The Retirement Trainer with Ed Siddell

In last week’s episode, we started a deep dive into annuities: what they are, how they work, and why they might (or might not) make sense in your retirement portfolio. If you haven’t yet, we recommend you listen to that episode first, then come back to today’s.  More than anything else, you need to remember…

When many people think of annuities, they say, “Oh my gosh, that’s horrible.” Many people either love or hate them, but this is almost never the right perspective to take. Why is this? It’s simple: many financial planners can’t clearly explain where it makes sense to use annuities or make sense of the complicated industry…

As you transition into retirement, you’re likely looking to understand how to reduce mortgage debt and downsize without burning through your savings. There are lots of ways to do it, and lots of important questions to ask along the way. This is more true right now than ever before. With housing markets as hot as…

If you have kids, no matter what financial shape you and your family are in, you’re probably wondering how you’re going to pay for college. You’re probably wondering what your options are. You may need to know what the FAFSA is, what scholarships are available, and if they’re needs or merit-based.  You’re also probably astounded…

Over the years, people have been able to take hardship withdrawals and loans against retirement plans to cover emergency medical expenses, tuition, rent, mortgage payments, repairs, funerals, and other sudden and unexpected costs.  However, the rules regarding these withdrawals and loans, the amount of money available to you, and the penalties for taking this money…

Market volatility is real, and we’ve seen it in full force this year. On multiple occasions, we’ve seen markets swing over 6 percent in just one day of trading. Things are changing minute by minute, and the COVID-19 crisis has created a pattern of ongoing economic and political unrest that we’re unlikely to emerge from…

If you and your spouse have worked multiple jobs over the course of your life, you may have old 401(k) plans with former employers scattered all over the place. In fact, we’ve worked with clients with over a dozen plans sitting around that haven’t been seen, updated, or touched at all in years – or…

Our country’s response to the COVID-19 crisis seems to be changing not just day-by-day, but minute-by-minute. Between the CARES Act, the stimulus package, PPP loans, the HEROES Act recently passed in the House, and other forms of financial relief, it’s never been harder to make sense of what’s available – or how to take advantage…

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues all across the world, we’ve seen some of the most discouraging jobs and unemployment reports in recent history. A lot of investors are worried right now, and it’s easy to jump to the worst possible conclusions. While this is certainly a crisis, for many people, it’s also a navigable one…

After an 11 year bull run, the crisis caused by the COVID-19 has proven to be the real deal from both a health and economic perspective. After over a month of binge watching our favorite TV shows and reading and watching the news, everyone is concerned.  There is a lot of weight on our shoulders…