Be Wealthy & Smart

Learn how to get your 401(k) working harder for you. Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio, hosted by MBA and Certified Financial Planner Hilary Hendershott, highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check out www.profitbossradio.com. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com

Learn why you don't want to buy financial items on Craig's List. Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio, hosted by MBA and Certified Financial Planner Hilary Hendershott, highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check out www.profitbossradio.com. There was a gold scam with counterfeit gold bars being sold on Craig's list. The article is on my website at www.lindapjones.com, go to podcast 256. In addition, I've heard of people trying to get your VIN number on your car, trying to get your credit card information, etc. Beware of scams, don't give out personal information, don't buy currency or precious metals, be cautious. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com

Learn smart hacks to save money while traveling and shopping abroad. Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio, hosted by MBA and Certified Financial Planner Hilary Hendershott, highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check out www.profitbossradio.com. It's listener question day! Dear Linda, My husband and I are traveling to Spain soon. He gave me a budget and I'm trying to be smart with money while we're traveling. We're already using points for a free hotel, what else do you recommend? Tina (name changed intentionally) Here's what I recommend: 1. Always make sure your passport expiration date is way in the future! 2. Make sure your credit cards have a chip or they won't be accepted. 3. Buy a travel book like Fodor's or Lonely Planet or Rick Steve's a to find good restaurants and know how expensive they are before you eat there. Beware of low budget books, you are not traveling by back pack and hostel! Remember to allocate larger restaurant and hotel budgets to big cities. 4. Use a debit card at ATM's to get cash. They are cheaper than the bank, foreign exchange windows and the hotel. Immediately exchange $20 to $50 when you land so you have some petty cash for tips. 5. Bring some US dollars in $1, $5 and$10 for street purchases. 6. Use credit cards for purchases. You'll get the best exchange rate and you'll be protected in case of fraud. Only make small purchases at flea markets, on the street, etc. (Jewelry vs. scarf). 7. If you have foreign coins and the bank won't buy it back from you, you can donate it to Unicef, change for good on an American Airlines flight or you can send it to Change for Good in NY. 8. Be aware some vendors don't like Amex and prefer VISA because they have lower fees to the vendor and they will net more on a large purchase. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com

