Asset Under Management

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Radio Show #152: The Super Bowl of Financial Shows

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Evidently, there's a football game in New Jersey this weekend. Before you partake in the festivities, check out this week's show, where we are talking about how to select a financial advisor.

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Who better than Janet Stanzak, the president of the board of directors for the Financial Planning Association (FPA), to help guide us in the mission of identifying a financial advisor? Janet joined us to discuss the concept of "full and fair disclosure," which may be more important than comparing fee structures of various advice-givers.  While compensation is important, it is not the only thing people need to consider, according to Janet. She also went through some of the 35 questions to ask tool the FPA recommends people ask prospective financial advisers. If you are looking for an advisor, you can use the FPA Planner Search tool.

We fielded questions from Amanda and Leigh about inherited IRAs; Dennis and Mike, who wanted to know whether they had accumulated enough to consider retirement; and Carol and Tom, who both had questions about rolling over retirement accounts.

Lisa and Dan had education funding questions, which reminded me about FinAid.org, a fabulous college funding resource that super-smart Mark Kantrowitz founded.

By the way, here are those Super Bowl factoids that I sprinkled throughout the show:

  • Players on the Super Bowl-winning team will make $92,000 each; losers $46,000
  • Cost of a 30 second spot:  $4.5 million
  • Economic impact on NY-NJ area: $194 million (versus the $500-$600 million that the NFL and politicians  have claimed)
  • Who bets? Nearly 1/3 of U.S. adults are likely to wager on the big game, 92 percent of those surveyed said they've actually lost money gambling on the Super Bowl in the past
  • The Super Bowl is the second highest day of food consumption in the US after Thanksgiving. (USDA)
  • The average fan will consume 1200 calories and 50 grams of fat from snacks, NOT including the meal itself (Calorie Control Council and Snack Food Association)
  • Chicken wings: Fans will chow down on 1.23 billion wings or more than 100 million pounds of wings
  • Dominos estimates that it will deliver 11 million pieces of pizza to hungry viewers
  • Antacids sales are expected to increase 20 percent on the day after Super Bowl
Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Let me know if you think we should provide Mark with a little space to vent his various grievances with you...we're considering calling it "Mark's Musings". If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:
  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
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Radio Show #151: Financial Priorities

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No matter where you are in your life, it's important to prioritize your financial goals and objectives. In this episode, we help listeners at different stages, understand how to make those important decisions.

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Mark from MN is trying to figure out the best way to finance his daughters' college educations, without draining too much from his retirement nest egg. David from TX is almost finished paying for his daughter's college and is wondering whether he and his wife can retire early.

After leading a debt-free life and shunning all loans, Brian is having a hard time purchasing a car, while Brad is wondering how to manage a lump sum insurance settlement.

We helped both Kristen and Angel think about how to prioritize debt pay down, establish emergency reserves and contribute to a retirement plan; Bob needed a strategy to redeem his E and EE savings bonds; and David wanted to know how to maximize his various retirement plan options.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Let me know if you think we should provide Mark with a little space to vent his various grievances with you...we're considering calling it "Mark's Musings". If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:
  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
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Radio Show #150: Retirement Planning, Market Timing

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It is unbelievable that this is our 150th show. When we started this project three years ago, our goal was clear: to create a radio show for smart people, who need help with their financial lives. Mark and I are happy to report that our fan base has been better than we could have ever imagined--thank you all for listening!

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Throughout the program, we highlight the "14 Money Tips for 2014" and of course answer some great questions!

Linda is a retiree with ample income - does she really need a emergency reserve fund? Meanwhile, Jane and her husband wanted a reality check on whether they can afford early retirement, while Kim is wondering if its OK to buy her retirement dream condo a few years early.

Is it reasonable to dump a long-care policy when you are 77? Karen says that it's becoming increasingly difficult to pay the premiums on her fixed income.

Gary and Steven tell the flip sides of market timing: one waiting for stocks to correct last year, while the other was fortunate enough to invest in stocks last year, even through he probably should never have risked the money in the first place.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Let me know if you think we should provide Mark with a little space to vent his various grievances with you...we're considering calling it "Mark's Musings". If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:
  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
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Radio Show #149: When Can I Retire?

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In the post-Polar Vortex show, many of you want to know the answer to a simple question: "When can I retire?" The answer is different for everyone, but the basics are the same: (1) you need to know what your required income will be in retirement, (2) you should tally up what you can expect from pension and Social Security and (3) assume 3 to 3.5 percent annually from your investment accounts.

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I followed those three steps to help listeners Wayne and John figure out whether or not they can retire. In both cases, there was very good news!

Lyle asked about the consolidation and allocation of his retirement accounts, while Gary is trying to start over with a savings plan and Ralph wanted to know about the safety of various mutual fund companies. Neal might take a cue from Roger about rebalancing his various accounts--there are a bunch of companies that can assist investors (MarketRiders, Betterment)  for a reasonable monthly fee. Both Brian and Tracy asked about various types of financial advice. To great resources to find an advisor are: the Financial Planning Association, which has an easy-to-use tool and the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA).

Bobby reminded us about the IRS' Saver's Credit and Richard likely needs to see an elder-care attorney to discuss options for his mother.

Dennis wrote to thank me for my two recent articles on estate planning: Estate Planning Basics and Estate Settlement Basics and Maria asked about Social Security Widow benefits.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Let me know if you think we should provide Mark with a little space to vent his various grievances with you...we're considering calling it "Mark's Musings". If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:
  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 
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Radio Show #148: Start 2014 on Sound Financial Footing

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No gloating about those massive stock market gains of 2013...it's time to look ahead and plan for 2014 and beyond!

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Yes, it was the best year for US stocks since the 1990's, but that's cold comfort for diversified investors, who no doubt are feeling a bit of “asset class envy” right about now. Sure, your brain is telling you that the point of being diversified is that you have a mix of different asset classes included in your portfolio, some of which zig when others zag.  But we know how your heart is just pining to own “the right” asset class every year. Sadly, it's just not possible, so why not concentrate on the basics and quit the second-guessing?

This week's show was a perfect example of how core financial issues can be just as important as investment performance. Daryl asked about maintaining an old whole life insurance policy, while Fred is interested in long-term care insurance.

On the investment front, Gary wondered about index vs. managed funds; Peter is concerned about his muni bond fund; Mike is trying to diversify his portfolio in advance of retirement and Roy is attempting to find a financial advisor.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

Radio Show #147: The Post-Christmas, Pre-New Year's Show

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While you are busily returning your holiday bling, tune into this week's show for some sound financial advice.

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There are just two business days left in the year, but there's still time to take advantage of money saving ideas before we ring in 2014. Check out these two posts for some ideas:

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

Radio Show #146: The Pre-Christmas Show

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Hope we can keep you company as you race around the last days before Christmas! Remember, there's still time to do some last minute year-end planning, so check out the show!

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Mitch from MN and Mary from NC are finding that the much-lauded asset under management (AUM) model of advisory fees is not the best fit in every situation. If you are in the market for an advisor, here are some resources:

Francis from Boston asked about structured settlements, which led to the old saying that "If it's too good to be true..."

Ed and Ron weighed in with Social Security questions; Howard and Glen asked about estate planning; and Robert and Roy had retirement issues.

If you need year-end tips, check out these two posts:

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE