MoneyTalk Radio
Best of MoneyTalk:
Here are some MoneyTalk listener favorites from the past year; we hope you enjoy!
Money & Marriage
Conflicts around money have long been cited as a leading cause of divorce, and in a recent survey, 64% of respondents admitted to being financially incompatible with their partners, with different philosophies around spending, saving and investing. Donna and Nathan offer tips to help keep couples on the same page about their finances.
Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais EA, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 2/16/2023
Should I Use a Public Adjuster?
The insurance game is complicated and if you have a claim it can feel a bit like a David and Goliath scenario, but the representation of a public adjuster can be one way to even the scales. Nathan brings on senior public adjuster Andy Gurczak from All City Adjusting to explain the best way to handle the insurance claims process and the tactics insurance companies use to maximize profits.
Host: Nathan Beauvais EA, CFP®, CIMA®; Guest: Andy Gurczak, Senior Public Adjuster; Air Date: 1/20/2023
Debt Afterlife
When our loved ones pass away, they leave behind a legacy, but what happens when they leave behind debt? Donna and Nathan take us through the various types of inherited debt and how they are treated, and discuss the questions you should be asking during the interview process for a new financial advisor.
Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais EA, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 1/19/2023
Your Tax Season Prep Course
As we stand at the brink of tax season, we are joined by an expert in the field of taxation to address one of the more anxiety provoking areas in the world of money and finance. Nathan brings on CPA John Briggs to discuss tax issue, including: common IRS myths, best practices for 1099 earners, frequent misconceptions about deductions, and important tax code changes that you should know about.
Host: Nathan Beauvais EA, CFP®, CIMA®; Guest: John Briggs, CPA; Air Date: 1/6/2023
5 Reasons Retirement Plans Get Thrown Off Track
Often times retirement reality doesn’t meet our retirement expectations, whether your facing an unexpected need for part time work, the acceptance of your new identity outside your profession, or sudden health issues. Donna and Nathan talk through five of the more common reasons why retirement plans get derailed, and the importance of building flexibility into your plan.
Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF®, Nathan Beauvais EA, CFP®, CIMA® & Daniel Sowa; Air Date: 1/5/2023
Medicare Crash Course
It is officially Medicare election season, and this time of year we like to refresh our Medicare eligible listeners on the facts that they need to know. Donna brings in Medicare specialist Nick Pacheco, founder of Independent Benefit Solutions, to discuss what is covered by Medicare Parts A, B and D, what common needs are not covered, and how to determine if a supplemental plan is right for you.
Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF®, Nathan Beauvais EA, CFP® & Nicholas Pacheco, CLTC®; Air Date: 10/25/2022
How to Choose Your Advisor
Finding the right financial advisor for you is not as easy as it should be, especially because the title financial advisor does not carry a requirement for specific licensing or certification, making them hard to compare. Donna and Nathan discuss the various factors that should go into your decision on choosing an advisor, questions to ask during the vetting process, and how to compare fee structures.
Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais EA, CFP®; Air Date: 10/4/2022
Financial Don’ts
We tend to spend a lot of time asking the question “what do I do” when it comes to managing our money, but sometimes it is even more valuable to focus on what not to do. Don and Donna talk about the money and finance topics that matter to you, including the importance of knowing your financial “don’ts”, near term expectations for the markets, and more. (aired on 8/9/2022)
Simplifying Your Financial Life
Da Vinci said simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, which means many of us tend to live pretty unsophisticated financial lives. Donna and Nathan discuss personal finance topics that matter to you, including ways to simplify your life by reducing your financial clutter, the trajectory of the markets, and how sector performance rankings have shifted over the past year. (aired on 7/28/2022)
Understanding How Your Income is Taxed
Many Americans today, particularly retirees, live off several different sources of income which often receive different tax treatment. Donna and Nathan take us through the various types of income, how they are taxed, and how to incorporate this information into your tax planning. (aired on 7/7/2022)
Your Best Defense Against Emotional Investing
The urge to exit the market when volatility is high is one of the most difficult behavioral hurdles for long term investors to overcome. Don and Donna discuss how dollar cost averaging helps to protect investors from the emotional triggers of a down market, the importance of starting good investment habits early in your career, and the historical relationship between inflation and stock performance. (aired on 6/28/2022)
Systematic investment plans do not assure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets. Such plans involve continuous investment, regardless of market conditions. Markets will fluctuate, and clients must consider their ability to continue investing during periods of low price levels.
