The Money Guy Show | Investing, Tax, Estate, Retirement, Insurance, Spending, Saving, And Wealth Building Advice

Today's show is one of those nitty-gritty topics that may not always be the most fun or most exciting, but it is definitely one of the most important. Today I wanted share the significance of making sure that your beneficiary designations are up-to-date and still reflect your posthumous wishes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bo and I will be traveling to South Carolina for a conference this week, but I didn't want you to be without sound financial information for two whole weeks. This, combined with how excited I get about FREE money, made this week's show topic a no-brainer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So here we find ourselves. I won't go so far as to say that things feel good, but at least it doesn't appear as though the sky is falling any longer. Will we remain at this "comfortable" level? I'm not sure and I don't think that anyone knows for sure. What I do believe, however, is that we have made it through the worst of it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is a prime example of how quickly things change in our current economic environment! We recorded this show on Thursday afternoon, 07/30, and planned on releasing it Friday morning, 07/31. To our amazement, when we came into the office on Friday, one of the very topics we did the show on no more than 24 hours before was no longer in existence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you have been listening to this show for any length of time at all, you have no doubt heard me sing praise of the Roth IRA. The Roth IRA is an amazing planning tool for those individuals who qualify. Not only do you get tax deferred savings for retirement, but all of those earnings actually become tax FREE if certain requirements are met! For more, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/06/why-a-roth-401k-may-be-your-best-bet  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes individuals have those moments where they wake up in the middle of the night, and it hits them! It's that thought, or idea, or realization that is so thought-provoking and so revolutionary that they can't shake it. This is what happened to me a few nights ago! For more information, see the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/06/legacy-of-a-generartion-not-the-millionaire-next-door  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s show comes from two of my most favorite newsletters, Consumer Reports’ Money Adviser and Kiplinger’s Retirement Report. These publications are great and I thoroughly enjoy reading them each month. The three topics are some of the best bargains that have happened as a result of the recession plus some buying tips, the increase in litigation against brokers and money managers and why the process might not be as easy and straight forward as you think, and then remind you that part of reaching financial independence is optimization. Show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/06/bear-bargains-broker-battles-and-searching-for-yields  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a good week around here. We’ve been pretty busy with client and prospect meetings, but things are starting to calm down and get back to normal. I’ve received many interesting emails and articles over the past week, and I feel like some of them are definitively worth sharing with you. Complete show notes are at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/05/social-security-charity-fraud-and-credit-card-deadbeats  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So once again this week's show topic was inspired by real life events. You would have to be living under a rock to not notice the gains we have been experiencing in the stock market over the past few weeks. But is it real? Complete show notes and more information can be found in our show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/05/dca-maybe-the-most-important-investment-decision-you-will-ever-make  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even though the economy has shown some signs of life over the last month and a half, I feel it is safe to say we are still in or around the low-point of the economic cycle, the trough if you will. Many individuals are feeling that because things have gotten so bad, now may be a good time to 'start over'. This starting over can mean many different things for many different people. Check out the extensive show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/04/is-now-the-time-to-be-taking-risks  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As many of you are aware, I have been harping on how low mortgage rates have been over the past few months and how much of an opportunity we all have to lock in a long-term low interest rate right now. So let us assume you have decided to heed my advice, gotten all of your ducks in a row, and have gone to the bank or mortgage lender to negotiate a refinance. BAM! They offer you a refinance somewhere between 5.5% and 6.5%. But, but, but.... Brian, I thought you said mortgage rates were around 4.5% to 5%? For more of this story, go to http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/04/how-to-build-your-credit-score  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So here you are. You have been listening to the show for a while. You understand efficient markets. You understand asset allocation. You even understand equity-risk premium and risk/reward trade-off. Now, how do you implement? This is a problem I see all too often. Many individuals possess the knowledge and understanding of the financial marketplace, but have no idea how to put it into practice. So what is next step in developing a portfolio to assist you in reaching your long-term goals? Selecting the assets to use. More information at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/04/mutual-fund-screeners  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You couldn't turn to a major network or listen to a major broadcast in the past week without hearing about the ongoing feud between the Daily Show's Jon Stewart and Mad Money's Jim Cramer. Due to all of the media attention, and considering that there were some very good points made, I felt like I would use this opportunity to share some of my opinions and insights on the matter. If you haven't had a chance to watch the interview in full yet, please do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In trying times, it isn't enough to just be an intelligent investor. To truly get your financial house in order, you must also be a good consumer. It is so important today to make sure you can stretch your dollars as far as possible. This doesn't just mean seeking out great deals, but it also means protecting your purchases. In the show today, I share a story that has recently happened with my associate Bo and his encounter with an Ebay purchase, as well as my father-in-law's flat-screen woes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s show is brimming with information. In the first half of the show, I share a research study done by Consumer Reports in their Consumer Reports Money Adviser. In the report, they compare some of the best and the worst 529 college savings plans around the nation. I then go on to discuss the 2009 […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s show is a hodge-podge of information. You guys have been instrumental in providing me with great feedback as well as some very good questions, so today I felt the need to let you all know that I am reading your emails and I do appreciate your input. As you listen, I will share some […] Full show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/02/money-guy-q-a  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That’s right. We’re bringin’ simple back. 2008 provided us with a wonderful opportunity to step back and ask, ‘what in the world are we doing?’ If you were an adult and had a pulse over the last decade, it would have been impossible to not notice all the complexity in the financial markets. I’m not just talking about the stock market. I am alluding to every aspect of your financial life. So often individuals feel like to make money or be successful, it has to be a very intricate and complicated process and only the super intelligent can achieve it. We were all tempted to invest in things we didn’t understand, buy products we couldn’t comprehend, and implement strategies that made our heads spin.  In today’s show I walk through a few areas where simple is not a bad thing. For more, visit the show notes on our site at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/01/bringin-simple-back  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, so far the beginning of 2009 has felt quite similar to the last part of 2008. That, however, does not mean that there aren’t opportunities out there for us to take advantage of. Two common questions I’ve been getting from you are ‘should i still do this whole re-balancing thing?’ and ‘what do I […] Read more at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/01/year-of-the-re-refinance-and-rebalance  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As if the financial markets weren’t scary enough in 2008, here comes the story of a snake who decided to take advantage of people and subsequently make millions and millions of dollars doing it. Bernard Madoff, ole’ Uncle Bernie, created one of the largest Ponzi schemes ever. Basically, a Ponzi scheme is one in which […] Read more at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/01/protecting-yourself-from-fraud  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A 2009 Challenge: 2008 is coming to a close and this is the time of the year where we start planning those Resolutions on how we are going to make 2009 better than 2008.  Below I have provided a few thoughts and links: If you are Unhappy… Make a Change If you are not happy […] Read more at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/12/lazy-investing-can-be-good-investing-update  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices