Are you worried about making the right investment choices for your retirement? Join host Jason L Smith, and special guest Apollo Lupescu from Dimensional Fund Advisors, for a conversation that takes the mystery out of investing.
Whether you’re already enjoying retirement or planning for it in the next few years, this episode breaks down what you really need to know about protecting and growing your nest egg in today’s complex market environment.
Key Topics Discussed:
Investment Fundamentals: Learn why having a comprehensive financial plan is crucial before selecting specific investments
Risk Management: Understand the difference between “smart risks” and “dumb risks” in investing
Global Diversification: Discover why international exposure matters, with the U.S. representing 61% of global market value
Market Timing: Why “time in the market” beats “timing the market” – supported by 50 years of market data
The Bucket Plan® Strategy: How The Bucket Plan® philosophy of separating investments into Now, Soon, and Later buckets helps create peace of mind for retirement
Are you approaching Medicare age or already enrolled? Join host Bryan Bibbo and special guest, Gary J. Pelfrey, Director of Business Development at JL Smith Holistic Wealth Management.
With over 28 years of experience as a Medicare specialist in financial services, Pelfrey demystifies Medicare planning and reveals how proper healthcare planning can protect your retirement savings.
Key Topics Discussed:
2025 Medicare Changes: Learn about major updates coming to prescription drug coverage through the Inflation Reduction Act, including how you’ll benefit from the new $2,000 annual cap on out-of-pocket costs.
Medicare Plan Options: Discover the real differences between Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage plans, including which might best fit your lifestyle, especially if you travel.
Enrollment Timing: Find out exactly when you should enroll in Medicare, particularly if you’re still working past age 65, and how to avoid penalties that could cost you for life.
COBRA vs. Medicare: Understand the crucial distinctions between COBRA and Medicare coverage that could save you from making an expensive mistake during your retirement transition.
Long-term Care Gap: Learn what Medicare won’t cover in your later years and how to prepare for potential long-term care needs.
Listen in as Bibbo and Pelfrey break down the crucial Medicare decisions you’ll face and share upcoming changes that could significantly impact your healthcare costs.
Join host Bryan Bibbo and special guest Don Graves, RICP®, CLTC®, CSA® Certified Senior Advisor, president and founder of the Housing Wealth Institute and an Adjunct Instructor of Retirement Income at the American College of Financial Services, as they explore the often misunderstood world of reverse mortgages and their potential role in retirement planning.
Together, Bibbo and Graves discuss how these financial instruments can provide increased flexibility, improve cash flow, and potentially enhance overall retirement outcomes when used strategically.
Key Topics Discussed:
Beyond the Stigma: Don explains how reverse mortgages have evolved and why they’re now being considered by financial planners for clients across the wealth spectrum.
The Mechanics of Reverse Mortgages: A breakdown of how these loans work, including the growing line of credit feature.
Strategic Applications: Various ways reverse mortgages can be used, from eliminating monthly mortgage payments to funding estate planning strategies.
Protecting Homeownership: Discussion on the safeguards in place and common misconceptions about losing one’s home.
Listen as Graves dispels common myths and shares insights on how reverse mortgages are “just another mortgage” and can be a valuable tool for retirees across various financial situations.
Join co-host Bryan Bibbo for this special episode of the Holistic Wealth and Health Podcast where he explores the critical importance of financial literacy today.
Bryan shares his personal and professional insights into the rising consumer debt crisis and offers practical tips on budgeting, saving, and goal setting to help individuals secure their financial future.
Key topics discussed:
National Financial Awareness Day: The significance of this day and why financial literacy is more important than ever.
Consumer Debt Crisis: Understanding the impact of rising debt levels and how to manage financial stress.
Paying Yourself First: The importance of saving a portion of your income and taking advantage of employer 401(k) matches.
Budgeting Basics: Practical tips for creating a budget that accommodates unexpected expenses and long-term financial goals.
Financial Education: The need for better financial literacy in schools and how to instill good financial habits in the next generation.
Learn how to take control of your financial future by implementing these essential strategies and discover the importance of educating yourself and your loved ones about money management.
