If you need financial advice, you can get a good dose of it for free each week on the radio.
Bruce A. Lefavi has a syndicated show, "Bulletproof Your Financial Future," which airs each Sunday from 2-4 p.m. on KSL (AM-1160/FM-102.7).
The show has been around for 20 years. It started on KSL, went to KALL and some other stations, then returned to KSL.
One misnomer about the program is that it is simply a paid infomercial. That's not true, according to Lefavi. "I want it to be a show that stands on its own," Lefavi told the Deseret Morning News in a telephone interview.
He said he legally has to mention he's also CEO of the Lefavi Financial Center, his financial-planning firm, once on each show, but that's all he states about his own business.
The show is on more than 30 stations nationwide, with a high concentration in Florida and California. In recent years, it has experienced ratings as high as 16.7 percent of the radio audience, and its long on-air history is proof that it is a viable and popular program.
Lefavi has a funny and likable persona. His show, surprisingly, includes a lot of humor. He says a program like this needs to have some fun, and his infectious laugh is a part of that. He's heard some other financial shows that are too sterile, and he says he doesn't want his to be like that.
"I'm never mean to a caller," he said. He might laugh with a listener, but never at them. "I love being on the radio."
KSL records the show each Saturday from noon-2 p.m., then it airs the tape on KSL the next day. Lefavi said the show is live on most of the other stations, but he was pre-empted by sporting events so much on Saturday in the past on KSL that it's actually better to be on Sunday.
Salt Lake listeners on the taped broadcast are occasionally informed they can call in next Saturday during the live show if they have a question or comment.
The program has a "Quote of the Week" and a "Turkey of the Week" segment. Lefavi keys on what he believes are the twin evils in the financial world — fear and greed.
His past successes include warning people against the technology bubble, which did eventually burst. He also said one listener tripled her investments recently by following the show's advice.
Lefavi spends up to 20 hours a week preparing for his show, because accuracy is critical in the field. One of his next shows will address how to get out of paying taxes (legally), and he said that has taken tons of research to pull together.
"When I've made mistakes on the air, all 20 lines light up at once," he said.
He's toying with having a "man on the street" segment in his show, which he said is always evolving, trying new things.
Surveys show that almost half his listeners are women. Lefavi said his listeners also aid his knowledge in the field. "I get some of my best ideas from my listeners."
He also has a book out with the same title as his radio show. And he said that a new book, on bulletproofing your retirement, could be out as early as October.
Lefavi's show is also available 24 hours a day on the Web at www.lefavi.com.
TWENTY YEARS AGO IN SALT LAKE RADIO — KCPX hosts a Best Legs contest at Raging Waters. Yours truly and Steve Brown were two of the judges. . . . KBNG, FM-94.9 radio, switches from hit music to "gentle sound," with Mike Peterson as its new program director. . . . KUTR celebrates its first birthday at Lagoon. . . . Chuck Jackson is a new evening disc jockey on KRSP, replacing Lyle Morris. . . . KLRZ (FM-94.9) changes its call letters to KBNG. . . . KCPX (FM-98.7) sponsors Rock-A-Robics at Fashion Place mall.
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com