Our 2 Cents

There's a lot to be excited about today! It is Gabriel's birthday

This week's episode is all about answering questions! First, Gabriel and Steve begin by discussing some great questions submitted by our listeners. Then they switch gears to answer a couple of fun questions about themselves.Listener Questions:"Is it a bad idea to go after my dream home before I retire, if it then means I will have a mortgage?" - Marie"My divorce will be final in about a month. I always paid the bills but was never really involved in the retirement planning. Where should I start?" - Lisa"My mother passed away and I am the executor of her will and estate. She left her house to me, but my sister is living in it and I want to sell it. What should I do?" - Bill"I watched your Scoop video on Social Security and want to know, what are the income tax consequences on Social Security? - JeffGetting to Know Steve and Gabriel:If you were abducted by aliens, would you rather be put in an alien zoo exhibit or in a traveling alien circus?Who would you choose to narrat

Steve and Gabriel are thrilled to be back in the saddle this week recording an all-new episode of the Our 2 Cents podcast. Here's what they're talking about today:Is Elon Musk Breaking Up with Bitcoin?:Elon recently announced Tesla will no longer accept Bitcoin as payment, what could this mean for the future of cryptocurrency?With more than 4,000 different coins on the market, some with wild and funny names and others based internet memes, are any cryptocurrencies legitimately worth investing in?Annual "Money Doctor" Checkups:You go to the doctor for your annual health checkup, but what about an annual money checkup?If you're "feeling fine" with regards to your portfolio, do you still need to have an annual checkup?Does More Money = More Problems?:Is there any truth to the saying "More Money, More Problems?"Even if you are financially set for life, should you still have your money working for you and continuing to grow?Why you should be giving your money the attent

This week's podcast episode is a fun one! First we look at how the cost of living in different cities around the U.S. can vary quite drastically, then we jump into some fun quotes, and end the show by putting Steve and Gabriel on the spot.How Far Does $1 Million Go in Different Places of the Country?:If you retire in this city, your $1 million might only last you 8-9 years. Can you guess the city?Have you ran your numbers to see if you can retire in your dream city?How much will you need to retire comfortably? Surprise—it's not a simple answer!Timeless Quotes from Will Rogers:These quotes are just as applicable today as they were way back then.From life lessons, to taxes, and being truly satisfied. We're covering great quotes that will really make you think.The Personal Side - Getting to Know Steve and Gabriel:What is something you'll never do again?What is a song or artist that people would be surprised to find out you like?If all jobs had the same pay and the same hours, what job would y

We're covering a variety of interesting and important topics on this week's episode of Our 2 Cents. Click to listen as we look at energy efficient home ideas, the National Debt and more!Ideas to Keep Your Home More Energy Efficient:Is the shot clock to your retirement ticking down? Don't let the pressure lead to poor shotsWhat do wind turbines and light bulbs have in common?Which energy efficient home improvements are worth the up-front cost?Listener Questions:"Do you believe the National Debt is a major concern for American citizens?" - Jeff"Can you talk about HSA's?" - Ellie

This week’s episode of the Our 2 Cents podcast is live! We kick things off by looking at what basketball and your retirement could possibly have in common. Then we shed some light on financial myths and truths.What Basketball Teaches Us About Retirement:Is the shot clock to your retirement ticking down? Don’t let the pressure lead to poor shotsDouble dribble decisions—can they ever be undone?Don’t get fouled out of retirement, here’s tips and tricks to avoid the fouls, but still play aggressiveFinancial Fact or Fiction:Term Life Insurance is better than Whole Life InsuranceAs you get older, you should shift from stocks to bondsAre these financial Facts or are they Fiction?

Financial Decisions and the “Quarantine 15”We’re back again for another installment of Our 2 Cents! From financial decision making tips to how not to be tempted by that nearby fridge, we’re covering it all and having fun on this episode!Top 5 Tips for Making Sound Financial DecisionsDon’t be in the dark about your finances, stay informed and involvedAre you procrastinating instead of planning ahead? We’ll share why that can hurt youWorking with a financial advisor could mean greater returns, but how?Plus more!Keep Away from That Fridge!:How your feelings are likely impacting your cravingsResist the urge to stress eat and other factors causing the “Quarantine 15”

