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All Episodes

Real Personal Finance — 244 episodes

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Title
1

The Tab You Keep Closing (And Why You Need to Open It)

2

Your Biggest Asset Might Be Your Biggest Tax Problem

3

Retire From the Wrong Job, Not From Work

4

Rethinking Inheritance: Give It Now or Leave It Later?

5

Deferred Compensation: Smart Planning or a Risky Bet?

6

How to Stay Ahead of Taxes and Avoid Penalties

7

Is Your Financial Plan Supporting the Life You Want?

8

Can You Retire Early With Two Million Dollars?

9

The Simple Automations That Can Actually Boost Your Net Worth

10

A Simple Guide to Smarter Giving

11

Your Financial To-Do List Before December 31st

12

It’s Open Enrollment Season: How to Avoid Leaving Money on the Table

13

What Business Owners Need to Know About the OBBBA

14

There’s More to Saving for Retirement Than Knowing How Much Money You’ll Need

15

Pre-Tax, After-Tax, Roth: How Should You Distribute Your 401(k) Contributions?

16

A Meaningful Conversation About Money with Former NYT Columnist Carl Richards

17

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the OBBBA

18

Am I Behind? Rethinking Retirement Catch-Up Strategies

19

Are You Saving Money in the Right Order?

20

From Saver to Spender: How to Ease the Emotional Shift into Retirement

21

Rethinking Your Retirement Timing

22

What’s the Purpose of Your Money?

23

Liberation Day, Trade Wars, and Your Portfolio: What Investors Need to Know

24

The Art of Knowing When to Save or Spend

25

Try Before You Buy: How to Test-Drive Big Life Transitions

26

Taking Control of Your Financial Future: Planning, Investing & Risk Management

27

How To Spend More In Retirement With a Dynamic Withdrawal Rate

28

The Diversification Illusion of the S&P 500

29

Investing Principles to Keep in Mind in 2025

30

The 5 Steps of a DIY Annual Investments Review

31

Building Habits that Last Longer than Resolutions

32

What Does Your Most Fulfilled Life Look Like?

33

Should I Rent or Should I Buy?

34

When Roth Conversions Make Sense (and When They Don’t)

35

What Do Financial Advisors Actually Do?

36

How to Leverage Tax Projections to Minimize Your Tax Burden

37

Making Moves During Open Enrollment? Learn More About Life Insurance, Disability Coverage, 401(k), and More

38

Weighing the Benefits: How to Make a Decision on Employer-Provided Health Insurance

39

Embracing the Mess: How to Improve Financial Outcomes When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned

40

What is an Exchange Fund (and Should You Ever Join One)?

41

Politics and Personal Finance: Strategies for Stability During a Wild Election Season

42

Balancing Stocks, Bonds, Cash, and Your Financial Goals

43

How to Stop Your Instincts and Biases From Ruining Your Portfolio Returns

44

How to Build an Emergency Plan

45

How Can You Plan For An Uncertain Future?

46

Is Giving to a Donor-Advised Fund Worth It?

47

Should I Invest in My Health Savings Account?

48

What Should You Do With Your Stock Portfolio?

49

What Should You Do With Your Pile of Cash?

50

Is It Possible To Actually Reach FIRE?

51

How Can You Avoid Surprises Next Tax Season?

52

Final Episode - How To Stay In Touch With Us!

53

How to Balance a Home Purchase with Saving for Retirement?

54

What Should You Do If You Make Too Much To Contribute To a Roth IRA?

55

The Truth About an MBA - Is It Worth It?

56

How Are Different Types of Investment Withdrawals Taxed?

57

How Can I Reduce Costs Inside Of My Company's 401(k)?

58

How Should Real Estate Factor In My Retirement Plan?

59

How to Best Diversify a Concentrated Stock Holding

60

5 Steps to Get Your Finances Right in the New Year

61

How Should You Choose Survivor Benefits Options For Your Pension?

62

Misleading Financial Rules That You Should Avoid

63

[BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!] How to Find the Right Solution For Your Financial Needs

64

What's the Best Way for a Career Changer to Get Into the Financial Planning Industry?

65

How Do You Know When You're on Track to be Financially Free?

66

How do Individual Stocks Compare to Investing in Funds?

67

What's the Most Effective Way to Incorporate Giving Into Your Financial Plan?

68

Does it Ever Make Sense to Purchase a Home with All Cash Down?

69

How Does A Pension Fit In Your Overall Retirement Plan?

70

175 - 5 Employee Benefits To Get Right During Annual Enrollment

71

174 - Is Roth or Traditional Better for FIRE?

72

173 - Should I Dip into My Retirement Accounts to Purchase a Home?

73

172 - What Should I Do When I I Receive a Significant Bump in Income?

74

171 - Should I Save My Money For The Future Or Spend it Today?

75

170 - Where Should I Invest My Excess Income?

76

169 - [New Format!] Are Your Investments Too Concentrated?

77

168 - How to Understand the Stock Market

78

167 - What Insurances Do I Need?

79

166 - How Does This Market Impact How We Pull Funds from 529 Plans?

80

165 - How to Invest in Stocks For Beginners

81

164 - How To Understand Your Cash Flow

82

163 - Pros & Cons of Using Dividend Investing to Create Passive Income

83

162 - How To Understand Your Balance Sheet

84

161 - How to Invest During a Bear Market

85

160 - How to Retire Early

86

159 - How Much Company Stock Ownership Is Too Much?

87

158 - Where To Invest Cash Earmarked for a Down Payment?

88

157 - How to Best Mitigate Risk in Your Investment Strategy

89

156 - Benefits of Health Savings Accounts and How to Maximize Their Impact

90

155 - Should I Use an Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM)

91

154 - How Can I Reduce Taxes on Side Hustle Income?

92

153 - What Planning Points Should You Consider During a Recession?

93

152 - How to Invest In Down Markets

94

151 - How to Account For Matching Contributions in Retirement Saving Rates

95

150 - How to Give More Effectively Using Donor Advised Funds

96

149 - How to Find a Financial Professional That's Right For You

97

148 - Annuity vs Lump Sum - Which Pension Option Should I Select?

98

147 - How to Best Track Investment Returns

99

146 - How to Forecast and Save for College Expenses

100

145 - Should I Ever Borrow Money to Invest?

101

144 - Pros & Cons of Different Savings Accounts

102

143 - How Much Do I Need to Retire?

103

142 - What Are the Tradeoffs Between Real Estate and Stock Market Investing?

104

141 - How to Rebalance When Tax Implications Are Involved

105

140 - What Should I Do When I Receive a Large Windfall?

106

139 - What's the Best Way to Become a Financial Planner?

107

138 - How Do I Balance Retirement Savings with Debt Paydown?

108

137 - What Do People Do For Health Insurance If They Retire Early?

109

136 - Should I Save to a Deferred Compensation Plan After Maxing Out Everything Else?

110

135 - Newborn 101: What to Expect When You're Expecting

111

134 - How to Know If You're On Track to Retire

112

133 - How to Start the New Year Right

113

132 - How to Protect Against Inflation

114

131 - What to Know About IRA Eligibility

115

130 - Should I Do Roth Conversions in Low Income Years?

116

129 - Should I Cancel My Existing Whole Life Policy And Buy Term Insurance?

117

128 - Can I Unwind a Non-deductible IRA Contribution?

118

127 - Should I Pay Down My Mortgage or Invest?

119

126 - How to Invest at Market All-Time Highs

120

125 - Where to Invest For a Home, CD Ladders, and Contribution Rules

121

124 - What Are New Contributions Limits and How Does That Impact Our Taxes

122

123 - Should I Invest in Whole Life Insurance After Maxing Out My 401k?

123

122 - When Should I Start Redirecting Retirement Savings to Other Account Types?

