Episodes-FINANCIAL

 Ken Lapp says you can live -- and live well -- on just social security with just some tweaks to the way you live. 

  You’ve heard of putting your money where your mouth is, right? Well, for most people that means writing a check and forgetting about it. But, what if you could align all – or at least, most -- of your dollars with your values? Sharon Schneider talks about how to do just that.

Whether you’re getting a lot of money or a little – or whether you’re the one divvying up the money after Aunt Gertrude dies – it can be a real mess. Today’s guest, Jennifer Luzzatto, talks about how to clean up the mess – or, even better, to make sure that the mess never happens. 

 We’re talking with Amanda Dixon, an analyst for bankrate.com. I asked her to talk with us because I saw a study that we’re doing more side hustles than ever before. What’s a side hustle? We used to call it “moonlighting.” You know, that little extra job for that little extra cash. You might be surprised at why we’re side hustling these days…and what we’re doing. 

 You probably have someone who watches your pets when you go on a trip. A dogsitter, the neighborhood kid. But what about when you go on the FINAL trip…when you die? Your family may have promised to take Fido, but are they just saying that to keep you happy? Maybe you’ve made a will to say who gets your mom’s bracelet…but what about taking care of your pets when you go? 

 A recent survey showed that Baby Boomers felt helpless about getting out of credit card debt. Today, we talk with Matt Schulz of creditcard-dot-com about good debt versus bad debt, getting out of credit card debt. and playing those credit cards rather than letting them play you 

 Scams and financial abuse for over 50s are on the rise. Maybe it’s because there are so many more of us around to scam. Today’s guest is attorney Michael Hackard. Michael has a book called Wolf at the Door: Undue Influence and Elder Financial Abuse and he talks with us about how to figure out when someone is financially abusing a loved one, and how to avoid getting scammed ourselves.  

 Financial advisor Bijan Golkar isn't offering legal advice here, but if you have people you love, don’t let them fight it out over your assets when you die. And if you’re feeling smug because you’ve got a will, Bijan will tell you that estate planning isn’t a “set-it-and-forget-it” proposition because…well, things change. So even if you’re not a multi-millionaire, start think about what you want to happen to your stuff after you die. Because you sure can’t take it with you.