If on Oct. 7th 2007 you knew the storm was coming, what investment would you have picked? The S&P 500 or the 10 year Treasury bond? And which one did better over that period of time? Also Wes discusses his baseline asset allocation as laid out in a recent Barron’s article.

Two heavy topics explored in this episode of Money Matters. Wes explains the new individual, corporate, and small business tax changes that could happen under the GOP's new tax proposal. Wes also details how to protect yourself from financial cyber hackers.

Warren Buffett predicts that the Dow Jones industrial average will reach 1 million by the year 2117. That's 100 years from now, but what would it take for us to get there? Interest rates have moved dramatically since the beginning of September, what does this mean for stock and bond markets? Also, callers ask about index funds versus index annuities, and lump sum versus monthly pension payouts.

The Lost Decade for Stocks

What can we learn from the 11 year period where the Dow Jones Industrial Average started and finished at 9,000. Capital appreciation was zero, but total return with dividends was 31%. What this teaches us as income investors. Also, a caller asks about an annuity purchase she is contemplating.

We discuss economic damage done by the top 10 hurricanes to hit the US since 1900.

This more than 30 year trend will likely continue. According to the EBRI Americans' sense of retirement security has dropped. In 1973 73% of US workers felt confident they could afford a comfortable retirement. In 2017 only 60% felt that way.

Caller questions include "should I roll over my IRA into my 401(k), and what can I do with company stock from my 401(k)?"

Caller questions include "what should I do with $40,000 in savings?" and "I'm 52 and just got laid off, how can I access my $1.3 million in retirement savings early?"

Part two Caller questions include I have $2.7 million saved for retirement, is that enough? How do I generate more income with $500,000 in cash, and a caller comments that he has been retired for more than 20 years on a total of $350,000.

A new Charles Schwab study is explored comparing perfect market timing with bad marking timing vs cash. Investing is less about perfection and more about participation. Caller questions include "what if I retire then the market crashes?"