Money Guy Show

“Those Who Spend Too Much Will Eventually Be Owned by Those Who Are Thrifty”

14 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Today's show is about debt, plain and simple. It builds off of two shows we did last year titled "Legacy of A Generation...Not the Millionaire Next Do...

Don’t Let Buying a Car Drive You Crazy

03 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

All of us at some point in our lives have bought, or are planning on buying, an automobile. For many, however, this is not a very pleasant experience....

Cheapskates, Tightwads, and Penny Pinchers

16 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Today's show is a fun one! With it being the day after tax day, we thought we would do a very light-hearted and entertaining show. Don't worry, though...

Time For Your Check-Up…

26 Mar 2010

Contributed by Lukas

With all of the media coverage concerning the new health care legislation, it would be easy to focus on the ins and outs of the new bill. However, we ...

Selecting Tax Efficient Investments

10 Mar 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Today's show was spurred by two things: 1) it's tax time and, therefore, thinking about taxes and tax planning is fresh on most people's minds, and 2)...

Clear the Clutter

26 Feb 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Today's show is on an issue that we all face, yet not many people know how to handle. It's happened to every one of us. You start a folder to house al...

Understanding Unemployment

12 Feb 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Today's show isn't exactly one of those that gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. The topic is, however, one of those that is a necessary evil a...

Roth Conversion: In-Depth Analysis

28 Jan 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Well here it is; we finally did it. You have been writing, calling, and asking for us to explain and go through the nuts and bolts of the Roth convers...

Happy New Year and A Happy Retirement

12 Jan 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Well, I've missed you guys. We took a few weeks off for the holidays, and I can only hope that absence has made the heart grow fonder. I thought a gre...

Year-End Clean Up

04 Dec 2009

Contributed by Lukas

As we wind down 2009, what sort of things should you be thinking about? Well, in my life, it seems like every December there are a million things goin...

TGI BLACK FRIDAY!!

20 Nov 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Some people love Christmas or Thanksgiving or maybe New Year's or Valentine's day, but, while I do enjoy these holidays very much, there is one day ea...

Health Insurance Making You Sick?

06 Nov 2009

Contributed by Lukas

If you pay attention to any piece of news, you no doubt have heard SOMETHING about health insurance over the last few months. Coincidentally, in the m...

The Tortoise, or the Hare?

28 Oct 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Today's show is on a topic that I feel is very easy to understand, but, for some reason, very often overlooked. While overlooking this seemingly small...

Inflation Concerns…?

16 Oct 2009

Contributed by Lukas

If you watch any piece of news, read any bit of financial commentary (which you probably do since you listen to this show), or have any sense of how f...

Credit Card Review

07 Oct 2009

Contributed by Lukas

There was a great article in my November edition of Consumer Reports. The title of the article was Take Control of Your Credit Cards: How to Fight Bac...

Life Changing Events and The Fair Tax

23 Sep 2009

Contributed by Lukas

So it has been about two weeks since our last show and, if you have listened to the most recent shows, you know that the reason for this temporary abs...

I.O.U.S.A. One Nation. Under Stress. In Debt.

04 Sep 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Every so often we stumble across something so moving and so compelling that we feel we MUST share it with those around us. Well that is exactly what h...

An Heir-Tight IRA

28 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Today's show is one of those nitty-gritty topics that may not always be the most fun or most exciting, but it is definitely one of the most important....

Bing Double Cash Back

19 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Bo and I will be traveling to South Carolina for a conference this week, but I didn't want you to be without sound financial information for two whole...

When The Going Gets Tough…

12 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

So here we find ourselves. I won't go so far as to say that things feel good, but at least it doesn't appear as though the sky is falling any longer. ...

Free Fixes and ‘Cash For Clunkers’

03 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Today is a prime example of how quickly things change in our current economic environment! We recorded this show on Thursday afternoon, 07/30, and pla...

Why a Roth 401k May be Your Best Bet

25 Jun 2009

Contributed by Lukas

If you have been listening to this show for any length of time at all, you have no doubt heard me sing praise of the Roth IRA. The Roth IRA is an amaz...

Legacy of A Generation… Not the Millionaire Next Door

12 Jun 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes individuals have those moments where they wake up in the middle of the night, and it hits them! It's that thought, or idea, or realization t...

Bear Bargains, Broker Battles, and Searching for Yields

03 Jun 2009

Contributed by Lukas

This week’s show comes from two of my most favorite newsletters, Consumer Reports’ Money Adviser and Kiplinger’s Retirement Report. These public...

Social Security, Charity Fraud, and Credit Card Deadbeats

22 May 2009

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been a good week around here. We’ve been pretty busy with client and prospect meetings, but things are starting to calm down and get back to ...

DCA: Maybe the Most Important Investment Decision You Will Ever Make

13 May 2009

Contributed by Lukas

So once again this week's show topic was inspired by real life events. You would have to be living under a rock to not notice the gains we have been e...

Is Now the Time to be Taking Risks?

29 Apr 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Even though the economy has shown some signs of life over the last month and a half, I feel it is safe to say we are still in or around the low-point ...

How to Build Your Credit

20 Apr 2009

Contributed by Lukas

As many of you are aware, I have been harping on how low mortgage rates have been over the past few months and how much of an opportunity we all have ...

Mutual Fund Screeners

04 Apr 2009

Contributed by Lukas

So here you are. You have been listening to the show for a while. You understand efficient markets. You understand asset allocation. You even understa...

Stewart vs. Cramer and Real Estate Update

19 Mar 2009

Contributed by Lukas

You couldn't turn to a major network or listen to a major broadcast in the past week without hearing about the ongoing feud between the Daily Show's J...

Buyer Protection, Listener Emails, and Economic Research

05 Mar 2009

Contributed by Lukas

In trying times, it isn't enough to just be an intelligent investor. To truly get your financial house in order, you must also be a good consumer. It ...

529 College Savings and ‘The 2009 Stimulus’

20 Feb 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s show is brimming with information. In the first half of the show, I share a research study done by Consumer Reports in their Consumer Report...

Money Guy Q and A… Year of the ‘Re’ Take 2

05 Feb 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s show is a hodge-podge of information. You guys have been instrumental in providing me with great feedback as well as some very good question...

Bringin’ Simple Back

23 Jan 2009

Contributed by Lukas

That’s right. We’re bringin’ simple back. 2008 provided us with a wonderful opportunity to step back and ask, ‘what in the world are we doing?...

Year of the ‘Re’ – Refinance and Rebalance

16 Jan 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Well, so far the beginning of 2009 has felt quite similar to the last part of 2008. That, however, does not mean that there aren’t opportunities out...

Protecting Yourself From Fraud

08 Jan 2009

Contributed by Lukas

As if the financial markets weren’t scary enough in 2008, here comes the story of a snake who decided to take advantage of people and subsequently m...

Closing Out 2008 with a Challenge and Books

16 Dec 2008

Contributed by Lukas

A 2009 Challenge: 2008 is coming to a close and this is the time of the year where we start planning those Resolutions on how we are going to make 200...

Unusual Times require Creative Solutions

21 Nov 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Next week is Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is a great time to catch-up with friends and family, but I am worried that this year’s big point of discus...

little money = BIG DEALS!

14 Nov 2008

Contributed by Lukas

With all of the doom and gloom in the financial markets right now, surely you are asking: why in the world would I be talking about spending money? Es...

Life Insurance 101

05 Nov 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Life insurance is one of the most controversial and, in my opinion, convoluted personal finance topics today. Even once you get past the eternal debat...

Time to Buy? Buffett vs Cramer

24 Oct 2008

Contributed by Lukas

We have been riding this wave of volatility long enough that 7%-9% market swings do not have the same shock and awe impact they had a few weeks ago. ...

Thanksgiving is Around the Corner: Time to Harvest

15 Oct 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Last show we talked about the silver lining of a financial crisis. This week I talk about the special opportunities that these down markets can offer....

The Silver Lining of a Financial Crisis

01 Oct 2008

Contributed by Lukas

What a week! Actually, what a past couple of weeks! Obviously, it wouldn’t be too hard to harp on all of the bad stuff going on right now. So, inste...

