Podcast

Ep 64: Investment Lessons To Learn From 2020

What a year 2020 was. Pandemic. Contested elections. Civil unrest. Rollercoaster investment markets.

As Churchill wrote, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Listen to Kevin discuss investment lessons you can learn from 2020 to be a smarter investor and keep your retirement on track for years to come. Continue reading

Ep 63: 3 Ways To Tax-Optimize Your Charitable Giving

Hear Kevin discuss three ways to tax-optimize your charitable giving. Whether through in-kind transfers of appreciated stock, using a donor-advised fund, or via Qualified Charitable Distributions, each can help you gain a bigger tax break and meet your charitable goals in the Retire Smarter way. Continue reading

Ep 62: Pension Lump Sums: 2021 May Be The Best Year Ever

Pension lump sums will be much higher in 2021 than 2020. Listen to Kevin discuss timing considerations on how to optimize your pension benefits by understanding the key variables that determine your lump sum.

Company pension plans specifically discussed include Akron Children’s Hospital, Bridgestone, FirstEnergy, Goodyear, Mercy Health, and Rockwell Automation. Continue reading

Ep 61: Welcoming Ron Wyatt, CFP® as a New Partner

We’re excited to make a big announcement on this episode of Retire Smarter. Kevin is joined by True Wealth Design’s newest partner, Ron Wyatt, who brings more than 25 years of financial planning experience to the firm. A lot of existing listeners will be hearing from Ron for the first time, so we’ll spend some time getting to know his background and professional journey. And new listeners will also get to learn more about Kevin’s experiences. Continue reading

Ep 60: Why The Cheapest Investment Option May Not Be The Best

The purchase price of your car is one factor to consider. But the Total Cost of Ownership — adding in costs for insurance, fuel, maintenance and repairs, as well as the residual value upon sale — is a better way to evaluate financial aspects of a car purchase.

Same too goes for selecting investments. Many solely use the expense ratio to determine what fund to buy. But while the expense ratio is important, it does not tell the whole story. In fact, it may tell only a small part. Continue reading