bear market of 2022 with a historical lens to get a better sense of where this period lands on the pain scale. Donna and Nathan draw comparisons between non-recessionary bear markets like 2022, and those leading up to periods of recession like 1929, 2000, and 2008, and how the Fed response has evolved over time.

Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 7/25/2023.

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