Retirement planning tends to be disproportionally focused on finances, when one of the biggest issues that retirees struggle with is how to spend their time. Donna discusses retirement lifestyle management, as well as healthcare, income planning, and taxes. Also on MoneyTalk, considerations for a second home in retirement, and prioritizing savings goals. Host: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF®; Air Date: 4/29/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

We typically only hear about bonds when we experience spikes in interest rates or inflation, but understanding how bonds work helps us to better understand how the economy functions. Nathan takes us through 10 things you should know about bonds. Also on MoneyTalk, lessons from Ben Carlson’s book, “Don’t Fall For It: A Brief History of Financial Scams”, and the pros and cons of 401Ks. Host: Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 4/26/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

Gone are the days where retirement leads directly into a life of full time grand-childcare and quiet reflection. Today’s retirees are seeking a final act rich with community engagement where they can spend their time on activities that reflect their specific values. Donna and Nathan discuss how the trend of niche retirement communities is reshaping expectations of incoming retirees. Also on MoneyTalk, income planning strategies to minimize retirement health insurance premiums, and Stock Trivia: Two Truths and a Lie. Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 4/25/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

At age 18, we are put in a position to make financial decisions that we don’t fully understand, and some quickly learn how a few small mistakes can carry long term consequences. April is Financial Literacy Month, and in this episode, Donna and Nathan discuss topics geared towards young adults, including: career planning, managing student loans, and responsible use of debt. Also on MoneyTalk, Stock Trivia: Two Truths and a Lie. Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 4/23/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

Each decade of our adult lives brings its own unique set of financial challenges, so as important as planning for retirement is, a good financial plan seeks to anticipate our coming needs in each stage along the way. Donna takes us through some of the financial priorities that turn up in our 40s, 50s and 60s. Also on MoneyTalk, how to determine if you need a trust. Host: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF®; Air Date: 4/22/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

Financial planning is something that we engage in every day when we budget and save for our various needs, but to experience the true value of financial planning we need to take a step back and look at all of our needs at once, prioritizing them so we can allocate our resources accordingly. Nathan walks us through the process advisors follow when crafting a successful financial plan. Also on MoneyTalk, understanding the different designations held by financial advisors, and Babson College professor, Chris Hennessey, explains some wealth management strategies used by higher net worth investors. Host: Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Guest: Chris Hennessey; Air Date: 4/19/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

Getting married is one of the happiest and most exciting moments in life, but after the big day is over, many are unprepared for the transition to jointly managing their financial lives. Donna and Nathan discuss best practices for combining finances and managing shared expenses for newlyweds. Also on MoneyTalk, the pros and cons of borrowing from your retirement accounts, and Stock Trivia: Two Truths and a Lie. Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 4/18/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

The tax filing deadline is officially behind us, but for those who found themselves underprepared for the big day, it may be wise to start thinking about a better approach for next year. Donna offers tax prep tips, and ways you can get the most from your tax refund. Also on MoneyTalk, options for 529 holders who carry unused balances. Host: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF®; Air Date: 4/15/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

The majority of financial news coverage is focused on the stock market, but to long-term focused investment professionals the bond market is also vastly important, and when it comes to conversations of government bailouts, fixed income is the place they turn to first. Nathan speaks with Jeffrey Hannah, CFA®, CFP®, manager of the Aquila Narragansett Tax Free Income Fund, to talk about the state of the bond market, the Fed’s rate hikes, inflation, and the strategies fund managers use to design and manage municipal bond funds. Host: Nathan Beauvais CFP®, CIMA®; Guest: Jeffrey Hannah, CFA®, CFP®; Air Date: 4/12/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

The 4% rule is a rule of thumb which states that a typical retirement portfolio can sustain a withdrawal rate of 4% per year for 30 years without running out of money. Donna and Nathan explain the data behind this theory, and some of the reasons why it may not hold up in today’s world. Also on MoneyTalk, how to decide if you should do a Roth conversion. Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 4/11/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

Over the past decade we’ve seen a major shift in companies moving away from issuing dividends in favor of stock buybacks, and although this practice has been criticized by some of the media, it’s hard for investors to know if this strategy should impact their decision about whether or not to invest in the companies that issue them. Nathan discusses how stock buybacks work, and what they signal about the companies that initiate them. Also, on our MoneyTalk Moment in Financial History, Nathan and Steve offer lessons from the Bear Market of 1973. Host: Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 4/10/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

If you receive 100% of your income from your salary, the manner in which you are taxed is relatively straightforward, but most Americans receive income from multiple different sources, all of which are taxes a little differently. Donna and Nathan discuss how your tax liability is calculated on different types of income, including: social security, pensions, dividends and interest, capital gains, retirement accounts, life insurance proceeds, annuities, and real estate sales. Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 4/9/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

