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
No matter their age, your children will always look to you for advice and to learn those essential life skills that everyone should know before they’re on their own.
In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith discuss some of the life skills, and financial knowledge you should be teaching your kids that will set them up for life. They share advice and their personal experience with teaching and learning these essential skills for life.
Jeff and Lauren discuss:
Why you should teach your children the essential life skills like changing the batteries in a smoke detector or changing a tire on your car
The feeling of teaching your children how to grill, pitch a tent, camp in nature, and start a fire
The financial skills you should ensure your children know before they go to college
“Tax codes are written in pencil.” Taxes never go away but the rules and regulations around them are not set in stone.
In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith share what you can potentially expect for the tax changes in the coming year under the Biden Administration. They share the little things to consider along the way for your tax planning.
Jeff and Lauren discuss:
The potential increase in top ordinary income tax rates
The potentially high jump in capital gains
What the elimination of the step up in basis at death could look like
We all have those burning questions about planning for retirement. One of the most commonly asked questions that people want to know is, “Should I pay my house off before I retire?”
In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith talk with Jim Chaplin, vice president/senior mortgage loan originator at Elite Lending Group to get his perspective on the topic.
Jim Chaplin discusses:
The items to take into consideration before deciding to pay off your mortgage before retirement
The backseat figures of making the decision
The state of the real estate market right now and how this may impact your decision
Jim Chaplin: Jim Chaplin has a total of 30 plus years of real estate related experience. Licensed Texas Real Estate Broker since 1974 which makes him very familiar with promulgated contract documents. Specialties include, lot loans, and construction loans as well as a wide range of mortgage products.
How will you step up when the time comes to fully support an aging relative? This is a question that will face more and more people as science and medicine continue to extend human life expectancy.
In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith hit a few of the hot points to help you begin having these tough conversations with family members about their wishes and plans.
We discuss:
How to start thinking about the recipient’s needs
Why it’s important to make decisions and have documents in place before cognitive impairments become overwhelming
How to prioritize your mental and physical health as a caregiver
And more!
Tune in as Jeff and Lauren help you to start thinking about a caregiving plan for your aging relatives!
Spring is finally here! And do you know what that means?
It’s spring cleaning time!
In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith are joined by Carroll Cartwright and Paige Ebanks of Neatly Houston to discuss how they put a fresh perspective on organizing, styling and moving to clean and tidy your home. Rudy Vierra of SteaMyCar joins in on the conversation to share how your car can get the best wash and interior clean it has ever had.
We discuss:
The process for having Neatly come clean your home
Tips to help get you into the spring cleaning mindset
The eco-friendly car wash process service by SteaMyCar
The types of services offered by SteaMyCar
And more!
Tune in to learn how you can outsource to save time and avoid the spring cleaning most of us dread!
