A Roth 401(k) can be a powerful retirement savings tool, but is it the right choice for everyone? In this YSR FAQ episode, Dennis O’Keefe discusses how Roth 401(k) contributions work and the factors that determine whether they make sense for your situation. The conversation explores current versus future tax brackets, the benefits of tax-free …
One of the most common retirement questions is also one of the hardest to answer: How much money is enough? In this YSR FAQ episode, Dennis O’Keefe explains why there is no universal retirement savings target and why your spending habits matter far more than a simple rule of thumb. Dennis shares a real-life example …
Trying to predict the market can feel overwhelming when headlines, opinions, and daily volatility are everywhere. How do you separate meaningful economic signals from distractions? What information actually helps you make better financial decisions over the long term? In this episode, Dennis O’Keefe shares why market predictions are often little more than educated guesses and …
What is a trust, and why do so many families use them in estate planning? In this YSR FAQ episode, Dennis explains the basics of revocable living trusts and how they help simplify estate settlement while avoiding probate. This conversation covers how trusts are structured, how assets are transferred into a trust, and why many …
Should you place your house into an irrevocable trust? In this YSR FAQ episode, Dennis explains why irrevocable trusts can become far more complicated than many people expect. This conversation covers why families consider irrevocable trusts for nursing home or Medicaid planning, along with the long-term tradeoffs that come with giving up control of property. …
Estate planning is easy to delay until the people you love are left sorting through the fallout. What happens when missing documents, wrong beneficiaries, or an unfunded trust create delays, costs, and family stress? In this episode, Dennis O’Keefe shares hard-earned lessons about estate planning mistakes that can burden children and other loved ones. He …
What exactly is probate, and why do so many families want to avoid it? In this YSR FAQ episode, Dennis explains how the probate process works, where it originated, and why having a will does not automatically keep your estate out of probate court. Using stories from English history to modern-day estate settlement examples, this …
Do you actually need a will? In this YSR FAQ episode, we break down one of the most common estate planning questions and explain why a will still matters, even if some of your assets already have built-in protections. Dennis walks through how jointly owned property, beneficiary designations, and transfer-on-death accounts work, and what happens …
It’s easy to believe something just because it sounds confident or is widely accepted. But what if the stories we trust most, from history to headlines to financial advice, are often simplified, distorted, or just plain wrong? In this episode, Dennis O’Keefe discusses how human nature pushes us toward easy answers and how those shortcuts …
Should you consider an annuity, or avoid it altogether? This week, Dennis O’Keefe breaks down how annuities work, why they are often sold rather than bought, and when they may or may not make sense. Using a real client scenario, Dennis explains how annuity proposals can be positioned in ways that don’t always benefit the …