

Your Money, Your Wealth
Joe Anderson, CFP® & Alan Clopine, CPA of Pure Financial Advisors
Making fun of finance. A "Top 10 Personal Finance Podcast" and "Top 12 Retirement Podcast" (US News & World Report, 2023). One of the "10 Best Personal Finance YouTube Channels" (CardRates, 2023). "Best Retirement Podcast With Humor" (FIPhysician, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023). Learn strategies that can help you retire successfully. Financial advisor Joe Anderson, CFP® and certified public accountant Big Al Clopine, CPA answer your money questions and spitball on your 401k, IRA, Roth conversions and backdoor Roth IRA, how to pay less taxes, asset allocation, stocks and bonds, real estate, and other investments, Social Security benefits, capital gains tax, 1031 exchange, early retirement, expenses and withdrawals, and more money and wealth management strategies. YMYW is retirement planning, investing, and tax reduction made fun, presented by Pure Financial Advisors - a fee-only financial planning firm. Pure Financial adheres to the fiduciary standard of care, in which we are required by law to act in the best interest of our clients at all times. Access free financial resources and episode transcripts, Ask Joe & Big Al On Air to get your Retirement Plan Spitball Analysis: http://YourMoneyYourWealth.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 7, 2017 • 35min
Rachel Sheedy on Inheriting IRAs - 93
Editor of Kiplinger's Retirement Report, Rachel Sheedy joins Joe Anderson, CFP® and Alan Clopine, CPA to discuss inherited IRA (individual retirement account) rules & strategies for beneficiaries. Plus, how to become an extreme saver in 2017. Original publish date January 7, 2017 (hour 1). Note that content may be outdated as rules and regulations have changed. Important Points: 04:43 "Let me recap on 2016 – I have a year-end report here. We had a rocky start in the beginning of the year…the first month was the first January in the history of the stock market…" 07:46 "Almost half of the gains happened in just a few weeks - that's why timing markets is so incredibly difficult. No one guessed this." 08:37 "Be fully diversified and make sure that you have the right risks at the right times given your specific goals…to wrap up 2016, it was a wild ride – there were a heck of a lot of different things that happened but at the end of the year if you stayed true to your investment strategy, you probably ended up with a decent year." 11:24 Start of Interview with Rachel Sheedy Joe: (11:57) "What are some things that you're writing about that people should be aware of?" Rachel: (12:00) "There are definitely some key points that heirs really need to be aware of that can really maximize an inherited IRA…a big key is [looking at if there] are there different rules for spousal beneficiaries of an IRA versus non-spouse beneficiaries. Spousal beneficiaries have a lot of leeway – they can essentially take the account as their own. Non-spouse beneficiaries can't do that. They've got more rules that they need to pay attention to." 12:30 "One of the key things they need to know is that they need to re-title the account…they need to re-title it as an inherited IRA and make sure that their name and the decedent's name are listed when they re-title it to make sure they know who is who – that's step number one." Joe: (13:06) "That's right, it has to stay in the decedent's name or it could really blow up on them." Rachel: (13:10) "That's definitely a move people should not make, they should not roll that inherited account over into their own if they're a non-spouse beneficiary. They need to re-title it as an IRA." Joe: (13:20) "When it comes to spouses, what would you talk about in regards to keeping it in the decedent's name or rolling the decedent spouse into their own?" Rachel: (13:32) "One of the big things is whether the surviving spouse is younger than 59 ½. If they're younger than 59 ½ and they need that money, if they keep that account as a beneficiary they can cap it without having to pay the early withdrawal penalty, and that's true for any beneficiary that's capping a traditional IRA." Al: (16:47) "The rules are so complicated when it comes to IRAs…if you're not the spouse then you have to start taking required minimum distributions and a lot of people don't realize it even if you're 20 years old you've got to start taking a required minimum distribution." Rachel: (17:13) "Right, that's a key point. If you want to be able to keep that IRA alive and be able to stretch it out for potentially decades, you need to start taking required distributions. You can also take out more if you wanted to, but if you take out that minimum amount you can keep that IRA going." Al: (17:31) "That's also true for Roth IRAs, because the account owner doesn't have to take a required distribution but a non-spouse beneficiary does, although it's tax-free." Rachel: (17:46) "Roth IRA heirs need to realize that they've got to take distributions even though the owner didn't, but the distributions will be tax-free – they are taxable income if it's a traditional IRA." Joe: (18:00) "Rachel, this is great information. Where can our listeners get more information about you and read up on what you're currently doing?" Rachel: (18:06) "Kiplinger.com is a great resource if you go to the retirement section our cover shows up there. You can search by different topics – IRAs, Social Security, etc." 18:19 End of Interview with Rachel Sheedy 20:02 "These are mistakes that we see those people 55 years and older making, and mistake number one is underestimating longevity." 24:05 "If you find it impossible to save, start at least small – just get the ball rolling." 33:31 "Another thing that people don't think about is the taxation of saving accounts because there are different places to save. You can save in your 401(k) or 403(b) if you have one, you can save in your trust account, savings account, you can save into a Roth IRA or a Roth provision in your 401(k) or 403(b)."

