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Scott and James discuss how to understand your cash flow. Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Timestamps: 4:16 - Income  6:26 - Fundamentals 10:46 - Spending Isn't Negative 14:27 - Rules of Thumb 16:57 - Debt & Real Estate 21:12 - Tax Rates 25:45 - Aligning Your Financial Goals LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss the pros and cons of using dividend investing to create passive income. Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Listener Question: What is your stance on dividend investing, with the goal of reaching a point where one can live off of "passive" income from dividend ETFs? I have been reading a lot on the dividend subreddit where people are sharing their spreadsheets and screenshots of investments, and it seems like a very compelling strategy. What are the pros and cons of investing heavily in dividend ETFs with the hope of building a passive income stream? Timestamps: 4:16 - Dividend Yield 7:27 - The Feeling Behind Dividends 10:19 - Dividends During Recessions 14:27 - Don't Just Focus On Dividends 18:52 - Total Return 21:12 - Dividend v. Capital Appreciation LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss how to understand your balance sheet. Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Timestamps: 6:17 - Having Multiple Accounts For Organization 10:08 - Goal-Based Investing Accounts 15:33 - Debt 20:25 - Net Worth Allocation 24:29 - Restrucutre Debt 26:48 - Aligning Your Financial Goals With Your Life LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss how to invest during a bear market. Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Timestamps: 3:27 - What To Do As Investors Now 6:52 - Prices Are Reflected Today 11:03 - Averages Are In Your Favor 14:27 - Recovery Statistics 17:06 - Relatively "Normal" 17:44 - Aligning Your Financial Goals With Your Life LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss how to retire early. Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Timestamps: 2:05 - FIRE Movement 5:05 - Non-Traditional Retirement 7:25 - Social Security 10:09 - Additional Considerations 11:25 - Military Considerations 13:40 - Gap Fund 15:50 - What Will You Really Enjoy? 17:44 - Aligning Your Financial Goals With Your Life LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss how much company stock ownership is too much. Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Listener Question: I'm a manager at a blue chip company and they offer up to 20% of their stock in your 401K. Right now I have 8% of my 401K invested in company stock with the rest in target date funds. I'm wondering your thoughts on if 8% is too much or too little. I have another IRA with good mutual funds and a personal brokerage account where I pick my own stocks. Just wanted to add that in so you didn't think that this 401K is my only savings for retirement. Timestamps: 4:28 - Rules of Thumb 9:32 - Casting A Wide Net 13:47 - Risk v. Return 17:12 - Company Stock Summary 18:44 - Aligning Your Financial Goals With Your Life LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss where to invest cash earmarked for a down payment. Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Listener Question: My wife and I have money (in cash, ~ $150k) earmarked for a down payment on a home.  There is no real urgency to buy a home other than setting down roots as our family grows as our current rental meets our needs.  However, with the housing market still red hot and interest rates increasing; we're contemplating waiting until the housing market/inflation rates cool a little bit. If we decide to wait, say 1-2 years, is there something we can do with the $150k to better work for us other than have it sit in cash? Conversely, if we plan to stay in the new home we purchase for 10+ years, does the higher house cost/higher inflation rates really matter if we have the money set aside right now? I guess some of this boils down to the old "rent vs. own". (additional context - we have a separate emergency fund established, we both max out our 401ks and invest monthly in an index fund brokerage account and 529 plan) Timestamps: 3:00 - Where To Put Cash 5:36 - Mortgage Rates 9:45 - Return On Hassle 12:47 - Volatility 15:19 - Overview Of What's In Your Control 17:05 - Alignment In Your Financial Goals LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss how to best mitigate risk in your investment strategy. Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Listener Question: I'm really enjoying your podcast and generally agree with your advice. I'm 37 and a personal investor who is focused on long term investments for retirement. I have generally leveraged a higher risk strategy based on my age with index funds. My question is about the make up of the S&P 500 and specifically I’m concerned that the majority of the top stocks a large tech firms. It seems possible that we have seen the peek of these firms similar to the dot com bubble, so I’m rethinking continuing to invest due to this risk of collapse. Can you help me understand how to manage that risk? Timestamps: 3:27 - What Is An Index? 7:05 - Why We Invest 11:22- Importance of Diversification 14:15 - How Do You Enjoy Investing? 16:59 - Market Capitalization 19:25 - Aligning Your Financial Goals LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss the benefits of Health Savings Accounts and how to maximize their impact. Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Listener Question: My question is around HSA's. Am I really missing out by not investing in this? I understand the power of tax advantage accounts, but to me having all that money that can only be used for specific things feels very limiting. Plus all the extra work of needing to track these expenses, etc. Is that trade off really worth it, or am I fine if I'm maxing out IRA's (no 401k atm) and adding to taxable accounts. Timestamps: 2:26- HSA Overview 5:16 - Tax Benefits 9:36 - HSA or FSA 12:54 - Expense Tracking 15:54- Required Distributions 18:30 - Aligning Your Financial Goals LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss if you should use an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM)? Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Timestamps: 1:10 - Mortgage Rate Options 4:17 - Mortgage Risk 6:38 - Payment Differences 10:27 - Additional Options 11:23 - Don't Push Debt Forward 13:45 - Aligning Your Financial Goals LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss how you can reduce taxes on side hustle income. Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Timestamps: 1:10 - Listener Question 3:25 - Taxes 5:50 - Retirement Contributions 7:43 - Retirement Contribution Maximums 9:14 - Solo 401(k) v. SEP IRA 11:35 - Can My Spouse Contribute? 14:27 - Target Income & Timeframe 16:11 - Aligning Your Financial Goals LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss what planning points to consider during a recession. Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Timestamps: 1:10 - What Can We Control 3:25 - Cash Flow 8:12 - Unemployment 10:13 - How To Withdraw in Retirement 14:42 - Roth Conversion 16:51 - Loss Carryover 19:33 - Aligning Your Financial Goals LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss how to invest in down markets.   Listener Question With the markets increased volatiltiy in the past few weeks, we wanted to address how you can be investing amidst current market conditions. Thank you for submitting your questions and please continue to do so and we'll look to answer them in a future episode. Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Timestamps: 2:30 - Inflation 6:10 - Headlines 11:42 - The Best Days 15:05 - Having a Plan 18:20 - Rebalancing 20:31 - Aligning Your Financial Goals  LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss how to account for matching contributions in retirement savings rates. Listener Question Wanted to find what both of yours opinions are on savings rate as it relates to employer match. I am currently saving 25% of my gross income between maxing out 401k, IRA and the rest to a brokerage, I bonds and ESPP. My employer matches 15% NEC on 100% income. I have a mandatory retirement age from this career (commercial aviation) If I fall short on my 25% personal savings rate in a given year, when is it appropriate to count the 15% from the company? Or is it always counted and I’m saving 40% between the two? Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Timestamps: 2:30 - Employer Matching 4:55 - Dollars Are Dollars 7:21 - Overfunding 9:12 - Lifestyle Goals 10:47 - Healthy Savings 11:47 - Aligning Your Financial Goals  LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss how to give more effectively using Donor-Advised Funds. Listener Question Hello! I love the show. I think I’ve had a chance listened to over 100 episodes. Have y’all considered an episode on giving? I recently started use using a donor advised fund, giving away some highly appreciated assets instead of cash. Are there any more strategies that I can use to be generous? Anything out of the box? Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Timestamps: 3:34 - Charitable Giving 5:38- Deductions 8:09 - Effective Giving 15:38 - Utilize Tax Benefits 20:35 - Aligning Your Financial Goals  LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss how to find a financial professional that's right for you. Listener Question My husband and I are both high earners. He owns his own business and I am employed full time in the health tech sector. We are in a great position where we are debt free, own our home and a rental property and have close to a million in investments. We manage our finances and taxes on our own today but are getting to the point where we'd like some advice around how to make the most of our assets, particularly from a tax perspective, as we continue to earn. We're 35 and 40 years old and have one child. We've been burned by tax accountants in the past who charge a ton but provide very little that we didn't already know. We find there are lots of resources for those starting out and many for those in the 5+ million range, but very little out there for where we are. Do you have any advice on how to find a professional who would be able to help us for a reasonable fee? I'd love to find someone we can create a relationship with who will grow with us. Thanks! Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Timestamps: 3:54 - Retirement Goals 9:05 - Do You Need An Accountant? 