The Retirement Trainer

The typical retirement portfolio has operated on a 60/40 split between equities and bonds for many years–but this traditional approach has cost retirees a lot of money over the past few years.

Our goal with today’s episode is to help answer two questions: when is the right time to add more bonds to your portfolio, and why isn’t cash still king? 

We’ll discuss the relationship between interest rates and market performance, the difference between “good bonds” and “bad bonds,” and what to do with your portfolio as we approach another period of major volatility. 

In this podcast interview, you’ll learn: 

How Fit Is Your Retirement Plan? 

We can help you manage your finances so you can pursue your goals. To learn more, visit EGSIFinancial.com

Jim Rogers made a name for himself co-founding the Quantum Fund, but became the “Investment Biker” when he took a 22-month, 52-country journey business trip by motorcycle. 

A so-called “adventure capitalist,” Jim has published several books, driven all over the world, and achieved remarkable success. In our conversation today, we talked about what he learned traveling the world, his take on our global economy, and how to protect yourself as inflation, debt, and poor leadership put your financial future at risk.

In this podcast interview, you’ll learn: 

How Fit Is Your Retirement Plan? 

We can help you manage your finances so you can pursue your goals. To learn more, visit EGSIFinancial.com

Millions of Americans are still feeling the pinch of high gas and grocery costs. Mortgages rates have climbed to a high of 8% for 30 years, and credit card rates and balances are impacting the ability to absorb the new cost of living. We’ve been talking about inflation for several years now, but we’ve never had a chance to discuss it with a true titan of finance and media until now. 

Today, we’re talking to Steve Forbes, chairman and editor-in-chief of Forbes Media. Steve has a fantastic new book titled, Inflation: What It Is, Why It’s Bad and How To Fix It. 

In this episode, Steve shares unparalleled insights into our current economic landscape. He explains what inflation is and how it’s impacting the average household, why he believes the Fed’s behavior has us stuck in a rut, and ways we can get ourselves out of it.

In this podcast interview, you’ll learn: 

How Fit Is Your Retirement Plan? 

We can help you manage your finances so you can pursue your goals. To learn more, visit EGSIFinancial.com

Every day we’re bombarded with harmless-looking emails promising free gifts or things that are too good to be true. The phone rings and we get asked to update information we didn’t know anything about. Where is this coming from? When it comes to your sensitive information, who can you trust, and what’s real? 

Today, we’re talking about how to protect yourself from highly sophisticated scammers. You’ll learn how to tell when an email isn’t from who it says it is, how to protect your identity online, and what to do in the event that someone does manage to compromise one of your accounts even if you’ve done nothing wrong.

In this podcast interview, you’ll learn: 

How Fit Is Your Retirement Plan? 

We can help you manage your finances so you can pursue your goals. To learn more, visit EGSIFinancial.com

The more things change, the more they stay the same. We’re still dealing with high inflation and interest rates and the silent recession continues with the average household still feeling the pinch at the grocery stores and gas pumps.

And now, the Federal Government says that we’re in a deflationary period while adding $1 trillion to the national debt every quarter. Which begs the question: What’s next?

In today’s episode, we discuss the importance of being disciplined with your spending and sticking to your budget. We’ll also explain why interest rate drops that may be on the horizon might actually limit your ability to borrow money to cover your expenses in the future.

In this podcast interview, you’ll learn:

How Fit Is Your Retirement Plan? 

We can help you manage your finances so you can pursue your goals. To learn more, visit EGSIFinancial.com

With 30-year mortgage rates at 7.5%, inflation continuing to impact our spending power, and gas pushing almost $4 a gallon, we’re seeing higher bankruptcy rates and hearing talk of a lost decade. So what do we do to keep our financial plan as healthy as possible? 

In today’s episode, we’re talking about what’s going on in America–and the silent recession that is affecting everyone except those on Wall Street. You’ll learn why all this so-called “good economic news” proves to only be good for executives and investors, why interest rates might finally start dropping soon, and how to hedge your bets to protect yourself (and your money) when the economy won’t do it for you. 

In this podcast interview, you’ll learn:

• Why the finance industry is behaving like things are just fine while everyday Americans are struggling more than ever to make ends meet.
• How last year’s interest rate increases are affecting us now. 
• How to reposition your finances as prices and interest rates start to stabilize again.
• Why you need to get clear about your financial goals to leave a legacy and make lasting memories. 

