Podcasts about IRAS

Roger Whitney dives into practical strategies for navigating health care before Medicare, sharing insights from retirees, survey results, and listener questions. Together they explore real-world solutions for coverage gaps, timing withdrawals, and managing medical expenses in early retirement.OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN(00:00) This show is dedicated to helping you not just survive retirement but have confidence in your financial and life decisions.(00:40) Roger introduces the focus: pre-Medicare health care, survey insights, and practical strategies.LISTENER EXPERIENCES AND STRATEGIES(03:00) Roger shares experiences and questions from listeners navigating pre-Medicare coverage. They discuss timing COBRA versus ACA transitions, evaluating company retiree plans, managing risk when uninsured, and creative strategies like catastrophic insurance, health-sharing plans, and part-time work benefits. Listeners also explore using HSAs and inherited IRAs to manage costs and maximize subsidies, providing a broad view of practical approaches for early retirees.ROCKING RETIREMENT IN THE WILD(32:50) Jennifer retires at 59½, discovers watercolor painting, fitness classes, and increased spending patterns in early retirementSURVEY INSIGHTS(37:08) Roger summarizes key takeaways from over 400 survey respondents.SMART SPRINT(48:19) Action step: identify your “homies” for retirement planning. Notice how your closest relationships influence your retirement experience and take one step this week to strengthen those connections.REFERENCESSubmit a Question for RogerSign up for The NoodleThe Retirement Answer Man

Today's episode of the Power of Zero Show sees David McKnight address one of the most important decisions you'll ever make in retirement: where you should withdraw money from first. It's important to note that the sequence in which you draw down your retirement dollars can dramatically affect how long your money lasts and how much of it you get to keep. Since the Trump tax cuts were permanently extended on July 4th, 2025, retirees have been presented with one of the most significant tax planning windows they may ever see. The national debt continues to grow – with Social Security and Medicare obligations expanding every year, and interest on the national debt taking up a larger and larger share of the federal budget. Analysts at the Congressional Budget Office and several independent economists agree that, although the 2025 extension has delayed the inevitable, it has not solved the underlying math… In or around 2035, the Government will have to raise revenue to keep pace with rising expenditures. Every dollar you withdraw from tax-deferred accounts – like IRAs, 401(k)s, 403bs, 457s – is a dollar tax rate that may be the lowest you're likely to see in your lifetime. "The goal isn't to eliminate RMDs entirely but to shrink your tax-deferred bucket to the point where these distributions are completely absorbed by your standard deduction", says David. "That means tax-free distributions from IRAs and 401(k)s. Many experts have warned people: if the U.S. doesn't right its fiscal ship of state by 2043, no combination of raising taxes or reducing spending will arrest the financial collapse of the country. You're living in a decade where taxes are as low as you've seen in your lifetime… …and even though the tax cuts were extended indefinitely, the long-term fiscal math still points in one clear direction.     Mentioned in this episode: David's new book, available now for pre-order: The Secret Order of Millionaires David's national bestselling book: The Guru Gap: How America's Financial Gurus Are Leading You Astray, and How to Get Back on Track Tax-Free Income for Life: A Step-by-Step Plan for a Secure Retirement by David McKnight DavidMcKnight.com DavidMcKnightBooks.com PowerOfZero.com (free video series) @mcknightandco on Twitter  @davidcmcknight on Instagram David McKnight on YouTube Get David's Tax-free Tool Kit at taxfreetoolkit.com

In this episode, I sit down with Roberto Rios aka Peruvian Bull, and he didn't come to play it safe. Fresh off breaking news the morning of recording, we kick things off with the Jane Street manipulation lawsuit and what it might mean for Bitcoin price action. We cover the terrifying thesis of The Great Taking, why you may not actually own the stocks in your brokerage account, China's secret gold accumulation strategy and what it signals about the dollar's future, the slow-motion collapse of Japan's bond market, and how silver is finally breaking free from decades of paper price suppression. ––– Offers & Discounts –––

In this episode of Money Matters, Scott and Pat unpack why tax diversification is one of the most overlooked strategies in retirement planning. From a 70-year-old investor with $3.6 million mostly in traditional IRAs to a 55-year-old looking to retire early and start Roth conversions, they explore how tax diversification can help reduce lifetime taxes and create flexibility in retirement income. You'll hear discussions about: -When Roth conversions make sense — and which tax bracket to target -How much cash and bond exposure you really need before retiring -The realities of the 4% rule -401(k) vs. brokerage — and where bonds and equities should actually live -How diversification protects your lifestyle, not just your portfolio Join Money Matters:  Get your most pressing financial questions answered by Allworth's co-founders Scott Hanson and Pat McClain. Call 833-99-WORTH. Or ask a question by clicking here.  You can also be on the air by emailing Scott and Pat at questions@moneymatters.com. Download and rate our podcast here.      

Vinney (Smile) Chopra is a real estate investor, entrepreneur, and mentor whose journey began with just $7 in his pocket after arriving in the United States from India. Over the past four decades, Vinney has built an extraordinary career—raising more than $250 million from investors and acquiring a real estate portfolio exceeding $1 billion. Today, he is the founder of multiple companies, a best-selling author, and the host of several podcasts dedicated to helping investors build wealth through commercial real estate.   In this episode, Vinney shares insights from his mastermind discussions about what it really takes to succeed in real estate investing today. The conversation dives deep into the strategies he uses to find deals, raise capital, and structure investments that benefit both sponsors and investors.  

In this episode: Why tax season gets significantly more intense in March, and why accountants push for earlier deadlines to ensure returns are accurate and thoroughly reviewed. How accounting firms stay engaged in their communities even during the busiest time of year, including charitable initiatives and local philanthropy. A lesser-known tax rule affecting investments in physical gold and silver, and why these assets are taxed differently than many other investments. Planning strategies involving IRAs, including how charitable distributions can reduce taxable income while supporting causes you care about. What beneficiaries need to know about Required Minimum Distributions after inheriting an IRA, and the potential tax consequences of missing them. A detail many business owners overlook about tip deductions for self-employed individuals and why proper reporting matters. A recent change to the business interest deduction rules and how it may impact larger businesses starting in 2025. Important filing deadlines for businesses and partnerships during tax season, and why extensions are often part of a smart filing strategy. What really happens if taxes aren't paid on time, including how IRS interest works on both unpaid balances and delayed refunds.

Esta edição apresenta o início da capacitação de profissionais das 27 unidades federativas para a gestão de emergências em saúde pública no SUS, visando respostas mais rápidas e coordenadas a surtos e desastres. O boletim detalha a republicação da Nota Técnica 03/2026 da Anvisa, que atualiza os critérios diagnósticos para Infecções Relacionadas à Assistência à Saúde (IRAS) de notificação nacional obrigatória. Destacamos também o lançamento de uma plataforma da Amazon baseada em IA para automatizar tarefas administrativas, como agendamentos e autorizações, reduzindo a fricção nos fluxos de backoffice hospitalar. Acompanhe as atualizações que fortalecem a resiliência do sistema e a eficiência operacional no seu podcast diário de atualização, com curadoria médica e produzido por IA. Afya News. Informação médica confiável e atualizada no seu tempo.Fontes do episódio aqui:⁠https://portal.afya.com.br/podcasts/afya-news/06-03-2026

AI hype is colliding with financial reality. Don and Tom examine Elon Musk's suggestion that artificial intelligence could create such abundance that retirement savings might become unnecessary. They unpack the economics behind universal basic income, including the staggering cost—even a modest payment would require trillions in new revenue—and explain why most Americans aren't betting their futures on Silicon Valley promises. The episode also answers listener questions about confusing target-date fund holdings, what to do with an overfunded 529 plan, and how to reduce taxable investment distributions by placing assets in the right accounts. Along the way they revisit lessons from past technological revolutions, discuss the importance of work beyond income, and continue their campaign against the scourge of gas-powered leaf blowers. 0:04 AI panic and Elon Musk's claim that AI could make retirement savings unnecessary. 1:52 Musk's vision of AI-driven abundance and universal income replacing traditional retirement planning. 3:36 The practical question: who actually pays for universal income checks? 5:30 Historical tax rates in the 1960s vs. today's marginal tax structure. 6:21 Survey shows 94% of readers still plan to save despite AI predictions. 7:17 Boston College researchers warn Musk's comments send a dangerous retirement message. 8:23 Why universal basic income would require major government policy and taxes. 8:45 Past technology revolutions didn't distribute wealth evenly. 9:27 Why humans need work for purpose, not just income. 10:33 The math problem: even $1,000/month UBI would require about $3.1 trillion annually. 11:54 Historical comparison to the Luddite era and displaced workers. 13:18 Listener question: What “short-term debt and net other assets” mean in a Fidelity target-date fund. 17:38 Listener question: Overfunding a 529 plan and potential Roth rollover strategies. 20:45 Listener question: Using Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund to reduce taxable distributions. 23:28 Asset location strategy: placing bonds in IRAs and stocks in taxable accounts. 24:49 Where to easily find mutual fund returns using Morningstar. 25:46 Tom's Scottsdale advisory meetings announcement. 26:45 The crusade against gas-powered leaf blowers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson break down one of the most important retirement decisions pilots face: Traditional vs. Roth IRAs. They explain how taxes impact withdrawals, why required minimum distributions matter, and how poor planning could leave your kids with a massive tax bill. The conversation also explores advanced strategies like Roth conversions, self-directed IRAs, and “Roth chunking” during low-income years. If you want to build wealth through real estate while protecting your retirement from unnecessary taxes, this episode offers practical frameworks to help pilots think long-term about their portfolio, income streams, and legacy planning.Show notes:(0:00) Intro(3:01) Traditional vs Roth fundamentals(7:30) Required minimum distributions explained(11:13) Nest egg vs golden goose investing(14:55) Using self-directed IRAs for real estate(21:37) Inherited IRA tax pitfalls(26:08) Roth chunking for new airline hires(30:58) Strategic Roth conversions during low-income years(35:11) Passive income to fund retirement(38:35) Advanced Roth conversion appraisal strategy(45:38) OutroRelated Episode:#110 - The IRA Club Advantage: The Self-Directed IRA Strategy for Pilots with Ramez Fakhoury: https://passiveincomepilots.com/episode/110-the-ira-club-advantage-the-self-directed-ira-strategy-for-pilots-with-ramez-fakhouryIf you're interested in participating, the latest institutional-quality self-storage portfolio is available for investment now at: https://turbinecap.investnext.com/portal/offerings/8449/houston-storage/ — You've found the number one resource for financial education for aviators! Please consider leaving a rating and sharing this podcast with your colleagues in the aviation community, as it can serve as a valuable resource for all those involved in the industry.Remember to subscribe for more insights at PassiveIncomePilots.com! https://passiveincomepilots.com/ Join our growing community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/passivepilotsCheck us out on Instagram @PassiveIncomePilots: https://www.instagram.com/passiveincomepilots/Follow us on X @IncomePilots: https://twitter.com/IncomePilotsGet our updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/passive-income-pilots/Do you have questions or want to discuss this episode? Contact us at ask@passiveincomepilots.com See you at the next one!*Legal Disclaimer*The content of this podcast is provided solely for educational and informational purposes. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts, Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson, and do not reflect those of any organization they are associated with, including Turbine Capital or Spartan Investment Group. The opinions of our guests are their own and should not be construed as financial advice. This podcast does not offer tax, legal, or investment advice. Listeners are advised to consult with their own legal or financial counsel and to conduct their own due diligence before making any financial decisions.

Free Copy of My Book: Building Wealth In the TSP: Your Road Map To Financial Freedom as A Federal Employee: https://app.hawsfederaladvisors.com/free-tsp-e-book Want to schedule a consultation? Click here: https://app.hawsfederaladvisors.com/whatservicemakessense I am a practicing financial planner, but I'm not your financial planner. Please consult with your own tax, legal and financial advisors for personalized advice.

In this mailbag episode, David answers two practical listener questions about managing unexpected financial opportunities. One listener recently paid off their mortgage and now has an extra $3,000 per month to invest, while another is navigating the tax implications of inheriting an IRA. David walks through several potential options for putting extra cash to work- ranging from CDs and brokerage accounts to fixed annuities- while also clarifying the complex withdrawal rules tied to inherited retirement accounts. Here's some of what we discuss in this episode:

Do you know someone eyeing their retirement accounts to fund their nonprofit dreams? We need to talk! In this episode, I'm joined by Jeff Beck, a wealth advisor at COE Financial Group, to tackle a listener question that had me equal parts fascinated and horrified. Real Listener Question: "My partner has a traditional IRA with about $100,000 in it. Can she invest that money in my 501(c)(3) without penalties? Do we need to set up a for-profit company for her IRA to invest in first? Are there IRS rules against her investing in something I founded and run?" Jeff and I dig into the mechanics of IRAs, self-directed accounts, and what the IRS actually allows when it comes to retirement funds and charitable giving. Spoiler alert: nonprofits DO NOT have shareholders so you can't "invest" in them and get a return! There are some serious red flags here, both on the legal side AND in this interpersonal relationship. What You'll Learn: Why you can't really "invest" in a nonprofit How giving to a nonprofit can benefit an individual's tax position What a self-directed IRA is and what you get to do with it One legitimate way to donate your IRA funds to a nonprofit tax-free Why getting "returns" on your contribution can put a nonprofit's tax-exemption at risk How you can financially hurt yourself when you're starting a new organization Bottom line: Using your (or your significant other's) retirement fund to set up your new business is probably NOT a good idea. Protect yourself, protect your partner, and please, let that IRA grow. Resources from this Episode Learn more about Jeff Beck at Coe Financial Group: https://www.coefinancial.com/ Previous Episode: How Nonprofits Can Find and Hire a Good Lawyer https://birkenlaw.com/charity-therapy-podcast/158-hiring-lawyer/  Episode Transcript: https://birkenlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CT159_Transcript.pdf Connect with Us Jess Birken: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessbirken/ Jeff Beck – reach out at Jeff@coefinancial.com Listen & Engage Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Music Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts: Click "Ratings and Reviews" then "Write a Review" Send us your nonprofit questions: https://birkenlaw.com/podcast/#podcast-story   Stay Connected Sign up for the Birken Law Email list: https://birkenlaw.com/signup/   Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

What retirees and pre-retirees should understand about moving a 401(k), investing through an IRA, and why Roth accounts continue to stand out for tax-free growth.   Important Links: Pathfinder Wealth Management: http://pathfinderadvisory.com/ Schedule a 15-minute Consult: http://PathfinderChat.com Buy the book, Roadmap For A Stress-Free Retirement: https://amzn.to/4gwy7uG Find Out Your Tax Bill: https://whatismytaxbill.com/

