Rather than the typical summer downturn, we are seeing record highs. In fact revised GDP numbers show the economy to be growing at 4.2%. Should you be thinking about potential bubbles? Today I explain why the current market is not similar to the market that led to the Great Recession and share my Top 10 Retirement Mistakes.

Retirement planning is more complicated than ever, and it can be hard to even know where to begin. Please join me at the Retirement Income and Tax Planning Seminar on September 20th at the Toll House Hotel in Los Gatos. Registration is only $25 so click HERE to sign up!

Email your money question to chad@newfocusfinancial.com , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 on Tuesday's and Wednesday's from 6:00-7:00 a.m. (PDT)

Call 1-888-762-2423 for Wealth Management and Financial Planning services or visit www.NewFocusFinancial.com.

When the headlines read “markets hit record highs” the question “is there a bubble?” is not too far behind. At the moment student debt and auto loans are the most concerning issues our economy faces, so much so that the IRS released a private letter ruling that could make it easier for employers to use 401ks to assist employees in repaying student loans. Other topics include:

• Is there a housing bubble?
• Retirement saving options for self employed individuals
• 401ks vs. Roth 401ks
• The Social Security train wreck
• Itemized deductions and charitable contributions under the new tax law

Retirement planning is more complicated than ever, and it can be hard to even know where to begin. Please join me at the Retirement Income and Tax Planning Seminar on September 20th at the Toll House Hotel in Los Gatos. Registration is only $25 so click HERE to sign up!

Email your money question to chad@newfocusfinancial.com , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 on Tuesday's and Wednesday's from 6:00-7:00 a.m. (PDT)

Call 1-888-762-2423 for Wealth Management and Financial Planning services or visit www.NewFocusFinancial.com.

College is a crazy and exciting milestone in life. After dropping off my son at his first year of college I share what I learned about scholarship applications, dorm budgeting and the relatively new personal financial planning degree. Other topics include:

• Protecting your portfolio from corrections with emerging markets
• Bull market FOMO
• Concerning debt levels at different ages
• Rental properties and the new tax law
• Buying vs. leasing a business car

Email your money question to chad@newfocusfinancial.com , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 on Tuesday's and Wednesday's from 6:00-7:00 a.m. (PDT)

Call 1-888-762-2423 for Wealth Management and Financial Planning services or visit www.NewFocusFinancial.com.

Summertime geopolitical woes continue as August comes to an end. First we have the Paul Manafort issues unfolding and a second issue lies with Elon Musk tweeting about taking Tesla private. Will either of these men be able to avoid prison? Other topics include:

• The lamest headline of the day
• Retirement planning for couples with an age gap
• The longest running bull market
• Mileage points, password accounts and other estate planning items you may not be thinking about
• College net costs calculators
• Tough situations for the Sandwich Generation

Email your money question to chad@newfocusfinancial.com , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 on Tuesday's and Wednesday's from 6:00-7:00 a.m. (PDT)

Call 1-888-762-2423 for Wealth Management and Financial Planning services or visit www.NewFocusFinancial.com.

Bay Area home prices are so elevated that investors are receiving low yield even if they buy a property all-cash. Today I discuss Bay Area real estate issues including high prices, rising rates, tax law changes and the basic worker not being able to live in the Bay Area. Other topics include:

• Items that affect portfolio return
• A popular Roger Ibbotson article on indexed annuities
• Backdoor Roth IRA’s

Email your money question to chad@newfocusfinancial.com , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 on Tuesday's and Wednesday's from 6:00-7:00 a.m. (PDT)

Call 1-888-762-2423 for Wealth Management and Financial Planning services or visit www.NewFocusFinancial.com.

Encore Mashup!

12 more days and we will have the longest running bull market without a 20% market correction. I see a lot of portfolios where people have been in the right place, but all they own are S&P large cap stocks, which are now getting quite expensive. Will we see a shift from momentum based stocks to stocks trading at a discount? Other topics include:

• What is contributing to the incredible earnings growth?
• Catching up on retirement savings in your 40’s and 50’s
• When you don’t want to convert to a Roth

Email your money question to chad@newfocusfinancial.com , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 on Tuesday's and Wednesday's from 6:00-7:00 a.m. (PDT)

Call 1-888-762-2423 for Wealth Management and Financial Planning services or visit www.NewFocusFinancial.com.

“What do you want to do when you retire?” It’s a question I ask where too frequently the retiree ends up doing something completely different from what they thought they would be doing. The Honey-Do list keeps most retirees busy in the first days and prevents them from finding what they really are going to do with their time. Today I talk about retirement preparedness through practice. Other topics include:

• Retirement introverts
• Q2 earnings, revenue and tax cuts – what companies expect going forward
• What is driving indexes today
• Cryptocurrency platform for equity trusts
• Catching up on retirement savings

Email your money question to chad@newfocusfinancial.com , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 on Tuesday's and Wednesday's from 6:00-7:00 a.m. (PDT)

Call 1-888-762-2423 for Wealth Management and Financial Planning services or visit www.NewFocusFinancial.com.

When I got into the business 24 years ago the rate on the 10 year treasury was around 6.6%. Today we just hit 3% so how will that affect your bonds? Other topics include:

• What is preventing rates from rapidly rising?
• Passive investing issues – could indexing be creating a bubble in certain stocks?
• Taxpayers will owe more in 2019 due to under withholding – California and Oregon are you withholding enough taxes?
• How does the increasing trillion dollar deficit factor into future prospects?
• Long term care insurance planning
• Life insurance policies with long term care and sleazy insurance agents

Email your money question to chad@newfocusfinancial.com , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 on Tuesday's and Wednesday's from 6:00-7:00 a.m. (PDT)

Call 1-888-762-2423 for Wealth Management and Financial Planning services or visit www.NewFocusFinancial.com.

Last Friday we heard that GDP grew at 4.1%, the best reading in 4 years. The only way we can keep the new tax cuts is to have continued GDP growth that covers the costs of Medicare, Medicaid and other government programs so congress could act again. Today I dig into GDP numbers that beat expectations. Other topics include:

• Why do we continue to hear about a slowdown by 2020?
• Is the party over for cryptocurrency?
• How to choose a pension option
• Retirement planning mistakes and bad retirement rules of thumb

Email your money question to chad@newfocusfinancial.com , or call the show at 1-800-516-1220 on Tuesday's and Wednesday's from 6:00-7:00 a.m. (PDT)

Call 1-888-762-2423 for Wealth Management and Financial Planning services or visit www.NewFocusFinancial.com.