Money Guy Show

Next week is Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is a great time to catch-up with friends and family, but I am worried that this year’s big point of discussion is going to be the economy and the stock market.  In this volatile time I wanted to provide you with some objective and analytical data that will help you […] Read more at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/11/unusual-times-require-creative-solutions 

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With all of the doom and gloom in the financial markets right now, surely you are asking: why in the world would I be talking about spending money? Especially when shows over the past few weeks have been concerned with ways to save money! Even bad situations can have a good side.  In this economy […]

Read more at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/11/how-to-spend-a-little-money 

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Life insurance is one of the most controversial and, in my opinion, convoluted personal finance topics today. Even once you get past the eternal debate of term vs. permanent life insurance, then you must move on to determining how much life insurance you need, what method do you use to calculate that amount, and who […] Read more at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/11/unusual-times-require-creative-solutions 

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We have been riding this wave of volatility long enough that 7%-9% market swings do not have the same shock and awe impact they had a few weeks ago.  This acceptance of the wild swings has provided me with an opportunity to step away from the initial emotional feelings that came from this roller coaster…. […]

Read more at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/10/time-to-buy-buffett-vs-cramer 

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Last show we talked about the silver lining of a financial crisis. This week I talk about the special opportunities that these down markets can offer. More specifically, if you did not catch it from the title of this post, I am talking about harvesting tax losses. More than likely, and probably by no fault […] Read the rest at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/10/thanksgiving-around-the-corner-time-to-harvest 

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What a week! Actually, what a past couple of weeks! Obviously, it wouldn’t be too hard to harp on all of the bad stuff going on right now. So, instead of doing that, I would like to focus on some of the silver lining and maybe some of the positive things that could come out […] Read more at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/10/the-silver-lining-of-a-financial-crisis/

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So this is the question of the hour: What is going on? Or maybe the better question is: What got us into this mess? The real answer is a perfect storm with many moving parts acting together to drag down the financial markets. The more simple answer, although not necessarily the entire cause, is leveraged […]

Read more at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/09/news-nightmares-bank-debacles 

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For most parents, saving for their child’s education is always a priority. With the volatility and uncertainty in today’s market, it has become a priority that is not so easy to fund. Most would agree that a hundred dollars here or a hundred dollars there, while not providing a full ride, would definitely help out. […] Read more http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/09/cheese-grits-and-college-savings-black-holes-and-helocs 

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In tight economic times charities are often hit with increasing needs from the individuals who require their services. To make matters worse, generous donors are struggling with their own financial issues resulting in less donations to their favorite charities. In times like this both donors and charitable organizations have to adapt and become more creative […] 

Read more at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/08/tax-smart-and-creative-ways-to-better-the-world 

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Today’s show is a grab-bag of goodies. If you keep up with pop-culture, you’ve probably come across the show Extreme Makeover Home Edition. If you’re not familiar with this show, they select a family in need and makeover their home. One family they selected actually lived about fifteen minutes away from me, so when I […] Read more http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/08/fairy-tale-foreclosure-how-a-planner-works-and-dark-knight-review 

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The mutual fund universe is larger than ever and there are no signs of it slowing down. With more funds, more information, and easier access to this information, how can you go about selecting solid funds that are going to assist you in achieving your life goals? With help from InvestorWords and BusinessDictionary, let’s begin […] Get more information at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/07/selecting-mutual-fund 

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We have a special treat for you on this installment of the Money Guy Show! I usually don’t have guests on the show, but today we’re fortunate to be joined by Liz Weston. As many of you will attest, Liz is an award-winning, nationally syndicated personal finance columnist with a unique gift for simplifying complex […] Read more at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/07/liz-weston-loaded-celebrity-interview 

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Our banking system’s clearly under a lot of stress at the moment. Coming off a decade of aggressive mortgage lending, the system’s troubles have been compounded by a sputtering economy and retreating stock market.

As an investor, you need to be smart about insulating yourself from the system’s problems. While I don’t want to be alarmist, a little effort now on your part could pay significant dividends down the road. If nothing else, you’ll sleep better with the knowledge that you’ve assessed your exposure and taken appropriate action.

For more, visit the show notes on our site at http://www.moneyguy.com/2008/07/protecting-yourself-u-s-banking-system-under-stress 

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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 

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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 

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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

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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  

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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 

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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:

1. Wills
2. Life Insurance
3. Beneficiary Designations on Life Insurance and Retirement Plans
4. 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

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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

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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/

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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

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The White House lowers ’08 economic forecast (click here for more information)

October foreclosure filings up 94% over last year (click here for more information)

I did not want you to think that I was only pulling out the bad news… I did want to give you a little ray of hope with this article: Q3 economic growth fastest in four years, revision shows (click here for more information)

** "Free" credit reports **

Many of you have probably figured this out. It appears that the credit reporting companies have figured out how to squeeze a ton of profit out of consumers for something that is suppose to be "Free".