Diversifying Investments Beyond the U.S. | International Investing for Gay Gen X RetirementAre you unintentionally overexposed to the U.S. stock market?In this episode of Queer Money (Ep. 631), we unpack why investors are diversifying investments away from the United States and what international investing means for gay men 45+ who have most of their retirement savings tied up in 401(k)s and IRAs.Over the last six months alone, billions have rotated out of U.S. equities. International markets have outperformed. The dollar's dominance is shifting. Central banks are diversifying reserves. And yet most American retirement portfolios remain overwhelmingly U.S.-centric.That's concentration risk.And money hates concentration risk.We walk through:Why global capital is rotating into developed and emerging marketsWhat “de-dollarization” means for your retirement savingsHow international investing can reduce political and currency riskWhy diversification is not anti-American — it's pro-retirement securityThe risks of being overly exposed to AI-heavy U.S. marketsHow we personally are reallocating part of our portfolio internationallyIf you're a Gen Xer or older Millennial with decades of savings sitting in U.S.-only index funds, this episode may challenge your assumptions about buy-and-hold domestic investing.Key Takeaways:Diversifying investments reduces concentration risk tied to one economy and one currency.International investing has outpaced U.S. markets in recent performance cycles.Currency alignment matters — especially if you plan to retire abroad.A globally diversified portfolio reflects today's multipolar economy.Active, adaptive diversification can strengthen long-term retirement resilience.We're not abandoning America. We're protecting our future.Chapters:00:00 - Intro01:12 - Capital is rotating02:49 - International outperformance04:41 - Policy and geopolitics07:21 - Why diversification matters09:02 - U.S. market still matters10:02 - What we did12:48 - OutroMentioned in this episode:Make your retirement fabulous! Not sure if you can retire or when? Worried about how much you can safely spend without running out of money? We help you get clear answers and the systems to retire with confidence and peace of mind. Let's go!Queer Money Retirement VaultYour fabulous retirement in Portugal is calling!Ready to turn your IRA assets into a gateway to living in Europe? With the Optimize Portugal Golden Opportunities fund you can do just that. Join hundreds of other U.S. investors taking control of their retirement and using the assets they have to open doors to freedom. Click below to get your Portugal Golden Visa!Get Your Portugal Golden Visa Here!Get Your Portugal Golden Visa Here!Want the confidence to retire when and how you truly want?If you're considering retirement abroad, or simply want a second & third set of eyes on your retirement plan, we help gay foks retire fabulously — wherever that may be. Our retirement mentorship can help you gain the confidence to say yes to retirement! Queer Money Retirement Mentorship

