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Join my discussion today with special guest, Michael Merdinger, lead advisor with Financial Strategy Network, LLC located in Chicago. Our discussion centers on the holistic approach to Financial Planning. What are the pieces of your financial puzzle and how do the effect the other pieces in your financial puzzle? When will I be able to retire? Will I outlive my … Read more about this episode...

Healthcare in the United States is changing. It is my opinion that the changes are not good.There are nearly 500 Billion cuts to Medicare in the health care law as it stands now. Most of those cuts will be from Medicare Part C the Advantage plans. Join our discussion as me and my guest Pauline Maslynsky, a medicare and medicare … Read more about this episode...

I have asked my special guest, Dwight Mazzone to return and give us more details on the most talked about parts of the new Healthcare Law. The individual mandate to buy Health Insurance, the waivers for religious, union and large corporations. What about the idea of portability across state lines? Recap of what the Health Care Exchanges are. What about … Read more about this episode...

The loss of the family wage earner can be devastating, both emotionally and financially. Social Security helps by providing income for the families of workers who die. In fact, 98 of every 100 children could get benefits if a working parent dies. And Social Security pays more benefits to children than any other federal program. This comes directly from the … Read more about this episode...

Social Security Disability benefits are available to anyone who meets the minimum eligibility requirements. Working and paid into the system through Social Security payroll taxes. So why is it so difficult to have your claim approved? Disability benefits have the most stringent definition of disability, permanent or terminable. Are you saying I have to be dying to qualify? No, not … Read more about this episode...

Most people don’t know how long they will live. Most people don’t know if and when they will run out of money. We are being told that the Social Security Trust Fund has $2 Trillion dollars in it and will run surpluses for the next 14 years and grow to $4.3 Trillion by the end of 2023. Really? I believe … Read more about this episode...

The new healthcare law known as “Obamacare” has created a firestorm of criticism, rhetoric, misunderstanding and downright anger. What does all this mean? And, more to the point, how is this going to affect the individuals and small business owners? Why are some many waivers, (opting out,) being given to large companies, certain religious groups and of all things the … Read more about this episode...

We are facing a disturbing prospect: Americans outliving their retirement income looms large. Financial Planners are well positioned to help Americans with this issue. The population is large and growing. By 2010, 100 million Americans were over the age of 55, yet fewer than half of all investors at or near their retirement consider themselves to be “very prepared.” Our … Read more about this episode...

The recession has helped push women to become more educated about their financial lives, more proactive about in making financial decisions and gain more confidence about their financial futures. But too few women have a financial plan in place. This lack of a plan can impact their financial futures over the long run. A 10th anniversary was conducted by Prudential … Read more about this episode...

President Obama has often reminded us, “Government only steps in when the private sector has failed.” Financial Service professionals are that private sector. They are the people that our citizens look to for leadership and help for their very uncertain futures during this economic downturn. If we fail to help our citizens achieve financial independence, then government must play a … Read more about this episode...

This week’s show is a discussion about the much needed and clearly defined fiduciary standard for all Financial Advisors. This discussion is especially timely early this year as the SEC and Congress are in the process of putting rules and regulations in place that will protect the small retail investing public. The Dodd-Frank financial reform bill signed into law last … Read more about this episode...

The marital home is in many cases the family’s most valuable asset. Before the housing crisis, the home pursuant to a divorce was handled in one of three ways. Sell and split the equity, one spouse buys the other out, or keep the home for the minor children until they graduate. Now that the housing crisis is upon us, a … Read more about this episode...

It’s often said that there are really three parties in a divorce: the husband, the wife and Uncle Sam. Far too many people negotiate and finalize their divorce without taking a proper account of the tax impact of the decisions they are considering. Divorce can be challenging, particularly when it comes to tax time. Which spouse owes taxes? What forms … Read more about this episode...

Congress finally got around to renewing the Bush era tax rates so what now. Join me and my guest as we discuss what this all means for individual taxpayers and small business owners. We define rates, credits, estate tax implications and arm you with enough information to ask intelligent questions of your tax advisor, estate planning attorney and financial advisor. … Read more about this episode...

Today’s show will review events and trends in the markets and the economy in 2010 important to everyone striving to build their financial security, aswell as discuss year-end financial planning advice. I will also peer intothe future to share my outlook for the New Year, what and where should you be now. Is gold the place to be? The bond … Read more about this episode...

Emotions are running high and the financial issues inherent to every divorce case are often times the ones that are the most overlooked. Once a divorce settlement has been signed, it’s too late to change it. Who should keep the house? How much will it cost to live post divorce? How much alimony is there going to be and for … Read more about this episode...

Circle of Neighbors is a community based organization serving thousands of families for over 25 years with over 30,000 national members. They started with a local group of parents with college bound students, many of whom were told they may not qualify for aid because of income and assets. Our motto of Neighbor Helping Neighbor complements the efforts of counselors … Read more about this episode...

The global economic downturn began fall 2008 and people became concerned for their futures.There were several high profile scams that created a lack of public trust. We, as Financial Planners are not calling this another Great Depression, but how we work with our clients going forward will change dramatically. American individuals and companies have lost trillions in portfolio market values … Read more about this episode...