From the early days of MoneyTalk, Don Sowa used to say that investing doesn’t have to be complicated, and a successful money management strategy starts with focusing on the basics. Donna brings us back to the basics of investing, answering some common questions such as: How much do you need to start investing? Where should you invest your money when starting out? And, if my portfolio is down while I’m taking withdrawals, how could that impact my retirement? Host: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF®; Air Date: 4/8/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

The HELOC is one of the most popular types of home equity loan due to its flexibility, but many who are carrying old balances on their variable rate HELOCs are struggling with unmanageable payments due to our high interest rate environment. Donna and Nathan discuss options for managing variable rate home equity loan balances, and strategies for paying down other forms of high interest debt. Also on MoneyTalk, Stock Trivia: Two Truths and a Lie. Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 4/4/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

Donna pulls from the MoneyTalk Listener grab bag to answer questions from listeners like you, including: How does IRMAA impact my Medicare premium? What are some of the biggest regrets of todays retirees? And, how do you adjust your retirement plan if you are a senior going through a divorce? Host: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF®; Air Date: 4/1/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

We try our best to be intentional and calculated with how we manage our money, but until we acknowledge those involuntary forces behind our decisions, it’s hard to succeed in meeting our money goals. As a tribute to recently passed and highly regarded economist and writer, Daniel Kahneman, Donna and Nathan discuss his contributions to behavioral finance, and his insights about the biases that drive our decisionmaking around money. Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 3/28/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

March has been a big month for IPOs, with Reddit defying expectations out of the gate and Trump Media’s SPAC receiving an inexplicable $8 billion valuation. Donna and Nathan discuss the disconnect between the public euphoria around IPO launches and their intrinsic value. Also on MoneyTalk, how conservative should you be in retirement? And, Stock Trivia: Two Truths and a Lie. Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 3/26/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

Donna opens up the MoneyTalk listener grab bag to answer questions directly from you, including: What is the tax treatment of life insurance? How are annuity payments taxed? What do I have to do if my 401(k) provider changes? What are the current IRA income and contribution limits? And, how do I choose which pension distribution option to take? Host: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF®; Air Date: 3/25/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

Investments can be packaged and presented in a variety of ways, and understanding your investments requires an equal understanding of the vehicles that carry them. Nathan offers an in depth look at ETFs and other investment vehicles. Also on MoneyTalk, how to measure risk and uncertainty in investing, and key takeaways from Hans Rosling’s book, “Factfulness: Ten Reasons Why We’re Wrong About the World - and Why Things Are Better Than You Think”. Host: Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 3/22/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

Choosing your financial advisor is a decision that should not be taken lightly, because any professional relationship that could span decades is worthy of a formal vetting process. Donna and Nathan discuss the questions you should ask when shopping around for a new financial advisor. Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 3/21/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

The 529 account is a wonderful tool for saving for your child’s education, but often times those funds end up going unused, forcing account holders to incur taxes and penalties on the interest earned. Donna explains an exciting new provision of The SECURE Act 2.0 allowing a portion of unused 529 funds to be rolled over to a Roth IRA under certain circumstances. Also on MoneyTalk, Donna covers more changes introduced in The SECURE Act 2.0, including employer matching contributions for student loan salary deferrals, and pension linked emergency savings accounts. Host: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF®; Air Date: 3/18/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

Many people think of their home as their biggest investment, and while that may be true on some level, the emotional connection we have to our home separates it from other traditional investments in several important ways. Nathan explains why you should treat your home differently than the other investments in your portfolio. Host: Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 3/15/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

We often talk about how retirement is changing, and for those retiring soon, it may be a good idea to revisit some of those assumptions that you made during the early days of your retirement planning. Donna and Nathan discuss current trends in retirement, including living longer than expected, retiring earlier than planned, working part time in retirement, expanding 401(k) options, and more. Also on MoneyTalk, the exponential impact of auto escalation of 401(k) contributions. Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 3/13/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

The increasing number of financial tools available today has created new opportunities for consumers, but also for those looking to defraud those consumers. Donna and Nathan discuss red flags to look out for when using technology to manage your finances. Also on MoneyTalk, smart ways to invest in your home. Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 3/7/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

When we think of the innovations that contributed to the rise of the industrial age, the steam locomotive is arguably the most impactful of them all. Without the railroad system, the westward expansion of the US and the exponential economic growth of the late 19th and 20th centuries could not have occurred. In this edition of our MoneyTalk Moment in Financial History, Nathan tells the infamous story of one of the first major US railroads, the Eerie, and the war that ensued between Cornelius Vanderbilt, Daniel Drew, James Fisk and Jay Gould. Host: Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 3/6/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