Money feels volatile. The headlines feel dramatic. And for many women, investing still feels intimidating. In this powerful conversation, accredited financial counselor and investor Tess Waresmith returns to cut through the noise. She unpacks the truth about market crashes, why the economy and the stock market are not the same thing, and the simple compound interest math that can turn a small monthly contribution into a million-dollar legacy. This episode offers grounded perspective and practical next steps to help you move from fear to financial clarity. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:The importance of financial independence for women.How to prepare your finances for an inevitable market crash.The "bucket strategy" for organizing short-term vs. long-term funds.Comparing the 2000 dot-com bubble to today's AI trends.Why learning to invest takes weeks, not a finance degree.Episode References/Links:Wealth With Tess – https://wealthwithtess.com/savvyFree Financial Independence Mini-Course - https://www.moneyconfidentclub.com/3daysfiTess Waresmith Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wealthwithtess1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History by Andrew Ross Sorkin - https://a.co/d/0h4yDFDvGuest Bio:Tess is an Accredited Financial Counselor® and the founder of Wealth with Tess, a financial education platform and community, that helps millennial women build wealth using simple investing strategies. Her mission is to help women gain agency over their money so they can retire comfortably and have options to live life on their terms. After losing thousands by working with the wrong financial advisor in her early 20s (a fiduciary by the way), Tess rewrote her financial story. She immersed herself in the world of personal finance and wealth building, and by 35, she went from a net worth of $0 to $1 million, all as a single woman. Today, Tess is a sought-after financial expert, featured by Forbes, CNBC and Business Insider. Her free investing workshops have drawn thousands of attendees, and hundreds of women have transformed their financial futures through her straightforward and supportive learning programs. Her approachable, no-jargon investing tips inspire a growing community on Instagram at @wealthwithtess. Whether you're short on time or new to investing, Tess is proof that you don't need Wall Street-level expertise to build wealth, you just need to decide it matters and get some judgement free education. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Tess Waresmith 0:00  Money is not good, bad, evil. It is just a tool. Are there billionaires that are assholes, of course, but that doesn't mean that money is a bad thing. We should all be working to acquire it, because if we have more flexibility, independence and freedom, we're going to be better for the people around us. We're going to make a better impact.Lesley Logan 0:17  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Lesley Logan 0:56  All right, Be It babe, we are gonna talk about the financial times. Don't turn this away. I know you wanna go, la, la, la, la, la, when we talk about money, and I think I said that the last time we had the amazing Tess Waresmith on. But I really want, I want you to know that like after talking with her and hearing her voice and hearing her perspective on all the uncertainty when it comes to money, when it comes to the stock market, when it comes to the economy, she always helps me put it all in the most amazing perspective. And I want that for you as well. And I also want you to have all the things that you want to have. And if you're like, oh Les, I'm good, we also talk about that too. We also talk about what like if you are good, why it's so important for you to have this information and to know what to do with it. So, here's Tess Waresmith. Lesley Logan 1:42  All right, Be It babe, I am thrilled to have this guest back, because, to be honest, I just love hearing her speak. I actually there's very few people online that I am like absolutely 100% have to watch everything they post, because I learned so much. I learned so much from her, and I wanted to have her back so we can learn some more, because the financial investment is always uncertain, but it feels more uncertain now than it ever did before. So Tess Waresmith, welcome back. Will you tell everyone who you are and what you rock at?Tess Waresmith 2:08  Thank you. Thank you for having me back. I am an accredited financial counselor, an investor, and I would say more colloquially, I am an advocate for women and people having more money so that they can do what they want, when they want, with who they want, and eventually retire comfortably and have the flexibility, yeah, to do whatever you want with your life. That is my goal. Lesley Logan 2:28  Yeah. Well, I mean, I think we're on the same path in different ways. Like, I don't know money the way you know money, but I'm like, I want women to have, like, I want them to be a priority in their life, so that they have a body that will take them everywhere they want to go. Because, you know, so I and for a lot that may require is like having financial independence and abilities to do things that can care for themselves, they advocate for themselves. And so money does, people can hate it or love it, but it does make the world go round. It is this energy that we need to understand. So, you know, we've had you on the pod before, so you guys, we'll definitely link in the show notes, and you will learn so much. But you know, as we record this, I'll say what when we're recording this, because I think it's helpful. We just got out of the longest shutdown, the crazy times we're recording November, so it's probably come out in 2026 in the beginning. But like, people are scared. I think people are freaking out. Like I coach businesses all the time, and where my predictions are is that the group fitness aspect of things is being affected, because that's the amount of those are the people whose paychecks are being affected, those people whose the cost of groceries going up, it affects their luxury spending, which I don't think fitness should be luxury, but their luxury spending on fitness is changing. And so I'm seeing these changes. Can we talk like, where do you want to start, Tess? Should we talk with, like, what is like is always uncertain, and it just and we're like, we're making it up that it's more uncertain today?Tess Waresmith 3:50  It's a great question. I mean, I want to, like, double tap on one thing you said, where before we even, like, get into this conversation. If, when Lesley said, if money is, like, good or bad? Like, money is a tool. It's not either. And so if you are somebody that's like, oh, I hear this a lot from women, they're like, oh, I don't need to make that much money or, like, I don't want to have too much because it's bad, or I feel greedy. If you're that person, we probably need you to have more money so that you can make a bigger impact, donate to causes you care about. You're probably a good person, if you're thinking about it that way. So I need you to just park that and rewrite a new story that's money is not good, bad, evil. It is just a tool. Are there billionaires that are assholes, of course, but that doesn't mean that money is a bad thing. We should all be working to acquire it, because if we have more flexibility, independence and freedom, we're going to be better for the people around us. We're going to make a better impact. If you're an asshole, you're going to be with money or without. So I just want to, like, start there, because I think, I think that is such a useful excuse to be like, I'm not going to focus on my money. I like, don't need more and just like, the reality is, like, if you're saying that I probably need you to have more. Yeah, know what I mean, because.Tess Waresmith 5:04  You're gonna do better things with it, like, I couldn't agree more. Like, I was listening to a business guy, a coach doing not a business coach. He's like, an actual, like, life coach type of thing. And he was finding how people are like, oh, I'm good. Like, I don't, I don't want to. I feel like if me wanting more is bad when other people have so little. And he's like, right, but you playing small is never going to give them anything. Right? So, like that to your point, like, if you're the, if you're the woman, listen, is going, like, I'm really good. Like, I don't need more. We need you to have more, because you will give it to the right people. You will spend it at the right businesses. You're not the ass hole. So, we need that. Yeah, I agree.Tess Waresmith 5:41  Yeah, yeah. So I've been thinking about that a lot more and more, especially as we roll into this economy where we have so much information and so much access and visual representations of under resourced people, and we're seeing that all the time. So it's easy to feel like, you know, well, I'm doing better than this person, and this isn't something I should focus on. The other thing that people don't realize is, if you learn more of the basics, you get to impact the people around you, and not all of them are doing well, either, like I have some really close friends that I've grown up with that are in much better financial positions, that came from nothing, that grew up in really bad homes and with no money, parents in jail. They're doing better because I am a money nerd, and I force them to talk about this stuff, and so, like, I think that it's just important to remember that this is like a fundamental unfortunately in this country, are the rights to like, food and housing is not guaranteed. We need money for those things. So if you have more than you need, great, give it to somebody that doesn't. So yeah, I could go on and on about that.Lesley Logan 6:44  Yeah, yeah. I know it's like, I think, like, it's really interesting, right? I just saw someone post because, again, we're recordimg in November. Somebody posted like, should you be doing, like, Black Friday, Cyber Monday sales? And as a Pilates business coach, I tell Pilates studios all the time, don't fucking do it. You have a service-based business. You don't have the margins to do the discounts that stores have, so you can't copy what stores are doing, and the big stores put those margins in. So guess what? When it's 40% off, it's because when it was full price, you're paying more than they needed you to pay. They have, it's built in, right? As a small business owner, do I do it? Yes. Why? Because I have a product that I can do it on, I have digital products I can do it on, and I'm only doing it this one time a year. While y'all want to have a discount, that's what people want. So like, I'm like, here's the game. I can acquire new customers with it. I can reward my loyal customers who've been with me a long time with these things. But I don't have to participate in this game. But we are currently, right now, recording in the States, in the United States, where housing and medical care and all these things are not guaranteed. And so you do need to have an awareness of how to make money and how to invest money so you can have those luxuries. So going to who what you're an expert at, and talking about these things like, I think people who have a lack of understanding of how money works and investment works, this is when they start to freak out. You know, like we all know, that as soon as they start to see that these big people are pulling their shares out of this, or pulling their shares of this, all of a sudden people start to freak out and pull their shares, and we become a very predictive death spiral. So what should we know? What should we be paying attention to if we are investing? Should we should we not invest right now? Like, what's the?Tess Waresmith 8:24  Yeah, yeah, all great questions and very real and honest questions. So I appreciate that. So I want to start with the fact that the economy and the stock market are not the same thing. It's easy to feel like they are, because we hear so much about the stock market, it's a super exciting piece of information and news for the media to to constantly bring up. And so a lot of times we see these things like, are we in an AI bubble? Are we going to have a recession? Is the stock market going to collapse? Or the stock market is collapsing when it goes down one day, or crashing or whatever. And so I think it's important to remember that those are two different things. The economy right now. There's a lot of issues in the economy. There's a there's a lot of data. Like, just to, like, nerd out for a second, and I'll make this like, as non jargony as possible. So stay with us. So, so first of all, there's, there's things called leading and lagging indicators in the economy, and leading indicators are typically things that are going to influence what the stock market might do in the future. And then there's lagging indicators that kind of show what the business cycle is doing in the past. And all of this to say is that there's so many factors that influence the stock market, and right now, we're in a place where we are getting bombarded with information that is favorable for the stock market and not favorable for the stock market all at the same time. So let me give you some examples. AI obviously has massive potential. It's driving incredible returns in 2025 so right now, when we're recording this this year, the returns on AI investment in the stock market have been outstanding. And if you are invest, even if you're investing in just something like a US stock market fund that holds a bunch of stocks in the US or some of you might know what the S&P 500 is, which is the top 500 US, largest stocks that are publicly traded if you're investing in the US stock market, you're investing in AI right now, and you've probably benefited from that, whether you know it or not, if you have a 401K or an IRA, let me tell you this, it should be up. Also, if it's not, shoot me a message, please. So that's one piece of the economy. At the same time, consumer sentiment isn't great. Healthcare costs are going up. Things are more expensive. We have not solved our inflation problem. A ton of layoffs are happening. We're adding jobs in some sectors, removing them from others. So it's important to remember that while all of those economic factors are going to influence the stock market, they are not the stock market. They are two different things. So that's the first thing I want to say. The second thing I want to say is that the stock market, I'll be very interested to see what happens when this podcast episode is released, to be honest. Because right now, we are in a place where the stock market has gone up over the last three years, significantly. 2024 '25 phenomenal years. However, we have a very hard time predicting what's going to happen in the stock market and how long the stock market will continue to go up before it eventually comes down. I'm telling you right now, it will for sure come down at some point to a lower place than we are at now. The stock market never goes up indefinitely. And so for those of you that are really nervous about investing, you're hearing, hearing and seeing all this news that we're like, we're in a bubble. There's going to be a stock market crash, doom and gloom, like maybe zombies or solar flares, like whatever dramatic things they can add to this conversation about investing, it's important to remember that the stock market actually goes in cycles. So it goes up pretty regularly, it hits a peak, it contracts, and then it hits a floor. And that cycle happens over and over and over again. And so we all get really surprised when we start focusing on our money and paying attention to investing, or even just start to get a little bit more nervous about retirement if we're in our 40s, and we're approaching that and we're realizing, oh, we should have paid more attention to this. All of a sudden, when we start to see this news, we go, oh my gosh, like the stock market's going to crash. The stock market has crashed a lot over the last 100 years. We see a correction and a correction is when the stock market comes down by roughly 10% the word correction comes from the prices of stocks actually like coming down being corrected. So we see that like every three to four years, it's very, very common. So one of the things that I can tell you and your listeners is that we should not be worried about a crash. We should expect one. It's part of the price of entry. If you want to build wealth, just like if you become a business owner, you learn a lot about yourself. It's a crash course in personal development. You have, like, ugly cry days, and then your best revenue day, like, three months later. And then everything you build crashes like and over and over. You're in this cycle of building, three steps forward, two steps back. That's business, right? Stock market's going to be the same thing. So what I highly suggest is, whenever you see news, if there's any kind of emotional or sensational twinge to it, that is your one, that should be a signal to you that that's probably clickbait. Yes, first of all, the news wants to write stock market crash, because you're going to click on that, because you're going to be like, Oh God, that sounds scary. So what I love to do, as an accredited financial counselor and an investor, and I will share a lot more about this through Instagram and upcoming YouTube videos, is that we need to understand that the stock market goes in cycles, and this is expected, and the more we can learn and understand the history of that, it's going to make us more confident in how we're investing. And so I'll give you an example for any of our listeners that are lived in 2008 right? The 2008 financial crisis. If you don't know, the stock market dropped like 50% it was abysmal, super bad. People lost a lot. But when people say they lost everything, they didn't lose their money in the stock market, if they didn't sell what they were invested in, if they were invested in 2008 when the stock market crashed and they waited five years, their money would have returned to the same amount it was at, and then over the next 10 years, would have ended up growing significantly and tripling in value like crazy. So the point of all this is there's two things we need to understand. The economy and the stock market are not the same thing. It's going to go in cycles. And if we're investing for the long term, we have 10, 20, 30 years to weather these cycles. It's going to happen. The more we can educate ourselves, the more we can stay calm during these moments.Lesley Logan 15:13  Okay, first of all, you just somehow always know how to, like, calm me down and make me, like, not nervous. Like, I feel like the I'm like, okay, great. So I'll just give I'll just find some more money to put in there. But also, like, I feel, I'm not gonna lie, I feel like I've never heard someone explain that the economy and the stock market are not the same thing. Like, I'm sure you've said it to me and I like, but there I'm hearing it for the first time, and it's like, well, that explains why, when the stock market was great and the economy, people were like, people aren't feeling the economy was great, and so people are confusing the two. And also I want to highlight that I do remember 2008 I actually became a very successful Pilates instructor during the time that people were canceling cable because I was selling something people wanted to invest like they wanted to invest in themselves. They wanted to take some time. They wanted they were thinking how they're putting their dollars. And so it doesn't they don't always had to be bad when they do figure itself out, and you are right, if people are in it for the long haul, then you're going to weather this. And I think it's hard, because the only people who talk about money around us are typically uncles and granddads and like other men, and they make it sound negative all the time, and we aren't always educated in what that looks like. And so then it's like, oh, it's really bad. But we have, there's a lot of cycles in life that we get more confident in, don't we remember? Like, we all remember our first time we got our female cycle. That was really scary, that was a lot. Then there was years of figuring it out, and then you become an adult, and sometimes you're still surprised it comes. Tess Waresmith 16:38  Tha't ssuch a good comparison.Lesley Logan 16:38  Like, it's right, yeah, but we have, like, it's this thing, and like, we have to dread it, and then it comes, and then all of a sudden, we got all the good hormones because it came, and then it's like, this great time. And so it's like, we live in cycles all the time, and if we know when to like you, the one difference is that, unfortunately, the stock market isn't on a 20-day day or 32-day cycle, I mean if it's good, but we don't know when it's going to happen. We know it is going to happen. So I love the way that you addressed that you say that it's like, okay, so then what's the attitude we want to have when it comes? How? What are we what? What is? What are some things that we can, like, plan for when that happens, so that we can not listen to the noise and the clickbait and be in fear and instead make proactive decisions? And so I guess my question is to you, like, when the stock market crashes, what is your process?Tess Waresmith 17:27  Yeah, yeah. So a lot of it is about preparation. And again, the first the acknowledgement, like we talked about, that's going to happen, knowing that we can say, okay, what do we want our finances to look like, to weather this storm, and there's some very specific things we can do to get ahead of this. So the first thing I would say is that if you are investing in the stock market, that should be money that you don't need, I'm going to say, depending on your risk tolerance the next three to five years. So now might be a good time, because there is so much uncertainty, politically, socially, financially, economically, like, yeah, it's a crazy time. I mean, it's always kind of a crazy time. I think now with social media, we probably get bombarded with it more than we used to. But I will say that, like that is an important thing to remember. Is, like, one of the things I love to tell people, people ask me what they should do with their money, and I always flip that around, and I want to say, what do you want your money to do for you? So let's say a crash is coming. What we want is to make sure we have enough money in the interim while the market is being crappy. So that means having maybe a little bit more of a buffer in savings, maybe adding to your high yield savings account. In the same breath, the money that you're investing in a retirement account like an IRA or a 401(K), you have to remember you're probably not going to touch that money for another 10, 20, 30 years, depending how old you are listening to this, those accounts don't even let you withdraw until you're 59 and a half without penalty, with the exception of Roth contributions, which are have already been taxed. We can come back to that if you have questions on that. But essentially, for the most part, just to like, simplify this, your retirement accounts are meant to be for retirement. So if you have money invested in those accounts, and we have a stock market crash in 2026 it doesn't actually affect your day to day life at all, because you're not going to be using that money in the next immediate future. And even if, even if you are retiring next year, that sucks. It's, it's a bummer, right? That sucks if that happens, and I really hope it doesn't happen to any of you. But even that said, in your first year of retirement, are you going to drain your entire 401(K) and IRA to live? Probably not. You're going to take a portion of that. And if you are prepared, you already have your next few years expenses. Right in savings. So one of the big misses, and like very simple financial organization, is thinking about your money in buckets. What do you need in the short term? What do you need in the long term? And then there's like a little bit of a middle gray area, like maybe you want to buy a house in five to 10 years. Should you invest that money in, like a flexible investing account, like a regular brokerage account? Maybe. It depends on your risk tolerance. You know that likelihood of the stock market being up after five years is roughly 90% based on historical data, so pretty good odds. Is it guaranteed? No. So I think that that's the way we've got to think about it is like, what's the intention for our money? And I'll tell you right now. Lesley, like I for sure, have more money in cash right now. I have a couple of rental properties. I need to make sure I can cover those expenses. The other reason I have that is I so I don't do any dumb shit and take my money out of my investing accounts, because I don't need it. Because even as somebody that is very well educated on the economy, on the stock market, an accredited financial counselor. These things are always going to still be emotional and psychological. So that's the first thing is, like, make sure you have some savings. The second piece of this is understand how your money is invested in the first place, and so learning the basics of investing and making sure that you are investing in a bunch of different stocks and different geographies is really, really valuable. It's called diversification, aka putting your eggs in different baskets. And you can learn about this in hours, making sure that your money is not just all invested in Nvidia or Meta if you're picking one stock, putting all your money in it, I think that's a terrible investing strategy. You could become really wealthy, or you could lose a lot. That's actually Lesley, how you lose everything is when you put all your eggs in one basket. So the other important thing to remember is when we diversify appropriately and invest in US stocks and international stocks. The whole point of that is to create a portfolio that can weather these dramatic downturns. So I think it's like two things. It's like making sure we have our money in the right places to weather the storm, and then our money is invested, understanding how that's diversified across different stuff, so that when one sector collapses, or if there is an AI bubble, not all your money is in AI, so you have different stuff. And thankfully, there's easy ways to do that.Lesley Logan 22:30  Yeah, I think, I think that these are all good reminders. And I also love that, like, the vulnerability of like, yes, even you an expert, there's emotions, because with social media, there's these crazy titles on things that are meant to get you riled up and freaking out, and then you do something stupid when, if you were sane and rational, you would go, hold on. Wait a minute. What? So we're recording this in November, and I said to Brad (inaudible) at the gym, I said, oh, that Peter Thiel guy, like dropped all of his stock, and Tesla and a bit, and Nvidia what is that? And he and I, and I was like, do you think he's like, trying to fuck with things, like, right (inaudible) he's not getting enough attention. But at any rate, like, Brad goes, oh, well that. I hope people don't read too much into that, because that could really scare some people to do some stupid stuff. And it's like you start to realize, like, oh, like, when you could just get yourself away from the title and get yourself away from some things, you can go start to see as a bigger picture. You take a deep breath and you can do these things. I do. I do think that a lot of people, even you know, just in the way that I coach people in their Pilates business, I see them doing drastic changes because they're they're reacting, as opposed to giving themselves a runway that allows them to take a deep breath and figure out, like, what's the next best thing to do.Tess Waresmith 23:44  Yeah, such a good example that Brad brought up. I saw that exact article, and actually three people messaged me about that, which is so funny that you bring that up. I have another great example of this. And there was an author, Andrew Sorkin, who wrote a book on the dot-com bubble when the internet started, and there were all these internet companies popping up all over the place. And then, of course, there was a stock market crash right after that, because there are all these companies that weren't set up for success in the long term in the era of the internet. And so he was drawing some similarities, and all these news publications said, author of dot-com bubble book says we're in the same situation that we were in in 2000 and that's not really exactly what he said. He said there were some similarities, but I can tell you about some differences. So first of all, in the dot-com bubble, the Internet was new, there weren't companies that were huge and integrated into this new technology in the way we are now, and so some of the biggest investment in AI is Meta, Google, like Microsoft, these companies that are so big and so profitable and so established, even if AI just like stopped being a thing tomorrow, they're not going anywhere. So it's a totally different economic business landscape than it was in 2000. Sure, there are some similarities. There was internet hype. Now there's AI hype. Yeah, you could draw them, but a lot of the AI investment is in these mega companies that are so well-resourced that it's very unlikely that we'll see, like an entire bubble and all these there will, for sure, be AI companies that don't do well, but it's a totally different situation in a lot of ways. So that's a good example of, like, how things can be skewed to scare people.Lesley Logan 25:36  Yeah, and I think I love you brought that up because I remember one of the one of my old business coaches, he had mentioned something was probably, it was a podcast, probably during the pandemic when we were all kind of worried. But it might have been a little after, to be honest. So I'm not going to get the dates correct on this, but he mentioned, you know, people are worried about a recession right now. And let me, let me, it must have been two years into the pandemic, because I'm now thinking, remember, I was driving to Vegas, but he said, let's just look at what the recession was in 2008 and when we knew we're in a recession, and actually how quickly we actually started to get out of it. And so, like, the, it's about the and you can correct me if I'm wrong, Tess, but it's like, you have two quarters in a row where things are declining, and then it's like, okay, the economy is retracting, and this is going on. By the time we were actually going up, it had been like another quarter was a little bit but like, things started to turn around. Now, it took a long time for people to feel that turning around, of course, he said. But the other thing we have to know is today, people's incomes are a bit more diversified as well. Not everyone is working for the same big companies. A lot of people have their own businesses. We have people who have a bit more ability to, Oh, this isn't making any money over here. I can make money over here. Not to say that we are, we all can't be hurt by this. But something that I remind myself of is like I am at the time of of 2008 I was only teaching people private one on one sessions in-person today where I'm at I have in-person stuff. I've got retreat stuff. I've got this online thing over here. Now can things retract? Absolutely, but one of those things might actually be more in demand, and I can lean more over there. And so I do think that we can take some emotions out of it and start to go we are all in a different place than we were, because we've learned from different things, and maybe we have to just start to keep in mind, like, what the people writing the headlines want us to do, which is react and have emotion because they because they have to sell ads so they can stay alive. Tess Waresmith 27:34  Yeah, totally. It's, that is a fantastic point and really important to remember, especially for business owners. And then the other thing I would say is, like controlling what we can control, like you just gave us a great example of what we can control. We can control our businesses. We can create new streams of revenue. You know, I love this quote that's like, there's never a lack of resources, only a lack of resource for people like the amount of like free information on the internet that you can find to help you create stuff, make money. It's out there. The other thing we can control is making sure that during these times we're not going into debt. So just making sure you're not spending more than you make that is a super simple tip to survive any kind of recession or stock market crash. And then the other thing I'll say is to look at it as, and this is harder, because it's counterintuitive, but as a massive opportunity. There are a lot of people that became very wealthy after 2008 because they saw the stock market crash and they went, Well, shit, this whole thing is on sale. I am going to invest as much as I possibly can, and as the market recovered, they saw phenomenal returns over the next five years or so. So that's another reason why this education and conversations like this are so valuable, is because, yes, it happens, yes it sucks, it doesn't feel good, but it's also a massive opportunity, if we understand that this goes in cycles, so just another, another way to frame it that's hopefully a little helpful.Lesley Logan 29:05  Yeah, I know that's like, I mean, that's the thing that I don't think enough people understand, because no one talks about it, right? No one talks about, like, after the Great Depression, who got really, really rich from that, and how they did it. No one talks about how after the dot-com even then there was, like, there was different people do benefit, and we do swing back up. And I think we tend to, maybe it's because of how our brains are wired. We look at, we look for the negative, and then we we live in fear, and then we do things based off fear, as opposed to, like, getting on top of the mountain and having a bigger perspective and understanding, like, what is going on and what, what, you said it the best, what can we control? And we can't control. I we can't we cannot control the stock market, unfortunately. We don't have that power yet, maybe, but we can control, like, how we prepare ourselves. And I think that's really, I think that's really key. So you talked about the different buckets you talked about, so preparing ourselves. As it would be as just to reiterate it, just make sure I heard them all, you know, not spending more than we have, so easy, making sure we have a bit more cash on hand, not just to weather any storms, but also sounds like so we can, like, take part of the garage sale that's gonna happen and then diversifying what we are invested in, so it's not all in one area and things like that. I guess I would also say, like, what would your wish be for every woman listening about their level of educating themselves on investments and money? Like, is this something they have to do weekly, daily? Can they do a crash course? Like, how much should they be thinking about this? Because I'm sure they're also thinking, okay, guys, on top of this, I have to think, you know, because, there is a lot going on. There's there's the worry that they have about the people down the street who aren't making enough. There's the the political stuff that's going on. There's a lot that they have to educate themselves on. Like, how much should they be thinking about this?Tess Waresmith 30:52  Yeah, it's such a great question. I'm gonna say it's less than you think once you get a basic education. So I would say the level of information that you should have about investing and the stock market and retirement accounts is roughly the same as getting your driver's license and learning the rules of the road and how to stop at stoplights, please, hopefully you're doing that, and how to put gas in your car, right? Like, like basics, right? Like, when you learn to drive, at first it was hard. You had to practice a little bit, but then you have it, and it's not going anywhere. That is the level of understanding that you have to have about finances in the stock market. So some things you should know are all the things we talk about, your personal cash flow, how money comes in and out of your life, what accounts you can use to build wealth. There's accounts that help you save on taxes, like 401(K)s and IRAs and ones that are just flexible regular accounts, both are great for different reasons. And then you should also know the basics of how to choose investments inside those accounts. And the type of investments that I think everyone should understand the basics of are not the kind of things that you have to go in and tweak every single week. In fact, the best type of investing is investing in funds that hold hundreds or thousands of stocks so these are usually index funds or index ETFs, exchange traded funds. This is just jargon for investments that hold a bunch of different stocks at once. And if you can learn that, and you can learn how to select ones that represent the market, the average return of the market over time is roughly 10% so even if you invest in the most simple way, and you just buy a fund that holds all the stocks that are publicly traded, you could, based on historical data, get the average return of the market at 10% that is like the minimum. That's what you have to learn. And that takes, like, weeks, not months, years, not a finance PhD. It takes you deciding that this matters and deciding that you want to retire comfortably, you want to have the flexibility to pivot, start a new business, do whatever you want, travel to Bali, Cambodia, whatever, like, that's why this matters. It's investing doesn't matter because of investing. It matters because of all those other awesome things you get to do with your life. So I would say, if you dedicated, like, and don't tell me you don't have enough time because you do like, like, half an hour on a Saturday morning, if you like, pick something and you watch some YouTube videos on it, it could change your life in like two or three months. So that's like, high level. I think people think it's going to be way harder than it actually is to learn the basics. And then once you've set up your system where you have money coming in from your business or job, some of that money might go to debt. Some of it goes to your savings some of it goes to your investing accounts. Guess what? All of that can be automated. You can just have an automatic transfer to your Roth IRA that goes directly into a simple fund that holds a bunch of stocks. You can automatically pay off your debt. You can automatically add a little bit more to your high yield savings accounts. Once you set up that system, the maintenance is negligible. There are accounts that I have not touched in over a year, and they're doing fine. Is there a point, at some point when you build more wealth that you might want to talk to somebody get some strategy for sure, of course, but if you understand the basics of what I just explained, which, again, takes weeks, not months, hours, not years. Once you learn the basics, then what you can do is find the right kind of help that's not going to screw you over with a bunch of hidden fees. You understand how the system works, so you can get help that's effective and not hemorrhaging money from your investing accounts, which is a very common problem I see all the time. So that's what I would say. I would say it's less hard than you think, reading two books and taking a course, setting aside time to watch some YouTube videos like being diligent in that way can honestly change your life so much faster than you think. The hardest part is deciding that this matters and then making a commitment to learn. That's the hardest part, actually, learning, it's not that hard.Lesley Logan 35:03  Oh, I love that so much. Okay, something that you do that I want to highlight real quick before, I mean, we could talk forever, but you are aunt. I'm an aunt. You do something epic for your niece, correct? Tess Waresmith 35:13  Yes. Lesley Logan 35:14  Can we, like, should we? Can we talk a little about, like, setting things up for, like, the shares? Tess Waresmith 35:19  Sure. Yeah, yeah. So one of the great math I'm going to say the best mathematical equation on the planet is compound interest, right? So that's why we're investing, because we invest a little bit, it grows and then we get that same return on that money, and then it just continues to grow and grow, right? That's the snowball effect of investing. That's why we're doing it. So if you start investing when somebody's young, or investing for a kid when they're young, the amount of money it takes to completely change their life is so much smaller than you think. So my niece was born this year, so she's zero. I'm not a parent. That's how you know I'm not a parent. I just said zero. Lesley Logan 36:04  It's all right, you didn't say it. So that's good. But yes, I know it's true. And then they talk in months for a long time, and I'm like, you know, we got to get to a year, and then I would be great. Tess Waresmith 36:14  Yeah. So let's say I already told you the average return of the stock market is 10% if I invest for my niece, little little Frida, not it. Little Frida like 100 bucks a month until she's 18, she will have roughly $54,000 given the average return of the stock market. Nothing like crazy, just the average return of the stock market. So that's pretty good, right? But what we don't remember is what happens after that, like, if she just leaves that account alone. So let's say I contribute $100 until she's 18 into an account. It could be a tax advantaged account. There are education accounts, but let's just say it's like a regular investing account, and I contribute that amount, and she's got $54,000 by the time she's 18. What I'm going to tell little Frida is girl just like, leave it there, make your own money, do whatever you want and leave it there for 30 years. Because if you do that, she's going to have roughly a million dollars in 30 years. And I contributed roughly, I don't know, whatever 100 like, month for. Lesley Logan 37:21  I would just say about $18,000 but maybe a little more, because it's 12, there's 12 months in a year. Tess Waresmith 37:24  Yeah, yeah, not a lot. The whole point is not a lot. Lesley Logan 37:27  Yeah, yeah.Tess Waresmith 37:28  So that's like, that's insane to imagine, right? $100 for 18, $100 a month for 18 years, and then it just sits that $54,000 just sits for 30 years. Lesley Logan 37:39  No added money. Tess Waresmith 37:40  She's, no added money. She's a guaranteed millionaire. I don't even have to support her in retirement. I already did. So so like that is, that is the power of compound interest. And I will say also, I'm glad she brought that up, because if you need a motivator to learn this, and you're a parent or you have nieces, this has to be your motivator. Because even if you're not in a place where you can invest $100 a month for your kid. No shame in that. What is so much more valuable than doing what I just told you is learning the basics for yourself, learning how to put on your own mask first, before assisting others so that you can teach your own little Frida the basics of what I just taught you, because if they learn how to do it, and they're contributing 50 bucks a month, 100 bucks a month, they're also going to be a millionaire in retirement. Tess Waresmith 38:03  Yeah, yeah. Love you so much. Okay, we're going to take a brief break and then find out how people can work with you, because I'm sure that's where they're at. They're like, I don't need a random YouTube person. I need you. Tess Waresmith 38:18  Sounds good. Lesley Logan 38:18  All right, Tess, where do you hang out? Where can they stalk you in the best way? Because you're gonna teach them all the ways and where and do you have courses? Do you have anything that they can work with you on? Tess Waresmith 38:48  Yes, absolutely. So I hang out on Instagram a lot @wealthwithtess is my Instagram handle, so follow me there. I also think if this conversation was helpful, I highly recommend that you grab my free investing guide. It has a ton of information of what we just talked about today, and it's going to help you, step by step, start thinking through this process of how to organize your money and start investing. And there's some great examples in there. So that is free, and that's at wealthwithtess.com/savvy S-A-V-V-Y wealthwithtess.com/savvy there's a free investing guide there. Honestly, I'd start there. That's a great place to get information. And then I'm always offering free workshops and opportunities to learn, and I share those so once you download that, you'll get on my email list. And I share information weekly and try to help you stay calm during the AI bubble madness that we're in. Lesley Logan 39:39  I feel so calm, you're like a cortisol little like control objection. You you know the drill. We have the bold, executable, intrinsic, targeted steps people can take to Be It Till They See It. What do you have to add to the amazing advice you've already given us?Tess Waresmith 39:53  I might have said this last time, but I'm gonna say it again. No one cares about your money more than you do. They just don't. So if you care about your money. What you're going to do after this is you're going to go into the show notes, download that free guide and spend 20 minutes reading it, and you're then you're going to pick a next step. That's what you got to do. You got to take action. You can't just listen to people talk about money. You got to do something with what you're learning. Lesley Logan 40:13  Yeah, I love that so much, because I do think people like, okay, check, thought about my money, right? And also like, then take an action that goes along with it. You're epic. I love you so much. I can't wait. We'll have to just make this, like, figure out a way to, like, an annual wealth with Tess, tell us how we're doing. Tell us what's up. You guys, what are you going to do with these tips in your life? Wealth with Tess, wants to know. I want to know so and also share this with all your friends. Because I actually do think when the biggest, this is a little tangent side story, but years ago, when I lived in LA those was so many emails were hacked, and what a lot of female actresses learned is they're making very little money compared to their male counterparts. And one of the things that came out of that is, well, women don't talk about how much they make enough. They don't talk about money enough. And I do think that if our friendships could go deeper into those ways. And it's not a flashy thing. It's an actual thing that allows us to educate ourselves of how much we can make in different areas. There would be less of a wealth gap. There would be more information, because we just don't know how much people are making at different places. And so make this be the start of the conversation about money with your friends, so you can have deeper, wealthier relationships. And until next time, Be It Till You See It. Lesley Logan 41:22  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 42:05  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 42:10  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 42:14  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 42:21  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 42:24  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

