Classes
CHECK CALENDAR FOR CURRENT CLASS OFFERINGS - Below is information on the classes we have offer.
Tuesdays – Retirement Planning Today Class – Part 1 of 2
Tuesdays – Retirement Planning Today Class – Part 2 of 2
Almaden Community Center, 6445 Camden Avenue, San Jose, CA 95120
Cost $49 for two-night class. Spouses and guests can attend for no extra charge, but only one workbook will be provided.
Advance registration and payment is required. Classes are free to current Investment House, LLC, clients, but registration is required. Previous class attendees may also attend for free but no new workbook will be provided and advance registration is also required.
Thursdays – Retirement Planning Today Class – Part 1 of 2
Thursdays – Retirement Planning Today Class – Part 2 of 2
Almaden Community Center, 6445 Camden Avenue, San Jose, CA 95120
Cost $49 for two-night class. Spouses and guest can attend for no extra charge, but only one workbook will be provided.
Advance registration and payment is required. Classes are free to current Investment House, LLC, clients, but registration is required. Previous class attendees may also attend for free but no new workbook will be provided and advance registration is also required.
Tuesdays – Retirement Planning Today Class – Part 1 of 2
Tuesdays – Retirement Planning Today Class – Part 2 of 2
Almaden Community Center, 6445 Camden Avenue, San Jose, CA 95120
Cost $49 for two-night class. Spouses and guests can attend for no extra charge, but only one workbook will be provided.
Advance registration and payment is required. Classes are free to current Investment House, LLC, clients, but registration is required. Previous class attendees may also attend for free but no new workbook will be provided and advance registration is also required.
Thursdays – Retirement Planning Today Class – Part 1 of 2
Thursdays – Retirement Planning Today Class – Part 2 of 2
Almaden Community Center, 6445 Camden Avenue, San Jose, CA 95120
Cost $49 for two-night class. Spouses and guest can attend for no extra charge, but only one workbook will be provided.
Advance registration and payment is required. Classes are free to current Investment House, LLC, clients, but registration is required. Previous class attendees may also attend for free but no new workbook will be provided and advance registration is also required.
An Educational Course for Adults
RETIREMENT PLANNING TODAY®
You went to school to prepare for your career. Now it's time to prepare for your retirement.
Learn how to:
Why Financial Education Is Important
Due to recent tax law changes, an uncertain future for social security, and the shift toward employee-directed retirement plans, the need for sound financial strategies has never been greater. In straight-forward language, this class explains time-tested strategies that help you to make informed financial decisions. Whether your objective is to build a nest egg, protect your assets, or preserve your lifestyle throughout retirement, this course helps you plan your future with confidence. By attending Retirement Planning Today®, you learn about the many ways to save for retirement as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each. You discover how to save money on taxes, manage investment risks, and protect your assets from potential long-term health care expenses. Above all, this course shows you how to assess your financial situation and develop a personalized plan to achieve your retirement goals.
The Difference Between Education and Information
You can find trendy financial news almost anywhere, but it is difficult to use this information to make informed decisions and create a plan for your retirement. This course is designed to save you time by delivering comprehensive, objective knowledge you can easily apply to your situation. When it comes to important subjects like retirement planning, it makes sense to learn from a reliable, trusted source.
Who Should Attend
Retirement Planning Today® contains something for everyone. We address financial issues that pertain to the self-employed as well as employees of corporations and government agencies. The course is designed to teach you how to build wealth and align your money with your values to accomplish your goals in life. Whether you plan to retire 20 years from now or have just recently retired, the information you learn in this class can deliver rewards throughout your lifetime.
COURSE OUTLINE
Learn how to avoid the 10 biggest retirement planning mistakes.
Life Planning for Retirement
COURSE PREVIEW
It takes more than money to live a “rich life." Consider how you would like to spend your time and money during retirement.
Section 1 – Life Planning for Retirement
What do you want to accomplish during your retirement years? Travel? Volunteer or work part-time? Pursue hobbies? To financially prepare for your retirement, you need a clear idea of your retirement and lifestyle goals. This course begins with quick, individual exercises to help you begin thinking about nonfinancial retirement planning. Today, many pre-retirees see themselves living their retirement years in a much different way than their parents did. As a result, the entire planning process has changed. This more progressive approach is explored throughout this course.