Dec 31, 2016 • 37min
2016 Year in Review + Retirement Tips - 92
Joe Anderson, CFP® and Alan Clopine, CPA summarize the highs and lows of 2016 in YMYW podcast episode 92, then talk about how to automate and increase your retirement savings, how to create a retirement lifestyle game plan, and steps to take if you plan on moving in retirement. Original publish date December 31, 2016 (hour 1). Note that content may be outdated as rules and regulations have changed. 01:30 "This year, if you take away any lesson from this [past] year in 2016 when it comes to your investments…is that it's very difficult for you to time the market." 04:52 "That's what investors need to do – they need to look at the long-term and not worry about the day-to-day, month-to-month, quarter-to-quarter because if you have the right investment allocation for you, then let that work." 11:23 "Evaluate your Social Security claiming strategies because we know that you can start collecting as early as 62 but there are downsides there – your full retirement age, for most of you, is 66 unless you're born after 1953 and you can take it as late as age 70. Start thinking about Social Security before you even get there because that's potentially going to be a big chunk of income for you." 15:20 "Evaluate your savings. If you have $500,000 in savings, you probably should plan not to take any more than about 4% per year. This is a rule of thumb – it's called the 4% rule… and doesn't work in all cases…in fact, if you retire younger than 66, you probably don't want to take 4% because you're probably going to run out of money sooner." 22:35 "Pay yourself first – by that, you're saving first before you're spending, and the best way to do that is if you have a 401(k) or 403(b) at your work because it comes right out of your paycheck and you never miss it. Not all of you have 401(k)s, so in that case you'll have to open your own savings account." 26:06 "Understand tax ramifications. This one is missed a lot because you may not even realize this but all the money that you've saved into your 401(k) or your 403(b) or in many cases your IRAs – [when] that money comes out it's taxed at ordinary income rates which is the same rates you're used to paying right now." 33:03 "Get serious about relocation plans. If you plan to move when you retire, find out how much you'll actually net for your house and how much it will cost to move to your new location." 34:30 "In some cases it may make sense to refinance your loan – do that while you're working because you need the income to qualify."

