Do you feel it? Spring is HERE! Most days you can walk outside without a jacket, the grass is greener and there are buds on the trees. And Tax Day is finally behind us! It’s time for new beginnings, and a great opportunity to have a “spring cleanup” conversation.
That means we’re going back to the basics of financial planning, starting with the letter “B” for budgets. Then we’ll discuss ways to cut expenses, save for retirement and buy insurance.
Regardless of age, income or retirement status, it’s always good to take a second look and see where there is room for improvement.

We could do a weekly segment on Social Security alone. The stats are astounding:
· In 1940, the life expectancy of a 65-year-old was almost 14 years; today it is just over 20 years
· December 2018, the average monthly benefit was $1,461
· By 2035, the number of Americans 65 and older will increase from approximately 49 million today to more than 79 million
· There are currently 2.8 workers for each Social Security beneficiary. By 2035, there will be 2.2 covered workers for each beneficiary
That being said, let’s chat more about it today on NEW Retirement Live!
Find out why 2019 is a key year for Social Security, how divorce affects your accounts, and when to choose between a lump sum or a bigger Social Security benefit.

Week after week, we talk about saving, saving, saving! So that one day you can spend, spend, spend! What if we talked about how to spend your money now? That’s the silver lining to Tax Day for those of you who are getting refunds. The IRS processed 26.9 million individual tax refunds as of February 8, the second week of tax season, and the average refund issued was $1,949. (cnbc.com)
Perhaps you’ve already decided what’s happening with that money. But in case you need more ideas, we want to help you!

My friend Chelsea’s dad has a clever saying as not to be persuaded by “he said, she said” arguments. He says, “There’s always two sides to every pancake.” It took me a minute to understand what he meant, but honestly, it makes sense! The same goes for estate planning. The intention of the one leaving assets may not be received by the heirs with the same understanding. In fact, they might fight it.

Unfortunately, we hear this story frequently. Whether you’re the one planning or receiving, we want to help you see both sides of the pancake!

Even within the context of today’s economic reality, there are very astute economists and financial industry experts who can’t agree on a popular topic … and no, it’s not Donald Trump. It’s predicting a recession. All these folks are reviewing the same charts, observing the same historical patterns and working within the same market. And yet, they are drawing very different conclusions. We are going to share the facts with you on today’s show so that you can decide what side you’d like to take – the bear or the bull. We will also give you advice that these experts might all agree on … becoming as recession ready as possible.
Believe it or not, it’s simple advice that applies to any economic climate.