THINK Retirement NOW. ™

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!!!

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!!!

Of the top 10 causes of death globally,  Alzheimer’s is  the only one that can’t currently be cured, slowed down, or prevented-- at least not yet. The disease manifests in different ways, with some patients living 20 years after diagnosis, but most often in the range of  four to eight years. Although 80% of those with the disease are 75 or over, Alzheimer’s typically emerges in midlife, remarkably--20 to 30 years before symptoms like memory loss or troubles with language appear. You can have it and not know it.  One prominent researcher told Barrons:  “Alzheimer’s is a disease of greater prevalence and greater lethality than Covid-19”   He went on to say:  “This is an ongoing pandemic.  Its cost to America in terms of direct medical costs is significantly higher than cancer.” There are some treatment breakthroughs...we'll tell you about them and then Medicare expert Shelley Grandidge joins us. A fact filled show you don't want to miss...MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!!

The pandemic crash put an estimated 400,000 small businesses OUT of business. Millions of people lost their jobs and may of them are still looking for work. Many sectors of the economy were hurt, others had banner years.  Even now,  analysts refer to a new category of stock: "recovery" or "reopening" stocks. In other words, companies whose businesses will begin flourishing again once people can actually enter crowded theaters, stadiums, cruise ships, and airplanes.  Barron's Laurence Strauss reports that there is a growing interest in U.S. dividend paying stocks, with an industry-wide consensus that dividends will rise more than usual in 2021. We'll review his report and the reasons why you should be looking into top drawer dividend GROWTH stocks right now. The timing may be just right. Then Steve reviews the stock selection process for the Black Diamond Dividend Growth Portfolio. A fact-filled and timely show you won'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!!!

With politicians in Washington bent on adding to the national debt without mercy, more people want to do Roth conversions. The idea of being tax free for life has quite a ring to it!   As appealing as ROTH conversions sound, pain is involved so you need to be ready for it.  On top of that, they don’t always make sense-- according to many CPAs-- especially the closer you get to age 70 and above.   That said,  a Roth IRA can be a powerful tax planning tool. And, while tax rates are low courtesy of the Trump administration's The Tax Cut and Jobs Act this may be your last best chance to get serious about converting. Today,  we'll review  the conversion strategy known as "filling the middle brackets", and another known as  "Back-Door Roth" strategy. Then Medicare expert Shelley Grandidge joins us for the Q & A.  A fact-filled show for you today that you surely 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!!!

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!!!

Many investors are bewildered by the rise of the stock market since COVID 19.  Milestone after milestone has been hit, including a 30,000 Dow, even with the economy on one leg. As remarkable as it sounds, stocks still have room to run according to top Wall Street analysts. Pent up demand is building on the half of the economy that is nearly shut down, and the vaccine could get things back to normal. But there is another KEY REASON WHY the market has risen and likely to KEEP rising in 2021 no matter who is running the White House or the Senate. We'll explain that key factor in detail, with data from the Wall Street Journal. Then Steve reviews the 2021 strategy for the Black Diamond and Blue Diamond portfolios. A very timely 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!!!