Dec 17, 2016 • 37min
What's the Difference Between a TSP and a Roth IRA? - 91
Will a financial advisor give you an unbiased opinion? What's the difference between a TSP and a Roth IRA? Joe Anderson, CFP® and Alan Clopine, CPA answer these questions and more in YMYW podcast episode 91. Original publish date December 17, 2016 (hour 2). Note that content may be outdated as rules and regulations have changed. 00:54 "A stretch IRA is a way for your children, when they inherit your IRA, to stretch it over their lifetime…this may go away…if it goes away, we will go back to old rules which means all money in the IRAs needs to be withdrawn within five years, which could put your kids and grandkids in much higher tax brackets." 05:17 "A Roth IRA will grow 100% tax-free. There is no required minimum distribution in a Roth IRA. If you pass with a Roth IRA, then your kids can take those dollars out tax-free. So, it grows tax-free you're your life, your spouse's life and the kids' lives. It's very powerful if you do this right." 06:54 "This is one of the most important times ever to be doing conversions; the unfortunate thing is you have to do it before December 31st for this year." 13:52 "If you're broke, you can always pull out your Roth contribution regardless of what age you are – no tax, no penalty." 15:08 - "I'm in a 30 year fixed mortgage with Wells Fargo. There have been several financial criminal incidents regarding Wells Fargo this past year. Could my mortgage be negatively affected by this as well as the interest rate hike?" 23:03 - "I recently changed my job. My new employer offers a 401(k) plan, but only after I have worked a certain number of hours. So technically, I cannot contribute towards any retirement account. So as to reduce the tax, can I contribute towards my spouse's 401(k), and max out his contributions? We file taxes jointly." 25:09 - "Will a financial advisor provide an unbiased assessment of a financial plan I already have in place? I already have an Investment Advisor connected with an insurance company who handles our investments. I would like to have an independent financial advisor who can provide an unbiased assessment of our financial plan and investments. Is it possible that an advisor would provide this service and what fee might be expected?" 33:33 - "Can I move money from a retirement account to a Roth IRA and what is the process like? Tax ramifications? Do I have to move all of it? 34:36 - "I am a government employee and have a TSP. What is the difference between that and a Roth IRA? A civilian Roth IRA and TSP?"

Dec 17, 2016 • 38min
Tax-Saving Moves to Make Before Dec. 31st - 90
It's your last chance to lower your tax bill – find out some last-minute moves to save on taxes before year-end. Plus, how are your assets titled? Joe Anderson, CFP® and Alan Clopine, CPA explain why making the wrong move could cost you big time in YMYW podcast episode 90. Original publish date December 17, 2016 (hour 1). Note that content may be outdated as rules and regulations have changed. 13:52 "The market magnet has begun to pull the long dormant mutual fund investors, so domestic stock funds have seen an estimate net flows of $35.8 billion in the past four weeks (Investment Company Institute)." 14:40 "History tells us that money tends to flow near market peaks…it's interesting how that tends to happen." 15:12 "Now is a really good time to take a look at your overall portfolio, and look at a rebalance strategy. There are a lot of people who set it and forget it, and then the other side of the spectrum is people who day-trade the heck out of their 401(k) plans." 20:44 "I've got five ways to lower your tax bill now, this is from Nerd Wallet and came out on December 14…when it comes to tax planning, a majority of strategies need to be accomplished by December 31st for that tax year." 23:30 "There's a special account called a donor advised fund, where you can set up the account, put your own money into it, and that money will ultimately go to charity, not necessarily this year. Here's the key – the year that you put the money into the account is the year you get the tax deduction." 24:15 "It's a great way to take a deduction when your tax bill is higher." 27:26 "Offset your capital gains with losses." 28:21 "When you tax-loss harvest, here's how you do it properly: you sell the position that's down to create that loss, and then you buy something that's very similar so you're still in the market because the market because the market may come zooming right back." 29:37 "It's important to realize how things are titled when it comes to your assets, especially your retirement assets." 29:55 "A lot of you have named your living trust as the beneficiary of that retirement account…there are pros and cons to this. There's so much misinformation on what people should do. I would say the majority of you who are married should not name your trust the beneficiary of your retirement account unless a) it's a second marriage and you want to preserve those assets if you had kids from a previous marriage; b) second of all, if you're not married and have children and those children might not be able to handle the type of wealth that is inside your retirement account." 34:59 "If I just named my spouse as the beneficiary, she could keep it in my name and take a required distribution if she wanted to, or she could roll it into her own and avoid any type of income coming out of it and being taxed on it and let it grow tax-deferred until her retirement date." 36:54 "A retirement account is completely different than say your brokerage account or checking or savings account. A retirement account has to have a required distribution from it…so be careful with how you name your beneficiaries." 37:12 "The death of the stretch IRA could happen as early as next year."

Dec 11, 2016 • 35min
Will IRA Contributions Reduce Your Tax Burden? - 89
Would contributions to a traditional IRA reduce your tax burden? How do you start saving money at a young age and what are the benefits of a Roth IRA? Joe Anderson, CFP® and Alan Clopine, CPA answer your email questions in YMYW podcast episode 89. Original publish date December 11, 2016 (hour 2). Note that content may be outdated as rules and regulations have changed. 02:31 - "Would contributions to our traditional IRAs reduce our tax burden? My wife and I currently have no tax write-offs and our mortgage is paid off on our home. I contribute the maximum to my 403(b), but I also have a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA, as does my wife. We have been contributing to our Roth IRAs over the years to the neglect of the traditional IRAs. I was wondering if it would make sense to start contributing to the traditional IRAs so we can start to decrease our tax burden every year. Of course, the benefit of the Roth would have tax advantages years from now when I retire. My wife and I are both in our late 40s and I have about 10 to 11 years before I think I can retire." 10:52 - "How should I start saving? I just started my first job and they don't provide 401(k)s. What should I do to prepare for life, and to start saving? I've heard a Roth IRA is the way to go. Is this something I want? Other than tax benefits, does it grow?" 15:24 - "What are the tax implications of removing part of my IRA to give to my ex-wife? My ex-wife and I had separate IRAs. We divorced in 2014, but I kept the house. I owe her money in several months as a first payment on the value of the home. What are the income tax issues I will face by removing a large portion of my IRA to hand over to her?" 19:09 - "Will a loss on our sold home off-set taxes on a 401(k) withdrawal? My wife is 65 years old and I will be turning 65 in May 2017. We are planning to move out of California to Las Vegas for good. I will have to withdraw 100% of my 401(k) to put as a down payment to purchase a home in Las Vegas. Then, we plan to sell our house in California which is paid-off. We believe that after the sale, we will have a loss. Would we be able to use that loss to reduce taxes on the 401(k) or IRA withdrawal?" 24:38 - "Will a Trump presidency reduce the tax and regulatory burdens placed on my small business? I own a small business in the New York area and have recently started to work on our 2017 financial projections. I have spoken to a number of friends, family and other small business owners about the ramifications of a Trump Presidency. Although I do not agree with many of his polices, I am hopeful that he will be able to reduce the tax and regulatory burdens of operating a business. When creating my forecast, what should assume and what should I ignore?" 27:35 - "Will I be thrown into a higher tax bracket due to a high ordinary income tax? I reach age 66 in July, full retirement age, and will continue working. I'm considering taking Social Security retirement at 66 and contributing to a 403(b) account to increase the balance. Is the entire amount, Social Security and wages, taxed as ordinary income, so that I will be thrown into a higher tax bracket? Is Social Security income counted dollar for dollar? Would it pay me to invest the max amount in my 403(b)?"

Dec 11, 2016 • 35min
12 Ways You Could Go Broke in Retirement - 88
Joe Anderson, CFP® and Alan Clopine, CPA start off YMYW podcast episode 88 with a quick discussion on potential tax changes under Trump. Plus, 12 ways you could go broke in retirement and put yourself at financial risk. Original publish date December 11, 2016 (hour 1). Note that content may be outdated as rules and regulations have changed. 00:00 - Intro 08:28 "There are things that you want to make sure that you take a look at in regards to your overall retirement planning and tax planning, [including] Roth IRA conversions." 09:00 "Most tax planning strategies have to be finished before December 31st, so now is the season for tax planning." 10:03 "There's a lot of confusion about taxes and what may be coming in the next year with the Trump proposals and GOP proposals." 13:59 "In terms of the Trump proposal – this is also true of the GOP proposal – it would only be three tax brackets, 12%, 25% and 33%." 14:44 "Under the Trump plan, if you're married and your taxable income is below $75,000 you'd be in a 12% bracket – if it's above $75,000 then you're going to move into the 25% bracket and by the time you hit $225,000 you get to 33%." 15:00 "When you look at single taxpayers, it's the same exact thing but cut in half." 17:12 "One of the biggest things I [would consider] from a planning perspective at the end of this year would be if I'm charitably inclined." 17:46 "Charitable donations are really important and big right now because if you are in a higher tax bracket this year or next year or in the next couple of years, you want to take that deduction in a year where you get more tax benefit. There is a way to take future year contributions in the current year and that's by setting up a special account called a donor advised fund." 23:49 "The amount of money that you have in stocks versus bonds has nothing to do with your age…it all depends on when you cash flow, how much income you need and how much it needs to last." 27:08 "Multiple streams of income are better than one." 33:53 "Long-term care – that's going to be a big deal. Most of these companies are totally getting out of the business."

