Protecting your finances from hackers is more critical than ever. Cybercriminals are getting more sophisticated, accessing sensitive information like social security numbers and attempting to steal directly from financial accounts.

That’s why, in this blog, I’ll share seven essential steps to protect your Schwab accounts from hackers.

What’s the best way to protect your retirement savings when the market feels unpredictable? In today’s blog, I cover the growing uncertainty caused by political decisions and how they affect your investments. 

From tariffs to immigration changes and government cutbacks, I’ll share insights on how to navigate this volatility and keep your portfolio secure. Whether you’re nearing retirement or already there, this blog will provide actionable steps to ensure your investments remain on track despite external economic pressures.

When it comes to retirement plans, the general rule is that you can’t access funds in your retirement account(s), without penalty, until age 59 ½. If you withdraw funds prior to 59 ½, you’ll get hit with a 10% penalty and income tax (if coming from a non-Roth account). But there are some instances in which you can make withdrawals penalty-free. We’ll dive into those in this blog.

In this blog, I’m joined by Larry Swedroe, a thought leader in evidence-based investing and former Chief Research Officer at Buckingham Strategic Wealth.

Larry has authored over 18 books that have shaped the way people think about personal finance, and now, after 28 years in the industry, he’s sharing the most valuable lessons he’s learned in retirement planning and investing.

In some states, probate is avoidable. However, in many states, you can avoid having your estate go through the probate process. I recently went through the probate process when my grandfather passed away and I helped my father settle his estate. It is far easier for your family to settle your estate once you’re gone if it doesn’t go through probate. So, in this blog, I’ll cover 7 things you can do to keep your estate from landing in probate.

In an ideal world, everyone should aim to keep 3–6 months of living expenses in an emergency fund. But let’s face it—building that kind of safety net isn’t always easy. For many pre-retirees, most savings are tied up in retirement accounts, leaving limited options for unexpected expenses.

So, what can you do if an emergency arises? In today’s blog, I’ll walk you through how to access emergency funds from your 401(k) and explore strategies to help you stay prepared for life’s unexpected challenges.

If you retire early (before 65), you’re too young to qualify for Medicare. So what are your health insurance options? In this blog, I’ll address five different options you have to get health insurance. I’ll also share some ways you can lower the cost of your premiums to keep coverage affordable until you qualify for Medicare. 

Planning for retirement can be a complex process. There are so many things to do that it’s easy to forget common pitfalls to a successful retirement strategy. In this blog, I’m going to go over the Top 5 Retirement mistakes that I see regularly, how to avoid them, and resources to make sure you’re on the right track.

If you're a federal employee and you're considering accepting the deferred resignation offer that’s been presented by President Trump, you'll definitely want to read this blog. I’m going to go over three key things that you should consider when deciding whether or not to accept the deferred resignation offer.

I wanted to help you get your year started off right and I wanted to address 7 money moves that all pre retirees should make in 2025. I'm going to take you through those today.

Let’s breakdown the finalized regulations that were issued by the IRS on July 18th for people who inherited IRA’s in the year 2020 and later. I’ve spoken about this twice over the years in episode 180 and episode 200. However, the IRS has finally cleared up a lot of questions that were left unanswered at those times. 

A new bill was just signed into law by President Biden. That will increase the Social Security payments for millions of public school teachers and former public employees. The law is named the Social Security Fairness Act, and it repeals a pair of Social Security provisions that limit the Social Security benefits that many public school teachers and public employees receive.

You may have heard about the updated IRMAA brackets being released recently. Are you affected by this change? Is there anything you can do to prevent yourself from paying a higher premium? Either way, the Income-Related Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) may be a topic of interest.  In this post, I will cover the 2025 IRMAA Brackets and how they could affect your Medicare Part B and D premiums, even if you don’t currently fall into the high-income bracket.  Read through this blog to be better prepared for the potential impact on your healthcare costs in the future.

You may have heard about the updated IRMAA brackets being released recently. Are you affected by this change? Is there anything you can do to prevent yourself from paying a higher premium? Either way, the Income-Related Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) may be a topic of interest. In this post, I will cover the 2024 IRMAA Brackets and how they could affect your Medicare Part B and D premiums, even if you don’t currently fall into the high-income bracket. Read through this blog to be better prepared for the potential impact on your healthcare costs in the future.

No matter if you just graduated college, or are nearing retirement, everyone has expenses. Unfortunately, a lot of us have trouble controlling these expenses as we spend above our means, which reduces our excess funds. If you have issues with spending too much, then you should read along to learn five strategies on how to take back control of your expenses/spending.

When you sell an investment for a profit, you are subject to taxes on the gains.  It’s great that you were able to make money on the transaction, however, now you must cover the associated taxes.  These taxes can be significant, especially if you find yourself in one of the higher tax brackets.  Therefore, if you are interested in paying 0% capital gains tax, or at least reducing your end-of-year tax bill, then this is the blog for you. 

One of the biggest concerns for clients as they approach retirement age is their healthcare coverage. This stands especially true for clients that plan to retire before age 65 as Medicare has not started. Throughout this blog I will explain the relationship between Medicare and COBRA, and how you should navigate this complex area.

Are you planning to travel internationally this year?  After the pandemic, I have several clients interested in traveling after years of being home-bound.  Therefore, now would be a good time to review what can happen if you get hurt while traveling and how to protect yourself against these repercussions.

A common saying in the world of finance is to “sell in May and go away.”  Historically, stocks have been known to underperform from May to October.  With the 2023 stock market subject to factors like high-inflation, bank collapses, and debt ceiling concerns, should we expect the trend to continue? 

One of the largest current market concerns is the debt ceiling. The United States hit the debt ceiling in January of 2023 and there are concerns that the United States could default on their debt as early as June 1st. With all that in mind, how should you manage your investments moving into this time of uncertainty?