A Super Bowl commercial sparks a conversation that could quietly reshape how families think about long‑term wealth. Mike and Ryan explore the new “Trump accounts,” a government‑seeded savings option for children that blends features of IRAs with long‑term compounding potential. The discussion breaks down who can open these accounts, contribution limits, tax treatment, and how parents and grandparents might use them alongside or instead of 529 plans. Mike and Ryan also compare flexibility, legacy planning considerations, and why starting early changes the math in dramatic ways. It’s a timely look at a new tool entering the family financial planning landscape. Want to begin building your retirement and tax plan? Click Here to Schedule a 15-minute Discovery Call Follow us for more helpful insights:

Investing” Is Not the Same as “Owning” A client said something to Bruce recently that stuck with me: “I despise the idea of a 401(k)… but I also know I'll spend the money if it hits my checking account.” That single sentence captures the tension so many families feel. https://www.youtube.com/live/1d8Ln6EsBxk On one hand, you want control. You want options. You want the ability to pivot when life changes or opportunity shows up. On the other hand, you've been trained to believe the “responsible” path is to lock money away, chase a rate of return, and hope the future works out. That's why Bruce and I recorded this episode—because most people think wealth is built by finding the right investments. But the families who build long-term, sustainable wealth usually share something deeper: They've learned the difference between investing vs owning assets—and they prioritize control of capital. In the first 100 words, let's say it plainly: if you're only “investing,” you may be building a net worth number, but still living with limited access, limited flexibility, and limited decision-making. Owning assets is different. Ownership changes your options—today, not just someday. Investing” Is Not the Same as “Owning”What You'll Learn About Investing vs Owning AssetsInvesting vs Owning Assets: What's the Difference, Really?Taxable vs Tax-Deferred vs Tax-Free Accounts: Don't Confuse the Account With the InvestmentWhy Too Much Money in Qualified Plans Can Limit Your OptionsTraded vs Non-Traded Investments ExplainedPrivate Real Estate Investing vs REIT: What You're Actually ChoosingWhat Is an Accredited Investor Definition—and Why It MattersHow to Buy a Small Business to Build Wealth (Even If You're a W-2 Earner)“Who Not How”: Build Ownership With the Right TeamInvesting vs Owning Assets in Everyday Life: A Simple Self-AssessmentInfinite Banking as a Wealth Strategy: Where Ownership and Control Show UpInvesting vs Owning Assets: Ownership Changes Your OptionsListen to the Full Episode on Investing vs Owning AssetsBook A Strategy CallFAQWhat is the difference between investing vs owning assets?What does traded vs non-traded investments explained mean?Is a REIT the same as owning real estate?Why do qualified plans like 401(k)s reduce control of capital?How do I build wealth outside the stock market? What You'll Learn About Investing vs Owning Assets In this blog (and podcast), Bruce Wehner and I unpack what we called the “unseen wealth gap”—the gap between families who primarily invest and families who intentionally own assets. Here's what you'll gain by reading: Clear definitions: taxable vs tax-deferred vs tax-free accounts (and why most people confuse the account with the investment) The real difference between traded vs non-traded investments Why so many families feel trapped inside qualified plans (401(k)s, IRAs, SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, 403(b)s, 457s) Practical ways to build wealth outside the stock market—even if you're a W-2 earner How liquidity and access to capital can matter more than a projected rate of return Where Infinite Banking and cash value life insurance can fit into an ownership strategy And just to be clear: this is education and perspective—not individualized financial advice. Our goal is to help you think better, ask better questions, and make decisions with more clarity. Investing vs Owning Assets: What's the Difference, Really? People hear “ownership” and say, “But I own stock. Isn't that ownership?” Technically, yes—you own shares. But for most everyday investors, that “ownership” often comes with very little control. Here's the simplest way we can say it: Investing often means you participate in an asset's performance, but you don't control decisions, timing, access, or outcomes. Owning assets means you have more influence over the decisions, the structure, the cash flow, and the information—especially when you own businesses, real estate, or private assets where you can ask questions and understand what's actually happening. Bruce made a point that's worth repeating: with public companies, you cannot call the CEO, ask hard questions, or influence strategy. With many private ownership structures (like certain partnerships), you can talk to the sponsor, review details, ask “what happens if…,” and understand the philosophy and vision—not just the numbers. That difference—access to information and decision-making—is part of the wealth gap. Taxable vs Tax-Deferred vs Tax-Free Accounts: Don't Confuse the Account With the Investment One of the biggest misunderstandings we see is this: people treat the account type as the investment. They'll say, “I'm investing in a Roth,” or “I'm investing in my 401(k).” But your 401(k) is not the investment. It's a tax bucket. Taxable accounts These are accounts where you typically pay taxes as you earn interest/dividends or realize gains (like selling a stock for a capital gain). Think brokerage accounts, bank interest, and many dividend-producing holdings. Tax-deferred accounts (qualified plans) These include 401(k)s, traditional IRAs, SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, 403(b)s, 457s, and some annuities. Tax-deferred means you generally postpone taxes now and pay later—plus you follow IRS rules for access and distribution timing. This is where many families have the majority of their money… and also where many families feel stuck. Tax-free strategies (or tax-advantaged) This category can include Roth IRAs, certain municipal bond interest, some forms of home equity, and properly structured life insurance strategies (depending on your situation and compliance). The point isn't that everything is “tax-free.” The point is: many families never even explore this category beyond “Roth or not.” When you only see two options—pay tax now or pay tax later—you miss the strategies that create flexibility. Why Too Much Money in Qualified Plans Can Limit Your Options Bruce said something that we see all the time: Some families have 95%—sometimes close to 100%—of their money inside qualified plans. Then life happens: A business opportunity shows up A real estate purchase requires speed A family emergency requires liquidity A market downturn makes you hesitate to sell assets A capital call comes due And suddenly the real problem isn't “returns.” It's access. If you want to understand how to build wealth outside the stock market, start with this question: Do I have enough capital outside qualified plans to act when opportunity (or adversity) arrives? This is why we talk so much about liquidity strategy and access to capital. Control isn't a philosophy. It's practical. Traded vs Non-Traded Investments Explained This is one of the most important distinctions in the whole conversation. Traded assets Traded assets are priced and exchanged in public markets—stocks, many ETFs, and other exchange-traded products. You get liquidity, but you also get the “whims” of market psychology. Bruce gave a powerful example: an apartment portfolio could be collecting rent just fine, but if investors panic, the traded price can drop anyway because people sell. So the asset can be stable—while the price swings. Non-traded assets Non-traded assets are not priced minute-by-minute on an exchange. That usually means less liquidity, but potentially more stability in valuation and often different risk/return expectations. Bruce used the example of non-traded real estate structures where the sponsor purchases assets, manages operations, and the investors participate based on the structure. This is where the key phrase comes in: liquidity and access to capital. Non-traded can mean you can't exit quickly. That can be a feature or a risk—depending on whether you planned for it. Private Real Estate Investing vs REIT: What You're Actually Choosing Real estate is a perfect example because people can “invest” in real estate in multiple ways. REITs A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) can be traded or non-traded. The big difference you experience as an investor is usually liquidity and market pricing behavior. Private real estate ownership This includes owning rental properties directly, participating in partnerships, or investing in private deals like syndications (depending on eligibility and suitability). If you're asking, “Is this investing or owning?” here's a helpful lens: If you're buying a ticker symbol, you're mostly buying market exposure. If you're buying an interest in a specific asset and can ask questions about operations, assumptions, and scenarios, you're closer to ownership behavior—even if you're not the operator. And of course, none of this is “good” or “bad” by default. The question is: what fits your goals and your risk tolerance? What Is an Accredited Investor Definition—and Why It Matters Bruce explained the reality that certain private investments require accredited investor status. At a high level, that status can involve income thresholds or net worth thresholds (with certain exclusions, like primary residence equity). The reason it matters is simple: access. But let's not miss the bigger point: You don't need to be accredited to start shifting from “only investing” to “increasing ownership.” Business ownership, skill-based service businesses, local cash-flowing acquisitions, and many forms of direct real estate ownership do not require that label. So if you're not accredited, don't let that become a mental dead end. There are still practical ownership paths. How to Buy a Small Business to Build Wealth (Even If You're a W-2 Earner) Rachel here—this part matters because people assume business ownership has to mean: Starting a tech company Buying a major franchise Quitting their job overnight Taking huge risks with no plan

"It's not about deprivation. It's about balance. It's about taking care of your today self and your future self."   Join our hosts, Stephanie McCullough of Sofia Financial and Kevin Gaines of American Financial Management Group, as they simplify the world of financial planning, starting with understanding cash flow. They tackle how to monitor the inflow and outflow of your money, without yet worrying about its source or where it's going. Learn the importance of observing more than one month of data, as things can fluctuate from month to month.   Stephanie and Kevin further explore the significance of setting up an emergency fund and how much cash you should ideally have available. Listen as they explain why it's essential to have a cash cushion to cover unexpected expenses. They provide insights on how to calculate the amount you should have in your emergency fund and why it may need to be increased if your future seems uncertain. Also, discover the differences between cash and investments, and why cash is best for emergencies.   They discuss the different retirement savings and investing options available, such as 401(k)s, IRAs, and target date funds. Gain knowledge on the benefits of each, from lower costs to matching options and pre-tax savings. They also touch on setting up a regular investment account with no limits or restrictions. Their ultimate aim is to emphasize the importance of establishing an investment plan that suits you and doesn't cause unnecessary stress. This episode is your guide to making informed and confident decisions about your financial future.   Key Topics: •   Cash and Cash Flow (05:15) •   Looking at the Trends (08:13) •   How Much Cash Should I Have and Where to Put It? (10:58) •   How to Invest More Money (20:24) •   Don't Get Intimidated by the 1099 Form (24:15) •   Savings vs. Investment (25:51) •   Wrap-Up (28:23)     Resources: •   Take Back Retirement Episode 29: How Much Cash Should I Have and Where Should I Be Putting It? •   Take Back Retirement Episode 12: What Women Need to Know About IRA's, with Sarah Brenner •   Take Back Retirement Episode 45: What Women Need to Know about Target Date Funds •   Put One Foot in Front of the Other - Santa Clause is Coming to Town (skit) •   HEE HAW Gloom Despair And Agony On Me | Classic Her Haw TV (skit)   If you like what you've been hearing, we invite you to subscribe on your favorite platform and leave us a review. Tell us what you love about this episode! Or better yet, tell us what you want to hear more of in the future. stephanie@sofiafinancial.com   You can find the transcript and more information about this episode at www.takebackretirement.com.   Follow Stephanie on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.  Follow Kevin on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.

