'Rock Your Retirement’ with Help From Roger Whitney
Show Episode Notes
Roger AKA, "The Retirement Answer Man” and author of “Rock Retirement: A Simple Guide to Help You Take Control and Be More Optimistic About the Future,". Roger has been a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional for more than 25 years. He’s sharing how he’s now helping people live well today in retirement without sacrificing tomorrow.
Season 8
Medicare's Coverage of Alzheimer's and Weight-Loss Drugs
Show Episode Notes
In this episode, Friends Talk Money co-hosts Pam Krueger, Richard Eisenberg and Terry Savage discuss what Medicare does and doesn't cover when it comes to treatments for Alzheimer's Disease and drugs for weight loss. A recent FDA decision means Medicare will be covering a new, game-changing Alzheimer's drug for many people 65 and older, but there are some strings attached. By contrast, Medicare currently won't pay for drugs to lower weight, although it will pay for weight-loss surgery in some cases. An act of Congress, however, could change the rules about Medicare and weight-loss drugs.
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Season 8
How Grandparents Can Use 529 Plans to Save For Their Grandkids’ College Tuition
Show Episode Notes
In this Friends Talk Money episode, college financing expert Mark Kantrowitz talks with our hosts Terry Savage, Pam Krueger and Richard Eisenberg on how grandparents can use 529 plans to save for their grandchildren’s’ college tuition bills.
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Season 8
What to Know About Buying Long-Term Care Insurance
Show Episode Notes
A guide to who should consider buying a long-term care insurance policy, what these policies do and don't cover, what age to consider buying it and the newer versions known as hybrid policies and 10-Pay policies. Our guest: Brian Gordon, a long-term care insurance policy expert with Gordon Associates in Bannockburn, Ill.
63-year-old woman, Illinois resident, non-tobacco user
Initial benefit: $5,000 per month
Guaranteed six years of care
Compounded inflation rider
90-day elimination period
$120,000 death benefit
Outright cost: $99,298
Cost paid over 10 years: $12,605
Season 8
Cannonballs and Curveballs in Retirement
Show Episode Notes
The Age Wave research and consulting firm and the Edward Jones financial services firm just published a survey of Americans’ views and actions regarding cannonballs and curveballs in retirement. In today’s episode we talk with Lena Haas of Edward Jones about the findings.
Some retirees run into trouble receiving their promised pensions. Others aren't sure if they're eligible to receive pensions. Here's where to go to get help to ensure you get any pension you're due and to see whether there may be a pension waiting for you.
Netflix released a new docuseries that reveals how Madoff got away with stealing $36 Billion from wealthy investors and charities.
It’s been 15 years since the biggest criminal on Wall Street, Bernie Madoff pulled off the largest Ponzi scheme in history. Bernie Madoff may be dead, but there are still plenty of con artists and investment scams and new lessons to learn from this story.
Season 8
Tax Tips — Don’t Procrastinate!
Show Episode Notes
The clock is ticking towards Tax Day, April 18. Here are some timely tips for tax form procrastinators.
Mention the word “annuity” and most investors recoil. There seem to be so many hidden secrets and costs. And high pressure sales tactics along with "free dinners."
In today’s podcast we unravel those mysteries – with the one man who has consistently worked to educate the public to the ins and outs of annuities – as well as some of the better uses of these insurance company contracts. Stan Haithcock’s website – www.StantheAnnuityMan.com -- is a great resource for free basic information and good advice on annuities. And Stan is one of the most entertaining financial speakers you’ll ever meet.
So, sit back and enjoy our podcast. We devote special attention to Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuities (MYGAs), now yielding over 5.5%. They’re the insurance industry’s version of a bank CD, without the FDIC backing. And they are a great way to improve yields either inside or outside your IRA.