Join hosts Jason L Smith and Bryan Bibbo with special guest, Dave Alison, as they continue breaking down The Bucket Plan® financial planning process.
This episode covers step three of The Bucket Plan® process, the “Deliver” phase, where we present and deliver the personalized, holistic financial plan we’ve developed for you.
Key Topics Discussed:
Your Family Estate Organizer: Discover how we’ll help you organize all your financial information in one place, making it easily accessible for you and your loved ones.
Understanding Your Risk Tolerance: Learn about our Volatility Tolerance Analysis, which will help assess your comfort with risk across different time horizons.
Creating Your Custom Plan: We’ll explain how we take all the information from our previous meetings to engineer a financial plan tailored just for you.
Presenting Your Financial Blueprint: Find out how we’ll walk you through your comprehensive plan, addressing your specific concerns and priorities for retirement.
Planning for Your Retirement Phases: Understand the three phases of retirement – your “go years,” “slow go years,” and “no go years” – and how we’ll help you plan for each.
Maximizing Your Retirement Income: Learn about our strategies for tax-efficient distribution planning to help you keep more of your hard-earned money.
The Power of Tax Planning: Discover how proper tax planning could potentially save you tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars over your lifetime.
Optimizing Your Savings and Withdrawals: We’ll introduce you to our “funnel” concept for managing your money tax-efficiently during both your saving and spending years.
Join our hosts Jason L Smith and Bryan Bibbo with special guest, Dave Alison, CFP®, EA, BPC, President and Founding Partner of C2P and Alison Wealth Management, as they continue breaking down The Bucket Plan® financial planning process step by step.
This episode covers step two of The Bucket Plan® process, known as the “Design” phase, where we analyze all your assets and how they come together to formulate your holistic plan.
Key Topics Discussed:
Overview of The Bucket Plan® Process: A recap of the previous episode on “Discovery,” phase and each step of the planning process: Discovery, Design, Deliver, Dedicated.
Document Analysis: Carefully reviewing your financial documents to gain a complete understanding of your current situation.
Organization: Helping you structure your financial information using our Family Estate Organizer, ensuring everything is accessible and clear to preserve your legacy.
Risk Assessment: Using our proprietary Volatility Tolerance Analysis to determine your comfort level with risk across different time horizons.
Asset Categorization: Introducing you to our Bucket Plan philosophy, showing you how to categorize your assets for Now, Soon, and Later needs.
Investment Education: Guiding you through our Pyramid of Risk, helping you understand various investment types and reflect on your past experiences.
Visual Planning: Creating a personalized sketch of your Bucket Plan, giving you a clear visual representation of your financial strategy.
Discover how our Design phase creates the blueprint for your customized holistic plan and sets the stage for the next phase of the process.
In this episode of the Holistic Wealth and Health Podcast, host Jason L Smith is joined by esteemed tax planning professional and professor, Christopher P. Woehrle, JD, LL.M (Tax).
With a background in tax and estate planning and as a professor at Villanova Law School and former chair of the tax and estate planning department at the College of Financial Planning, Chris shares his expertise on holistic wealth management and the critical role of tax planning.
Key Topics Discussed:
Holistic Wealth Management: Understanding the comprehensive approach to financial planning that integrates all aspects of your financial life.
Importance of Tax Planning: Exploring the critical role of tax strategies in holistic wealth management.
Effective Tax Strategies: Discussion of specific tax planning techniques, including the 83(b) election, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), and the benefits of gifting appreciated securities to charity.
Navigating Retirement Planning: Strategies for ensuring a secure and comfortable retirement, including the importance of having a diversified income stream.
Balancing Short-Term and Long-Term Goals: How to save for immediate needs while planning for future financial stability.
Risk Management: Understanding and mitigating risks such as mortality, longevity, and disability.
Behavioral Finance: The importance of behavior modification in investment decisions and financial planning.
The Role of Financial Advisors: How professional guidance can help you stay on track and make informed financial decisions.
Tune in to learn how to manage your wealth holistically, make informed tax decisions, and plan effectively for your future. Whether you are preparing for retirement or looking to optimize your current financial strategy, this episode offers valuable insights to help you achieve your goals.
