Financial Perspectives: The Podcast | Foster Group

Gretchen Muller, Director of Communications, and Wes Crill, Vice President and Senior Client Solutions Director for Dimensional Fund Advisors Global Client Group, discuss how markets price uncertainty, why discipline matters more than reaction, and what history tells us about navigating volatility – including the Iran conflict and its economic implications.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Gretchen MullerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

Recent developments involving Iran have been a reminder of how quickly geopolitics can affect markets. In this Financial Perspectives conversation, Gretchen Muller and Kent Kramer share perspective on what we’re seeing in stocks, oil, and investor feelings and why short-term volatility does not always change the long-term outlook.Gretchen and Kent discuss why uncertainty is a normal part of investing, what history can teach us during periods of conflict, and why a thoughtful financial plan should already account for times like these.At Foster Group, we believe in educated optimism: acknowledging real risks without losing sight of the bigger picture.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Gretchen MullerKent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

In this episode of Financial Perspectives, Kent Kramer introduces Gretchen Muller, Foster Group’s Director of Communications. Gretchen shares her background in investment research, teaching, and communication, along with her vision for helping Foster Group communicate clearly about markets, financial planning, and investing.Kent also shares that he will retire from Foster Group, and as host of Financial Perspectives, at the end of 2026. He reflects on how the series began in 2020, and why Foster Group’s commitment to thoughtful, hopeful communication continues to grow.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerGretchen MullerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

Tax strategy plays an important role in financial planning, but the right approach depends on your specific goals, timeline, and overall plan. In this episode of Financial Perspective, Gretchen Muller, Marcus Iwig, and Michael Westphal discuss how tax considerations can affect retirement planning, business sales, farm ground, stock compensation, account types, and investment implementation. The key takeaway: taxes matter, but they should be considered within the context of a broader financial plan.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Gretchen MullerMarcus IwigMichael WestphalFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

In early 2026, concerning headlines feel nonstop and uncertainty can make investors wonder, "should I adjust my financial plan?" In this episode, Gretchen Muller and Kent Kramer discuss how to separate market noise vs fundamentals and share a planning-first approach to staying disciplined through volatility.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerGretchen MullerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

Cybersecurity is evolving fast and phishing remains one of the most common and costly threats. In this episode, Gretchen Muller & Kate Juelfs break down what modern scams look like in 2026.We share practical, everyday steps you can take to reduce your risk: multi-factor authentication, strong unique passwords, and simple habits to pause, verify, and stay skeptical before acting on unexpected messages.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Gretchen MullerKate JuelfsFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

Year-end giving doesn’t have to be rushed or random. In this episode of Financial Perspectives, Director of Communications Gretchen Muller and Senior Lead Advisor Ashlee Vieregger walk through a practical year-end giving checklist to help you align your generosity with what matters most to you. They discuss “generosity languages,” how donor-advised funds could simplify giving across years, and ways to involve your family in leaving a legacy of generosity.Interested in more content on these topics? Check out our education center: www.fostergrp.com/YearEndGiving.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Ashlee ViereggerGretchen MullerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

In this edition of Financial Perspectives, Kent Kramer explores why market highs often trigger anxiety and how investors can cultivate educated optimism. Discover the psychology behind market fears, learn from historical trends, and understand our approach to portfolios.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

December 31st is fast approaching! This month, Kent Kramer and Caleb Brown walk through what's worth reviewing before the end of the year — timing, thresholds, and a simple way to prioritize the strategies that may be worth considering.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerCaleb BrownFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed July 4, 2025, updated tax law: rates extended, new $6K senior deduction, higher SALT cap with limits, charitable deduction floor, and a $15M estate exemption. This month, Marcus Iwig joins Kent Kramer to explain what these updates mean — and why most taxpayers may see only modest impact.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerMarcus IwigFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

AI is everywhere in the headlines — but how much is hype, and what’s real? Stephen de Man of Dimensional Fund Advisors joins Kent Kramer to explore AI’s history, opportunities, risks, and how to start using it responsibly.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

This month, Ashlee Vieregger joins Kent Kramer to explore how the new tax law could impact your estate plans. Learn about the new $15M exemption, charitable giving changes, essential documents, and why talking to your family about your plans matters more than ever.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerAshlee ViereggerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

This month, Kent Kramer tackles the question, 'Is it different this time?' by analyzing what’s different and what's the same in market downturns. He discusses historical market declines, the catalysts behind them, and the importance of maintaining long-term optimism despite short-term volatility.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

How much will you really need in retirement? And how do you make it last? This month, Kent Kramer and Marcus Iwig discuss forecasting expenses, managing investments for income, and handling life's curveballs in retirement.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerMarcus IwigFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

Market periods like these have a way of making virtually everyone ask the questions, "Am I okay? Is my financial plan going to survive these latest seismic events?" This week, Kent Kramer looks at historical worst-case scenarios and how they could be used to inform your financial plan.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

What's the rationale behind the steep new US tariffs and what does that mean for an investor's portfolio? What can or should we do as investors? In this special edition Financial Perspectives, Kent Kramer covers the announced tariffs, the impact on markets, and the dos and don'ts during market turmoil.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

How do tariffs impact your investment portfolio? This month, Kent Kramer discusses the latest tariff policies, market volatility, and why diversification is key to managing uncertainty.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

Join Kent Kramer for an interview with Vanguard Senior Portfolio Specialist Bill Puggini about Vanguard’s views on what may move markets in 2025 and beyond. 2025 is full of potential risks and rewards. Kent and Bill discuss how inflation, tariffs, interest rates, market valuations, and political policies are all things that could distract investors from focusing on their most important long-term goals.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

This month, Kent Kramer and Caleb Brown discuss insights on how inflation could impact your financial plan and portfolio. Learn how to prepare for inflation, plan for future spending, and invest wisely for your retirement.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerCaleb BrownFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

This week, join Kent Kramer for an insightful conversation with best-selling author, Professor Meir Statman, a leading expert in behavioral finance. Discover how financial security, optimism, and resilience contribute to overall life well-being. Professor Statman shares his inspiring personal journey and offers practical advice on balancing financial wealth with life’s other important aspects, such as family, health, and meaningful relationships.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerProfessor Meir StatmanFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

This week, Kent Kramer is joined by Senior Lead Advisor Ashlee Vieregger to discuss year-end financial planning ideas that create meaningful family traditions through charitable giving for every age group. Learn how to engage your entire family in generosity through telling stories and sharing an activity, all with the hidden benefit of building lasting financial skills.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerAshlee ViereggerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

In this special edition of Financial Perspectives, Kent Kramer is joined by Foster Group advisors Marcus Iwig and Caleb Brown as they share essential year-end tax planning tips. Discover how to make tax-efficient charitable donations from your IRA, maximize deductions by combining multiple years of giving, and convert pre-tax retirement accounts to Roth IRAs.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerMarcus IwigCaleb BrownFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

This week, Kent Kramer discusses how the upcoming election is influencing financial decisions, with 63% of Americans deferring choices until after the results. Despite political uncertainty, markets have shown resilience, highlighting the importance of optimism and staying informed for navigating uncertain times.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

This week, Matt Moklestad has a conversation with Todd Smith, the Mortgage Director at Bank Iowa, as he breaks down the complexities of mortgage rates. With nearly 30 years of experience in the banking and mortgage industry, Todd shares insights on how mortgage rates are determined, the factors that influence them, and tips for securing the best rates.Foster Group and Bank Iowa are unaffiliated businesses with no common ownership. Bank Iowa may refer prospective clients to Foster Group and Foster Group pays Bank Iowa a percentage of the fees earned from the client or a flat dollar amount. Additional disclosure is provided to all prospective clients Bank Iowa refers.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Matt MoklestadTodd SmithFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

This week, Kent Kramer sits down with BlackRock’s Bob Hum to explore the intricacies of ETFs and factor investing. Gain valuable insights and practical tips on how these strategies may enhance your investment portfolio and help you navigate today’s market complexities.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerBlackrockFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

This week, Kent Kramer examines the effects of an election season on investors. Drawing on historical data and behavioral economics, he emphasizes the importance of recognizing cognitive biases and staying optimistic.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

How many stocks does it take to really move your portfolio? It's a surprisingly small number. This week, Kent Kramer is joined by Foster Group's Director of Investments, Michael Westphal, to help answer this question.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerMichael WestphalFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