Section 2 – Retirement Needs and Expenses
What are your retirement expectations? According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 51 percent of workers are very or somewhat confident they will have enough money to "live comfortably" throughout retirement. Only 46 percent, however, had actually tried to calculate how much they will need to save! This course contains exercises to help you determine how much money you will need to retire in the future. If you are quickly approaching retirement, we examine whether you can retire today based on the annual income you desire.
Section 3 – Retirement Roadblocks and Mistakes
In this section, we identify the 10 biggest retirement planning mistakes and how to avoid them. The highlight of this section is 11 strategies for saving money on this year's taxes.
Section 4 – Retirement Income Sources
This section investigates the many ways to save for retirement and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each. You learn whether you should convert your IRA to a Roth IRA, and if so, whether it is to your advantage to make the conversion over one or multiple years. Finally, we look at employer-sponsored retirement plans and social security benefits to examine important choices you must make.
Section 5 – Retirement Plan Distributions
This expanded section addresses the crucial decisions people must make about their retirement plans when they actually retire. In most cases, these decisions cannot be reversed. We discuss strategies that allow you to take money out of your retirement plans while maintaining financial flexibility during retirement. Above all, we compare retirement plan distribution choices to help you make an informed decision. You also learn strategies to minimize taxes on your retirement income and avoid tax penalties of up to 50 percent. Finally, we explain rules for early access to your retirement funds.
Section 6 – Investments
In the most extensive section of this course, you learn about cash accounts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, individually managed accounts, tax-deferred annuities, and important considerations before you invest. The highlight of this section is five strategies for managing investment risks.
Section 7 – Risk Management and Asset Protection
This section addresses strategies designed to protect you from a large financial loss prior to or during retirement. You learn what questions to ask before buying insurance coverage. We investigate many aspects of long-term health care, including the chances you will need it, how much it can cost, who should purchase insurance, and alternatives to purchasing coverage. We also compare the different types of life insurance and discuss how to select coverage so you and your family can make an informed decision.
Section 8 – Estate Planning
Estate planning isn't just about money and includes much more than planning for your death. It involves personal decisions that affect you, your family and loved ones, even while you are still living. As a result of recent tax law changes, estate planning is a moving target. We discuss how to plan for today and for your future. You learn strategies and techniques to minimize or eliminate income, gift and estate taxes, expenses, delays, legal challenges, and a shortage of liquid assets following your death. We also address the best way to hold joint ownership of property (or other assets) based on your situation.
Most people must make crucial decisions about their retirement plans when they retire. In many cases, these decisions cannot be reversed.
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
Classroom Instruction
Retirement Planning Today® is both entertaining and informative. Classroom sessions are instructed by a qualified financial professional who enhances the presentation with stories of real-life experiences. Attendees enjoy the interactive lecture format where participation and questions are encouraged but not required.
Course Textbook
This course includes a 225-page textbook with examples and illustrations, which is yours to keep. It helps you follow along with the classroom presentation and also contains valuable bonus worksheets. Written in easy-to-understand terms, your workbook helps you learn more about the financial concepts discussed in class, provides a step-by-step process to apply your knowledge, and becomes a useful reference tool after the course is complete.
Objective Education
Unlike financial seminars that focus on a specific topic, this comprehensive course helps you see the "big picture." It examines many aspects of personal finance and how they can work together to create an integrated retirement plan. This course is educational and noncommercial. No specific financial products are discussed or sold.
Discover more about planning a secure retirement than most people learn in a lifetime.
YOUR INSTRUCTORS
Your instructors are Linda Smestad (CA Insurance License #OC49715), Joanne Mungall (CA Insurance License #OE50987), and Phillip Nisonger (CA Insurance License #OA42021), registered representatives and investment adviser representatives with/and offer securities and advisory services through Commonwealth Financial Network®, member FINRA/SIPC, a registered investment adviser. Supervisory office: 1515 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125. (408) 286-8483.
RETIREMENT PLANNING TODAY®
You went to school to prepare for your career. Now it's time to prepare for your retirement.
Learn how to:
- Determine the amount of money you need to retire
- Create your own goals for a "successful retirement"
- Eliminate debt and improve cash flow
- Properly convert your IRA to a Roth IRA
- Select the retirement plan distribution choice that is right for you
- Plan your retirement income to preserve a comfortable standard of living
- Transfer the risk of potential financial losses before or during retirement
- Reduce or eliminate taxes, expenses, delays, and legal challenges with estate planning
Why Financial Education Is Important
Due to recent tax law changes, an uncertain future for social security, and the shift toward employee-directed retirement plans, the need for sound financial strategies has never been greater. In straight-forward language, this class explains time-tested strategies that help you to make informed financial decisions. Whether your objective is to build a nest egg, protect your assets, or preserve your lifestyle throughout retirement, this course helps you plan your future with confidence. By attending Retirement Planning Today®, you learn about the many ways to save for retirement as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each. You discover how to save money on taxes, manage investment risks, and protect your assets from potential long-term health care expenses. Above all, this course shows you how to assess your financial situation and develop a personalized plan to achieve your retirement goals.
The Difference Between Education and Information
You can find trendy financial news almost anywhere, but it is difficult to use this information to make informed decisions and create a plan for your retirement. This course is designed to save you time by delivering comprehensive, objective knowledge you can easily apply to your situation. When it comes to important subjects like retirement planning, it makes sense to learn from a reliable, trusted source.
Who Should Attend
Retirement Planning Today® contains something for everyone. We address financial issues that pertain to the self-employed as well as employees of corporations and government agencies. The course is designed to teach you how to build wealth and align your money with your values to accomplish your goals in life. Whether you plan to retire 20 years from now or have just recently retired, the information you learn in this class can deliver rewards throughout your lifetime.
COURSE OUTLINE
Learn how to avoid the 10 biggest retirement planning mistakes.
Life Planning for Retirement
- Traditional versus new retirement
- New retirement opportunities
- Values and objectives in nine areas of life
- The retirement planning process; retirement needs and expenses
- Early retirement trends
- How long must your money last?
- Inflation, prices, and purchasing power
- Retirement expectations
- How much will you need to retire?
- Can you retire today?
- 10 retirement planning mistakes
- Financial and cash-flow statements
- Credit and debt
- Taxes and marginal tax rates
- 11 strategies to save money on taxable investments
- Capital gains income tax exclusion
- Investments with tax advantages
- Traditional lRAs
- Roth IRAs
- IRA to Roth IRA conversions
- Other retirement income sources
- Social security eligibility and benefits
- Employment income and social security
- Employer-sponsored defined benefit plans
- Employer-sponsored defined contribution plans
- Retiring or changing jobs?
- Defined benefit and contribution plans
- Three important considerations
- Lump sum versus IRA transfer versus annuity payments
- Rollovers, direct rollovers, and transfers
- Annuity income and choices
- Early retirement considerations
- Minimum required distributions Investments
- Considerations before you invest
- Cash accounts
- Stocks and bonds
- Mutual funds
- Exchange-traded funds
- Unit investment trusts
- Individually managed accounts
- Tax-deferred annuities
- Investment risk management strategies
- Disability income insurance
- Health insurance and Medicare
- Long-term care and insurance
- Comparing life insurance
- Planning for incapacity
- Taxes
- A will may not be enough
- Probate
- Gifting assets
- Joint ownership of property
- Direct transfer assets
- Benefits of trusts
- Types of trusts
COURSE PREVIEW
It takes more than money to live a “rich life." Consider how you would like to spend your time and money during retirement.
Section 1 – Life Planning for Retirement
What do you want to accomplish during your retirement years? Travel? Volunteer or work part-time? Pursue hobbies? To financially prepare for your retirement, you need a clear idea of your retirement and lifestyle goals. This course begins with quick, individual exercises to help you begin thinking about nonfinancial retirement planning. Today, many pre-retirees see themselves living their retirement years in a much different way than their parents did. As a result, the entire planning process has changed. This more progressive approach is explored throughout this course.
