Margaret Wittkopp of Veritas Financial Services brings to light a pension scam. She teaches the difference between the full payout and the replacement pension. Insurance companies will offer you an attractive alternative: take the full payout and get a pension replacement for your beneficiary where the remaining balance becomes a life insurance policy. Sounds good until you realize the premium to keep the insurance policy afloat is far more than the money you "saved" by taking the full payout.

This episode of the American Dream Podcast is all about the scams, schemes, and cons in the financial industry. And more specifically, Margaret arms you with knowledge in an effort to safeguard you against the ever-pressing concerns of these investment related cons.

Jim and Margaret talk about what the American Dream Experience really means and how the event is catered for “those who want more out of life than the mundane,” as Margaret says. And within this talk, our co-hosts explain the importance of well-being, freedom, and defining your own thoughts and values. In addition, Jim and Margaret talk about money schemes, how to tell if a fiduciary is trustworthy and holding up to their fiduciary duty, and how the wealthy sometimes can have more problems than those who earn less.

Margaret and Jim are back for another episode! Today they’re talking about 401(k) plans, and by extension, retirement. In order to achieve your American Dream, you need to be financially secure enough to live out your dream.

Margaret stresses the importance of knowing what types of retirement plans your company offers, the different variations of retirement plans, what fiduciary responsibility really means, why retirement happens at different ages for different people, words of wisdom from Fred Reish, protecting employee best interest, and how portfolio diversity and 401(k) plans will free you up to live your own American Dream.

Within this episode, you can expect to hear all about turnover rates and how brokerage firms make a lot of their money through ‘under the table’ practices. In addition, Margaret and Jim discuss the ways you can protect yourself from needless fees that don’t show up on the expense ratio, the importance of portfolio diversification, and how finances can make your unique American Dream a reality.

Fresh from an edifying time at the American Dream Experience, Jim and Margaret discuss what was talked about during the conference and explain a few key concepts that relate to the American Dream.

Inside the episode, Margaret emphasizes the importance of creating an investing formula over relying on the prognostications of so-called ‘financial gurus’. She also explores why true purpose is so important and gives some information on the next American Dream Experience.

And remember! As Margaret states, the real journey is not finding the perfect portfolio, but instead, the real journey towards the American Dream is internal and one which fully explores the values that you hold dearly.

Jim and Margaret are back for another podcast on the American Dream! This episode centers around something was hinted at last episode: returns on investment and in particular, the meager returns of the average equity investor.

Margaret demystifies the reasons why ROI for equity investors is only about 3.5%-4.0%, the turnover rate that accompanies internal stock trading, dissimilar correlation, the three-factor model, and more.

Most of all, Jim and Margaret want to remind you that your American Dream is achievable! And as Margaret likes to say, it’s a global dream for everyone, that education, training, and the right investing practices can unlock.

In this episode, hosts Jim and Margaret are back to discuss the American Dream through a financial framework. Within, they utilize the play Hamilton and the American Revolution for inspiration and to explain what ‘true purpose’ means. In addition, coaching is mentioned as a valuable methodology for bringing clients to a transformation mindset about finances and the American Dream in general.

During the talk, Margaret emphasizes her love for working with everyday Americans. She states that many don’t take the time to reflect on their portfolios from the focal point of the American Dream, but they definitely should!

Jim and Margaret stress that it isn’t about being a transient billionaire and having the limelight for a few years; it’s about truly celebrating our nation’s history and unlocking our own personal American Dreams. To do so, requires the know-how. And Jim and Margaret provide a lot of valuable information

If last episode was the American Dream 101, this is the 102 version of the concept. And like before, we have Margaret’s experience to utilize, which is an invaluable resource to draw from. But right away, you will be reminded that it’s not just the “American Dream” but instead, the ideal should be expanded even further to a Global Dream.

Tune in as we talk about the importance of trusting the market and fiduciary members as a guide for investing, how speculative investments are not sustainable for longevity, dissimilar correlation and its importance, and further information on Veritas.

Margaret is the founder and CEO of Veritas Investing. We spearhead a talk on the “American Dream”. What it is, what others perceive it to be, and overall, just a discussion on the nuances of the concept from a financial standpoint.

When expounding upon the American Dream, we delve into the importance of freedom for creating the life we envision for ourselves, how a materialistic definition of the ideal is too narrow, what investing and financial security has to do with the American Dream, the idea of dissimilar correlation, and a myriad of other noteworthy tidbits regarding the American Dream--a concept which needs to be revitalized, especially in the minds of the nation’s youth.