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

Money-Guy 05-05-2008 With recent stock market ups and downs, immediate annuities are attracting attention from people looking to shelter themselves from volatility. But do they make financial sense? If so, for whom and when? (An immediate annuity, you might recall, is an investment product that’s purchased with a single payment and begins to pay out […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Being a financial planner myself, I loved an article that The New York Times featured over the weekend, "Pick a Planner Who Can Spell ‘Fiduciary’". For those who don’t know me, let me assure you that while I might not be a great grammarian, I definitely know, understand, and can spell the word ‘fiduciary‘!

Chris Hansen from Dateline NBC devoted an entire hour on April 13, 2008 to the topic of equity-indexed annuities and the unscrupulous tactics sometimes used to sell them to seniors. (Recognize Hansen’s name? He’s best known for his work on the Dateline NBC television segment To Catch a Predator. These controversial investigations revolved around catching […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If I told you about a popular investment product that was yielding 40% less than it did last year, you’d probably think it was one of the great financial meltdowns of 2008. But, what if I also told you that investors seemed indifferent to this product’s decreased yield and were actually accelerating their rate of […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m short on notes today, but heavy on great information in the audio of the show. I first provide my detailed perspective on the performance of the market in the first quarter of 2008. I then talk at length about staying focused on why you invested in the financial markets in the first place. If […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re currently in the final weeks of tax preparation season. As many of you know, I do just enough tax return preparation every year to make me wonder why I do taxes! Joking aside, I believe I’m a better adviser for my clients if I know how the tax code works. Still, it gets a […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After you’ve been in an auto accident, you count your ten fingers and ten toes. Then, the stress sets in that you will have to deal with an insurance company. Don’t worry! In today’s show, I’m going to give you some tips to navigate through the process and protect yourself financially. Before we get into […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m a day late with this post because I spent most of yesterday fielding concerned phone calls and writing a market update letter for my clients. It’s during these volatile times that good advisers prove their worth to clients, and as you can imagine it’s also a stressful time. With that said, I know that […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve reviewed the Money Guy site recently, you’ve probably noticed that we added a fun "widget" which rotates through some of Warren Buffett’s wiser observations about money, business, and life. Most of those quotes come directly from his annual letter to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway. Every February, I eagerly await its release because […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Money-Guy 03-03-2008 In this week’s show, I help you find $200 a month by just calling your "Ungrateful Providers". Now this does not mean that your auto or homeowner’s insurance agent is not appreciative of your relationship. It means that the insurance and utility industry are set up to take advantage of laziness. I am […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I talk about the need to save for retirement all the time on the Money Guy Show. However, I have not done a show discussing what you can expect from these savings once you hit the retirement phase of your life. Before all of my young readers and listeners tune out or click to close […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I was asked to write a guest post for fivecentnickel.com that will be posted while nickel is on vacation. I decided to base my post on the timeless advice of Warren Buffett and some of his most notable quotes. As I was researching the post I could not help but notice a trend in Buffett’s quotes: growing money takes time and patience. Read more at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/02/time-and-money-it-can-be-your-best-friend  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever wondered if you should prepay your mortgage? In today's show I give you the information to make an informed decision based upon your personal situation. We take into account the analytical side of the decision as well as the emotional relief that can come from being DEBT FREE…. Read more at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/02/should-you-prepay-your-mortgage-and-mutual-fund-opportunities  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

January is officially history and there was a tremendous amount of volatility. On today's show I share how you can turn the lemons of January into sweet lemonade that can provide complete peace of mind on one of your largest assets (your home). For more information, visit the show notes at www.moneyguy.com/2008/02/nuts-and-bolts-of-obtaining-a-mortgage-and-how-to-cut-closing-costs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are covering: Details of the Government’s bipartisan economic stimulus program “How to drive your tax preparer crazy” discussion with CPA, Brandon Verner Listener’s Question Answered: What to do with 401k accounts from prior jobs Read more at http://moneyguy.com/2008/01/stimulus-package-tax-preparation-discussion-and-ira-rollovers   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you need proof that this broad sell-off is nothing new then read an article that I wrote back in October 2002. (click here for a copy) In the article I let readers know that diversification and not letting their emotions get the best of them is the secret to long-term investing. Read more at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/01/coping-with-an-uncertain-market-us-credit-under-fire-and-what-does-900-gold-mean  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new year can represent a fresh start for many. I know that many out there have made financial resolutions and I want to be a resource to help you reach that goal of financial independence. Let's talk about some of the big areas that may need attention: Wills Life Insurance Beneficiary Designations on Life Insurance and Retirement Plans Asset Allocation For more information, visit the show notes at www.moneyguy.com/2008/01/2008-financial-resolutions-and-how-not-to-have-a-1987-portfolio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The emotions that your brain creates can lead to disaster if you do not know how to recognize where your decisions and actions are coming from (analytical side of the brain or emotional instinct to avoid risk). Remember when you are wondering if the financial markets are going up or down the answer is always, “YES” For more information, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2007/12/money-and-your-brain-amt-update Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you are a Georgia listener then Christmas has come early this year. As of December 11th the GA 529 plan has been drastically improved (probably because of the pressure of competition between the different 529 plans). The big improvements included: ** Georgia state income tax deduction update – For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2007, contributions to an account are deductible up to $2,000 on behalf of any Beneficiary for Georgia income tax purposes. A Georgia taxpayer is not required to itemize his or her deductions to make this adjustment to income. Furthermore, there are no longer annual income limitations to claim this deduction. For more information, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2007/12/ga-education-update-financial-leftovers-and-sex-drugs-hedge-funds/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Current events are impacting the world of personal finance and the financial markets. Many of you have asked me to provide more input on current financial events, and if you are one of those listeners you will get more than your fill with this show.   For more information, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2007/12/mortgage-plan-review-e-commerce-booming-and-candidates-take-on-social-security Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices