I was recently a guest on NebraskaLand Bank Podcast and spoke with hosts Ty Lucas and Danielle Remus. Today I’m sharing our conversation on my podcast. Here are some of the highlights. What should people be thinking about with retirement planning? As far as the end of year, a lot of it centers on capital gains, taxable events by mutual funds, maxing out retirement accounts, etc. All that stuff has to be top of mind before the end of the year. We also talk to clients about making sure they're saving enough and have the right kind of insurance. You need to have a narrow plan about what you’re trying to accomplish. How does crypto work in today’s financial world? The crypto market changes so fast. From three years ago, my thoughts on crypto have done a complete 180. If you look out 20, 30, 40 years, there will still be crypto currencies out there. They can be a diversifier, but they’re still tied to the overall stock market as far as their correlation. I do think it has a place as an asset class. Tell us about your connection to Dave Ramsey. One of the guys in our office is one of Dave Ramsey’s SmartVestors. Dave Ramsey’s team vets and recommends local financial advisors to help his listeners.  Listen to the entire episode or click on the timestamps below to skip ahead to a particular question. What we discuss in this episode: 3:12 – Professional podcaster 5:52 – PFA 7:47 – Where clients come from 8:24 – Retirement planning 11:28 – Spectrum of services 17:47 – Crypto 19:49 – Taxation with crypto 23:35 – Robinhood 28:47 – Dave Ramsey 30:02 – Railroad retirement 33:11 – Trivia game   For more, visit us online at https://makeretirementwork.com/ 

In today’s mailbag, we’re answering listener questions about how to retire early, whether to take a pension lump sum and if it makes sense to have two financial advisors.   Read more and get additional financial resources here: https://makeretirementwork.com/make-retirement-work/podcast.html    What we discuss on this episode:  2:11 – Retiring early 6:21 – Pension 8:25 – Two advisors

Today we’re sharing some potential red flags you should be aware of in your finances. How would you answer these questions? Can you name all of the investments in your portfolio?  It’s not a red flag if you can’t name them all, but you should know generally what you own. If you can name them all, you might not be very well diversified. If you don’t know how your money is invested, maybe you’re not diversified enough or maybe you’re taking too much risk or not enough. You have to pay attention to how your money is invested.   How often do you meet with your financial advisor?  You’re paying someone to give you advice, so you need to be in touch with them regularly. Meetings don’t always have to be long and detailed. Sometimes a 15-minute conversation is all you need to check in. Are your account balances constantly moving up and down?  Most people are OK with volatility when they’re trying to accumulate funds. It can be to your advantage because you can buy when the market drops. Retirees, on the other hand, don’t like the ups and downs of the market. You need to meet with your advisor and know more about your investments and the big picture. How much income will you need in retirement? If you are close to retirement and you don’t know how much you’ll need in retirement, that’s probably a red flag. Everyone spends different amounts, but you need to know, generally speaking, how much money you need in your bank account each month. Listen to the entire episode or click on the timestamps below to skip ahead to a particular question.  3:12 – Name your investments  5:26 – Meeting with your advisor  7:31 – Account balances  10:14 – How much income you’ll need  12:40 – Retirement plan   Read more and get additional resources here: https://makeretirementwork.com/make-retirement-work/podcast.html 

Marc is on the hot seat with this financial and retirement quiz. Play along and see how you do as well.   Read more and get additional financial resources here: https://makeretirementwork.com/1399/ep-28-test-your-financial-knowledge/    What we discuss on this episode:  2:30 – Scary retirement 4:22 – Scary coming year 9:10 – Tax bracket 11:24 – Money in retirement 14:16 – Wish you had more

We’re changing it up today with some funny financial planning jokes and what we can learn from the humor. Read more and get additional financial resources here: https://makeretirementwork.com/podcasts/ What we discuss on this episode:  1:57 – Credit cards 4:52 – Buying bonds 8:02 – Check my balance 11:23 – Long-term investment 13:27 – Stock market crash 17:07 – Retire at 64

Common sense is actually quite uncommon, especially when it comes to financial planning. Here are some common sense money approaches you need to know.   Read more and get additional financial resources here: https://makeretirementwork.com/1372/ep-26-learning-through-uncommon-sense/    What we discuss on this episode:  1:43 – Buy low, sell high 5:36 – Don’t pay more in taxes than you have to 8:47 – Keep costs low 11:11 – Don’t put eggs in one basket 14:06 – Marketing timing

People often have questions about life insurance. It’s not a sexy topic, but it is an important one. We’ll explain why.   Read more and get additional financial resources here: https://makeretirementwork.com/1350/ep-25-do-you-really-need-life-insurance/    What we discuss on this episode:  1:50 – Dirty word 3:33 – Do you need it? 4:48 – How much? 7:50 – Strategic uses 11:54 – Term, whole and universal

On this episode of Make Retirement Work with Marc Werkmeister, we’ll explain how financial planning is like basketball. You might be surprised how much they have in common.   Read more and get additional financial resources here: https://makeretirementwork.com/1331/ep-24-what-basketball-teaches-us-about-retirement/    What we discuss on this episode:  2:54 – Shot clock 6:08 – Double dribble 9:37 – Personal fouls 13:24 – Coaching 

Today, we’re answering your most pressing financial questions about 401ks, mutual funds and inflation. Let’s jump into the mailbag.   Read more and get additional financial resources here: https://makeretirementwork.com/1321/ep-23-mailbag-401ks-mutual-funds-and-inflation/    What we discuss on this episode:  2:41 – Can I leave 401k to son? 6:57 – Worry about inflation? 10:30 – Mutual funds 15:13 – Rental property

Alternative investments like SPACS, crypto, and others have become very popular in recent years. Should you ignore them or jump on them? We’ll shed some light on what they are, how they work and whether they’re worth your time.   Read more and get additional financial resources here: https://makeretirementwork.com/1283/ep-22-are-alternative-investments-right-for-you/    What we discuss on this episode:  2:50 – What are alternative investments? 4:00 – Cryptocurrency 9:02 – SPACs 11:48 – Real estate 15:40 – Private debt or direct lending 20:00 – Angel investing