​Well, we did the year in review.  I hope you have been able to recover from those 30 minutes of life changing, groundbreaking broadcast gold. There are some that are saying there are many still unable to rejoin society due to the stunning nature of the material we covered while others attribute it to a boredom induced coma.  Haters.

If you do want to subject yourself to the risks of a trance like state again, you need to tune in to my next show.  It comes right on the heels of my written missive covering the same subject but, I will put my vocal spin to it all.
​

• Politics
• Crime
• Scandal
• Money

Sounds like a movie of the week except, it is what we not only just lived through, we will have to navigate in 2017.  Best to get a head start on the world.

Tune in this Wednesday, 1/4/17 from 9:30-10:00am ET and listen to the first show of the year titled, The Welcome to 2017 Show…Predictions Abound!

I will even extend the predictions challenge contest to all listeners!  I promise to keep the ranting to a minimum.

Happy New Year!

​Greg

You have done it again.  No…not committing an all new offense designed for the sole purpose of annoying your significant other.  I am talking about the fact you have survived another whole year on the planet…and what a year 2016 has been.

Not all of us made it. Besides the endless flow of celebrity passings that seem to occupy “news” cycles, many of us lost people near and dear to us.  I extend peace for your sorrow.

Speaking of news, 2016 will go down in the books as one of the most news oriented years in history.  Of course, the biggest news was the Wicked Insurance Matters Radio Show with Greg Durette celebrated its first complete year of existence.  What the world would have looked like for those hundreds of millions of listeners that rely on the show for the very essence of their being…one cannot bear the thought of such tragedy.  Thankfully, we don’t have to.

The rest of the news below the fold reported, global conflicts, terrorism on the rise, a non-politician being elected POTUS, resurgence of the most dangerous “hippie” drug and of course, a national debt unlike anyone could imagine…and that’s just the beginning!

There were some good things mixed with bad but, it all comes together to form the fabric of our collective comforter.  I will review these events and many others, as well as connect the dots on how all these things make a difference in your ability to earn save and retire. Click here to listen to the show titled, 2016…The Year in Review!

It may be considered by some to be my annual rant but, I prefer to consider it a healthy airing of my completely non-biased opinions (how’s that for an oxymoron!) in a tone matching the subject matter.

Fine.  Rant it is.

​Happy New Year!

Time to roll the fat man down the chimney, light the multi-pointed fire hazard and brace yourself for another cheery view of the holidays…courtesy of yours truly.  I can’t wait to bring you every bit of politically correct, culturally conforming, plain vanilla elements of this glorious season.

Believe that and I’ll know you have been hitting the egg nog a little early and hard!

This show will hopefully help to bring some sanity to an otherwise well-intentioned but crazy time of the year.  Sure, we will talk some stats and financial stuff but, with an eye on trying to understand why any of us do what we do for holidays and end of year planning.

I will even read you my relatively short Christmas blog which has picked up quite a bit of attention since I published it earlier this month.  Please be sure to tune out if you are too sensitive to hear the truth.

You are either going to love it or hate it.  Either way, I hope you call in and let me know.  There will not be a guest this week so you can feast on an entire 30 minutes of the golden throated, supple tones of me, Greg Durette!

Thanks and Merry Christmas!

Greg

P.S. There are also other videos on YouTube at Future Secured Financial with Greg Durette.  You can navigate to all these social media via my website too.

​Regret.  What a fine thing.  Without it, we would not be able to enjoy the robust liquor and pharmaceutical markets we have in the world.  Cheers to washing down an anti-acid with a tumbler of scotch!

Not a fan of regret?  Well then, take heed of the advice from my guest on this next show.  He is John Phillips, a Certified Public Accountant and an MBA, with over 25 years experience in helping people and businesses make smart choices in tax planning.

BORING, right?!  If you think so, re-read the first paragraph.

Nobody likes to think of such things, especially around the holidays but guess what…the holidays happen at the END OF THE YEAR!  So strap in and learn a little about:

• Which expiring provisions you need to know about
• How certain retirement plan contributions will help or hurt you
• When you should accelerate or defer certain income or deductions
• The new dates for business filing deadlines
• Section 179 (I know, terminology…but you will love it!)

 
​Take charge of what you need to know and give up 30 minutes of your week to learn how you can make moves now to make your 2016 and 2017 better.  Since we will be focused on math, you can note 30 minutes will comprise only .28% of your entire week and only .0057% of just one year.  Don’t get me started on what that means for two years of benefit.  Seems like a good investment of time to me.

Tune in this Wednesday, 12/14/16 at 9:30am ET (or anytime thereafter via podcast) by clicking here to hear this latest installment of Wicked Insurance Matters Radio Show with Greg Durette. 

Contact: John Phillips/ 850-244-2690 / Email: [email protected]

Want to start a conversational nuclear war?  Just say Merry Christmas in a crowded room of strangers.  Men will rant, women will scream and children will cry at the very thought such a crude statement, so insensitive to all the other religions potentially present, would dare be uttered.  How exclusionary!  How insensitive!  How oppressive!

Such is often the case in our country and world these days.  Freedom of religion has morphed into a more exclusionary version of what is now freedom from religion.  That is, fear of religion.
What is everyone so afraid of?

