Stay Wealthy San Diego

The economy has some of you worried right now, and for good reason.  The interest rate environment is different from years’ past, the Dow Jones lost 800 points recently, and the yield curve inverted last week. So, what does all of this mean for you and your investments?  And should you be concerned about a recession? Today, we’ll tackle questions from our listeners to determine if your financial plan has the components to keep you on the right track during difficult times. Join us today as we discuss: Recent market volatility The yield curve inversion Right time of year to take required minimum distributions If buying extra insurance through your employer makes sense Show Notes & Links: www.youstaywealthy.com/51 DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. This podcast is not engaged in rendering legal, financial, or other professional services.

Due to recent tax reform, only 10% of Americans itemized their deductions in 2018 compared to 30% in 2017. This has significantly impacted the tax benefits of charitable giving. Or has it?   In today's episode, I'm discussing: Exactly what a Donor-Advised Fund is in its simplest form Who is the right fit for using a Donor-Advised Fund If you are a potential candidate, what the absolute best strategy is for funding one Where to open a Donor-Advised Fund + a handful of really important things to look out for Show Notes & Links: https://youstaywealthy.com/50  DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. This podcast is not engaged in rendering legal, financial, or other professional services. Speak to your tax professional and financial advisor before taking any action. 

If retirement is around the corner, it’s likely you’ve considered downsizing your home. Whether it’s for a move to a smaller space or to finally clean out all that stuff you’ve accumulated over the years, downsizing can be a stressful prospect.  There is so much to do. And what if you and your spouse don’t agree on what to purge and what to keep? It’s enough to make anyone’s head spin. Today we’ll talk with professional organizer Jen Robin, owner of Life in Jeneral. For Jen, downsizing is more than purging stuff. It’s creating a system for your life so you are surrounded by the things you need, want, and love.  If you’ve always imagined a simpler, more joyful space for your retirement years, then today’s episode is for you. We’ll learn: The value of downsizing to create a more meaningful space How to organize your home and downsize your life in preparation for retirement Steps to take if one spouse isn’t into the process Specific solutions for hanging onto keepsakes  How downsizing can fit into your financia

Advanced care planning is not a fun topic to bring up at the dinner table, but what happens if you get seriously ill or injured and can’t speak for yourself? Do you have someone you trust to speak on your behalf who can easily represent your wishes? Or would your hospital room be fraught with conflict and arguments? Today, Paul Malley, President of Aging with Dignity, joins us to talk about Five Wishes, a personal guide that encourages people to discuss difficult topics with loved ones and write end of life wishes in your own words. And while it addresses medical care and treatment, its true gift is that it includes your personal, emotional, and spiritual wishes. It’s also a legal document in almost every state. Join us as Paul and I talk about: What Five Wishes is and how it goes beyond a living will or advanced medical directive How Five Wishes can work with other estate planning documents you might already have How it fits into your financial plan Leaving your legacy for your loved ones is the natural ne

Retirement planning expert, Ashby Daniels, CFP® joins us on the show today to talk about how to properly plan and invest for a 30+ year retirement. In today’s episode you are going to learn three things: Why living longer shouldn’t necessarily be considered a risk to your retirement How inflation impacts your retirement nest egg and how to factor it into your retirement plan so you don't run out of money A specific investment strategy that can be used to address some of the common challenges that many retirees are facing today For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, visit www.youstaywealthy.com/47

Homeowners insurance is more than just another bill the mortgage company makes us pay every year. It’s the price we pay for peace of mind if our property is damaged in a fire or destroyed by a natural disaster. Unfortunately, homeowners insurance isn’t cheap. And if you don’t take steps to mitigate the cost of this coverage, you could wind up paying A LOT more than you need to. Auto insurance isn’t any different. It’s costly but wildly important. The good news is you have more control over your policy than you might think. A few tweaks can save you hundreds of dollars per year and, more importantly, provide you and your family with more protection. In today’s episode, I’m going to share three things: How to optimize your policies by improving your coverage and reducing your costs Common pitfalls and how to avoid them Where to shop for insurance to make sure you are getting the best deal without putting yourself at risk Listen to today’s podcast episode to learn more! Show Notes & Links: www.youstaywealt

Uber and Lyft are two big companies that made a huge splash with their IPOs recently, but it remains to be seen whether either will become profitable. Both have posted billions in losses so far and it doesn’t seem like that will change any time soon. With that in mind, it makes you wonder why so many investors pay tons of money to invest in IPOs as soon as they can. I mean, what’s the big deal? In today’s show, I’m going to dive into this topic and provide some academic data that sheds light on IPOs. Once you know more about them and how they’ve performed historically, you may come to see IPOs for what they are — an exciting event that will more than likely cost you money if you get involved. Show Notes & Links: www.youstaywealthy.com/45 DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. This podcast is not engaged in rendering legal, financial, or other professional services.

