Mr. Stillman's Opus

We’re just a few months away from another election and everyone anticipates it being another year, so what does that mean for your investments? When uncertainty starts to increase, there’s often a strong marketing push for buying gold, but is now a good time to do that? Today we’ll answer that question with a discussion on the role of gold in your portfolio as we prepare for election year madness. Uncover the truths behind gold's historical performance and whether it truly is the investment armor against volatile markets. This isn’t just a question for election years so let’s break down the truth behind gold as an investment. Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode: 0:00 - Intro 1:19 – Gold’s return over time 3:50 – The marketing behind buying gold 5:51 – Apocalypse preparation 7:39 – ‘This time is different’ Connect with us: Web: https://rosewoodwealthmanagement.com/ Phone: 919-391-3446

As you approach retirement or begin that next stage of life, the financial goals shift to protecting what you’ve saved. There are different ways to accomplish that goal, but with the volatility we’ve seen from the market, does it make sense to move to cash to be safe? Here’s the question we’ll tackle in this video: I haven’t decided on a specific retirement date yet, but hopefully it will be sometime in the next four years. With all of the recent market volatility, should I just move my retirement savings to cash until everything blows over? We’ll provide context for this conversation by looking back at the market in the past few years and then explain how we help people answer this question.

A common situation that many couples have to face is one spouse being older than the other and worrying about how to protect them financially should something happen. What’s the best way to ensure they are taken care of after you’re gone? Is a big life insurance policy a good option? In this video, John will weigh in on this scenario and answer a question that we recently received: I’m not planning on dying anytime soon, but my wife is nine years younger than me and I want to be sure that she’s taken care of when I’m gone. Should I take out a big life insurance policy on myself? Find out how to determine if life insurance makes sense and what type of policy you might need.

For most people, investing strategies change as you age because you want to protect what you’ve earned rather than chasing bigger returns. But what if you have more than you’ll need for retirement in your IRA? Is that a time when being aggressive makes sense or should you still take a more conservative approach? In this video, we’ll be answering a question we recently received with this scenario: I’m in my 70s and it doesn’t seem that I’ll be needing any of the money in my IRA, although I do have to take RMDs each year. I know that it breaks all of the rules for someone in their 70s to be an aggressive investor, but since I don’t need the money, it’s ok if I’m aggressive, right? Join us as John answers the questions and explains how he would work through this situation with Nina to help her get the most out of her money.

As much as any other threat, recognizing and avoiding scams has become a necessary skill for today’s retirees to develop. Technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, which makes it more and more difficult to stay on top of the latest scams. This episode will highlight the most common financial scams being used right now to help you better recognize when you’re being targeted. Join us as we explore crucial steps you can take to safeguard your financial well-being against the growing tide of scams and identity theft. Learn from real-life stories and gain practical advice to keep your finances secure in this digital era, all from the perspective of a seasoned financial professional. Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode: 0:00 – Intro 1:56 – Phishing 6:35 – Government scams 8:43 – Sweepstakes 10:30 – Grandparent scams 13:10 – Romance scams 16:00 – What to do if you fall victim Connect with us: Web: https://rosewoodwealthmanagement.com/ Phone: 919-391-3446

It’s not all that uncommon to hear from someone who was given the option of a severance package and pension buyout years ahead of when they actually planned on leaving work to retire. Is it worth taking the offer and leaving your job or does it make more sense to continue working? We received a question recently from someone in this situation: I’m 60 and have been given two options at work. Keep working and retire in 5-6 years with a pension, or I can retire now and take a severance package & a pension buyout. How do I weigh my options? More and more Americans in their 50s and 60s are being forced into an early retirement so let’s talk about how to figure out which option is going to be best for you. It can be an overwhelming decision, especially if you have to make it in 30 or 60 days, and this video will give you a few things to consider if you face this same scenario.

