Financial Choices Matter

End Of Year Planning Tasks

Let’s explore some of the things you should be thinking about and checking on as we wrap up 2020 and begin 2021.
Contact:
Phone Number: 480-513-1830
Website: https://pelletoncapital.com/
Show Notes: 
2:40 - Main Topic: End Of Year Planning
2:55 - Should We Be Maxing Out Our Retirement Contributions?
3:48 - Reviewing The CARES Act
5:04 - Tax-Loss Harvesting
5:33 - Evaluating Tax-Deductible Charitable Contributions
7:45 - Roth Conversions
10:05 - What’s A CFP & RIA?
14:07 - Mailbag: What’s Your Opinion On Flipping Houses As An Investment Strategy?

A 5 Question Retirement Preparedness Quiz

Want to grade your preparedness for retirement? Here are five key questions you need to ask yourself. Your answers will help determine how ready you are for retirement.
Contact:
Phone Number: 480-513-1830
Website: https://pelletoncapital.com/
Show Notes: 
1:29 - Main Topic: Retirement Preparedness Quiz
1:58 - Do You Know How Much You Have?
3:46 - Do You Know How Much You Spend?
6:05 - Do You Know How Much Risk You Have?
10:20 - Do You Know What You’re Paying In Fees?
12:44 - Do You Know What Your Retirement Income Streams Will Look Like?
16:30 - Getting To Know You: What’s Something You Look Back On And Say, “What Was I Thinking?”

Is Diversification For Suckers?

If you look up quotes about diversification from famous investors, you might come across one from renowned investor Warren Buffet that will certainly raise your eyebrows. It goes, “Diversification is protection against ignorance. It makes little sense if you know what you are doing.” Yet, we’ve always heard about diversification being one of the keys to success for retirement planning. How can these seemingly different ideas both be right?
Contact:
Phone Number: 480-513-1830
Website: https://pelletoncapital.com/
Show Notes: 
1:29 - Main Topic: Is Diversification For Suckers?
2:33 - How Does The Average Person Usually Define Diversification?
4:40 - Charles’ Perspective On Diversification
7:00 - How Much Does Charles See The Average Investor Placing An Emphasis On Diversification
8:00 - Is It Possible To Be Too Diversified?
11:58 - Mailbag: Diane Asks About Self-Insuring For Long-Term Care

Ep 21: The 401(k) FAQs

This episode is all about addressing the most frequently asked questions about 401(k)s.
Contact:
Phone Number: 480-513-1830
Website: https://pelletoncapital.com/
Show Notes: 
1:30 - Main Topic: 401(K) FAQs
1:49 - Taking A 401(K) Loan
4:13 - Roth Option
6:15 - Finding The Right Advisor
10:52 - Mailbag: Sally Asks If She Is Eligible For Half Of Her Ex-Husband’s Social Security Benefit

What Retirees Should Know About Wills & Trusts

People often overlook the estate planning side of preparing for retirement. There are a lot of misunderstandings about trusts and wills and the roles they play in the equation. On this episode, we’ll explore some of the critical questions you should ask about these strategies as you prepare for retirement.
Contact:
Phone Number: 480-513-1830
Website: https://pelletoncapital.com/
Show Notes: 
1:29 - Main Topic: Wills & Trusts
2:03 - Why Are Wills & Trusts Important?
3:52 - How Do You Know If A Will Or Trust Is Right For You?
5:00 - A Will Doesn’t Mean You Won’t Avoid Probate
5:49 - Is A Trust Just For Money?
7:28 - How Much Do They Cost?
8:31 - What Role Does An Advisor Play When Considering These Options?
10:32 - Mailbag: Ian Asks If His Long-Term Care Policy Has Enough Coverage

