Should I Sell My House To Bridge My Income Gap?

Summary

Podcast Summary: Suze Orman's Women & Money

Episode: Should I Sell My House To Bridge My Income Gap?

Date: May 21, 2026
Host: Suze Orman (with co-host KT)

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Episode Overview

In this "Ask KT & Suze Anything" edition, Suze Orman and her partner KT answer listener questions on a range of personal finance topics, with a main focus on the dilemmas faced when income doesn't cover expenses—particularly whether to sell one's home to bridge an income gap. The episode covers emergency funds, bridging income shortfalls, home equity options, inheritance issues, Roth IRAs, and strategies for paying down debt. Suze emphasizes the importance of having options, preparing for the unexpected, and making decisions based on reality, not just hope.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Managing 401(k) Investments for Upcoming Income Needs

Timestamps: 04:11 – 06:40

• Listener Question: If you’ll need 401(k) income within five years, should you move funds out of the stock market?
• Suze’s Advice:
  • Calculate your total living expenses and consider inflation.
  • Assess other sources of income (Social Security, pensions, dividends).
  • If reliant on 401(k) for living expenses and have no emergency fund, keep 3-5 years' worth of expenses liquid within the 401(k) (money market or stable value fund).
  • “You have to have at least three to five years of your must pay expenses liquid… so that if you needed a larger sum you could get it without having to sell stocks or ETFs.” (05:44)

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2. Should You Sell Your Home to Bridge an Income Gap?

Timestamps: 06:40 – 12:38

• Listener Scenario: Alicia, 59, faces an income shortfall and is pressured to sell her beloved home to cover expenses.
• Alicia’s Context: $1M net worth ($400k investments, $600k home equity), $320k mortgage, no other debt, recovering from a job loss, “betting on herself” to convert a commission job into a W2 salary soon.
• Suze’s Advice:
  • Options before selling:
    • Refinance to a longer term for lower payments.
    • Secure a home equity line of credit (HELOC), ideally through her recommended lender (myalliant.com, which offers an attractive rate).
    • Sell as a last resort—give yourself a clear deadline and act if things don’t improve by then.
  • Memorable Quote: “You have options, so take advantage of which option makes the most sense to you personally. If I were you, I would most likely do the home equity line of credit… But don’t let this go on too long.” (11:49)
• KT’s Note: Recognizes Alicia’s resolve but also her need for a contingency plan.

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3. Handling Inheritance: Trusts, Ladybird Deeds, and Unwise Transfers

Timestamps: 12:38 – 19:56

• Listener Scenario: Lisa’s parents have taken different routes: Ladybird deed in Florida from her mom, sold house for $1 in NY from her dad.
• Suze’s Legal/Financial Analysis:
  • Ladybird Deed (Florida): Legal, but less comprehensive than a living revocable trust—doesn't solve for incapacity.
  • Selling House for $1 (New York): Problematic—deemed a gift, creates a low cost basis and tax liability, plus leaves the asset exposed to Lisa’s potential creditors.
  • Best options: Unwind the NY deed, have dad set up a revocable trust or use a transfer-on-death deed (now available in NY).
  • Memorable Quotes:
    • “If mommy is incapacitated… there’s no paperwork saying the daughter can sign. Now mommy’s going to have to be declared incompetent.” (14:49)
    • “If you inherit the house after he died… you get a step up in cost basis.” (16:58)
  • Takeaway: Always consult about tax and legal consequences for estate transfers.

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4. Custodial Accounts for Adult Children: Roth IRA Considerations

Timestamps: 19:56 – 24:37

• Listener Scenario: Petra asks how to transfer a UGMA custodial account for her now-adult daughter, considering fees and capital gains tax.
• Suze’s Guidance:
  • Must move to an account in the child’s own name at age of majority.
  • Do an “in-kind distribution” to avoid immediate tax hits; selling could trigger “kiddie tax” (at parent’s tax rate) until the child is 24.
  • Once child is 24, tax situation improves, and can consider reallocation or liquidation for Roth IRA.
  • If both are in low tax brackets, limited selling for Roth contribution may be wise.
  • Memorable Quote: “Keep everything in kind for her right now until she does turn 24…then it will no longer be a kiddie tax.” (23:29)

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5. Managing and Redeeming I Bonds

Timestamps: 24:37 – 27:37

• Listener Question: Christine, 73, asks what to do with a $10,000 I Bond purchased for her in 2022.
• Suze’s Advice:
  • After five years, you can redeem without penalty (after three years, only three months’ interest as penalty).
  • Modern Treasury rates are higher; it's worth considering paying taxes and reinvesting in Treasuries.
  • Memorable Moment: Suze shares she recently locked in a 5.05% 30-year Treasury for herself, underscoring confidence in current Treasury rates. (26:04)

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6. Paying Off Credit Card Debt vs. Liquidating Investments

Timestamps: 27:37 – 31:24

• Listener Scenario: Daniel, 29, has $15,000 in credit card debt but significant retirement and brokerage savings.
• Suze’s Recommendations:
  • Try to transfer credit debt to a 0% card for 21 months; pay aggressively during that period.
  • Avoid liquidating brokerage assets unless selling losers for tax deductions.
  • Focus future contributions on Roth 401(k) and Roth IRAs, which offer superior long-term tax advantages.
  • Memorable Quote: “There are no benefits on any level of an investment account over a Roth retirement account, if you ask me. But you are doing fabulous.” (30:46)

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7. Target Date Retirement Funds: Teaser for Future Deep Dive

Timestamps: 31:24 – 34:50

• Listener Question: Christine asks why Suze dislikes target date mutual funds, especially for someone not retiring soon.
• Suze’s Teaser: Full explanation to come in the next “Suze School” episode (Sunday)—essential listening for retirement investors.
• KT Commentary: “Do it Sunday.” (34:28)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Suze (on home as sanctuary): “You have a plan… But also plans can go the wrong way—meaning you could be in a car accident, you can get sick, things can happen that prevent you from working. And you’re having a hard time right now while you’re working, making your bills. That is reality.” (09:31)
• On inheritance planning: “If you inherit the house after he died… you get a step up in cost basis.” (16:58)
• On Roth IRAs: “Remember, any money that you put in a Roth IRA, your original contributions you can take out anytime you want without taxes or penalties, regardless of age or how long it’s been in there.” (30:17)
• On target date funds: “All of you need to understand as to why I personally don’t like the majority of target date mutual funds that are out there… we’ll cover that next episode.” (34:02)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Managing 401(k) pre-retirement: 04:11 – 06:40
• Home selling vs. bridging gap: 06:40 – 12:38
• Inheritance, Ladybird/Revocable Trust: 12:38 – 19:56
• Custodial accounts & Roth IRAs: 19:56 – 24:37
• I Bond redemption strategy: 24:37 – 27:37
• Credit card debt payoff strategy: 27:37 – 31:24
• Target date funds preview: 31:24 – 34:50

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Tone & Language

The tone is supportive, occasionally humorous (playful banter with KT), and firmly practical. Suze emphasizes personal responsibility, careful planning, and understanding “the reality” over optimism alone. The advice is direct, sometimes with warnings, but always with the intent to empower listeners.

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Closing Note

Suze previews her upcoming “Suze School” episode and encourages listeners to register for her upcoming webinar, promising special “birthday pricing.” She closes with her signature reminder:

“People first, then money, then things.” (35:27)

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For full explanations of target date funds and to catch Keith Fitzgerald’s ETF launch, listeners are encouraged to tune in Sunday and register at suzeorman.com.

Transcript

[A]

Hi everybody. Suzio here. Now, what is the goal of money? The goal of money is for you to be secure. And there is no better way for you to be secure than having an emergency savings account. It is essential for your financial foundation. So all of you should be participating in the ultimate Opportunity savings account at Alliant Credit Union. Go to myalliant.com to find out more and be secure. May 21, 2026 welcome everybody to the Women and Money podcast. We are back. Kt, are you still jet lagged?

[B]

A little bit.

[A]

What do you mean a little bit?

[B]

Konnichiwa.

[A]

Tell everybody what that means.

[B]

Konnichiwa means good morning in Japanese.

[A]

Had the best time in our lives.

[B]

What was your highlight?

[A]

I'm sure it was yours as well, but for me, honest to God, meeting Fitzy Keith Fitzgerald and his wife Noriko in person was beyond the beyond.

[B]

Wait, we didn't just meet them in person. We met them in Kyoto, his wife's hometown and now his hometown as well. And we met at the temple where they were married. And it was magical.

[A]

It was. It gives me goosebumps as I'm sitting here and even thinking about it. So the rest of Japan was fabulous. Fabulous.

[B]

Susie's second favorite was sumo wrestling, everyone.

[A]

Oh my God.

[B]

She became hooked. She's a sport buff and she became hooked on sumo wrestling. She said, kt, take me to the match next year in Tokyo. I want to sit there right at ringside. I said, no, you don't. If they fall off, they crush you.

[A]

But seriously, we could not have had a better time if we try.

[B]

And KT's favorite was the Benise House, which is on Neoshima Island. It's an art museum designed by the great architect Ando. Unbelievable. So.

[A]

So we love the food. There was nothing that we didn't like about that trip. So we're going back again next year in May. We with Keith and Noriko to do the same things kind of that we did, but to go to the sumo championship matches. Oh, I'm so excited. But anyway, we're back. This is the Ask KT and Susie Anything edition. We have thousands of emails that came in while we were gone, so I hope you didn't miss us too much. I think we only needed to do one best of but it. If you have a question, please send it into our new email address, which is podcastsksusie.com. if you've been using the older email address, it will still get to us, but the one I want you to start using is podcastsusie S U Z E dot com. That will help a lot against all kinds of things known as scammers and people answering you that are not me. All right, that's what I want you to do. But, kt, what do you have to start?

[B]

My first question is from Trudel. Hi, Susie and kt, thanks for taking us along to Japan.

[A]

What she means by that, everybody, is that if you go to the Women and Money community app, if you don't have it, you can download it on Google Play or Apple Apps. It's free, obviously. And on there I posted some of the the pictures that we took while we were in Japan with Keith and Noriko, as well as the sumo wrestlers that I was with. I stood right in the middle of two of them. Oh, my God, they're huge. Anyway, go there and you'll see them. Okay. Go on.

[B]

Okay. If I can manage my money well, maybe I can go there someday too. I will be needing the income from my 401k within 5 years. When Susie says money needed within 5 years, 10 doesn't belong in the stock market, does that mean that money I have in a 401k mutual fund that have underlying funds in stocks should be moved to money market or stable value funds now? I am so grateful for your podcast. Thank you.

[A]

So, Trudell, it's very difficult for me to answer that question because I really don't know what else you have and how much of the income that you are going to need to live on will come from your 401k. So this is what you need to do. This is kind of a rule of thumb. Add up all your expenses. What does it actually cost you to live every month? Escalate that by a few thousand dollars every year just so in case inflation hits, you have more than enough money. Where is the income going to come from to cover those expenses? How much will Social Security cover? How much will a pension cover if you're going to get one? How much is generated in dividends and or interest on the money in the 401k? So if you left everything invested in your 401k and let's just say it was in dividend stocks, and those dividends pay you enough income plus everything else to cover your expenses, you're okay. However, if you need 100% of the money that is in your 401k to generate the interest that you need to live on, as well as an emergency fund. So if you have Money in the 401k, you have no other money at all and you don't have an emergency fund, then you need at least three to five years of your must pay expenses liquid to meaning in a stable fund within your 401k so that if you needed a larger sum of money you could get it without having to sell stocks or ETFs. So that's kind of the formula. So I can't tell you what you should do, but those are some guidelines that you should follow. Next question.

[B]

Kt okay, this is from Alicia. This is a good one, Susie, because I understand her position. She said, dear Susie, does that mean

[A]

you don't understand many of these people's positions?

[B]

Yeah. I have been a dedicated listener for many years and your voice was the one in my head that pushed me to build the emergency fund that just saved my life.

[A]

You know what I thought she was going to say. And your voice was the one that pushed me over the edge.

[B]

I'm 59, living in a New York beach townhouse that I love. I have $1 million net worth. She has 400 in accounts and 600 in home equity. Susie, just to give you a perspective. And she said, I have zero debt other than my $320,000 mortgage. I own my car outright. I don't carry any credit card. But last year I was laid off for six months. I used 60,000 of my $100,000 emergency fund to survive. Your must have documents and advice were my lifeline. I'm now in a new roll and for the next two months I'm not quite making my nut of $4,000 a month for mortgage and taxes. Friends are telling me I should sell, move somewhere cheap and pay cash for a house. But Susie, I don't want to. My home is my office, my sanctuary and my highest yielding asset. If I rented elsewhere, I'd pay the same $4,000 without gaining any equity. I don't spend on clothes or vacations. My only extra is self care and my 10 month old rescue Kitty Salem. I'm betting on myself to turn this job into a W2 salary by June. My question to you, Am I being standoffish with my money by refusing to sell or is it a sound move to protect my joy and my equity while I bridge this gap? Yeah, great question. How old?

[A]

Katie?

[B]

She's 50. 59.

[A]

So she still has a number of years. So here's what.

[B]

But can I just say something?

[A]

No, no, go on. I'm joking. Gone.

[B]

She sounds very adamant that she can turn this into a W2 situation. She's in a commission only job right now. What do you think

[A]

that's what you wanted to say?

[B]

Yeah, I. I love that she's determined. She's very, you know, she's hell bent on not having a her.

[A]

What would you do?

[B]

Absolutely stick to my plan. She has a deadline. Her deadline said by June. She wants to turn things around. So what do you think?

[A]

So here's what I would say to you. June is just a few days away, which is not very long. All right, number one. Number two, you know the truth of your situation. You know things can happen. And the truth of the matter is you have a plan that you're going to be able to turn this around. But also plans can go the wrong way, meaning you could be in a car accident, you can get sick, things can happen that prevent you from working. And you're having a hard time right now while you're working, making your bills. That is reality. Not what you think think is going to happen, not what you want to happen. But that is the reality right now. Obviously you have a home that's worth approximately $920,000. You have 600,000 equity in it. So that meant that's the $320,000 of your mortgage. Now, I don't know what your mortgage payments are and does it make sense for you to refinance? I don't know what your original mortgage rate was when you first got this, but is it possible that you could refinance, house that $320,000 and go out longer in terms to reduce your monthly mortgage payment? If this is where you want to stay, that's one choice for you. Your second choice is getting a home equity line of credit just in case you need more time. Now, the best place for you to do so seriously is to go to myalliant.com and look into getting their home equity line of credit. Now, that home equity line of credit is only offered currently in 28 states. You happen to be one of the lucky ones because it is offered in New York. And there is no better home equity line of credit currently on the market than that one. Your first six months will only be at 3.99% and after that it can be as low as 6.75%. But it's zero plus prime and nobody usually offers that. So go to myalliant.com and check that out. Third, you obviously could sell, take the equity that you have in your house and maybe buy something outright that's little and you can afford, but you're not ready for that right now. What you have to understand is you have options, so take advantage of which option makes the most sense to you personally. If I were you, I would most likely do the home equity line of credit. But check it out, see what the rates are and make that decision. But don't let this go on too long. If you find that in June, in January, and sometime next year, you're still in the same situation, then, girlfriend, what you really have to do is sell and change your situation. All right, KT next.

[B]

All right, from Lisa. Hi, Susie and kt. Your podcast is my favorite and I never miss an episode. Thank you so much for helping us all get smarter. About finances. I'm looking for some guidance as my parents are divorced and are both aging and both have separate houses in different states. My mom is in Florida and has put her house in a Ladybird trust. For me, it's my understanding that that allows her and my stepdad to live in the house while alive, but then at their death, the house transfers to me. My dad is in New York and not remarried. He sold me his house for a dollar, so I am listed as a grantee on the deed.

[A]

Trouble, Katie, trouble.

[B]

Well, hold on. Then. She's asking. I don't know that this was the correct way to do it.

[A]

It was not.

[B]

All right, so that she's saying, is it possible to redo something at this point? Then she said, susie, can you give the best options on both of these? Is a Ladybird trust legit?

[A]

So, first of all, it's not a Ladybird Trust, kt. It's known as a Ladybird deed. It's also known as an enhanced life estate deed. And they're absolutely, I have to tell you, legal in Florida. In fact, Florida is one of the only handful of states, really, that recognizes this tool. And it's all right. It's not as great as a living revocable trust. So listen to me, everybody. All of you are so concerned about transferring an asset from maybe daddy or mommy's name down to your child without probate. All right? In Florida, a Ladybird deed will absolutely do that. However, it's not the only concern that you need to have. The reason a living, revocable trust is far better is because it will accomplish the same thing. It will avoid probate. However, if mommy in Florida becomes incapacitated, they need to sell the house before she's died. A Ladybird deed is not going to help them on any level. Why? Because if Mommy is incapacitated, she's not competent enough to sign the deed to sell it. There's no Paperwork saying that the daughter can sign it. So now mommy's going to have to be declared incompetent. Get a conservatorship for her. Now you have opened up a big can of worms. If you had simply a living, revocable trust where the house was held in trust for her benefit while she was alive, your benefit after she has died, you avoid probate, but it also will have an incapacity clause in it that allows you to sign for her when she cannot sign for herself. So there you go. You have a choice. But if it's in a ladybird deed, it's fine. Not a big deal, except unless your mother becomes incapacitated. However, Dad's house, this is where we have a problem. Because he sold it to you for, for $1, that is going to be deemed as a gift because everybody knows that that was a tool used to get the house in your name and they'll just void it. So it will be considered a gift to you, which means you are going to inherit his cost basis on the house when he dies. So if he paid $80,000 for the house, it's now worth 600,000. He dies, your cost basis is going to be $80,000. You go to sell it, you, because you didn't live in the house as your primary residency, you are going to owe taxes on the difference between those two amounts, which is $520,000. If you inherit the house after he died, it's in his name. Now, he dies, you inherit it, you get a step up in cost basis. So then your cost basis on that house, if it's currently worth 600,000, would be $600,000. If you turn around and sell it right away for $600,000, you don't owe any taxes. So it creates several, several problems for you. Seriously. The next problem it creates is that house is now in your name. If you are in a car accident or you do something and you get sued and for some reason they take that house away from you, guess what? Your father's going to be out of a house. So you have to be very careful because now that house is legally exposed to creditors, a lawsuit, divorce, or anything else that life's going to throw at you, girlfriend. So the good news is this likely, it can be unwound. Just so you know, your father can deed the house back to himself, then he has accomplished two really good choices for himself. Number one is that, and this is what I just told you, he can create a revocable living trust where he puts the title of the house into the trust held for his benefit while he was alive. Your benefit when he dies also if he wants not as good of an option but New York finally and I think it was in 2024 they authorized transfer on death deeds. So what he can do is it works very similar to your mom's Ladybird deed. He keeps full control while he's alive and the house transfers for you on his death automatically with the step up in basis. So that's what I would do if I were you. Bottom line, do the must have documents go to musthavedocs.com currently for $99 but if you wait till June 4th and you tune in to the webinar you may find birthday pricing will be there. For those of you who know so that's 6-4-6 o' clock PM. Go to suzeorman.com to register. We almost have 100,000 people at this point in time. So you're going to want to hear a webinar and information that can actually change your life for the better. But you can go there and get those documents and do what I just told you to do or just make sure you have a Lady Bird deed and a transfer on death deed in New York. Worst case scenario after your father has fixed what he did. All right, kt.

