THINK Retirement NOW. ™

A new landmark retirement study has found that the number of Protected Households has risen for the first time since 2018. The Alliance for Lifetime Income’s annual Protected Lifetime Income Study revealed a total of  3.1 million NEWLY  Protected Households and identifies five profiles of Americans planning for retirement. This is the first time since 2018, that the number of Protected Households in the US has increased. Today we'll review exactly what that means. We'll learn why the share of protected US households grew from 37% in 2019 to 40% this year, the largest increase on record.  Then Medicare expert Shelley Grandidge joins us to clear up all the hoopla going on with Medicare. Shelley will make things clear and simple...which is something we ALL need! ....You don't want to miss TODAY's show...MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!!

With the Green New Deal--or a scaled down version of it--becoming more of  an issue every year-- there is no question the world is heading toward cleaner manufacturing technologies, cleaner forms of fuel, and advanced carbon capture technology to make coal and petroleum cleaner.  Why do we still need coal and petroleum?   Electricity!  Without fossil fuel technology, our nation would not have enough uninterrupted electricity to run cities, suburbs, airports, mass transit, schools and other facilities that simply cannot run on solar and wind.  Wall Street is gearing up to find profitable ways to take out particles of carbon into the atmosphere once it's there. We'll review one company that has already been doing it for years.  A terrific show you don't want to miss--MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!

Historically, we’ve always referred to the traditional sources of retirement income as a three-legged stool, composed of: 1. Government entitlement programs (Social Security and Medicare)...2. Personal savings and investments ...and , 3. Employer-sponsored defined benefit plans like pensions.  In the past, retirees could typically count on ALL three sources for retirement income roughly divided into thirds. With this traditional scenario, both the government and employer-sponsored plans were considered predictable, reliable income sources that may also be adjusted for inflation. So two thirds of your plan for retirement was set. Only one-third was the responsibility of the individual. Today, TWO thirds of the responsibility is yours, and the other leg--Social Security--is getting a little loose in the screws. Today we'll examine how COVID 19 may affect your Social Security, and then Medicare specialist SHELLEY GRANDIDGE joins us for a show you don't want to miss!  MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!!

Older Americans are selling off the stock market, slowly but relentlessly…. to junior generations.  According to CNBC, Baby boomers own an outsized helping of the market and are constantly reducing it--due to RMDs and other factors.  This is a process that is non-stop because 250,000 boomers turn 72 every ninety days. Analysts point out it will have an effect on  supply and demand for equities in the short, medium, and long runs.  Millennials, now the largest generation by population, lack the financial wherewithal to pick up the slack.  How will this long term drain, expected to accelerate over the next five and ten years, affect your investments?  What changes to your current financial plan might you make to make sure your retirement is not impacted?  We'll lay out all the statistics, with some very timely strategy choices you'll want to know more about. Don't miss it....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!!!

The explosion of products and services that have become available in the financial marketplace today are enough to bewilder Einstein! Professor Einstein always said the U.S. tax code was more complex than nuclear fission in his mind, but, rest his soul, he passed away before trying to figure out how a VARIABLE ANNUITY works!   Variable annuities work fine when markets are rising, but get ugly when markets decline. Today, learn the in's and out's of variable annuities from a true expert in the field, then Medicare and Health Insurance expert Shelley Grandidge joins us for the Q&A. You don't want to miss TODAY's show...MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!

Statistically, most of the serious accidents-- and even the deaths--that occur on mountain climbing expeditions, happen NOT on the way UP, but on the way back down! Ask any mountain climbing expert, and they'll tell you: Coming down is much more treacherous than going up. … And the higher the mountain the more dangerous the descent.   When it comes to your investments and the four phases of your financial life, it’s similar. You've been on a long ascent UP the mountain, financially speaking. It is known as your ACCUMULATION phase. But the higher the market goes, and the longer it lasts, the more dangerous it will be on the way down. Today, we'll expose the problem in clear terms, then help you avoid the agony of defeat!  Don't miss today's show...MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!

According to the Wall Street Journal, the rise of technologies that help the elderly stay in their homes threatens to upend one of commercial real estate’s biggest bets: Senior housing.  While there is no question that there has been a boom in senior housing, especially in sun belt states like Arizona, new products and services include sensors that respond to a range of medical conditions, facial recognition for identifying visitors, and houses with malleable fixtures that can be adjusted as residents age.  Also, More and more interactive technology will be available for seniors living at home. Venture capital and other firms are expected to invest about $1 billion dollars this year in these,  and other so-called “aging in place” technologies. We'll review an intriguing Wall Street Journal report on the topic, then Medicare expert Shelley Grandidge joins us.  Don't miss it--MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!

While Joe Biden will undoubtedly take bows for the economic recovery taking place in 2021, objective onlookers know that Biden's first six months and his ideas have not created one job. In fact, Biden killed thousands of pipeline jobs. As Trumponomics comes to a close and Bidenomics begins, investors don’t really need to predict which set of economic policies will work the best to stimulate the economy—at least not for a while yet. Experts say it will take six to twelve months or longer to begin to see the effects of most of Biden’s economic moves. In the meantime, whose policies will end up looking better when history is the judge--Trump, or Biden? Most logical thinkers know that reining in job-killing government restrictions, lowering taxes for both job-creating corporations and tax paying Americans, and creating trade deals that bring and KEEP more factories right here in America, is a more sure path to long term economic success for OUR nation as a whole. But logic is not always the sure path to making money in the stock market. You need to know where the big boys are going, like Goldman Sachs, the Fed, and JP Morgan. We have a Barrons report on that for you today and Steve will review adjustments being made to the Black Diamond and Blue Diamond portfolios...an important show you don't want to miss...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!!!