This week, Jason Brown is joined by Senior Lead Advisor, Stacie Neussendorfer. Hear Stacie share what she likes most about her job and how her perspective has changed over the years. Stacie also reveals what she feels clients value the most about working with Foster Group, good and bad money decisions, and what she's hopeful for in the future.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Stacie NeussendorferFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

In the first six months of 2024, NVIDIA has seen its stock price appreciate by just under 150%, which represented about 1/3 of the total gain of the S&P 500 in the same period. For those investors who did not own NVIDIA, they are likely experiencing ROMO. This week, Kent Kramer analyzes concentration of value and performance of the global stock market.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

We believe that investors increase their chances of success by avoiding predictable mistakes -- those practices that sound like they should work but have been shown time and time again to have very low probabilities of success. This week, Kent Kramer examines different studies to help inform our fifth investment principle.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

Investors have been puzzled this year, maybe even disappointed, that the bond market broadly has seen negative returns. How can this be when many money markets and bonds have stated yields of more than 5%? This week, Kent Kramer explains why.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

A wise investor will advance with science to increase the probability of good investment outcomes. This week, Kent Kramer shares examples of how advances in finance and economics have impacted investor experience.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

The acronym “AI” has become synonymous with Artificial Intelligence. But what is Aggregate Intelligence -- "AI"? This week, Kent Kramer explains how trusting markets and harnessing their power and prices is a fundamentally sound way to invest.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

You may find yourself asking, "Why should I be invested outside the US, when the US market is doing so well relative to foreign stocks?" This week, Kent Kramer explains how this question can be answered by understanding risk management, global opportunities, and the currency effect.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

In this week's special edition of Financial Perspectives, Kent Kramer has a conversation with 2022 Morningstar Outstanding Portfolio Manager award winner, Mary Ellen Stanek, who is managing director and co-chief investment officer of Baird. In this conversation, Kent and Mary Ellen cover everything from market history and trends to surprising interviews.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerMary Ellen StanekFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

In the NCAA tournaments, uncertainty and underdogs pulling off the impossible upset of a top-ranked team is a certainty. This week, Kent Kramer observes how we can learn from March Madness and apply those observations to investing.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

The world is, and has always been, a surprising and uncertain place. This week, Kent Kramer dives into Foster Group's foundational investment principle #2: Embrace Uncertainty. He provides four positive reasons to embrace uncertainty and two big dangers of not embracing it.Foundational Investment Principle #1 RecapSubscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

In this week's edition of Financial Perspectives, Kent Kramer covers everything from basketball and movies to Nobel Prize winners and a unique investment journey with Dave Butler, Co-CEO of Dimensional Fund Advisors.Watch "Tune Out the Noise" (Access Code: MARKETSWORK)Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerDave ButlerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

This week, Jason Brown is joined by Lead Advisor, Ryne Oller. Hear Ryne share what he likes most about his job, how his perspective has changed over the years, what he feels clients value the most about working with Foster Group, good and bad money decisions, and what he's hopeful for in the future.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Ryne OllerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

Anytime there is something new that gets a lot of media attention, investors should ask themselves, "Is this an opportunity for me or a distraction for what really matters?" This week, Kent Kramer introduces the first of five investment principles for purposeful investors.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

What small, consistent steps are in your control this year that, if you complete them, can result in accumulated progress for years to come? This week, Kent Kramer discusses how financial planning may help us discover these kinds of things.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

It's that time of year -- news outlets are gathering up nicely wrapped predictions and estimates on what the markets will do in 2024. This week, Kent Kramer analyzes how accurate, or inaccurate, these predictions actually have been in the past.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

Oftentimes, you don't know what your expectations are until they aren't met. In this episode, Kent Kramer looks at how relative risk and comparison within investing may impact your investment experience.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube

Welcome to Financial PerspectivesTM: The Podcast, a new series that brings you concise and informative insights covering an array of financial topics, markets, and the economy.Whether you are an individual investor, a business owner, or a financial professional, this podcast is for you. We invite you to tune in the second Wednesday of every month to stay informed with Financial Perspectives: The Podcast.Subscribe & Connect with Us!Kent KramerFinancial PerspectivesFoster GroupFacebookLinkedInXYouTube