This week on the BONUS call it's the age-old question about big city living...should I buy or keep on renting?

Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on.

Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview.

Better Off is sponsored by Betterment.

Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes.

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BONUS call 043

What’s a portfolio without a bond position? It’s incomplete and potentially riskier than necessary.

We field so many questions about your portfolios and asset allocation and while stocks may seem sexier because of their upside potential, you always hear me stress that everyone needs exposure to bonds as well.

We rarely dive into bonds in great detail--what they are, how they work, and why you absolutely need them, which is why I thought it would be time for a little Bond Boot Camp. Our leader for this mission on today’s podcast is Justin Land, aka the ultimate bond guru.

Justin is the Director of Tax Exempt Portfolio Management at Wasmer, Schroeder & Company, an investment advisory firm based in Naples, FL.

In the current environment where it seems like the Dow is setting records on a daily basis, there’s probably a lot of people out there who want to be 100% invested in stocks. But what happens when the Bull turns into a Bear -- what will help protect you then?

What if I told you that by owning a bond position, you’d only miss out on a little of the upside, but in return, your downside would look far better when that eventual correction occurs.  

And make no mistake...it’s coming.  It’s a matter of when, not if.  

After hearing this chat with the bond guru, if you don’t already, I hope you add some to your portfolio and start out 2018 on the right financial foot!

“Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment.

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Ep. 050 - Bond Boot Camp: What They Are and How They Work

If you ever take a look at the investments in your retirement plan chances are you'll see a bunch of target-date fund options. Sometimes people think they're the best option...kind of like one stop shopping. And sometimes they are. But sometimes they aren't, which is what Suzen from Chicago found out on the latest BONUS call.

Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on.

Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview.

Better Off is sponsored by Betterment.

Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes.

Connect with me at these places for all my content:

www.jillonmoney.com/ 
twitter.com/jillonmoney 
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www.betteroffpodcast.com/ 
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BONUS call 044

Big changes are coming to the U.S. tax code, but how will it impact YOUR bottom line? 

This week we’re doing something a bit different. No guest! Just me diving deep and offering up my two cents on the GOP’s plan to remake the tax system for the first time in over three decades. 

Given the historic nature of the event, I wanted to break it down and mull over some of these questions:

-What will change for most Americans?
-How does geography play into the calculation?
-What happens to homeowners?
-How will corporations deploy their tax windfalls?
-What will the near term and long term economic impact of this reform be?

Thanks for allowing me to hog the mic and rant! Depending on how it goes, you may be hearing a bit more of that in 2018!

“Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment.

We love feedback so please leave us a rating or review in iTunes.

"Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Connect with me at these places for all my content:

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Ep. 051 - Tax Reform and What it Means for You

‘Twas the week between Christmas and New Year’s, and not a soul was paying attention to their finances…except everyone scrambling to make year-end tax moves!

Even with the tax bill looming, this is also the week when you should unplug (except from this podcast!), relax, eat, have a glass of wine, forget about all your worries and recharge for 2018. 

That’s why we’re keeping it short and sweet this week with Jeff Fager, executive producer of 60 Minutes and author of the new book, Fifty Years of 60 Minutes: The Inside Story of Television’s Most Influential News Broadcast.

When you think about it, the Sunday staple of 60 Minutes has tracked and shaped the biggest moments in post-war American history. The show has profiled every major leader, artist, and movement of the past five decades, perfecting the news-making interview and inventing the groundbreaking TV expose.

From recent profiles of Michael Bloomberg and the CEO of Chobani to the investigation of the multibillion dollar industry that collects, analyzes and sells the personal information of millions of Americans with virtually no oversight, financial themed stories have played a large role throughout the history of the show.

It was a lot of fun chatting with Jeff and learning about what it takes to make a 60 Minutes worthy story. 

In the world of “fake news” that we currently we live in, it’s reassuring to know that shows like 60 Minutes are still being produced.

“Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment.

We love feedback so please leave us a rating or review in iTunes.

"Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Connect with me at these places for all my content:

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Ep. 052 - Fifty Years of 60 Minutes with Jeff Fager

Welcome to the post-Christmas edition of the BONUS call! Only in his early 50s, Jeff from Georgia already has well over a million dollars and wanted to run his longterm game plan by us. Is this a good time to try some market timing??

Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on.

Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview.

Better Off is sponsored by Betterment.

Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes.

Connect with me at these places for all my content:

www.jillonmoney.com/ 
twitter.com/jillonmoney 
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www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money 
www.betteroffpodcast.com/ 
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BONUS call 045

Raise your hand if you know what SIPC stands for? That's what I thought :) Thanks to Jim, our first BONUS caller of 2018, you're all going to get educated a bit!

Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on.

Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview.

Better Off is sponsored by Betterment.

Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes.

Connect with me at these places for all my content:

www.jillonmoney.com/ 
twitter.com/jillonmoney 
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www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger 
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www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money 
www.betteroffpodcast.com/ 
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BONUS call 046

A colleague recently asked me how he might be able to finally stick to a budget. For years, he had tried to create and adhere to a specific annual spending plan, only to blow a hole through it at some point during the year. "What's wrong with me?" He said. "I know that I should do it, but there's always something that comes up."

Let me be the first to admit that I am not a fan of budgets. In the same way that I think most crash diets lead to failure, the majority of budgets or new year's resolutions fall by the wayside within months of being made, as life interrupts our best intentions. Part of the reason is that we sometimes make the whole process more onerous than necessary.

Budgeting should not be an end but rather the means by which we can accomplish our financial goals. Of course, that fact means that you need to start by establishing those goals.

Here are my top five to help get you started in 2018, though you’ll have to listen for the details on each...and to hear the other three:

-Pay down consumer debt
-Establish an emergency reserve fund
-Maximize retirement savings
-Fund an education plan
-Establish a general investment account

Technology can be your friend as you address your New Year’s Resolutions. Use it to create automatic drafts to avoid late payments and accelerate the pay-down of loans; to establish similar drafts with your bank or brokerage firm; to beef up your emergency reserve fund; and to slowly increase your contribution levels to your retirement plan with auto-escalation features available at many financial institutions.

“Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment.

We love feedback so please leave us a rating or review in iTunes.

"Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Connect with me at these places for all my content:

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twitter.com/jillonmoney 
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Ep. 053 - Eight Financial Resolutions for 2018

The age-old question of whether it makes sense to pay off your mortgage...it never goes away. I understand that you want to be debt free, but keep in mind that there is such a thing as good debt. That's what I explained to Joe from Chicago on the latest BONUS call.

Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on.

Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview.

Better Off is sponsored by Betterment.

Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes.

Connect with me at these places for all my content:

www.jillonmoney.com/ 
twitter.com/jillonmoney 
www.facebook.com/JillonMoney 
www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/ 
www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger 
www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/ 
www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money 
www.betteroffpodcast.com/ 
itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bette…id431167790?mt=2

Better Off with Jill Schlesinger

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