Dollars & Sense

We’ve got the new year still on our mind for this week’s episode. As many are looking at their financial plans at the start of the year and potentially scratching their heads, Marc and Marion are dedicating the show to advice for pre-retirees and retirees. Here is a sneak peek of some of the topics discussed: Stop focusing on your portfolio and start focusing on the money that comes into the house...

With the new year officially here, it’s predictions time! Join Marc, Marion and Christian for our longest episode ever of the show! The trio will be going one-by-one through their big financial and market predictions for 2026. And you don’t need to just listen, feel free to play along and let us know what you think of our predictions as well as making some of your own! A full complement of Dollars...

It’s the end of the year edition of Dollars & Sense! Marc & Marion close the door on 2025 and welcome in the New Year in this week’s episode. As another calendar year passes us by, how would we rate 2025? Good...bad... somewhere in between? Tune in as Marc and Marion digest most of the important financial happenings from the year and how looking back can help fortify us mentally for what m...

It’s the end of the year and Marc and Marion have plenty to talk about before the calendar flips to 2026. In today’s episode of the show, the duo go over a myriad of topics, including: Clients' portfolios exceeding expectations in the short term How people are spending and budgeting their money during the holiday season The return of using cash? The art, of lack thereof, of modern tipping culture...

As we approach the final days of the year, Marc and Marion are busy at the office. Amid the year-end hustle, they want to ensure clients understand key tax strategies before 2026. Tune in as they cover capital gains distributions, mutual funds, and more in one of our last episodes of 2025. Plus, hear Marc’s recap of his experience ringing the Opening Bell at Nasdaq this week with LPL Financial! A...

This week’s episode is one semester in the making! Earlier this year, Marc and Christian were asked to serve as mentors in financial planning class at Marc’s alma mater, Babson College. And as the semester wrapped up recently, they were presented with the student’s final presentation, which had to do with a real case we saw at Freedman Financial (personal information not included 😊) Listen along...

In today’s special episode of the show, Marc and Marion are LIVE from Putnam’s Pantry once again for our annual client event. In between enjoying some ice cream and sweets, the duo spends some time breaking down Freedman Financials’ “72 points of contact”, which includes our weekly newsletter, quarterly webinars and much more. Whether you’re a client of ours or not, this is a great chance to get f...

When you think about beneficiaries, you probably picture loved ones—not the IRS. But taxes can quietly claim a big slice of your legacy if you don’t plan ahead. In this episode, Christian uncovers the hidden role Uncle Sam plays in your estate, explain how estate taxes work, and why knowing your net worth matters. We’ll share practical tips for ensuring your money goes where you want it to go, fro...

Throughout the years, we have had clients come to use with this exact situation: “I’m trying to help with my declining parents’ financial stuff. How can you help?” While this may not be your situation at the moment, almost everyone will at one point have to deal with the accounts, money and consequences of their parent’s financial life. Join Marion and Christian this week as they dive into this qu...

As you approach retirement, the familiar rhythms of daily life—your work routine, social circles, and personal rituals—may begin to shift. These changes can feel disorienting, but they also open the door to something new: what Marc and Marion call “the encore” or “Act Three.” In this episode, the duo explores how retirement isn’t just one long stretch of time, but a dynamic phase filled with oppor...

In this week’s episode of the show, Marc is previewing an upcoming trip he’ll make to Orlando where he’ll be speaking to several financial advisors who are looking to grow their business. But while many of these advisors are successful, they still may be seen by many of their clients as “the investment guy”. How do they break out of that stigma? Well… it starts by how they service their clients an...

Our audience has been asking for other voices to join the show for a while now, so we decided to start at the top! On this VERY SPECIAL episode of Dollars & Sense, Marc is joined by Rich Steinmeier, Chief Executive Officer of LPL Financial. Rich became LPL Financial's CEO in 2024, and before that served as the firm’s Chief Growth Officer. Listen along as rich details the role he plays day-to-d...

