Your Money Radio: Recent Episodes
Wealth Enhancement Group
If you are looking for the latest stock tip, look elsewhere. Here, you'll find sound strategies based on financial principles that apply to your life. This isn't about financial jargon. This is about you. So listen, learn and ask questions of your own. After all, it's your money.
For many retirees, travel is a top priority. On this week's episode, hosts Bruce Helmer and Peg Webb take on how to create lasting memories and meaningful experiences without adding financial stress.
Hosts Bruce Helmer and Peg Webb discuss the financial sacrifices we make to create personal freedom.
Hosts Bruce Helmer & Peg Webb discuss how college graduation is not only an academic milestone but also a financial reset.
In this week's episode, hosts Bruce Helmer and Peg Webb recognize Mother's Day and discuss the simple and powerful way women can fuse personal values and aspirations with investments.
In this week's episode, hosts Bruce Helmer and Peg Webb discuss financial literacy and financial wellness. Although they are different things, they connect with one another and can help you work to achieve financial success.
The biggest mistake that people make with their money isn’t always what you might think.
Our thoughts on how to navigate financial decisions with greater clarity and confidence, avoiding the pitfalls of short-term thinking and impulsive resolutions.
We wrap up the key economic and market factors that influenced returns in 2024 and that may have an impact on your investment strategy next year.
As we approach the year-end, it’s the perfect time to make sure your money is working as hard as you do.
For many, 2024 was a tough year. This week, we’re focusing on finding gratitude amid the challenges Americans are currently facing, and the emotions they may be feeling.
Here are key points that investors should consider post-election, especially in light of potential market volatility and upcoming tax law changes.
Baby Boomers are retiring, and Gen Xers are close on their heels. What aren’t they doing? Bringing adult children into the conversation.
Social Security benefits will increase more in line with historical trends in 2025. Here’s what you need to know in this special episode with guest, Rhonda Whitenack from the Social Security Administration.
In addition to helping people die with dignity, the end of someone's life can bring a host of financial concerns. Bruce Helmer and Peg Webb offer tips and tools in this episode of Your Money.
Tim Insko is a Portfolio Manager at Wealth Enhancement Group and part of a team that offers comprehensive financial planning and that is committed to forming long-term relationships with clients.
Financial wellness balances the desire for financial security and freedom of choice, looking at both through the lenses of the present and the future.
Traditional IRA account owners have considerations to make before performing a Roth IRA conversion. These primarily include income tax consequences on the converted amount in the year of conversion, withdrawal limitations from a Roth IRA, and income limitations for future contributions to a Roth IRA. In addition, if you are required to take a required minimum distribution (RMD) in the year you convert, you must do so before converting to a Roth IRA. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.
This information is not intended as a recommendation. The opinions are subject to change at any time and no forecasts can be guaranteed. Investment decisions should always be made based on an investor's specific circumstances. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.
Today’s topic is Women’s Values and Wealth, how personal values can play an important role in women’s financial plans, and how to incorporate your values holistically into your investments.
At WEG, our advisors focus so much effort on helping clients set goals
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Goals are a foundational pillar to financial planning — all decisions about investments, asset allocation, and income planning flow from goal-setting
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Goal achievement begins with self-awareness and should be an expression of what you value
Retirement planning is crucial for everyone, but it introduces particular challenges for women. With longer life expectancies, as well as reduced earning potential due to the gender pay gap and other factors, women face a unique set of obstacles in preparing for retirement compared to men.
Special guest - Jackie Ampe:
- Jackie is a Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor at Wealth Enhancement Group
- She has a broad base of knowledge and years of experience in the financial industry and is especially passionate about educating women on investing and financial planning.
- Four-time winner of the FIVE STAR Wealth Managers Award (2019-2023)
- Highly credentialed, having earned her CFP® (Certified Financial Planner), CERTIFIED RETIREMENT COUNSELOR® Professional designations and is insurance-licensed
- BS from St. Cloud University
- When not working with clients, Jackie enjoys walking, traveling, gardening and spending time with her husband and six boys, two daughters-in-law and their fur baby, Ralphie.