124

121 - Overview of Important Mliestones To Be Aware Of

125

120 - How To Make Sure You Aren't Leaving Free Money on the Table During Open Enrollment

126

119 - What Should I Do When I Have Large Unrealized Gains in a Concentrated Stock Holding?

127

118 - How to Take Advantage of Tax Loss and Tax Gain Harvesting

128

117 - Should I Pursue a Dividend and Sector Investment Strategy?

129

116 - What Are the Key Things to Focus on When Just Getting Started?

130

115 - Mailbag Episode - Tracking 401k Contributions, ESPP Savings, and Investing After a Late Start

131

114 - How to Upsize Homes Before Selling Your Current Home

132

113 - How to Balance Retirement Income and Legacy Goals

133

112 - How Do I Incorporate Real Estate As Part of My Retirement Plan?

134

111 - What's the Best Way to Invest My Portfolio In Retirement?

135

110 - How Much Should Your Net Worth Increase Each Year?

136

109 - How to Prioritize Different Financial Strategies

137

108 - Should I Add Real Estate To My Portfolio After I’ve Maxed Everything Else Out?

138

107 - How to Plan When You Got a Late Start

139

106 - What Are Your Numbers?

140

105 - What Do All the Different Indexes Mean?

141

104 - How Does This Political Climate Impact Our Investments?

142

103 - Should I Save on Taxes Now Or In The Future?

143

102 - Where Should You Save Your Extra Income?

144

101 - How to Balance Cash Savings and Long-Term Investing

145

100 - 100th Episode! Reflection on the first 100 Episodes

146

099 - How To Save For a Home in This Crazy Real Estate Market

147

098 - Should I Move to Another State to Save Money and Retire Earlier?

148

097 - How to Balance Debt Paydown, Savings, and Long-Term Investing

149

096 - Should I Give My 4 Year Old a Credit Card?

150

095 - What To Do When You Have "Too Much Cash"

151

094 - When Should People Hire a Financial Planner?

152

093 - Should I Front Load Retirement Accounts When I'm Young?

153

092 - [Guest Interview] Can I use income earned overseas to fund US Retirement Accounts?

154

091 - [Guest Interview] How to Invest for Retirement If You Might Not Retire in the US

155

090 - How Do I Determine Taxes Owed on RSUs and ESPPs?

156

089 - Is it Possible to Overfund Retirement?

157

088 - Is an MBA Worth it? And How to Prepare Financially?

158

087 - Investing a Lump Sum vs Dollar Cost Averaging - Which is Better?

159

086 - Should I Apply Extra Cash to a Mortgage Refinance or Invest It?

160

085 - GameStop, AMC & More - How to Think About Hot Stocks as an Investor

161

084 - How Should You Know When to Use a Roth IRA vs Traditional IRA?

162

083 - 4 Things You Can Invest In

163

082 - What is a Sustainable Withdrawal Rate?

164

081 - What Should I Do When I Receive a Windfall?

165

080 - What Tax Investment Strategies Should I Be Aware of When Selling Stock Options

166

079 - 4 Steps to Implementing Change

167

078 - How Should You Diversify the Bond Part of Your Portfolio?

168

077 - Learn How "Asset Location" Can Lower Your Tax Bill

169

076 - Financial Planning Issues to Consider Before Year-End

170

075 - What's the Best Way to Fund Large Purchases in Retirement?

171

074 - Should You Invest in Bitcoin?

172

073 - Better Investor Series: How to Tilt Your Portfolio to Increase Your Odds of Success

173

072 - Better Investor Series: Understanding Asset Allocation

174

071 - Better Investor Series: 10 Steps to Investment Success

175

070 - How Should You Invest in an Election Year?

176

069 - Should You Use a Target Date Fund In Your 401(k) Plan?

177

068 - What is Mega Back Door Roth Contribution and Who Can Do It?

178

067 - What's the Best Investment Strategy for a 5-7 Year Timeframe?