Earlier this week, Marc received a message from a client with the following question: “Isn’t an overvalued market in a poorly performing economy a sign of a pending recession or worse?” Hidden inside that question is a LOT of assumptions. In today’s episode, Marc and Marion give an answer to this question, and it may not be what you think. A full complement of Dollars & Sense broadcasts found ...

Estate planning isn’t just for the ultra-wealthy—it’s for anyone who wants clarity, control, and peace of mind. In this episode, we break down the essentials: from understanding what each document actually does, to avoiding costly miscommunications between your intentions and legal execution. We also explore: The role of financial planners vs. attorneys in estate planning Why Power of Attorney mat...

When you go into retirement, does it make sense to stay in your home? At our office, we have countless examples of clients who stay in their homes for too long while in retirement… causing headaches in other areas of life. In today’s episode of the show, Marc and Marion discuss how your home is potentially the greatest wealth that you may have in retirement, so what if you unleashed that equity? L...

Marc is back this week from an LPL Financial conference in Hawaii and has a lot to talk about!  After a quick discussion about the differences between the Fortune 500 and S&P 500, Marc and Marion dive into the topic of this week’s episode: What is it that makes you feel “life”?   What if you could create more moments in your life that make you feel like that?   Listen to find out exactly what...

When many of our clients reach retirement age, they are still thinking about metrics like their credit score and how that will impact their retired life.  But as we kept hearing that, we thought a new metric would not only make more sense, but actually help our clients out on a more practical level.   In this week’s episode, Marion & Christian introduce us to the “Retiree Financial Health Scor...

Have you bought a powerball ticket?  Why does everyone want to buy a powerball ticket when it gets to a $1 billion jackpot?  In today’s episode of the show, Marc and Marion are discussing how even when you come into a large sum of money, whether it’s millions or billions, most people don’t want to change their lifestyle that much.  And they also raise the question of “enough”. How much is that for...

While the summer is typically a quiet season at our office, that hasn’t been the case this year.   Clients have been consistently stating that it’s been a tough year for the stock market. But is that true?  In today’s episode of the show, Marc and Marion dig into the realization that most of what you’re reading in the news and seeing on TV is for entertainment FIRST, versus giving you a dose of re...

We are still FOCUSed on what we learned from LPL Financial’s national conference earlier in the month.   While we already tackled the question of “what if you could” in regards to retirement, Marc and Marion take a step back this week to look at the big picture?  What if you could find a financial firm that is your financial planner and not just your “investment guy”?  That’s the big question that...

Marion and Christian are back from sunny San Diego after attending LPL Financial’s national “Focus” conference this week.   And they come into this week’s episode of the show with one question – “What if you could?”  While this is the new slogan currently being used by LPL Financial, it is also the perfect question to ask our clients to help them work towards their future goals. What if they could...

In the middle of the year, it feels like everyone is traveling! And for both of staff and our clients, we see plenty of international travel during this time of the year.  But one thing we’ve noticed when it comes to international travel is how many people are unaware of some of the things they need to account for when leaving the country.  In this week’s episode, Marc and Marion break down two of...

The topic of tariffs has dominated most of the news cycle in 2025, but how much do you really know about them? Beyond what you see in the news, the average U.S. consumer is relatively in the dark on how tariffs work and how they may affect them.  This week, Marc and Marion are tackling the huge topic and trying to break down the idea of reciprocal tariffs, how they work, what they can mean for end...

One of the biggest things that we find clients and prospects alike get confused on is the difference between a will and Power of Attorney.   We’ve found that for most people, they think the will is the most powerful document they can have in case they find themselves one day incapacitated. But that’s not correct.   In fact, it’s actually the Power of Attorney. In this episode, find out why Marc an...

In this week’s episode of the show, Marc and Marion are dissecting an inquiry they recently received from a client. It basically goes like this – even with interest rates getting lower, what is in it for me?  That question has been asked by several of our clients over the years, whether they are discussing the low interest rate they already have on their mortgage or whether they don’t have a mortg...