Listen Now

Alternatives can be great investments, but you must generally be a strong candidate for them. In this week's episode of the Grow Money Business podcast, Grant discusses what alternative investments are, why they are good, and what you have to look out for.   [02.08] Alternative investments – Starting the conversation, Grant defines alternative investments with examples.   [09.02] Benefits – Grant explains the benefits from the managers' perspective if you are going to develop land investments.   [12.14] For and against – Grant contrasts the alternative investment offerings that are considered good and not good.   [23.05] Regulation D Offering – A rule set by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) governing private placement exemptions, which permits businesses to raise money through the sale of stock or debt securities without registering those securities with the SEC.  [26.06] Legitimacy – Grant shares the reasons behind ensuring the legitimacy of the people you choose when buying a traditional investment.  Resources   GMB Ep #154: The Small Business Owner’s Financial Order of Operations –   abovethecanopy.us/small-business-owners-financial-order-of-operations/   Blackstone - blackstone.com/  

With the recent interest rates raise initiated by The Federal Reserve, many people are curious about where to park their cash in a way that provides the maximum benefits. This week's episode of Grow Money Business podcast, Grant discusses the methodology of saving cash in your emergency fund and several other options for investing your extra cash.   [05.06] The method – Starting the conversation, Grant dives into how much cash you need in your bank accounts as a business owner from his perspective and the reasons behind it.   [10.15] Emergency fund – Grant explains what you can do with the extra cash in your emergency fund and the vital things you have to consider.   [15.52] Capital one - American bank holding company Capital One Financial Corporation specializes in credit cards, auto loans, banking, and savings accounts.  [16.23] Ally Financial – A bank holding company that offers a variety of financial services, such as car financing, internet banking through a direct bank, corporate lending, auto insurance, and mortgage loans.  [20.15] Brokered CDs or T bills - Grant explains how brokerage CDs and T bills CDs work.    Resources   Online Savings Account - ally.com/bank/online-savings-account/   Treasury Bill Rates - data.nasdaq.com/data/USTREASURY/BILLRATES-treasury-bill-rates   What Is a Brokered Certificate of Deposit (CD)? –   investopedia.com/terms/b/brokered-cd.asp  

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 provides some changes in the functions of ROTH accounts, 401K plans, and mandatory distributions from your retirement accounts. In this week's episode of the Grow Money Business podcast, Grant discusses the highlights investors need to know about the new Act and some of the planning opportunities that come with the new act.  [06.08] Changes to ROTH accounts – Grant shares the changes of the Roth accounts in the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2023.   [13.04] Traditional vs. ROTH employer contributions – Grant defines traditional & ROTH employer contributions and how employer contributions work according to the new Act.   [17.14] Catch-up contributions – A type of retirement saving that allows people over 50 to make additional contributions to 401K and IRAs.   [18.13] Mandatory distributions – Grant explains how mandatory distributions have changed in the new SECURE 2.0 Act.   [23.28] Qualified charitable distribution – A QCD is a direct transfer from your IRA to a qualified charity. Grant dives into the changes regarding qualified charitable distribution in the new Act.   [32.22] Emergency reasons – Grant explains the legislation change for first responders to take their money out from their 401K, 403B, or 457 plans when they hit 50.   [36.14] Penalty for mandatory distribution – Grant shares the 25% penalty decrease for mandatory distribution starting from 2023.    Resources  What’s in the New SECURE Act 2.0? –   asppa-net.org/news/browse-topics/what%E2%80%99s-new-secure-act-20     SECURE 2.0: Rethinking retirement savings –   fidelity.com/learning-center/personal-finance/secure-act-2  

Being smart in financial planning is vital, especially if you try to plan on your own. But people who do it themselves often have an inconsistent process. In this week's Grow Money Business podcast, Grant dives into the financial planning process, do it yourself or hire a professional, the seven-step financial process by the CFP board, and more.   [03.20] Hiring a professional – Starting the discussion, Grant dives into his idea about hiring a professional for financial planning.   [07.18] Planning for the future – Grant shares why you must be smart about financial planning.   [13.14] Having a process – Grant shares the importance of having a proper procedure for financial planning. He further shares the problems he identified in his clients when they try financial planning by themselves.   [15.33] CFP board financial planning - CFP Board is a non-profit organization that serves the public by promoting professional standards in personal financial planning.   [17.07] Seven-step financial planning process – Grant walks us through the seven-step financial planning process offered by CFP.   [21.24] Reaching out – Grant shares the details of what kind of professional you need to find if you are going to get help with your financial planning.   [25.57] Being a fiduciary – Grant defines fiduciary responsibility and what you can do if your hired professional is not responsible for being fiduciary.  [28.50] The steps – Grant walks us through the steps they take in the financial planning of their firm.    Resources  Book by Jim Sheils –   The Family Board Meeting: You Have 18 Summers to Create Lasting Connection with Your Children  https://www.amazon.com/Family-Board-Meeting-Connection-Children/dp/1732362912   THE 7 STEP FINANCIAL PLANNING PROCESS –   https://www.cfp.net/ethics/compliance-resources/2019/02/the-7-step-financial-process   Strategic Financial Planning For Business Owners in Transition –   https://www.threeoakswealth.com/   

An inverted yield curve is an indicator of possibility of a future recession. Currently, the U.S. government is in a sudden inverted yield curve. In this week's episode of Grow Money Business, Grant discusses the yield curve, how it predicts a future recession, the market impact of long-term debt, and more. [02.22] Yield curve – Starting the discussion, Grant explains the yield curve and how it works. [08.35] Investment risks – Grant dives into different risks with investing in U.S. government bonds. [10.37] Predicting the future – Grant shares the recession prediction due to the higher rate of short-term debt. [11.36] Inverted yield curve – Grant shares the percentages of short and long-term debt rates. [15.46] Research – Grant dives into the research details of Fama and Kenneth in 2019 about 'Inverted Yield Curves and Expected Stock Returns.' [22.00] Investing long-term – Grant shares how investing in the long-term solves many problems and will lead investors to the best outcomes. Resources Inverted Yield Curves and Expected Stock Returns – famafrench.dimensional.com/media/467645/inverted-yield-curves-and-expected-stock-returns-july-28-2019.pdf Yield Curve Inversion Reaches New Extremes – wsj.com/articles/yield-curve-inversion-reaches-new-extremes-11669687278 Explainer: U.S. yield curve inversion - What is it telling us? – reuters.com/business/finance/us-yield-curve-inversion-what-is-it-telling-us-2022-03-29/

We’re almost at the end of 2022, a year filed with various ups and downs in the financial markets. In this week's episode of Grow money business, Grant reflects on his previous predictions for this year on Bitcoin, international equities, and value & growth companies. Grant also shares his 2023 forecasts on inflation, interest rate, and credit rates. [06.54] Bitcoin – Grant shares the predictions he had for Bitcoin early this year and how they turned out. [08.22] International equities – Grant explains how international equities did better than US equity counterparts in 2022. [12.30] Value & growth companies – Grant compares value & growth companies and describes how value companies outperformed growth companies in 2022. [18.09] Inflation – Grant dives into how he was wrong about inflation going down this year. [24.17] Inflation in 2023 – Grant predicts that inflation will continue to decrease in 2023. [26.20] Interest rates – Grant shares some predictions for credit rates and interest rates in 2023.

Learning from past mistakes is vital for any business venture or industry because it prevents the same mistakes being repeated. This topic comes to the forefront with the announcement of the controversial bankruptcy of FTX, one of the world's largest cryptocurrency companies, and the catastrophic events and revelations that followed. This week's episode of Grow Money Business discusses what's going on with FTX and why we need to appreciate history. [04.06] FTX – Grant starts the conversation with a quick overview of what is going on with FTX. [06.06] The Bankruptcy – Grant dives into how FTX has come to bankruptcy. [12.20] The Difference – Grant explains the difference between a brokerage firm and a bank. [13.22] The Great Depression – Grant discusses the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world, lasting from 1929 to 1939. [13.30] Savings and Loans Crisis - After the Great Depression, the S&L crisis was regarded as one of the worst failures of the banking sector in the United States. [17.00] The Mortgage Crisis - The US subprime mortgage crisis was a global financial crisis that erupted between 2007 and 2010 and was a factor in the global financial crisis of 2007–2008. [23.04] Mistakes of the Past – Grant dives into what happens when we don't learn from the mistakes we made in the past. He further discusses the similarities between FTX's bankruptcy and Lehman Brothers' bankruptcy in 2008. [31.30] Negligence – Grant discusses FTX’s negligence towards managing bankruptcy risk. [36.12] Being appreciative – Grant dives into the importance of appreciating others who came before you and studying their mistakes so you don't have to repeat them. Resources A Crisis PR Veteran on Sam Bankman-Fried’s Weird Media Strategy – https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/12/a-crisis-pr-expert-on-sam-bankman-frieds-odd-media-strategy.html   Sam Bankman-Fried, CZ Battle It Out on Twitter Over Binance's Aborted FTX Buyout – https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/sam-bankman-fried-cz-battle-it-out-on-twitter-over-binances-aborted-ftx-buyout/ar-AA155PKF   Crypto currency crashes recall 'wildcat' banking – https://techxplore.com/news/2022-12-crypto-currency-recall-wildcat-banking.html

ESG investing, also known as environmental, social, and governance, has been renowned as a perfect way of utilizing investment resources aligned with personal values. However, in the last couple of years, the quality of ESG investing has gone down. In this week's episode on Grow Money Business, we discuss the ESG fund, the three big issues of ESG, ESG versus non-ESG, overall transparency, and more. [02.37] ESG – Grant begins the conversation with a general overview of ESG investing. [04.10] Three big issues – Greenwashing, nepotism, and performance are the three big issues related to ESG investing recently. [06.15] Greenwashing – Grant dives into what greenwashing is and how it happens at both the fund and company levels. [11.22] Drawing up an ESG fund – Grant explains how weight and elimination are the two primary ways to build a portfolio that aligns with a specific ESG ideology. [15.35] ESG vs. Non-ESG – Grant shares how research revealed that most companies under ESG fund in the USA had the worst record in 2021. [19.45] Nepotism – Grant dives into the concept of nepotism in the ESG field. [27.24] Transparency – Grant dives into the importance of transparency when it comes to ESG funds in your organization. [28.05] Performance – Grant shares what investors should want to know regarding performance related to ESG investing.   Resources An Inconvenient Truth About ESG Investing https://hbr.org/2022/03/an-inconvenient-truth-about-esg-investing   Greenwashing And ESG: What You Need To Know – https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/greenwashing-esg/

Some crucial components of effective retirement planning include saving early and regularly, making good investments, and creating a budget for expenses. In this week's episode of Grow Money Business, Grant dives into defined-benefit pension plans. Throughout the episode, we talk about the specifics of a defined-benefit pension plan, different types of tax-advantaged retirement plans, benefits, investment performance, and more. [03.03] Defined-benefit pension plan – Grant explains what a defined-benefit pension plan is. [08.53] Creating a defined-benefit plan – Grant dives into the process of creating a defined-benefit pension plan and how it benefits single business owners, LLCs, or S corporations. [14.05] Investment performance – Grant explains the relationship between the success of a pension plan and investment performance. [22.32] Pension assets – Grant describes what happens when pension assets become volatile and some best practices for avoiding volatility. [26.52] CalPERS/ CalSTRS – Grant ties in the California Public Employees' Retirement System and California State Teachers Retirement System. [31.14] Defined-contribution plan – Wrapping up the conversation, Grant shares the impacts you can have on your defined-distribution plan if you create a defined-benefit plan.   Resources  Defined Benefit Plan - www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/defined-benefit-plan Personal Defined Benefit Plan - www.schwab.com/small-business-retirement-plans/personal-defined-benefit-plan What Is a Defined-Benefit Plan? Examples and How Payments Work - www.investopedia.com/terms/d/definedbenefitpensionplan.asp