And if you’d like to listen to more of Stan’s terrific approach to financial markets, both Terry and Pam have recently joined him on HIS podcast. You’ll find the links to these conversations here:
What to Know About Continuing Care Retirement Communities
Show Episode Notes
Have you given some thought to where and how you’d like to live in your retirement years? Many insist on staying in the family home – without thinking about logistics of stairs and navigating the bathroom in later years. Maybe you’ll just downsize to a smaller home. Others decide to move into a senior community, making new friends in these settings with like-minded and active adults. The latest enticing option is Continuing Care Retirement Communities, which offer initial living in townhomes or condos, while guaranteeing acceptance for one or both spouses into assisted living or even memory care as the need might arise.
This is a financial, as well as logistical and emotional decision, as many of these CCRCs require a large up-front deposit, typically funded by the sale of the family home. Guarantees are involved, but you need to read the fine print. You’ll find an explanation and details in Terry’s recent column.
On this podcast, we will speak with Dana Smith, Chief Marketing Officer for Lifespace Communities (https://www.lifespacecommunities.com/), a non-profit company that has 18 communities in seven states, ranging from Florida to Texas, and Illinois to Kansas. As you’ll hear in this podcast, Dana has the answers to so many questions, ranging from how to get that deposit back to what happens if you run out of money. And she has tips on what to look for and what questions to ask if you are considering moving to a Continuing Care Retirement Community.
Millions of Americans are feeling financially insecure about retirement, but "Retirement Reboot" author and journalist Mark Miller has some practical suggestions. In this "Friends Talk Money" episode, he shares insights and recommendations on: saving and investing for retirement, Social Security strategies, enrolling in Medicare and more.
Season 8
The Massive Retirement Bill: What's In It for You?
Show Episode Notes
Congress just passed a bill with the biggest changes for retirement in 15 years. The legislation, called Secure 2.0, has new ways to save for retirement and take money out of savings for emergencies, as well as new rules on how much you'll be required to take out of your retirement accounts and how the government will provide money to match retirement savings for some people. In this Friends Talk Money episode, we tell you what the new law means for you.
Many people worry about running out of money in retirement. But Jim Mahaney, a retirement advisor in New Jersey, says you can lessen that worry by creating what he calls a "resilient retirement income plan." He just wrote a whole book about it — "How to Craft a Resilient Retirement Income Plan" and in this episode, Friends Talk Money podcast co-hosts Richard Eisenberg, Pam Krueger and Terry Savage talk about how, and why, to do just that.
Season 8
Best Holiday Gifts that Teach Kids about Money
Show Episode Notes
The holiday shopping season is officially underway, and like many grandparents and parents, you’re probablysearching for gifts that will make a lasting impression on young people–rather than being quicklyoutgrownor broken. So we have gathered some of our best holiday money gifts for kids of all ages—gifts that will keep on giving for years to come.
Delaying billing 2022 side-gig income until 2023, maximizing end-of-year pre-tax retirement plan contributions, and selling stocks at a loss to offset capital gains are just a few of many steps you can take right now to reduce your 2022 taxable income. Terry, Pam and Richard discuss these and other strategies and IRS changes that may lower tax bills for many Americans in 2023.
Taxfoundation.org: Summarizes 2023 IRS income and capital gains tax brackets and credits
Season 8
Are alternative investments right for you?
Show Episode Notes
With the stock and bond markets delivering lousy returns this year, some investors are wondering whether to add so-called alternative investments to their portfolios. In this episode, Pam, Terry and Richard discuss the risks of investing directly in unregulated asset classes like gold, real estate, commodities and even cryptocurrency and suggest ways that investors may be able to use publicly traded securities to gain indirect exposure to these alternative asset classes with lower risk.
Season 8
What You Need to Know About Claiming Social Security
Show Episode Notes
Two thirds of retirees get more than half of their income from Social Security. That’s why it’s critical to make the right claiming decision. In this episode, the three friends are joined by Social Security expert and bestselling author Lawrence Kotlikoff, who discusses scenarios where you might want to start taking Social Security earlier or delay starting until your full retirement age or later.