To get access to today's show notes, including links to all the resources mentioned, visit EGSIFinancial.com

How Fit Is Your Retirement Plan? 

We can help you manage your finances so you can pursue your goals. To learn more, visit EGSIFinancial.com

“We’re overspending $5.1 billion a day more than we’re bringing in because of interest rates.” - Ed Siddell

Today, we're talking about how good news can actually lead to bad news when it comes to the economy. When something looks good, it usually comes at a cost.

We’ve all lived through a whole lot of craziness since 2020, and we’ve experienced major shifts in employment and the housing market–and inflation has played a huge role in that. In today’s episode, we explore how we got here, how overspending in government hurts us all, and when we might see some stability after what can feel like total chaos–and what to do with your money (and your financial plans) in the meantime. 

In this podcast interview, you’ll learn: 

• How the Fed backed itself into a corner with interest rates–and why our booming economy led to such extreme inflation.
• Why we think interest rates might freeze by next summer.
• Why debt is at unbelievable highs–and the economic factors that might make things even worse very soon.
• Things you can do right now to create economic leverage across your own accounts.

To get access to today's show notes, including links to all the resources mentioned, visit EGSIFinancial.com

How Fit Is Your Retirement Plan? 

We can help you manage your finances so you can pursue your goals. To learn more, visit EGSIFinancial.com

There are things that are within our control and some that are not. Time doesn’t stop, and everybody gets older, but one thing that is within our control is to take action before it’s too late to secure your legacy and avoid headaches like probate.

For anyone who has been able to put money away and generate enough wealth to leave assets behind, we all need to determine who will take care of us and those assets toward the end of our lives–whether that’s our kids or someone we hire. 

With that in mind, today’s episode is about what it means to leave a legacy behind for the people you care about. We discuss how to best prepare your family to inherit what you leave behind, the small mistakes that can have huge consequences when we’re gone, and the critical components of a legacy plan that we ensure every client has. 

 In this podcast interview, you’ll learn:

• Why legacy is about memories and money–not just one or the other.
• How to keep your assets out of probate court.
• Why it’s so important to review your benefits annually.
• What to do if you have gaps in your legacy planning. 

To get access to today's show notes, including links to all the resources mentioned, visit EGSIFinancial.com

How Fit Is Your Retirement Plan? 

We can help you manage your finances so you can pursue your goals. To learn more, visit EGSIFinancial.com

Fear of missing out is a real thing. Everyone is looking for 15-20% returns and this can prompt people to make risky decisions–especially when it comes to retirement.

Right now, we have a bull market in the S&P, volatility is low and tech is back on the rise. So, is it time to go all-in, or should investors beware?

Today, we’re talking about why our markets seem so crazy, the resurgence of big tech in the wake of AI, and why all of this reaffirms the importance of having a solid financial plan at every stage of life.

 In this podcast interview, you’ll learn:

• The importance of understanding how market volatility impacts your investment decisions.
• Why some investment products make sense for some and don’t for others. 
• The importance of having a solid investment plan, especially in retirement. 

To get access to today's show notes, including links to all the resources mentioned, visit EGSIFinancial.com

How Fit Is Your Retirement Plan? 

We can help you manage your finances so you can pursue your goals. To learn more, visit EGSIFinancial.com

Consumer credit is at an all-time high. Credit card debt is pushing $1.25 trillion and headed upwards. Inflation’s high, consumer spending is high, and employers are cutting good jobs with benefits.

Even if you’re steadily employed or running a healthy business and your personal debts are manageable, these macroeconomic factors can still affect you. 

In today’s episode, we walk through why other people’s spending impacts our overall quality of life, how to get the best possible deals when you make a big purchase in this economy, and what to do about any lingering debt you need to get rid of. 

In this podcast interview, you’ll learn:

• Why consumer spending is at an all-time high–and where the money’s coming from. 
• Why last year’s interest rate hikes are just now starting to impact us. 
• How solid financial planning makes it easy to rein in spending and eliminate your debts. 
• Why you should always pay off your credit cards in full. 
• How to address the challenges of skyrocketing costs for basic things like utilities and groceries as you approach (or are in) retirement. 

To get access to today's show notes, including links to all the resources mentioned, visit EGSIFinancial.com

How Fit Is Your Retirement Plan? 

We can help you manage your finances so you can pursue your goals. To learn more, visit EGSIFinancial.com