The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe impacts on every industry across the globe and due to government restrictions, businesses experienced drastic revenue declines. In this week's episode of Grow Money Business, we will discuss the employee retention tax credit, introduced to help those businesses that struggled through the pandemic. Throughout the episode, we dive into what ERTC is, how it works differently in 2020 and 2021, who can apply for it, and the payroll information form. [3:00] In the Media - The ETRC has been making headlines for both positive and negative reasons. Grant explains some of the current conversation and controversy around companies that are offering to assist with amending tax returns to capture the ETRC. [05.50] Employee retention tax credit – Grant dives into the employee retention tax credit and who can apply for it. [11.00] How it works – Grant shares how the tax credit works and how it differs in 2020 and 2021. [13.05] Payroll information form – Grant explains the 940 payroll information forms that you need to submit to IRS to get the tax credit. Resources As Pandemic Aid Dries Up, Businesses Chase Covid Tax Credit – https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-pandemic-aid-dries-up-businesses-chase-covid-tax-credit-11668292886?mod=Searchresults_pos1&page=1 What Is the Employee Retention Credit For 2022? – https://www.payscale.com/compensation-trends/what-is-the-employee-retention-credit/

If you’re planning for early retirement and have saved money in tax qualified accounts, there are some important considerations to be aware of. In this week’s episode of Grow Money Business, we are going to dive into how early retirees can avoid the 10% withdrawal penalty. Throughout the episode, we discuss the details of the early withdrawal penalty, some common misunderstandings about Roth IRAs, and the three options you can use to avoid the 10% withdrawal penalty when you decide to retire before 59½. [01.02] Early withdrawal penalty – Grant explains the ins and outs of the early withdrawal penalty, which applies to distributions taken from an IRA or retirement plan before the participant is 59½ years old. [05.15] 401k Distributions – Grant shares some important considerations if you plan to take distributions from your 401K before IRAs or Roth IRAs. [10.45] Substantially equal periodic payments – Grant explains how you can avoid the early withdrawal penalty by utilizing substantially equal periodic payments. [16.15] Taxable Brokerage Accounts – Grant shares a third maneuver for avoiding the early withdrawal penalty that allows tax-deferred accounts to grow and compound. [20.16] Roth IRA Myths – Grant clarifies some common misconceptions regarding the five-year ROTH IRA rule.   Resources 72t Distributions: The Ultimate Guide to Early Retirement – https://www.abovethecanopy.us/the-ultimate-guide-to-early-retirement-with-72t-distributions/   Substantially Equal Periodic Payments – https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/substantially-equal-periodic-payments   Exceptions to Tax on Early Distributions – https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-tax-on-early-distributions  

It is essential to go through one step at a time when planning your business's financial operation. This week on Grow Money Business, we are going to talk about the small business owners' financial order of operations. Throughout the episode, we dive into the seven-step checklist of Dave Ramsey's and Grant's 10-step checklist for small business owners in their financial planning. [00.21] Financial order of operations – A checklist that small business owners can use for their benefit. [00.53] Baby steps – Starting an emergency fund, focusing on debts, completing the emergency fund, saving for retirement, saving for your children's college fund, paying off your house, and building wealth and giving are the seven steps of Dave Ramsey for financial planning. [01.45] Ten steps checklist -  Grant's 10-step checklist for small business owners. [09.51] Step one – Establish a baseline emergency fund. We dive into the first step of Grant's checklist, starting baseline emergency fund by saving up one month's worth of personal expenses. [11.28] Step two – Starting a baseline emergency fund with one month's worth of operational expenses. [12.25] Step three – Paying off both personal and business high-interest debts is the third step, says Grant. [13.00] Step four – Expanding personal emergency funds from one month's worth of expenses to between three or nine months' expenses, according to Grant. [14.00] Step five – Expand the business cash fund. [15.30] Step six – Establish a company retirement plan is the six-step on Grant's checklist. [15.35] Step seven – Pay off your other non-mortgage debt as student loans, auto loans, etc.  [16.25] Financial flexibility – Grant dives into why we need to maintain financial flexibility. [17.00] Step eight – Circle back to the retirement plan and maximize all the supplemental retirement saving options you have is the 8th step, says Grant. [18.00] Step nine – Grant dives into step nine; starts saving for a kid's education and the importance of it. [18.40] Step ten – The last step is to start building wealth. [23.27] Emergency fund – Grant shares how to decide to build an emergency fund and what risks you have to take according to your current position.   Resources Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps: ramseysolutions.com/dave-ramsey-7-baby-steps   Financial Order of Operations Course learn.moneyguy.com/financial-order-of-operations-course

