Those final years leading up to retirement can be an incredibly exciting time but they can also stir up a little nervous energy. Have you done everything you need to? What should you be thinking about right now? In our latest podcast, we talked with Eric Hogarth, CFP® about the five years before retirement and what you need to do during that time.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

• The small steps we take with a client who is preparing for that retirement day.
• Walking yourself through how much you plan to spend in retirement.
• Where’s the best place for you to live if your health care goes up?
• The common reasons we have to tell people they aren’t quite ready to retire.

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A question that many investors ask is whether they should be investing in ETFs or mutual funds. It’s a legitimate question because a lot of people don’t truly understand the difference between the two. In our latest podcast, we want to address the technical part of this question but do so with a less technical conversation.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

• What is an ETF and what is a mutual fund?
• Why pick one over the other?
• What do we typically choose for our clients?
• How much do you need to understand the nuances in these products when you invest?
• Will the marketing and branding of these investments change over time?

Check out our other free financial resources here: https://johnsonbrunetti.com/financial-resources/

Contact our team: https://johnsonbrunetti.com/contact-us/ 

The concept of financial legacy means different things to different people. Some people might hear that and think about their will or estate documents, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. This conversation will be a little bigger picture and a bit more philosophical.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

• What does it mean to Joel to leave a financial legacy?
• What kind of conversations has Joel and his wife had about this?
• Some of the financial legacy ideas Joel has picked up from peers.
• What should every family be thinking about?

Check out our other free financial resources here: https://johnsonbrunetti.com/financial-resources/

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Today we’re going to talk about how to handle the taxation on stock that isn’t in an IRA and gets inherited. For example, let’s say someone bought 100 shares of Apple stock in 1987 and they leave it to their kids when they pass away. How are you taxed on this stock? To help us answer the question, we’ve brought on Jake Doser, a financial advisor at Johnson Brunetti.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

• How the step-up in basis works.
• The difference in proactive and reactive management.
• A few considerations to make in regards to taxes during income planning.
• How the brokerage account fits into the income plan for retirees.
• Why you don’t want to create a joint account with your child.

Check out our other free financial resources here: https://johnsonbrunetti.com/financial-resources/

Contact our team: https://johnsonbrunetti.com/contact-us/ 

Today we’re going to answer one of the two or three biggest questions that people tend to have about their retirement plan. As you look ahead to retirement and the largest expenses you might incur, long-term care will always be a part of that discussion. So does everyone need long-term care insurance?

This can be a broad conversation but it addresses one of the top concerns for retirees. For people that have planned properly and feel good about the income they have coming in for retirement, they want to identify areas where problems could arise and health issues and long-term care or assisted living is one of those areas that need attention.  

We brought Heath Grossman, CFP® onto the podcast to help you understand the different aspects of this conversation that ultimately guide you to an answer to this important question.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

• What’s important is to understand that it’s about protection and preserving assets.
• You need to evaluate the cost of the insurance relative to the value of what you’re trying to protect.
• Using alternative insurance options or investment accounts to plan for long-term care.
• What are some other ways people protect their assets if they don’t have insurance?

Check out our other free financial resources here: https://johnsonbrunetti.com/financial-resources/

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The question we hope to answer today is does everyone need a trust? It seems that many people confuse the purpose of a will and a trust, but they aren’t the same thing and we’ll clarify that. Plus we’ll tell you who needs a trust and what the primary purpose of using this instead of a will.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

• Why you don’t need a trust to keep your assets out of probate.
• Can you assume that a trust will help you bypass a lot of taxes you’re going to pay.
• Common cases where a trust makes a lot of sense.
• How would this answer differ based on the state you live in?

Check out our other free financial resources here: https://johnsonbrunetti.com/financial-resources/

Contact our team: https://johnsonbrunetti.com/contact-us/ 

When the market gets choppy and investors start to feel uneasy, it’s not uncommon to get questions about whether it’s a good time to buy gold or silver. Over time, there are different reasons that people would give for wanting to invest in precious metals, but should you be buying gold? Eric Hogarth, CFP® joins the show to help us answer that question.

Here’s what you can expect to learn in this episode:

• What’s the first thing Eric usually thinks when someone asks about gold?
• Why does the interest in gold usually come in waves?
• Why Eric prefers a securitized version rather than physical gold.
• How can you build an investment portfolio that reduces that volatility?
• Are annuities another good alternative to gold for a safer investment?

Check out our other free financial resources here: https://johnsonbrunetti.com/financial-resources/

Contact our team: https://johnsonbrunetti.com/contact-us/ 

The topic of Social Security comes up all the time in our office, especially when it comes to its future. Is it heading towards bankruptcy as some suggest, or is this an alarmist notion blown out of proportion? To answer these questions and more, Certified Financial Planner® Heath Grossman joined the podcast to offer his perspective on the much-debated future of Social Security.

Here’s what you can expect to learn in this episode:

• While it’s not necessarily sensationalized, Heath doesn’t believe it will go bankrupt.
• How Social Security pays out its benefits and why the fund is running out.
• Don’t let this concern lead you to take your benefits as soon as possible for that reason only.
• What are some of the things that could be done to fix the problem?
• Should you be prepared for the Medicare age to rise as well?
• What are the things we can control related to planning and Social Security?

Check out our other free financial resources here: https://johnsonbrunetti.com/financial-resources/

Contact our team: https://johnsonbrunetti.com/contact-us/ 

The world of Social Security benefits can be complex, particularly when it comes to understanding the taxation associated with these benefits. In this episode, we’re going to tell you how we’d get to the answer and give you a better idea of how much taxation will impact your benefits in retirement.

Here’s what you can expect to learn in this episode:

• How do you go about finding this number?
• The different tax thresholds and what that means to your benefits.
• Why you should take advantage of those windows in time where you’re paying little in taxes.
• Why Roth conversions could benefit you a lot when it comes to the taxes you’ll have to pay on your Social Security.

Check out our other free financial resources here: https://johnsonbrunetti.com/financial-resources/

Contact our team: https://johnsonbrunetti.com/contact-us/ 

We want to be as efficient as possible with our retirement accounts to give us the best chance to grow our money and provide the income we need for retirement. That’s why many people ask about rollovers and whether it makes sense to do that with their 401k. Let’s talk about who might and might not benefit from a rollover and the options you have for your old 401k accounts.

Here’s what you can expect to learn in this episode:

• The different qualifying events that usually make people consider the rollover.
• Why would you want to do a rollover in the first place?
• Assuming you’re eligible, why wouldn’t you want to roll the money over?
• What option do you have if you want to retire before 59 and a half if you don’t want to move all the money out of your 401k.
• The fear or apprehension that comes with moving money out of a 401k.

Check out our other free financial resources here: https://johnsonbrunetti.com/financial-resources/

Contact our team: https://johnsonbrunetti.com/contact-us/