News Nightmares & Bank Debacles

16 Sep 2008

Contributed by Lukas

So this is the question of the hour: What is going on? Or maybe the better question is: What got us into this mess? The real answer is a perfect storm...

Cheese Grits, College Savings, Black Holes, and HELOCs

09 Sep 2008

Contributed by Lukas

For most parents, saving for their child’s education is always a priority. With the volatility and uncertainty in today’s market, it has become a ...

Tax Smart and Creative Ways to Better the World

27 Aug 2008

Contributed by Lukas

In tight economic times charities are often hit with increasing needs from the individuals who require their services. To make matters worse, generous...

Fairy-Tale Foreclosure, How a Planner Works, and Dark Knight Review

12 Aug 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s show is a grab-bag of goodies. If you keep up with pop-culture, you’ve probably come across the show Extreme Makeover Home Edition. If you...

Brian Preston’s Guide to Selecting Mutual Funds

31 Jul 2008

Contributed by Lukas

The mutual fund universe is larger than ever and there are no signs of it slowing down. With more funds, more information, and easier access to this i...

Liz Weston – Loaded Celebrity Interview

23 Jul 2008

Contributed by Lukas

We have a special treat for you on this installment of the Money Guy Show! I usually don’t have guests on the show, but today we’re fortunate to b...

Protecting Yourself: Banking System Under Stress

20 Jul 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Our banking system’s clearly under a lot of stress at the moment. Coming off a decade of aggressive mortgage lending, the system’s troubles have b...

Navigating Stormy Economic Waters

10 Jul 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Pick your economic worry — there’s more than enough to go around: mortgage crisis? faltering U.S. economy? government deficits? skyrocketing oil p...

Are Tax-Deferred Savings a Ticking Time Bomb?

25 Jun 2008

Contributed by Lukas

"If Thomas Jefferson thought taxation without representation was bad, he should see how it is with representation." – Anonymous Deferring taxes has ...

Father’s Day 2008: Teaching Children About Money

19 Jun 2008

Contributed by Lukas

"Any man can be a father, but it takes a special person to be a Dad." – Anonymous Since we celebrated Father’s Day this past weekend, I thought it...

Rethinking Life’s Necessities, Wants, and Wishes

10 Jun 2008

Contributed by Lukas

I think a lot about our culture and how the virtues of frugality and simplicity seem to have been forgotten by many of us. As never before, the popula...

William Shakespeare on Trust and Financial Planners

30 May 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Professional financial planning is built on a foundation of trust. You entrust not just your money but also your hopes and dreams with an adviser and ...

Dave Ramsey: Financial Planning Guru … or Charlatan?

20 May 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Love him or not, Dave Ramsey is a financial planning phenomenon. Consider his popularity: Ramsey’s syndicated radio program, The Dave Ramsey Show, i...

12 Investment Mistakes Couples Make

13 May 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Through my years as a financial planner, I’ve worked with a lot of couples and, unfortunately, seen many of the same money mistakes over and over ag...

The Price of Security – Immediate Annuities

06 May 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Money-Guy 05-05-2008 With recent stock market ups and downs, immediate annuities are attracting attention from people looking to shelter themselves fr...

Finding a ‘Fiduciary’ Planner in a Sea of Snakes

29 Apr 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Being a financial planner myself, I loved an article that The New York Times featured over the weekend, "Pick a Planner Who Can Spell ‘Fiduciary’"...

Dateline and Equity-Indexed Annuities

22 Apr 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Chris Hansen from Dateline NBC devoted an entire hour on April 13, 2008 to the topic of equity-indexed annuities and the unscrupulous tactics sometime...

An Inconvenient Truth (About Cash)

16 Apr 2008

Contributed by Lukas

If I told you about a popular investment product that was yielding 40% less than it did last year, you’d probably think it was one of the great fina...

Recession and the First Quarter 2008 – Avoiding Advisers Who Push Risky Products

08 Apr 2008

Contributed by Lukas

I’m short on notes today, but heavy on great information in the audio of the show. I first provide my detailed perspective on the performance of the...

