Preparing for Tax Season and Beyond with Brian Walsh, “Dr. Money”

Benjamin Franklin once wrote that “nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” And with tax season’s arrival, being certain about what you owe and planning ahead will save you both frustration and funds. In this episode, we discuss all things taxes with Brian Walsh, a.k.a. “Dr. Money,” Head of Advice and Planning at SoFi. Brian talks about tips for preparing for tax season, how to be strategic with taxes surrounding investments, as well as how best to balance short and long-term goal planning to optimize your financial well being. Brian Walsh is a Certified Financial Planner, and holds a PhD from the Personal Financial Planning program at Kansas State University. Prior to joining SoFi, he worked for a number of years in senior roles in financial planning at TIAA. For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday at On The Money by SoFi, sign up for the On The Money newsletter, and follow Liz @LizThomasStrat. Notable mentions in the episode: 00:00 Introduction 01:26 Emotions around tax planning 02:55 Why you should care about taxes 04:58 Advice for preparing for tax season 08:35 Underrated tax preparation tips 10:20 Deciding to use an accountant 15:41 Roth IRA vs. Traditional IRA 19:17 Being strategic with capital gains and losses 25:54 Financial planning philosophy 28:33 Budgeting 30:20 Sticking to a savings plan 33:16 Balancing short-term and long-term goals 42:11 Closing Thoughts Additional resources: On The Money: Sign up for SoFi's newsletter for intel, insights, and inspo to help you get your money right. Investing 101 Center: At SoFi, we believe investing is for everyone — which is why we’ve created a hub with info for beginners and experts alike. Start exploring to get investment education, advice, resources, and more. Wealth Investing Guide: Information you need to know to make your money work harder for you. This podcast should be used for informational purposes only and not deemed as a recommendation. Our Automated investing is via SoFi Wealth LLC, and is a registered investment advisor. Our Active investing is via SoFi securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest® platforms, please visit www. SoFi.com/Legal. ©2025 Social Finance, Inc. All Rights Reserved.