Your Life, Simplified

In this episode of Your Life Simplified, host Michael MacKelvie, senior wealth advisor, talks with Kurt Schindler, senior wealth advisor, about the benefits of working with an advisor to learn financial principles that can help you navigate your financial situation as it evolves. They discuss how proactive learning leads to more informed, confident decisions, and how, even though not everything can be predicted, a strong foundation in financial knowledge supports smarter, more adaptable planning.

In this episode of Your Life Simplified, host Whitney Reagan, senior wealth advisor, and Christina Lynn, director, wealth strategist, dive into the different approaches to blended family finances. They discuss how to navigate conversations around combining finances or keeping things separate, managing child expenses and setting up a long-term plan that is right for your family dynamic.

Most parents' goal for their children is to be financially independent once they leave the nest. So, how do they get there? Whitney Reagan, senior wealth advisor, and Christina Lynn, Ph.D., director, wealth strategist, share strategies and tips for helping your child learn how to be financially savvy and independent as they approach adulthood. 

Want to raise children who are not just financially literate but are financially savvy? Whitney Reagan, senior wealth advisor, and Christina Lynn, Ph.D., director, wealth strategist, share their advice for teaching your kids about money. They'll cover the impact of the parent's relationship with money and when to start having these conversations.Wealth Management

In this episode of Your Life Simplified, Daniel Sharkey, senior wealth advisor, and Tom Tilley, managing director, mergers & acquisitions, discuss the aspects of navigating the sale of your business and exercising as much control as possible. Tune in for valuable insights on preparing your business to go to market, navigating exit strategies as well as tax and income implications of the sale.

In this episode of Your Life Simplified, host Whitney Reagan, senior wealth advisor, sits down with Jennifer Hanau, national managing director, independent advisors, for a deep dive into the essential qualities of leadership and mentorship. Together, they explore how to advocate for yourself and why it's crucial to lead yourself first before guiding others. They also discuss strategies for managing up, overcoming impostor syndrome, navigating setbacks leadership values and finding the right mentorship to propel your career forward.

On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Daniel Sharkey, senior wealth advisor, is joined by Jessica Nelson, senior wealth consultant, to discuss estate planning strategies for different net-worth levels. Estate planning impacts everyone, whether you have $1 million or $100+ million net worth. They cover different strategies, what you may need to include in your estate plan and why it's important to create.

In this episode, Daniel Sharkey, senior wealth advisor, sits down with Breanna Seech, senior wealth advisor, to explore the strategy of portfolio income buffers. Together, they discuss how these buffers can safeguard against market volatility, enhance cash flow flexibility and support long-term financial goals. Whether you're navigating uncertain markets or planning for retirement, this episode offers actionable insights on managing portfolio risk and creating resilient investment strategies.

Join hosts Whitney Reagan, senior wealth advisor, and Daniel Sharkey, senior wealth advisor, as they discuss direct indexing. This episode unpacks how direct indexing works, its potential tax advantages and its ability to align investments with individual values and goals. Whitney and Daniel share practical strategies to help implement this portfolio strategy.

On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Whitney Reagan, senior wealth advisor, is joined by Jeff Krumpelman, chief investment strategist. He shares his journey to becoming a chief investment strategist, what he does outside of work and his life advice.

In this episode, Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, breaks down the potential dangers of an overly concentrated investment portfolio and shares actionable strategies to help you achieve the right balance between growth and protection. He'll share valuable insights into the risks of putting too much weight on a single investment or sector, how diversification can enhance long-term financial stability and practical tips to assess and adjust your portfolio.

On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Daniel Sharkey, senior wealth advisor, is joined by Sandy Pourcillie, head of fixed income. They unpack common misconceptions of fixed income and bonds, strategies and how you may want to think about them as part of your portfolio.

Do these financial mistakes have you spooked? They don't have to. Whitney Reagan, wealth advisor, and Daniel Sharkey, senior wealth advisor, share four scenarios that often scare people and strategies to overcome that fear. From investing to required minimum distributions, we simplify these common scary financial situations. They also share three things you may want to avoid.

Scott Luhnau, vice president of multi-generational wealth planning, joins Dan Sharkey, senior wealth advisor, on this episode of Your Life Simplified to share what you need to know before the 2025 estate tax exemption. Scott shares a few strategies to prepare for this extate tax exposure.

On this episode of Your Life Simplified, host Daniel Sharkey, senior wealth advisor, is joined by Scott Luhnau, vice president of multi-generational wealth planning, to discuss the SECURE 2.0 Act. They'll cover what has changed in government legislation, how it impacts 401(k), Roth IRA and other retirement accounts, and why it matters more than ever.