No financial plan is complete without an estate plan because you need to plan ahead for how your assets are distributed after you’re gone.
Today, we are going to talk about how people in non-traditional careers should be planning more for their retirement. What do we mean by non-traditional jobs?
- Those who don’t have a typical nine-to-five office, service, or factory jobs.
- Non-traditional workers may be self-employed, working in the gig economy (e.g., Uber/Lyft drivers), consulting, or freelancing.
- Dog Vacay – dog walking
- Task Rabbit – handyman, moving, home repairs, errand-running
- Instacart – grocery shopping
- Higher education: adjunct or part-time professors
- Ryan is a Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor at Wealth Enhancement Group
- He helps lead the Tax Strategies group for Wealth Enhancement Group’s Roundtable™ and has an extensive tax and retirement income planning background.
- Longstanding member of the Ed Slott Master Elite IRA Advisor Group, a leading national group, one of the nation’s leading organizations dedicated to advancing retirement account taxation knowledge
There are lots of things investors won’t be able to control in 2024 — inflation, market direction, and interest rates, among others. But if you get organized now, you can make some tax-smart moves (and avoid a few mistakes).
Good retirement income planning has to go beyond simply joining your company-sponsored retirement plan or opening an IRA at your local bank.
The big problem in finance — if not the biggest — is how to create a stream of sustainable income after people stop earning a regular paycheck.
Most people invest and try to anticipate (or guess) what the stock market, bond market, and interest rates will do, and then change their investment strategy based on where they think the markets are headed. Today, Bruce is going to explain why that’s a flawed strategy and suggest an approach that doesn’t rely on market forecasts.
Now that we’re back from the festivities, we want to focus on what you can do in 2024 to take active control of your money, with our first of-the-year segment, “Your 2024 Action Plan.”
We want to start by wishing everyone a Healthy, Happy, and Prosperous New Year. This week we’re going to share what we believe to be some of the biggest financial events and stories of 2023 and offer a few thoughts about what to do with your money in 2024.
For people who want to create a stream of sustainable income after they stop working, a bucket portfolio strategy may be one option to consider. Learn what a "bucket" strategy is in this episode of Your Money.
Lifestyle inflation occurs when an individual’s income increases along with their spending. Here are some strategies to help you avoid it.
Peg Webb shares the essential elements of constructing a comprehensive financial plan in this episode of "Your Money".
Bruce Helmer and Peg Webb share tips and habits you can adopt to work towards making your first million in this episode of Your Money.
For most Americans, a house is often their biggest single expense. Inflation has been soaring across the economy, but it’s hitting the housing market especially hard. Should you rent or buy in this hot real estate market?
What are the most common causes of financial stress, and how can we cope with stress during challenging markets? Find out in this episode of Your Money.
Investing over the long haul requires patience and discipline. This isn't the first time that the 60/40 portfolio has faced headwinds, and it won’t be the last. For the vast majority of investors, we believe that sticking to a strategic allocation to the right asset classes and maintaining effective diversification that considers the underlying sources of risk in asset classes are sensible approaches when navigating today’s choppier markets.
Bruce Helmer and Peg Webb discuss five ways you can make the most of an inheritance, and why talking to an experienced financial advisor is a good idea before making any big decisions about sudden wealth.
Here’s a roundup of seven factors that currently influencing market activity and may have an impact on your investment strategy.
What is inflation and why is it such a big deal for investors? Find out in this episode of Your Money.
Time in the market beats timing the market, especially over long time periods. Making regular investment contributions at steady intervals will outperform making a big investment at the “perfect” time.
Four times a year we offer a quarterly planning calendar you can follow to keep your plan on track. Find out what you need to do this quarter to stay on track.
There’s a common misconception that estate planning is only for the ultra-wealthy. In this episode of Your Money, Bruce Helmer is joined by Kate Maier to discuss some basic tools and strategies that can help you direct how you want your assets to be distributed during and after your lifetime. The topics covered are wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, Roth conversions, and Donor Advised Funds.
