Should investors increase portfolio risk and always look for the highest yielding products? Every investment has risk – the question is what level of risk is best for you. Smart money decisions are based on your personal tolerance for risk, and having a conservative view on investing is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes it may be wise to increase your portfolio risk in order to make more money, but more frequently than not, Doug advises clients against needlessly increasing risk in their portfolios. Doug encourages investors to be sure they are comfortable with their investment decisions. Conservative investors may find that consulting a brokerage firm before purchasing “safe” investments like CDs (certificate of deposits) can help them. An advantage of buying CDs is that they are FDIC insured up to $250,000. But what happens if you want to own more than $250K worth of CDs? Can you still be insured? Listen to the podcast to learn how you can buy more CDs and possibly get better returns. [Learn about how deposit insurance works at www.fdic.gov.] If you don’t feel good about your investments, it’s a sign that they aren’t the right investments for you.

Ever wonder about the origin of money?

Kabir Sehgal, author of the New York Time’s bestseller, Coined: The Rich Life of Money and How Its History has Shaped Us. Kabir studies the history of currency and how societies affect their country’s financial situation. He defines what money really is, and discusses why the future of traditional money is pretty secure. No need to trade in your cash for bitcoins! To find more about Kabir’s book, Coined: The Rich Life of Money and How Its History has Shaped Us visit his website www.kabir.cc.   If you’re not already receiving updates on new episodes, sign up now, and as a special bonus, receive Doug’s free ebook The Retirement Planning Book. You can also watch Doug’s interviews on his Youtube channel.