On this episode of Your Life Simplified, hosts Whitney Reagan, wealth advisor, and Daniel Sharkey, senior wealth advisor, continue their discussion on making financial meetings with your family successful. They'll share tips for making family meetings successful, including getting everyone's buy-in, making it a singular event, being intentional in your agenda, speaking to different generations and incorporating family history.

Family meetings may sound daunting and challenging but they don't have to be. Hosts Whitney Reagan, wealth advisor, and Daniel Sharkey, senior wealth advisor, discuss making these financial meetings with your broader family productive. They'll cover what is a family meeting, why you should have them regularly and what topics are important to include.  

College is expensive, so you should never pay full price. Hosts Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, and Daniel Sharkey, senior wealth advisor, discuss ways to reduce college costs. They'll cover more well-known strategies, like 529 plans, and some lesser-known tactics.

Young Professionals: Now that you're past the basics of financial planning, what should you be thinking about as you continue building your wealth? Host Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, is joined by Jinger Pajestka, senior wealth advisor, to discuss goal setting, employer benefits, real estate investing, estate planning and insurance, all to help you build your wealth.

Should I rent or buy my home? On this episode, we'll dive into several studies and look at your return on investment, time, taxes, cost of home renovations and more. Host Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, shares historical data, where we're at today and what you should consider as you weigh the pros and cons of homeownership.

Tax season may be over, but that doesn't mean we're done tax planning. Jennifer Kohlbacher, director of wealth strategy, joins Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, to share the importance of year-round tax planning and what you should be thinking about.

Cash balance plans are often understood but can be a win-win for tax savings and retirement planning. On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, is joined by Daniel Sharkey, senior wealth advisor. They dive into what they are, how they're run and who they may be right for.

Want to teach your child about investing? It can be difficult to know where to start and even how to answer their questions. Hosts Michael MacKelvie and Valerie Escobar share their advice for parents looking to teach their child or teen about investing including compounding interest, investment accounts, retirement plans and more

It's not just about the numbers. There is value beyond the data that a wealth advisor can offer. They work to solve complex challenges and guide people during transitions. Hosts Michael MacKelvie and Valerie Escobar share their perspectives on the field before getting into wealth management and what they've learned since.

IRAs, Roth IRAs, 401(k)s are among the very basics of building a financial plan, and they apply to just about everybody. On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, is joined by Jodi Robinson, vice president of tax services. They discuss the differences between Roth IRAs and Roth 401(k)s, required minimum distributions and Roth conversions.

No one likes planning their mortality, but this is not time made but time spent. The challenges and financial strain without proper planning can, unfortunately, leave a stain on someone's legacy. On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, is joined by Michelle Cross, senior wealth advisor. They discuss ways to avoid estate planning challenges and give you a guide to help throughout the process.

What is it that people get wrong about retirement? On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, is joined by guest, Keith Lawrence, retired P&G executive & co-author of "Your Retirement Quest". They discuss ways to be happy and healthy during one of the largest transitions in your life.

Having a new child can bring immense amounts of joy, but it can also bring stress, especially when it comes to being financially prepared. This week, Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, is joined by Whitney Reagan, wealth advisor. They'll discuss aspects like the Family Medical Leave Act, short-term disability and preparing your team for your leave, to help prepare before welcoming a new child.

The one constant in life is change, and the markets are no exception to this, which leads to a familiar question for many investors. When should you rebalance your portfolio, if at all? On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, is joined by Brad Rollins, vice president of investments. They discuss what rebalancing means and how to get back to your original investment portfolio mix.

Money is a topic of conversation in many movies. The question is the legitimacy of some of these movies and how they portray the financial industry. On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, and Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, will react to hits, like The Big Short and The Wolf of Wall Street, and share the accuracies and inaccuracies.

In our last episode, we started our discussion on Incentive Stock Options (ISOs). Now, we'll continue that discussion and dive deeper into Alternative Minimum Tax (ATM). Steve Moyer, vice president of executive compensation & corporate offerings, joins our host, Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, to share more about the tax implications and strategies for ISOs and executive compensation.

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of stock-based compensation, shedding light on how Incentive Stock Options (ISOs) work and the strategies that can help you maximize their benefits. Steve Moyer, vice president of executive compensation & corporate offerings, joins our host, Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, to simplify the complexities of executive compensation and ISOs. Listen to Part 2 to learn about the taxation of stock options.

As we near the end of the year, what is it that you should be doing to minimize taxes and make sure that you've got your financial world organized? Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, and Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, share 6 tax and wealth planning strategies you should consider before the year wraps up.