Dec 3, 2016 • 34min
Is the Tax Code Changing? - 87
Joe Anderson, CFP® and Alan Clopine, CPA discuss a brief history of the tax code and where it might be headed in YMYW podcast episode 87. Find out some possible tax exemptions and deductions under Trump's presidency; plus, key tax strategies to take advantage of now before the tax code could change. Original publish date December 3, 2016 (hour 1). Note that content may be outdated as rules and regulations have changed. 02:35 "Over the decades, Congress simply amended the tax system by adjusting and assessing new taxes in a series of 17 internal revenue acts. By 1939, the series of tax rules became the first formal internal revenue code. 15 years later was the first real tax reform….tax rates got as high as 91%." 03:51 "It was in the Fifties that the alternative minimum tax came into play, and that was really designed for the wealthiest of people." 05:50 "There's Trump's plan, and then there's the GOP plan – there are similarities but [also] some pretty big differences." 08:02 "Tax reform is not a slam dunk, even though we have a Republican president and a Republican majority in the House and Senate." 09:50 "Here's a quick nutshell on the ordinary income tax basis; this is what the proposal is. Right now we have seven brackets. They (GOP) wants to break it down to three. We have a 10%, 15%, 25%, 28%, 33%, 35% and 39.6% bracket. They want to combine the 10% and 15% bracket and call it 12%. Then they'll combine the 25% and 28% tax bracket and call it 25%. Anything over the 25% tax bracket they're calling it 33%." 11:19 "Under Trump, he would like the standard deduction to be $15,000 for an individual and $30,000 for a married couple." 15:01 "Capital gain rates right now are 0%, 15% and 20% depending on what your income levels are." 18:07 "If you are in the 10% or 15% tax bracket today, if you sell that asset there is no tax up to the top of the bracket. Here's a simple example…" 21:48 "You have to understand that things might be changing here, for the good or for the worst depending on what your overall situation is. Get an grasp on your overall situation before the end of the year to make sure you can take advantage of anything you should be taking advantage of this year and set yourself up appropriately for whichever changes may or may not happen." 26:50 "There are two main proposals on the table right now: the Trump plan and the House GOP plan. They both want to change the way we deduct itemized deductions." 27:50 "A donor advised fund is kind of like a mini private foundation..." 30:09 "One of the real benefits of the Roth conversion is for you and potentially your beneficiaries will potentially get all of that money tax-free." 33:48 "Net unrealized appreciation is another one that's probably on the chopping block. That's taking stock out of your retirement account, moving it into a brokerage account to enjoy capital gains tax."

Nov 19, 2016 • 33min
Pros and Cons of Rolling a Retirement Account Into an IRA - 84
Dividend paying stocks: do you understand how they work? Also in YMYW podcast episode 84, Joe Anderson, CFP® and Alan Clopine, CPA answer your biggest financial questions, from how to claim a loss on a Roth IRA to the pros and cons of rolling over an employee retirement plan into an IRA (individual retirement account). Original publish date November 19, 2016 (hour 2). Note that content may be outdated as rules and regulations have changed. 00:00 - Intro 02:04 "Most [people] don't understand that when the dividend is paid, the stock price falls by that amount." 04:55 "It's not necessarily the best idea to focus solely on dividend paying stocks…with dividend paying stocks you're paying taxes as you go." 06:58 "It's only a matter of time that the dividend stock prices go up because of demand." 11:05 "I have a Roth IRA, open for over ten years now. I have contributed about $15,000 but lost about 80% of it due to some stocks that I invested in. Can I claim this 80% loss in my tax return?" 15:39 "I was recently told by more than one financial advisor that I should roll my employee retirement plan now that I've left the company, into an individual IRA. When I called that company to do just that, I was told by their advisor not to roll it over. He explained that I began investing in 2007/2008 when the market was low. If I were to roll over into an individual IRA today, I would be buying in when market prices are high, thus buying fewer stocks/bonds (whatever prices comprise the plan). He also said, since your plan has averaged a 5.1% gain this year, why would I want to lose that? Can someone speak to this logic for NOT rolling over?" 24:43 "Are profits from trading options (or stocks) in a non-qualified brokerage account subject to the 10.4% FICA tax?" 26:41 My wife and I are both 60 years old. We have taxable investments valued at $900,000, 401k and IRAs valued at $1,200,000, and a Roth valued at $23,000. We would like to retire in about 8 years. A co-worker said he heard that it is possible to pay no income tax in retirement, even on Social Security benefits. With my situation how is that possible?" 32:21 "A lot of people retire at 62 or 64 and are in a very low [tax] bracket, and could be doing Roth conversions all the way until age 70 1/2 and then be in a much better spot and in some cases pay little to no taxes."