It’s easy to believe you’ll always be in great health, but the truth is, none of us knows what the future brings. You may be in great shape today but find yourself gravely ill or disabled within a few weeks. This change of events would inevitably muck up your retirement plans, and a loss in income could even leave you scrambling to keep up with regular bills. That’s where disability insurance kicks in. This type of coverage can replace part of your income when you become sick or disabled and unable to work. Disability insurance isn’t typically “cheap” per se, but it can be well worth it for the peace of mind alone - and even more valuable if you ever need to file a claim. Today we’re going to talk about how this insurance works, what to look for in a policy, and why getting a free policy from your employer doesn’t mean you’re truly protected. We’ll also talk about why you could need disability coverage in the last few years of your career. Listen to today’s podcast episode to find out if you have enough prote

When it comes to investing, historical returns show us that, for the most part, a buy-and-hold strategy will always outperform an active one. This means that, once you have a concrete investing plan in place, you should stick with it through thick and thin — and no matter what the market does on any given day. But that doesn’t mean you can randomly buy stocks and bonds and expect things to go your way. Well, you can, I guess...but you will likely regret it for years to come if you do. In today’s podcast, I interviewed Peter Lazaroff, financial expert and author of Making Money Simple: The Complete Guide to Getting Your Financial House in Order and Keeping It That Way Forever to find out the biggest mistakes even the most well-intentioned investors make with their portfolios over time. His answers may surprise you, so you don’t want to miss out.  Show Notes & Links: www.youstaywealthy.com/43 DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be relied upon as a bas

Buying a home comes with huge financial implications, and many of them come into play well before you make an offer and close on your mortgage. You could spend months, years, or even decades saving up the down payment for your home — and that’s especially true if you plan to save 20% or more or if you live in an expensive area. To make the most of your situation, you’ll need to focus on two main imperatives — figuring out where to save your down payment funds, and deciding on a mortgage that fits in with your budget and your goals. Many people assume picking a mortgage is a piece of cake, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. While it’s easy to think you’ll just get a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage because that’s what all your friends and colleagues have done, a home purchase provides the perfect opportunity to think differently about what you really want. In this podcast, we’ll go over my thoughts on where you should save your down payment during any timeline of less than ten years. But we’ll also talk

The most common question about Social Security is "when should I take it?"  It’s a simple question but there are a number of factors that need to be considered before you can accurately answer. If you're already taking Social Security, don't panic. There may be a solution for you if you want to change the timing of your benefits after listening to this episode. To summarize, today on the show I'm talking about: The optimal time for most people to take Social Security Why your investment strategy might impact when you decide to take your benefits How to fix a common Social Security mistake Show Notes & Links www.youstaywealthy.com/41  DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. This podcast is not engaged in rendering legal, financial, or other professional services. 

Think you don’t have anything of value online? Think again. The reality is, almost everyone who uses the internet in any capacity has digital assets to protect. Digital assets can include any account or information you preserve on the web — things like email accounts and your social media accounts. A digital asset could also be anything you own online, such as a personal blog or a website for your business. If your goal is protecting yourself and your heirs from modern pitfalls like having your bank account hacked, having fraudulent purchases charged to old credit cards, or identity theft, it’s crucial to have a plan in place to protect your digital assets while you’re alive and once you’re gone. And that’s what today’s podcast is about. To help you hatch a plan to care for the digital assets we often forget about, I interviewed estate planning expert Jamie Hopkins. In today’s show, our expert explains the importance of digital assets in our modern lives as well as steps we can take to prevent unnecessary str

Are you a working professional? If so, now is the perfect time to make smart moves to lower taxes in retirement. Nearing retirement or already retired? Don't worry, it's not too late to win the game against the I.R.S. Remember, it's very possible to have a higher tax bill in retirement than as a working professional. Where do these taxes come from? Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) Social Security Pensions Real Estate Income Roth Conversions Interest and Dividends Capital Gains Without the proper planning, you could be in for a rude awakening. Check out this week's podcast episode to learn how you can reduce your tax bill in retirement. I'm breaking it down for you in plain English. Show Notes & Links: www.youstaywealthy.com/38 DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. This podcast is not engaged in rendering legal, financial, or other professional services.    

