“RETIRE WITH INTEGRITY” PODCAST

The Principle:

With recent volatility on Wall Street, pundits have declared it’s time for a bear market. Brian discusses whether the long bull market is over.

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Honest Takes:

00:31 – Investing Guru Jeffrey Gundlach Warns Of A Bear Market.  

• Jeffrey Gundlach is an investor worth about $2 billion. He appeared on CNBC to warn other investors the ten-year bull market has come to an end.

1:02 – What Does Brian Think Of Gundlach’s Argument?  

• We should note he’s truly just another economist with an opinion. After all, you can’t time the market. To determine whether we’re in a bear market, you really need to examine the overall health of the economy.

1:36 – Indicators Of A Bear Market In 2008. 

• In 2008, and really in 2007, investors weren’t buying homes and unemployment was headed upward. These economic factors are key indicators of a bull market.

2:08 – Business Owner Confidence In The Market Is Huge.

• Business owners are often telling of a bull or bear market. If business owners aren’t making money, they aren’t going to invest. Instead, they’re going to focus on investing in their business because they have to keep their doors open.

3:43 – Are We In A Mess?

• Politically, we’re certainly in a mess. Brian outlines his frustration with what’s happening in Washington. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean we’re in a bear market. It’s too early to tell what the economy is going to do.

Today’s Truth:

Other Virtues:

The host: Brian Bowen – Contact

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“RETIRE WITH INTEGRITY” PODCAST

The Principle:

Tax-deferred accounts are great investing tools, but you have to be careful with them lest you upset Uncle Sam. Brian explains.

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Honest Takes:

00:15 – Be Careful With Your Tax-deferred Accounts.  

• You can’t escape Uncle Sam forever. When you invest in a tax-deferred account, you’ll eventually have to pay taxes on your gains. If you haven’t planned carefully, you could land yourself a hefty tax bill.

00:30 – Disorganization Is A Problem.  

• We meet with several folks who have money in all sorts of accounts. While they have a CPA to help them file their taxes, they don’t typically have someone to help them get organized and engage in preemptive tax planning.

00:53 – Your Tax-Deferred Accounts Can Affect Social Security. 

• The more you withdraw from your tax-deferred accounts, the more Uncle Sam is able to tax your Social Security benefits. The government considers withdrawals from tax-deferred accounts to be income. Furthermore they’re able to tax your Social Security benefit more depending upon your level of income.

3:03 – A Quick Aside on Tim Tebow And The Importance Of Charitable Giving.

• Brian shares a recent interview with Tim Tebow and discusses the important of giving back.

Today’s Truth:

Other Virtues:

The host: Brian Bowen – Contact

Subscribe To The “Retire With Integrity” Podcast:

“RETIRE WITH INTEGRITY” PODCAST

The Principle:

Retiring early can be rewarding, but it presents a unique set of challenges. Make sure you’re prepared should you choose to retire early.

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Honest Takes:

00:15 – Americans Are Unprepared For Retirement.  

• We hear all the time how Americans are unprepared for retirement. We hear less often of people retiring early. Regardless of when your time comes to walk out of the office, we want you to be prepared.

00:30 – Thoughts From Melody Hahm.  

• Yahoo Finance Reporter Melody Hahm was on CBS News recently. She shared her wisdom on how to retire early and spoke to the importance of maxing out your retirement contributions.

1:09 – What Counts As An Early Retirement?

• The IRS says that age 59 1/2 is when you can begin to withdraw from your accounts without any kind of penalty. For our purposes, we’ll say anything prior to that is considered an early retirement.

1:38 – Don’t Put Everything In Pre-Tax Accounts.

• We worry so much about tax advantages. Don’t focus on that to the point where you’re missing out on the flexibility that comes with investing in brokerage accounts. If you retire prior to that magic age, and your money is in a pre-tax, qualified retirement account, you’re going to be penalized.

2:41 – A Recent Example.  

• Brian worked with a gentleman who received an $8,800 penalty for withdrawing early from his qualified retirement account.

Today’s Truth:

Other Virtues:

The host: Brian Bowen – Contact

Subscribe To The “Retire With Integrity” Podcast: