Maybe you didn’t notice it at first. After all, you live out of town and only visit your parents in the summer. But during your most recent visit, many things seemed amiss. Unpaid bills were piled up on the kitchen table. Items in the fridge were expired. In fact, your parents aren’t eating like they used to, if at all. And why, oh, why have they become so paranoid?

You make their doctor appointments and join them, but it’s time to find someone to help you long distance, because there’s only so much you can do. Who can act on their behalf? Pay the bills? Act as a trustee? Believe it or not, there is a local dynamic duo that can act as a conservator or guardian.

Today, we are interviewing Brenda Miller and Lisa Lundy from Fiduciary Services North, Inc. They’ve served the five-county area as senior advocates and personal representatives for more than 10 years, and have wisdom to share for those seeking an independent third party to manage financial, medical and legal logistics.

By a landslide, the 401(k) retirement savings account is the most common savings vehicle for most folks. It’s accessible at most companies and has tax advantages that will encourage you to save, including a Roth 401(k) option. The more progressive companies require people to “opt out” instead of “into” the 401(k) plan being offered. Pretty cool, eh? (said with a strong northern Michigan accent). So, how does one take advantage of this option to save? When can you take the money out? Should you roll it over when you retire? Why do some advisors dislike the 401(k) option?

We’re pretty sure this show will be one that you won’t want to miss! You’ve been saving, so learn how to be a bit more clever when you do.

Learn about the importance of having difficult conversations with your family members about estate planning and inheriting family assets.  As you consider retirement accounts, your home or other property and even charitable giving, whether you are the parent or the child, it is not always an easy topic to bring up.

The man, the myth, the IRA legend – Ed Slott – is calling in today for a LIVE broadcast!

What will we talk about? The better question is, “What won’t we talk about?”

From missed retirement account deadlines to tax advantages of a Roth IRA – no topic will be off-limits! So be ready to call in with your questions. This show will be a full hour of non-stop information that will help you navigate the complexities of retirement planning as it relates to taxes.

When it comes to saving for retirement, one of the biggest mental blocks for people is that the accounts are protected. In other words, there are rules about how much you can put in, take out and when. Considering all the rules, it’s no surprise that mistakes are made, and they can be costly. The question then becomes, which ones can be fixed? Which ones can’t? Ed Slott gives this example: If a non-spouse beneficiary of an inherited IRA attempts a rollover, there is no going back. If the money comes out, it cannot be returned; inherited IRAs can only be transferred. A rollover of an inherited IRA is a fatal error, and no one can un-ring that bell.
Tune in today to learn about the ins and outs of fixing IRA and retirement plan mistakes.