If someone wishes you a Merry Christmas and you are not Christian, has some great insult been hurled upon you or rather, has someone tried to share their joy of the season with you in a way that is meaningful to them?

If someone of the Jewish faith wishes you a Happy Hanukah, have they foisted upon you an oppression from which only years of intensive psychotherapy can cure or, have they too expressed their joy from their perspective?

Since when did an expression of joy for a season or a holiday come with the pre-requisite the sender have a thorough background check done on the recipients’ religious history to make sure it fully complies with their beliefs?

Ah but, the naysayers have derived a wonderful solution to the risk of such a terrible affront.  We can just say, “Happy Holidays”.  To that end, we have all been assaulted by the chronically offended among us to accept and believe this to be the non-offensive, homogeneous phrase we can all embrace.

Hogwash.

Nothing can be inclusive if everything is excluded.  If the argument is this phrase includes ALL religious holidays, should someone not be MORE offended since so many holidays they do not celebrate have just been foisted upon them?!  If not, then the next logical conclusion is this phrase is holiday neutral, meaning, none are included.  So what then, is the point of uttering the phrase at all.  If everything is excluded, how then is anyone to feel Happy about some non-descript, non-existent holiday.  Kind of like saying, “Have a nice day” but, it happens to be winter when you do.

Imagine it now, a holiday filled with no symbols, no traditions and no meaning to anyone whatsoever.  Yeah!  We have eliminated the risk of offending everyone.  Happy Holidays, indeed.

The fact of the matter is, when someone wishes you a Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukah or any other religiously based holiday expression, it is an expression of celebration and joy being shared with you.  Whether you are of that particular religion, another or none at all (yes Atheists, I am talking to you), it is meant with no ill will.  You could even look at it as an invitation to share your own beliefs right there on the spot.

And you know what, it will likely be received as your gift of yourself to that recipient.

The more we get out of our own way and let people simply express joy and happiness, the better this world will be. 

Keep seeking out vacuous, meaningless terms to describe non-existent things and you will get exactly that…meaningless non-existence for all.

​Merry Christmas to everyone!

Mention elder care and images of horrible places on par with One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest come racing to mind.  The fact of the matter is, there right ways and wrong ways to manage our aging loved ones.  Without proper help and training, you are more apt to do things the wrong way.  That could have devastating results.
This is why I have asked Tena Scallan, author of The Ultimate Compassionate Guide to Caregiving, to be my guest this week.  Her book is considered by many to be the seminal guide for anyone involved in a caregiving situation.  It’s 405 pages cover every aspect you can imagine to help caregivers get access to the best advice and resources available. 
We will talk about:

• The big 3 elements of caregiving – emotional, physical and financial
• Tena’s journey which led to the writing of this book
• Why the healthcare system is failing caregivers
• Things you need to know if you are or about to become a caregiver
• Signs to look for if you are concerned about the quality of care your loved one is receiving

 
Tune in this Wednesday, 12/7/16 at 9:30am (or anytime thereafter via podcast) by clicking here to hear this latest installment of Wicked Insurance Matters Radio Show with Greg Durette.  Take 30 minutes and learn about how you can use this important resource to better be able to provide the level of care your loved ones depend on.
Check out more info on Tena by visiting her website: www.TheUltimateCaregivingExpert.com.  Contact: Tena Scallan / 850-687-0416 / Email: [email protected]
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If you have been an adult for more than a millisecond, you know this is true.  You just got over the hump of some major life event and you put life in cruise control…nothing but smooth sailing from here.  Sure thing.  The old saying of there is nothing certain but uncertainty can sometimes be all too real…and sometimes…all too overwhelming.
Things happen.  We all know that.  Certain things simply cannot be prevented.  Many, however, can be prepared for.  This does not mean you need to run around like Chicken Little but rather, take an assessment of where you are and where you may be most vulnerable.  For many, that means financial vulnerability.  This manifests itself out of a myriad of causes.  Unexpected health issues, untimely deaths, job loss, emotional strife, etc. can cause an unsuspecting person to suffer both financially and emotionally.  The ensuing fallout can be devastating.
To talk about these issues and many more, I will be welcoming back to the show, noted author and speaker, Russell Illes.  Russ is the Author of Duct Tape Won’t Fix This and an 8-year cancer hospice volunteer. He is co-founder and leader of a men’s support group that has been together for 26 years.  His experiences and insights into the medical and financial links as they relate to the “Life Happens” theme of the show are part of his own story, which he will share.
In addition we will discuss such topics as:

• The emotional impact and guilt caused by the financial hardship
• The cost of plans derailed by the diagnosis
• The importance of getting emotional support
• Step by step details of how to prepare your financial house
• The critical need to rely on excellent advisors

 
Tune in this Wednesday, 11/30/16 at 9:30am (or anytime thereafter via podcast) by clicking here to hear this latest installment of Wicked Insurance Matters Radio Show with Greg Durette titled, Life Happens…Whether You are Ready for it or Not!.  Please take 30 minutes and listen to the powerful insights Russ will share with us all.
Check out more info on Russell by visiting his website: www.DuctTapeWontFixThis.com  and his Facebook Page at The Magic Hat Project.  His book is also available on Amazon.
Contact: Russell Illes / 617-827-0225 / Email: [email protected]

Yes, it’s that wonderful time of year when two amazing things happen.  One, you get to listen to another annual installment of Turkey Table Talk courtesy of yours truly.  Two, you get the chance to gather your family around and really hit the hard stuff!