As an executive, you probably have some time of restricted stock or security in your compensation. But what is right for you and your portfolio? Steve Moyer, vice president of executive compensation & corporate offerings, joins our host, Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, to sort through the noise of executive compensation and explain RSUs, restricted stock and restricted securities.

In today's digital age, cybersecurity has become more important than ever. With cybercrime on the rise, it's crucial to know how to protect yourself and your data from online threats. On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, sits down with Chris Cook, senior vice president of information security, to provide you with valuable insights into the world of cybercrime and how you can safeguard your personal information.

On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, is joined by special guest, Brett Kunshek, head of options and structured notes. They break down what structured notes and options are and dive into their complexities, different types of structured notes and which investors these may be right for. They'll also cover why these are growing in popularity in the United States and the fees that come along with them.

With flexibility and connectivity in today's world, many are excited by the idea of moving abroad and traveling; however, with that comes complications that you may not have considered. On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, is joined by Raoul Rodriguez, senior wealth advisor. Here are 3 things you need to consider before moving to another country—taxes, qualified accounts and estate planning.

We may not be at the end of the year yet, but now is the time to start end-of-year tax planning. Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, and Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, share ways to minimize the amount of taxes you'll pay for 2023. They'll cover tax planning strategies like capital gains, tax loss harvesting and Roth conversions to help limit your taxes.

On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, and Jake Kern, managing director and senior wealth advisor, discuss the powerful strategy of Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts (IDGTs) and how they can benefit you. An IDGT is a trust that is intentionally drafted to be "defective" for income tax purposes. This allows the grantor of the trust to transfer assets to the trust without triggering gift or estate taxes. The grantor also pays the income tax on the trust's income, thus reducing the value of the grantor's estate. One of the key benefits of an IDGT is that it can help you transfer assets to future generations with minimal tax liability. Since the grantor pays the income tax on the trust's income, the assets in the trust can grow tax-free, increasing the value of the trust's assets over time.

For many, they've become wealthy because of their focus on saving. They've spent their entire lives being disciplined and saving money. Then, there comes a time when they need to spend it, and that can be a difficult transition. On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, is joined by Abby Foster, associate wealth advisor. They share ways you can eliminate guilt from spending and still reach your goals.

While we can't look into the future, each year, we feature a webinar that peers into a crystal ball and shares what we expect to see from the markets during the second half of the year. On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, is joined by Jeff Krumpelman, chief investment strategies and head of equities. Jeff gives an overview of how the first half of the year went and where he thinks the markets will go for the rest of 2023.

With larger estates, often come more complicated estate plans. Ben Voelker, director of wealth strategy, is back on this episode of Your Life Simplified to discuss more advanced estate planning techniques and strategies to avoid high estate taxes.

When we discuss estate planning, it's a way to communicate our values and decide how we want our legacy to look. When you have a family member with special needs, this is especially important so that they can be taken care of the way that you would want. On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, is joined by Kevne Sharp, wealth advisor and Chartered Special Needs Consultant. They share ways that you can help provide financial security for a loved one with special needs or a disability

Parents and Teens: Today we have creative hacks that could save you tens of thousands of dollars, regardless of if you qualify for financial aid. On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, and Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, share their advice for young adults heading to college and how utilizing these strategies could make a significant impact on their educational expenses.

The math behind owning a second home: does it make sense or should you just enjoy a vacation in your favorite destination? On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, and Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, discuss the pros and cons of buying a second home or if it makes more sense to take a vacation instead.

On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, and Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, break down annuities. They cover the different types, the risk and benefits associated with them and what to ask the insurance company before getting an annuity.

While estate planning can be overwhelming for a lot of families, having a thorough estate plan in place can make a significant impact on how your wealth is transferred and helps ensure that your wishes are followed. Ben Voelker, director of wealth strategy, joins this episode of Your Life Simplified to share what you should consider when creating your plan.

Being a trustee is something that requires knowledge, effort and liability, so when you're creating your estate plan, it's important to consider your options and who will make the best choices for you. Cindy Bozik, national managing director of trust services, joins this episode of Your Life Simplified to share her advice for picking the right trustee for you.

What is a money market? What is the difference between a money market and a money market fund? They are at their highest demand since 2008, but there's still confusion. On this episode of Your Life Simplified, Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, and Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, compare the different types and what investors should know, including the risks.

With recent failures in the banking industry, many investors are worried about the safety of their accounts. Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, and Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, sit down to break down FDIC and SIPC, what that means for you and how to ensure your deposits are protected.

Starting early can make a significant impact on retirement savings, but how can you help teach your teen to start building wealth? Valerie Escobar, senior wealth advisor, and Michael MacKelvie, wealth advisor, share tips and talking points for talking to your teen about finances and being financially responsible.