Meaning Over Money

How did your investments do in 2023? Lots of people are celebrating their 12%, 16%, and even 18% performance. Considering the stock market is supposed to get "8%-10% per year," they crushed it.....or did they? Context matters. Unfortunately, these people lost big time. Why? Because the U.S. stock market returned 26% on the year (including dividends). So if your portfolio came in well und...

Do you enjoy using your credit card points for travel? We all do! However, all may not be as it seems. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the trap many of us face. In our pursuit to acquire and use these reward points, we often unknowingly sabotage our finances in the process. We also share a recent experiment that can highlight the hidden psychological impacts of credit cards....

Tax deductions are a business’s best friend…..and possible worst enemy. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton discusses how many business owners, in a pursuit to reduce taxes, are actually impairing their profits and cashflow. Yes, tax deductions can be a good thing! But we shouldn’t throw away a dollar just to save a quarter on taxes. If you have questions or would like to connect with us outsi...

Death. It’s not a fun topic to talk about, but it’s an important one. Someday (hopefully far into the future), one spouse will pass away. When that day comes, will the surviving spouse be prepared to pick up the financial pieces? That season of life will be tremendously difficult, but finances don’t have to make it worse. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton walks through a simple but effective...

Do you ever make the seemingly right decision, only to have a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach about it? In today's raw, unedited episode, host Travis Shelton talks about gut checks and why listening to them is so important in our decision-making process. Yes, we need the mental part of decisions. Yes, we need the emotional part of decisions. But that third factor, the gut check, is crit...

In today's episode, we look back at the year that was. Wow, so much good stuff to be grateful for. We covered a lot of different topics and encountered many unexpected obstacles/opportunities. We also discuss the top 10 most downloaded episodes of the year. We're thankful for you and your continued desire to invest your time in this podcast. It means so much to us. Cheers to 2024! Top 10 e...

Everyone on social media these days has a sure-fire way to make quick money. Life-changing money......right now! In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the toxicity and risk of these types of mentalities. In a time when finances are feeling tight, these get-rich-quick ideas are spreading like wildfire, bringing a lot of people down along the way. You deserve better. If you have ques...

We often put pressure on ourselves to constantly make progress on all our goals. In some seasons, however, that's not feasible. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton talks about the importance of giving yourself grace. When we do, it's easier to push pause on some goals so we can focus our efforts on others. It's not a forever decision, but a right-now decision. If you have quest...

Have you noticed how people have wildly differing opinions on the severity and significance of inflation? If you take two similar people, one may say inflation is killing them, and the other may say inflation is being blown out of proportion. Why? No, it's not because one person is being irresponsible. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton uses an illustration to showcase why we have suc...

Anyone else getting frustrated that dining out is getting significantly more expensive? This category is crushing many people's finances, but we have two choices: 1) be a victim, or 2) gain control. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the recent trend of people allowing restaurants to overcome their finances, and provides some insights on how to regain control. If you have qu...

Have you ever noticed how we often covet, protect, and respect the expensive things in our lives, while the priceless (but not necessarily expensive) things get left in the dust? This is a common phenomenon. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses this dynamic and invites listeners (and himself) to intentionally shift the focus. If you have questions or would like to connect with us...

Our culture is full of narratives that are misleading at best, and destructive at worst. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton shines a light on one of them: investing in the US stock market. We hope this provides a fuller context on this issue, but also highlights a broader need to cut through the cultural narratives of half-truths that often lead us down the path of poor decisions. If you...

What should we do with the money we have sitting around? In today's episode, host Travis Shelton answers one of the most common questions he receives. As with many topics, context matters. We'll explore the different questions you should ask yourself to make the best decision for YOU. Enjoy! If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you...

Money and happiness is a lot like the KFC logo. Once you see it, you can't unsee it (IYKYK). In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explores the often misunderstood dynamic between money and happiness, and what it means for our life. It's hard to see through the lens of our modern-day culture, but once we see it, we can't unsee it. This episode gets to the heart of the Meaning Ove...

We all love to see positive results. A higher paycheck. More profit. A growing number of customers. The numbers matter. However, we think they matter for a different reason. In most cases, the numbers in and of themselves aren't the answer. They are the tell. They are an indicator we're doing the right things. Instead of dwelling on hitting the desired numbers, we should dwell on the posit...

What do Cole, ESPN, and Taylor Swift have in common? You're about to find out. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses why even when we achieve monumental things in our journey, the best is still to come. It may be a peak, but it's never THE peak. If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us: Podcast website: ...

Studies show that 70% of Americans dislike or hate their job. It's an epidemic. Worse, it's an epidemic we're unknowingly passing on to our kids. Host Travis Shelton recently had the opportunity to share some insight and encouragement on this topic with 1,000 eighth and ninth graders. In today's episode, we're speaking to parents. As parents ourselves, we believe our kids deser...

I often hear the question, "What would you do if you knew you were going to die tomorrow?" That question raises lots of emotions and triggers instant gratification impulses. Let's change the script. What if you knew you only had ten years left to live? If true, what changes would you make in your life? The answer(s) to that question may actually be a tell about who you are and what y...

We often talk about the science of money and happiness, and the reality that money ultimately does not drive happiness. People on the other side of this aisle often use this as a reason why we should just completely disregard money altogether. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains why this isn't the answer. In fact, these types of behaviors can sabotage our efforts and lead us t...

We live in a culture obsessed with instant gratification. We want to put in the work, quickly get rewarded, then repeat. However, this isn't the way most of life works. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains how this instant gratification mindset is sabotaging our ability to achieve our goals. Instead, if we take a longer-term approach, we have the potential to accelerate to wher...

Let's face it, some jobs suck. We've all been there. You may be there right now. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains why even the worst work can have purpose and meaning. It may not be the work you want forever, but it just might be the ticket to help propel yourself to the better next thing. If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, he...

There are a lot of opinions about how best to achieve financial goals. Everyone thinks they are right, and technically they are.....sometimes for some people. The key, however, is to find the right approach for you. It's not a one-size-fits-all approach. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains a few different approaches and how you might integrate them into your life. You got this...

Many financial decisions are destructive. However, we can't make every decision in life through the lens of money. If we do that, we're nothing more than a mathematical robot. Instead, we need to let finances be one of the factors while making decisions through the lens of a meaningful life. Sometimes, that involves making a decision that may be considered "bad." If you have ques...

On the heels of some of our recent content about the punitive impact of investing fees, listeners and readers responded with, "What should my returns be?" Your wish is our command! In today's episode, host Travis Shelton lays out the 5-year, 10-year, and 15-year performance of the U.S. stock market (one of the cheapest and easiest investments we all have access to). This is a great t...

Do you think your investments are doing well? Do you think their performance is up to par? How do we know? What makes it good? In today's episode, host Travis Shelton shares some insight that is catching many people off-guard. Even people who think their investments are doing "pretty good" are secretly losing millions of dollars. The punitive impact of investment fees is robbing mill...