In today's show, I tackle two hot topics listeners have been asking about: tax planning in retirement and the role of life insurance in your golden years. Drawing from real questions and common scenarios. But that's not all: I also dig into the nuances of life insurance in retirement, explaining when it makes sense to keep or reconsider a policy, and how it can be a powerful tool for risk management, legacy planning, or supplementing income.    You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... 06:03 Tax planning vs. preparation 11:17 Optimizing Roth conversions in retirement 16:05 Capital gains and tax strategies 18:37 Retirement income planning strategies 24:50 Survivor benefits explained  26:41 Life insurance for younger spouses 28:57 Whole life policy loan insights 32:41 Retirement life insurance benefits 39:35 Annuities, IRAs, and tax considerations Tax Planning in Retirement: Looking Beyond This Year Too often, tax strategies are left for CPAs or accounting firms during busy tax season, which is not the ideal time for personalized planning. Many people believe their taxes will drop in retirement and ignore future implications such as Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), possible tax rate changes, or status changes like moving from joint to single filing after a spouse's death. I recommend a proactive, multi-year approach, planning not just for today but for years ahead. Mapping out your future retirement income and tax liabilities allows you to make strategic decisions that optimize withdrawals, conversions, and gifting options.   Key strategies include: Roth Conversions: Moving funds from pre-tax accounts (like IRAs or 401(k)s) to Roth IRAs can create future tax-free income. Timing is crucial; for example, the years before Social Security starts can be optimal for conversions without bumping up your taxable income. Roth Contributions: Don't forget about spousal Roth IRAs and annual contribution limits. In 2026, for couples over 50, you can contribute up to $17,200 combined to Roth IRAs (subject to income eligibility). Capital Gains Harvesting: Understanding the rules for primary residence sales and brokerage accounts means you can maximize capital gain exclusions and possibly pay 0% on gains when your income is lower. Charitable Giving: Proper planning can help you meet your philanthropic goals while minimizing taxable income. Gifting: Gifting appreciated assets helps save on future tax dollars, especially when gifting to individuals or charities.   Who Needs Life Insurance and Why? Life insurance typically protects against the financial risk of premature death in your working years, especially if you have dependents, debt, and income that others rely on. But its purpose shifts in retirement. Life insurance is not an investment; it's a tool to transfer risk. As you approach or enter retirement, your financial picture often changes, the mortgage may be paid off, children are independent, and asset balances may be at their peak. At this stage, you should revisit whether life insurance still fits your needs or whether your money could be better utilized elsewhere.   Life insurance can serve several purposes in retirement: For pension holders who opt for the "single life" payout, life insurance can provide financial security to surviving spouses or dependents if their pension stops at death. It also acts as bridge funding, where if an age gap exists between spouses, a policy can bridge the gap until Social Security survivor benefits begin (especially since these benefits only start at age 60 for most spouses). Some retirees use life insurance to ensure a tax-free inheritance for loved ones or to supplement other tax-free assets like homes (due to step-up in basis) and Roth IRAs. Hybrid life insurance policies can include riders for long-term care, providing benefits if care is needed and a tax-free payout at death. However, not all old policies continue to make sense. Whole life policies bought decades ago may have modest death benefits that no longer provide impactful coverage, and their cash values may be underperforming. It's worth reviewing these policies and considering whether surrender, exchange, or repurpose is wiser.  Resources & People Mentioned 3 Steps to Retirement Planning   Connect With Gregg Gonzalez Email at: Gregg.gonzalez@lpl.com Podcast: https://RetireStrongFA.com/Podcast Website: https://RetireStrongFA.com/ Follow Gregg on LinkedIn Follow Gregg on Facebook Follow Gregg on YouTube   Subscribe to Retirement Made Easy On Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts  

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3473: Cynthia Meyer explores the hidden risks and complexities of self-directed IRAs, breaking down why the promise of alternative investments like real estate or private equity isn't always as appealing as it sounds. She highlights the higher fees, potential tax traps, liquidity issues, and fraud risks that can catch investors off guard. By walking through who might truly benefit from an SD-IRA, Meyer helps listeners decide whether this strategy fits into a well-diversified, retirement-ready plan. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.financialfinesse.com/2016/04/18/are-self-directed-iras-a-good-idea/ Quotes to ponder: "Many alternative investments available in SD-IRAs carry a high risk of losing all or most of your money due to lack of diversification or the inherent risk of the investment itself." "Beware of investing in anything you don't understand and can't explain easily to others." "Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Episode references: Bankrate – Self-Directed IRA: What You Need to Know: https://www.bankrate.com/retirement/self-directed-ira/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3473: Cynthia Meyer explores the hidden risks and complexities of self-directed IRAs, breaking down why the promise of alternative investments like real estate or private equity isn't always as appealing as it sounds. She highlights the higher fees, potential tax traps, liquidity issues, and fraud risks that can catch investors off guard. By walking through who might truly benefit from an SD-IRA, Meyer helps listeners decide whether this strategy fits into a well-diversified, retirement-ready plan. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.financialfinesse.com/2016/04/18/are-self-directed-iras-a-good-idea/ Quotes to ponder: "Many alternative investments available in SD-IRAs carry a high risk of losing all or most of your money due to lack of diversification or the inherent risk of the investment itself." "Beware of investing in anything you don't understand and can't explain easily to others." "Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Episode references: Bankrate – Self-Directed IRA: What You Need to Know: https://www.bankrate.com/retirement/self-directed-ira/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3473: Cynthia Meyer explores the hidden risks and complexities of self-directed IRAs, breaking down why the promise of alternative investments like real estate or private equity isn't always as appealing as it sounds. She highlights the higher fees, potential tax traps, liquidity issues, and fraud risks that can catch investors off guard. By walking through who might truly benefit from an SD-IRA, Meyer helps listeners decide whether this strategy fits into a well-diversified, retirement-ready plan. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.financialfinesse.com/2016/04/18/are-self-directed-iras-a-good-idea/ Quotes to ponder: "Many alternative investments available in SD-IRAs carry a high risk of losing all or most of your money due to lack of diversification or the inherent risk of the investment itself." "Beware of investing in anything you don't understand and can't explain easily to others." "Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Episode references: Bankrate – Self-Directed IRA: What You Need to Know: https://www.bankrate.com/retirement/self-directed-ira/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the greatest change you could make in your financial life didn't start with budgeting, investing, or earning more—but with surrender? We don't usually think of surrender as a financial word. Yet Scripture places it at the center of faithful stewardship. The life-changing truth that God owns everything reshapes how we live, give, and manage what we've been entrusted. The First Question Scripture Asks About Money When we talk about finances, we tend to ask familiar questions: How much do I have? How much do I need? Am I doing well? They're natural questions—but they're not the first question Scripture asks. From the beginning, the Bible establishes that God is the owner. Before humanity ever managed a garden or named a creature, God formed, filled, and ruled creation. Psalm 24:1 declares it plainly: “The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.” Simply put, God is the owner—and we are the stewards. For many of us, that's a familiar idea. But familiarity doesn't always lead to surrender. We may affirm God's ownership in theory while living as if everything depends on our effort. We say, “I worked for this,” or “I earned this.” Yet Scripture adds an essential truth: “It is He who gives you power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18). Even our ability to work is a gift from God. Faithfulness, Not Outcomes Jesus reinforces this perspective in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30). A master entrusts resources to three servants. Two invest faithfully. One buries what he's been given out of fear. When the master returns, he doesn't praise them for increasing his net worth—he commends their faithfulness. That distinction matters. The world measures success by outcomes. God measures success by trust and faithfulness. If God owns everything, then we are not owners—we are managers. Scripture uses the term oikonomos, meaning household manager: someone who manages resources they didn't create, for purposes they didn't define, under a master they serve. At first, that may sound restrictive. In reality, it's freeing. If I'm not the owner, then I'm not the ultimate provider or protector. The weight shifts from my shoulders to God's. As Ron Blue often says, “If God owns it all, you can't lose anything.” Ownership carries pressure. Stewardship carries trust. Everyday Decisions Become Worship When we truly embrace stewardship, ordinary financial decisions take on spiritual meaning. Budgeting becomes aligning our desires with God's priorities. Giving becomes a response to His generosity. Planning becomes obedience rather than anxiety. Investing becomes multiplying what belongs to the Lord, not securing independence from Him. The Puritan preacher Thomas Watson once wrote, “What we keep we may lose. What we give to God is kept forever.” Paul echoes this in 1 Timothy 6:7: “We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” That reality isn't meant to discourage us—it's meant to liberate us. When we stop clinging to what we cannot keep, we're free to invest in what we can never lose. What Does God Expect From Us? If God owns everything, what does He ask of us? Jesus answers simply: “One who is faithful in very little is also faithful in much” (Luke 16:10). Faithfulness isn't about the size of what we manage—it's about surrender. And surrender always begins in the heart. When we embrace God's ownership, two gifts follow: Humility—we stop boasting in what we've accomplished. Hope—we realize we're not carrying the burden alone. God equips, guides, and provides. Where Is God Inviting You to Surrender? Where might God be inviting you to shift from being an owner to a steward? In your giving? Your planning? Your savings or lifestyle? Or in the quiet belief that your security depends more on markets than on the God who “owns the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10)? Stewardship isn't about God getting something from you. It's about God doing something in you. It reorders the heart so money takes its proper place—not as a master, but as a tool. If this idea resonates with you—that God owns it all and stewardship begins with surrender—I invite you to explore it further in Our Ultimate Treasure: A 21-Day Journey to Faithful Stewardship. You can learn more or order a copy for yourself, your church, or your small group at FaithFi.com/Shop. On Today's Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions: My wife and I are in our late 30s, have accumulated some debt, and have struggled to stick to a budget. We want to be better stewards, but keep falling off track. Can you offer simple, practical guidance to help us manage money and stay consistent? I'm 24 and living with my parents, hoping to buy a home instead of renting. What steps should I take now to move toward homeownership? I'm nearing 65 and will have about $70,000 from my 401(k), plus a small annuity. What's the wisest way to invest that money at this stage to support my future? I'm 65 and trying to decide when to take Social Security and how to draw from our accounts. We're mostly debt-free and financially stable, but I hear conflicting advice. Should I delay benefits, start my wife's earlier, and in what order should we tap our savings and IRAs? Resources Mentioned: Faithful Steward: FaithFi's Quarterly Magazine (Become a FaithFi Partner) Our Ultimate Treasure: A 21-Day Journey to Faithful Stewardship Wisdom Over Wealth: 12 Lessons from Ecclesiastes on Money Look At The Sparrows: A 21-Day Devotional on Financial Fear and Anxiety Rich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich Fool Find a Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA) FaithFi App Remember, you can call in to ask your questions every workday at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. You can also visit FaithFi.com to connect with our online community and partner with us as we help more people live as faithful stewards of God's resources. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most people spend significant time planning how to build wealth, but far fewer consider how their family would access that wealth if something unexpected happened. For Americans living in Israel who maintain U.S. brokerage or retirement accounts, that question can be more complex than it appears. The challenge usually involves authority, documentation, and cross-border procedures. From the outside, U.S. accounts often appear unchanged after someone relocates to Israel. Statements arrive, online access continues, and the accounts seem stable. That familiarity can create comfort, but it can also hide administrative challenges that surface during estate transitions. When inheritance meets two legal systems Inheritance is often assumed to be simple. A relative passes away, assets transfer to heirs, and accounts continue under new ownership. Cross-border estates rarely follow that pattern. Consider a common situation. A son lives in Israel while his parent maintains brokerage accounts in the United States. The parent passes away and the will names the son as the heir.  From the son's perspective, the next step seems straightforward. Notify the financial institution, submit documentation, and transfer the accounts. Instead, access to the accounts often stops immediately after the parent's death. Financial institutions typically freeze accounts once they receive notification. This step protects assets and ensures that only properly authorized individuals can act. At that point, the focus shifts from who should inherit the assets to who has legal authority to act on behalf of the estate. That distinction frequently creates confusion. Family expectations often rely on intent. Legal systems rely on documentation and verification. When required paperwork is incomplete or delayed, inheritance can slow significantly. Beneficiary designations and wills Many retirement and brokerage accounts use beneficiary designations on their retirement accounts. When completed correctly and kept current, they normally allow assets to transfer directly to heirs without probate. Financial institutions still require verification before releasing assets. But regular brokerage accounts don't usually have the possibility of a beneficiary designation. "What about transfer-on-death accounts (TOD)?" you might ask. If the account owner and heirs all live in the United States, that might work, but for people who live overseas, the TOD may not work and the brokerage firms may require a probated will. Probate is the court-supervised process that confirms who has legal authority to inherit assets. Depending on jurisdiction and estate complexity, it can take considerable time and delay account access. Power of attorney can create misunderstandings. While it may allow someone to manage accounts during a person's lifetime, that authority generally ends at death. Even if a family member previously helped manage accounts, that control disappears once the account holder passes away. Online account logins do not replace legal authority and continued use after death can create additional complications. Additional documentation cross-border families often face Cross-border inheritance frequently introduces procedural steps that families do not anticipate. Documents may require notarization, apostilles, or translation. Financial institutions may request tax clearance before releasing assets. Communication often involves multiple time zones and unfamiliar regulatory processes. Each requirement exists for protective and regulatory reasons. Financial institutions must verify identity, confirm authority, and comply with legal obligations. For families managing responsibilities from another country, the administrative process can still feel overwhelming. Many individuals assume that having a will resolves these challenges. A will remains an important estate planning document, but it functions within the legal system where it was created. When heirs live abroad, additional validation steps may still be required. Why inheritance paperwork often continues after assets transfer Inheritance rarely ends when accounts transfer. It often unfolds in stages that may include estate administration, account restructuring, and tax considerations across multiple countries. In the United States, estate taxes may apply depending on estate size and applicable thresholds. In Israel, receiving inherited assets may create reporting obligations depending on the circumstances. If inherited investments are later sold, capital gains rules in one or both countries may apply. Retirement accounts such as IRAs can introduce further complexity. Required minimum distributions may create ongoing reporting responsibilities and potential taxable events based on the heir's individual situation. This article is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or tax advice. Each situation involves unique factors and should be reviewed with qualified professionals. Planning that may help reduce future delays Cross-border estate planning does not eliminate complexity, but it can reduce uncertainty and help coordinate financial, legal, and administrative processes. Families who experience smoother inheritance transitions often share several habits. They periodically review beneficiary designations to confirm they reflect current intentions. They maintain organized records of accounts, financial institutions, and contact details. They revisit estate planning documents after relocating to Israel to confirm the structure remains effective. When planning evolves alongside life changes, families often encounter fewer unexpected administrative obstacles. Practical steps that may improve preparedness Americans living in Israel who maintain U.S. investment accounts may benefit from several foundational steps. Maintaining a consolidated list of accounts can help family members identify financial institutions and contact details if needed. Reviewing beneficiary designations can help confirm retirement accounts align with estate planning goals. Discussing financial account access with family members may help clarify who should contact financial institutions and which documentation may be required. These steps do not eliminate every challenge, but they may reduce uncertainty and help families navigate complex situations more effectively. Schedule a Conversation If you are living in Israel and managing U.S. brokerage or I.R.A. accounts, and you are unsure whether your investments still make sense for your situation, it may be worth taking a fresh look. You can book a free cross-border evaluation call here: https://profile-financial.com/call. It is a no pressure conversation and a chance to see whether your current setup aligns with how you live today.

