02:49 - Gregory tells about his face off with a raccoon in the backyard.

17:91 - The duck boat tragedy in Missouri is horrible, and reminds Gregory of his experience in a duck boat ride. Gregory isn't much for taking risks these days, especially considering the amount of people who are counting on him.

21:21 - The annual report on the state of retirement savings in America shows that people are doing a better job of saving than previous years, but are still behind schedule. Gregory warns against using overly optimistic returns on your investments when planning for the future. If you plan for 7% returns on your money, but only get 5%, you will be behind. If you plan for 4%, but get 5%, you will have a little extra cushion.

25:55 - Mosquito Joe gets a shotu out. West Nile has shown up in Louisiana, but there's no bugs in Gregory's yard.

27:24 - Susan in New Orleans asks Gregory: Would you ever put an annuity in an IRA? Gregory says yes, sometimes it's the right thing to use a fixed annuity in an IRA.

33:15 - CALPERS, the largest public pension in the US, is going to have to make some serious changes soon to avoid a total meltdown.

37:47 - Defined benefit plans are proving to be a problem over the long term, and will have to give way to defined contribution plans. If you don't make your anticipated returns on a defined contribution plans, there's no pain to the outside world, but if you don't make your returns on a defined benefit plan, someone is going to have to pay up: usually either the company or taxpayers.

40:51 - Joe in Metairie is thinking about taking a loan from his 401k to cover the cost of getting into an investment property. Gregory is usually against making such a move, but after a few probing questions, Joe may be making a good move here.

47:44 - Jude Heath, CPA of the Total Wealth Authority, helps us break down the proposals floated for Tax Reform 2.0. Gregory hears the push for annuities, and is concerned Wall Street may be using their influence for that to include variable annuities. Bending policy curves toward fixed annuities could be a great alternative to the defined-benefit plans supplying income to retirees. Jude Heath agrees that tax policy could easily be tweaked to encourage and reward savers. Lifting the earning cap and contribution limits on 401ks and IRAs would be good start, and capping taxes on distribution would be helpful on the back end.

1:00:45 - Tax Reform 2.0 continues to be dissected byt Gregory Ricks and Jude Heath. For all of the tax breaks mentioned, will Congress be able to get this passed as is, or will they have to balance out the lost revenue with spending cuts and/or tax hikes elsewhere?

1:01:54 - Carol in Mississippi asks if the states also charge a penalty for IRA distributions before age 59.5? Gregory says that penalty is at the federal level only, although states will tax retirement benefits differently.

1:09:21 - Steve in Slidell heard Gregory mention that 401k withdrawals have no penalty if you separated from the employer after age 55. Does that still hold true if you roll that 401k into an IRA?

1:13:07 - The proposed Universal Savings Accounts don't seem to make much sense. Gregory and Jude talk about how similar financial tools already exist, and it would be better to simply make some minor changes to the Roth IRA rules rather than create a whole new financial structure.

1:21:25 - Gregroy and Jude agree we should expand HSAs. Tax Reform 2.0 mentions the idea of making Health Savings Accounts available to more people, and possibly lifting the contribution amount. Gregory would like to see HSAs for everyone, and the contribution limits need to be much higher. Jude agree that would be huge.

1:33:46 - Gregory talks about having a fun day at the racetrack: NOLA Motorsports Park.

1:41:59 - Of the Millenials who have purchased a home, 68% are unhappy with it. Some of this can be explained by the drag on time and resources, but that only means Millenials had unreal expectations going into the deal. Owning a home causes many little expenses that are rarely discussed: the monthly home alarm bill, the quarterly pest control, appliances breaking, lawn care, painting, and anything a kid can break.

1:50:35 - Americans will pay $104 billion in credit card interest and fees this year.

1:52:57 - Chase in Gulfport has $2,000 in extra income monthly to invest. Should he pay down his mortgage with that money, or is there better options? Gregory asks a few questions, and has some powerful investing options for that money, maybe even using a 7702 plan.

2:07:44 - Cici in Sardis asks Gregory if her mortgage payments should have whittled away more principle than reported. Gregory explains how most of her payment is going to taxes, insurance, and interest, rather than principle. As the mortgage moves along, the principle payoff should accelerate.

2:09:57 - Michael in Imlay City, Michigan asks Gregory about the commercials selling you gold in your IRA: can you actually hold your physical gold investments personally if you're buying them through your IRA? Gregory warns that could be considered self dealing, and generally leans away from physical gold as an investment tool.

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