Our 2 Cents

We're covering a variety of interesting and important topics on this week's episode of Our 2 Cents. Click to listen as we look at energy efficient home ideas, the National Debt and more!
Ideas to Keep Your Home More Energy Efficient:

• Is the shot clock to your retirement ticking down? Don't let the pressure lead to poor shots
• What do wind turbines and light bulbs have in common?
• Which energy efficient home improvements are worth the up-front cost?

Listener Questions:

• "Do you believe the National Debt is a major concern for American citizens?" - Jeff
• "Can you talk about HSA's?" - Ellie

This week’s episode of the Our 2 Cents podcast is live! We kick things off by looking at what basketball and your retirement could possibly have in common. Then we shed some light on financial myths and truths.
What Basketball Teaches Us About Retirement:

• Is the shot clock to your retirement ticking down? Don’t let the pressure lead to poor shots
• Double dribble decisions—can they ever be undone?
• Don’t get fouled out of retirement, here’s tips and tricks to avoid the fouls, but still play aggressive

Financial Fact or Fiction:

• Term Life Insurance is better than Whole Life Insurance
• As you get older, you should shift from stocks to bonds
• Are these financial Facts or are they Fiction?

Financial Decisions and the “Quarantine 15”
We’re back again for another installment of Our 2 Cents! From financial decision making tips to how not to be tempted by that nearby fridge, we’re covering it all and having fun on this episode!
Top 5 Tips for Making Sound Financial Decisions

• Don’t be in the dark about your finances, stay informed and involved
• Are you procrastinating instead of planning ahead? We’ll share why that can hurt you
• Working with a financial advisor could mean greater returns, but how?
• Plus more!

Keep Away from That Fridge!:

• How your feelings are likely impacting your cravings
• Resist the urge to stress eat and other factors causing the “Quarantine 15”

The Our 2 Cents podcast is back again this week with some great topics. We're focusing on this latest stimulus package entering the economy, tax season and doing one of our very favorite things - answering some listener questions. Don't miss this one!
Another Round of Stimulus:

• Warren Buffett has some advice on how you should spend your stimulus money - is he right?
• What was the ultimate goal of the stimulus package?
• Looking back 1 year ago and how the markets have reacted to COVID and the stimulus packages

Tax Time Quick Hits:

• The tax filing deadline has been extended, should you wait or file now?
• RMD's, IRA contributions, home office deductions and more
• What are the benefits of working with a tax planner and what do they do that is different than a tax preparer?

Listener Questions:

• "It seems like inflation has not been very bad recently. Should I be worried about it in future years?" - Mike, Rolling Meadows
• "Some people in the media say that I should invest primarily in mutual funds, and they say I can expect annual returns north of 10%. I do not even need a return that big at my age, but I am intrigued by the idea of it. Where do I find these funds?" - Shannon, Glenview

It's time for the next episode of the Our 2 Cents podcast! We have a great conversation this week talking about fun "secrets" and chatting about recent news headlines. Click play to listen in!
Dirty Little Secrets of the Financial and Investing World

• Do the pundits and "gurus" on TV really know as much as they lead you to believe they do?
• What are some things that financial experts argue about which aren't actually important?
• When it comes to investing, can you differentiate between what is skill and what is just luck?
• Are advisors just money managers? Or is there a difference?

Discussing "In the News" Headlines

• Congressional discussions of a $15 minimum wage have picked up steam in the last couple of weeks. Could something like that impact the economy?
• General Motors has announced that they plan to sell only electric vehicles by 2035. Is this even realistic?

Press play to listen to the great discussions we had on this week's episode of the Our 2 Cents podcast. We're not all business all the time, so we had a bit of fun too! Some of the show highlights are below.
Alternative Financial Investments (Alts):

• What are they?
• Which alts are good and which alts are bad?
• Should alternatives have a place in your portfolio?

5 Most Common Uses for Life Insurance:

• Is there more to life insurance than just the death benefit?
• Ways to use modern-day life insurance in your financial planning
• Efficient tax-saving benefits of life insurance

Hidden Talents of Steve and Gabriel:

• When they take their Financial Advisor hats off, what skills are Steve and Gabriel sharpening?
• Find out what Disney animal character each host would like to be

Tune in now to join us for this discussion!

This week has flown by and we’re back with another great installment of Our 2 Cents. Here’s what to look forward to on this episode:

1. President Biden’s Big Plans: We start with a quick rundown of what you can expect to see in the months and years ahead now that we have a new administration. From taxes to healthcare to a stimulus package and more–there’s a lot to keep on your radar.
2. 5 Important Retirement Statistics: Next we break down 5 important statistics that are worth taking a moment to understand. They’ll underscore some very real problems people face when prepping for retirement. We’ll explore those problems and talk about possible solutions.
3. How Do Annuities Earn Interest?: We occasionally receive questions specifically on how annuities (usually Fixed Indexed Annuities) earn interest. We’ll dive into the basics about annuities, like how interest is credited and understanding the allocations and indices within annuity policies.

Our 2 Cents is back after a brief holiday hiatus! Here’s a look at what we’re discussing on our first podcast episode of 2021.

1. Our 2021 New Year’s Resolutions: Gabriel and Steve kick things off by revealing a New Year’s Resolutions they’ve set for themselves and how they plan to make 2021 a great year ahead.
2. New Year, New (or Updated) Plan: Have you procrastinated reviewing your financial plan, or even putting one in place to begin with? Let 2021 be the year that you resolve to check-in on your current plan or create one if you haven’t already. We take the guesswork away by sharing 5 Key Areas to focus on implementing or reviewing.
3. Join us as we have fun on another round of “Get to Know Us!”: Find out Steve and Gabriel’s money habits, where they learned them and how it helped to shape their financial views. Plus, they’ll share one more resolution for this year.

Tune in now to join us for this discussion!