Medicare is a benefit that can’t start soon enough for many older adults. Health care costs are skyrocketing and they hit seniors particularly hard because many are on a fixed income and they utilize health care more. But Medicare is not a slam dunk, anything but.  It is a very complex, confusing multipart program that requires work to understand. And its benefits can vary widely depending upon how and when you apply, where you live, and what plans you enroll in.  And as your health changes, it can either help you or hurt you. You need to know how to make it work for you. A shocking statistic from Medicare guru Katy Votava is that “nearly 95% of people pay too much for their Medicare coverage… because they do not completely understand the full costs they will pay in addition to the premiums.”  With Medicare, the devil is in the details which is why we have asked benefits guru Votava to return to WEALTHTRACK and bring us up to speed. WEALTHTRACK # 1614 broadcast on October 04, 20219. More Info: http://wealthtrack.com/?p=20590 MEDICARE RESOURCES Medicare.gov – The official U.S. Government site for Medicare 1-800-MEDICARE Shiptacenter.org – The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) site that directs consumers to free Medicare counseling and assistance

Two investment tenets have been upended in recent years: one that value stocks, considered cheap by traditional metrics outperform growth stocks, the other that small companies outperform large ones. Over the last decade, the opposite has been true. Growth stocks have dramatically outdistanced value stocks and large caps have significantly outperformed small company ones. If you happen to be a value-oriented, small-cap investor it’s been a tough combination which is why contrarian minded observers think now might be a good time to revisit the space. Chuck Royce, Founder, Chairman and Portfolio Manager of Royce & Associates joins us to discuss how some of his funds have outperformed benchmarks for multiple periods, with below-average market volatility. WEALTHTRACK #1613 broadcast on September 27, 2019. LEARN MORE: https://wealthtrack.com/recession-threat-small-cap-companies-tell-chuck-royce-recession-not-a-concern/

Financial risks are adding up.  Trade battles with China, the surprising vulnerability of Middle East oil supplies, the duration of Hong Kong protests, the drawn-out Brexit dilemma are all drags on business confidence and economic growth. In recognition, the Federal Reserve just cut interest rates for the second time this summer and remains on alert. Another largely unrecognized concern? In August, for the first time in history, assets in passive equity funds based in the U.S. surpassed holdings in actively managed funds. The most popular passive funds are overwhelmingly dominated by a small group of mega-cap stocks, especially the tech giants such as Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Alphabet (Google), and Facebook. The fate of many investors’ portfolios hinges on the performance of this small group of mega stocks that have already had a record-setting run. Global value investor Chuck de Lardemelle explains how he is de-risking his portfolios including the essential role gold is playing in the process. Learn More: https://wealthtrack.com/the-importance-of-gold-in-de-risking-portfolios/ How to explain the massive global outperformance of U.S. companies’ profitability and stocks over the last decade? GMO’s Head of Asset Allocation, Ben Inker dug deep and found some surprising answers in his “2Q 2019 GMO Quarterly Letter.” 

One dominant market observation of the last decade has been that we have been experiencing the least believed bull market in history. As of August of 2018 the market’s advance, in large-cap stocks at least, had indeed become the longest bull market in history. But the experience of investors has been anything but a straight shot. If you look at indexes outside the largest U.S. company stocks it has been a much more perilous ride with several major corrections along the way. The Russell 2000, which is used as a proxy for small company stocks is a case in point. It has experienced three major reversals in the last decade. This week’s guest operates in the sweet spot of the current market, large-company stocks, but he is advising caution to his clients. He is a widely followed market strategist and successful investor, Robert Doll, senior portfolio manager and chief equity strategist at Nuveen.  Doll is famous for his frequently accurate list of 10 annual predictions forecasting the market, economic, interest rate, and political trends among others With the economic recovery now the longest on record and slowing, how worried is he about a recession? WEALTHTRACK #1611 broadcast on September 13, 2019.