A common area where people struggle with their finances is simply just making decisions. It’s easy to fall into the trap of overthinking, to the point where you talk yourself into circles and fail to ever make a choice. You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘paralysis by analysis’ before but it often applies to the financial industry as well. We have a scenario that we want to share and work through in this video: It seems like every time I need to make a financial decision, I just end up talking myself in circles. How do I stop doing this? John Stillman of Rosewood Wealth Management will show you how he helps clients push through the mental hurdles that come with making money decisions and specifically address this situation. He’ll share some real-life examples of how this has played out in his office and give you the key considerations you need to think through in order to start making the tough decisions. Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode: 0:00 – Intro 1:49 – Client story 5:13 – Understanding what matters 7:10 – Iterative decision making Connect with us: Web: https://rosewoodwealthmanagement.com/ Phone: 919-391-3446

It’s not uncommon for someone to retire early but still not feel totally comfortable with the idea of not earning a consistent paycheck. It’s a complete shift in thinking and unless you’ve done solid planning, there might be a little doubt still lingering in your mind. So how do you know when you have enough to retire? Better yet, how do you get the confidence to spend the money you have in retirement without the fear of running out and returning to work. We have that exact scenario to work through on the show thanks to a question that we recently received. It comes from a police officer who was injured and given a medical retirement, which provides a monthly check. At age 53, they feel like they need to continue earning money because it feels too early to be retired. The issue now is finding work that pays as much as his job as an officer did so how should he approach this? Listen as we tackle this specific situation but also discuss retiring early and the general planning involved. Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode: 0:00 – Intro 1:32 – Questions to answer 4:58 – How much you need to make 6:14 – Client story 7:24 – How to plan for it Connect with us: Web: https://rosewoodwealthmanagement.com/ Phone: 919-391-3446

Are you considering maxing out your 401(k) but unsure what to do next? We face this question all the time at Rosewood Wealth Management so today we want to explore if it’s wise to max out your 401(k) before investing anywhere else, and if it is, where to look if you want to save even more. It’s a good conversation to have early in the year as you make plans for your retirement contributions over the next 12 months. Having said that, we do understand that this is a fortunate position to be in, and not everyone will have the ability to max out their contributions this year, and that’s totally fine. We can work through strategies for different situations, but today we want to focus on those who can save at a high rate so that they’re getting the most from their investments. Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode: 0:00 – Intro 1:48 – Reasons to max out your 401k 5:59 – Reasons why you wouldn’t max it out 8:11 – Roth option 10:10 – Other investment options to consider Connect with us: Web: https://rosewoodwealthmanagement.com/ Phone: 919-391-3446 Find us on YouTube: https://bit.ly/42qQ3jZ

The future of Social Security continues to be a cause for concern if you read the headlines, but should you be concerned about the reality of the program going bankrupt? With so many retirees relying heavily on Social Security for income, there’s plenty of reason to take notice and ask the question. In this episode, we’ll help you better understand the reasons money is projected to run out sometime in the 2030s by using a triangle and hourglass analogy. John will also tell you why he doesn’t think it’ll ever run dry and list a few things that could change to maintain solvency. Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode: Connect with us: Web: https://rosewoodwealthmanagement.com/ Phone: 919-391-3446

Today we’re going to answer a question that a lot of people are asking when it comes to retirement planning and that’s when should you do a 401k rollover? You’ve probably heard that it’s usually best to move money out of an old 401k account, but does the timing matter? In this episode, we’ll talk about the qualifying events that need to occur in order to give you the option for a 401k rollover. Then we’ll tell you about the four main options you have once you reach the point where you could roll the money over. Finally, let’s discuss some reasons why you would choose one of these options over another. Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode: Connect with us: Web: https://rosewoodwealthmanagement.com/ Phone: 919-391-3446

We’re finishing up our estate planning series with Tim Nordgren, an attorney at SchellBray in Chapel Hill, with a discussion today on what could go wrong if we don’t have the main planning documents in place. Then we’ll wrap up with some of his estate planning horror stories that he’s seen through the years. As you heard in our previous episodes with Tim, there are four main estate planning documents: the will, the durable general power of attorney, the healthcare power of attorney, and the living will. Join us as we find out what could go wrong for each of these and how he’s helped people navigate these messy situations. Here are some of the things you’ll learn in this episode: Connect with us: Web: https://rosewoodwealthmanagement.com/ Phone: 919-391-3446

