General market conditions have people reacting as if lower taxes and less regulations would be in effect by the end of the week. The truth is these changes will take time. Companies will adapt to new regulations and so can you! Do not get burned by overreacting and make sure to judge your risk tolerance before rebalancing your portfolio. Other topics include:

• Steps to rebalancing your portfolio
• 2016 in review
• Savers tax credit
• IRS scams
• Best ID theft protection
• Probate process and issues

 

 

Join Rob Black, Michelle Lerman and I at our next retirement seminar starting at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 9th at Double Tree by Hilton Berkeley Marina. Click HERE to sign up and use code RETIREMENT123 for free entry! 

 

Email your money question to [email protected] , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (PDT)

 

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

 

The bizarre first weekend of President Trump assuming office results in a wait-and-see market. The 4th quarter earning reports, which are expected to be good, has started off better than expected. Can Trump’s new regulations and tax cuts continue our upward trend? How will the Affordable Care Act repeal look? Other topics include:

• Potential 529 plan changes and ABLE accounts
• Digital currency
• Updated studies on how much you should have saved by certain ages

      Join Rob Black, Michelle Lerman and I at our next retirement seminar starting at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 9th at Double Tree by Hilton Berkeley Marina. Click HERE to sign up and use code retirement123 for free entry!

 

 

Email your money question to [email protected] , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (PDT)

 

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

 

Thanks to historically low interest rates; pension plans cuts are a prominent story in 2017. Bonds rates are still historically low and many boomers are dealing with inflation or delayed retirement. Many companies are coping by offering employees lump sum payouts rather than lifetime income. Is this a good strategy for you? What options are available to you? Other topics include:

 

• Proper ways to use target date funds in your 401k -are they a waste of time and money?
• Credit cards as a smarter way to spend and save for college
• Is the market pulling forward gains from polices that have yet to change
• Money issues you may face when moving abroad
• Fiduciary and fee only planners

        Join Rob Black, Michelle Lerman and I at our next retirement seminar starting at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 9th at Double Tree by Hilton Berkeley Marina. Click HERE to sign up and use code retirement123 for free entry!

 

Email your money question to [email protected] , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (PDT)

 

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

 

Some financial planners are only Registered Investment Advisors and don’t have any true credentials. Today I explain what a Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner knows about creating and managing wealth that make a huge difference over your lifetime. Specific topics include

• Taxes
• Stock options (ESPP’s, Non-Qualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options, RSU’s, 83b elections, etc.)
• Insurance Advice without the sales
• Retirement Planning
• Investing Mistakes
• Estate Planning

 

 

Email your money question to [email protected] , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (PDT)

 

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

 

Encore Edition

Children don’t come cheap. A Bloomberg article reports the cost of having children hits $233,610, a 3% increase from last year’s survey. Costs such as housing, transportation, food and clothing are broken down, but one significant expense is excluded from this survey. Does it make sense for one parent to stay home? Making sure the true net of your income exceeds child care costs is one of many financial concerns you need to review before having kids. Other topics include:

• The trust of a real estate millionaire who left conditional money to his daughters provides a good outline you should consider for you own estate plan
• Goldman Sachs claims bonds to stocks rotation to be fake news
• Lower taxes and social security –self-employed and high-income earners will get slammed by taxes
• Why good credit matters after retirement

 

 

Email your money question to [email protected] , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (PDT)

 

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

 

2017 got off to a good start last week, but is this expected to continue? Today I talk about expectations as we enter an administration under President-elect Trump. Did the volatility index change due to fear or anticipation?  Can the run in small-caps continue? What are some positives we can look forward to during the next 4 years? Other topics include:

• Beth has a few questions about 529 plans regarding her children. What are the options for one who wants to live off campus and another with special needs and does not want to further their education?
• Three ways to stress test your portfolio
• How much cash would it take for you to delay your social security?
• Gold IRA’s and REIT’s–One is HORRIBLE and one may still be a hedge against inflation

 

 

Email your money question to [email protected] , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (PDT)

 

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

 

The Dow almost hit 20,000 but what else happened in 2016? Today I review which companies, sectors and asset classes achieved above market growth and which stayed flat or declined.  What will be the biggest stories in 2017? Could the increase in rates contribute to changes in real estate? What about underfunded pension plans or overseas cash being repatriated? Other topics include:

• Identity theft protection, life insurance, home and auto insurance among other insurance do's and do not's
• Americans are more focused on their financial planning, but are we planning far enough ahead?
• A listener asks if an S-Corp can help save on self-employment taxes
• 2017's month-by-month financial to-do list

 

 

Email your money question to [email protected] , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (PDT)

 

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

Encore edition

The Dow almost hit 20,000 but what else happened in 2016? Today I review which companies, sectors and asset classes achieved above market growth and which stayed flat or declined.  What will be the biggest stories in 2017? Could the increase in rates contribute to changes in real estate? What about underfunded pension plans or overseas cash being repatriated? Other topics include:

• Identity theft protection, life insurance, home and auto insurance among other insurance do's and do not's
• Americans are more focused on their financial planning, but are we planning far enough ahead?
• A listener asks if an S-Corp can help save on self-employment taxes
• 2017's month-by-month financial to-do list

 

 

Email your money question to [email protected] , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (PDT)

 

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

Do you buy and hold your ESPP discounted employer stock or sell and use it for something else? Learn the difference between ESPP, RSU, qualified and non-qualified stock options and how people are using their shares. Other topics include:

• New Year’s investing resolutions
• Pros to a rate hike from the feds
• HSA strategies (Healthcare Savings Accounts)
• Challenges of retiring abroad

 

 

Email your money question to [email protected] , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (PDT)

 

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

 

Encore Edition

As the Dow marches towards 20,000 I list off several positives (such as a 5% revenue jump) that are pushing the Dow to an all-time high. I explain why it is smart to make portfolio reallocations in January, why the market will be volatile and who should be rebalancing. Other topics include:

• Reviewing bond allocations in your 401k –Avoiding certain types of bonds
• Where should you put safe money in your 401k?
• What is the right move for this self-employed person funding a SEP IRA with $50,000 in a 401k from their previous company
• Which is the better strategy for rental property? A 1031 exchange now vs. moving in and selling later
• Cuts in Social Security benefits needed by 2031
• Backdoor Roth IRA dissected

 

 

Email your money question to [email protected] , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (PDT)

 

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