Eye Opening Stats Showing How Americans Save

Vanguard’s “How America Saves 2020” report is packed with lots of intriguing stats and findings about Americans and how they save for retirement in the crazy year that is 2020 (most of the recent data is technically from 2019 although some figures are current through the Spring of 2020). Let’s look at some of the top takeaways from the study and how you might compare to the “normal” savings behaviors of Americans.
Show Notes: 
1:14 - Main Topic: Statistics On How Americans Save
1:47 - 100 Million Americans Use A Defined Contribution Plan
4:00 - Average Number Of Funds Used In These Plans Are 2.4
5:36 - 34% Of Participants Didn’t Contribute Enough To Meet Their Employer’s Match
6:46 - Is There A Reason To Not Meet An Employer Match?
7:56 - 80% Of Participants Still Had Assets With A Previous Employer
9:26 - 96% Of Those Assets Are Able To Be Rolled Over Into Something Else
11:16 - Tristen Has Asks About How Divorcing Later In Life Might Affect Retirement

This One’s On The House

We get a lot of questions about how the house (or houses) fit into retirement plans. From downsizing to rental properties to interest rates, let’s explore some of the top retirement questions as it relates to all things housing.
Show Notes: 
2:03 - Main Topic: This One’s On The House
2:25 - Pay Off The House, Or Enjoy The Low Interest Rates?
3:30 - Is It Wise To Downsize?
5:14 - Is A Rental Property A Good Idea?
7:06 - What Complications Have You Seen When Handling Real Estate In An Estate, Or Legacy Plan?
8:53 - Taking Care Of Our Bodies As We age
9:57 - Life Is About Contribution
12:52 - Shelby Asks If Retirement Spending Starts To Decrease After The First 5 Years

Longevity Risk

Living a long time isn’t supposed to be a bad thing and it almost seems counterintuitive to categorize it as a risk. But it is. Let’s take a look at how longevity plays a role in a financial plan and have an honest conversation about how deal with the “problem” of living too long.
Show Notes: 
1:12 - Main Topic - Longevity Risk
2:25 - How Old Is Your Oldest Client?
2:39 - Oldest Person In Your Family?
3:20 - Who Is The Oldest Person You Have Personally Known?
4:00 - Why Is Living Long Risky?
7:02 - Have People Prepared For Longevity Appropriately?
9:10 - Client Story
11:00 - Starting The Conversation
15:07 - Millie Says She Was Going To Get Serious About Retirement Within The Next Year, But Wants Out Of Her Job Now

Financial Issues Particularly Challenging For Women

Many financial issues impact us all the same. But, of course, other challenges have varying impacts from person to person because our situations are all unique. Let’s take a look at some of the financial and retirement challenges that are unique to women. We also discuss some rules of thumb and get Charles' take on them.
Show Notes: 
2:00 - Main Topic - Financial Issues That Are Challenging For Women
3:29 - Level Of Engagement Women Have Throughout Retirement Planning Process
5:00 - Spouse That Handled Money Passes Away First
6:49 - Why Do Some Women Find Themselves In A Difficult Situation?
8:14 - Specific Challenges Faced By A Widowed Woman
9:50 - Piece Of Advice For The Husbands
10:42 - Second Topic - Retirement Rules
11:06 - The 10%, 4%, 25X, & The 80% Rule
13:13 - The Rule Of 72
14:06 - The Rule of 2.67
15:14 - The Rule Of 100

Are Complicated Portfolios Necessary?

How complex should a financial plan be? On one hand, a single page plan sounds nice and easy to understand. But is that comprehensive enough if it can fit on one page?
Show Notes: 
2:07 - Headline: The Market Rebounding
5:44 - Main Topic: Are Complicated Portfolios Necessary?
6:19 - What Do You Typically See When It Comes To The Length Of The Financial Plan?
7:11 - Misconception Between Portfolio And The Plan
8:49 - The Rule Of 11
10:22 - Not Every Advisor Is The Right Fit
13:44 - Mailbag: Nancy Asks If She Should Invest In Her Employer’s Stock