Your Retirement Elevated Podcast with Scott Dougan

You can’t talk about retirement without talking about income. There are seven streams of income you need to know about. In today’s episode, we’ll break them down for you and help you understand the pros and cons of each one. Join us for a critical discussion on creating a reliable, dependable income source in retirement and discover the importance of having a diversified financial plan. 

Here's some of what we discuss in this epi...

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has been in the news recently as bank failures have made headlines. It's worth noting that the FDIC insures deposits up to $250,000, providing peace of mind to depositors who may be concerned about the safety of their funds. However, you may be wondering if your IRA is also protected by the FDIC, especially in light of recent news coverage. In this episode, we’ll answer your question...

How do millionaires invest their money? If you’ve ever wondered how they do it, today’s show is for you. From asset allocation to market timing and security selection, we’ll explain how millionaires handle these topics. 

Here's some of what we discuss in this episode:

• How do millionaires handle asset allocation? (5:09)
• Do millionaires time the market? (8:38)
• How do millionaires diversify their investments? (11:08)

Wa...

Entrusting your life savings to a financial advisor requires careful consideration and due diligence, especially when it comes to managing large IRAs. Before handing over your hard-earned nest egg, it's crucial to ensure that your advisor possesses the necessary expertise and experience to handle the responsibility. To help you navigate this, we've compiled a list of ten crucial questions to ask your advisor about IRAs.

Here are ...

As you have likely heard, the Silicon Valley Bank collapsed on Friday, March 10th, 2023, after a bank run- marking the largest bank failure in the U.S. in over a decade. With a lot of fear surrounding this topic, we are here to focus on the facts and give you a better understanding of what we know today.

Here's some of what we discuss in this episode:

• What we know about the Silicon Valley bank failure right now (2:57)
• Unpacki...

Today’s show is going to feel like a healing therapy session. We're talking about how things could always be better. From human progress and value to happiness, we’ll cover some fascinating topics today.

We are not psychologists or therapists, but we are fascinated by the human mind and the need to improve. It happens in all facets of our lives, but money always seems to drive that desire to want more.

Here's some of what we discus...

If you’re thinking about retiring early, you’ll need to take a few extra steps in the planning process because you’ll be facing some additional challenges. But there are ways to navigate this by looking at all of the income options at your disposal.

On today’s show, we’ll share Scott’s top do’s and don’ts of six secret sources of come. So much of your success will depend on your income plan and this episode will lay out some ways t...

We’ve got a special edition of the podcast today, and it’s one you’re going to want to listen to. We’ve already spent some time on this show discussing  SECURE Act 2.0 and we highlighted many of the planning opportunities it has created. But this is such an important piece of retirement legislation so we’re going even more in-depth on the subject.

In this episode, we are sharing a webinar we hosted about SECURE Act 2.0. And, spoile...

A new year means many of us are looking for ways to improve our financial lives in 2023.

Today we’re sharing a great checklist to give you areas of focus in order to be better prepared financially. If you’re nearing retirement, these are questions you want to think through and have a plan for before you make that transition.

We’ll also share some important birthdays for financial planning and make sure you know about the items that...

We’ve gone through all of these different SECURE 2.0 Act provisions, which touch on a range of planning items and dates so that you can really focus on what’s most important. This episode will help you get a better understanding of the changes, how they might impact you, and what planning opportunities you need to be aware of.

Here's some of what we discuss in this episode:

• More changes again to the required minimum distributio...

It’s time for another mailbag episode, and we bet these questions (and our answers) will help many of you. This episode could really help if you’re looking to improve your financial situation and prepare for retirement.

We will discuss whether to pay off your mortgage, what to do about dividends, and whether to prioritize paying for college or saving for retirement. Listen to hear some of the questions our listeners have, and maybe...

It’s time to focus on the end of the year, especially taxes, which are a big topic of conversation. We spotlight this topic every December because it’s just that important.

We do a year-end tax event each year and produce a white paper because having the right strategies to limit your tax bill can help reduce some of the anxiety around tax time. Some people stress about doing their taxes. If you’ve ever received a letter from the I...

Do you have seller’s remorse? If you sell a stock and then regret it later, this might be you. We love talking about the behavioral side of finances and investing, and today’s show is all about that.

The economy and markets have had a rough time this year, so we’ve seen more regret among investors who led with their feelings instead of facts.

On this episode, we’ll share:

• The behavioral side of finances and investing. (1:06)
• Wh...

What’s in your control, what’s outside your control, and how do those things influence your decision-making in your financial life? For instance, inflation is surging, the markets are down, and political warfare is holding strong.

But rest assured, there are aspects you are still definitely in control of. We’ll explain how facts and logic are better tools than emotions, myths, misconceptions and misinformation.

On this episode, we’...

It’s time to celebrate our 100th episode of Your Retirement Elevated with Scott Dougan! For this milestone episode, we thought we’d mix things up a bit with a look back at some of the best lessons from the past few years of podcasting.

Scott’s a great storyteller; it always makes financial planning more relatable when we can tie it into a story about our past or everyday life. So, we’ve gone back through the past 100 episodes, pull...

There are a couple different ways to view taxes – through micro and macro lenses. You’ve probably heard of micro and macro economics, but today’s show is all about preparing for tax season. 

Here’s some of what you’ll learn on this episode:  

• Why you have to consider variables in tax planning. (6:01)
• Why you need to keep the conversation going about your taxes and how often we should meet. (9:12)
• Our final thoughts about this c...

This topic of taxes is such an important one, especially when it comes to retirement, because the more you pay in taxes, the less income you’ll have to spend. By exploring the five ways taxes can rise, we can help prepare you for what might happen and then discuss the ways to protect yourself.

Here’s some of what you’ll learn on this episode:

• Your taxes in retirement could do one of three things. (5:46)
• What could lead to yo...