Certified Financial Planner™ Kerrie Debbs joins the show again to discuss the 401(k) trap that many Americans are falling into as they prepare for retirement. "The 401(k) Trap" also happens to be the name of an excellent eBook that Brian Doe and Kerrie co-created to help retirees avoid the missteps others make in their savings and retirement accounts. Brian and Kerrie discuss how higher taxes in the future could rob you of your retirement dreams, what will happen if an unexpected expense forces you into a higher tax bracket, and explore the benefits of maximizing your after-tax income in retirement. Learn all about “The 401(k) Trap” on this episode and also by downloading the eBook.

Ep 42: Investing For The Future

The world is constantly changing. On this episode, we'll take a look at how advancements in technology are changing our way of life and analyze what kinds of opportunities might arise because of the changing landscape. We'll explore telemedicine, remote learning, 5G, computing power, transportation and more.

Ep 41: Hedge Funds & Alternative Investments

You probably heard all about GameStop stock and buzzwords like short squeeze, Reddit’s Wall Street Bets, and hedge funds in the last week of January. But to understand the full story, we need to take a step back and look into what short selling is and how a hedge fund operates. Brian will define these concepts for us and explain what happened with the GameStop frenzy that has everybody talking.

Ep 40: Math vs. Human Behavior

When we are making financial decisions, we want to make sure that the logic and math of the plan check out. However, this is difficult to do when we get our emotions involved. Today Brain talks to us about behavioral finance and why a mix of both delayed and instant gratification can be beneficial in your plan with some practical examples.

Ep 39: Hindsight Is 2020

Has the pandemic turned you into a hunk, a drunk or a chunk? As many commit to New Year's Resolutions about getting in shape physically, we hope you'll resolve to get financially fit in 2021. Brian walks us through some things you can do to organize and consolidate your financial affairs. Plus, meet Linda Montgomery, the Client Services Specialist at Livingworth Wealth Advisors with more than 20 years of experience in the banking and financial services industries. She'll share her knowledge and personal stories about durable powers of attorney, fraud protection, and more.

Ep 38: Bitcoin Again?

Bitcoin was all the rage before the wild ride called 2020 happened to all of us. The digital currency made headlines in 2017 and 2018 when a single coin's value skyrocketed to almost $20,000. It then tumbled and went on a turbulent roller coaster ride through the charts. With it near all-time highs again, interest has been renewed in the controversial product. Is Bitcoin a good investment? Is it right for me? How can I get in on it? These are the kinds of questions we're getting with more frequency these days. What does the average saver and investor need to know about Bitcoin? We'll try to tackle some of those questions and clear a bit of the air, without getting caught in the technical fiddle-faddle, on today's show.

Ep 37: Government Cheese with Brett Danko

Do you remember the Government Cheese fiasco? Government's attempt at controlling the prices of dairy forced such a tremendous amount of cheese to be produced that it led to the creation of caves full of cheese is a shining example of how the road to ruin is paid with good intentions. On this episode, special guest Brett Danko joins Brian to talk about other examples of how government influence has impacted the markets and the economy and how we can apply the lessons learned to our own financial lives.

Ep 36: In Defense Of Doing Nothing

Sometimes it's OK to do nothing. No, we're not talking about sitting on the couch and doing nothing. Instead, we're talking about when things are going crazy in the market or there's a lot going on in your financial life that's causing you stress, sometimes it's OK to step back and do nothing. Often it gets you in less trouble than trying to react. We'll talk about this idea with Brian as we analyze investor reactions throughout 2020 and as we look ahead to next year.

Ep 35: The 401(k) Trap

Some of the traditional pillars of retirement income are almost non-existent (Pensions) or severely fractured (Social Security). It leaves the final pillar of personal savings (your 401(k)) as the last pillar standing. But new assaults are threatening the security of this final pillar. We call it The 401(k) Trap. Join us on this episode as we explore the (surprisingly) long history of pensions, how their general demise gave way to the 401(k), and how we can take certain actions today to make sure your retirement income is left intact on your way to, and through, retirement.

You can also download a special report that Brian Doe has created by the same name as this podcast. Check out The 401(k) Trap for more information on this subject. It includes a helpful bonus checklist to help you assess your retirement preparedness.