Prioritize Retirement Savings and Where to Invest Cash

31 Mar 2008

Contributed by Lukas

We’re currently in the final weeks of tax preparation season. As many of you know, I do just enough tax return preparation every year to make me won...

Auto Accidents – Dealing with Insurance Companies

24 Mar 2008

Contributed by Lukas

After you’ve been in an auto accident, you count your ten fingers and ten toes. Then, the stress sets in that you will have to deal with an insuranc...

Fear, Financial Markets, and Your Money

18 Mar 2008

Contributed by Lukas

I’m a day late with this post because I spent most of yesterday fielding concerned phone calls and writing a market update letter for my clients. It...

Buffett Time – 2007 Annual Shareholders Letter

10 Mar 2008

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve reviewed the Money Guy site recently, you’ve probably noticed that we added a fun "widget" which rotates through some of Warren Buffett’...

$200 a Month with a Few Phone Calls

03 Mar 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Money-Guy 03-03-2008 In this week’s show, I help you find $200 a month by just calling your "Ungrateful Providers". Now this does not mean that your...

Creating a Retirement Withdrawal Plan

25 Feb 2008

Contributed by Lukas

I talk about the need to save for retirement all the time on the Money Guy Show. However, I have not done a show discussing what you can expect from t...

Time and Money: It can be your best friend

18 Feb 2008

Contributed by Lukas

I was asked to write a guest post for fivecentnickel.com that will be posted while nickel is on vacation. I decided to base my post on the timeless ad...

Should You Prepay Your Mortgage and Mutual Fund Opportunities

11 Feb 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered if you should prepay your mortgage? In today's show I give you the information to make an informed decision based upon your per...

Nuts and Bolts of Obtaining a Mortgage and How to Cut Closing Costs

04 Feb 2008

Contributed by Lukas

January is officially history and there was a tremendous amount of volatility. On today's show I share how you can turn the lemons of January into swe...

Stimulus Package, Tax Preparation Discussion, and IRA Rollovers

28 Jan 2008

Contributed by Lukas

We are covering: Details of the Government’s bipartisan economic stimulus program “How to drive your tax preparer crazy” discussion with CPA, Br...

Dealing with an Uncertain Market, US Credit under Fire, and What does $900 Gold Mean?

21 Jan 2008

Contributed by Lukas

If you need proof that this broad sell-off is nothing new then read an article that I wrote back in October 2002. (click here for a copy) In the artic...

2008 Financial Resolutions and How Not to Have a 1987 Portfolio

07 Jan 2008

Contributed by Lukas

A new year can represent a fresh start for many. I know that many out there have made financial resolutions and I want to be a resource to help you re...

Money and Your Brain, AMT Update

22 Dec 2007

Contributed by Lukas

The emotions that your brain creates can lead to disaster if you do not know how to recognize where your decisions and actions are coming from (analyt...

GA Education Update, Financial Leftovers, and Sex, Drugs & Hedge Funds?!

17 Dec 2007

Contributed by Lukas

If you are a Georgia listener then Christmas has come early this year. As of December 11th the GA 529 plan has been drastically improved (probably bec...

Mortgage Plan Review, E-Commerce Booming, and Candidates Take on Social Security

10 Dec 2007

Contributed by Lukas

Current events are impacting the world of personal finance and the financial markets. Many of you have asked me to provide more input on current finan...

The Economy, “Free” credit reports, and Improving Your 401k

03 Dec 2007

Contributed by Lukas

The White House lowers ’08 economic forecast (click here for more information) October foreclosure filings up 94% over last year (click here for mo...

Capital Gains, Mortgages, and Retire Early but Beware

19 Nov 2007

Contributed by Lukas

 Capital Gains Looming Once Again by David Hoffman with Investment News… Investment News is an industry magazine that I get, but I think the inform...

Year End Taxes & Investments, Auto Insurance Savings, & Variable Annuities

12 Nov 2007

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s show we discuss: 1st Segment includes information on what you need to look at with your portfolio at year end. ** Harvesting Tax Losses...

