Your Life Simplified: A Financial & Wealth Management Podcast

Many of us have heard the adage about location being everything when it comes to real estate, but what else should you be thinking about? We invite real estate agent Mike O'Dell on to the show to discuss key decision points from both the buying and selling side. From strategic approaches on coming in with an offer on the buy side, to how to handle lowball offers on the sale of your home, Mike shares his experience on what he has seen work in the industry.

When it comes to filing your taxes, the rate at which your income is taxed can vary based on the state in which you live, or where your domicile is. In this episode, we invite Adam Kotz of Mariner Wealth Advisors to discuss how the IRS determines your domicile and things to keep in mind when you move to a different state. Additionally, we dive into what this means for individuals who own homes in multiple states.

New tax season, new tax laws. How do you decide whether you should choose a tax preparer or a tax consultant to help you file? Along with discussing the key differences in this selection, Ryan Drake and Erin Alexander of Mariner Wealth Advisors break down how filing has changed in the first year after the tax law update, and how that may impact the way you file and your refund. In addition, they discuss common filing mistakes and how to avoid them.

Financial windfalls come in a variety of forms, from winning the lottery to receiving an inheritance or even selling a business. Regardless of the sort of windfall received, there are some key pieces to keep in mind. On this episode, we ask Suzanne Wheeler of Mariner Wealth Advisors to share what she feels to be important considerations when handling new-found wealth. After taking a moment to step back and look at your situation, some decisions Suzanne recommends you make include deciding how the money should be allocated, if you'd like to donate to charity, how you can protect your assets and what changes should you make in your lifestyle.

We know that it is sometimes difficult to stick to those New Year's resolutions, whether they be related to diet and exercise or saving and spending. So, we have invited George Fernandez and Andy Garrison of Mariner Wealth Advisors to have a conversation about what they are thinking about when planning financial goals for the year. Those planning topics include saving for your retirement, creating an appropriate spending plan, choosing the correct level of insurance coverage and selecting the right gym.

According to Game Plan Experts, there are, on average, 76,000 people killed and 174 billion dollars in average annual losses because of natural disasters every year. These numbers are so high because many people are not prepared for emergency situations like hurricanes, fires, tornadoes, flooding, earthquakes and other extreme weather. Today we invite Shawn Tipping to share his insights and speak to how his company helps people get prepared.

Throughout the life of our podcast, we have been asking you to send in any questions or thoughts you might have that you would like us to cover. In a segment we're calling Mariner Mail, we have gone through some of these financial questions and invited Scott Voss and Jadin Winberg from Mariner Wealth Advisors to help answer them. Questions answered today include: We pay our daughter to do chores around the house, can she use these funds to contribute to an individual retirement account? My attorney who created my estate plan has died. Is there anything I need to do, how do I get copies of the documents and is it still in effect? Where should I be keeping important documents like my will? Will I have to pay estate tax when I pass? What's the difference between a revocable and irrevocable trust? When assets are gifted, are there taxes associated with that gift – for either the recipient or giver of that gift? I've done my own taxes for years but have just received a letter from the IRS. What do I do? What are the most common mistakes in estate planning and tax preparation?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, American households spend approximately $500 a month on their automotive transportation. Over a 60-year period of time, that equates to roughly $360,000 – not a small expense by any means. And, let's face it, buying a car can be overwhelming. In this podcast, our guest expert, John M. Vincent, an automotive consumer advice writer with U.S. News & World Report. John shares his knowledge to help you simplify the car buying process, deciding whether you should buy new, used or lease a car, financing, how to negotiate the best price, what to look for in a car, how to research a car and where to buy a car.

One in eight people are related to someone with special needs, according to Pew Research Center. There is a broad definition of special needs and it does not discriminate. If you have a family member with special needs, it's important to adapt your financial plan. Depending on the severity of the special needs, parents may need to not only plan for their lifetime, but also that of their child or children. This podcast episode focuses on when and where you should start with special needs planning. In addition, items such as schooling, doctors, instructions for guardians and more are discussed to help you ensure you have the bases covered for someone with special needs. If you have questions or suggestions for future podcasts, please email us at podcast@marinerwealthadvisors.com

We are all impacted by cybersecurity. This podcast includes answers to questions we have received, to help ensure your personal information is kept safe. Many firms spend a great deal of money to protect your data, but are you following steps to protect it too. With the recent data breaches of Facebook, Uber and Equifax, among others, it's more important than ever to understand cybersecurity and protecting your personally identifiable information. From passwords, to your computer, to wi-fi and much more…this episode covers what you should think about the next time you get online. If you have questions you would like answered, email us at podcast@marinerwealthadvisors.com