179

066 - How to Teach Kids About Money Basics?

180

065 - How to Navigate Open Enrollment: I Hope You Have It

181

064 - How to Navigate Open Enrollment: Stock Compensation

182

063 - How to Navigate Open Enrollment: Health Insurance

183

062 - 10 Hidden Costs of Home Ownership

184

061 - What do I do With My Emergency Fund with Interest Rates So Low?

185

60 - What Tax-Efficient Investment Strategies Exist After I Max My 401(k)?

186

059 - What Do I Do After a Parent Passes Away?

187

058 - Everything You Need to Know About 529 Plans

188

057 - What Questions Should I Ask When Hiring a Financial Planner?

189

056 - What Is The Value of Working With a Real Financial Planner?

190

055 - Midyear Check Up: What To Look For In Your Insurance Policies

191

054 - LLC vs Sole Proprietorship: Which is Right For Your New Business?

192

053 - Should You Invest In Bonds with Interest Rates so Low?

193

052 - What Are the Most Important Accounts to Save to First?

194

051 - What Issues Should I Consider When Buying a Home?

195

050 - How Coronavirus Will Impact Future Social Security Benefits

196

049 - How Much Do I Have?

197

048 - What Financial Issues Do I Need to Know if I Lose My Job?

198

047 - Things You Didn't Know About Roth IRAs

199

046 - 5 Steps to Take When the Market Tanks

200

045 - Should I Rebalance My Portfolio

201

044 - Is Now a Good Time to Buy Stocks?

202

043 - How to Align Your Money With Life

203

042 - College Savings Options When College Isn't Far Away

204

041 - How the $2 Trillion CARES Act Will Impact You

205

040 - Financial (and other) Resources for those impacted by Cornavirus

206

039 - What Are The Best Retirement Plan Options for Small Businesses?

207

038 - Scary Markets - What Should I Do?

208

037 - Should I Just Own the S&P 500 Index?

209

036 - How to Navigate Mortgage Rates, Points, and Other Important Factors

210

035 - Should I Invest In Gold?

211

034 - Do I Need Disability Insurance?

212

033 - What Are the Most Important Things to Focus on in Personal Finance?

213

032 - How Will the SECURE Act Impact You?

214

031 - Should I Leave My Financial Advisor for Vanguard?

215

030 - Understanding Social Security and How to Maximize Benefits

216

029 - How to Maintain a Good Credit Score and Why It Matters

217

028 - 5 Steps to Financial Success in 2020

218

027 - When Do I Need Long-Term Care Insurance?

219

026 - What To Do With Your Year-End Bonus

220

025 - How Can I Best Use My Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)?

221

024 - What Are Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)?

222

023 - How to Balance Short-Term vs Long-Term Goals

223

022 - How Does Our Tax System Work?

224

021 - Is a Real Estate a Good Investment?

225

020 - Year End Tax Planning You Should Know

226

019 - Do I Need an Emergency Fund?

227

018 - Is Now a Good Time to Refinance My Mortgage?

228

017 - What to Look For When Selecting a Financial Advisor

229

016 - Budgeting Sucks, Do This Instead

230

015 - How to Get the Most of Your Employee Benefits

231

014 - Do I Need Life Insurance?

232

013 - How Many Mutual Funds Should I Own?

233

012 - Should I Get a 15 or 30 Year Mortgage?

234

011 - Where Should You Invest After Maxing Out Retirement Accounts

235

010 - The Magic of Compounding Interest

236

009 - How to Align Your Money with Life?

237

008 - How can I save for college?

238

007 - Do You Need an Estate Plan?

239

006 - To Roth or Not to Roth?

240

005 - How Much Do I Need To Retire?

241

004 - What is an HSA?

242

003 - Should I Use a SEP IRA or a Solo 401(k)?

243

002 - Is it Better to Invest or Pay Off Debt

244

001 - Personal Finance Doesn’t Have to Be Confusing