The Get Ready For The Future Show

Should you buy a hybrid long-term care policy or self-insure with $1.4 million saved? Teresa and Janet Walker break it down, plus 2027 Social Security changes, 529s, Roth conversions and rental properties.

Call us at 866-653-PLAN (866-653-7526) or email [email protected] to talk through your own plan.

On this episode:

- Grandparents: how much can you put in a 529 plan?

- Hybrid long-term care policy vs. self-insuring at 62 and 64

- Rental properties at 60: sell, 1031 exchange, or hold?

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Have a question for the show? Email [email protected] or text 501-381-5228

The Fastest Four Minutes in Finance: https://fastest4.com

The midterms are over and Washington is divided. What does that mean for your stocks, and which sectors could feel it?

Call us at 866-653-PLAN or book a time at getreadyforthefuture.com to talk through your own situation.

The day after the midterm elections, the major stock indexes were all up more than 1%. In this week's Fastest 4 Minutes in Finance, Scott Inman uses LPL Research's analysis to look past the history and at how a Democrat-led Congress could shape the policies that matter to the market.

- Why divided government has generally been good news for stocks: gridlock makes sweeping tax and spending changes harder to pass

- Healthcare and consumer staples: what reversing spending cuts could mean

- AI data centers: why the pressure is more likely to come from states than from Washington

- Defense, banking and mergers: why deals could rush through in 2027

- What the history shows: the S&P 500 has been higher 12 months after every midterm election since 1950, 19 for 19

You retired with a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA, and a brokerage account. Which one should you spend from first?

Call us at 866-653-PLAN (7526) or email [email protected] to talk through your own situation.

On this episode, Scott Inman and Tim Key answer four listener questions:

- We retired at 66. Which account do we spend from first without a big tax surprise?

- Our Part D plan is changing for 2027. Do we need to shop every Medicare open enrollment?

- I'm 44 and my family lives on my income. Is group disability enough?

- How do I enjoy the holidays without running up a credit card again?

Medicare help: getreadyforthefuture.com/medicare

Stocks have risen in November in 21 of the last 25 midterm-election years. Is the post-election pop real, and could 2026 be different?

Is your UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan ending in 2027? Here's what to do before open enrollment closes December 7. Call us at 866-653-PLAN (866-653-7526) or email

[email protected] to talk through your own situation.

We're answering YOUR questions on this episode:

- Wayne: Medicare Advantage plan discontinued - do we have to pick a new plan?

- Joyce: How to plan for retirement with a $400,000 inheritance

- Elena: Donor advised fund and bunching with appreciated stock

- Bill: Should I delay my first RMD until April 1?

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Discover, protect, and share true financial independence.

Social Security's 2027 COLA is 3.6%, the biggest raise in three years. But after taxes and Medicare, how much of it will retirees actually keep?

The Social Security Administration says the 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment adds about $75 a month to the average retirement check, raising it from $2,087.52 to $2,162.67. The COLA is based on the change in the CPI-W inflation index from one year's third quarter to the next. Then the real math starts.

- Up to 85% of benefits can be taxable, so at an assumed 10% effective tax rate, about $6 of the raise goes to taxes.

- Medicare Part B premiums come out of the same check and are projected to rise from $202.90 to $209.50 a month.

- That leaves roughly $60.

In the Senior Citizens League's 2026 Senior Survey, 89% of respondents said the 2026 COLA was too low and that their benefits would fall behind inflation. Social Security is foundational income you can't outlive, but it won't cover a rising cost of living on its own. That's why a retirement income plan blends your savings with income sources like Social Security and pensions, with a growth-oriented portion for money you won't need soon. If you're nearing retirement, this is worth a conversation before you set your income plan.

Social Security's trust fund is projected to run short in late 2032. Should you claim early, or wait?

We answer that and three more listener questions. Call us at 866-653-PLAN (7526) or email [email protected] to request a first appointment.

On this episode:

- Rhonda (Hot Springs): We're 64 and 66 and still working. Should we claim Social Security early before 2032?

- Larry (Texarkana): Our $450,000 house is paid off. Downsize, stay put, or use a reverse mortgage or HELOC?

- Curtis (Little Rock): Is tax-loss harvesting worth it, and how do we avoid the wash sale rule?

- Mallory (Searcy): I'm 25 and my Roth IRA just says "cash." Is my money invested?

Scott Inman and Janet Walker of GenWealth Financial Advisors host, from West Little Rock, Arkansas.

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Helping you discover, protect and share true financial independence.

Gas prices pushed September's CPI higher, and the Fed's next move is now a coin flip.

Call us at 866-653-PLAN or book a time at getreadyforthefuture.com to talk through your own situation.

The Consumer Price Index rose 3.7% year-over-year in September, up from 3.4% in August. Gas prices were the main driver, jumping 9.1% to a record $4.33 a gallon. Core inflation, which leaves out food and energy, was up 2.6%.

- Markets put the odds of another Fed rate hike in October at 50-50

- More than half of CPI categories are running above 3%, which is why the trend matters more than any one report

- Stocks are not directly tied to inflation or interest rates; a recession is the bigger risk An all-weather plan is built on diversification and time horizon.

Money you may need within the next decade is typically held in more conservative investments, which can benefit when rates rise. If you're nearing retirement or rethinking your mix of stocks, cash and bonds, this is worth a conversation before the Fed's next meeting.

Should you take a $2,400-a-month pension for life or a $410,000 lump sum? That's the question of the week on The Get Ready for the Future Show.

Call us at 866-653-7526 (866-653-PLAN) or book a time at getreadyforthefuture.com to talk through your own situation.

On this episode:

- Pension or lump sum: how do you decide between $2,400 a month for life and a roughly $410,000 rollover?

- Does "85% of my Social Security is taxable" mean you lose 85% to taxes?

- We're 44 and 42, saving $60,000 a year, and want to step back around 55. How do we build a real timeline?

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Discover, protect, and share true financial independence.

The current bull market turns 4 years old next week. How long do bull markets usually last, and does a 116% gain in 4 years mean this one is running out of time? That's what Scott Inman is looking at in this week's Fastest Four!