Great Personal Finance Advice, Are Credit Cards Evil, and the Wealth Spectrum

05 Nov 2007

Contributed by Lukas

Defending credit card companies is hard to do because they do have quite a few practices that are down right sleazy (shrinking grace periods, escalati...

Roth 401k, Financial Records to Keep, and Social Security

29 Oct 2007

Contributed by Lukas

"Should You Be Investing In the Roth 401(k)?" – I have received several emails from listeners asking questions about Roth 401k options at their work...

Pizza and Other Financial Leftovers

22 Oct 2007

Contributed by Lukas

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) called last week and let me know that they were stopping by our offices. As you can imagine, this is not ...

College Planning & Savings

08 Oct 2007

Contributed by Lukas

Points of Consideration for Education Planning Many of you have written to ask that I provide some guidance on education planning and I have stayed aw...

Asset Allocation Basics

01 Oct 2007

Contributed by Lukas

Terms needed to understand asset allocation: Domestic Stocks = US Companies Market Capitalization of US Stocks (According to Morningstar): Large Cap ...

Mastering the World of Investing

24 Sep 2007

Contributed by Lukas

Basic Definitions Diversification: The idea of spreading out your money across many different types of investments.  Choosing to diversify your inve...

Retirement In Crisis – Update

17 Sep 2007

Contributed by Lukas

The focus of the program is on the changing retirement landscape. 1974 Retirement Funding: 11% Employee 89% Employer 2006 Retirement Funding: 51% Em...

Simple Advice for Your Finances

10 Sep 2007

Contributed by Lukas

The most important concept that determines how financially successful an individual/family is going to be is: * Deferred gratification * The hardest ...

Financial Devastation Through Debt

27 Aug 2007

Contributed by Lukas

I personally make use of both credit cards and the large sum of equity that I have in my personal residence. I responsibly pay my credit cards off eac...

Act Rich and Protect Yourself from a Down Market

10 Aug 2007

Contributed by Lukas

the benefits of using Long/Short Funds.   A long/short fund takes advantage of a technique that many hedge funds use that allows them to make money...

Attn. Small Business Owners… A Legal Way to hide money from the Tax Man

27 Jul 2007

Contributed by Lukas

I have spent the last two weeks preparing for the IRS. Unfortunately, I still do a small number of business tax returns (old habits are hard to get aw...

Are You On the Road to Wealth and Independence?

13 Jul 2007

Contributed by Lukas

I’m a straight talker, so please don’t hate me for a harsh, but true statement: when people are falling short of their financial goals, it’s alm...

The 30 Minute Financial Plan

29 Jun 2007

Contributed by Lukas

A quick review of your financial health is today’s topic.  I am taking a brief break from talking about investments.  Instead I am going to lo...

How to Choose Mutual Funds

15 Jun 2007

Contributed by Lukas

First you guys need to know my thoughts on what is known as Efficient Market Theory Efficient Market – Since everyone has the same information abou...

Take 2 = When, Where, and How to Invest (Investing 101)

17 May 2007

Contributed by Lukas

There are tons of podcasts out there that explain how to spend less than you make, and how credit card debt can drain financial freedom. How many actu...

Lazy Investing Can Be Good Investing

18 Apr 2007

Contributed by Lukas

Tax Refund Challenge: Now that you have filed your taxes it is time to evaluate where you are financially. Say what you will about filing tax returns...

Free Professional Advice and Research (My Little Blackbook)

23 Mar 2007

Contributed by Lukas

The financial markets have been very choppy this quarter. We started off 2007 with day after day of the stock markets hitting new highs. Then one craz...

Are 401k Fees Robbing you of your Retirement?

12 Mar 2007

Contributed by Lukas

There is a storm of concern that has been building for quite some time, and it is finally getting the attention that it deserves…. 401K FEES:   C...

Objective Term Life Insurance Advice…No, really.

23 Feb 2007

Contributed by Lukas

Term Life Insurance is appropriate for people who want life insurance only for a limited term, such as until your children are grown or you reach reti...

Too scared to ask – Economic Indicators explained

09 Feb 2007

Contributed by Lukas

When I use others’ research I always try to give proper credit to the source. Much of the information and research for today’s podcast comes from ...