[B]

Okay, next question is from Petra, Susie and kt. Thank you so much for everything you do. I am deeply grateful. I would so appreciate your guidance on a decision I'm facing regarding a custodial account I opened for my daughter. She is now 22 years old. In 2018, before discovering your work, I opened a Merrell Guided investment account for her with $10,500. Today it has grown to approximately 23,000. The annual program fee is 0.45% and other fees may apply. Recently bank of America Rep called and advised us to simply close the custodial account, open a Merrill Guided Investment account in my daughter's name and transfer the funds as is, keeping the existing investments intact. However, I'm wondering if it would be wiser to instead sell the investments, pay the capital gains tax. Now they live in Connecticut, Susie and use a portion of the proceeds to fund her Roth IRA while investing the remainder in her Schwab brokerage account in the stocks and ETFs. You and Keith recommendations now she said a little bit about her daughter.

[A]

She said, you got to listen to June 4th. June 4th.

[B]

Don't miss Keith and Susie.

[A]

All right, go on.

[B]

She said, my daughter just graduated from Carnegie Mellon University. They're so proud of her. And now she's going for her master's. So should we follow the bank's advice and transfer the account as is, or would it make more financial sense to sell, pay capital gains tax and start fresh with the stocks and ETFs you and Keith recommend. Given her limited earned income right now, should we prioritize funding her Roth with some of this money?

[A]

Yeah. So the answer to that question is no. Don't listen to the advisor, number one. Because the truth of the matter is you can do something without having to pay any fees if you don't want to and have more control over the money. But the reason that you do need to change the account from a UGMA account to her own name is she is now 22 years of age. So it now has to be in her individual name. In fact, it should have been so even starting at least a year ago. That's number one. Number two, you have to understand that your daughter is only 22 years of age. And I have a feeling that you are still claiming her as a dependent and supporting her because she's still in school with very limited income. However, the problem here is because she's 22, if she sells anything and there is a gain in it, there's something known as a kiddie tax, which means it's going to be taxed at your tax bracket, not at hers. So what you would do is an in kind distribution to her own account in her own name at Schwab, and I would have it at Schwab. The other thing that you can do is this. If she has limited income, maybe what you can do is open up an additional Roth IRA for her and then simply fund it with some money from you or from her. Whatever she's earned up to the point of what she's earned. Maximum is $7,500, obviously. But if she only earned 2,000, that's the max. But I would keep everything in kind for her right now until she does turn 24. And then it will no longer be as a kitty tax. It will be at her tax bracket. So 24 or older. And that's when I might start liquidating things and investing in it that way. But just something to think about. All right, but I wouldn't be selling it just thinking that you're not going to pay any taxes on it because it's going to be taxed at your tax bracket. Now, one last thing. If you don't have a high tax bracket and you could afford for her to sell $7,500 or some amount of money and not pay a lot of taxes on it, then I would do that as well.

[B]

All right, all right. My next question is from Christine. I love this. This is the kind of question I like. Susie. I'm 73 years old and was gifted an I bond of $10,000 in 2022. I am not sure if I should be doing anything with it or just let it be until I decide to cash it in. Thank you for being my guiding light.

[A]

So how old is she?

[B]

Does it say 73?

