THINK Retirement NOW. ™

SPECIAL PODCAST:  Your Morning IQ Wealth Retirement Brief

Today on Mastering Money...It’s a MOTLEY FOOL MONDAY!! The Motley Fool Money Show is one of the most popular stock market TALK SHOWS in America today, featuring timely insights from top analysts.    "MOTLEY FOOL MONEY"  is heard by millions of listeners coast to coast—including Saturdays right here on Money Radio at 5pm!  First we'll update breaking financial news and get a read on all the indexes, THEN,  we'll take you to an exclusive broadcast of the Motley Fool Money Show, with fresh ideas to help you become a more informed investor. Steve will cap it off with proven money-making and money-SAVING ideas that you DON'T want to miss! -- A jam-packed show --and we're READY TO ROLL !    ... MASTERING MONEY IS ON THE AIR!!!

So, what happens if you retire at or near a Market Peak? Have you thought about that? Statistically, people are more inclined to retire during the top end of a bull market. It only makes sense. That's when confidence and peace of mind are higher. The trouble, as we all know, is that "what goes up also comes down" and if it comes down soon after we retire, that's a problem. Also, statistically, the ten year periods following really strong ten year periods are not so hot. Withdrawing steady income from a declining balance can run a retirement off the road. Today, we'll tell the story of Donna, whose great grandparents, grandparents, and parents ALL retired during market peaks going back to 1928, 1973, and 1999, and what Donna has decided to do with her retirement. Then Medicare specialist Shelley Grandidge joins us.  Don't miss today's show MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!!

Many people invest in bond funds with the motive of preserving capital and reducing risk. While it sounds sensible and has worked for many decades in the past, it is not working now because interest rates are at historic lows.  As of today, nearly 80% of Morningstar's taxable bond funds and over 90% of municipal bond funds have lost money so far this year. For example, the Vanguard Total Bond Index fund has lost 1.6 percent this year, even after factoring in a 2.6 percent yield! Find out why bond funds are losing so much money and could KEEP losing money for the next five years. A great show today you don't want to miss  MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!

In case you hadn't noticed, the future is getting just a 'tad' more unpredictable every day. That's why protecting your core capital and securing your retirement income are such high priorities.   Smart people are seeing the need for more certainty going forward. And...many are turning to NEXT GENERATION annuities to meet that need. Once you reach age fifty or sixty, why WOULDN'T you want a floor under your money?   Annuities are not for young investors aged 20 to 40. They are for those who want a retirement that can weather the worst of economies, without losing a penny or missing a beat.  The key benefit that modern day annuities may provide a retired person is a contractual guarantee of principal and income—regardless of market conditions.There are four different types of annuities, and due to current low interest rates and volatile markets, THREE of those types may not be recommended.  Today, Steve will review exactly WHICH annuities are leading the pack, and which might be right for you. Then Medicare expert Shelley Grandidge joins us for the Q & A.  A power packed and timely show you DON'T want to miss...MASTERING MONEY  is on the air!!!

Wall Street has long promoted keeping 60 percent of your money in stocks and 40 percent in bonds as the ultimate retirement strategy, claiming an average of 8 percent returns over time. Is that figure reliable, or is it just sloppy advice in light of today’s high markets and historic low-interest rates? Brett Arends of the Wall Street Journal performed in-depth research to determine the viability and effectiveness of the 60-40 portfolio over the past 80 years. His findings? Except for two periods of dramatically declining interest rates, the 60-40 portfolio is in his words is "full of holes." And today with bond rates so low, the risk of income shortfall from a traditional portfolio has never been higher according to Ernst & Young. Today, Steve will review exactly why your bond funds are at risk, and how quickly a retirement portfolio could be hurt if both stocks and bonds fall at the same time--which is a distinct possibility! You don't want to miss today's show...MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!

Today on Mastering Money...It’s a MOTLEY FOOL MONDAY!! The Motley Fool Money Show is one of the most popular stock market TALK SHOWS in America today, featuring timely insights from top analysts.    "MOTLEY FOOL MONEY"  is heard by millions of listeners coast to coast—including Saturdays right here on Money Radio at 5pm!  First we'll update breaking financial news and get a read on all the indexes, THEN,  we'll take you to an exclusive broadcast of the Motley Fool Money Show, with fresh ideas to help you become a more informed investor. Steve will cap it off with proven money-making and money-SAVING ideas that you DON'T want to miss! -- A jam-packed show --and we're READY TO ROLL !    ... MASTERING MONEY IS ON THE AIR!!!

One of the key challenges for amateur investors is the attraction to RISING PRICES. When the prices of most consumer goods such as gasoline or vegetables rise, people tend to either cut back or find a substitute. However, with financial assets, the opposite seems true. Many investors are attracted to a stock whose price has risen more than one whose price has fallen. This tendency often results in poor investment performance. It is difficult for an individual investor to effectively construct and maintain a portfolio that is properly diversified, minimizes fees and taxes, avoids overlapping assets, and stays in its lane without emotion. THAT'S why in retirement, hiring a professional to manage your assets with a clear WRITTEN strategy is so wise. Today, we'll review the most practical and pragmatic approach to your investments,  then Shelley Grandidge joins us for the Q & A. Don't miss it....MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!

Growing your retirement money without losses while owning a guaranteed lifetime income more than five times that of quality bonds is the key to retiring without the worry of going poor later in life. These benefits are only attainable with a principal secure uncapped, low cost, high income NEXT GENERATION retirement annuity. Pensions have all but disappeared  for today's retirees, but the need for predictable secure income for life is still a pressing need. Who wants to worry about running out of money?  This need has led to a very logical move toward the benefits provided by NEXT GENERATION retirement annuities. Today, we'll explain in detail how they work and how you may benefit.  A really timely show you don't want to miss...MASTERING MONEY  is on the air!!!

...In a New York Times video op-ed that decries “fake news” and calls for “a more truthful approach” to “the 'MYTH' of America as the greatest nation on earth”, Times producers Taige Jensen and Nayeema Raza claim that the U.S. has “fallen well behind Europe” in many respects and has “more in common with ‘developing countries’ than we’d like to admit.”  Is that true?  A groundbreaking study by JustFacts.com has discovered that after accounting for all income, charity, and non-cash welfare benefits like subsidized housing and Food Stamps—the poorest 20% of Americans consume more goods and services than the national averages of the most affluent countries. This includes the majority of countries in the prestigious Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), including its European members. In other words, if the U.S. “poor” were a nation, it would be one of the world’s richest. We've got that report for you today and then Medicare expert Shelley Grandidge joins us. A very interesting show you don't want to miss....MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!