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've had some STINKERS! Statistics show that 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.  Today, we'll review the real secrets of raising your average rate of return and how to get a guaranteed bonus of ten percent on a safe fixed income vehicle, with a GUARANTEED growth rate of 7 percent COMPOUNDED!  You don't want to miss that!  Then health insurance and Medicare expert Shelley Grandidge joins us. This is a very timely show as we head into the weekend...MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!!

Results of several data driven studies have come to the same conclusion:  The highest happiness readings in the world among retired persons, come from those people who own pensions. They scored 7.8 on a 10-point scale. Pensions that provide guaranteed income for life have become increasingly rare around the world, as employers have shifted away from defined benefits plans to defined CONTRIBUTION plans.  In addition to owning a pension, retirees who are surrounded by their family and friends and own a home, also tested higher on the happiness scale. In every study of its kind,  according to articles published in Time Magazine and The Wall Street Journal,  there was one consistency —those who have a substantial check coming in every month for the rest of their lives, unconditionally and without market risk— are happier people.  They also live longer, studies show. Today, we'll examine how NEXT GENERATION retirement annuities can provide a pension WITHOUT disinheriting heirs.  A fact filled show you don't want to miss....MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!!

One of the biggest questions married couples have about claiming Social Security is:  “When can the lower earning spouse claim fifty percent of the higher earning spouse’s income benefit?”  Another question: can the younger spouse begin benefits at age 62, and then switch to fifty percent of the higher earning spouse's benefit later on? And what about the strategy known as file and suspend? Is it completely gone, or can certain couples still pull it off?  Do you know the answers?  You will, because we will be covering them in detail and then Medicare expert Shelley Grandidge joins us.  We're your one stop shop for Social Security and Medicare today, so 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!!!

When we hear about sudden, massive gains in speculative stocks like Tesla and GameStop or Bitcoin—the temptation is to feel like you somehow “missed out”.  But most investors of retirement age are not ready to put all their money into one or two stocks to try to make a killing. As an investor, you need to decide what your priorities are, what your realistic goals are, and how much risk you're willing to take to achieve those goals.  If you’ve already accumulated five hundred thousand to a million dollars or more, it’s likely that you're not ready to lay it ALL down on one stock in hopes that it doubles within ninety days.  You're more likely to place an emphasis on PRESERVING what you’ve already made before you take big chances-- with big chunks of your money. In fact, the real reason you’ve accumulated money is that you’ve mostly avoided silly risks along the way.  Instead, you kept your eyes on the prize:   a comfortable retirement funded by diversified, solid investments that make sense. Today, we'll review a smart strategy for doing just that. Then medicare and health insurance specialist Shelley Grandidge joins us.  This is a show you DON'T want to miss...MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!!

Because of the advances in annuity engineering over the past five years, the demand for a newer form of annuity has steadily risen. No longer an afterthought, specific types of annuities have taken center stage for smart investors looking to nail down preservation and income. Why? Because pensions are being phased out, and interest rates on bonds are stuck near two hundred year lows. Once upon a time, a million dollars in treasury bonds would pay a retiree seventy thousand dollars a year or more, guaranteed.  Today, that same ten year treasury bond is yielding less than one-and-a-half percent, meaning you'd be tying up your money for ten years-- getting less than FIFTEEN thousand dollars a year. That's why bonds, not annuities, are suddenly the afterthought. Who could think of building their retirement around one percent bonds?

Investment mistakes are very easy to make, even when you take a logical approach to the market. That said,  who among us is 100 percent logical all the time?   Most people in or near retirement would rather not spend hours a day studying market trends, money flows,  and reading detailed reports. That's why you offload that task to a professional. But many investment managers were caught off guard by the 2020 election.  Many thought it was logical that if Joe Biden won the election, the market would decline. But the market went UP on election day, proving one important thing:  the market is RARELY logical! But does that mean YOU can't take a logical approach to your investments? Not at all!  Today, we'll examine just how to do that. Then health insurance and Medicare expert Shelley Grandidge joins us.  A truly educational show you don't want to miss...MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!!

No matter who is president a year from now—Biden or Harris….you can bet that Bernie Sanders, Chuck Shumer, Liz Warren, and Pelosi, will keep putting pressure on the Oval Office to raise taxes—a lot. And they won't just be raising taxes on the super-rich. The really rich can afford to move their money offshore and taxing them more would never put a dent in the debt we are building.  So, you can throw all the campaign promises out the window! ….EVERYONE’S taxes are going up, directly or indirectly. YOU know it… I know it…. WE ALL know it! Which is why more and more people are beginning to learn more about unique TAX PLANNING strategies to beat the IRS to the punch—LEGALLY.  The goal is to KEEP taxes lower for you, your spouse, and your family,  from now on.  Would you like a tax free income for life? Would you like to grow a pile of cash tax free, and turn it into a permanent slush fund that you can draw on, tax free?  We'll show you exactly how today, so 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!!!

It's looking more likely that the U.S. will be swimming in Covid vaccine doses in April, May, and June, due to the Trump administration's foresight to secure one BILLION doses during Project Warp Speed, using multiple suppliers. Europe made the mistake of counting on just one major supplier.  Biden wants to take credit, but he obviously had nothing to do with the fact that we have a massive supply of vaccines just one year after the outbreak began. Prior to Covid, vaccines had long been a sleepy little corner of the pharmaceutical industry, dominated by a handful of companies that sell billions of dollars worth of vaccines a year, unperturbed by upstarts. That has changed...The competition for market leadership in vaccines is about to get NASTY, experts say, with the usual giants Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer in the game along with Astra Zeneca and Sanofi. But newer companies like Moderna are going to be a factor. Should you be investing in these companies??  Well, we have a report from Barrons for you today that offers very timely insights. Then Medicare and health insurance expert Shelley Grandidge joins us. ....A fact-filled show you don't want to miss...MASTERING MONEY is on the air!!