#692: Anonymous (02:01) is excited about early retirement and family time but worried about his brother-in-law, who just returned from a vacation in Mexico with a bold plan: sell everything, move there, and buy an Airbnb to live in one unit and rent out the others. He wants to support him without watching him get in over his head. How can he navigate this tricky mix of family loyalty and financial risk? Maryanne (33:41) is retired and living on Social Security. Her IRA has doubled in value in the past year and a half, leaving her unsure whether to sell and live off interest or reinvest in ETFs. How do you manage sudden growth in retirement savings responsibly without taking unnecessary risks? Brandon (48:18) has rolled over two old 401(k)s into IRAs but just learned that 401(k)s are generally better protected from lawsuits than IRAs. Now he's hesitant to roll over his latest 401(k) from his recent job. Is it ever worth keeping a 401(k) separate, or should all retirement accounts eventually be consolidated? *Note: Timestamps will vary on individual listening devices based on dynamic advertising segments. The provided timestamps are approximate and may be several minutes off due to changing ad lengths. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Send a textWe unpack how to use self-directed IRAs to buy real estate, fund syndications, and even do hard money loans while keeping the same tax advantages as traditional retirement accounts. Henry Yoshida explains the rules, the risks, and how to get started without friction.• Using IRAs to invest in private real estate• How rental income and gains are taxed inside IRAs• Roth IRA benefits for long‑term real estate growth• Who self‑directed IRAs fit best and why timing matters• Hard money lending terms and execution via an IRA• Diversifying into LPs, syndications, and crypto• Why institutions allocate to private markets• Platform steps to open, fund, and deploy capital• Guardrails, paperwork, and keeping expenses inside the IRA• Word of the week: curiosity as an investing edgeSubscribe, leave a five‑star review, keep sharing, help me crack two million downloads. We're this close Support the showThanks again for listening. Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a FIVE-STAR review.Head to Dwanderful right now to claim your free real estate investing kit. And follow:http://www.Dwanderful.comhttp://www.facebook.com/Dwanderfulhttp://www.Instagram.com/Dwanderful http://www.youtube.com/DwanderfulRealEstateInvestingChannelMake it a Dwanderful Day!

For more than a decade, the mantra for boosting your career and income was simple: learn to code. Becoming a programmer or engineer was seen as the clearest path to job security and high pay. But with the rapid rise of AI, coding is no longer the protective moat it once was. As I revisited my own FIRE plans after leaving work in 2012, I realized the one financial buffer that has consistently stood the test of time: knowing how to invest well. Forget "learn to code." Learn to invest. Becoming a competent investor may be the most important skill you develop to survive - and thrive - in the coming AI wave. Posts mentioned: Becoming A Competent Investor Is A Vital Skill To Master Gain Financial Security By Creating Financial Buffers For Your Financial Buffers The FIRE Movement Is So Back Due To AI Disruption Free Financial Analysis Offer From Empower Stay on top of your net worth with Empower, the web's #1 free financial app. Track your cash flow, x-ray your investment portfolio for excessive fees and inappropriate risk exposure, and use their retirement calculator to plan for the future. If you have over $100,000 in investable assets—whether in savings, taxable brokerage accounts, 401(k)s, or IRAs—you can sign up for a free financial check-up from a professional at Empower. It's a no-obligation opportunity to have a seasoned advisor—someone who analyzes portfolios for a living—take a fresh look at your finances. A professional review can help you identify hidden fees, inefficient allocations, or missed opportunities to grow and protect your wealth. More importantly, it can give you the clarity and confidence to know whether your current savings and investment strategy aligns with your long-term financial goals. I've taken advantage of three free consultations with Empower over the past decade and each session has helped me build more wealth. There's no rewind button in life. Make the most of everything, especially things that are helpful and free. The statement is provided to you by Financial Samurai ("Promoter") who has entered into a written referral agreement with Empower Advisory Group, LLC ("EAG").  Diversify Your Retirement Investments Stocks and bonds are classic staples for retirement investing. However, I also suggest diversifying into real estate. It is an investment that combines the income stability of bonds with greater upside potential. Consider Fundrise, a platform that allows you to 100% passively invest in residential and industrial real estate. With over $3.5 billion in private real estate assets under management, Fundrise focuses on properties in the Sunbelt region, where valuations are lower, and yields tend to be higher. Residential commercial real estate is attract. Meanwhile, the Fed is set to cut rates further. I've personally invested over $500,000 with Fundrise, and they've been a trusted partner and long-time sponsor of Financial Samurai. With a $10 investment minimum, diversifying your portfolio has never been easier. Subscribe To Financial Samurai To increase your chances of achieving financial independence, join 60,000+ readers and subscribe to my free Financial Samurai newsletter here. Financial Samurai began in 2009 and is the leading independently-owned personal finance site today. 

In this episode we respond to emails from Nick, Ginna, Ashley, Chris and Sara.  In our Queen Mary segment where we are raising money for Fairfax CASA, we express our gratitude for the outpouring of listener support and tell Noah and Taylor's story of reunification.  We then dive into two big portfolio questions: do managed futures replace gold, and how to fund an eight-year break without derailing long-term plans. We build a conservative drawdown portfolio, weigh taxes in taxable accounts, and explain why good portfolio construction beats market timing.Links:Fairfax CASA Donation Page:  Donate - Fairfax CASAWilka's in NYC:  Wilka's Sports Bar | Women's Sports Bar | New York, NY, USAChris's Portfolio Constructions:  testfol.io/?s=lwnOaJGvzDjSara's Portfolio Analyses:  testfol.io/?s=htNZVoZOZn4Breathless Unedited AI-Bot Summary:Start with purpose: a child's safety, a mother's grit, and a community that shows up. We open with a moving Fairfax CASA story—Noah and Taylor—that reminds us why steady advocacy and second chances matter. Listener donations pour in, and Mary shares how CASA pairs rigorous oversight with real compassion. From there, we pivot to the other kind of safety net: portfolios designed to fund real lives.A longtime listener asks if managed futures make gold redundant. We break down what trend-following actually captures, why gold's long history and different crisis behavior still earn it a seat, and how the two hedges fit together when you care about drawdowns, not bragging rights. Then we tackle Sarah's bold plan: an eight-year pause from work to care for family, spending about $90k per year from taxable savings before returning to the workforce. Rather than a classic risk-parity blend, we map a more conservative drawdown portfolio: roughly 30% equities with a large-cap value tilt and a sleeve of property-and-casualty insurers, 25% cash and short-term Treasuries for three years of runway, 25% intermediate Treasuries for recession insurance, and 20% in alternatives split between gold and managed futures. The goal isn't to win a backtest—it's to keep maximum drawdowns shallow and flexibility high.We also unpack taxes in the 0% capital gains band, why ordinary-income assets aren't the villain during low-income years, and how realizing gains strategically can preserve ACA subsidies. For long-horizon IRAs, we keep it simple: a 100% equity mix across large-cap growth or blend and small-cap value, with an optional tilt to international small-cap value for broader diversification. No crystal balls, no heroic timing—just construction that respects time frames and human needs.If this episode helps you think differently about money, advocacy, or how to buy time for what matters, share it with a friend, subscribe, and leave a quick review so more DIY investors can find it.Support the show

Jeremy Keil explains the 5 RMD (Required Minimum Distribution) mistakes in Retirement and how to avoid them. A retiree recently called for help. It was their first year taking Required Minimum Distributions. They had delayed their first RMD until April of the following year — which meant taking two distributions in one tax year. That part was allowed. In some cases, it can even be strategic. But when they called their IRA custodian and asked, “How much should I withhold for taxes?” they were given the default answer: 10% federal withholding. They assumed that must be right. It wasn't. They ended up short on taxes by more than $10,000 — and owed penalties on top of that. That situation wasn't caused by breaking a rule. It was caused by following the rule without a plan. And that's where most RMD mistakes begin. I recently wrote an article for Kiplinger magazine titled “5 RMD Mistakes That Could Cost You Big-Time: Even Seasoned Retirees Slip Up” and for this week's episode of the “Retire Today” podcast I decided to talk through each of these mistakes in detail. Mistake #1: Waiting Until Age 73 to Create a Plan Turning 73 is not a strategy. If you wait until the government forces your first RMD to think about it, you've already missed years of opportunity. The window between retirement and RMD age is often the most flexible tax-planning period of your life. In those years, you may have: Lower earned income No required withdrawals yet Control over when and how you take distributions That's prime territory for intentional tax planning. Once RMDs begin, you've lost some flexibility. In the KEEP step of the Retirement Master Plan, tax timing matters. RMDs don't happen in isolation. They interact with Social Security, pensions, and brokerage income. Planning ahead—sometimes a decade ahead—can dramatically change the long-term outcome. Mistake #2: Failing to Make Use of Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) This one surprises me every year. RMDs currently begin at age 73 (moving to 75 for those born in 1960 or later). But Qualified Charitable Distributions still start at 70½. That means you can send money directly from your IRA to a charity before RMDs even begin. Why does that matter? Because a QCD: Reduces your IRA balance (lowering future RMDs) Keeps the distribution out of your taxable income May help limit Social Security taxation May help reduce Medicare premium surcharges Many retirees continue writing checks to charities from their checking account, hoping for a deduction. With today's larger standard deduction, many people don't itemize at all. Going directly from IRA to charity is often more tax-efficient—and sometimes dramatically so. If charitable giving is already part of your plan, the tax strategy should be part of it too. Mistake #3: Doing the Wrong Tax Withholding When retirees call their custodian to take their RMD, they're often asked: “How much would you like withheld for taxes?” The default federal withholding is often 10% for IRAs and 20% for 401(k)s. Many people assume, “That must be right.” It often isn't. I recently saw a retiree who delayed their first RMD until April of the following year—which meant taking two distributions in one year. They defaulted to 10% withholding. They ended up underpaying taxes by more than $10,000 and owed penalties. The custodian can't provide tax planning. That's not their role. Before taking an RMD, you need to project: What tax bracket you'll land in Whether additional withholding is necessary How this affects your overall estimated payments Again, this falls under the KEEP step. Don't let the default settings dictate your tax bill. Mistake #4: Not Realizing How Your RMD Income Affects the Rest of Your Tax Return RMDs don't just increase taxable income. They can: Make more of your Social Security taxable Push capital gains from 0% into taxable territory Trigger Medicare IRMAA surcharges Many retirees focus only on their marginal bracket. But the real issue is tax cost, not tax bracket. An extra $20,000 RMD might not just be taxed at 22%. It could cascade into additional taxation elsewhere. That's why projections matter. You don't want to discover these ripple effects after the fact. Mistake #5: Forgetting That the M in RMD means ‘Minimum,' not ‘Maximum' The M in RMD stands for minimum. It does not mean that's the only amount you're allowed to withdraw. You can: Withdraw more than your RMD Complete Roth conversions after satisfying the RMD Send more than your RMD amount to charity (subject to QCD limits) Sometimes taking more than the minimum makes sense—especially if it smooths taxes over multiple years. RMDs are a rule. They are not a retirement strategy. The Bigger Lesson RMDs are not just a government requirement. They are a planning opportunity—or a planning hazard. They affect your income plan (MAKE), your spending plan (SPEND), your tax strategy (KEEP), and even what you ultimately LEAVE behind. The biggest mistake isn't misunderstanding a rule. It's treating RMDs as an isolated event instead of part of a coordinated retirement master plan. Because in retirement, small tax decisions compound just like investment returns may do. And when handled intentionally, RMDs don't have to derail anything at all. Don't forget to leave a rating for the “Retire Today” podcast if you've been enjoying these episodes! Subscribe to Retire Today to get new episodes every Wednesday. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/retire-today/id1488769337  Spotify Podcasts: https://bit.ly/RetireTodaySpotify About the Author: Jeremy Keil, CFP®, CFA is a retirement financial advisor with Keil Financial Partners, author of Retire Today: Create Your Retirement Income Plan in 5 Simple Steps, and host of the Retirement Today blog and podcast, as well as the Mr. Retirement YouTube channel. Jeremy is a contributor to Kiplinger and is frequently cited in publications like the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Additional Links: – Buy Jeremy's book – Retire Today: Create Your Retirement Master Plan in 5 Simple Steps – “5 RMD Mistakes That Could Cost You Big-Time: Even Seasoned Retirees Slip Up” by Jeremy Keil, Kiplinger Magazine – https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/required-minimum-distributions-rmds/rmd-mistakes-that-even-seasoned-retirees-can-make – Create Your Retirement Master Plan in 5 Simple Steps – 5StepRetirementPlan.com  Connect With Jeremy Keil: Keil Financial Partners LinkedIn: Jeremy Keil Facebook: Jeremy Keil LinkedIn: Keil Financial Partners YouTube: Mr. Retirement Book an Intro Call with Jeremy's Team Media Disclosures: Disclosures This media is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not consider the investment objectives, financial situation, or particular needs of any consumer. Nothing in this program should be construed as investment, legal, or tax advice, nor as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security or to adopt any investment strategy. The views and opinions expressed are those of the host and any guest, current as of the date of recording, and may change without notice as market, political or economic conditions evolve. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Legal & Tax Disclosure Consumers should consult their own qualified attorney, CPA, or other professional advisor regarding their specific legal and tax situations. Advisor Disclosures Alongside, LLC, doing business as Keil Financial Partners, is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or expertise. Advisory services are delivered through the Alongside, LLC platform. Keil Financial Partners is independent, not owned or operated by Alongside, LLC. Additional information about Alongside, LLC – including its services, fees and any material conflicts of interest – can be found at https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/333587 or by requesting Form ADV Part 2A. The content of this media should not be reproduced or redistributed without the firm’s written consent. Any trademarks or service marks mentioned belong to their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only. Additional Important Disclosures

In this episode, Emily interviews Dr. Daren Card, a computational biochemist working in industry. Daren and his wife moved to Arlington, TX for his PhD and then Boston, MA for his postdoc, and she held K-12 teaching positions in both cities. He shares their financial journey, from managing their student loan debt through opening and funding IRAs. Daren and Emily discuss the tax-advantaged retirement account options available, such as 403(b)s, 457s, and 401(k)s, and how to spot red flags in your employer-sponsored plans.