Learn where grocery stores are fooling you to pay more when you think you are paying less. Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio, hosted by MBA and Certified Financial Planner Hilary Hendershott, highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check out www.profitbossradio.com. I've noticed something about the grocery store and wonder how many people realize there's a common rip off happening with items on sale? Have you ever calculated how much you are paying per item for the item on sale? For example, grocery stores will often have a small, medium and large size in a product. They put the medium size on "sale". It gets you to spend more than the small size. It also gets you to pay more per unit than the large size! Check the per unit cost of the cottage cheese, ketchup or rolls of toilet paper. Even when the medium size is on sale, the large size is cheaper per unit! If you can buy the larger size that's NOT on sale, you're often getting the best deal. The scam is you think you are being smart to buy on sale, but the store is ripping you off because you are still paying more than the large size! Don't be a zombie "sale" buyer. Check the price per unit! Buying in bulk usually saves you the most money, that's why COSTCO often has the best prices. I also save 10% by buying 6 bottles of wine at a time. If you bring bottles to other people's homes and you consume some, make the purchases all at once, not one at a time and you'll almost save the price of a bottle! Shopping on Tuesdays also gets me 10% off all of my groceries at Gelson's, so I can get food on sale and save 10% once a week! It adds up! If you're not a coupon clipper but want to save, just calculate your cost per unit, buy large sizes or in bulk and you'll usually save more! Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn how to cruise and get the most value. Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio, hosted by MBA and Certified Financial Planner Hilary Hendershott, highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check out www.profitbossradio.com. A Tale of Two Cruises to the Caribbean - true story! Budget: $3300 Team A: 7 night cruise from Miami to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Martin, St. Kitts. Paid $3,200 for regular class with balcony. Team B: 5 night cruise to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Martin, St. Kitts. Paid $799 for special Aqua class with balcony Both chose same packages: 1. $300 shipboard credit 2. Beverage package Beverage package included all bottled waters, specialty coffees, tea; wine up to $11, cocktails up to $9. Team A chose to spend $175 on internet access. They were concerned about every penny spent. Unfortunately, they didn't study their beverage package, so they didn't realize most of their alcoholic beverages were covered. They were reluctant to order drinks because they were too expensive. The reality was $9 to $11 of their alcoholic beverages were covered, but they didn't take the time to ask what the package included. They spent their time laying in the sun and attending the free entertainment. It was hard to take advantage of anything else like the restaurants, spa or shop because they were on a tight budget. The satellite internet ended up being hard to connect and there was a lot of frustration with the internet. After paying for the internet and tips, they used up all of their budget. Team A ate in port every day, even though they had already paid for food aboard the ship. Team B chose to spent $135 on spa massage, reasoning they could connect to the internet on shore for much cheaper than $175, which turned out to be the case. In some ports internet was free at a restaurant and at others it was only $7. Team B spent less than $20 on internet during the trip and some of that was for a beverage at a restaurant. Team B also had free access to the spa - heated lounge chairs, sauna, hot tub and steam room. Because of their special Aqua class, they were first to embark and disembark the ship. They also had a special, more exclusive dining room although they also could eat in the main dining room if desired. Team B spent their days exploring the ports and collecting the free gifts from merchants. They each collected 8 topaz and silver pendants for free, plus a token coin and charm bracelet. They enjoyed shopping and were treated to free champagne every day while shopping. They were able to negotiate great prices and bought nice gemstone and gold jewelry while staying within budget. Because they had already paid for food, they chose to return to the ship each day for lunch. They also enjoyed free champagne while attending an art auction aboard ship and chocolate martinis at the shops on board the ship. The last evening they ate at a specialty restaurant with an incredible experience. It was absorbed by their onboard credit. Two sets of travelers on the same ship, similar itinerary, but 2 totally different results. Team A made several mistakes…they didn't shop for a great price and overpaid to begin with. They didn't get the upgraded class with special privileges like preferred embarkation and disembarkation, the dining room and spa. They paid for satellite internet aboard the ship instead of getting in on shore. They paid for food on shore that they had already paid for on the ship, wasting money. They didn't understand their beverage package and what it paid for, so they skimped on their drinks. They didn't take advantage of free drinks on board or free jewelry on shore. They also didn't know they could follow their cruise account on the TV. Every day all expenses are posted to your bill, which you can read on the TV in your cabin. It just goes to show, if you're smart you can stretch your dollars and live luxuriously without scrimping or being "frugal". It's not about doing without! It's about being smart with your money, using it to get "deals", and educating yourself about what's available and how to make the best use of each dollar. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn how to get a free credit report. It's listener question day! Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio, hosted by MBA and Certified Financial Planner Hilary Hendershott, highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check out www.profitbossradio.com. In response the the episode about making one phone call to make good credit great, Brian said: Linda you are THE BEST...I have been wondering how to boost my credit score now that it's gotten a lot higher since I met you! Thanks Brian! Good credit is a matter of doing a few things right consistently. It's not hard to do if you pay attention to your credit. You can always get one free credit report a year at www.annualcreditreport.com Some credit cards are also supplying your credit report for free. Thank you to people who have left reviews for the show! Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Get your net worth growing by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn how to transform a good credit score to great. Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio, hosted by MBA and Certified Financial Planner Hilary Hendershott, highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check out www.profitbossradio.com. The full article is posted at www.lindapjones.com, podcast 251. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn which equity sector ETFs are performing the best and how to use them to spice up your portfolio. Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio, hosted by MBA and Certified Financial Planner Hilary Hendershott, highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check out profitbossradio.com. Excited this is our 250th show! When I started 3 years ago, I had no idea we would have the wide audience we do. I want to thank you wealth seekers, my loyal listeners and new listeners who are just finding Be Wealthy & Smart. If you haven't listened to podcast #248, I suggest you do that because I reviewed asset allocation. In that podcast, I mentioned some models use 20% of the asset allocation pie to invest in sectors. You might want to comb through the best performing equity sector ETFs and see if any of these appeal to you (discuss with your financial advisor before making investment decisions). Here are the 14 top performing equity sector ETFs according to IBD (see website at www.lindapjones.com and podcast #250). I'm also going to share the strongest performers of the last 5 quarters. Be cautious, these are already up a lot and can be very volatile. Only invest if you are making a long-term commitment and not just for short-term performance. These are not a recommendation to buy, I'm just reporting on trends. As usual, I will post the article on my website at www.lindapjones.com, podcast #250. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn why the true value of an item for purchase is not always the price tag and what to consider so you aren't overpaying. Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio, hosted by MBA and Certified Financial Planner Hilary Hendershott, highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check out profitbossradio.com. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn which ETFs are top performing diversified ETFs and how to create a top performing asset allocation. Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio, hosted by MBA and Certified Financial Planner Hilary Hendershott, highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check out profitbossradio.com. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn the what the best health care ETFs are in 2017. Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio, hosted by MBA and Certified Financial Planner Hilary Hendershott, highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check out www.profitbossradio.com. The article is posted on my website at www.lindapjones.com, podcast 247. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn about how many women billionaires exist in the world, what country they are in and how they made their money. Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio, hosted by MBA and Certified Financial Planner Hilary Hendershott, highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check out www.profitbossradio.com. The article is posted on my website at www.lindapjones.com, podcast 246. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn what the 10 most expensive cities in the world are. Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio, hosted by MBA and Certified Financial Planner Hilary Hendershott, highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check out www.profitbossradio.com. The article from MarketWatch is posted on my website at www.lindapjones.com, podcast 245. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn about money mindset and a money mastermind from Hilary Hendershott. Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio, hosted by MBA and Certified Financial Planner Hilary Hendershott, highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check out www.profitbossradio.com. Hear Hilary's story from losing it all to coming back strong. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn why a little talked about financial question may be the most important action you take with money. Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio, hosted by MBA and Certified Planner Hilary Hendershott, highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check outprofitbossradio.com. Linda, I had an unexpected "trial run" of what it would be like if the banks were shut down. My car was broken into and my purse was stolen with my credit cards and checkbook. I had to shut down all my accounts on a Friday. If it hadn't been for the emergency cash that you have been recommending for some time, I wouldn't have been able to get my car repaired, the locks changed on my house, my drivers license replaced, medications filled, groceries, gas etc. Because of fraud & identity theft, there's no temporary cards or checks or replacements done online. It takes a week to get replacement cards, checks etc. My passport and birth certificate became my lifelines and thank goodness were not in the purse. I am fortunate in that I could have used my business accounts in a pinch but what if those had been unavailable too? Thank you, Marie It's different than your emergency fund. An emergency fund is for unforeseen expenses such as a car repair, dental or medical emergency, etc. That can be kept in a bank account. But what if you can't access the bank? ATM goes down (happened many times, most recently in England), DDOS internet attack, or EMP (electromagnetic pulse) flare from the sun, grid problem. Now you need cash on hand! How much cash should I keep on hand? At least 3 months grocery money, gas money, restaurants, supplies. In general about 1/3 of what your total monthly budget is (more is even better). If you spend $10,000 a month including your mortgage, then I'd have at least $3,000 on hand, for $1,000 a month, $300. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn what it means when the Dow ends it's winning streak. Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio, is hosted by MBA and Certified Planner Hilary Hendershott, who highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check out www.profitbossradio.com. The article is posted at www.lindapjones.com, podcast 242. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Get your "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" report at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn how being foolish with money can catch up with you, no matter how much you have. Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio, hosted by MBA and Certified Planner Hilary Hendershott, who highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check out www.profitbossradio.com. The news article is posted on the show notes of my website at http://lindapjones.com, podcast 241. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about another awesome podcast called Profit Boss Radio. Profit Boss Radio is hosted by MBA and Certified Planner, Hilary Hendershott, who highlights inspiring women who have created success in their financial and professional life. Each week you can tune in and hear how women have paved the road to sustained success with both beliefs and actions. Check out www.profitbossradio.com. Its listener question Friday! Linda, My husband is the major bread winner and plans to retire in 2 years. He wants to buy a new TV and sectional. Im advising against it, but he insists we buy them. What can I say to show him why its important not to be making purchases like this right now? Although you are close to retirement and some of our listeners are too and some are younger, theres a good point to be made here. Youre probably looking at a $3,000 to $6,000 purchase. Is it really going to improve your life? Spending wisely is one of the traits that will make you wealthy. Spending foolishly is one of the traits that will make you poor. I have a friend who keeps buying new furniture, redecorating, remodeling and while some remodeling will improve the value of a home, once its updated, re-updating it doesnt help! Changing from vinyl to granite is an improvement, but changing the granite countertops to different granite makes no improvement and just wastes money! 5 things you can do to spend money wiser: 1. Sit your husband down and talk about retirement. Bring him into the reality of what will happen in 2 short years. There will be no more income from his job and you will be relying on savings for the rest of your life! Do you have the amount you will need already saved or do you need to save more? 2. There are some things that will add quality of life to your standard of living, such as moving to a state that has better weather. Some purchases are like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, and this is one of them! Having a new TV or sectional will not add happiness or a better quality of life. The thrill might last a week and after that youll just have bills to pay. 3. If youre spending $3,000 to $6,000 on the TV and sectional, think about how much that will grow to in 20 years. Using the investment calculator, at 8% it could become almost $14,000 to almost $28,000! Thats the opportunity cost of what youre buying. 4. When youre a few years from retirement, you want to avoid making large purchases on household items, cars, RVs, anything that depreciates. You want to be focusing all your efforts to getting your retirement savings as large as possible! Theres a hard deadline to retirement and its coming soon! 5. Create a plan. Where do you plan to live when you retire? Are you going to be downsizing and moving south? Are you going to stay where you are? Is your home paid off? Housing and medical expenses are your 2 major costs when close to retirement age (besides elective travel), so you want to be sure you have adequate coverage for both. If you home is not paid off by age 65, that is a worthwhile goal to focus on instead of furnishings! Also, create a plan by estimating what your retirement income will be. Take your retirement funds and multiply by 4%. That is the amount of income you can have without outliving your money. Add your Social Security (and pension) benefits onto that and then you will know how much income you will have. Most people are not real happy with that number! That may wake your husband up to the reality that he needs to be saving, not spending until he retires! I'd like to share recent listener reviews with you. They always blow me away and I'm so grateful when someone leaves a review. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting 11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn which ETF's have performed the best so far in 2017. Photos of this page will be posted on my website at http://lindapjones.com, podcast 239. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn what's happening in the economy with jobs and interest rates. Looks like the jobs number came in strong enough for the FED to justify a .25% rate hike next week. Interestingly, GDP growth is down from 1.9% in Q4 to an estimated 1.2% rate this quarter. That is not a good sign. You don't want to be raising rates when GDP is slowing dramatically because higher rates slow down the economy. See the article posted on my website at http://lindapjones.com, podcast 238. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn what interest rates rising means to the economy and to you personally, why rate "normalization" still means rising interest rates, and what you can expect from the FED going forward. Link to the MarketWatch article is in the show notes on my website at www.lindapjones.com. Please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn why profits matter. Snapchat, the social media turned camera company went public last week. It was the biggest IPO Wall Street has seen since 2009. With little revenue (and much of it mysteriously appearing right before the IPO, like $1 billion from Google), it is nowhere near worth a $24 billion valuation! Years ago Facebook tried to buy it for $3 billion which was very generous. SNAP's $30B market cap, 74X sales and $15million per employee. Could be the sign of the peak of the stock market bubble here. SNAP lost $514 million last year and says "it may never be profitable" according to Business Insider. You have to detach yourself from looking at a stock price and look at this as a business you're investing your hard earned money into. There are many established, profitable businesses with market valuations less than SNAP. I'll post a chart on my website in the show notes. According to IBD, "Snap is set to be the first IPO of a high-profile unicorn since the term, which describes privately held companies with a market valuation of $1 billion or more, emerged. More than 200 firms currently fit that definition with a total valuation near $760 billion, according to TechCrunch." I'm having major deja-vu from 1999. Valuation matters. Even if the price rises, this is all hype and not much substance, so I would steer clear of this unicorn. I think it's aptly named, since unicorns are just a made up illusion. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn how to know when to sell a stock or investment. It's listener question Friday! I had a question from a listener about their investment portfolio: Linda, It is my very first stock "try's" . A very dear friend of mine started this portfolio for me and she has tried to teach me a little about stocks along the way. I want to learn more. I just am looking for a little direction. I have about $100,000 to invest. This is outside the my emergency savings of about $75,000. _______ She sent me a list of her stocks and I could see a great many of them were not quality names nor were they profitable. It concerns me to hear that a friend is making your investing decisions. You want to be in control of your investments and know what you own and why. Why do you want to own certain companies? Are you familiar with the company or do you think the sector they are in is going to be fast growing and profitable? Remember you are buying businesses. I couldn't tell the investment strategy from what I saw, so I'm a bit perplexed how your friend was selecting your stocks. Having said that, many of your stocks had losses. If you have more than an 8% loss, perhaps consider selling it. I'm not saying that at the bottom of the market after a steep decline, in which I might attribute some of the decline to the market But this is in a bull market, so I would consider selling and reallocating the money. You want to sell your losers and keep your winners. Give the winners time to run and continue to go up. Stocks that have been rising tend to keep rising, so keep those. I would get yourself up to speed on investing (good job joining the VIP Experience) so you can learn about investing. We have all levels of investors in the VIP Experience and I'll be keeping you up to speed with important articles and market commentary as well as ETF selection. I have lots of podcasts about investing, so I suggest you check them out. They are evergreen and most don't get dated. I try to keep them classic so you can use them as your investing library along with the VIP Experience. When creating an investment portfolio from scratch, I always recommend that investors follow an asset allocation model meaning they have some large caps, mid caps, small caps and international. You can add real estate and precious metals to that and have a well-diversified portfolio. If you want to add bonds, I would use short-term bonds since we are now in a rising interest rate cycle. I prefer to use ETFs because they are low cost and diversified, so you're buying a basket of stocks and not individual stocks. That's a better plan for a beginner. I'd love it you'd leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn the ins and outs of Social Security, how to decide when to take SS and how it will impact you. 1. What are people who are retiring saying about Social Security? 2. The advantages/disadvantages of starting early vs. waiting to take Social Security. 3. How to decide whether to take SS early or wait until later? How many people start right away and how many wait? 4. What trends are changing in regard to retirement income? 5. Will SS continue in the future? 6. What can people do who want to retire early?

Learn where most millionaires live and don't live and 2 reasons why it may change in the future. This article was on CNBC. It listed where millionaires live and don't live. It was thought provoking for a few reasons. First let me read you the list of 5 cities most millionaires live in. 1. Maryland – 7.55 percent 2. Connecticut – 7.4 percent 3. New Jersey – 7.39 percent 4. Hawaii – 7.35 percent 5. Alaska – 7.15 percent This is not surprising for a couple reasons. I learned a long time ago that people can make a lot of money by being where large amounts of money flow. Since Maryland and WA DC are where large amounts of government money flow, it makes sense these are in the top 10 per capita. (I'm not suggesting anything illegal is occurring). It reminds me of the Tom Wolfe novel Bonfire of the Vanities when Sherman, the protagonist and "Master of the Universe", his wife describes to their daughter, Campbell, what her bond trader husband does: "Just imagine that a bond is a slice of cake, and you didn't bake the cake, but every time you had somebody a slice of the cake a tiny little bit comes off, like a little crumb, and you can keep that. […] If you pass around enough slices of cake, then pretty soon you have enough crumbs to make a gigantic cake." Chapter 10, page 229 That can apply to many types of businesses, but if a lot of money is flowing, someone's going to be taking crumbs from it, so it's no surprise to me that #1 is Maryland, near the government and #2 is Connecticut, home of many of the largest hedge fund traders and #3 is New Jersey where a lot of Wall Street firms work. WA D.C. is #9. #4 is Hawaii - you have to think a little harder, but their real estate market is very high from selling to Americans and Japanese, so I would imagine real estate has made a huge contribution to that market. Having a limited population due to small land mass also helps the per capita number. #5 being Alaska is a bit trickier. Of course Alaska is known for oil and military among other things but since this is per capita and Alaska doesn't have a huge population, it skews it a bit. For total numbers, CA, TX & NY win hands down. I don't think anyone is surprised by that. The bottom five are: 47. Alabama – 4.46 percent 48. Kentucky – 4.32 percent 49. West Virginia – 4.22 percent 50. Arkansas – 4.08 percent 51. Mississippi – 3.77 percent I'll post a link to the article on my website at lindapjones.com. Not really a surprise here either. Real estate, high tech, etc. are not these states' strong suits. But here are the game changers… 1. People still don't realize you can work from anywhere and make a very good living with your computer. They don't realize there's a quiet entrepreneurial revolution. Money is being made online from anywhere with a computer. Get your domain name, set up hosting and learn how to start a blog. Everyone should have a website. Grab your name as a domain name. Go here for directions how to get started: http://www.lindapjones.com/how-to-start-a-blog/ 2. Recently I saw a flying car. I will post a link to it on my website. It drove and flew! What are the ramifications of being able to fly door-to-door to where you want to go?! If this technology becomes commercially viable, property that is out farther will start to sell because the commute will be shorter. You also won't have to live near your job if you're an online entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is the future. You could live in the San Juan Islands and fly into Seattle. How many years are we away from this? Who knows but it's coming and so are more creative ways to make money. You won't need to live near overpriced real estate for much longer. Please leave me a review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. I really appreciate it! Move your net worth in the right direction by getting "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" at www.lindapjones.com.

Learn how to prioritize paying bills, debt and expenses. Listener question today. Dana asks: Linda, there are several things we want to do this year and are wondering about the best use of our funds to do so. 1. Consolidate some miscellaneous credit debt or pay it off in full ($8k range) 2. Home updates/renovations - small scale projects like painting, lighting, window treatments ($5k total range) 3. Upcoming medical expenses for birth of child ($3000 based on max out of pocket per policy) 4. Upcoming 1st installment property tax bill ($4500) We have the following sources to draw from to do all of the above: 1. Cash - enough to pay all of the above and still have 12+ months worth of total monthly expenses in cash savings 2. Credit - several rewards/points cards, average interest rate 11-15% 3. Home equity - access to $32k from our existing Home Equity line of credit at 4.25% interest/only 4. Sell some securities from a brokerage account - $58k in non-retirement investment accounts that we sell some shares 5. Federal Tax refund - expecting $8k-$9k refund per CPA Are there advantages/disadvantages to doing the above via one form of payment or another? My personal comfort level is to keep plenty of cash accessible. I have allocated several different savings accounts specifically for taxes, home improvements, travel, etc and can pull from those. Income will vary so I am not really counting on using our income for these items, as it will just be used for our regular recurring monthly expenses. Thanks, Dana Before I answer that, let's prioritize the payments and then look at the best way to pay them. I want to look at the non-elective expenses - ie. those things you can't put off. #1. Property taxes of $4,500. This is a MUST do, no wiggle room here! The consequences of NOT paying your taxes are too high, so this has to be priority #1. #2. You also can't put off the birth of a child. You will have medical expenses. Must allocate the $3,000 maximum costs. #3. Normally, I would look at the credit card debt first but because you had 2 non-negotiable goals above this, it became priority #3. Look to normally eliminate credit card debt as your #1 goal because it is so expensive. Dana tells us it's 11 - 15% interest. When you pay it, it's like earning that rate of return. Where else can you earn 11 - 15%? Pay off the credit cards. #4. Remodeling. This is the one with the most wiggle room that you can put off, do part of it, or do all of it. Minimize costs as much as possible.

Learn the truth about money and wealth building. I'm going to push back on experts who write about how to build wealth! The articles usually go something like this: Budget yourself silly. Don't spend any money. Don't live beyond your means. Pay off all debt. Contribute to your 401k. Have a great life! Lol! Some of these have merit, but some don't. I'll go through each point in a minute. I'm going to give you a step-by-step plan. There are two different financial scenarios - one scenario for people that have massive credit card debt and one for those who don't. Credit card debt and student loans are a real problem that need to be taken care of first. High interest rates compound and grow quickly so the debt will grow fast unless you vigorously attack it. Make them Priority #1! Student loans may be at low interest rate, but it is not excusable in court even in bankruptcy. It's a permanent weight around your neck that has to go! Let's revisit the points I mentioned earlier. 1. Budget yourself silly. 2. Don't spend any money. Budgets can be hazardous to your wealth! Like diets: feel restrictive, want to go off them, can give you a bad relationship to money. Don't live beyond your means - Obviously! Don't get yourself into consumer debt except a mortgage. Pay off all debt - wrong! A mortgage is ok, tax deductible. You need to establish credit. Pay off debt that's not mortgage debt or business debt that you are successfully using to grow your business. Contribute to your 401k - yes, but it's not enough if that's all you do to save and invest! Have a great life! Lol! How can you spend nothing, try to pay off a huge mortgage, pay for kids to go to college and have any money left to enjoy life? The second financial scenario is for people who earn more than they spend. For them I have advice that I call the 6 Steps to Wealth. 1. Create a wealthy mindset Work on a positive mind, thoughts, goals. Repetition. 2. Save a nestegg Save money to invest, need capital to start. 3. Find a mentor Follow people who have successfully made millions, not starving journalist. 4. Invest in a money engine Must invest to create wealth! Can be a business, stocks, real estate, etc. No one way is right, but be smart about valuations you are paying! Money moves in cycles and peaks in bubbles. 5. Compound at a high rate Let your money compound. Try to improve your rate of return. Bank vs. stocks 6. Protect your wealth Don't lose the wealth you have created. To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.