In this episode of Your Money, Bruce Helmer and Peg Webb discuss three possible psychological reasons young adults "boomerang" or fail to launch after college.
When markets are in flux, people often question where they should invest their next dollar. Today we’ll address this topic from three different angles.
Many people are unprepared to deal with daunting financial challenges that come from being suddenly single. Find out how you can be a little more prepared in this episode of Your Money.
Paying for college has been compared to buying a new or used car every year, but the sticker shock can be lessened if you plan ahead. Here are six tips to help get you started.
What is risk? In this episode Bruce Helmer and Peg Webb breakdown what risk means and how it relates to your investments and long-term planning.
Four in 10 Americans have no money invested in the stock market. Why is that, and why should you consider owning stocks over the long term? Find out in this week's episode of Your Money.
In this special episode of Your Money, Peg Webb takes live calls from listeners. Tune in to hear Peg answer questions about Social Security, generational wealth, tax filing extension rules, Roth IRAs and Roth conversions, "play" accounts, I Bonds, 401(k) plans and interest rates.
Bruce Helmer, Peg Webb and Chris Armstrong discuss Wealth Enhancement Group's current market outlook and the seven factors that typically move the market.
Bruce and Peg address common financial myths including: buying the top-performing stocks as the only key to success, needing 70% of your working income to retire, investing all of your money in pre-tax retirement plans, and the notion that you have to pay off all debt.
Ignoring your health and shunning doctors is unwise, so think about financial wellness the same way.
In this episode Peg Webb covers the topics of identity theft, tax-filing, caring for older parents, and making sure you're on track to meet your annual goals.
Peg and Bruce share their assessments on how the crisis in Europe may affect the markets and your portfolio, and why it’s important to stay the course.
Bruce and Peg revisit why financial planning is important, what should be reconsidered in our current age of uncertainty and how we got here over the last two years.
It’s important that children learn about saving and planning for their financial futures, even at a young age, and carry it through young adulthood.
Market volatility isn’t usually something you need to be concerned with daily, especially if you have a long-term financial plan that’s built to withstand the ups and downs.
The world of investing is changing. You probably won’t be able to navigate it using an old map.
Once again, Bruce Helmer, Financial Advisor and Founder of Wealth Enhancement Group, is here to answer any questions.
• Reason #1 You want freedom to pursue other passions
o Retirement doesn’t mean you’re done “doing”. It means you are done with the thrust of your career.
o If work feels like a constraint rather than fulfilment, it is a good time to consider retiring.
o Take a look at your retirement goals. Think about how long it will take to realistically get to them and decide if continuing to work makes sense.
• Reason #2 Your portfolio is ready
o Look at the amount you have in savings.
o Consider the predicted rate of growth. Give yourself some latitude for a market downturn.
o Look at your rate of withdrawal and consumption.
o Remember that you will like spend more in your first few years of retirement
o Don’t forget about taxes. You may have work to do to get your portfolio “tax ready”
o Don’t forget about healthcare.
• Reason #3 Your family is ready
o Children or parents don’t need assistance
o Your partner is on the same page, and you can afford to drop one income
o Be realistic. If your children are really struggling and you intend to support them, factor that in before you make your decision.
• Reason #4 – You are debt free
o You will be living on a fixed income, so being debt-free is ideal.
o If you have bad debt, taking a couple years to pay that off can safe you compounding debt in retirement.
o While a mortgage isn’t bad debt, if you are looking to buy a more expensive property, maybe reconsider if you are nearing retirement.
• Reason #5 - You have hit full retirement age
o Social Security full retirement age is 66-67
o The longer you wait, the higher your monthly payment.
o Medicare eligibility at age 65.
Everyone seems to think they have the key to picking the right stock. Peg is joined by Nicole Webb to discuss how to pick stocks in a way that keeps your financial plan first.