Jeremiah and Nic start with a volatile week in the markets following the Supreme Court's decision to strike down President Trump's tariff authority and the market's surprisingly calm reaction. They explain why uncertainty, not bad news itself, drives volatility and how diversified portfolios, including small caps, value stocks, and international exposure, help investors stay resilient when headlines shift. The conversation then turns to one of the most overlooked areas of financial planning: estate planning and account titling. They walk through the differences between wills and trusts, why wills do not avoid probate, and how simple steps like beneficiary audits, TOD and POD designations, and proper account ownership can prevent costly delays and family conflict. They also discuss whether trusts should be named as beneficiaries on IRAs, how inheritance rules differ for individuals versus trusts, and when simplicity is often the best strategy. Rounding out the show, the duo covers tax-season pitfalls, including corrected 1099s, K-1 delays, Roth conversions, backdoor Roth mistakes, and why rushing to file taxes can create unnecessary problems.   Listen, Watch, Subscribe, Ask! https://www.therealmoneypros.com Hosts: Jeremiah Bates & Nic Daniels ————————————————————— Ataraxis PEO https://ataraxispeo.com Tree City Advisors of Apollon: https://www.treecityadvisors.com Apollon Wealth Management: https://apollonwealthmanagement.com/ —————————————————————

In this episode of the Real Estate Pros podcast, host Michelle Kesil interviews Micheal Miller, a real estate investor and construction company owner. Michael shares his journey into real estate, emphasizing the importance of creative finance and networking. He discusses the challenges he faced, the lessons learned, and his current focus on expanding into sober living facilities. Micheal also provides valuable advice for new investors and explains the workings of real estate funds, highlighting the potential of self-directed IRAs for raising capital.   Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind:  Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply   Investor Machine Marketing Partnership:  Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com   Coaching with Mike Hambright:  Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike   Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat   Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform!  Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/   New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club   —--------------------

Oro y plata explotaron, el dólar se debilita y el S&P 500 marca máximos. Con Carlos Feliciano (CAF Investments) hablamos claro: ¿conviene entrar ahora a metales? ¿Qué pasó con Microsoft/Meta/Tesla? ¿Cómo aprovechar el nuevo tope de IRAs en Puerto Rico ($7,000) y qué significa “retirarte a los 40” de verdad (dividendos, no fantasías).También bajamos a lo práctico: presupuesto base cero, por qué “ahorrar el café diario” es una falacia, cómo construir patrimonio (no solo ingreso), la diáspora y oportunidades reales en PR, y el mito detrás de Wolf of Wall Street y los penny stocks.Disclaimer: Contenido educativo, no es asesoría financiera. Consulte a un profesional licenciado.Separa tu consulta gratis de 15 min: https://calendly.com/cafinvestments/15min (no olvides poner que escuchaste en Café en Mano)Sponsor: Gracias a FUSE – internet sin preocupaciones.Merch: Tazas y camisas (oversize unisex) en mi tienda: juanvi.bigcartel.com00:00 Intro, sponsor y merch02:05 Oro y plata: por qué suben y riesgo de entrar “en la cima”06:45 Devaluación del dólar/yen y bancos centrales comprando oro10:35 ¿8k la onza? Miedo vs. fundamentos monetarios12:10 IRAs en PR suben a $7,000 (año contributivo 2025 → reporta 2026)14:05 Planes médicos en EE. UU. y efecto político en mercados16:40 Dividendos mensuales: vivir del portafolio (8–9% no garantizado)18:39 “Retiro a los 40”: organización, interés compuesto y ejemplo real23:30 La falacia de “ahorra el café diario” vs. problema de ingreso25:10 Presupuesto base cero y balance “vive hoy vs. ahorra”30:34 Diáspora, sueldos y oportunidades de regreso a PR35:55 Métricas: 68% de los estadounidenses invierten vs. ~15% en PR39:19 Cómo empezar hoy a invertir con poco (brokers, fracciones)41:00 “El retiro no es una edad, es un número”45:20 Patrimonio (net worth) ≠ dinero en la cuenta49:10 Caso 1: alto ingreso, cero inversiones, deudas de tarjeta51:07 Plan Keogh en PR: hasta $60k, rollover, ventajas57:30 Caso 2: renta absurda, cero patrimonio; qué corregir ya01:02:00 Wolf of Wall Street: por qué los penny stocks te pelan01:06:03 Cómo funcionaba el “spread” y el truco de las comisiones01:12:00 Cierre y cómo agendar con CAF

If you're self-employed and want to put more money away for retirement, the Solo 401(k) is one of the most powerful tools available, but the rules and deadlines matter.In this live webinar, Mat Sorensen will walk through the Solo 401(k) basics, including who qualifies, how it's set up, and the special strategies that make it so effective compared to IRAs and SEP IRAs. He'll also cover the key 2025 contribution limits and deadlines you need to understand before the 2026 tax filing season.We'll cover:- What a Solo 401(k) is and how it differs from IRAs, SEP IRAs, and traditional employer 401(k)s- Who qualifies (and who doesn't)- How a Solo 401(k) is set up and what has to be in place to maximize contributions- 2025/2026 contribution limits, including employee vs. employer contributions and how they're calculated- Key deadlines to know before the 2026 tax filing season- Special features unique to Solo 401(k)s- Common mistakes and misconceptions that can create tax or compliance issuesWhy Directed IRA?At Directed IRA, we've helped thousands of investors put over $3 billion into real estate, private funds, notes, and more, all inside tax-advantaged retirement accounts. Our team of experts and streamlined platform make it easy to invest with confidence.Directed IRA Homepage: https://directedira.com/ Directed IRA Explore (Linktree): https://linktr.ee/SelfDirectedIRA Book a Call: https://directedira.com/appointment/ Other:Mat Sorensen: https://matsorensen.com & https://linktr.ee/MatSorensen KKOS: https://kkoslawyers.comMain Street Business https://mainstreetbusiness.com

Which IRA is better—Roth or Traditional? In this episode, Art and Nate go head-to-head to determine which IRA deserves the title of true champion. They also tackle a listener's question about IRAs. Don't miss this fun, live recording of the More Than Money podcast!Resources:8 Money MilestonesAsk a Money Question!

Nate Miles joins Jeremy Keil to discuss how the Allspring retirement research reveals trends of concern among retirees and the options they have to address them. Mike and Susan did what many couples do. They saved diligently. They crossed the $1 million mark before retirement. They felt prepared. But when it came time to make actual retirement decisions—when to claim Social Security, how to withdraw from their accounts, how to manage taxes—they realized something uncomfortable: They had spent decades saving… but very little time learning how to retire. This example speaks directly to what this year's Allspring Retirement Study uncovered. As Nate Miles shared on the “Retire Today” podcast, this wasn't a small or struggling population. Participants were 50+ with at least $200,000 in investable assets. A third of retirees surveyed had $1 million or more. Yet only six out of ten retirees said they feel financially secure. That gap between assets and confidence tells us something important: retirement success isn't just about how much you've accumulated. It's about how well you transition into distribution. The Social Security Mistake One of the most striking findings involved Social Security. Nate explained: “One third of our respondents claimed Social Security at 62 years old… because they believed the value or the benefit of waiting was not worth it. Yet they underestimated the value of waiting by 50%.” Many respondents assumed the benefit grew at 4% per year when delayed. In reality, for most people, it grows closer to 8% annually between full retirement age and 70. That misunderstanding alone can permanently reduce lifetime income. In the MAKE step of the 5 Step Retirement Master Plan, Social Security is foundational. For many retirees, it represents 30–40% of their guaranteed income. Optimizing that decision isn't optional—it's essential. And yet, education around it is surprisingly thin. As Nate pointed out, there are “560-something permutations” of Social Security claiming strategies. It's ubiquitous, but complicated. And too often, people default to the earliest date simply because it feels tangible. The Tax Blind Spot The second major theme of the study? Taxes. Only about 20% of retirees reported using a tax-efficient withdrawal strategy. Think about that. After decades of saving in multiple account types—traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, brokerage accounts—most retirees are simply withdrawing from wherever feels convenient. Nate put it plainly: “Taxes matter for everyone, not just the high net worth crowd.” In the KEEP step of retirement planning, how you withdraw can meaningfully impact how long your money lasts. Choosing between Roth and traditional dollars. Managing capital gains. Coordinating withdrawals with Social Security timing. These aren't abstract academic exercises. They are practical levers that affect real income. Yet as Nate observed, most people spent 40 years having taxes withheld automatically from paychecks. They paid taxes—but they never actively managed them. Retirement flips that script completely. Now you must choose. The Psychological Shift No One Talks About Nate shared that many retirees are comfortable spending above their retirement number—until their account dips below it. The moment it falls beneath that original balance, panic sets in. Even if the plan accounts for drawdown. Even if it's sustainable. Even if it's expected. That's what I call the “accumulation paradox.” Economists assume you'll build your assets and gradually spend them down toward zero. Real people assume the number should stay intact forever. But retirement isn't about preserving a scoreboard. It's about funding a life. This is where the SPEND step meets the INVEST step. You saved to use the money. And yes, at some point, your balance may begin to decline. That's not failure. That's function. Advice Still Matters One of Nate's most memorable lines was this: “Monte Carlo gets 10,000 cracks at retirement. You and I get one.” We don't get multiple trial runs. We get one real-life retirement. That's why quality advice matters. The study suggests people with pensions are more likely to use annuities. People with advice are more likely to use tax strategies. And people who understand their income sources are more confident. Retirement is no longer just accumulation. It's design. And design requires intention. If you're within five years of retirement—or already there—ask yourself: Have I optimized my Social Security? Am I intentionally managing taxes? Do I have a clear income floor? Am I emotionally prepared to draw down assets? Because as this year's research shows, even million-dollar portfolios can feel uncertain without a plan. Retirement isn't about guessing well. It's about designing well. Don't forget to leave a rating for the “Retire Today” podcast if you've been enjoying these episodes! Subscribe to Retire Today to get new episodes every Wednesday. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/retire-today/id1488769337  Spotify Podcasts: https://bit.ly/RetireTodaySpotify About the Author: Jeremy Keil, CFP®, CFA is a retirement financial advisor with Keil Financial Partners, author of Retire Today: Create Your Retirement Income Plan in 5 Simple Steps, and host of the Retirement Today blog and podcast, as well as the Mr. Retirement YouTube channel. Jeremy is a contributor to Kiplinger and is frequently cited in publications like the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Additional Links: Buy Jeremy's book – Retire Today: Create Your Retirement Master Plan in 5 Simple Steps Allspring 2026 Retirement Study: By Default or By Design? Nate Miles, Allspring Global Investments Connect With Jeremy Keil: Keil Financial Partners LinkedIn: Jeremy Keil Facebook: Jeremy Keil LinkedIn: Keil Financial Partners YouTube: Mr. Retirement Book an Intro Call with Jeremy's Team Media Disclosures: Disclosures This media is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not consider the investment objectives, financial situation, or particular needs of any consumer. Nothing in this program should be construed as investment, legal, or tax advice, nor as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security or to adopt any investment strategy. The views and opinions expressed are those of the host and any guest, current as of the date of recording, and may change without notice as market, political or economic conditions evolve. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Legal & Tax Disclosure Consumers should consult their own qualified attorney, CPA, or other professional advisor regarding their specific legal and tax situations. Advisor Disclosures Alongside, LLC, doing business as Keil Financial Partners, is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or expertise. Advisory services are delivered through the Alongside, LLC platform. Keil Financial Partners is independent, not owned or operated by Alongside, LLC. Additional information about Alongside, LLC – including its services, fees and any material conflicts of interest – can be found at https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/333587 or by requesting Form ADV Part 2A. The content of this media should not be reproduced or redistributed without the firm’s written consent. Any trademarks or service marks mentioned belong to their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only. Additional Important Disclosures

Explore how community property laws shape IRAs, 401(k)s, beneficiary designations, and spousal rights in retirement account estate planning. The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, ACTEC, is a professional society of peer-elected trust and estate lawyers in the United States and around the globe. This series offers professionals best practice advice, insights, and commentary on subjects that affect the profession and clients. Learn more in this podcast.

# Exploring Cosmic Frontiers: Webb Telescope Reveals Universe's Hidden SecretsJourney through space with The Space Cowboy as this captivating podcast episode unpacks the latest groundbreaking discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope. From organic molecules in distant galaxies to evidence challenging our understanding of cosmic evolution, this episode delivers fascinating insights into our universe's deepest mysteries.Discover how researchers used Webb's powerful infrared capabilities to uncover unprecedented chemical complexity in galaxy IRAS 07251-0248, revealing organic compounds never before detected outside our Milky Way. Learn about the surprising influence of "quiet" supermassive black holes that subtly shape their galaxies, and marvel at the discovery of the most distant jellyfish galaxy ever observed—challenging theories about early galaxy formation.The episode culminates with Webb's most paradigm-shifting revelation: massive, mature galaxies existing far earlier in cosmic history than current models can explain, potentially requiring cosmologists to rewrite our understanding of the universe's evolution.Perfect for astronomy enthusiasts, science lovers, and anyone fascinated by the cosmos, this accessible exploration of cutting-edge space discoveries will leave you with a renewed appreciation for the mysteries awaiting us among the stars.#JamesWebbTelescope #Astronomy #CosmicDiscoveries #SpaceExploration #Astrophysics #GalaxyFormation #BlackHolesSome great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3QsFor more check out http://www.quietplease.aiThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

⭐ Get my coaching & community to achieve financial freedom → https://www.coachcarson.com/rpm-pod-475 ⚒️Get my best investor tools for FREE → https://www.coachcarson.com/toolkit-pod-475 ▶️ Next Video → How Much Tax Will You Owe Selling a Rental (Real Numbers Inside) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgNXl8eqa2U -------------------------- EPISODE NOTES:

In this conversation, financial advisor Jeremy Wilmes discusses the integration of real estate into retirement planning, the challenges of self-directed real estate IRAs, and offers guidance for new investors looking to enter the real estate market. He emphasizes the importance of aligning real estate investments with overall financial goals and the potential tax implications involved. The discussion also touches on current trends in Florida's real estate market and the growing interest in short-term vacation rentals.   Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind:  Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply   Investor Machine Marketing Partnership:  Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com   Coaching with Mike Hambright:  Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike   Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat   Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform!  Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/   New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club   —--------------------

In this episode, Dylan Silver interviews Jennifer Vokolek, a seasoned real estate investor and realtor in the DFW area. They discuss the growth and development of the I-75 corridor, buyer demographics, and available investment opportunities. Jennifer shares strategies for building a rental portfolio, including the benefits of using IRAs for real estate investments. The conversation highlights the dynamic nature of the DFW housing market and the exciting developments occurring in the region.   Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind:  Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply   Investor Machine Marketing Partnership:  Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com   Coaching with Mike Hambright:  Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike   Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat   Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform!  Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/   New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club   —--------------------

Unlocking Wealth: Why 2026 is the Year of the "Lien Lord"Are you tired of the "Three Ts" of real estate—Toilets, Tenants, and Trash outs? In a market where traditional deals are drying up and competition is fierce, seasoned investor Scott Carson is showing both new and experienced investors how to stop being a landlord and start being the bank. Welcome to the world of note investing, where you can stack massive cash flow and collect six-figure checks by purchasing distressed debt directly from banks at steep discounts. Whether you're looking to supercharge your self-directed IRA or find a passive way to exit the fix-and-flip grind, this episode dives deep into real-world case studies—from $300-a-month steady cash flow to $250,000 gross profits on a single deal. It's time to move past the outdated strategies of the 90s and learn how to leverage AI and bank relationships to build a premier deal flow in today's economy. Key Takeaways from the Workshop:-Becoming the Bank: Note investing allows you to earn above-average returns without the headaches of physical property management by purchasing first-lien mortgages at 70% of the value or less. -Direct Bank Deal Flow: Learn how to bypass the MLS and foreclosure auctions by getting deal lists directly from the 5,000+ registered banks and 19,000+ lending institutions that need to move bad debt off their books. -Diverse Exit Strategies: Discover 11 different ways to profit, including rehabbing the borrower to reinstate payments for long-term cash flow, offering "cash for keys" to gain equity, or foreclosing to sell the property as a fix-and-flip. -Funding with OPM: You don't need millions to start; Carson explains how to use Other People's Money (OPM) or self-directed IRAs to fund deals, allowing for tax-free growth and infinite rates of return. -Modern Marketing & AI: Stay ahead of the competition by utilizing AI tools and automated marketing strategies designed for the 2026 market to identify "duds" during due diligence and find the best "cherry-picked" notes. The "sexy side" of real estate isn't about swinging a hammer; it's about owning the paper. If you're ready to stop chasing deals and start having banks send them to you, join the upcoming Austin Virtual Note Buying Workshop from February 27th to March 1st. With a 100% money-back guarantee and a tuition refund if you close a deal in your first six months, there's no reason to stay on the sidelines. Visit http://notebuyingfordummies.com to claim your 50% discount and start your journey to becoming a "Lien Lord" today!Watch the Original Video HERE!RSVP Your Spot To The Note Buying Workshop HERE!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here's How »Join Note Night in America community today:WeCloseNotes.comScott Carson FacebookScott Carson TwitterScott Carson LinkedInNote Night in America YouTubeNote Night in America VimeoScott Carson InstagramWe Close Notes Pinterest

In this episode of Money Matters, Scott and Pat take calls from high-net-worth listeners who uncover the same wealthy tax mistake, despite very different financial situations. From retirees with most of their money in IRAs to investors weighing Roth conversions and income strategies, the conversations show how easy it is to pay more in taxes than expected. They explain how this wealthy tax mistake often comes from tax-deferred concentration, why paying taxes from retirement accounts can shrink cash flow, and how poor timing can quietly turn into a long-term wealthy tax mistake. If you've built significant assets and want to protect your income and flexibility, this episode offers clear, practical insight. Join Money Matters:  Get your most pressing financial questions answered by Allworth's co-founders Scott Hanson and Pat McClain. Call 833-99-WORTH. Or ask a question by clicking here.  You can also be on the air by emailing Scott and Pat at questions@moneymatters.com. Download and rate our podcast here.    