Bonus Episode: Election & Market Update

The 2020 Presidential Election is still ongoing as we record this bonus episode of Make The Dough Rise. Brian gives us a look back at the week through a financial lens (as of Friday morning) to see what the election uncertainty has meant for the markets so far, and what this reaction possibly tells us about near and long term financial prospects.

Ep 34: Brace For Impact? Mentally Preparing For The 2020 Election

Is it time to cash out and sit on the sidelines (financially) before the election happens? Do we need to prepare for long-term economic fallout from this year's election? What other unpredictable elements could drive impact the economy, you 401(k), and wallet in the days and months ahead? We'll cover all of those questions and more financial & retirement considerations as we get ready for Election Day 2020.

Ep 33: Social Security Surprise!

Social Security is a topic that many pre-retirees worry about. They fear the benefit will suddenly disappear when they get to retirement, or they will only receive a portion of the benefit that they were expecting. However, there are small changes that can be made over time and we will discuss what can be done on today's episode.

Ep 32: Time For Some Positivity

It seems like the news is bad everywhere you turn. It's hard not to develop a bit of a negative mindset these days. So, we're going to try to counteract that on today's show with lots of talk about innovation, problem-solving, advancement and just general good news. We hope you'll find that despite all the bad news there are still plenty of reasons to stay positive and that there are lots of lessons to be learned.

Ep 31: 401(k) - Too Much of a Good Thing

On the previous episode, we explored some tax trap doors in the financial world. On this edition of the podcast, we'll specifically look at some tax trap doors that live inside our 401(k)s. We'll learn the lesson that sometimes going for the short term benefit could cost us in the long run.

Ep 30: Deadly Dollars & Tax Trap Doors

There are many tax trap doors that can catch you if you're not navigating retirement carefully. Today's podcast revolves all around taxes and how deadly they can be to your retirement fund. Brian will give us examples of different tax situations and why planning is so crucial to your retirement plan.

Ep 29: If I Had A Million Dollars... I'd Do This

Remember playing the game when you were a kid? What would you do if you had a million dollars? What about the Barenaked Ladies song and the many ways you could spend a million dollars that it explores? Well, for many of you closing in on retirement, the question of what to do with a million dollars isn't a fetched dream. It's the reality of years of hard work and savings and now you want to "spend" that savings wisely in retirement. But where can you turn in today's economic environment that is rife with uncertainty?

Ep 28: The Matthew Effect (Pareto Distribution)

Range. Today's episode has a lot of range. We're going to talk about the book of Matthew, Accumulated Advantage, the 80/20 Pareto Distribution, Hockey, Celebrities, Endowments and YouTube stars and somehow tie it all together to explain some really interesting phenomena in the stock market and areas of the financial world.

Ep 27: Addressing The Risk To Your Retirement Security Part 2 - The Role of Annuities

In the second part of the series on addressing the risk to your retirement security we'll tackle the controversial topic of annuities. Jamal is back to help Brian explore the pros and cons of these financial products and dive into the reasons why they're so misunderstood.

Ep 26: Addressing The Risk To Your Retirement Security Part 1 - The Role of Long Term Care

Certified Financial Planner Jamal Mahmood joins the show to start another two-part series. This series explores two major risks to your retirement security. In part 1, we'll explore the need for long term care coverage and explore some of the creative ways Brian and Jamal help solve the problem of accounting for future healthcare needs.

Ep 25: It's All Greek To Me Part 2 - A Gamma Optimized Portfolio

We're back to the alphabet soup we first started to explore in episode 22 of the show. On that episode we dove into financial terms like Alpha, Beta and Sigma. Today, our focus is on Gamma. And the major shift here is from focusing on specific investment measurements to truly trying to understand the additional value that a financial advisor brings to the table. How can a good financial advisor help you make good financial planning decisions and how can we measure that impact? We'll cover the five key indicators and factors that go into finding that value. There's a lot to unpack here, but that also means it's a great opportunity to learn something new. So grab a slice and lend an ear as we kick off the 25th episode of Make The Dough Rise!

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Make the Dough rise Podcast

With Brian Doe, CFP®

Make the Dough rise
Podcast