September 29, 2025 • 6 mins
Gary Mattson, founder of Mattson Financial Services, joins us for a Talk of the Town.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Talk of the Town on news radio with thirteen
hundred and one oh six nine FM. Steve Kelly and
Red Kat from West Michigan's Morning News, joined by Gary Mattson,
founder and advisor of Matts and Financial Services, co host
of Money Mentors. You hear Saturdays at ten am, Sundays
at eleven am right here on Wood Radio. Gary, thanks
for doing this today.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Boys, Thank you. And it sounds like I'm really old
being a founder, but I guess doing this for thirty
seven years now, I guess that does sound kind of cool.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Wall Street has been hyper focused this year on jobs data,
and we've seen some big headlines lately about job cutts.
How do you help people on the receiving end of
one of those pink slips?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Gary, Well, the biggest thing is, you know, we have
the most recent closing of Coals out there in Saranac
as well as Steelcase mergers, and so people are getting
real anxious of what they should be doing and not doing.
And of course the number one thing everybody thinks about
when they get laid off is that can I retire
that run out of money? You know, it's all about
(01:00):
the money is and investing. But there's so much more
that goes into that, like what are you going to
do for medical insurance? If you have a pension, what's
the best way to take that. People don't know that
pensions you can pass on, bequeath that to your wife, yeah,
or your spouse, but there's also ways you can bequeath
that to children and grandchildren. So tax planning is a
(01:20):
huge one, and there's all types of risk out there,
being the first called sequential risk. That means that when
you retire it's a market's negative and you take money out,
can you ever know regroup from that and still not
run out of money? So sequential risk is being a
big part of that planning when you're taking that first
step out the door. So those are things that we
(01:41):
put together for anybody. It doesn't matter where you're at
your you know city worker or you know laborer out there,
it doesn't matter where you're coming from. Those pieces need
to be put in place. Now.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Gary also in the news since the last time we
chat up with you, based on jobs data and some
other economic reports, we finally have our first interest rate
out of the year from the Federal Reserve and more
maybe on the way from what we're being told before
the end of the year. That sounds like good news,
but is it.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Well, the reason they did it, of course, they don't
like the inflation where it's at yet, so they didn't
want to do it. But there's two poor employments and
employment reports in a row. I forced the Federal Reserve
to cut its benchmark interst rate by quarter puntcent at
its September seventeenth meeting. Now one or two more rate
cuts are also likely, you know, because of there's a
(02:29):
couple more meetings coming at the end of this year.
But it's good for credit cards and mortgage rates and
car buying and those types of things, but it's going
to bring down rates for retirement savers, those that have
those savings accounts and other CDs and like that. So
what we like to do is look at other things
besides CDs or money market accounts that have downside protections.
(02:51):
There's a lot of different tools out there that we
use because remember, retirement is about maximizing income flow, and
to do that you want to get higherings and lower taxes.
And that's why a tax plan is so imperative. When
you're looking at interest rate cuts and where your Money's
at Now.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
We are talking to Gary Matsen, founder and advisor of
Mattson Financial Services, also co host of Money Mentors. You
hear here on Wood Radio Saturdays at ten and Sundays
at eleven. As we head into the fourth quarter of
the year, Gary, what would you say are the top
priorities for people to take care of financially as we
wrap twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Well, I think you really want to focus on taxes.
You know, get a tax planned, especially if you're going
to retire in the next twenty four months. You really
want to understand how the Big Beautiful Act change the rules.
And you need to be aware of how taxes inpake
impact everything from Social Security to medicare premiums, access to
your hears. And that's why so important to understand to
(03:52):
get everything done before your December thirty first deadline. You
can't wait till December thirty first. Everything has to be
done prior to the year. So you start that review now.
So you start now looking at harvesting tax losses, reallocating assets,
look at those IRA to ir ROTH IRA conversions that
are out there. You know, there's actually a list of
twenty six items that may have significant tax the release
(04:16):
for you and your loved ones, even if you're already
retired or getting ready to retire.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Gary, I got to ask you because it seems like
we always talk about this. Do you see anything I
know we're in the midst of the two Wars and
there's been no conclusion on that, but anything else that
might be a black Swan event. To kind of keep
an eye for the fourth quarter to wrap up twenty
twenty five.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
I think we could have kind of a downturn. I
don't think it's going to happen, but I think we
could have a short term downturn if China really comes
up and says, no, we're not going to do a
steel deal or other deals on the tear front. If
they go solidly put it and say no, we're just
going to keep rejecting, you know, kind of kicking the
ball down the road. I think the market's not going
(04:57):
to like that long term. So I don't think is
in a position to do that long term. I think
they're economic pressures on them right now, so I think
that's what's bringing them to the table. But if they
do make that a little longer, we're going to see
that inflation come in and infiltrates me. Right. So again,
as soon as those insust rates go down, start refinancing
processes and get that in the works because it may
(05:20):
bounce back up.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Lastly, Gary, if you're listening to the program and you
have some questions about your plan for the future, what
sort of stuff do I need to get together before
I come and see you or one of the team
to make sure that I take best advantage of the
hard work that I've done all these years. And then
they'll want for retirement.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Yeah, that's funny because so many people plan longer for
their two week vacations than you for retirement, and let's
face the retire it's going to last a lot longer.
So they can just call in and get our prep
sheet and that tells them everything that we need to
do a proper plan for them. So they get that sheet,
they better assembling it. What they don't have, they come
in and we find it or so certain different ways.
(06:01):
But again, everything that's on the table financially we want
to help with, whether it's a debt or you know,
looking at when you should take so security and Medicare, healthcare,
all of that's on the table. And let's get you
a plan that put together to get you where you
want to go to meet your dreams, goals and desires.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Gary Mattson with Matt's in financial Services, co host of
Money Mentors Saturdays at ten, Sundays at eleven on Wood Radio.
Thanks as always for your time.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
This is Talk of the Town on News Radio with
thirteen one hundred and one oh six nine FM.
It's Talk of the Town on news radio with thirteen
hundred and one oh six nine FM. Steve Kelly and
Red Kat from West Michigan's Morning News, joined by Gary Mattson,
founder and advisor of Matts and Financial Services, co host
of Money Mentors. You hear Saturdays at ten am, Sundays
at eleven am right here on Wood Radio. Gary, thanks
for doing this today.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Boys, Thank you. And it sounds like I'm really old
being a founder, but I guess doing this for thirty
seven years now, I guess that does sound kind of cool.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Wall Street has been hyper focused this year on jobs data,
and we've seen some big headlines lately about job cutts.
How do you help people on the receiving end of
one of those pink slips?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Gary, Well, the biggest thing is, you know, we have
the most recent closing of Coals out there in Saranac
as well as Steelcase mergers, and so people are getting
real anxious of what they should be doing and not doing.
And of course the number one thing everybody thinks about
when they get laid off is that can I retire
that run out of money? You know, it's all about
(01:00):
the money is and investing. But there's so much more
that goes into that, like what are you going to
do for medical insurance? If you have a pension, what's
the best way to take that. People don't know that
pensions you can pass on, bequeath that to your wife, yeah,
or your spouse, but there's also ways you can bequeath
that to children and grandchildren. So tax planning is a
(01:20):
huge one, and there's all types of risk out there,
being the first called sequential risk. That means that when
you retire it's a market's negative and you take money out,
can you ever know regroup from that and still not
run out of money? So sequential risk is being a
big part of that planning when you're taking that first
step out the door. So those are things that we
(01:41):
put together for anybody. It doesn't matter where you're at
your you know city worker or you know laborer out there,
it doesn't matter where you're coming from. Those pieces need
to be put in place. Now.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Gary also in the news since the last time we
chat up with you, based on jobs data and some
other economic reports, we finally have our first interest rate
out of the year from the Federal Reserve and more
maybe on the way from what we're being told before
the end of the year. That sounds like good news,
but is it.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Well, the reason they did it, of course, they don't
like the inflation where it's at yet, so they didn't
want to do it. But there's two poor employments and
employment reports in a row. I forced the Federal Reserve
to cut its benchmark interst rate by quarter puntcent at
its September seventeenth meeting. Now one or two more rate
cuts are also likely, you know, because of there's a
(02:29):
couple more meetings coming at the end of this year.
But it's good for credit cards and mortgage rates and
car buying and those types of things, but it's going
to bring down rates for retirement savers, those that have
those savings accounts and other CDs and like that. So
what we like to do is look at other things
besides CDs or money market accounts that have downside protections.
(02:51):
There's a lot of different tools out there that we
use because remember, retirement is about maximizing income flow, and
to do that you want to get higherings and lower taxes.
And that's why a tax plan is so imperative. When
you're looking at interest rate cuts and where your Money's
at Now.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
We are talking to Gary Matsen, founder and advisor of
Mattson Financial Services, also co host of Money Mentors. You
hear here on Wood Radio Saturdays at ten and Sundays
at eleven. As we head into the fourth quarter of
the year, Gary, what would you say are the top
priorities for people to take care of financially as we
wrap twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Well, I think you really want to focus on taxes.
You know, get a tax planned, especially if you're going
to retire in the next twenty four months. You really
want to understand how the Big Beautiful Act change the rules.
And you need to be aware of how taxes inpake
impact everything from Social Security to medicare premiums, access to
your hears. And that's why so important to understand to
(03:52):
get everything done before your December thirty first deadline. You
can't wait till December thirty first. Everything has to be
done prior to the year. So you start that review now.
So you start now looking at harvesting tax losses, reallocating assets,
look at those IRA to ir ROTH IRA conversions that
are out there. You know, there's actually a list of
twenty six items that may have significant tax the release
(04:16):
for you and your loved ones, even if you're already
retired or getting ready to retire.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Gary, I got to ask you because it seems like
we always talk about this. Do you see anything I
know we're in the midst of the two Wars and
there's been no conclusion on that, but anything else that
might be a black Swan event. To kind of keep
an eye for the fourth quarter to wrap up twenty
twenty five.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
I think we could have kind of a downturn. I
don't think it's going to happen, but I think we
could have a short term downturn if China really comes
up and says, no, we're not going to do a
steel deal or other deals on the tear front. If
they go solidly put it and say no, we're just
going to keep rejecting, you know, kind of kicking the
ball down the road. I think the market's not going
(04:57):
to like that long term. So I don't think is
in a position to do that long term. I think
they're economic pressures on them right now, so I think
that's what's bringing them to the table. But if they
do make that a little longer, we're going to see
that inflation come in and infiltrates me. Right. So again,
as soon as those insust rates go down, start refinancing
processes and get that in the works because it may
(05:20):
bounce back up.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Lastly, Gary, if you're listening to the program and you
have some questions about your plan for the future, what
sort of stuff do I need to get together before
I come and see you or one of the team
to make sure that I take best advantage of the
hard work that I've done all these years. And then
they'll want for retirement.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Yeah, that's funny because so many people plan longer for
their two week vacations than you for retirement, and let's
face the retire it's going to last a lot longer.
So they can just call in and get our prep
sheet and that tells them everything that we need to
do a proper plan for them. So they get that sheet,
they better assembling it. What they don't have, they come
in and we find it or so certain different ways.
(06:01):
But again, everything that's on the table financially we want
to help with, whether it's a debt or you know,
looking at when you should take so security and Medicare, healthcare,
all of that's on the table. And let's get you
a plan that put together to get you where you
want to go to meet your dreams, goals and desires.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Gary Mattson with Matt's in financial Services, co host of
Money Mentors Saturdays at ten, Sundays at eleven on Wood Radio.
Thanks as always for your time.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
This is Talk of the Town on News Radio with
thirteen one hundred and one oh six nine FM.
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