The years you spend in retirement are supposed to be your “golden years.” A time to fulfill your dreams. Relax, travel, study, volunteer, or hang out with your family. Basically, a time to do whatever you want to do. But the first step is getting there. Do you have a plan?
In this episode of The Green Zone Podcast, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith cover some of the most frequently asked questions they get about strategic planning for retirement, including:
Most folks would agree the car buying and leasing experiences leave a lot to be desired. The sales spiel, the haggling, the game-playing… it can just feel like such a hassle. But what if it doesn’t have to be?
In this episode of The Green Zone Podcast, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith sit down with Matt McGuire, Owner of LeasePro, an independent auto sales and lease company that provides a truly customer-driven experience. Together, they discuss:
How LeasePro has disrupted the auto sales market to bring cars straight to the buyers
The advantages and disadvantages of leasing versus buying
How Covid affected the auto sales industry and what ripple effects we’re still seeing today, including the skyrocketing prices and supply chain issues
And more!
Note: Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse the services of Matt McGuire or LeasePro.
LeasePro was established in 2010 by Matthew McGuire who is a licensed dealer and auto facilitator in the State of Texas. Matt started this independent auto lease company to provide an experience based entirely on the principles of customer service and value. As a hands-on owner, Matt has been recognized as a top salesperson throughout his career and has received numerous sales and customer service awards. Matt’s 23 years of experience in sales, leasing, and finance of both new and pre-owned vehicles helps solidify LeasePro as an expert in the automotive sales and leasing arena. Matt and his wife Melissa reside in Friendswood and treasure cheering and supporting their 3 active children in various sporting activities.
These days, it feels like everywhere we look, we see messages of doom and gloom. We are constantly being told by the media that the markets, politics and even our safety are at risk. But instead of letting yourself go down a rabbit hole of negativity, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith want to encourage you to remember this: America is still the greatest country in the world. And good things are happening every day, even if they don’t make the headlines in the news.
In this episode of The Green Zone Podcast, Jeff and Lauren discuss:
Why it’s easy to get overwhelmed with negativity and what we can do to combat it
How America’s contentious politics are at the core of who we are as a country
What Plenty and SpaceX have to do with their positive outlook on the future of our nation
Even in turbulent financial times, the one thing you can always count on is a sound financial plan – and advisors who help you pivot with and understand the ever-changing market. In this episode of The Green Zone Podcast, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith talk about the importance of financial planning today with tomorrow in mind.
Jeff and Lauren share:
The true story of a real financial planning client
How the right type of financial planning now can yield results later
Why it’s important to know your retirement goals and values – even if you’re years away
There’s no doubt the current market is ugly. We have fielded many calls from concerned clients — and understandably so. With everything you hear on the news these days, it can feel like the sky is falling. But is a recession really coming? We’ll cover that and more in this episode of The Green Zone Podcast.
Jeff and Lauren discuss:
Why they do NOT believe a recession is coming in 2022
What bottoming out indicators they’ve been tracking and what’s going on with them today
How much longer they expect to see market volatility
Why you should take what the media is saying with a grain of salt
Real conversations they’ve been having with clients around the current market conditions
As a parent, you want to support your kids to get them started in life. But how do you know when you’re giving them too much financial support?
In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith provide tips and tricks to help parents support their college graduates as they transition for what’s next without going over budget.
Jeff and Lauren discuss:
How you can destroy your retirement by helping your children financially
The value of teaching your children about how money works
The importance of your children learning how to budget
There will eventually come a time when you pass away but that doesn’t mean you should wait until then to start building a comprehensive estate plan.
In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith discuss 10 things you should know about estate planning and will be your guide to making confident decisions about your estate planning.
Jeff and Lauren discuss:
How an estate planning attorney can help you
The value of using an online cloud-based digital storage to store important documents
Why it is important to consider who you are assigning as your beneficiaries
Language is a beautiful thing as it can seamlessly morph and adapt to changing times, but sometimes as older folks, it can be a little tough to understand the lingo of the younger crowd.
In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith identify the meaning of some investing terms used by younger people. They also share where these terms are originating from as more younger people are starting to invest their money into the stock market.
Jeff and Lauren discuss:
How Reddit has influenced the investing terms used by young people
Investing terms you should know to understand what your kids are talking about
How you can compare original investing terms to the current lingo being used
Most people can agree that they’re concerned about college education planning and ultimately paying for the cost of college.
A 529 plan is a great tool in helping you reach your education savings goal.
In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith talk with Ryan White, CIMA® a director of product management at Columbia Threadneedle Investments, US. You will learn why a 529 plan is a simple way to save for all educational related expenses, and what your three options are if you still have money in your 529 account after college.
Ryan discusses:
The basics of 529 planning
How a FAFSA will calculate your eligibility for financial aid
The opportunities for tax benefits that set a 529 apart from other vehicles
Ryan White, CIMA®, is an experienced financial services professional with a demonstrated history of success in distribution, product management, and relationship management in the asset management industry.
As with other investments, there are generally fees and expenses associated with participation in a 529 plan. There is also a risk that these plans may lose money or not perform well enough to cover college costs as anticipated. Most states offer their own 529 programs, which may provide advantages and benefits exclusively for their residents. Investors should consider, before investing, whether the investor’s or the designated beneficiary’s home state offers any tax or other benefits that are only available for investment in such state’s 529 college savings plan. Such benefits include financial aid, scholarship funds, and protection from creditors. The tax implications can vary significantly from state to state.
You may have a pretty good handle on your finances. But have you shared that information with your family?
In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith talk about suggestions for documenting the details of your finances so your family can access this information in case of an emergency. They share tips for ways to share this information, and explain why you should be having this conversation before it’s too late.
Jeff and Lauren discuss:
The purpose of the ‘family phone call’
The helpful resource of a cloud-based vault and the ability to designate trusted contacts
The importance of writing down contact information to your; financial advisor, estate attorney etc.
Why you should be having the estate planning conversation with family