When moving out of your employer sponsored plan, you are typically required to sell your holdings prior to rollover, leaving you subject to the conditions of the market at the time you retire. Donna takes a question from a listener approaching retirement who wants to know if it makes sense to sell early while prices are high rather than leaving him tied to the asset values on his rollover date. Also on MoneyTalk, market linked CDs, and retirement blind spots. Host: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF®; Air Date: 3/4/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

Let’s be honest, unless you’re a financial advisor, books on retirement are not the first choice for those looking for a page turner, so when we find one that we find to be highly readable and universally relevant we feel obliged to share. Donna and Nathan discuss the changing face of retirement today, as presented by Ben Carlson’s in his book, “Everything You Need to Know About Retirement”. Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 3/1/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

Dividend paying securities have traditionally been a haven for those looking to generate income without sacrificing growth, but their performance over the past decade has seen a shift that is prompting some to reexamine their value. Donna and Nathan explain how the dominance of tech and the trend in stock buybacks over issuing dividends have reduced the number of high-performing dividend payers in the market. Also on MoneyTalk, words of wisdom from one of the greatest investment minds of our time. Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 2/27/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

Information security is a hot button issue today, and the primary reason is that it is directly tied to your financial security. Donna gives some examples of high profile individuals who have fallen victim to financial fraud, and the avoidable mistakes that left them vulnerable. Also on MoneyTalk, current RMD rules and IRA contribution limits. Host: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF®; Air Date: 2/26/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

Burnout is all too common in corporate America today, and for those trying to decide if it’s time to jump ship to a new career it can be a scary and uncertain time. Nathan talks with Dave Lubelczyk, founder of The Dream Catapult, to discuss his journey of leaving the corporate world behind to help individuals rewrite their story and pursue a lifestyle that better reflects their true values. Host: Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 2/23/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

You can drive in a nail with the back of a screw driver, but a hammer works better; and this same principle rings true for financial tools. Steve and Nathan discuss some frequently misused financial tools that, under the right circumstances, can provide great value to your portfolio if applied appropriately, including: reverse mortgages, annuities, tax exempt bonds, trusts, insurance, and more. Hosts: Nathan Beauvais CFP®, CIMA® & Steven Beauvais; Air Date: 2/20/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

The Health Savings Account is what is known as a tax unicorn, combining some of the key tax benefits of both tax deductible and tax deferred accounts, so if your employer offers an HSA as part of your benefits package, you should strongly consider taking advantage of you qualify. Donna and Nathan discuss how to use the HSA to its full benefit. Also on MoneyTalk, a discussion on Ben Carlson’s “17 Thoughts About Money”. Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 2/15/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

When retirement is around the corner, there are a whole lot of considerations beyond your income that need to be planned for. Donna takes us through the questions soon-to-be retirees should be able to answer, including: What am I retiring to? How much will I spend? How much health coverage will I need? When will I claim social security? What will my tax liability be? Are my investments allocated appropriately? And, is my estate plan sufficient? Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 2/14/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

The investment strategies used when investing for the next generation can look very different than how you handle your retirement assets. Nathan and Steve discuss considerations for those managing multigenerational assets. Also, our MoneyTalk Moment in Financial History takes us from Ponzi to Madoff to track the history of the Ponzi scheme. Hosts: Nathan Beauvais CFP®, CIMA® & Steven Beauvais; Guest: Daniel Sowa; Air Date: 2/7/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

Annuities continue to be a topic of both interest and controversy for conservative individuals looking to generate income from their assets, and although they have their drawbacks, the right type of annuity can be a great tool depending on your needs and circumstances. Donna discusses the various types of annuities, and how to determine if one is right for your situation. Host: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF®; Air Date: 2/5/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

Today, the banking industry serves as the backbone of our economy. But in the early days of the US, banks were small, decentralized institutions that couldn’t even operate across state lines; so how did we get here? In this edition of our MoneyTalk Moment in Financial History, Nathan tells the story of America’s rise to power through the lens of the US banking system. Host: Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 2/1/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!

The 529 can be a great tool for funding your child’s education, but when it comes time to use it, you need to have a good understanding of the rules to avoid steep taxes and penalties. Donna takes us through the rules governing 529 accounts, and the best ways to ensure that you are taking full advantage of the tax benefits. Also, on our MoneyTalk Moment in Financial History, Nathan covers the history of the US banking system. Hosts: Donna Sowa Allard, CFP®, AIF® & Nathan Beauvais, CFP®, CIMA®; Air Date: 1/31/2024. Have a question for the hosts? Visit sowafinancial.com/moneytalk-radio to join the conversation!