Learn the world's most affordable housing markets (8 out of 10 are in the US). Source: 13th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey Looked at "affordability in 92 major housing markets in nine countries found 11 affordable areas - all in the US." "The survey used Q3 2016 data to gauge the 'median multiple', the ratio of median home price to median pretax income." Ratio of median home price to median pretax income, with 3.0 or below being "affordable." For example, if median pretax income is $100,000, you can afford a $300,000 home pretty easily so it's deemed "affordable". According to CNN, the world's most affordable housing markets are: 1. Racine, Wisconsin, US 2. Bay City, Michigan, US 3. Decatur, Illinois, US 4. Elmira, New York , US 5. East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, US 6. Karratha, Australia 7. Lima, Ohio, US 8. Moncton, Canada 9. Peoria, Illinois, US 10. Rockford, Illinois, US (Source: 13th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey) It's interesting to note that housing inventories are at 17 year lows, indicating a possible peak of a bubble? Listen to podcast 228 for the most affordable housing markets in the U.S. On my website www.lindapjones.com, I will post a link to the entire report. It's quite interesting and I think it's worth your time if you're interested in real estate. Go to www.lindapjones.com/worldsmostaffordablehousingmarkets Here is the link to the full housing report: http://www.demographia.com/dhi.pdf If you enjoy the show, I'd love to have your review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio! It's the one way I get to hear from you what you like about the show and a way to give back if you have received knowledge from listening to the show. I'd so appreciate it, thank you in advance! For more information, go to www.lindapjones.com.

Learn the least affordable housing markets in the world. Investor's Business Daily report, week of 2/6/17. "The survey used Q3 2016 data to gauge the 'median multiple', the ratio of median home price to median pretax income." Source: 13th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey Ratio of median home price to median pretax income, with 3.0 or below being "affordable." Ratio of median home price to median pretax income, with 3.0 or below being "affordable." For example, if median pretax income is $100,000, you can afford a $300,000 home pretty easily so it's deemed "affordable". The 13th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey covers 406 metropolitan housing markets (metropolitan areas) in nine countries (Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States) for the third quarter of 2016. A total of 92 major metropolitan markets (housing markets) --- with more than 1,000,000 population --- are included, including five megacities (Tokyo-Yokohama, New York, Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto, Los Angeles, and London). "Overall, there are 29 severely unaffordable major housing markets, including all in Australia (5), New Zealand (1) and China (1). There are 13 severely unaffordable major markets in the United States, out of 54. Seven of the United Kingdom's 21 major markets are severely unaffordable and two in Canada." - NewGeography.com Hong Kong, Sidney and Vancouver are the 3 most unaffordable housing markets in the world. 1. Hong Kong 18.1 2. Sydney, AU 12.2 3. Vancouver, Canada 11.8 4. Auckland, NZ 10.0 5. San Jose, CA 9.6 6. Melbourne, AU 9.5 7. Honolulu, HI 9.4 8. Los Angeles, CA 9.3 9. San Francisco, CA 9.2 10. Dorset, UK 8.9 Interesting to note, Vancouver BC put a 15% foreign buyer tax on housing which reduced foreign purchases dramatically. The city of Vancouver also instituted a 1% vacancy tax on the assessed value of an empty property, as many foreign buyers let houses sit empty. In response, many Chinese buyers have moved to the Seattle market. China spent a record $33 billion on foreign real estate in 2016, according to global real estate group JLL. Hong Kong median home price $5,422,000 and income $300,000 vs. San Jose, CA $1,000,000 and $104,100. Prices in Australia, Vancouver, Seattle seem to be inflated from Chinese buyers - are they dependent on the Chinese economy? On my website www.lindapjones.com, I will post a link to the entire report. It's quite interesting and I think it's worth your time if you're interested in real estate. Go to www.lindapjones.com/leastaffordablehousingmarkets Here is the link to the full housing report: http://www.demographia.com/dhi.pdf If you enjoy the show, I'd love to have your review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio! It's the one way I get to hear from you what you like about the show and a way to give back if you have received knowledge from listening to the show. I'd so appreciate it, thank you in advance! For more information, go to www.lindapjones.com/podcasts

Learn the most affordable housing markets in the U.S. Graph printed in Investor's Business Daily report, week of 2/6/17. Source: 13th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey Looked at "affordability in 92 major housing markets in nine countries found 11 affordable areas - all in the US." "The survey used Q3 2016 data to gauge the 'median multiple', the ratio of median home price to median pretax income." Ratio of median home price to median pretax income, with 3.0 or below being "affordable." For example, if median pretax income is $100,000, you can afford a $300,000 home pretty easily so it's deemed "affordable". The 13th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey covers 406 metropolitan housing markets (metropolitan areas) in nine countries (Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States) for the third quarter of 2016. A total of 92 major metropolitan markets (housing markets) --- with more than 1,000,000 population --- are included, including five megacities (Tokyo-Yokohama, New York, Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto, Los Angeles, and London). 1. Rochester, NY 2.5 2. Buffalo, NY 2.6 3. Cincinnati, OH 2.7 4. Cleveland, OH 2.7 5. Pittsburgh, PA 2.7 6. Oklahoma City, OK 2.9 7. St. Louis, MO 2.9 8. Grand Rapids, MI 3.0 9. Indianapolis, IN 3.0 10. Kansas City, MO 3.0 The United States scores 3.9 on the index. On my website www.lindapjones.com, I will post a link to the entire report. It's quite interesting and I think it's worth your time if you're interested in real estate. Go to www.lindapjones.com/affordablehousingmarkets http://www.demographia.com/dhi.pdf If you enjoy the show, I'd love to have your review on iTunes or Stitcher Radio! It's the one way I get to hear from you what you like about the show and a way to give back if you have received knowledge from listening to the show. I'd so appreciate it, thank you in advance! To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.

Learn how to run your family finances like a Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Interview with author of Family Inc., Doug McCormick.

Learn how much the Dow Jones Industrial Average has changed and why it is a poor indicator to gauge stock performance. I decided to research changes in the DJIA. How many companies from the last 20 years are the same and how many have changed? I researched the companies in the DJIA from 1997 - 2017. In the last 18 years, the Dow doubled from 10,000 to 20,000. That's an average of a 4% return. How many companies in the Dow are the same today? Are we comparing apples to apples? For example, if I go to the grocery store and pick out 30 different cans of food - olives, soup, green beans, peaches, etc. and add up the prices for each can, then twenty years later I change 10 cans and compare the prices to the original group of 30 cans from 20 years ago to today's group of 30 cans, what is that telling me? All we know is 66% of the cans are the same. That's what the Dow Jones Industrial Average is like. Only 66% are the same companies from 20 years ago. The DJIA lost these 10 companies: Sears AT & T Eastman Kodak General Motors Goodyear Hewlett Packard International Paper Philip Morris Union Carbide Allied Signal There's only one original company still in the 100 year old Dow: General Electric So don't get caught up in rah rah! Dow 20,000! It means nothing! OK, it means two thirds of the companies have probably increased in value. That's all you can presume! Use the S & P 500 as your indicator. It changes too, but covers 65% of all stocks in the stock market. Professional money managers are paid based on the S & P, not the Dow. Be savvy. Don't be fooled by marketing ploys. For more savvy investing, to to www.lindapjones.com

Learn about ETFs and mutual funds Listener question - Are ETFs or mutual funds better? What they are: ETF's: Fixed basket Trades like a stock, continuously priced throughout the day Transparency Low fees Broad index or sector Long or short Mutual funds: Funds pooled together Professionally managed Priced at the end of the day Decisions made for you Only know what stocks are in it quarterly Don't need a brokerage account, can go direct to the fund Higher fees Can cause unwanted capital gains Manager is paid to beat the indexes, but they don't always accomplish it. Can invest regular deductions from your bank account ie. $25/mo. Question is which one will provide better performance? Use ETF's for indexes. Use mutual funds for good manager's track record. Asset allocation model - core + satellite, creating a combination portfolio To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.