What does it truly take to build generational wealth that endures for decades? While many families rely on traditional strategies like 401(k)s, IRAs, stocks, and real estate to grow and transfer wealth, few are aware of a time-tested strategy quietly used by affluent families for more than 200 years. In this episode of the Private Banking Strategies Podcast, Vance Lowe and Seth Hicks walk through a real-life inspired case study showing how families can create a private family banking system designed to grow wealth, improve cash flow, and maintain financial control. Learn how one family strategically plans for college funding, business opportunities for their children, and a tax-efficient legacy — all while protecting their capital from market volatility, inflation, and traditional banking limitations. Vance and Seth discuss: Why High-Income Families Still Feel Financially Stuck Case Study: The Rivera Family & Building a 100-Year Private Family Bank Paying for College, Funding Businesses & Protecting Family Cash Flow Purchase Your Own Debt with Infinite Banking Resources: To Schedule a Call with Vance, Click the Link Below: https://go.oncehub.com/VanceLowe To learn more about Private Banking Strategies®, download a copy of our E-book today: https://privatebankingstrategies.com/resources/free-e-book/ 

In this Friday Q&A episode, Don introduces a new AI audio enhancement tool that dramatically improves the sound quality of listener questions, then dives into a series of practical retirement issues. He tackles whether converting a $2 million term life policy to whole life after a disability makes sense (and what must be guaranteed in writing), explains how to properly freeze a deceased parent's credit and handle inherited POD accounts and IRAs under the 10-year rule, pushes back on the increasingly discussed “bond trough” retirement strategy by emphasizing emotional risk over theoretical logic, and closes with reassurance for listeners considering retiring part-time in Mexico, explaining how U.S. retirement accounts, tax treaties, and global banking make the process far simpler than many assume. 0:04 Friday intro and new AI tool that dramatically improves caller audio quality 2:01 Whole life conversion offer after disability — “free” premiums and what to demand in writing 5:57 How to submit spoken questions and call-in info 6:22 After a parent's death: credit freezes, deceased alerts, and final credit reports 7:41 Inheriting POD accounts and an IRA — step-up in basis and the 10-year IRA rule 9:57 AVGE vs. AVGV fake-out and real question: bond “trough” strategy in retirement 11:24 Logical vs. emotional risk tolerance — why most retirees can't handle 50% drawdowns 13:40 Retiring internationally (Mexico example) — IRAs abroad, tax treaties, and practical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've reached a huge milestone here at Absolute Trust Counsel—drum roll, please—the launch of our 200th Absolute Trust Talk episode! What started as an idea while driving down the road after a guest appearance on a financial advisor's radio show has become a trusted resource for thousands of listeners over the years. Kirsten's dream was always to have a platform where she could share the expertise of smart professionals she knows—financial planners, accountants, insurance experts, and fellow attorneys—with anyone who could benefit from their knowledge, and to explore the myths, misconceptions, and commonly overlooked estate planning details. From all of us at Absolute Trust Counsel, we want to say THANK YOU! We are deeply grateful to everyone who watches, listens, comments, subscribes, and shares our slice of the airwaves. And speaking of commonly overlooked details, in this celebratory episode, Kirsten continues her "Estate Planning Misses" series by tackling Health Savings Accounts. While HSAs offer valuable tax benefits, there's a simple estate planning step most HSA owners completely overlook—and skipping it could create unnecessary tax bills and legal headaches for the people you leave behind. Kirsten explains why naming a beneficiary on your HSA is essential, what happens if you don't, and the critical difference between how spouses and non-spouses are treated. Unlike IRAs, non-spouse beneficiaries face an immediate tax hit that wipes out the account's value. Time-stamped Show Notes: 0:00 Introduction 2:06 Kirsten's vision for educating listeners through expert knowledge 3:28 The pandemic pivot to video and thank you to the audience 5:27 Introduction to the Estate Planning Misses series 5:45 What Health Savings Accounts are and who qualifies for them--you need a high-deductible health insurance plan to participate 6:42 The tax advantages that make HSAs attractive: pre-tax contributions and tax-free spending on medical expenses 7:12 Why HSAs typically don't hold large amounts--the 2026 contribution limit is $4,400 for individuals, and balances roll over year to year 7:42 How HSAs are similar to IRAs: pre-tax money, annual contribution limits, and special treatment for surviving spouses 8:12 The critical difference: when non-spouse beneficiaries inherit an HSA, they immediately owe income tax on the entire balance--unlike IRAs 8:47 Why you must designate a death beneficiary on your HSA, even though it's not a large account 9:17 The spouse advantage: married HSA owners should always name their spouse as beneficiary to avoid tax consequences and legal complications 9:52 Making it easier for your executor or trustee: why proper beneficiary designation simplifies estate administration 10:17 The action step: if you have an HSA, check whether you've named a beneficiary--and if you haven't, you can do it today Take the Next Step in Your Estate Planning Journey If this episode resonated with you, we'd love to help you with your own estate planning needs in California. Schedule a complimentary discovery call with our team at Absolute Trust Counsel. During this no-obligation conversation, we'll: Learn about your unique situation and goals Answer questions about our services Determine if we're the right fit to work together Visit https://absolutetrustcounsel.com/scheduling/ or call 925-943-2740 to schedule your free discovery call today. Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a couple second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Episode Credits: The Absolute Trust Talk podcast is brought to you with the help of Q2Mark, led by Chief Marketing Officer Susie Hays. Since 2016, Q2Mark has partnered with Absolute Trust Counsel on all marketing communications—from brand development and website design to this podcast series with over 192 episodes, social media management, video production, and more. If you're business owner looking for comprehensive marketing support, visit Q2Mark.com.

In this episode, President and Senior Financial Planner Paul L. Moffat is joined by Director of Financial Planning Jordan Naffa to explore charitable and philanthropic planning strategies that allow individuals and families to give more effectively while managing taxes. With year-end gifting fresh on many minds, Paul and Jordan walk through the wide range of vehicles available for charitable giving and how each can be used to align generosity with long-term financial goals.They discuss popular structures such as donor-advised funds, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, and private foundations, as well as retirement-based giving strategies such as qualified charitable distributions from IRAs. The conversation also highlights the benefits of donating appreciated assets, coordinating deductions across multiple years, and understanding contribution limits. This episode provides practical guidance for those looking to give intentionally, reduce tax exposure, and create a lasting philanthropic legacy.In this episode: ● Key charitable giving vehicles and how they differ ● Donor-advised funds and private foundations for long term philanthropy ● Using charitable remainder and lead trusts strategically ● Retirement-based giving through qualified charitable distributions ● Donating appreciated assets instead of cash ● Understanding charitable deduction limits and planning considerations ● Coordinating charitable, tax, and estate planning effortsThe opinions expressed in this podcast are for general purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security. It is only intended to provide education about the financial industry. It is not intended to provide tax or legal advice. To determine which investments may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing. Any past performance discussed in this program is not a guarantee of future results. Any indices referenced for comparison are unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly. As always, please remember that investing involves risk and the possible loss of principal. Please seek advice from a licensed professional.Arista Wealth Management is a registered investment adviser. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where our firm and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. No advice may be rendered by Arista Wealth Management unless a client service agreement is in place.

Unlocking Wealth: Why 2026 is the Year of the "Lien Lord"Are you tired of the "Three Ts" of real estate—Toilets, Tenants, and Trash outs? In a market where traditional deals are drying up and competition is fierce, seasoned investor Scott Carson is showing both new and experienced investors how to stop being a landlord and start being the bank. Welcome to the world of note investing, where you can stack massive cash flow and collect six-figure checks by purchasing distressed debt directly from banks at steep discounts. Whether you're looking to supercharge your self-directed IRA or find a passive way to exit the fix-and-flip grind, this episode dives deep into real-world case studies—from $300-a-month steady cash flow to $250,000 gross profits on a single deal. It's time to move past the outdated strategies of the 90s and learn how to leverage AI and bank relationships to build a premier deal flow in today's economy. Key Takeaways from the Workshop:Becoming the Bank: Note investing allows you to earn above-average returns without the headaches of physical property management by purchasing first-lien mortgages at 70% of the value or less. Direct Bank Deal Flow: Learn how to bypass the MLS and foreclosure auctions by getting deal lists directly from the 5,000+ registered banks and 19,000+ lending institutions that need to move bad debt off their books. Diverse Exit Strategies: Discover 11 different ways to profit, including rehabbing the borrower to reinstate payments for long-term cash flow, offering "cash for keys" to gain equity, or foreclosing to sell the property as a fix-and-flip. Funding with OPM: You don't need millions to start; Carson explains how to use Other People's Money (OPM) or self-directed IRAs to fund deals, allowing for tax-free growth and infinite rates of return. Modern Marketing & AI: Stay ahead of the competition by utilizing AI tools and automated marketing strategies designed for the 2026 market to identify "duds" during due diligence and find the best "cherry-picked" notes. The "sexy side" of real estate isn't about swinging a hammer; it's about owning the paper. If you're ready to stop chasing deals and start having banks send them to you, join the upcoming Austin Virtual Note Buying Workshop from February 27th to March 1st. With a 100% money-back guarantee and a tuition refund if you close a deal in your first six months, there's no reason to stay on the sidelines. Visit http://notebuyingfordummies.com to claim your 50% discount and start your journey to becoming a "Lien Lord" today!Watch the Original Video of this Episode HERE!Book a Call With Scott HERE!Sign up for the next FREE One-Day Note Class HERE!Sign up for the WCN Membership HERE!Sign up for the next Note Buying For Dummies Workshop HERE!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here's How »Join the Note Closers Show community today:WeCloseNotes.comThe Note Closers Show FacebookThe Note Closers Show TwitterScott Carson LinkedInThe Note Closers Show YouTubeThe Note Closers Show VimeoThe Note Closers Show InstagramWe Close Notes Pinterest

Your Note Investing Super Bowl: Build a Dream Team to Dominate 2026!Alright, everybody! Scott Carson here, ready to tackle a crucial topic that's been lighting up my phone: building your ultimate note investing dream team. With the Super Bowl on the horizon, it's the perfect analogy – you wouldn't put a quarterback at nose tackle, right? The same goes for real estate. You can't be a solo-preneur, trying to do it all yourself, especially when you're buying notes in 20+ states like me!Many new investors (like Vincent from Harrisburg, PA – this one's for you, buddy!) think they need to master every single task. But here's the kicker: delegating isn't just smart; it's essential. I've been coaching for almost two decades, and the most successful investors aren't just good at one thing; they're great at assembling a team. So, let's draft your winning lineup for 2026!Here's how to build your note investing dream team:The Scouting Report: REIAs & Networking: Your first stop? Local Real Estate Investor Associations (REIAs) and BNI groups. These are your recruiting grounds for investor-friendly realtors, title companies, and other pros. Don't be a wallflower; get there, ask around, and find the right people who want to work with investors.The Playmakers: Realtors & Title/Attorneys: You need reliable realtors for BPOs and market insights (especially out-of-state!). Pair them with investor-friendly title companies or real estate attorneys for seamless closings and secure money transfers. They're critical for evaluating and closing your deals.The Coaches: Licensed Servicers & Foreclosure Attorneys: For note investors, a licensed servicer is non-negotiable – they collect payments, handle communication, and manage legalities, saving you headaches (and potential fines!). A real estate attorney in every state you're active in is your offensive coordinator for foreclosures and workouts.The Finance Department: Hard Money & Private Capital: Even if you're the bank, you need a bank! Build relationships with hard money lenders for REO rehabs and, crucially, cultivate private money investors (IRAs, OPM). Your network of other investors can also be a goldmine for capital.The Ground Crew: Contractors & Property Management: When you take back an REO, you need reliable contractors (roofers, HVAC, handyman crews) to get it market-ready. For rentals, a trusted property manager (preferably local) is essential. These are your boots-on-the-ground, turning a problem asset into a profitable solution.You're not Tom Brady, trying to throw the ball to himself and run the field without blockers. You need a team that takes things off your plate, provides expertise, and moves your deals forward. My success, and my students', comes from building these relationships.Don't let the thought of doing it all yourself cripple your ambition. Leverage your network, find your dream team, and watch your note investing portfolio soar. If you need help finding these all-stars, reach out – we have a nationwide network ready to help you take your business to the next level. Go out, take some action, and let's go win that Super Bowl!Watch the Original VIDEO HERE!Book a Call With Scott HERE!Sign up for the next FREE One-Day Note Class HERE!Sign up for the WCN Membership HERE!Sign up for the next Note Buying For Dummies Workshop HERE!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here's How »Join the Note Closers Show community today:WeCloseNotes.comThe Note Closers Show FacebookThe Note Closers Show TwitterScott Carson LinkedInThe Note Closers Show YouTubeThe Note Closers Show VimeoThe Note Closers Show InstagramWe Close Notes Pinterest

What if the biggest opportunity in real estate and entrepreneurship is hidden inside your retirement account—and no one told you? In this episode of The Rich Somers Report, Rich sits down with Kaaren Hall, founder and CEO of uDirect IRA Services, to break down how investors can unlock the $40 trillion locked inside retirement accounts using self-directed IRAs.Rich and Kaaren discuss:How to legally use your IRA or 401(k) to invest in real estate, private equity, and boutique hotelsThe difference between traditional custodians and self-directed onesWhy Wall Street doesn't want you to know about this strategyThe most common mistakes investors make when using retirement funds—and how to avoid themHow to structure your deals, fund your investments, and build long-term wealth using pre-tax dollarsKaaren shares real-life examples of clients who've rolled over retirement accounts, invested into alternative assets, and scaled their net worth—without triggering penalties or taxes. If you're sitting on old retirement accounts or just want to take back control of your money, this episode is your playbook.