For more information, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2007/12/the-economy-free-credit-reports-and-improving-your-401k

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 Capital Gains Looming Once Again by David Hoffman with Investment News… Investment News is an industry magazine that I get, but I think the information in the article is important because it ties to our discussion from last week about the level of distributions that many of us will recieve this year from our Mutual Funds.

What Kind of Loan Should You Get provided by SmartMoney.com… Many of you have asked me to share my insights on what type of loan you should get for your home.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2007/11/capital-gains-mortgages-and-retire-early-but-beware

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On today’s show we discuss:

1st Segment includes information on what you need to look at with your portfolio at year end.

** Harvesting Tax Losses ** Avoiding Year End Mutual Fund purchases until after you determine whether year end distributions have been made by the fund (could be as high as 10% in some popular funds this year). ** Charitable donation reminder

2nd Segment Six Ways to Save on Auto Insurance by Stephanie AuWerter from SmartMoney Magazine

3rd Segment What’s Wrong with Variable Annuities article publised on the SmartMoney.com website

For more information, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2007/11/year-taxes-investments-auto-insurance-savings-variable-annuities/

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Defending credit card companies is hard to do because they do have quite a few practices that are down right sleazy (shrinking grace periods, escalating interest rate, holiday due dates, etc.), but if used properly they can be a helpful financial tool. In this episode we share articles from the following:

"8 Experts Recall Their Best Personal Finance Advice" by Dana Dratch from bankrate.com

"Are Credit Cards Evil, or Just Dangerous?" by Liz Pulliam Weston from MSN Money

"Where Do You Stand in the Wealth Spectrum?" by Lee Eisenberg from Bankrate.com

"Dealing With a Disaster and Your Insurance Company" by Jennie L. Phipps with Bankrate.com/Yahoo Finance.

For links and more resources, visit our show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2007/11/great-personal-finance-advice-are-credit-cards-evil-and-the-wealth-spectrum

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"Should You Be Investing In the Roth 401(k)?" – I have received several emails from listeners asking questions about Roth 401k options at their workplace. I actually covered this topic in the first quarter issue of the "Wealth Report" newsletter. I am using that article in today’s show.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2007/10/roth-401k-financial-records-to-keep-and-social-security

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The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) called last week and let me know that they were stopping by our offices. As you can imagine, this is not my favorite kind of phone call. We had nothing to hide or worry about, but it’s still a stressful situation. In light of this visit I decided that this would be a great time for me to focus the show on a few "rainy day" articles I had put away to discuss.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2007/10/financial-leftovers

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Points of Consideration for Education Planning Many of you have written to ask that I provide some guidance on education planning and I have stayed away from the subject because education planning is one of those subjects that has a limited audience. I always try to do the Money Guy show with the understanding that we have listeners that are new to investing and personal financial planning as well as tried and true weathered investors that I can still enlighten from time to time with my insight.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2007/10/college-planning-savings

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Terms needed to understand asset allocation:

Domestic Stocks = US Companies Market Capitalization of US Stocks (According to Morningstar): Large Cap = US Companies with a Market Cap greater than $11 Billion (these are the companies that are household names like Wal-Mart, GE, Home Depot, Coca-Cola, Pfizer, and so forth) Mid Cap = US Companies with a Market Cap between $2-$11 Billion (these are companies that you might have heard of like HR Block, but are not the size of the previous listed group. Small Cap = US Companies with a Market Cap below $2 Billion. Probably not going to recognize the small company unless you specifically use their product or they are in your town.

For more terms, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2007/10/asset-allocation-basics

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Basic Definitions

Diversification: The idea of spreading out your money across many different types of investments.  Choosing to diversify your investment holdings reduces your risk tremendously.

Risk Tolerance: An investor’s ability to withstand losses caused by one or more of the different types of risk. This ability can be limited by your temperament as well as your time frame and financial circumstances.  For example, someone who is investing for a goal 10 to 20 years or more in the future generally has a higher risk tolerance and may feel more comfortable with riskier investments than a person whose investment goal is only 5 years away or less.

Bull Market...

For more information, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2007/09/mastering-the-world-of-investing

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The focus of the program is on the changing retirement landscape.

1974 Retirement Funding: 11% Employee 89% Employer

2006 Retirement Funding: 51% Employee 49% Employer

Defined Pensions: The Endangered Species

For more information, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2007/09/retirement-in-crisis-update

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