Did you know anyone can call themselves a financial advisor? Or a financial planner, a wealth manager, an investment manager… the list goes on and on. Believe it or not, these titles have no legal or regulatory meaning. They’re not evidence of experience or education. They’re just marketing tools. In fact, you could call yourself a wealth manager right now if you wanted! That’s just one reason why finding a trained, experienced, and legitimate financial advisor who works in your best interest at all times and won’t sell you and products is tough. But, I'm here to help! Today, I'm talking about the 10 biggest mistakes to avoid (plus, the questions you need to ask!) before hiring a financial advisor to help with retirement. Show Notes: www.youstaywealthy.com/38 Questions & Feedback: podcast@youstaywealthy.com  DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. This podcast is not engaged in rendering legal, financi

Decades of hard work and savings can be wiped away with one bad investment decision. Don't believe me? Just ask this guy: "I took out a $75,000 mortgage, put it all in bitcoin (at $19,442) and right now I have $48,639 left!!! WTF!!! DO I SELL OR KEEP HOLDING!?!?!" (Twitter, December 21, 2017) If you have any amount of money invested in stocks and bonds (or a home you are tempted to leverage), you need something to protect you from making catastrophic mistakes. That's where an Investment Policy Statement (IPS) comes in. An IPS: Dictates how your money is going to be invested Prevents your financial advisor from going rogue with your money Protects you from yourself if you manage your own investments Learn more about Investment Policy Statements, what they are, how to create one, and what information should be included in this weeks podcast episode. Thanks for Listening Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Android, or wherever you get your podcasts.  And feel free to drop us a line at podcast@

In this episode, I share: Three super-easy financial planning tips you should tackle before 2018 wraps up. Don't worry, it's not your typical "contribute the maximum to your retirement accounts." A Tweet from Jim O'Shaughnessy that approaches the recent market volatility in a thoughtful and unique way. A BIG THANK you from us and where we are headed next. If you have any more questions, please contact us at podcast@staywealthsandiego.com Thanks for Listening Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Android, or wherever you get your podcasts.  And feel free to drop us a line at podcast@staywealthsandiego.com DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. This podcast is not engaged in rendering legal, financial, or other professional services.

Did you know? The average cost per year for a 401(k) participant is 2.2% of their account balance, according to SmartAsset.   This number is rapidly declining, but even if you cut it in half, it would still be concerning.  When you leave a company, you have three options for dealing with your 401(k): Leave it at your previous employer Transfer it to your new employer Roll it over to an IRA at a trusted custodian And, given how much you might be paying in fees, I don't recommend neglecting this part of your financial plan. In today's podcast episode, we talk about each of these options and help you decide which is best.  --- If you have any more questions, please contact us at podcast@staywealthsandiego.com Thanks for Listening Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Android, or wherever you get your podcasts.  And feel free to drop us a line at podcast@staywealthsandiego.com Find show notes and more information at http://www.staywealthysandiego.com/35 DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for informatio

Human beings are inherently bad with money. We buy high. Sell low. Spend too much. Save too little. We are greedy when we should be fearful. We are fearful when we should be greedy. On paper, it seems so simple. We know what we are supposed to do, but year after year, generation after generation, we keep making the same mistakes. Why we make simple mistakes with our money is more complicated than you might think. Fortunately, we have Dr. Daniel Crosby on the show today to break down for us, in plain English. Daniel is a New York Times best-selling author, psychologist, and behavioral finance expert. He has a new book out called The Behavioral Investor and today on the podcast we talk about: How society, the body, and the brain interfere with our financial decisions The four primary types of behavioral biases Exactly what we can do about all of this information and research to become better investors If you have any more questions, please contact us at podcast@staywealthsandiego.com Find show notes and more

“Better start planning for college!” – Every financial planner when you tell them you’re having a baby Speaking of having a baby, my second son was born the day this podcast episode was recorded. Please welcome Sutton Cole! He weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces, he’s sleeping like a champ, and he doesn’t have a 529 college saving account.  While planning for college is important, there are three things more important than opening a 529 college savings account when you have a child. Listen to today's show to learn the critical financial planning moves new parents (or parents that haven't started planning) need to make.  If you have any more questions, please contact us at podcast@staywealthsandiego.com Thanks for Listening Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Android, or wherever you get your podcasts.  And feel free to drop us a line at podcast@staywealthsandiego.com Find show notes and more information at http://www.staywealthysandiego.com/33 DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for informational and entertai

Cybersecurity. We know how important it is but don't want to take action.  We don't think anything will happen to us.  If it does happen to us, we assume there must be a way an easy way out. That's not always the case. So, today, I'm going to give you three easy ways you can improve your cybersecurity and stay safe online.  If you follow a few basic steps you can avoid exposing your own information or becoming victim to financial fraud. Links, show notes, and resources: www.youstaywealthy.com/32 DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. This podcast is not engaged in rendering legal, financial, or other professional services.