[A]

73. So here's what I would be doing if I were you. I don't know when the person who bought the Ibon bought it. They gifted it to you in 2022, but did they buy it in 2021? In 2020? If they did and you should ask them, you are now past the five years that you could get out of this bond without any penalties whatsoever. And the penalty isn't that much. It's just a three month interest penalty. You probably have approximately $12,500 in there right now if you've been in there since 2022. However, interest rates in Treasuries right now are far higher than the interest rate that I bonds are paying. So if you're not in a very high tax bracket and really you're only going to owe income tax on approximately two or three thousand dollars at most and once you hit the five year period, I would then come out of that bond, seriously pay the taxes and go into a treasury for a higher interest rate. I can tell you everybody that I myself yesterday put quite a bit of money into a 30 year treasury bond and got 5.05% for it. I think that's a great rate.

[B]

Good job, Susie.

[A]

Well, you heard me doing it.

[B]

I knew she did, right?

[A]

So and the reason that I did it was just to keep it safe and sound. Not if interest rates go down, I'll make money. I like the 5% rate and I took money that was in a Treasury money market account at 3.5% and I decided, you know what, I don't need that much liquid money. Why not tie up some at a good rate? Why not do it? And if interest rates do go down, all right, then we'll make some money there. So that's what I would be doing if I were you. So check out when the bond was purchased and if it was purchased in 2022, you only probably have another year or so until you're out of the five year penalty. But also you can check the three month interest penalty and if it's only $75 or $100 or something like that, you might think about doing it. All right, KT next.

[B]

Okay, next one is from Daniel. Hi, Susie and KT. I just turned 29 and have a public accounting job making around $93,000. My mortgage is around $1,300 and I have a $450 car payment. I have about 100,000 saved in my 401k, about 50,000 in a brokerage account. My issue is that I have about $15,000 in credit card debt that I really want to get rid of. Susie, would you advise I withdraw some from my investments to wipe this debt out and start fresh? I appreciate your input.

[A]

Well, I don't know what investments you have. Daniel. First of all, at 29, you are doing fabulous. Fabulous. Not sure why you have $15,000 of credit card debt, but I personally don't care. Right. If however you have a high FICO score, you should check it out. Do you or don't you? Like in the 700 area, whatever it may be, check to see if you are paying currently a high interest rate on that $15,000 of credit card debt. Could you do a balance transfer to a 0% rate card for like 21 months, then you're not paying any interest on that money and then you could dedicate just $1,000 a month towards that $15,000. And I think you'll find you have that thousand dollars a month and therefore in a year and a half while it's still under the 0% interest rate window, you will get rid of that debt. I would not be liquidating money in my brokerage account unless I had a loss on one of my investments there that I could then liquidate, take up to $3,000 off my taxes if I didn't have anything to offset it with in terms of a gain that I had and use that money to get out of debt. However, market still might be pretty good this year. Although August in my opinion may be a rough month. Remember I said that to you everybody. August, beginning of September. So up to you. But the other thing is besides just having money in a brokerage account. And it's funny because KT just wrote me a little note. She just put it in front of me and said, what about a Roth? What about a Roth? KT so good. Ding a ding a ding a ding a dinga. Japan was really good for you, really good for you. Fix My problem that you are missing, however, is that you say that you have 100,000 saved in my 401k. Why don't you have any money in a Roth 401k? All new contributions should be going to a Roth 401k, number one. Number two, you're only making 93,000 a year, which means you qualify for a Roth IRA as well. So you should be fully funding your Roth IRA, $7,500. And I'm telling you, in the long run, that's far smarter than having $100,000 in a brokerage account. Remember, any money that you put in a Roth ira, your original contributions you can take out anytime you want without taxes or penalties, regardless of age or how long it's been in there. So there are no benefits on any level of an investment account over a Roth retirement account, if you ask me. But you are doing fabulous. Give me one more kt.

[B]

Okay. This is from Christine and she said thank you for the wonderful advice in your recent webinar. So Christine obviously heard webinar part one.