Nov 19, 2016 • 37min
Are You Ready for Retirement? Answer These Questions to Find Out - 83
Are you prepared for retirement? These 6 questions will help you see if you're ready in YMYW podcast episode 83. Original publish date November 19, 2016 (hour 1). Note that content may be outdated as rules and regulations have changed. Have you explored downsizing your living expenses? Do you have a clear end game? Where are you on your debts? Have you "right sized" your mortgage? Have you considered the different types of income sources available to you in retirement? How would continuing to work at your peak earning years impact your quality of life in retirement? Later, Joe Anderson, CFP® and Alan Clopine, CPA discuss what Trump's presidency could mean for your taxes. Plus, strategic tax moves for year-end, including tax-loss harvesting and proper asset allocation. 01:36 "Here's the first question: have you explored downsizing your living expenses?" 04:21 "I would say a lot of individuals need to reduce their living expenses." 05:09 "Do you have a clear game plan? You may have a general sense of how much money you need to retire, but you aren't truly ready to retire until you understand what it means in day to day terms." 05:21 "It's comparing your retirement number to your anticipated monthly expenses, making adjustments as needed and from there it's doing simple mathematics." 10:02 "It's [about] looking at your entire overall situation to make sure that you answer a few different questions to make sure you're doing everything appropriately." 11:00 "There could be some tax reform, there could not be…but we can at least tell you some ideas that Capitol Hill is throwing around and to make sure you're prepared…the thing you can control is how much you pay the IRS." 11:49 "I would say the people who are going to be affected if any of the changes go through is going to be small business owners, corporations and people who have a ton of money." 14:16 "There are few things that won't change, probably – one is the definition of income. Everything is still income whether it's salary, pension, rental income, interest, dividends, lottery income, gambling income, all of that is still income so that's very unlikely to change. The tax rate, however, could change but the fact of how income is being calculated is one thing that'll likely stay the same." 14:40 "Another thing is the 1099 forms which you get if you're an independent contractor. Those will still be very applicable." 16:26 "Reply to every IRS letter unless it says not to – this is common sense and it won't change under Donald Trump." 20:12 "Do not talk to the IRS if they visit you…if they come to your home or business, decline to speak to them and tell them your lawyer will call." 22:53 "If you understate your income by 25% or more – that's substantial understatement – the IRS can go back six years. Keep your tax returns forever." 24:10 "Avoid amending returns; but if you do amend, don't cherry pick…amended returns have a high audit rate, especially they request a refund." 25:46 "Be careful with a big refund. If you're getting a giant refund, the IRS is more likely to look at your tax return." 29:04 "I'm going to give you some quick tips for end of year tax planning, some real simple things you can do." 29:10 "One of them is tax-loss harvesting. What is it? Let's say you had a loss in a certain position, you sell it and buy something similar. Those losses will offset any future gain." 31:23 "Certain asset classes are in favor at certain periods of time in a cycle." 34:07 "If you don't have the right asset location, it's going to be pretty difficult for you to do tax loss harvesting. Asset location is looking at what asset classes you hold in each account (tax-deferred, taxable, tax-free)…so you need to understand the taxation of the assets you hold in each account." 36:06 "It's about being more tax-savvy in your overall scheme of things to make sure you get the best after-tax rate of return."

