Plan For Life Now

Steve and Dave spend the majority of episode 107 reviewing where we are right now as the markets head toward 2024. Steve adds some prescient* insight on bonds: Dave finishes the pod off with some startling reality about Long Term Care, proving once again that life, money, and segments of Plan For Life Now are truly unpredictable! *Recently voted into the “Fancy Word That Makes You Sound Smart” Hall Of Fame

No way to sugarcoat this one- If you own the Federal LTCi plan, you’re looking at another price hike that could be up to 86%. But there will be options to amend your policy to mitigate the cost. Please use this short podcast as a guide on how to deal with this. We strongly recommend passing this Pod on to others you know who will also have some important decisions to make!

The show begins with Steve and Dave “waxing poetic”* about the end of summer, and quickly moves into a detailed review of a great column by Michelle Singletary about the emotional fraught of retirement. Then Steve debunks Michael Burry’s latest doom and gloom market prediction. If you’re worried about your money running out, and a fan of shorting the “Big Short” guy, you’ll love episode 105 of Plan For Life Now *Fancy words for complaining

After a quick market recap (and a good one at that!), Steve and Dave get into a detailed discussion about the fine line between how an investment opportunity is advertised on radio and TV* versus how it performs in real life. Before you buy what your favorite media outlet is selling, you may want to listen to episode (whatever) of Plan For Life Now. *The world is collapsing, so drop what you’re doing and get some gold

This show is full of financial fireworks!* Steve and Dave start off with a discussion of how the markets did for the first half of 2023, then pivot into a back and forth about Artificial Intelligence. They finish with some sophisticated ideas to make your extra cash really work for you. Plus, a rare (and only ever) cameo mention of former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop! It’s all on episode 103 of Plan For Life Now *Not really, but had to write something for 4th of July

2023 5 31 - The Psychology Of Money by Capitol Retirement Strategies

It’s the episode you’ve all been waiting for, big number 100!* We take a trip down memory lane, starting with the radio show at WMAL. If you’ve ever wondered about Dave and Steve’s broadcasting timeline, and how that led to a podcast that’s rocking triple digit listenership, then you need to tune in to this very special episode of Plan For Life Now *Really 101…they’ll explain

The title of our 100th episode is also the Jeopardy answer to the question, “What type of bank do I hope my money is in right now?” The big 100th episode celebration takes a back seat to the big questions, like Why did this happen? What will happen next? And what, if anything, should you do about? You’ve got questions and we’ve got answers on this informative episode of Plan For Life Now.

Well, it’s the last pod before the “100th Episode Mega Celebration” and Dave gives us a hint about two superstars who may be making a surprise appearance (Spoiler Alert-It’s not true!) Speaking of celebrations, Steve points out that the markets partied like it was 1999 in January, but we’re hungover like it was 2022 in February. You’ll also hear a pretty darn positive, glass is “full full” spin on interest rates. All this and more on episode 99 of Plan For Life Now!

Steve and Dave start things off by being the last two people on earth to wish you a “Happy New Year”! It’s a perfect prelude to their Predictions for 2023 extravaganza . What does the new year have in store for the “3 B’s” (Bonds, Bitcoin and Bezos)? Will the Fed pull off their “soft landing”? Is the 60/40 portfolio dead? If you like a slew of prognostications, and new financial catch phrases like “Slow-cession” and “The Great Inflation”, then hurry up and turn on Episode 98 of Plan For Life Now!

Steve and Dave look forward to their upcoming, star studded spectacular ( actually doing nothing different than normal) 100th podcast episode, and look back at the market’s 2022 performance. What if 2023 is as dismal as 2022? Does it really matter? If you’re interested in Dave peppering Steve with 4 word questions, and an old random story about running into former GE head honcho Jack Welch on the golf course, then episode 97 of PFLN is for you!

Steve and Dave cover a variety of topics including the dangers of market timing, some surprising tips on “TIPS” (and Gold, but that didn’t sound clever), and a negative spin on the advancement of Alzheimer's testing. Along the way, you’ll be introduced to the “When They Say It’s Dead It’s Very Much Alive Fund”. It will all make sense when you listen to episode 96 of Plan For Life Now

Steve and Dave delve into all of the predictions and theories about where this volatile stock market is headed. Have you heard the one about what stocks will do after the Midterm elections? Steve and Dave have…many times! If you’ve been wondering if our 95th podcast will lead to the market going up 9.5% in 95 days, then this episode is definitely for you!

The endless summer is ending, and on this episode of PFLN, Dave ponders this fact from his patio in Ocean View, DE. We also learn about his pickleball performance at the Maryland Senior Olympics, which was eerily similar to the stock market in August-weak and seemingly lifeless. Steve points out some interesting “glass half full” points about the future of the stock and bond markets, and there’s a passionate discussion about what retirees are really worried about these days.

There is no other word to describe recent stock and bond returns, other than awful. The six months ending June 30th ranked in the bottom 2% in history for a balanced portfolio. Dave and Steve discuss the current state of the markets and what we should expect for the rest of the year. What will the Secure Act 2.0 mean for your RMDs? Should I buy I bonds right now? And why are so many people filing early for social security? Hear all this and more in the latest episode!

After flirting with the magical 20% barrier, stocks officially closed in a bear market. What does this mean for the average retiree? How long does the typical bear market last and how fast is the average recovery? How should you have your assets allocated between different asset classes? Also, find out which famous (infamous?) internet ad is mysteriously absent during a bear market and why it drives Dave crazy. Tune in to hear all of this and more in the latest episode!

As the stock market continues to decline, Dave and Steve weigh in with their thoughts and look back at past bear markets. What can we learn from the past declines and how does it relate to today? They also discuss what it feels like to retire and start spending retirement assets in this environment. Is the 4% rule still applicable today? Tune in to hear it all!

The market woes have continued as we entered the 2nd quarter of 2022. However, the normal dynamic of bonds as a safe haven from stock market declines has not played out this year. While stocks are down 10%-15%, the broad bond market is down almost 10% off it’s highs. What does this mean for diversified portfolios? Is the 60/40 model of asset allocation dead? How should you allocate in the future? All of this, plus we answer listener questions from the mail bag. Tune in to hear it all!

Concerns over Ukraine, inflation and rising interest rates have continued to weigh on the market and cause negative stock market returns. In this month’s episode Dave and Steve attempt to give some perspective on the current decline. How has the market reacted to past geopolitical shocks? How often does the market recover from a decline and still produce positive year end results? Is this the start to the next bear market? Tune in to find out!

2022 has started off with something we haven’t seen in a while: Volatility. Listen to the latest podcast to hear Dave and Steve discuss why the stock market is off to a terrible start. What does this mean for the rest of the year? How can we use history as a guide to what might happen going forward? Should we pay attention to the financial pundits when they make predictions? Tune in to gain some perspective on the market decline and to determine whether you should make any changes to your portfolio!