[A]

And by the way, before you go on, all of you can go on to YouTube.com Susie Orman, look for the five things you can do with money that title somewhere there. And that's where we recapped and cut down the webinar that was live on April 23rd to like 30 minutes so you can see the highlights of it. But I just have to say this, that was more about personal finance. Part two, you cannot miss. It is all about individual stocks. ETFs Fitz is going to introduce his ETF on that day and tell you all about it. This is something that has been worked on by him for over two years now. You've heard about it for two years. You're going to be able to really hear about it on June 4th. And if you weren't already registered for the first webinar, please go to Suzeorman.com and register for the second one. This is a webinar you do not want to miss. And I'm just giving you a little highlight right now at the end of the webinar and you need to stay all the way through. You will have birthday pricing for the ultimate scam protection. You will have birthday pricing for the must have documents and the other things. You have got to tune in for that.

[B]

What, Katie, Susie, tell them whose birthday you're talking about.

[A]

Well, the next day it's my 75th birthday. So that gives you an idea of what the pricing is going to be for that day. All right, Katie.

[B]

All right. My last question is from Christine again. She said thank you for the wonderful advice in the recent webinar Part one. During the session you mentioned that choosing target date for funds for retirement accounts is a mistake in your opinion. My financial advisor previously suggested a 2035 target plan for my Roth 403B. I am currently 64 years old. I do not plan to retire soon. I hope to delay taking Social Security until I'm 70. Given this context, Susie, what would you suggest instead of a target date fund?

[A]

So here's what all of you need to understand as to why Suze Orman personally doesn't like the majority of target date mutual funds that are out there. A target date mutual fund. Actually, kt, as I'm doing this, I'm thinking, should I save this for Susie's school to explain to everybody in great detail the difference as to why I don't like target date mutual funds?

[B]

Absolutely. Do it Sunday.

[A]

All right, so therefore, because we're a little bit over time. So everybody, this Sunday, Susie school is going to answer Christine's question and get you to understand in detail why I don't like target date mutual funds. At least the majority of them. So, kt, anything you want to say?

[B]

Yes, I do. I want to wish my baby sister Barbara a very happy birthday yesterday. We love you. I hope you're having a great time.

[A]

65. Can you believe it? Oh, my God.

[B]

Free med, baby.

[A]

Medicare. Medicare. Yeah, baby, right?

[B]

We love you, Barb.

[A]

We most certainly do, sweetheart. Babsy. Babsy. And so until Sunday when I'm going to tell all of you about why I don't like target date mutual funds, at least the majority of them, there's only one thing that we want you to remember when it comes to money. And what is it, kt?

[B]

It is people first, then money, then things.

[A]

Now you stay safe. Love you.

[B]

Bye. Bye. Bye.

[A]

We are strong we are wise we will not apologize we are here we

[B]

will thrive together Together we will rise

[A]

we're the little bit of faith and everything it takes we are strong, we

[B]

are wise Together we will rise.

[A]

I know and you know that there are many of you out there that have home equity lines of credit. But do you have one with a 3.99% net fixed interest rate for six months and then prime plus zero? I doubt it. So I want you to go to myalliant.com and check out what I think is the best HELOC on the market today.

[C]

Neither Susie Orman Media nor Susie Orman is acting as a certified financial planner advisor, a certified financial analyst, an economist, cpa, accountant, or lawyer. Neither Suze Orman Media nor Suze Orman make any recommendations recommendations as to any specific securities or investments. All content contained in this podcast is for informational and general purposes only and does not constitute financial accounting or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and financial advisors regarding your particular situation. Neither Suze Orman Media nor Suze Orman accepts any responsibility for any losses which may arise from accessing or reliance on information in this podcast and to the fullest extent permitted by law, we exclude all liability for loss damages, direct or indirect, arising from the use of this information. The must have documents mentioned in these podcasts are legal documents created by a lawyer and distributed by Hay House.