The stock and bond markets have had a terrible time this year, and many wonder if the worst is over or if the next 12 months will bring more hardship. However, although the economy faces challenges, there are also grounds for optimism. In this episode, we'll dive into the details of what's been happening recently in the economy and the stock market, as well as some suggestions for how you might want to adjust your investment strategy. [02:55] Long-Term Bond Yields - Grant explains the current state of inflation, and how the long-term bond yield is a good proxy for inflation expectations. [06:21] Inflation Expectations - Inflation expectations among the general public have decreased. Grant goes into greater depth on inflation expectations, elaborating on the labor market and US unemployment rates. [09:53] The US Dollar – Grant explains the consequences of the US dollar's value and strength fluctuations. [11:36] Oil Prices – Grant discusses whether or not the recent rise in oil prices can be attributed to Opec's decision to reduce its output. [14:03] Investing - Grant shares how you can use data to make better decisions about your investments. [20:17] Valuation Measures – Grant shares some different valuation measures that you should be aware of. Resources: Have The P/E Ratios Of S&P 500 ETFs Dropped Into The Buy Range?: seekingalpha.com/article/4544667-have-s-and-p-500-etfs-pe-ratios-dropped-into-the-buy-range Here's one key measure of stock performance that suggests the market has already hit a bottom, Leuthold's Jim Paulsen says: msn.com/en-us/money/markets/heres-one-key-measure-of-stock-performance-that-suggests-the-market-has-already-hit-a-bottom-leutholds-jim-paulsen-says/ar-AA13ktlF

Investments in developed economies like the U.S. and Europe are generally thought to be less risky than those in emerging markets. However, these emerging markets come with a great deal of investment potential. We dedicated today’s episode to exploring responsible emerging markets investing, and are joined by Perth Tolle, the founder of Life + Liberty Indexes. Throughout the episode, we dive into the Perth’s professional journey, freedom weighting, funding, ESG, operating expenses, and more. [04.14] The journey – Perth shares her story and the reason behind not investing in her home country. [07.22] Freedom weighting – Perth explains how they use third-party freedom metrics based on three freedom categories; civil, political, and economic. [12.16] Chile – We dive into the dynamics of the best-performing emerging market this year. [16.28] Funding – Perth explains how the funding was done in 2019, and shares some performance metrics. [21.20] Environmental, Social, and Governance – Perth shares why they are distancing from ESG. [25.27] Lifecycle – Perth explains the process of starting her ETF. [38.45] First purchasing – Perth shares details on the first security purchasing. [42.18] ADRs – Perth and Grant discuss American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), which are negotiable security instruments issued by U.S. banks and reflect a certain number of shares in a foreign business traded on U.S. financial markets. [44.50] Work-life balance – Perth explains the importance of a balanced personal and professional life. [47.39] Next five years – Perth shares what the next five years in her organization will look like   Resources Connect with Perth  LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/perth-tolle-7757b745 Twitter: twitter.com/Perth_Tolle Website: www.lifeandlibertyindexes.com Company LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/life-liberty-indexes Freedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF alphaarchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/compliance/etf/factsheets/FRDM_Factsheet.pdf

Managing employees and treating them fairly while maintaining compliance with state and federal regulations is a delicate aspect of any business organization. This week on Grow Money Business, we’re joined by Andrew A. Esposito, a labor law practitioner, human resources attorney, and manager of client development at Clemans Nelson & Associates, a management consulting service provider for labor relations and human resource management needs. Throughout the episode, we dive into some of the biggest legal risks Andrew had to face related to employment and more. [03.32] Background – Starting the conversation, Andrew dives into his professional career, where he currently works, and what services they are providing to customers. [05.41] Labor law posters – Little things matter the most when it comes to a small business. Andrew dives into the importance of purchasing labor law posters and posting them in an area at the office for everyone to see every year. [08.18] Businesses – Andrew shares what kind of businesses they are working with within their practice. [10.09] 1099 Contractor vs. W2 employee – Controlling is the key to deciding whether someone’s an independent contractor, says Andrew. He also dives into what areas small businesses should consider when it comes to independent contractors without getting any legal problems. [17.21] Salaried & hourly – Andrew dives into the difference between salaried and hourly employees. [25.53] Employee count – Andrew talks about what requirement does and what does not base on the employee count of an organization. [32.06] Biggest risks – Andrew dives into the biggest risks that he had to take throughout his career. [46.53] Exit & stay interviews – Andrew dives into the difference between exit interviews and stay interviews. He also discusses how stay interviews help to build a good relationship between co-workers   Resources https://clemansnelson.com/