Learn the 3 secrets about financial education that most financial experts don't tell you. This show is all about financial education! Specifically, how to make it understandable and interesting, even if you're usually bored by financial topics! 1. Financial management is very doable on your own. It takes a bit of learning a few concepts and terminology, but it can be done. The truth is, most advisors put you into an asset allocation model and look at it quarterly. They are not watching your account like you might think. Why not learn how to do your own asset allocation and save 1 - 3% annually? 2. Financial advisors think their best service is to hold your hand when you are scared by market volatility. Perhaps if you understand what to expect, you can do that for yourself. Rather than hoping deep dips and wild swings won't happen, you have to accept them as part of investing and learn what to do because the stock market drops about 10% every 11 months on average. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has dropped 20% 12 times since the end of WWII. That's about every 6 years. We are now overdue for such a dip. Do you have a plan? Do you have cash set aside to buy? I certainly hope you weren't buying at Dow 20,000, an all-time high! Liquidate some things, trim positions a bit to raise some cash. You can keep all your positions but have smaller ones. Prepare for maximum fear - the time to buy. You can watch the VIX or watch consumer sentiment. When the VIX hits a high, consumer sentiment a low, or relative strength is below the bottom of the chart on stockcharts.com you could have a bottom. 3. Keep learning. Keep listening to this podcast and your other favorites and keep learning. Be cautious of certain stock hawkers on TV and of so called "traders" on TV. They have more incentive to be confusing so that you keep watching and giving them ratings, than to actually educate you. Remember, moving opposite the crowd is usually the smart move and the TV is the crowd. To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.

Learn if the economy can get to 5% GDP growth quickly or not. Weakest GDP since 2011 - went from 3.5% to 1.9% in one quarter! Lower earnings reported by Chevon, other energy companies, Google, Colgate-Palmolive and Starbucks. Even with some disappointing corporate results, fourth-quarter earnings are expected to show growth of 6.8 percent, which would mark the biggest increase in two years and second straight quarter of growth, according to Thomson Reuters data. Dow hit 20,000 for the first time. Took 18 years to double - that's a 4% average annual return. Is most of the good news already baked into 2017? Consumer spending is up .5% in December, largest jump in 3 months, which is 2/3 of the economy. Good news there. Pending home sales up 1.9%, 17 year shortage of housing. Trump growth of 5% is going to take a while and won't happen right away. Cycles are showing massive swings up and down in the market this year. FED may raise rates 3 times - inflation is flaring up. IMO, we have the EU break up to look forward to, a European bank failure, and a lot of cash flowing into our markets as a safe haven from China and Europe. Other countries have been moving their funds here from China, Russia and Europe and that will likely pick up. Cycles are showing some extreme volatility and since this is the second longest bull market ever, I wouldn't be surprised to see the economy weaken even to the point of recession and the stock market have a meaningful pullback. Increased volatility. Rather than try to short it, I suggest you get your shopping list ready to buy the dips, when there is real fear. Look to corporate bonds for income and stay away from bond funds. It will take time for President Trump to turn the economy into a faster growth GDP. In the meantime, there will be wild swings as the dollar and other currencies fluctuate. To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.

Learn key economic signs to follow. For the election, GDP grew over 3%. FED raised interest rates, now GDP is 1.9%, markedly lower. Where do we go from here? FED wants to raise rates 3 times next year. Housing prices are in a bubble - inventory is at a 17 year low! Housing moves in an 18 year cycle. Trump has policies to grow the economy, jobs, cut regulations and cut excess spending. Will have massive stimulus from infrastructure spending and the wall. Taxes being massively cut. The spending + reduced taxes will help GDP but growth must happen, so we need job creation badly. The FED controls interest rates. If they continue to increase rates, that's a strong headwind against the economy. There's a battle happening here! We'll watch and see what happens.

Learn if it's smart to contribute to a 401k if you're not getting a match. Should we contribute to our 401k, even though there is no match? Benefits of a 401k are that: 1. Your income is not taxed when deposited into a 401k 2. Your money grows without tax 3. Some people think it's a forced discipline to save, that otherwise the money wouldn't be saved, but…there are: 1. Limited investment options, usually large cap, mid cap, small cap, international and bonds, usually mutual funds with higher fees. 2. Don't have wider options such as stocks, low cost ETF's, sector funds. Leaves out gold/silver, technology sector, agriculture & commodities, country funds, etc. 3. There's a whole universe of investment options and you're restricted to a limited menu. 10% penalty if not 59-1/2 or if you don't withdraw money under allowed hardship withdrawal rules or penalty free rules. In summary, if you are a disciplined person you can save or set up an automatic deduction plan to deduct your investment money into your investment portfolio, have wider investment options in a brokerage account, plus more flexibility to withdraw funds for liquidity without incurring a 10% penalty. To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.

Learn what the challenges are for the stock market going forward. It's a new record; the Dow made history! DJIA is only 30 companies, but been around over 100 years. S & P 65% of all stocks 1966 was the first time above 1,000 11/21/95 above 5,000 3/29/99 above 10,000 5/3/13 above 15,000 1/25/17 above 20,000 Hmmm, is that at 4 year cycle for every 5,000 points? Will Dow 25,000 happen in 2021? Still the 2nd longest bull market in history. Since 2009. Expecting a major top this year. Major cycle change in the Fall. Cycles repeat and guide expectations in the stock markets. Although the Dow hit 20,000 and we have a new President, whether or not you voted for him, there are certain things he will be forced to deal with on his watch. I watched the hearings of the Treasury Secretary, Mnuchin. The questions and statements by Congress were very telling. Here are some of the things they discussed: *Underfunded pensions as a widespread problem that possibly needs a bailout *The $20 trillion deficit and whether to default on debt or not *The strong dollar, world's reserve currency *Currency manipulation *Mortgage reform *Massive tax reduction *Social security, medicare, medicaid *Obamacare/Affordable Care Act What wasn't mentioned - the derivatives take down that may happen if European banks like Monte dei Paschi and Deutsche Bank fail and the ECB fails to bail them out. There are some massive financial decisions to be made and things to be worked out. No matter who would be President, these things will come to pass in the next few years. It will be interesting! President Trump has talked about getting rid of the Federal Reserve. If he can do that, it would be a major victory for the people. The Banksters have been in control for too long. Control over interest rates has allowed the Fed to create bubbles and pop them. They are projecting raising rates 3 times this year. It has the power to throw us into a recession. The best solution put forward is for us to grow the economy as much as possible. That seems to be the Trump plan. It will be interesting to watch what happens! To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.