The Our 2 Cents podcast is back again this week with some great topics. We're focusing on this latest stimulus package entering the economy, tax season and doing one of our very favorite things - answering some listener questions. Don't miss this one!Another Round of Stimulus:Warren Buffett has some advice on how you should spend your stimulus money - is he right?What was the ultimate goal of the stimulus package?Looking back 1 year ago and how the markets have reacted to COVID and the stimulus packagesTax Time Quick Hits:The tax filing deadline has been extended, should you wait or file now?RMD's, IRA contributions, home office deductions and moreWhat are the benefits of working with a tax planner and what do they do that is different than a tax preparer?Listener Questions: "It seems like inflation has not been very bad recently. Should I be worried about it in future years?" - Mike, Rolling Meadows"Some people in the media say that I should invest primarily in mutual funds, and

It's time for the next episode of the Our 2 Cents podcast! We have a great conversation this week talking about fun "secrets" and chatting about recent news headlines. Click play to listen in!Dirty Little Secrets of the Financial and Investing WorldDo the pundits and "gurus" on TV really know as much as they lead you to believe they do?What are some things that financial experts argue about which aren't actually important?When it comes to investing, can you differentiate between what is skill and what is just luck?Are advisors just money managers? Or is there a difference?Discussing "In the News" HeadlinesCongressional discussions of a $15 minimum wage have picked up steam in the last couple of weeks. Could something like that impact the economy?General Motors has announced that they plan to sell only electric vehicles by 2035. Is this even realistic?

How Women Can Make Sure They're Involved in Financial Decisions:What are the risks to not being involved in the financial decision-making?How having a financial advisor could be a great back-up plan to stay "in the know"What are some ways to start getting involved?Tax Filing Tips with Steve:Did you see Steve on WGN? He had a great interview covering a range of tax-related topicsWhat advice didn't he get a chance share in his interview?Missed the interview? You can watch it hereListener Questions:Should I purchase an investment property or keep my money invested where it is? - Cheryl, Huntington Beach, CAShould I pay off my mortgage quicker or invest? - Ed, Mundelein, ILCD's are not paying right now, what is the best alternative investment? - Maria, Elk Grove, IL

Press play to listen to the great discussions we had on this week's episode of the Our 2 Cents podcast. We're not all business all the time, so we had a bit of fun too! Some of the show highlights are below.Alternative Financial Investments (Alts):What are they?Which alts are good and which alts are bad?Should alternatives have a place in your portfolio?5 Most Common Uses for Life Insurance:Is there more to life insurance than just the death benefit?Ways to use modern-day life insurance in your financial planningEfficient tax-saving benefits of life insuranceHidden Talents of Steve and Gabriel:When they take their Financial Advisor hats off, what skills are Steve and Gabriel sharpening?Find out what Disney animal character each host would like to beTune in now to join us for this discussion!

GameStop Stock Price Surges: There’s been a lot of buzz around the GameStop stock sensation this week, and we’re keeping a close eye on the action. We’ll give a brief synopsis of the events unfolding in the markets, what it means for individual investors and the hedge funds being impacted and how it could change the future of investing.How Your Roth IRA is Like a Fine Bottle of Wine: Just like the finest wine you keep in your cellar and never want to open, are you hesitant to spend the money invested in your Roth IRA? We look at when the right time to take income from your Roth account may be and why you don’t want to leave it just sitting there collecting dust.Can Money Make You Happy?: We always say that money isn’t what brings true happiness in life, it is simply the fuel for your journey. We end the show by reflecting on an important lesson from Wahei Takeda about what really makes people happy, like “Magokoro” meaning a sincere heart and finding joy in the small things in life.

This week has flown by and we’re back with another great installment of Our 2 Cents. Here’s what to look forward to on this episode:President Biden’s Big Plans: We start with a quick rundown of what you can expect to see in the months and years ahead now that we have a new administration. From taxes to healthcare to a stimulus package and more–there’s a lot to keep on your radar.5 Important Retirement Statistics: Next we break down 5 important statistics that are worth taking a moment to understand. They’ll underscore some very real problems people face when prepping for retirement. We’ll explore those problems and talk about possible solutions.How Do Annuities Earn Interest?: We occasionally receive questions specifically on how annuities (usually Fixed Indexed Annuities) earn interest. We’ll dive into the basics about annuities, like how interest is credited and understanding the allocations and indices within annuity policies.