Nov 12, 2016 • 37min
Money for the Rest of Us | Interview with J. David Stein- 82
J. David Stein, host of popular podcast "Money for the Rest of Us" joins the show to talk about, you guessed it, money. Joe Anderson, CFP® and Alan Clopine, CPA interview Stein on the state of the markets after the nomination of President-elect Trump. Original publish date November 12, 2016 (hour 2). Note that content may be outdated as rules and regulations have changed. Stein sheds light on failed market forecasts and how this past week demonstrated two points. First, you can't predict future outcomes, and second, you especially can't predict how the markets will react to those outcomes. Joe responds with the importance of ignoring short-term market volatility and instead, focus on your long-term goals when investing. 3:14 "We have two more topics, estate planning and IRAs. One of Trump's proposals is to get rid of estate taxes." 3:30 "Right now under current law if you were to pass away, your beneficiaries would receive your assets with no estate tax if your estate is less than about $5.45 million. So if your estate is $10 million and you're single, well some of that is going to be subject to an estate tax at 40% and some of it will come tax-free." 4:00 "Donald Trump would like to get rid of estate taxes altogether which is a huge saving for families that have a lot of assets, a lot of wealth, but there's a negative to that and I want to explain that." 4:10 "The last time we didn't have an estate tax was 2010, for one year, and we've had the estate tax basically since the Civil Year." 5:00 "Here's what's interesting about estate taxes is because the government doesn't want to tax an estate twice. There's an estate tax and then there's a step-up in basis for the next generation which means that any asset that you hold outside of a retirement account gets a step-up in cost basis to the value at date of death. So you bought a home for $100,000 and now it's worth $1,000,000 and your kids get the home, because it's under the exemption limit, it's as if they bought it for $1,000,000. They turn around and sell it right there and there's no gain or loss. The reason for the step-up is so you don't pay estate taxes and capital gains on the same property. Now if there is no estate tax, there may not be a step-up in basis." 6:20 "Last thing when it comes to estate planning which will affect just about everyone listening is retirement accounts.....right now there is something that's called the Stretch IRA. What that means is if your IRA goes to a non-spouse beneficiary, they have the right to stretch out the tax liability of that account for their lifetime. Once they inherit it, it's going to be taxed at ordinary income rates....right now they have the ability to stretch the tax out over their life. So it's a very favorable tax law for us individuals that inherit retirement accounts." 8:22 "What is probably going to happen, is what some experts say, first quarter next year - first 100 days, is that the [Stretch IRA] is gone." 9:46 Start of interview with J. David Stein 11:00 Joe Anderson: "Given this week, we had a lot of experts on their toes a little bit. Donald Trump is now our President...as Donald Trump was pulling ahead, you was the futures go down 700 points so everyone's thinking, oh man the market is going to crash. The week has been okay. I mean how the heck do we explain that?" 11:25 J. David Stein: "We explain that by saying, you cannot predict these one-off events. I had listeners expressing concern; if Donald Trump gets elected the market is going to crash, should I be pulling my money out? Now this was a month or two ahead of time. My response was, for one-off events you just can't predict what the reaction is going to be. 12:00 J David Stein: "Now what I teach is to adjust one's asset allocation for what I call regime changes. Where the risk of a recession is high, the risk of a 20% type decline in the stock market is high." 12:42: Joe Anderson: "We're emotional creatures and I think that's one of the biggest things from an education perspective. It's that you cannot worry about this short-term volatility. What's the goal for the money? You probably need it for your retirement over the next 10-20-30-40 years. We'll have many more presidents, we'll have many more corrections and we'll have many more crises and everything else." 14:15 J David Stein: "My insurance company had a 50% proposed increase for our health insurance. So that got me thinking, what's going on here? What is driving these dramatic increases in health insurance cost? Turns out, much of it is pharmaceutical." 15:20 Alan Clopine: "What is some of the best advice you would give to someone who is about to retire?" 15:54 J David Stein: "What I tell retirees is to find a source of income outside of investing. Have a lifestyle business or something of interest." 17:00 J David Stein: "One can't even imagine a 40-year retirement, I mean we can't comprehend what that's even like." 19:50 End of interview with J David Stein. Visit moneyfortherestofus.net to hear more from J David Stein