Learn 11 financial moves to make in 2017 1. Identify any mistakes made in 2016 - Stocks to sell, trim losses 2. Review & rebalance portfolio - Make sure you own some small caps 3. Consider strategic investments in high growth areas - Spice up your portfolio with India, silver, China, tech, etc. - What can you buy low? Commodities? Uranium? Miners? 4. Reduce debt - Refi or pay off 5. Avoid long-term bond funds - 30 year bonds have the most risk in a rising interest rate environment 6. Save and invest more - Savings accounts have low interest rates, investment accounts offer potential of higher compounding, but have more risk. 7. Think over large purchases - Do you really need a new car? - Could you invest instead? 8. Start a side hustle for extra income? - Never easier to start a business 9. Consider how big picture changed and how it will affect you - New President, lower taxes? - Interest rates rising - Banks in Europe in crisis? 10. Things that didn't change - Debt in USA - Your work? Income? Mortgage? - Your goals? - Your retirement age? 11. Time, Money, Compounding Rate are the 3 things that effect your wealth. - Time = years to retirement - Money = amount to invest - Compounding rate = % you compound money Make it a priority to learn about investing. To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.

Learn what 2016's Top Stock Funds are according to Investor's Business Daily. Hard copy of the numbers are posted on my website at www.lindapjones.com, podcast 217. While you're there, get my free report, "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" to move your net worth forward in 2017 and beyond! www.lindapjones.com

Learn the Best and Worst Performing ETF's in 2016 according to Investor's Business Daily. Get the information in print form at my website, www.lindapjones.com, podcast 216. While you're there, pick up the free report, "11 Quick Tips to Boost Your Wealth" and get your net worth moving in the right direction in 2017 and beyond. www.lindapjones.com.

Learn which companies have been paying rising dividends for 25 straight years. Many people are looking for higher interest rates because bonds are paying low interest rates, for example, .88% on a 1 year Treasury bill and 2.4% for 10 year Treasuries. To help you find some substitutes for bonds, I'm sharing dividend paying stocks with you. They are companies that have steadily and consistently raised their dividends for 25 straight years, which is an indication of excellent and consistent cash flow. You may also want to look at corporate bonds - high quality, not junk bonds. This is a report from Investor's Business Daily of the S & P 500 Dividend Aristocrats index. Statistics are on my website at www.lindapjones.com. Podcast 215. To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.

Learn why contrarian indicators move opposite to the crowd. British economist, John Maynard Keynes identified features of financial markets that subject prices to herd-like behavior. "The herd-like nature and influence of animal spirits in financial exchanges, and its potential to shift independently of changes in objective facts, is, according to Keynes, a primary, ineradicable source of economic instability." Groups move together in crowds and it impacts markets. Media is calling it "animal spirits" - Bloomberg, Barron's, financial websites. The cover of Barron's says Dow 20,000, pre-conditioning you to think it's going there. Look inside Barron's for some bullish indications that are saying the public is 63% bullish right now. Here are the reasons you need to be a contrarian investor: 1. When a good investment becomes obvious, it's very late in the game. This means when you're judging solely by price or return and something has gone up 100% or is crossing 20,000, you are one of the last ones in! I often tell the story of the tech fund that was up 100% in 1999 and took in over $1 billion in new assets soon after. The next 3 years it was down over 70%! I you bought at the top, you lost 70%. 2. When bullish consensus is over 60%, everyone whose going to invest already has. Like Joseph Kennedy, JFK's father said when a shoeshine boy gave him a stock tip in 1929, everyone is already in the market if the shoeshine boy is giving stock tips. 3. Most good investments fly quietly under the radar for a long time before they are recognized. They tend to be out of favor or unnoticed by many before they become obvious and the crowd jumps in. Everyone is still talking about oil, while hedge funds have been investing in green energy for 10 years! 4. Buy low and sell high. How can you buy low if you're buying it at the top? If you want to buy low, shouldn't you be buying the dips? 5. Keep from getting emotional - that's back to animal spirits but I'm talking about FOMA - fear of missing out. Sometimes people fear they are going to miss out on the Dow crossing 20,000 and it's going to go straight to 50,000. That's irrational! Catch my last podcast about why that won't happen. Truthfully, the market looks very over extended here. We are due for a pullback. Even when markets start to run away from you, it's usually overdue for a pullback and gets a more pronounced one. A famous investor said, the best time to buy stock is when blood is running in the streets. Remember you're buying businesses, so think of when businesses earnings are best, when news is best and what quarter it might be worst. Just like you can buy houses in December for the best price and least competition, you can also buy companies that way. Here's the thing, if you're buying an ETF for the long-term, it doesn't matter so much when you buy because you're going to hold it for 10 or 20 years. The odds are in your favor to buy and hold than to try to jump in and out or be a day trader, so try to dollar cost average in - buy at regular intervals - and hold for the long-term. To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.

Learn from a listener question: Will the Dow Go to 50,000 Without a Rest? Listener question: Dear Linda, My friend say the market is off and running and will go to 50,000 from here. Will the Dow shoot to 50,000 without a rest? Raoul The Dow is only 30 companies large companies like American Express, Caterpillar, Chevron, McDonald's and Walt Disney, and some tech like Apple, Cisco Systems, Microsoft, Intel, and IBM. Stocks move in waves called cycles. It's the nature of things. Nothing goes anywhere without a pause or move in the opposite direction for long. The indicators look extended. The MACD looks toppy, relative strength is overbought, consumer confidence is 63% bullish - which is a bearish indicator. Way above the 50 day moving average - all show the market will rollover soon. How low? Don't know yet, see if it breaks support. To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.