The recent increase in interest rates has resulted in lower asset prices across the board. For investors, it’s always beneficial to be aware of ways to minimize the impact of unfavorable market conditions. In this episode, Grant dives into five key measures investors can take to protect their investments in down markets and how to benefit from tax planning opportunities that arise in times of low business profitability.s [01:46] Market Conditions – Grant discusses some of the recent negative changes in financial markets and the reasons behind them. [02:41] Tax Loss Harvesting – Grant explains how to harvest losses by strategically selling securities in your portfolios, as well as the IRS rules associated with this maneuver. [08:34] Accelerating Income – Down markets are often associated with a time of poor business profitability. Grant dives into how business owners can take advantage of lower tax brackets in tough times. [13:53] Active Mutual Funds – Grant shares how down markets can affect active mutual funds and what investors should keep in mind about how this affects their tax bill. [19:38] Rebalancing – When markets are down, the balance of different asset classes in an investment portfolio is going to change. Grant dives into why investors should rebalance their portfolios. [22:04] Putting More Money to Work – Grant explains how savvy investors can take advantage of down markets by strategically adjusting their contributions to investment vehicles such as 401k plans or SEP IRAs.   Resources: Episode #61: Tax Gain Harvesting: What, Why, and How Episode #16: Savvy Investing in Bear Markets

Recently we’ve seen quite a few headlines that suggest that the concept of the 60/40 portfolio has run its course. However, a fair amount of pushback is caused by people adopting this concept for the wrong reasons. In this episode, Grant dives into the unique benefits of the 60/40 portfolio that made it so popular, why this concept is still valid, and how to properly use this portfolio concept in today’s economic conditions. [01:40] The 60/40 Rule – Grant explains the idea behind the 60/40 rule, how it became extremely popular among investors over the last few decades, and why some people have started to question its relevance. [04:00] Economic Trends – Grant dives into some of the economic trends related to inflation and deflation that caused a lot of speculation recently and their impact on businesses and investments. [10:59] Diversification Benefits – Grant discusses the benefits of having both stocks and bonds in a portfolio and how it improves the risk-adjusted return over a long period. [14:50] Tough Economic Conditions – Grant explains how the mortgage crisis affected people’s confidence around the diversification benefits of having stocks and bonds and how a combination of stocks and bonds can help your portfolio survive a period of tough economic conditions. [23:20] The Bonds are Your War Chest – Grant dives into how to take advantage of bonds to improve your portfolio while stocks are underperforming. Resources: Time, not timing, is what matters: capitalgroup.com/individual/planning/investing-fundamentals/time-not-timing-is-what-matters.html Should You Sell Your Stocks When The Market Tanks? The Myth Of Missing The Best 10 Days: forbes.com/sites/raulelizalde/2022/05/05/should-you-sell-your-stocks-when-the-market-tanks-the-myth-of-missing-the-best-10-days/?sh=2c7b090273ed