In this episode, host Jason L Smith interviews Carrie Kerskie, a certified identity fraud investigator, speaker, author, and consultant on identity theft, privacy, and cybersecurity.
Carrie shares her expertise on protecting against identity theft, fraud, and cyber threats in the digital age. Jason also discusses the stress and financial impacts these crimes can have on victims.
Key Topics Discussed:
Common Mistakes Leading to Identity Theft: Not securing online accounts, failing to ask for help with technology, and believing one is safe from threats by avoiding the internet.
Best Practices for Prevention: Getting credit freezes, using privacy-focused browsers/search engines, enabling two-factor authentication, and validating information from supposed official sources.
Evolving Threat Landscape: How identity theft, fraud, and cyber threats have converged, with criminals using sophisticated tactics like remote access malware.
Recognizing Scams: Red flags like unsolicited requests for sensitive data, urgency to transfer money, and implausible scenarios crafted with convincing details.
Securing Mobile Devices: Using longer passwords/passcodes, being cautious about app installations, and adjusting privacy settings on smartphones.
Approach to AI Tools: Maintaining prudence by fact-checking outputs, as AI models can perpetuate misinformation based on their training data.
Learn how understanding your body and incorporating proactive holistic health habits can lead to a richer, more productive life.
In this episode, host Jason L Smith, CEP®, BPC, sits down with “America’s IRA Expert:” Ed Slott, CPA. He is the founder and CEO at Ed Slott and Company and a professional speaker and author. Together they discuss various tax and retirement planning strategies and stress the importance of finding the right advisor to help make the most of your savings and minimize tax burdens. Tune in for valuable advice to make informed financial decisions, optimize your retirement nest egg, and safeguard your wealth for future generations.
1. Having the right advisor: anyone who wants to make tax-smart decisions regarding their financial future benefits from an advisor with the right knowledge and skillset.
If you are a high-net-worth individual who has more complex financial needs, an advisor with expertise in tax management can make a big difference in your experience.
This podcast shares why understanding tax implications on wealth is important.
2. Proactive tax planning: taking strategic actions now can lead to long-term financial benefits.
Some decisions may temporarily increase your tax liability but can be more beneficial in the long run.
Planning is crucial to helping you keep more money for yourself and your beneficiaries.
It is wise to focus on what will help you have a steady future, rather than what may provide short-term financial gains.
3. Tax-efficient strategies: this episode describes ways to help maximize savings and minimize what you owe. Some examples include:
Roth conversions — These can help you manage their income-related monthly adjustment amounts (IRMAA) when they turn 65. By converting some of their traditional IRA funds into a Roth IRA, you can potentially reduce future Medicare charges for Medicare Parts B and D.
Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) — If you’re 70-and-a-half or older with an IRA and plan to make charitable donations, consider using a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from your IRA. This allows you to exclude the distribution from income, providing a better tax benefit than a tax deduction.
Ongoing education: Stay Informed About Tax Law Changes: Tax laws are constantly changing. Stay informed about new tax laws and regulations, especially those related to retirement accounts like IRAs and 401(k)s.
This knowledge can help you make informed decisions and potentially reduce your tax burden.
A holistic advisor can help you stay in-the-know.
If you’re unsure about your financial and tax situation, consider seeking advice from a financial advisor who specializes in retirement planning and tax-efficient strategies. The professionals at JL Smith can help you create a personalized plan to minimize your tax liability — schedule a free consultation today.
Disclaimer:
The information provided in this “Holistic Wealth and Health Podcast” episode, “Getting a Leg up on Tax Season – Tips and Strategies for Proactive Tax Management with Ed Slott, CPA” is for general informational purposes only. While hosts Jason L Smith, CEP, BPC, and guest Ed Slott, CPA, share valuable insights, listeners are urged to consult with financial, tax, and legal professionals for personalized advice. The hosts and guests do not endorse specific financial products, and any actions taken based on this content are at the listener’s discretion. The hosts, guests, and producers are not liable for errors or consequences resulting from individual decisions. Always seek professional guidance tailored to your unique financial circumstances.