Considering how the first one may make you feel, it is understandable why you may hope and pray the hard stuff mentioned is a fresh bottle of Jack Daniels.  But alas, the hard stuff I mean is not some form of anesthesia in a bottle but rather, the hard discussions of life.

Truly, we get so few opportunities to have all the people we care about in one room, it seems a shame to waste the time afforded by the afterglow of a belly full of turkey on watching parades and football.  Wouldn’t it be excellent if that time was spent talking…really talking…about the medical, financial and personal things that will impact everyone at some point?

Have older folks, young kids, financial woes, special needs issues, etc. in your family?  So do most people.  The thing that makes the challenges of all those diverse people and situations better is communication. 

​When is the last time you had the OPPORTUNITY to talk about:

• How are our grandparents/parents managing their money these days?
• Is my aunt a victim of elder financial abuse and what should I ask to find out?
• Have there been any changes in healthcare?
• Have they had any problems online?
• Do they use support services in the community?
• How are they getting around town?
• Have they made changes in their will/trust that could have adverse impacts on others (special needs, education planning, etc)

So many important things.  So few opportunities to talk.

This show will give you some guidance and answers that will hopefully bring a measure of ease and peace to everyone in your family.  Life is short.  It doesn’t have to be so hard.  Take on the hard questions and soften them up for everyone.  The rewards you reap will last for generations.

To hear the show live, just click the headline below this Wednesday, 11/23/16 at 9:30am EDT or anytime thereafter to hear a recorded version.   
 
Wicked Insurance Matters Radio Show with Greg Durette: Happy Thanksgiving – Time to Gather the Family and Hit the Hard Stuff!
 

A life well planned and executed is the thing to which we all aspire. Work hard, accumulate assets and retire in the comfort of knowing everything went according to Hoyle.  For some, that is reality.  For the rest of the world, reality is lurking right around the corner to smack you in the face with a huge, Three Stooges inspired, cream pie.

Even those that have done a good job along the way have only done so considering the facts as they were when the plans were put into place.  As the last election showed the world, the most unexpected things can happen despite your plans to the contrary (59 million Hillary fans are feeling that more than most as of late).

Getting old is hard enough.  How about the fact the Long Term Care Insurance market is about to radically change…and not for the better?  How about the government safety net (Medicaid) is poised to do the same?  How about that sick feeling you may now have in knowing this one piece of your financial puzzle could unravel a lifetime of good planning? 

So what to do?  Listen to this show.  I will discuss the ugly but true facts about what many thought was a stable marketplace for Long Term Care (LTC) security.  I will also talk about:

• Common mistakes in LTC planning and how to avoid them
• Why the private market is set to blow its top
• Ways to legally insulate yourself and your heirs
• Why HYBRID products may be the last hope for protection and tax savings
• Who should NOT consider getting LTC insurance

A few major things have recently caused a massive disrupt in this market and you need to arm yourself with this information if you are to make certain financial survival decisions.  This is not a political issue.  It is our collective American issue.  It is a family survival issue.  Please tune in.

To hear the show live, just click the headline below this Wednesday, 11/16/16 at 9:30am EDT.  You can also listen to an archived version anytime after the live show has aired by clicking this same link. 

Wicked Insurance Matters Radio Show with Greg Durette: Getting Old is About to Become a Whole Lot Harder

Ah, the lottery.  For the mere price of only $1, you can buy the dream of owning your own secluded tropical island…toes in the sand with a gaggle of highly paid servants gleefully waiting on your every whim.  Then, BAM!  Those bloody little ping pong balls slide up the chute with all the wrongs numbers on them!  Just like that, it’s back to work on Monday.  Well, at least you contributed your dollar to someone else’s tropical paradise dream.  Small consolation, indeed.

But, wait! What if you could get the spoils of those lottery winners or lawsuit winners that simply got too far over their heads and wanted out from under the burden of their financial good fortune?  What if you could somehow get their winnings transferred to your pocket instead of theirs?  What if you could earn a GUARANTEED interest rate of 4 – 5.25% or more?!

Welcome to the very real, very legal and very profitable world of secondary market annuities.

Tune in to this show and learn:

• What these things are
• How they work
• How you can get one or as many as you want
• How they can pay such high GUARANTEED interest rates
• Why you need to get one ASAP!

Hopefully, this show will give you some hope and a chance to look forward to the positive after enduring an election cycle like none other in history.  If for nothing else, neither candidate can mess these up for us!

To hear the show live, just click the headline below this Wednesday, 11/9/16 at 9:30am EDT.  You can also listen to the archived version anytime thereafter by clicking this same link. 

Wicked Insurance Matters Radio Show with Greg Durette: Get Lottery Winnings without Buying a Ticket