Make The Dough Rise

This episode features a neat history lesson about the origins of Social Security, but also gives Brian the chance to analyze some of the current problems surrounding this "entitlement" program. Is it truly an effective way to still eliminate elder poverty? How does it need to fit into a retiree's financial plan? We'll lay out some of the massive changes that have impacted Social Security over the past few decades and how that positions us for the future.

Impeachment. Coronavirus. Elections. We have some major headlines dominating the news right now and these events are causing some ups and downs in the markets. But how big of an effect do newsmaking stories actually have on our portfolios? And can we predict these movements and challenges before they happen? We'll take a look at some interesting studies on the subject of predictions as we analyze some recent news items along the way. You're guaranteed to learn something new on today's episode.
If you have a high net worth, have a large IRA or 401(k) account or plan to pass money on to the next generation then you'll want to listen up to this episode. The Stretch IRA is dead and some good opportunities passed away with it, but that doesn't mean you're left without alternative solutions.

Back on Episode #2 of this podcast, we talked a lot about how the Stretch IRA might disappear if a piece of legislation called the SECURE Act was signed into law. Well, now it is indeed the law of the land. The Senate passed the House's bill and President Trump signed it right before 2019 came to an end and the law went into effect at the start of 2020. So while the law does bring some good retirement planning developments, it's also going to carry some negative impacts for certain investors.
If you have a high net worth, have a large IRA or 401(k) account or plan to pass money on to the next generation then you'll want to listen up to this episode. The Stretch IRA is dead and some good opportunities passed away with it, but that doesn't mean you're left without alternative solutions.

This episode's topic isn't a fun one, but we'll do our best to make it educational and try to lighten the mood along the way. We'll discuss some of the common misconceptions people have about how to structure an end of life plan. We'll discuss beneficiaries, help you understand probate, talk about consolidation & survivorship titling. If you think a simple will is enough to handle a lot of these decisions, you should listen to this episode because we'll show you things a will doesn't address and go over the proper ways to make sure your family is taken care of during this tough financial and emotional situation.

To kick off the new year we're going to tackle one of the most popular financial investment vehicles out there... the 401(k). Why is it a bad thing to be a "401(k) Millionaire" and just how big of trouble are you in if a majority of your savings is hanging out in one of these accounts? We'll answer those questions and more as we look to start the new decade off with some clarity and a well defined financial resolution.

Another decade is coming to a close. We'll use that as an opportunity to take stock in what's happened both personally and financially on a broader scale the past 10 years and see what lessons we can learn for 2020 and beyond.

Long-term care. It's the real hole in Medicare's coverage. We promised in the previous episode we'd come back to this topic, so let's spend some time breaking down your options for addressing the long-term care need. Do you know your care options? What about hybrid life insurance policies or annuities with a long-term care benefit? Are reverse lines of credit worth exploring? Brian will take us through these items and more on today's show.

Brett Danko joins Brian Doe again to discuss one of Brett's most passionate subjects, Medicare. Brett has a "famous" analogy to make Medicare easier to understand, and yes, it might make you a little hungry if you're a fan of swiss cheese. The two will cover all the different Medicare options and how they go about helping clients decide which routes are the best to take.

Special guest Brett Danko, managing partner of Main Street Financial Solutions (MSFS), joins the show today to talk about the special relationship between Livingworth Wealth Advisors and MSFS. They'll discuss the origin of their relationship and why this particular structure is so beneficial to clients. They'll also discuss the differences between different financial designations and what it truly means to be a "financial advisor".

Recent attacks on Saudi oil refineries have once more bubbled up conversations about the fragility of the world's oil and economic systems. What would happen if we truly had an energy, or financial crisis that led to some of our worst fears? We'll take a quick look at those scenarios on today's show and talk about what your financial plan b (and plan c and plan d) should look like. The widely agreed upon metric for "emergency savings" is 3-6 months of expenses, but is that advice really solid? We'll look at some other items you should consider making a part of your true financial back up plan.