THINK Retirement NOW. ™

So... “when IS the best time to take Social Security?”  Should you take it early, later, or right at Full Retirement Age? Is there a sweet spot where you beat the system at its own game?  Entire books have been written on the topic, and there are many seminars on the topic going on almost every day.  Most of the confusion about when to take Social Security income centers on SPOUSAL benefits. Today, Steve and I will review the new rules of Social Security claiming and outline a circumstance when it makes sense for the younger spouse to start benefits early. Then health insurance and Medicare expert Shelley Grandidge joins us for the Q & A. A fact-filled show you don't want to miss...MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!!

The two largest assets of most middle and upper middle-class households are the family home and the 401(k) or other employer-sponsored plan. These assets form the core of almost every American family's financial security.    How important are these assets? They are so important that homeowners are REQUIRED to carry insurance on their houses by most mortgage lenders, if not by state law. And, when you buy your home, title insurance is required. Why? Because the outcomes of these transactions cannot be in question.  What if you could insure that you would never again take an investment loss due to the stock market falling, and in the same asset insure that you and your spouse would always have a monthly income that would never go down—like a pension? There is a unique form of principal secure retirement annuity available now that can do just that, plus much more, without all the fees of variable annuities. Steve  will review it in detail. You don't want to miss today's show  MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!

As you get closer to the day when your salary goes away… and everything you’ve accumulated up to this point has to be the source of ALL your future paydays… your decisions need to become more accurate. You can’t afford the mistakes you made thirty years ago.  On an increasing basis, the news literature in the financial world states that you will need more than a million dollars to retire and to make sure you don't go broke.   A million is a nice sum of money, but unless you properly diversify, allocate, and conserve it, you run the risk of seeing it get cut in half by a combination of market declines, income withdrawals, RMDs, taxes, politics, fees, inflation, and poor timing when it comes to retirement. Today, we''ll tell you the story of Doug and Diane, who found out the hard way. Then Medicare Specialist Shelley Grandidge joins us for the Q & A. Don't miss today's show  MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!

Bull markets occur because more people buy near the TOP of a market than the bottom. Bear markets occur because more people SELL near the bottom than near the top.   How can investors navigate volatile markets while remaining calm through all types of financial environments? How can they systematically increase their total returns?  The key is to avoid emotional investing which leads to both euphoric and depressive behavior – which in turn can lead to poor decision-making. Today, you'll learn the secret to better financial decision making, and it couldn't come at a better time as we head into a period of both great risk and great opportunity. And, Fox Business Contributor Gary Kaltbaum joins us for analysis. Don't 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!!!

As we get reminded often, women have a better chance of making it to age 100 than men — in fact, 82% of the 53,364 centenarians alive in 2010 were female. There are even more today.   The ratio of females to males age 100 remains pretty steady--it is about 80 percent women. Hence the statistic:   eighty percent of MEN die MARRIED, while eighty percent of WOMEN... die single.  The big problem for women is that they may spend ten years or longer on their own after their husbands pass--at a time when they may lack the skill and desire to make big money decisions.  It’s been found that Baby Boomers’ number one financial fear is running out of money while still in their eighties and women fear it even more than men. We'll see why that fear is completely justified today, and then health insurance expert SHELLEY GRANDIDGE joins us.   A very timely show you don't want to miss, MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!!

Your job as an investor—or the job of the person you hire to manage your money—is to optimize gains, while minimizing losses.  Sounds easy, but today, you need a strategy built for the low interest rate environment of the 2020’s, not the 1990s.  Well-chosen stocks can be long-term sources of wealth creation, just like well-located real estate. This is true even if you buy at what seems like the worst possible time. For example, if you invested in an S&P 500 index fund in early October 2007, the next couple of years would have felt awful.  If you were still contributing to a 401k, however,  it turned out to be really good news. Your steady contributions kept buying more units of mutual funds at lower prices.  Even buying at the so called “wrong time” just before the 2008 crash, HIGH QUALITY  stocks delivered terrific gains by 2020—upwards of 300 percent—by just staying the course and not panicking. That said, in retirement you will be unemployed for 30 years or so. Therefore, a properly built financial plan will separate income capital from growth capital into a Smarter Bucketing system to protect against crashes. Today, we'll get into the fundamentals of putting together a rock solid financial plan...for the LONG HAUL.  Don't miss it....MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!!

How well have you done with your investments over your lifetime? You've had some good years where you got twenty percent or so perhaps. But, like the rest of us, you have had some STINKERS. Most investors lose money an average of three years out ten. That's why averaging ten percent is so hard. Most investors also buy stocks or mutual funds haphazardly--without a clear strategy. That's another proven way to hurt your overall returns. How long does it take to DOUBLE your money? Using the Rule of 72, money doubles every eighteen years at four percent compounded, it doubles every twelve years at six percent compounded, and every nine years at eight percent compounded. Today, we'll review the real secrets of raising your average rate of return and how get a guaranteed bonus of ten percent on a safe fixed income vehicle, with a GUARANTEED growth rate of 7 percent COMPOUNDED.  Then health insurance expert Shelley Grandidge joins us. A very timely show you don't want to miss...MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!!

We all enjoy making good money on our investments.... AND, We all would prefer relatively calm markets with no abrupt surprises, no disappointments, and no shocking draw-downs. But that is living in a dream world. Like it or not, we happen to be living at one of the most volatile times in history, with unprecedented economic forces at work.    As an investor, you have a choice to make. Either you are going to take an old fashioned-one-size-fits-all approach to risking and growing money in the markets, or you are going to take a more pro-active stance--protecting your nest egg against loss,  and paying yourself LASTING retirement income.  What is needed in today's uncertain times--especially for those of retirement age, is a purpose-driven approach your money.  If you find that your money is causing you stress, and you lack a deep sense of security, something is wrong. Today, we'll talk about how to make it right--with a SMART well built financial plan...don't 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!!!