Entrepreneurship is one of the best ways to change the world around us, and there’s a lot to learn from entrepreneurs who are building businesses that solve problems that exist in their communities. This week on Grow Money Business we’re joined by AnnMaria De Mars, the founder and president of 7 Generation Games, an educational software company that focuses on creating video games to teach math to kids and students. Throughout the episode, we dive into AnnMaria’s journey and how she’s using entrepreneurship to create a positive impact on the world. [02:30] From Academics to Entrepreneurship – AnnMaria shares how her interest in mathematics helped her evolve into a serial entrepreneur. [11:22] Video Games – AnnMaria explains what led her to start her venture in creating video games to teach mathematics. [19:31] Solving Problems – AnnMaria shares what motivated her to develop businesses in a way that solves problems and helps people in rural communities. [24:32] Building the Business – AnnMaria discusses how she gathered the required funding and other resources to build her business. [28:38] Current Progress –AnnMaria describes her organization’s current performance, growth, and plans for the future. [34:43] Sports – AnnMaria is a national champion in Judo. We talk about how she got into Judo and the profound impact of sports on her life and the lives of her children. [46:31] Business and Life –AnnMaria explains how her risk tolerance evolved with her personal priorities. [51:22] Fundraising for Startups – AnnMaria shares some of the ways startups can raise money with the help of people in a community.   Resources 7 Generation Games: www.7generationgames.com youtube.com/c/7GenGamesTV AnnMaria On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/annmaria-de-mars-3549606

If you're interested in the advantages of foreign diversification for asset preservation and estate planning, then this is the conversation for you. This week's guest on the show is Mikkel Thorup, the CEO of Expat Money™, a consulting advisory organization that assists individuals with foreign asset diversification. Mikkel assists clients in relocating their wealth out of the United States by helping them establish offshore trusts and foundations and facilitating foreign investments. In this episode, we explore how you can expand your estate beyond your home country's limits. [02:34] Background – Mikkel summarizes his journey thus far by discussing his work, his clientele, and the source of his exposure to the industry in which he currently works. [15:37] Asset Protection – Mikkel goes over the basics of asset protection, including what it is and how it operates. [21:12] Trust vs. Foundation – Mikkel discusses trusts and foundations, as well as how his consulting firm helps its clients with these types of frameworks. [26:46] Be Aware - Cross-border issues and scammers are a perennial concern in modern society. Mikkel outlines where people go wrong, what mistakes might be made, and what must occur to move assets overseas. [32:28] Residency vs. Citizenship – Mikkel offers a comprehensive breakdown of the concepts of citizenship and residence in a foreign country. [39:36] Opportunities – Mikkel explains his overall philosophy and strategy, as well as the process by which he sources opportunities for clients. [43:35] Selections – Mikkel outlines how he decides which jurisdictions to work on or within. Resources: Mentioned in the episode: Expat Money Summit 2022: expatmoneysummit.com Website: expatmoney.com   Connect with Mikkel: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mikkelthorup/

You may recall that at the beginning of 2021, the stock prices of AMC and GameStop skyrocketed. There were numerous news articles about people driving up the prices of companies that were not otherwise exceptionally profitable investments. This week on the podcast, Grant dives deep into what caused t Meme Stock Rally of 2021, as well as the importance of investing our portfolios as prudent, long-term investors. [03:20] Meme Stock Rally - Grant recalls the events that transpired during the 2021 Meme Stock Rally involving AMC and GameStop. [10:41] Two Options – Grant explains how short-selling stocks and the options market are the two most common ways to wager against a company. [21:05] Changes - Grant outlines in broad terms how AMC and GameStop have changed as a result of this chain of events. [26:22] Research – Grant presents the conclusions of the in-depth research that was conducted on the Meme Stock Rally at both the SEC and Harvard. [34:30] Lessons – Grant explains how the Meme Stock Rally serves as an excellent lesson on time horizon and irrationality, illustrating how wise investors should consider investing in their portfolios. Resources: Did Pandemic Stimulus Funds Spur the Rise of 'Meme Stocks'?: hbswk.hbs.edu/item/did-pandemic-stimulus-funds-spur-the-rise-of-meme-stocks How AMC rode the meme stock rally to revitalize its business: cnbc.com/2022/01/26/how-amc-rode-the-meme-stock-rally-to-revitalize-its-business.html Robinhood almost imploded during the GameStop meme stock chaos: techcrunch.com/2022/06/27/robinhood-report-meme-stock-gamestop/ Robinhood and CNBC's Jim Cramer fuel stocks for "stimmy" rally: cbsnews.com/news/robinhood-jim-cramer-stimulus-stock-market/ Stock Market Stimulus: hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=62111