More Than Money

The old Chinese proverb is something along the lines of "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but the second-best time is now." The same could be said when it comes to investing. Season one of the More Than Money podcast wraps up with one of the simplest, yet most important investing lessons out there.

Start early!

Have you enjoyed these quick investment lessons from Season One? Leave us a review or follow the Sqwire team on social media and let us know! 

One of the most common questions that we get is “what is the difference between Roth and regular 401ks?” and “how do I determine which I want?” As more companies offer their employees the choice between a Roth and Regular 401k as a part of their benefits package we thought it was time to break down the difference between the two.

0:49 The question that determines what you should choose between a Roth and Regular 401ks

1:30 How Roth and Regular 401ks are similar

2:23 How Roth and Regular 401ks are different

3:14 Pre-tax accounts and planning retirement

4:03 Things to consider when determining how taxes will impact your money in retirement

4:58 Making the decision between Roth and Regular

“Sometimes people are reluctant to start investing and a 401k is perhaps the simplest way to just get started because all the work is done for you by your company.”

The days of companies offering pensions are seemingly gone, but the era of 401ks is here. If your company offers a 401k account, you were probably handed a stack of papers about it when you filled out the rest of your orientation paperwork. Did you take time to read through them? Are you taking advantage of the opportunity your company provided you with? If you are pat yourself on the back. If you aren't there's still plenty of time to get yourself signed up and 

This week Casey and Danijel chat 401ks, why Casey loves them, and how you’re losing money if you’re not taking advantage of the 401K you're being offered.

0:49 What’s to like about a 401k

1:44 Contributing to a 401k is investing too

3:07 Free money aka company match

4:21 How valuable is a 401k?

The rule of 72 might seem a little confusing at first, but once you’ve got it down it is actually pretty simple. When you apply it correctly it will tell you how long it will take you to double your money with your current investment (or how long it will take for that credit card bill to double… yikes). Casey and Danijel explain how the Rule of 72 works and how you can use it.

0:28 How does the Rule of 72 work

0:40 Rule of 72 math

1:21 Calculating the deterioration of your money

1:47 Calculating Investment fees

2:11 Rule of 72 and interest

2:53 Reversing the formula

By definition “SIPC protects against the loss of cash and securities- such as stocks and bond- held by a customer at a financially-troubled SIPC-member brokerage firm.” If you’re an investor there are a few things you need to make sure you know about SIPC insurance as you go about your investing journey. Casey Halliley joins Danijel to break down what every investor needs to know about SIPC insurance.

0:20 Brief Overview of SIPC Insurance

0:41 How does SIPC Coverage Work?

1:19 Coverage limits

1:36 SIPC vs FDIC

2:13 Maintaining Faith in the Financial System

2:33 Does SIPC protect me against market fluctuations

3:20 Protecting Yourself with Over $500,000

4:21 History of SIPC Claims

5:04 Tips for Protecting Yourself

If you’ve waded into the world of buying and trading stocks it’s a very good chance that you’ve come across the term ETF. ETF stands for Exchange traded funds. But what exactly does that mean? Simple answer, it’s like a basket of stocks. But don’t get confused because there are indexes and index funds.

Seem confusing? Casey Halliley is back to break ETFs down in quick fashion to help you out!

Episode Breakdown:

0:25 What does ETF stand for?

0:39 The difference between an index and an index fund

1:39 What doe ETFs track

2:19 Simple answer to “What is an ETF?”

2:32 ETF vs Mutual Funds

4:10 Are ETFs cost effective?

4:46 Pros and cons of ETFS

6:20 ETF fun facts

The IRS recently announced the contribution limits for IRAs in 2021 are staying flat at $6,000. Before you can start to understand what that means though you need to make sure you know what an IRA is and the different types.

0:50 - Understanding an IRA?

1:45- Roth vs. Traditional IRAs

2:00- Contribution Limit for 2021

2:23-What does the contribution limit mean

2:49 - Catch up contributions

3:06- How often do limit increases occur

3:33- Who can contribute to an IRA?

5:02-Three quick tips to consider

“You should start buying stocks.”

“Stocks are a great way to grow your wealth.”

“I made (fill in the blank) last week when I sold that stock.”

These are all things we’ve heard people say. With investing becoming more and more accessible each day due to apps like Robinhood and Acorns it’s important to understand how the stock market works and what you’re doing before you start investing.

Sqwire VP of Finacial Education Casey Halliley joins host Danijel Velicki to break down just how the stock market works in rapid fashion.

0:34- What is a stock?

0:48- How do you make or lose money with stocks?

1:52- What is a dividend and how often is it paid?

2:04-Stock tickers

3:00 - Three ways stocks are grouped

5:29- Stock exchanges

6:25- Understanding Indexes