Section 2 – Retirement Needs and Expenses
What are your retirement expectations? According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 51 percent of workers are very or somewhat confident they will have enough money to "live comfortably" throughout retirement. Only 46 percent, however, had actually tried to calculate how much they will need to save! This course contains exercises to help you determine how much money you will need to retire in the future. If you are quickly approaching retirement, we examine whether you can retire today based on the annual income you desire.
Section 3 – Retirement Roadblocks and Mistakes
In this section, we identify the 10 biggest retirement planning mistakes and how to avoid them. The highlight of this section is 11 strategies for saving money on this year's taxes.
Section 4 – Retirement Income Sources
This section investigates the many ways to save for retirement and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each. You learn whether you should convert your IRA to a Roth IRA, and if so, whether it is to your advantage to make the conversion over one or multiple years. Finally, we look at employer-sponsored retirement plans and social security benefits to examine important choices you must make.
Section 5 – Retirement Plan Distributions
This expanded section addresses the crucial decisions people must make about their retirement plans when they actually retire. In most cases, these decisions cannot be reversed. We discuss strategies that allow you to take money out of your retirement plans while maintaining financial flexibility during retirement. Above all, we compare retirement plan distribution choices to help you make an informed decision. You also learn strategies to minimize taxes on your retirement income and avoid tax penalties of up to 50 percent. Finally, we explain rules for early access to your retirement funds.
Section 6 – Investments
In the most extensive section of this course, you learn about cash accounts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, individually managed accounts, tax-deferred annuities, and important considerations before you invest. The highlight of this section is five strategies for managing investment risks.
Section 7 – Risk Management and Asset Protection
This section addresses strategies designed to protect you from a large financial loss prior to or during retirement. You learn what questions to ask before buying insurance coverage. We investigate many aspects of long-term health care, including the chances you will need it, how much it can cost, who should purchase insurance, and alternatives to purchasing coverage. We also compare the different types of life insurance and discuss how to select coverage so you and your family can make an informed decision.
Section 8 – Estate Planning
Estate planning isn't just about money and includes much more than planning for your death. It involves personal decisions that affect you, your family and loved ones, even while you are still living. As a result of recent tax law changes, estate planning is a moving target. We discuss how to plan for today and for your future. You learn strategies and techniques to minimize or eliminate income, gift and estate taxes, expenses, delays, legal challenges, and a shortage of liquid assets following your death. We also address the best way to hold joint ownership of property (or other assets) based on your situation.
Most people must make crucial decisions about their retirement plans when they retire. In many cases, these decisions cannot be reversed.
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
Classroom Instruction
Retirement Planning Today® is both entertaining and informative. Classroom sessions are instructed by a qualified financial professional who enhances the presentation with stories of real-life experiences. Attendees enjoy the interactive lecture format where participation and questions are encouraged but not required.
Course Textbook
This course includes a 225-page textbook with examples and illustrations, which is yours to keep. It helps you follow along with the classroom presentation and also contains valuable bonus worksheets. Written in easy-to-understand terms, your workbook helps you learn more about the financial concepts discussed in class, provides a step-by-step process to apply your knowledge, and becomes a useful reference tool after the course is complete.
Objective Education
Unlike financial seminars that focus on a specific topic, this comprehensive course helps you see the "big picture." It examines many aspects of personal finance and how they can work together to create an integrated retirement plan. This course is educational and noncommercial. No specific financial products are discussed or sold.
Discover more about planning a secure retirement than most people learn in a lifetime.
YOUR INSTRUCTORS
Your instructors are Linda Smestad (CA Insurance License #OC49715), Joanne Mungall (CA Insurance License #OE50987), and Phillip Nisonger (CA Insurance License #OA42021), registered representatives and investment adviser representatives with/and offer securities and advisory services through Commonwealth Financial Network®, member FINRA/SIPC, a registered investment adviser. Supervisory office: 1515 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125. (408) 286-8483.