Big Picture Retirement

Charitable contributions, Harvest Investment Gains or Losses, Required Minimum Distributions, and sit down to review stuff with your Tax Advisor. There are a number of things you could do in the next few weeks to properly wrap up 2017. How do you decide which items to prioritize? Devin and John cover things they think you need to do before the end of the year. For more details, visit http://www.bigpictureretirement.net/048

Congress is moving fast through the process of changing our tax code. There are still lots of details to be ironed out, but one of the major provisions is a cut to the corporate tax rate. There is also a proposal to cap the tax rate on pass-through business entities - which may reduce the amount of taxes paid by small businesses. There are also many parts of the proposals that will impact individuals. More can be found at http://bigpictureretirement.net/047

A reverse mortgage is an agreement that a bank or other financial institution will loan you money against the value of the house, and you don’t have to repay that money until the property transfers ownership, often due to death of the homeowner. There is lots to be said about reverse mortgages. If you want more information, go to our show notes at http://www.bigpictureretirement.net/046 

Devin and John explore the different ways that working can affect your Social Security benefit. Then John explains how and why a child may be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) when the father was covered under a teacher’s retirement program and did not pay into Social Security. For more details and resource, visit http://bigpictureretirement.net/045

Clayton was shaped by the money experiences of his childhood, particularly his father’s job loss. After some financial challenges, Clayton and his wife decided to figure out how to build an income that isn’t tied to their jobs working for someone else. They decided to buy rental properties to create income to cover their monthly income needs, what Clayton calls his “freedom number.” For more information, visit our show notes at http://www.bigpictureretirement.net/044 

Part 2 of a series about Medicare. This time Devin and John tackle the costs of Medicare Part B, then go into Medicare D (prescription drug coverage). It’s important to understand how Medicare Part D work – it can be a little tricky. For more information, visit the show notes at http://www.bigpictureretirement.net/043

Understanding Medicare is an important part of your overall retirement planning, but it's so confusing and complicated! Devin and John share the different parts of Medicare and what they cover. More information can be found at http://www.bigpictureretirement.net/042

Devin and John answer listener questions you've sent in. Arlene wants to know what happens to her debts after she dies. Then Jay wants to talk about a purchase he wants to make. It might be a little extravagant, and his financial advisor is against the purchase. For more about these questions, or to contact Devin or John, go to http://www.bigpictureretirement.net/041

Chess involved both strategy and psychology - much like investing! Doug Goldstein, author of RICH AS A KING: How the Wisdom of Chess Can Make You a Grandmaster of Investing, joins Devin in a discussion about the way chess strategies can be applied to your personal finances. For the show notes, go to http://www.bigpictureretirement.net/040

Most of us have a whole world of digital stuff out there, and some of it is important. You need a plan for how your survivors will access these accounts, whether you are disabled or dead.

 As our world becomes more and more digital, it becomes more important that your survivors, heirs and executors can access bank accounts, email, electronic document storage, insurance policies, and many other types of accounts. Find more information and resources go to http://www.bigpictureretirement.net/039

If you've put together a little bit of money, or you have a regular stream of income, it's reasonable to be concerned about protecting those assets from lawsuits or other types of liability. Today, John explains some of the simple steps you can take to put some protections about the money that you have. For more information, visit the show notes at http://bigpictureretirement.net/038

Listener Questions answered by Devin and John in this episode: Brenda has a question about naming a successor trustee for a trust she has set up. Chris asks how to pick better stocks and stop losing money in the stock market. For more information, visit http://www.bigpictureretirement.net

Dr. Brandon Renfro, a PhD in behavioral economics, talks about bonds: When they're right for you and when they should be reconsidered. Brandon does a great job of explaining different types of bonds, why they are considered a good investment, and how our current low interest rate situation changes the value of bonds as part of your portfolio. For more information, visit http://bigpictureretirement.net

Social Security is an important source of income for older Americans, but it can also provide many benefits beyond retirement income. Life is full of risks, and Social Security helps provide some income for those who have faced these situations. For more information, visit http://bigpictureretirement.net

There are few things worse than getting involved in a financial scam. Unfortunately, there are always some people who will abuse their professional status, and use their knowledge to rip people off. How can you avoid being scammed? For more information, go to http://www.bigpictureretirement.net/episode-34-avoid-bernie-madoff-type-scam/