You've heard me talk about following cycles. We are in the midst of several cycles happening simultaneously. Bonds lost over $1.7 trillion in November. The FED was talking about raising rates and bond market anticipated FED raising rates. Five year Treasury note went from .91% in July to 1.87% recently - a double! Thirty year yields went from 2.1% to 3.06% or a 50% move. Enormous! A 30 year mortgage is now 4.125%, still a good, low rate historically, but that rise in interest rates could move some adjustable rate mortgages by 25%! Interest rates are a 30 year trend and are rising again. This has had a negative impact on real estate since some sales have slowed and foreclosures are actually on the rise again. It's not surprising since interest rates have been skyrocketing. Interest rates also impact currencies and although the dollar has trended stronger, other currencies around the world have had wild swings in value, not the least of which is the pound, which was recently at a 31 year low! Higher rates make the dollar stronger which impacts many other currencies whose currency and/or debt is tied to the dollar. This is the largest debt bubble the world has ever had in history. It's in the US, Japan, China, Europe and other countries. The debt has been growing since 2008 and our problems didn't get fixed - they got worse! We have more debt and have not solved this, so somewhere ahead of us is a crisis greater than 2008. It's like if I gave you a credit card and another and another and you maxed each one out - your problem isn't solved, it's worse. Eventually it will impact the dollar, but for now it's going to get stronger as other currencies have issues. The Euro is a good example. I'll save that for another podcast. For now what you want to do is get rid of any variable rate interest you have - an adjustable rate mortgage, line of credit, etc. Anything that has an interest rate that can change you need to pay off as soon as possible, because rates are going up. To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.

Learn The Leading ETF's of 2016 To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.

Top holdings are Apple, Amazon, Facebook - poor performers this month. There's been a rotation of leadership in the S & P 500 since the election. These have been strong: Financial Medical Energy Construction-related materials Those are up 10% since the election (total 80 companies); 30 are banks and financial firms. About 50 financials are up at least 5%. In the S & P makeup: 14% financial sector 14% healthcare 20% tech (largest sector) 12% consumer discretionary To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.

I love talking about the importance of mindset in wealth building. We haven't visited mindset for a long-time, so I thought we would today. Recently I was reading about Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos. He was a successful investment banker who quit his job. Left in the middle of the year and left his big bonus. Talked to his boss about it, who said great idea, but better for someone else who does this stuff! Think long-term for life decisions. He calls it "Regret Minimization Framework". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwG_qR6XmDQ Project your life forward to age 80. Look back on your life. Minimize the regrets in your life. Look back on your life. He wouldn't regret trying to participate in the internet. Wouldn't regret failure. The one thing he would regret is not having tried. That would haunt him every day. Gets you away from the daily pieces of confusion, like leaving his bonus. Think long-term to make good life decisions you won't regret later.

4 Choices for a Former Employers' 401(k) Hi Linda, I would like your opinion on the following; my wife is beginning a new chapter in her career and starting a new job after 11 years. She has a 401k with a significant amount of funds and now we have to make the decision on what to do? The one decision that has been made is that we will not withdraw any money from the account, but we are not sure what our best option is: 1 Keep it as is within her old company's 401k plan? I am not a fan and I know that we could incur administration fees plus we have a limited investment selection. 2 Rollover into her new company's retirement plan? My reservation with this option is again having limited investment options. 3 Fidelity has a 401k rollover IRA plan that allows us to have full control of our investments (funds, stocks, etc.). I like this option but I know you are fan of ROTH IRAs better, but if we try to convert from a 401k to a ROTH IRA—would we get taxed? We believe the best option is #3 but I value your opinion and your expertise which will help finalize the decision. I appreciate your time and look forward to your feedback. Thank you, Ray I'm glad you didn't have "cash out" in your list of options! You know that would be the worst and most costly mistake and you won't even get all of your money. If you cash out, your employer is required to hold 20% for the IRS and you have 60 days to put it into a qualified retirement account or it's taxed as ordinary income, plus any state tax that's applicable. If you're under age 59-1/2, you'll also have a 10% penalty to pay, so you can see, that's not a good option! The first option you mentioned was leaving it with her old company's 401(k) plan. Keep in mind, since she's no longer an employee, she can't make any more contributions to it. While that's where most people end up leaving their money (by default), it's not the best choice. As you said, you have a limited investment menu. Most 401(k) investment menu's are quite restrictive, offering one or two choices per asset class. It's like trying to do your grocery shopping at Starbucks instead of at the grocery store! In the grocery store, you have all types of possible food available to you, not just a few things. So you can see why you will want to roll over your 401(k) into an IRA so you can have the whole grocery store available! You might be able to take a loan against it if you need to, but if you already have one against it, you have to pay it off before moving it, other wise it will be treated like a taxable distribution. Same grocery store reasoning goes into why you don't want to roll it into her new company's retirement plan. Limited menu. For example, you know I've been talking about how tangible investments are making a comeback and paper investments are going out of favor. Most 401(k) plans have several paper choices (ST bond, Long-term bonds, High Yield bonds, International or Global bonds, etc.) and NO (ZERO) precious metals, agriculture, commodities, or mining stock choices. I agree with you, option #3, rolling it over into an IRA is your best solution. Set up a new brokerage account before you start the transfer. Then make sure the funds go directly to the new account and not to you. It's called a trustee to trustee transfer. Otherwise, if the check comes to you, 20% is withheld and if not rolled over within 60 days you'll be taxed. You get the 20% returned when you file your taxes. That's not a good scenario, so go for the trustee to trustee transfer. You mentioned that there are sizable assets in the 401(k), so I wouldn't think a ROTH IRA would be feasible. Of course you'd have to qualify to be able to open a Roth IRA by not exceeding the income limits and you'd have to pay tax on your 401k. That doesn't sound like a good plan in your case. Just roll it into a traditional IRA. Once you have the money in your brokerage account, not only can you invest in mutual funds, but ETFs, stocks, master limited partnerships, etc. that you didn't have access to before. You can broaden your diversification and widen your investing horizons. To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.

Q. Linda, I bought a 2002 Porsche Boxster in 2013 for $13,000, low mileage, not much to repair until this year, I think my repair cost became 4K. I guess my car still worth about $8000, do you think I should trade in for another car? or drive to the ground? The engine is still very good, no problem in driving, but a little here and there problems are annoying. First, good for you for buying a used car! You saved yourself thousands of dollars and I hope you were able to invest some of that extra savings. When a large repair bill occurs, it can create a crossroads - fix or trade in? Here are some things to consider: 1. A $4,000 repair is still a lot cheaper than buying a new car, especially a new Porsche! New cars lose about 20% the first year, so that's a big hit. 2. Often a larger bill will occur every 3 to 5 years. If it's more frequent than that, consider a trade. Paying $4,000 every 5 years is still a lot cheaper than buying a new car. 3. If you feel like you're being nickled and dimed to death, consider a trade. It shouldn't feel like things are always going wrong. You don't want a car thats a pain in the neck and not operational. If your car is breaking down frequently, replace it. I'm not talking once or twice, but regularly. It's dangerous and not something you should be dealing with. 4. Your insurance and registration fees can increase with a new car. 5. As a rule of thumb, I would put off buying a new (used) car as long as possible. It's almost always better to repair a car that to buy a new one! I love my older cars and take great care of them. They are lasting really well! To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.