As we wind down 2009, what sort of things should you be thinking about? Well, in my life, it seems like every December there are a million things going on both on the personal side and on the business side. In today's show, I want to focus on two things that I bet you and your family are thinking about, and if you're not thinking about them, maybe now is a good time to start.

Some people love Christmas or Thanksgiving or maybe New Year's or Valentine's day, but, while I do enjoy these holidays very much, there is one day each year that holds special significance for me. You probably guessed it... that day is Black Friday. [What do you expect? I'm the 'Money-Guy' :) ]

If you pay attention to any piece of news, you no doubt have heard SOMETHING about health insurance over the last few months. Coincidentally, in the midst of potential health care reform, it is open enrollment for many individuals covered under employer sponsored health plans.

Today's show is on a topic that I feel is very easy to understand, but, for some reason, very often overlooked. While overlooking this seemingly small concept may not seem like a huge deal, the impact it can have on your investment portfolio as well as your ability to reach your long term goals in monumental!

If you watch any piece of news, read any bit of financial commentary (which you probably do since you listen to this show), or have any sense of how financial markets work, then inflation has no doubt been a thought on your mind. If you go a little deeper, then you've probably come across many conflicting view points of inflation. Is inflation good? Is it bad?

There was a great article in my November edition of Consumer Reports. The title of the article was Take Control of Your Credit Cards: How to Fight Back Against Higher Rates, Fees, and Abusive Practices. It is no secret that credit card companies are not the public's favorite "service provider", especially over the past 6 to 12 months...

So it has been about two weeks since our last show and, if you have listened to the most recent shows, you know that the reason for this temporary absence is because my wife and I have recently added a new member to the Preston family.

Every so often we stumble across something so moving and so compelling that we feel we MUST share it with those around us. Well that is exactly what has happened to me over the past week. In today’s show I want to share a documentary done by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation titled “I.O.U.S.A”.

Today's show is one of those nitty-gritty topics that may not always be the most fun or most exciting, but it is definitely one of the most important. Today I wanted share the significance of making sure that your beneficiary designations are up-to-date and still reflect your posthumous wishes.

Bo and I will be traveling to South Carolina for a conference this week, but I didn't want you to be without sound financial information for two whole weeks. This, combined with how excited I get about FREE money, made this week's show topic a no-brainer.

So here we find ourselves. I won't go so far as to say that things feel good, but at least it doesn't appear as though the sky is falling any longer. Will we remain at this "comfortable" level? I'm not sure and I don't think that anyone knows for sure. What I do believe, however, is that we have made it through the worst of it.

Today is a prime example of how quickly things change in our current economic environment! We recorded this show on Thursday afternoon, 07/30, and planned on releasing it Friday morning, 07/31. To our amazement, when we came into the office on Friday, one of the very topics we did the show on no more than 24 hours before was no longer in existence.

How would you feel about outperforming the stock market by 15% - 20%? Holy smokes! That sounds pretty great doesn’t it? That’s the kind of thing you get to brag about at office Christmas parties! What if, however, outperforming the markets by 15% - 20% meant you were only down 17% to 22% as opposed to losing 37%?

I want you to consider this week's show 'Basic Training'... boot camp, if you will. The reason for this is because smart consumers, nay elite consumers, can make their money go about 5% - 15% farther than the general population.

There is only so long an individual can let something bother them before they have to bring attention to it. I tell you over and over that I really do try to stay away from religion and political talk as best as I can. Enough 'things' have happened with government and in the political arena over the last year and especially the last few months, that it does have, and is going to have, a huge impact...

If you have been listening to this show for any length of time at all, you have no doubt heard me sing praise of the Roth IRA. The Roth IRA is an amazing planning tool for those individuals who qualify. Not only do you get tax deferred savings for retirement, but all of those earnings actually become tax FREE if certain requirements are met!

For more, visit the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/06/why-a-roth-401k-may-be-your-best-bet 

Sometimes individuals have those moments where they wake up in the middle of the night, and it hits them! It's that thought, or idea, or realization that is so thought-provoking and so revolutionary that they can't shake it. This is what happened to me a few nights ago!

For more information, see the show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/06/legacy-of-a-generartion-not-the-millionaire-next-door 

This week’s show comes from two of my most favorite newsletters, Consumer Reports’ Money Adviser and Kiplinger’s Retirement Report. These publications are great and I thoroughly enjoy reading them each month. The three topics are some of the best bargains that have happened as a result of the recession plus some buying tips, the increase in litigation against brokers and money managers and why the process might not be as easy and straight forward as you think, and then remind you that part of reaching financial independence is optimization.

Show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/06/bear-bargains-broker-battles-and-searching-for-yields 

It’s been a good week around here. We’ve been pretty busy with client and prospect meetings, but things are starting to calm down and get back to normal. I’ve received many interesting emails and articles over the past week, and I feel like some of them are definitively worth sharing with you.

Complete show notes are at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/05/social-security-charity-fraud-and-credit-card-deadbeats 

So once again this week's show topic was inspired by real life events. You would have to be living under a rock to not notice the gains we have been experiencing in the stock market over the past few weeks. But is it real?

Complete show notes and more information can be found in our show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/05/dca-maybe-the-most-important-investment-decision-you-will-ever-make 

Even though the economy has shown some signs of life over the last month and a half, I feel it is safe to say we are still in or around the low-point of the economic cycle, the trough if you will. Many individuals are feeling that because things have gotten so bad, now may be a good time to 'start over'. This starting over can mean many different things for many different people.

Check out the extensive show notes at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/04/is-now-the-time-to-be-taking-risks 

As many of you are aware, I have been harping on how low mortgage rates have been over the past few months and how much of an opportunity we all have to lock in a long-term low interest rate right now.

So let us assume you have decided to heed my advice, gotten all of your ducks in a row, and have gone to the bank or mortgage lender to negotiate a refinance. BAM! They offer you a refinance somewhere between 5.5% and 6.5%. But, but, but....

Brian, I thought you said mortgage rates were around 4.5% to 5%?

For more of this story, go to http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/04/how-to-build-your-credit-score 

So here you are. You have been listening to the show for a while. You understand efficient markets. You understand asset allocation. You even understand equity-risk premium and risk/reward trade-off. Now, how do you implement? This is a problem I see all too often. Many individuals possess the knowledge and understanding of the financial marketplace, but have no idea how to put it into practice. So what is next step in developing a portfolio to assist you in reaching your long-term goals? Selecting the assets to use.

More information at http://www.moneyguy.com/2009/04/mutual-fund-screeners 

You couldn't turn to a major network or listen to a major broadcast in the past week without hearing about the ongoing feud between the Daily Show's Jon Stewart and Mad Money's Jim Cramer. Due to all of the media attention, and considering that there were some very good points made, I felt like I would use this opportunity to share some of my opinions and insights on the matter. If you haven't had a chance to watch the interview in full yet, please do.

In trying times, it isn't enough to just be an intelligent investor. To truly get your financial house in order, you must also be a good consumer. It is so important today to make sure you can stretch your dollars as far as possible. This doesn't just mean seeking out great deals, but it also means protecting your purchases. In the show today, I share a story that has recently happened with my associate Bo and his encounter with an Ebay purchase, as well as my father-in-law's flat-screen woes.