11:46 - Importance of Your Situation 15:07 - Quality of Life 18:33 - Who's the Best Fit? 20:35 - Aligning Your Financial Goals  LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss which pension option they should select, annuity or lump sum? Listener Question Hey guys! Thank you so much for the amazing podcast! I have a pension question. I am a teacher, and I am eligible to retire and begin taking my pension payments in July 2023. I have heard some people say to take the lump sum distribution, and create your own pension/annuity, but the math doesn't seem to work out right for me. I will be 51 at that point, and likely moving to a different profession with an income to add to the pension payouts. The amount that I would receive as a lump sum would be approximately $210,000. That represents all of my contributions over the 28 years I have been teaching plus 4% interest per year. It does not include the contributions from my employer, as I am not entitled to take them if I elect for the lump sum. The pension option that I would choose is the reduced amount that would continue for my wife after my death. It is $3408 monthly, which comes to nearly $41,000 per year. There is no way that I could expect to earn that much on the lump sum of $210,000 to make that a logical choice, is there? Am I doing something wrong on the math? Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Timestamps: 3:54 - Pension Overview 6:37 - How to Determine the Best Choice 9:35 - Inflation Protection 11:46 - Importance of Your Situation 13:51 - Aligning Your Financial Goals  LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss how to best track investment returns. Listener Question Does it make sense to track my investments in my 401K and Roth IRA purely off of the projected rate of return that people suggest (typically between 7-10%) or should I track my investments based on the inflation-adjusted return rate? I am asking this as a 23 year old, who sees a million dollars as a very attainable goal with a Roth and/or 401K but when you factor in inflation each year at say 3% that million dollars seems more challenging to accomplish. Should I track my portfolio values off of this “standard” 7-10% growth rate or should I take a more conservative approach and track them off of a (4-7%) growth rate so that I can have a better understanding of what I am on track for? Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Timestamps: 3:54 - Nominal v. Real Returns 6:37 - Investment Growth Example 9:35 - Inflation Protection 11:46 - Importance of Real Return 13:51 - Aligning Your Financial Goals  LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss how to forecast and save for college. Listener Question My wife and I are 33 and have two children, ages 1 and 3. We'd like to save enough to pay for their college costs but we're not sure how to forecast what the cost of their college will actually be. College costs can vary widely, and have historically grown at different rates at different times. We're also not sure what type of college they will choose, or how much scholarship they might receive. Ideally we would save as tax-efficiently as possible (such as through a 529), but we're concerned about saving too much in a 529 in case they choose a less-expensive school, or get significant scholarship, etc. We're currently saving some in a 529 (to get our state tax deduction) and some in a regular taxable brokerage, which could either cover college costs or be used for other purposes down the road. But we're not sure how much in total to save since we're unsure what college will actually cost in 20 or so years. Can you help us with how to best plan for our children's college expenses? Planning Points Discussed Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Timestamps: 3:54 - College Planning Overview 6:49 - Public College Planning 9:16 - How To Be On Track To Fund College 12:20 - Tax Benefits (state specific) 15:20 - Growth Example 18:31 - Funding Options 23:21 - Aligning Your Financial Goals  LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here

Scott and James discuss if you should borrow money to invest. Listener Question Currently have a 401k company match up to 7%. They also allow us to borrow against our 401k up to $50,000. Also have a Roth IRA but not able to make the max contribution. 401k loan is a 5% note on a 60 month term (only option) but maxes out at $50k and can have multiple loans against the 401k (only pay off early option is to pay note in full).  Knowing the risks of losing the job or leaving, we have a HELOC to bail us out in a pinch. Realizing we lose the compounding interest on the loan amount but taking that loan and putting it towards to Roth would offset that lost gain and help with my tax advantages when the withdrawal party starts all the while my interest payments are going back into the 401k.  My thoughts are to take out a loan each year to apply towards the Roth until I either max out the loan amount or I can make the full contribution amount again. Am I crazy to think this is a good idea? Planning Points Discussed Retirement Planning Utilizing Time Efficiently Capital Appreciation Purchasing Power Other issues (IRAs, Inflation, Financial Goals, etc.) Timestamps: 3:54 - Cash Flow 6:49 - HELOC Example 9:16 - RMDs (Required Minimum Distributions) 11:47 - Gross Income v. Net Income 14:18 - Retirement Savings 16:35 - Tax Optimization 19:05 - Aligning Your Financial Goals  LET'S CONNECT! James Facebook LinkedIn Website Scott Facebook Twitter Website ENJOY THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode, subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Leave us a review on iTunes. Have a money question you want us to answer? Submit one here