Financial Planning Baby Steps
Financial planning is about doing the best you can with what you have, but too many people neglect to prioritize their planning because thinking about all of their financial obligations at once can be overwhelming. Donna discusses the importance of taking on your financial goals one step at a time, goes into detail about some congressional proposals for social security reform, and takes a listener question about the importance of life insurance at various stages of life. (aired on 6/14/2022)
Lessons From the Past
Buy low, sell high; time is more valuable than money; markets always return to the mean - there are certain pearls of wisdom that continue to hold up over time. In a modern era of investing defined by innovation and speculation, Don and Donna Grace encourage us to be mindful of the lessons of the past, as times are never quite as different as we may perceive. (aired on 5/18/2021)
NFTs: Valuing Digital Scarcity
Why would someone pay millions of dollars for a piece of digital artwork that could be viewed for free with a simple google search? Donna and Nathan attempt to settle some of the confusion around the latest crypto-craze: nonfungible tokens, and how they could forever reshaped the value potential for digital assets. (aired on 5/6/2021)
Inflation Ready
For years analysts have been warning of looming inflation while prices have remained steady. Don explains why this moment may be different, and how investors can prepare their portfolios to be inflation-ready. (aired on 5/3/2021)
Segue to Retirement
It comes by many names: accumulation to withdrawal, earn to burn, grind to grizzle - the transition from work life to retired life often feels different than we expect. Don and Donna Grace talk about the psychological hurdles that new retirees face when it comes time to start drawing down on those retirement assets. (aired on 4/27/2021)
The Debt Dilemma
It has been said there are three kinds of people: the have's, the have-not's, and the have-not-paid-for-what-they-have's. Steve addresses the complex question of whether to invest your cash or use it to pay down debt. (aired on 4/23/2021)
Avoiding the Crypto-Euphoria
The corporate adoption of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and speculative frenzy that followed has captured the attention of people from all walks of life. Don explains why the cryptocurrency risk/reward trade-off is a bad gamble for the average investor approaching retirement. (aired on 4/19/2021)
Withdrawal Pains
You are taught from a young age to practice disciplined savings, then one day the government tells you they will penalize you if you don't spend it. Donna Grace and Nathan cover the Required Minimum Distribution: its purpose, how it works, and RMD rules that you need to know to stay out of the IRS penalty box. (aired on 4/15/2021)
Thank You for Your Contribution
Ready to roll over that employer sponsored plan? Donna Grace and Nathan stress the importance of knowing the various ways retirement plan contributions can be taxed prior to moving your money. (aired on 4/8/2021)
Bonds Away & Dawn of the Rail
After decades of record bond returns, rising rates are hurting long-term fixed income investors at a time when many of them need it most. Also, on our MoneyTalk Moment in Financial History Steve and Nathan talk about the corruption, scandal, and challenges the US faced during the development of the railroad system. (aired on 3/31/2021)
Long Term Care
Many fear the possibility of spending their last days and dollars in a nursing home. Donna and Nathan discuss how long-term care insurance has created new alternatives for those seeking to maintain some independence in their sunset years. (aired on 3/25/2021)
Retirement RedZone
Steve offers some of the questions you should be asking your advisor during the final 10 years leading up to retirement: How much income will I need? What age should I retire? How aggressively should I be paying off my debt? (aired on 3/19/2021)
A Seller's Market
Donna and guest John Tetrault with Slocum Realty discuss the state of the current real estate market; how the pandemic and aggressive Fed rate cutting propelled an existing seller's market to levels not seen since the Housing Bubble. What can a buyer do to compete? (aired on 3/11/2021)
Income Investing & The Ponzi Scheme
Steve and Nathan talk about the chase for yield in a low-rate environment. Fraud, arbitrage, stamps...? Our MoneyTalk Moment in Financial History takes a look back on the unlikely origins of the Ponzi scheme. (aired on 3/10/2021)
Considerations When Approaching Retirement
Donna and Nathan take on the some of the big decisions individuals face when approaching retirement: Do I take or defer my social security? How much investment risk can I assume if I’m taking income? Do I still need my life insurance? How aggressively should I pay down my debt? (aired on 3/4/2021)
