Episodes

What kind of rights do grandparents have? John Ross from the Big Picture Retirement Show deals with a lot of people in retirement, and many of those folks have grandchildren. He shares some harrowing stories and tips you can use …

CRUTS are Charitable Remainder Trusts. Any time you are dealing with charitable planning, you must first have the charitable intent. You can find some tax benefits that go along with that charitable intent, but you have to start with the …

Part 2 of the conversation about active versus passive investing with guest Rick Ferri, author of Smart Money. For more information, visit the show notes at

This week, Devin welcomes Rick Ferri to the show to talk about active versus passive investing. But before the interview gets started, John and Devin have an entertaining conversation about the recently released 2019 Social Security and Medicare...

In light of the recent market activity, Devin and John thought it would be useful to re-broadcast their original episode on the lessons they've learned from past market declines. Lesson 1: Market declines are normal Lesson 2: No one can …

On the surface, Social Security survivor benefits seem pretty simple: at the death of the first spouse, the surviving spouse is eligible to receive his or her own benefit, or the benefit of the deceased, whichever is greatest. In today's …

Important benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are changing. Devin and John talk about: Improved Pension with Aid and Attendance Clearly Defined Assets Test Adding A Look-back Period For more information, visit the show notes at

Part 3 in the Big Picture Retirement series on Drawdown Strategies: Brandon Renfro talks about "setting a floor." For more information, visit the show notes at

Part 2 in our series. In this episode we answer the question "How are you going to take your money out so that it lasts?" Then, once you have a plan for which accounts you should access in which order, …

When you stop working, you've put aside some money into different types of accounts, and maybe you have a pension, or some rental property, or other investments. How do you start converting those assets into an income stream that will …

There are a few areas within Social Security that you could mess up without even meaning to do things wrong. One of my most trusted mentors has often told me, "Big doors swing on little hinges." I've found that to …

Did you know you could buy a horse as an investment in your IRA? What about real estate and other assets? Kirk Chisholm, of Innovative Advisory Group, joins us to explain how self-directed IRAs work. They a tricky thing, so …

What’s the big deal about cryptocurrencies? And is it too late to get in now? Joe Saul-Sehy from Stacking Benjamins joins us to talk about what cryptocurrencies are and what we should be looking out for in the future of …

Continuing on from last episode's discussion about buying rental property for retirement income, Devin and John talk about the mechanisms for evaluating a rental property. ...and John will entertain you with taxes. For more information, visit the show...

Have you thought about using rental properties for retirement income? Is rental real estate a good choice for retirement income for you? John and Devin go through some of the benefits of rental property. For more information, visit the show …

People are always talking about probate, and the many ways to avoid probate. Probate is the legal process of figuring out who gets your stuff. One of the biggest misconceptions about probate is that your estate does not go through …

The big benefit of the Roth IRA is that you fund it with after-tax money and it grows tax free, and then when you take it out, it is also tax free, if you meet the qualifications. The big problem …

By the end of 2016, there was $660 BILLION dollars in Roth IRAs. So, lots of people are getting this right. Where you can get some of it wrong 1.It lets you put the money in after tax, so you …

Is there any value in doing your codicil in blood? A codicil is an amendment to a will. They can be used when there is a smaller change and it seems easier than doing a whole new will. Is there …

Many industries utilize a lot of different types of designations, and that's also true for financial advisors. What do they all mean, and should you care? Devin asked John, "How many designations do you think there are for financial advisors?" …

Listener Becky asks if it is legal to place a surveillance camera in the room of your loved one, specifically in grandma's nursing home. Devin also answers the question "Does keeping a balance on my credit card help my credit …

What are the the moral or ethical considerations of using strategies and loopholes to utilize government programs? Is this ethical? It cheating? Is it getting close to fraudulent? John and Devin go through some scenarios. For more information, visit...

While we move into our new recording studio, and with all the new listeners coming on board, we are replaying an episode from 6 months ago: The Tatoo Factor and Predictions that Didn't Happen Devin shared some examples of pretty …

Devin talks about good reasons to file for Social Security at age 62. Every situation is different, and some folks will benefit more if they file later, but there are many people for whom it makes sense to file early: …