Being able to tell people you own a corporation feels empowering. Before you jump ship and quit your job make a list of the added responsibilities and increased costs of being your own boss. Items to include are health insurance benefits, 401k match, FICA tax match and disability benefits. Today I tackle self-employment issues, maximizing your retirement savings and how to minimize the dreaded self-employment tax. Other topics:

• Looking at how the stock market preformed last month
• Should you form an LLC or S-Corp?
• Individual 401k, Solo 401k, Defined Benefit Plan, Mega Roth 401k
• Are stimulus checks taxable?
• Managing your cortisol and inflammation levels may be the key to better sleep

 

Email your money question to [email protected] , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 on Tuesday's and Wednesday's from 6:00-7:00 a.m. (PDT)

 

Call 1-888-762-2423 for Wealth Management and Financial Planning services or visit www.NewFocusFinancial.com.

What Rob likes about sitting in for me is it makes him think in a big picture way instead of stories. Key economic indicators are weirdly inverted, which is usually a bad sign. Massive amounts of stimulus means markets are rallying higher than pre-covid times, but mounting civil unrest makes you wonder what is enough to derail us. So far, the answer is No. Today Rob talks about his biggest issue with the market. Also:

• Stock market as a fear gauge

• Covid earnings season

• Life & disability insur

Is 2020 over yet? It’s been one disaster after another, but the S&P 500 climbs a wall of worry and is barely down for the year. The S&P is tech heavy these days and tech is very important for the new work from home trend. Today I look at the crazy weekend and the rallying market. other topics include:

• How low bond yields are making retirement goals harder to reach

• Why bond alternatives might look good going forward

• Small business going under and what owners can do to keep it running should additional outbreaks occur

• Is the stock market doing as poorly as people think & can stocks rise in a recession?

• A review of what causes recessions

• Dealing with renters who are unable to pay

• Best practices for commercial lease challenges from landlord and tenant perspectives with real estate attorney Jeff Lerman

• What will happen to office REITs?

• Why investors still like REITs

• Inflation or deflation?

• Why retirement planning seems more daunting now & what you can do about it

• Big moves in the stock market

• Getting the economy back on track

• Troubled marriages hit a breaking point thanks to too much time together

• Should I wait till the economy recovers to retire?

• Tax loss strategies - turning a negative into a positive

• Helping your child during the crisis

We are in a special economic situation right now as a result of COVID and the oil war. Today I bring in Erik Knutzen, CFA, and Managing Director of the Neuberger Berman Quantitative and Multi-Asset Class investment team, who has come up with three scenarios for economic recovery. Listen in and check out what Erik has in his investment playbook! Other topics:

• Does diversification save you money on the downside?

• Finding bargains and themes that drive opportunity

• Dislocation

• Idiosyncratic

Companies en masse have withdrawn guidance. Legally it is a good way of protecting themselves, but it leaves investors to fly blind. Still, some companies are beating quarterly expectations if they changed their expectations 30 days out. Other topics include:

• Real estate

• Oil jumps 13%

• Experimental coronavirus vaccine

• COVID responsibility

• A future under COVID

Coronavirus has quickly changed how we work and live. People may continue to work from home following the pandemic which could affect office oriented real estate. If people are allowed to work from home, will they leave the Bay Area? Other topics include:

• Financial options for getting through the pandemic

• Junk bonds vs stocks

• Safe money in IRA’s & 401K’s

• Inflationary issues

If you cashed out in late March, you may have massive regret as the market has posted a significant rally since the March 23rd low. Today I go over the best case, middle case and worst case scenarios of economic recovery. Also:

• Who gets a stimulus check?

• Valuation in small cap stocks

• 2020 IRA RMD waiver under the CARES Act