How are you judging your investment success?  Are you an outcome driven or performance driven investor?  There are many priorities you should consider before simply judging the success of your investment strategy purely on performance numbers. As an investor, your priorities are unique.  Measuring your investment returns against arbitrary benchmarks isn’t necessarily the best way to evaluate your specific situation.  I discuss ways outcome driven investors more likely to attain success, as compared to those who focus entirely on the numbers.

Program Length 24 minutes

State and local tax deductibility was capped in the 2018 federal tax law changes causing high tax states to look for ways to get around parts of the new law.  The IRS has now ruled against the state’s efforts to circumvent the cap causing some in congress to start pushing for a repeal of the SALT (state and local tax) cap. Cordasco Financial Network CPA Jim Tate joins me to discuss the dollars and cents of this and the unlikely position some politicians find themselves in by supporting the elimination of the SALT cap.

Program Length: 22 minutes

In the last ten years, exchange traded funds have become very popular, in part because investors can buy and sell any time the markets are open. In today’s discussion, I fill you in on something new called interval funds, which restrict total withdrawals to a range of 5% to 25% of fund assets in a specified period, such as once a quarter. Some fund companies believe interval funds can deliver higher returns because of illiquidity.  These funds also use higher risk investments that are usually only available to wealthy or institutional investors.  

Program Length: 24 minutes

 

   

We’re nearing the end of the first half of 2019, a time to look back, and look ahead, as I’m joined by Chad Tischer, member of the CFN investment team at DiMeo, Schneider & Associates. We cover the equity and bond markets, tariffs, Federal Reserve policy, the employment outlook, and more.

Program Length: 23 minutes

Retirement Planning Tips for Age Gap Couples

Married couples with a sizable age difference face unique challenges relating to retirement. I discuss the issues including how age gap retirement impacts social security decisions, asset distributions, and other financial matters.  I also talk about the psychological and social effects of one spouse retiring as the other maintains full-time employment.

Program Length: 25 minutes

Six Pieces of Common Financial Advice You May Want to Avoid   Whether it’s from a financial professional or your brother-in-law, there’s no shortage of financial advice being dispensed.  I discuss some common advice that perhaps you shouldn’t heed.     Program Length: 25 minutes

A Shocking Number of Americans Unaware of The True Meaning of Memorial Day

Far too many Americans recently surveyed didn’t know that on Memorial Day we honor those who have served our country and paid the ultimate price.  I’m joined by Col. Kenneth DeTreux, U.S.M.C. Ret., currently Commandant of Cadets at Valley Forge Military Academy & College to discuss the true meaning of Memorial Day.

Program Length: 18 minutes

Tariff Talk Rocks the Markets    Tariffs and the threat of a trade war with China were back in the news.  I’ll bring you up-to-date on where the negotiations currently stand, discuss the impact tariffs could have on your wallet, our economy and the strong influence news reports on tariffs have on the equities markets.   Program Length: 19 minutes

Increase Your Investment Returns with this Tax Saving Strategy 

I discuss tax loss harvesting, a way to realize losses to offset gains in your investment portfolio. It’s a strategy that could give you a half point increase in your investment returns, but there are some specific conditions you need to consider. 

Program Length: 18 minutes

Social Security Scandal

Questions about the future solvency of the social security system populate our news feeds.  There are a variety of gloomy predictions about the survival of the system.  As a preamble to future podcasts on social security, I briefly discuss whether or not our nation’s pool of social security money should be more aggressively invested. Could more aggressive investing of those dollars reduce the likelihood of a coming social security shortfall? Some consider the failure to more aggressively invest a real social security scandal.  

Program Length: 9 minutes