On this week's (December 2) Your Safe Money Show,we’ll compare our work habits as Americans to those in other countries. I think you’ll find the results interesting. I have a warning about items you shouldn’t finance and why. There’s new studies out that show a link to exercise and a longer life.And have you ever thought of giving a Roth IRA as a gift? For this discussion we’ll be talking about a parent or grandparent gifting to a child or grandchild. Tune in Saturday mornings at 7:30 at 95.5FM KBEK. They stream live at kbek.com. Listen to recent shows at our podcast page at yoursafemoneyshow.com.
The winter of 2017–2018 is expected to be colder than last winter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That means higher heating bills no matter what type of fuel you use.Even as were into winter, here are ways to save on your utility bills. Seal any air leaks. Professionals perform a blower door test to identify air leaks. But you can try a low-tech version by turning on all of your home’s exhaust fans and holding an incense stick near windows, doors, and electrical outlets. If the smoke blows sideways, you have a leak that needs plugging. Next set your thermostat: If you haven’t upgraded to a programmable or smart thermostat yet, this is the winter to do so. The device will automatically lower the heat when you’re asleep or away from home. If you have forced-air heating you have a filter, be sure to change that filter depending on the grade, some you need to change monthly, some suggest every three months.
These simple changes can help you save on your heating costs.
2018 is right around
the corner, I have financial goals you can start now to jump start your New
Year.
If you’ve ever had to do someone’s finances as a caregiver, this can be a
tough job, I’ll have suggestions to help you with this difficult position. Many
renters don’t have insurance and I want to share with you the benefits of
having renter’s insurance.
And Cyber Monday is two days away, I’ll have what
NOT to buy on Cyber Monday.
Tune into KBEK 95.5 FM at 7:30 Saturday mornings. They stream live at kbek.com. Hear recent shows at yoursafemoneyshow.com.
I wanted to share
with you vaccines that are good to have as we get older. The once-a-year flu
vaccine is a must for older adults. The vaccine typically cuts risk by 40 to 60
percent, and getting vaccinated between 9 and 11 a.m. led to higher levels of
protective antibodies than those given between 3 and 5 p.m.
Two vaccines
protect against pneumococcal disease, the CDC recommends that all adults 65 and
older have both shots, a year apart.
The shingles vaccine is recommended for
those age 60 and older, it cuts the chances of getting shingles by 51% for 5
years.
If you didn’t have the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis)
shot—the booster for the childhood Tdap vaccine—as a teen or an adult, get one
now. Making sure you’ve had the Tdap booster is especially important if you’ll
be spending time around an infant. Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a highly
contagious bacterial respiratory-tract infection that can be life-threatening
for children younger than 12 months.
Check with your doctor and stay on top of
needed vaccines.
As I meet with people about their health insurance with MnSure open enrollment and Medicare open enrollment, I’ve had questions asked about co-insurance and other insurance terms. So on today’s Your Safe Money Show (November 18) I’ll explain those terms and how they affect you.Most people pick an age to retire, well let’s reconsider that thinking and go by income as way to decide when to retire. Getting back into the job market in our later years can be a challenge, I’ll have tips to help and how can we teach our children the value of money? Tune into KBEK 95.5FM at 7:30 a.m. Saturdays, they also stream live at kbek.com. You can hear recent podcasts of the show at yoursafemoneyshow.com.
We’ve all heard the term “snowbirds”, they typically are folks who head South for the winter. If you’re thinking of becoming a snowbird, there are considerations you’ll want to make before you head South. You can have multiple residences but only one domicile. There can be many advantages to picking one place over another, several states have no income tax, and others have tax breaks on retirement income and on real estate taxes for older residents. Estate taxes can also be more favorable
in some states than in others. Be prepared to prove that the state you pick really is your home base.
Each state has its own requirements to prove residency, so check the details. For starters, make sure you change your driver's license, mailing address and tax return address. One big mistake people make is they have their income tax return go to the wrong state. The federal government and the state’s share that data.
Check to make sure that all your financial and estate-planning documents — including powers of attorney, wills and medical directives — are all still valid under the laws of your new state.