Volatile U.S trade relations with China are immediately reflected in the financial markets but what about the economic impact? Could they push the U.S. into recession? Leading global economist and strategist Nick Sargen weighs in. SARGEN: "Number one is don't add to risk. That's the simple message. Number two is, is it a good time to d begin to do some reduction of risk in the portfolio? And I think the warning signs are Yes." SARGEN: "What I'm concerned with today is that I think there is no solution in sight. We are at a complete standoff. We are playing brinksmanship. And just today, the president makes a statement. I never thought I'd hear that U.S. businesses should stop doing business with China." SARGEN: "In my view, the upside for the stock market is limited because if the economy slowing, profits are slowing, they're not going to be robust as they have been. And then the real risk to the downside. I think the Fed tries to provide support. But if the trade war keeps going the wrong direction, I see the risk is basically a replay of what happened in the fourth quarter of last year." WEALTHTRACK #1609 published on August 25, 2019 NICHOLAS SARGEN Economic Advisor, Fort Washington Investment Advisors Books Authored by Nick Sargen: Global Shocks and Investment Guide for Turbulent Markets  Investing in the Trump Era 

 China expert Jim McGregor gives us his candid assessment of the competitive threat that China’s leadership poses to the U.S.  It’s a fascinating conversation and a wakeup call for the U.S. It’s currently summer pledge season on Public Television, so WEALTHTRACK might not be airing on your local channel. Consequently, we are revisiting some recent interviews with some of our most popular Great Investor guests. We are revisiting an exclusive with value investor and financial thought leader Joel Greenblatt.  He is living proof that active management can still work really well.    https://wealthtrack.com/great-value-investor-joel-greenblatt-reveals-the-2-secrets-to-beating-the-market/ WEALTHTRACK #1608 published on August 23, 1019.

Additional discussion about how Social Security rules are changing.  As benefits guru, Mary Beth Franklin told us on a recent WEALTHTRACK, there are nearly 3,000 rules governing this benefit and there are specific advantages for different situations. This week we look at three: Divorce, Retiring Single, and Medicare. WEALTHTRACK #1607 published on August, 16. 2019. https://wealthtrack.com/retirement-benefits/ It’s the start of the summer fund-raising season on Public Television, we'll be back with full episodes in a few weeks.

Paying attention to Social Security benefits pays off and needs to be taken seriously from an earlier age than most people realize.  Many of us underestimate how important this benefit is.  - It is the single largest source of income for the majority of Americans age 65 and older.  - It accounts for half or more of total income for 53% of married couples and 74% of unmarried individuals. - It is one of the only sources of guaranteed income that retirees can count on for the rest of their lives. - Its cost of living adjustments helps maintain buying power over decades of retirement.  Mary Beth Franklin points out that Social Security isn’t static and there have been some major changes in recent years.  In addition to being the author of Maximizing Social Security Benefits and an acknowledged expert on the subject, she is Contributing Editor at InvestmentNews, a leading publication for financial advisors, and an award-winning personal finance journalist.      Order a copy of Maximizing Social Security Retirement Benefits WEALTHTRACK #1606 broadcast on August 09, 2019. https://wealthtrack.com/social-security-the-new-rules-with-benefits-guru-mary-beth-franklin/

Who is carrying on the traditions of today’s great investors? When you are investing in a fund with an impressive track record and distinctive philosophy and approach is there any guarantee that those qualities will continue with the next generation?   We recently launched a new series on “Next Generation Investors” on WEALTHTRACK to introduce the younger portfolio managers sharing management responsibilities with some legendary investors. This week we have another exclusive with Miller with the Co-Portfolio Manager of a very different and younger fund. This fund is a family affair. Miller’s Co-Portfolio Manager is his son, Bill Miller IV, known in the firm as “Bill Four”.  Our premiere episode was an exclusive with Bill Miller and Samantha McLemore, the Co-Portfolio Manager of his flagship Miller Opportunity Trust fund which has beaten the market and its mutual fund competitors since the market bottom in 2009.  You can watch the episode here: https://wealthtrack.com/market-beating-value-investors-the-next-generation/ Finding high income at value prices is a team approach with legendary investor Bill Miller and portfolio manager son, Bill Miller IV. WEALTHTRACK #1506 broadcast on August 02, 2019. Finding high income at value prices is a team approach with legendary investor Bill Miller and portfolio manager son, Bill Miller IV. Premieres Friday on public television (check local listings) and on www.wealthtrack.com

 We have launched a new series on WEALTHTRACK, Next Generation Investors, to introduce ourselves and you to the younger portfolio managers working alongside today’s investment greats.  As part of that series, we are doing one on one podcasts with the less well known, but deserving partners.  Our guest this week is Samantha McLemore, Portfolio Manager at Miller Value Partners who has been working with legendary investor Bill Miller since graduating from college in 2002. WEALTHTRACK #1604 published on July 25, 2019.