Winning at Life with Gregory Ricks

Anita in New Orleans is divorced and remarried. Does she get to choose a spousal benefit from her current and ex spouse?

Patricia in New Orleans asks if her IRA's Required Minimum Distribution can go into a Roth IRA. Gregory points out the RMD has to be taken, and the taxes have to be accounted for, but getting money into a Roth IRA is dependent on your earned income, so it's a completely separate discussion.

Does 401k/IRA withdrawals count toward the earnings limit on early Social Security. Jeff in Lacombe is retired at 64, and has gotten conflicting advice on the rules.

Patricia in New Orleans discovered her husband's pension should've paid her out the last 10 years. She's getting 10 years worth of checks in a lump sum.

Charlie in Baton Rouge asks if he should still make his Qualified Charitable Distribution even though Required Minimum Distributions are waived for 2020.

If you think you may be due a benefit from Social Security, file a claim. Gregory shares the story of a widow who missed years of checks because she got some bad advice.

David in Hahnville asks if he can get a raise on his Social Security check by continuing to work and paying into the system.

Wes Blanchard gives you 3 quick steps to get your estate plan together.

Learn some of the sneaky ways lawyers get extra fees and compensation from their clients.

Can you pass along your Power of Attorney to someone else? Mike in Covington's wife has Power of Attorney over her elderly parents, and has a terminal medical condition.

Treeco did a great job helping Gregory and Stacey out with their tree issues.

Wes Blanchard shares a legal opinion on the eviction moratorium issues hurting our local landlords.

Gregory shares his meeting with a giant turtle in the road.

LSU Football tickets are twice as high for this year's home opener on the secondary market.

American College of Financial Services reports on a survey of financial literacy, and the results are dismal.

Ronald in Baton Rouge has retired early and is living off income from his assets. Should he go ahead and turn on Social Security at age 62 so he doesn't have to take as much from his assets?

George in Mandeville asks how he and his wife can get the biggest benefits from their spousal Social Security options.

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Hear some of the shady moves in the financial planning industry. Just because something is legal, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.

Gregory reviews two quick callers on the Windfall Elimination Provision.

The new webinar on Medicare covers the basics on how to pick the right plans.

What do you do with the 401k from a previous job? What do you do with a 401k once you retire?

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Check your Social Security credits! Gregory shows you how to find errors in your Social Security record, and if you can get it fixed.

How does Medicare work? Gregory's latest webinar series focuses on the rules for how to start Medicare.

Gregory rescues a giant turtle.

How will the political changes of the 2020 affect your money? If you're so worried about it, maybe you should move away from your riskier assets.

You should check out the Ask Gregory podcast. It's a new series where Gregory addresses financial issues one topic at a time.

How do you start Medicare if you're still working?

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How will this election affect your money? Gregory calms the waters, and explains why the results of this election will not have much affect in the long term statistics.

The open Supreme Court seat will cause a lot of noise in DC, but no big lasting affect on Wall Street. Gregory points out the high emotions around these issues could contribute to volatility, but only for a while.

Gregory reminds you to support your local restaurant.

Two of the big winners of 2020 are office furniture and yoga pants. Both have a new demand as more people are working from home AND sitting around the house in comfortable pants.

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Gregory explains how the biggest news stories of the week will affect your money.

How does the Windfall Elimination Provision affect your Social Security benefits for you and your spouse?

Thomas in Gonzales asks if he has enough of a private sector work history to be exempted from the Windfall Elimination Provision.

Pat in Slidell found an error in his Social Security earnings history. Can he get those credits updated and have them recalculate?

Chris is Destrehan asks if he has enough of a private sector work history to be exempted from the Windfall Elimination Provision.

Jude Heath CPA describes how your taxes change when you move from employment into retirement. Gregory and Jude share tips on managing your tax bracket with different income streams.

How can you take advantage of Roth IRAs to keep your taxes low in retirement?

Gregory warns against the myth of any safe investments promising a 10% return.

Rollover IRAs carry the liability protection of a 401k with them. Janet in Mandeville asks Gregory about the liability protection rules for a rollover IRA.

The old rules for inheriting IRAs are gone, including the stretch option. So what options does that leave for the money in your IRA after you pass away?

Gregory gives you a statistical history of why the markets 10% average return is misleading, and how drawing 4% from your portfolio in retirement will stress your assets.

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Gregory reviews some financial stats from last year's Half Show.

Ron in Pascagoula asks Gregory's thoughts on how to fix some of the Social Security exceptions like the Windfall Elimination Provision.

The old rules for inheriting IRAs are gone, including the stretch option. So what options does that leave for the money in your IRA after you pass away?

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Michael in New Orleans is looking at getting a second home on the beach just 45 minutes out of town. What lending tool should he use to finance his weekend getaway?

Beware of these 3 common money scams. Gregory gives you the signs of the most common ways people are separated from their money by scammers.

Financial Rules to Live By: Gregory reviews quotes of financial wisdom throughout the years of the show.

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Jim in New Orleans likes the idea of a Roth 401k so much, he asks: why would you use a traditional 401k? If you're looking to put away even more money, see if you qualify to contribute to an HSA.

A myth of Social Security is that if you turn it on early, you get a boost when you reach your Full Retirement Age. Hear how it really works.

Who DOESN'T need Estate Planning? There's some people for whom an estate plan doesn't make sense, but it's not a big fraction of the population.

The Numbers are starting to reveal what is expected from the election, and volatility.

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When do you no longer need life insurance? Should you always have life insurance if you have a mortgage? Gregory breaks down some questions to ask yourself before you cash out your life insurance policy.

How does the transition work between Social Security Disability and the Social Security retirement trust fund.

Charles from Mandeville has called on Saturday's show asking about getting into private venture capital investing. Gregory stressed how risky that world can be. James shares the cold stats on how brutal venture capital can be for investors, and how the US dominates the world in startups.

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The enhanced unemployment benefits are about to expire in Louisiana, and about the begin in Mississippi.

Gregory has some 401k advice for National 401k Day.

Jim in New Orleans likes the idea of a Roth 401k so much, he asks: why would you use a traditional 401k?

Maria in Diamondhead has a 401k from her previous job, but her new job doesn't offer a 401k program. What should she do with the old 401k, and how should she save for retirement going forward?

Gregory explains how you can use the money piled up in your 401k to create a lifetime income stream in retirement.

Dwayne Stein of Mortgage Gumbo is our guest, and is celebrating 6 years of his show.

Is Private Venture Capital too risky for individual investors? Charles in Mandeville asks Gregory's thoughts on venture capital, and Gregory recommends you should be prepared sustain heavy losses.

Dwayne Stein explains the different mortgage types, and breaks down the 3 big government programs.

Linda in Mandeville asks Dwayne Stein and Gregory Ricks if recasting the mortgage on her rental property could result in a lower interest rate. She's trying to get that mortgage paid off over the next few years so she can have an income property free and clear.

Gregory and Dwayne discuss the new half percent fee on mortgages.

Dwayne reviews a recent caller who asked about refinancing his mortgage at age 68.

If you're self employed, when and how do you set yourself up a 401k?

Ask your partner these 7 financial questions BEFORE you get married!

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