Nobody wants to talk about their estate, but planning what happens to your assets will spare your family a lot of grief. Peg is joined by Ryan McKeown to discuss the ins and outs of estate planning.
Bruce and Peg continue their two-part series on the tools you need to have in your financial toolbox. They talk diversification, having a vision and more.
A good advisor, emergency savings, HSAs. What do they all have in common? They are part of your financial toolkit. Bruce and Peg dig in for a two-part series on the pieces you need to build your financial plan.
Whether your kids have post-secondary education in their future or you want to help your grandkids. Bruce and Peg tell you what you need to know about affording it.
Social Security can be much more complicated than we expect. Bruce is joined by Rhonda Whitenack of the Social Security Administration to answer your questions in real time.
What do your "closing ceremonies" look like to you? Are you imagining taxes, extra expenses, inflation? Bruce and Peg offer some advice to avoid being surprised by all the things that come AFTER retirement.
You might know who your advisor is, but do you know your whole financial team? Bruce and Peg discuss the various roles within a financial team, and how they impact your money.
It’s finally Olympic season and inflation fears are once again taking hold. Bruce and Peg offer their thoughts on the role precious metals can play in your portfolio.
It’s summer, and that often means trips up to the cabin. Bruce and Peg discuss the implications of buying a cabin, or other vacation property, of your own.
Q2 continued the trend of climbing out of 2021 as global optimism reigned in light of vaccinations. Peg is joined by Christ Haarstick to discuss the quarter that was and the year that might be.
Becoming, and staying, financially independent doesn’t mean going it alone. Bruce and Peg offer some tips taking control of your money.
We don’t know what we don’t know, but sound financial strategies stand the test of time. Bruce and Peg talk about the problems of knowledge and the benefits of wisdom.
They call it the sandwich generation. People taking care of aging parents and older children at the same time. Bruce and Peg now focus on how to support older children financially.
The key to having a successful retirement is, of course, saving. Bruce and Peg offer some tips for how to make saving for your future a priority.
Investments love time. Alas, so does debt. Peg and Nicole Webb talk about some tricks for managing and reducing debt.
Long-term care is one of the most daunting prospects of aging. Bruce and Peg discuss the steps you can take now to help prevent financial disaster and ensure you get the care you need as you age.
For a variety of reasons, many retirees choose to re-enter the workforce. Bruce and Peg discuss what to consider before unretiring and how it can impact your finances.
Between low interest rates, economic stimulus, and increasing debt levels, a lot of people are worried about inflation. Bruce and Peg have some tips for inflation-proofing your finances.
Many folks are sandwiched between helping out their children and caring for their parents. Bruce and Peg are here with some advice for making parental care financially feasible.
Between the new tax proposals, Reddit stocks and memecoin, our listeners have a lot of questions. Bruce and Peg have answered.
Having a solid financial plan isn’t about hitting the hot stock or timing the markets. Bruce and Peg give you the scoop on the philosophy that can help you keep to your plan, rain or shine.
The 1st quarter of 2021 saw GDP growth as the economy continued to recover from COVID-related shutdowns. Bruce is joined by Chris Haarstick, Director of Investments, to discuss the quarter that was and what we can expect.
An extra month to do your taxes gives you an opportunity to get ahead of the game, and even make changes to your 2020 contributions.
With more people getting vaccinated, people are looking forward to some post-COVID vacationing. Bruce and Peg have some advice for getting the most vacation bang for your buck.
When it comes to tax time, you might not think of having fun. Bruce and Peg explain how out of the box thinking can help you come tax time.
In many ways, the American Rescue Act has broader tax implications for more families. Bruce is joined by Ryan McKeown to discuss what that means for you.
People often compare the markets or investing to the stock market. Bruce and Peg think that’s based on a lie, and one that can be destructive to your financial goals.
Time is money and money loves time. Bruce and Peg discuss the importance of knowing where you are in your retirement timeline.
New romance isn’t just for young lovers. For a variety of reasons, many are choosing to get married later in life, and Bruce and Peg are here to talk about the special considerations that entails.