Our 2 Cents is back after a brief holiday hiatus! Here’s a look at what we’re discussing on our first podcast episode of 2021.Our 2021 New Year’s Resolutions: Gabriel and Steve kick things off by revealing a New Year’s Resolutions they’ve set for themselves and how they plan to make 2021 a great year ahead.New Year, New (or Updated) Plan: Have you procrastinated reviewing your financial plan, or even putting one in place to begin with? Let 2021 be the year that you resolve to check-in on your current plan or create one if you haven’t already. We take the guesswork away by sharing 5 Key Areas to focus on implementing or reviewing.Join us as we have fun on another round of “Get to Know Us!”: Find out Steve and Gabriel’s money habits, where they learned them and how it helped to shape their financial views. Plus, they’ll share one more resolution for this year.Tune in now to join us for this discussion!

We’re back with another podcast episode of Our 2 Cents! Here’s what we we’re discussing this week.Lessons from the Stock Market Crash “Hall of Fame”:We don’t know when the next market crash will be, and we don’t know the severity of it, but we do know that it will happen so you need to be prepared for it. We’re covering common themes we’ve seen in past crashes, the lessons we’ve learned personally from navigating people through market crashes and also some key takeaways that can be learned from crashes of the past.What Drives Advisors a Little Crazy:In this light-hearted segment, Steve and Gabriel explore where they’ve encountered frustrating elements of the financial world. Hint: a few of them involve what some other advisors are doing—and not doing—on behalf of their clients.And, Another Round of "Get to Know Us" with Steve and Gabriel!We wrap up by answering a fun question so you can get to know us better on a personal level. ­Tune in now to join us for this discussion!

Join us for our 56th episode of Our 2 Cents podcast! Here’s what we’ve got in store for you when you tune in. “Things You Never Hear People Say:”When it comes to money and retirement, there are some tried and true strategies that simply make too much sense. In this episode, we discuss five “Things You Never Hear People Say,” or in other words, 5 things you can do with your money and finances that are a no-brainer! Your Ideal Retirement Lifestyle:Our second topic focuses on assessing and choosing your dream retirement lifestyle. What different ways to people like to enjoy their retirement years? From sitting on the front porch, to RV’ing across the country, tune in to discover some excellent retirement living approaches. Listener Question – Strong Dollar vs. Weak Dollar:"Can you explain what the difference between the strong dollar and weak dollar means, and how does that affect my investment portfolio?" (Jeff from Deer Park)Tune in now to join us for this discussion!

Do you need Long-Term Care Insurance? Does your spouse? And is it worth the costs? There are new long-term care coverage options out there that can be quite advantageous, and they are a major upgrade to the old LTC policy that Mom and Dad might have had. Next, we discuss the idea of ‘Retiring Solo,’ or in other words, when a couple's retirement dates don’t align. What is one spouse supposed to do and how do you stay happy as a couple while one continues to work and the other starts enjoying their retirement years? >>> Plus, Join Us for a Great Listener Question <<< "Is it a bad idea to do a Roth Conversion if I have high income?" - Mark from SchaumburgTune in now to join us for this discussion!

Today we put variable annuities under a microscope. When someone wants to gain the advantages of the stock market yet still have some guarantees, is a variable annuity the route to go? Next we cover some estate planning essentials. Can you keep your assets out of the courts and away from probate? Estate planning is one of the items that should be definitely be on your list of planning areas to review! Plus, Join Us for a Listener Question: "My long term care policy says it will pay out a maximum of $250,000 during my lifetime. Is that enough coverage?" (Robert from Deerfield) Tune in now to join us for this discussion!

It’s been quite the rollercoaster this last week and a half! With apparent President-elect Joe Biden winning both the electoral and popular votes, we talk about what that can mean, as well as discuss what lawmakers are proposing in their emergency bill to raise 2021’s Social Security COLA adjustment. After that discussion, we move to our next topic and have a little fun. What are the top 15 destinations for retirees to move to? This list of best locations to move to considers happiness, tax rates, affordability, and access to healthcare. Finally, we wrap-up with some more fun-filled facts about Steve and Gabriel—quite uncanny how similar their answers are! Tune in now to join us for this discussion!

There’s a lot of uncertainty in today’s world with COVID, high unemployment numbers, the Presidential election, and the constant turmoil 2020 has brought us thus far. So how can you really know if you’re ready to retire? Take our self-health financial assessment and see if you are ready today!1. How much money do you have in assets?2. Do you know how much you spend?3. What’s in your investment portfolio and how much risk are you taking?4. Do you know what you pay in taxes? Where will you get your income today, the next 5 years and so on?Tune in now to join us for this discussion!