We’re back once again with Tim Nordgren, an attorney at SchellBray in Chapel Hill, to talk more about estate planning. Today we want to address one of the most common questions that comes up during our planning meetings and that’s whether or not someone needs a trust. It seems like many people have been conditioned to think they need a trust, but that’s not always the case. To help us better understand some of the scenarios where a trust makes more sense than a will, Tim will take us through the key differences, which assets need to be covered, and the main benefits a trust provides. Here are some of the things you’ll learn in this episode: Connect with us: Web: https://rosewoodwealthmanagement.com/ Phone: 919-391-3446

Today we’re joined by Tim Nordgren, an attorney at SchellBray in Chapel Hill who focuses on trusts and estates. We send people to Tim all the time and appreciate the work he does, which is why we wanted to have him explain estate documents a little further for us. He’ll walk us through the documents needed for when doing testamentary planning or planning for incapacity and explain what each document covers. Here are some of the things you’ll learn in this episode: Connect with us: Web: https://rosewoodwealthmanagement.com/ Phone: 919-391-3446

The role of life insurance in retirement is something many people ask about. Do you still need to keep your policy now that your children are on their own and you’ve built a nice nest egg? While that’s true, life insurance might still be able to play a valuable role in your financial plan and we’ll tell you why in this episode. John will run through the most common reasons people say they need life insurance and we’ll tell you which ones are legitimate. Things like covering final expenses and paying off debt are often on the list but what about using it for tax-free income or covering long-term care? We’ll discuss those and more on the show today. Here are some of the things you’ll learn in this episode: Connect with us: Web: https://rosewoodwealthmanagement.com/ Phone: 919-391-3446

We’re in the middle of one of the largest wealth transfers in our country’s history as Baby Boomers pass on their estate to loved ones, and some of that money is coming in the form of an IRA. Rules regarding inherited IRAs have changed in the past few years so we want to bring you up to speed on what’s new. Plus, we'll walk you through some of the decisions you’ll need to make with an inherited IRA, how it impacts beneficiaries differently, and explain the differences for Roth IRAs. Here are some of the things you’ll learn in this episode: Connect with us: Web: https://rosewoodwealthmanagement.com/ Phone: 919-391-3446

In this episode, we’ll explore many of the expenses in your life that might drastically change (one way or another) in retirement. We’ll break those expenses down further to see which ones are the top priorities and analyze some of the other factors that impact your cash flow in retirement. Here are some of the things you’ll learn in this episode: Connect with us: Web: https://rosewoodwealthmanagement.com/ Phone: 919-391-3446

When you think about a family’s assets in retirement, few are more important than the home. Not only is it typically the most expensive thing a person owns, but it also carries a lot of emotional attachment with it. Once you reach retirement, you’re likely going to have a few things to consider with your home, and people often go in one of four different directions: stay in their home, move to a new home, become a renter, or buy a second home. Today we’ll talk through each option and what financial pros and cons you’ll need to consider before choosing where you plan to live. Here are some of the things you’ll learn in this episode: Connect with us: Web: https://rosewoodwealthmanagement.com/ Phone: 919-391-3446

Our three-part series on marriage and money wraps up today with a look at the financial decisions that often happen during the divorce process. This is going to be a highly emotional and difficult process for those involved, which makes the financial aspect of this process even more challenging. We’ll walk you through a few of the items that will need to be addressed like dividing assets, child support, and updating documents. Then we’ll talk about how your mindset has to change as you begin the next chapter of life independently and begin planning for retirement on your own. Here are some of the things you’ll learn in this episode: Connect with us: Web: https://rosewoodwealthmanagement.com/ Phone: 919-391-3446

Money plays a significant role in the health of a relationship and life events like marriage and remarriage require us to have honest conversations about finances when we take these steps in life. In this episode, we’re going to spend time discussing the items that need attention when you get remarried. There are some common themes and considerations as your first marriage, but things like combining finances and joint accounts will inevitably be more difficult when it’s the second marriage because you’re further along in life and more established financially. Combining households can be a challenge when you get married again for the second time so we have to communicate quite a bit and make sure we find a process that works for both parties. Here are some of the things you’ll learn in this episode: Connect with us: Web: https://rosewoodwealthmanagement.com/ Phone: 919-391-3446