Aligned Money Show

We focused on the microcap investing, the investment philosophy and methodology behind it, the structure and advantages of the microcap market, practical guidance for investors considering the asset class, and the value of community and successful investing, with Ian Cassel a full-time microcap investor, founder of MicroCapClub, and author. You can learn more about Ian at MicroCapClub.com , Facebo...

Being offended can feel free. It isn’t. A single comment can cost you hours of attention, drain your energy, damage a relationship, stall your career, and even lead to expensive financial decisions. In this episode we explore the real cost of taking offense, and the difference between healthy boundaries and carrying grievances that make your life smaller. Want to talk with a professional about whe...

Money Doesn't Have to Be This Hard...Does It? Does money feel harder than it should? Maybe the problem isn't that you're bad with money. Maybe you're trying to build a life around goals that don't belong to you—goals borrowed from Instagram, your neighbor, or even your partner. Your goals need to be yours. Money is supposed to support a life shaped by your values and priorities, not become a score...

The perfect financial plan doesn’t exist. There are countless investment strategies, financial products, companies, and opinions about what you should do with your money. Add in differences in goals, risk tolerance, life stage, knowledge, and personal circumstances, and it’s easy to become paralyzed by choice. Ready. Aim. Aim. Aim. Aim. But financial literacy is what you know. Financial wellness i...

Your personal financial life is on life support. The police have been called. The crime scene has been secured. The detectives are collecting evidence, identifying suspects, establishing motive, and following the money. So…whodunnit? Inflation? Housing costs? Your employer? Your parents? Amazon? DoorDash? DraftKings? That $1,500 BMW payment? Or was the call coming from inside the house? In this ep...

How much money is enough? It's one of the most important financial questions you'll ever answer—and almost no one ever does. Instead, we keep moving the goalposts. A bigger house. A higher income. One more promotion. One more million. We tell ourselves we'll finally feel secure... someday. But "enough" isn't just a financial number. It's a life decision. In this episode of The Aligned Money Show,...

We focused on legacy and intergenerational wealth planning, family governance, estate optimization strategies, philanthropic planning, fixed income portfolio management in the context of growing national debt, with Jack Dwyer, CFA, and President of Sunpointe Investments.  You can learn more about Jack at SunPointeInvestments.com , and LinkedIn . Feeling busy but unfulfilled? The Meaningful Few hel...

Financial inertia is real.  If you're living paycheck to paycheck, carrying credit card debt, or putting off investing, those patterns have momentum. The good news is momentum works both ways. This episode shares a practical roadmap for breaking bad financial inertia and replacing it with positive momentum. You'll learn how to identify your Meaningful Few, put numbers around what matters, find mon...

Money shame can convince you that your past financial mistakes say something permanent about who you are. They don't. In this episode of The Aligned Money Show, George Grombacher shares some of the worst financial advice he ever received—from himself—and how bad money behavior can turn into a destructive cycle of shame, avoidance, and even worse decisions. We explore the important difference betwe...

We focused on the power of adventure stories to illuminate financial planning principles, the behavioral challenges clients face when transitioning from wealth accumulation to spending in retirement, and the role of legacy planning, with Steve Alexandrowski, Founder of GEM Asset Management.  You can learn more about Steve at GEMAsset.net , Facebook , and LinkedIn . Feeling busy but unfulfilled? Th...

Wanting your financial life to change isn't enough You can want to get out of debt. Want to save more. Want to build wealth. Want to stop living paycheck to paycheck. Want to finally feel like you're making progress. But if your behaviors, habits, decisions, and commitments remain the same, your results probably will too.   This episode explores a simple reality: if change is desired, change is re...

Why does having money make us feel good, and not having it make us feel so damn bad? Money isn't simply numbers in an account. It represents security, autonomy, options, progress, and, whether we like admitting it or not, status. That's where things can get dangerous. "I don't have enough money" can become "I'm bad with money." And eventually, "People like me don't become wealthy." This episode ex...

We focused on the unique financial planning challenges facing senior military leaders as they transition to civilian life, with particular emphasis on irrevocable, time-sensitive decisions such as the Survivor Benefit Plan election, the Thrift Savings Plan rollover, and civilian compensation package navigation. We also covered the importance of working with a fee-only fiduciary advisor, the identi...

Before chasing your next promotion, bigger house, or financial milestone, ask yourself one question: If this works perfectly...do I actually want the life it creates? Most people never take their goals to their logical conclusion. That's where regret begins. Want to talk with a professional about where you are and where you want to go with your finances? This is the place , or email us ! https://g...

Are you taking care of your future self…or screwing them over? Every day, we make decisions that either make life easier or harder for the person we're becoming. Getting gas tonight instead of tomorrow morning is a tiny example. Saving and investing for retirement is a massive one. This episode explores why a successful life requires us to preference the future over the present, not with everythin...

We focused on the case for dividend growth investing, the philosophy and mechanics behind the strategy, historical examples of dividend cut avoidance, and practical applications of the approach for both younger investors building wealth and those approaching or in retirement, with David Bahnsen, Founder of the Bahnsen Group and author of Profit From the Profit.  You can learn more about David at D...

What if the biggest obstacle to building wealth isn't your income... ...it's your perspective? This episode introduces The Capital Perspective, a powerful mental exercise that reveals how your own relationship with money quietly shapes every financial decision you make. Whether you're a financial advisor discussing fees, an entrepreneur making business decisions, or someone simply trying to build...

When debt keeps growing, housing feels impossible, and retirement seems hopelessly far away, it’s easy to wonder: Why keep trying? Don’t give up. Instead, get crystal clear on what matters to you, eliminate what doesn’t, and make an important identity shift: become a Wealth Builder. You don’t need to already be wealthy. You don’t even need to be financially secure. Wealth Builder isn’t a net-worth...

We focused on the evolution of the financial planning profession, the principles that have guided success, the growing wealth gap and financial literacy challenges, the role of artificial intelligence in advisory firms, and the broader meaning of money in the context of a fulfilling life, with Bob Jazwinski, Co-CEO of JFS Wealth Advisors.  You can learn more about Bob at JFSWA.com , Facebook , and...

What if the key to financial success came down to one simple question: Can you save money? Twenty-five years ago, when I was beginning my career as a financial advisor, my grandfather asked me that question. He had lived through the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, fought in World War II and Korea, built a business, and spent 30 years in financial services. His point was simple: if you can save mon...

What advice would you give your younger self about money? What advice do you give to kids?  Here are the three things that will position a young person for long-term financial success…if you do them are you guaranteed success? No. But you’ll probably find it.  Want to talk with a professional about where you are and where you want to go with your finances? This is the place , or email us ! https:/...

This month marks my twenty fifth anniversary as a financial advisor, and I’ve learned a lot. It’s taught me that financial success isn't simply something you achieve, it's something you become capable of creating. In this episode, we explore a new identity: Wealth Builder. You'll learn why identity changes behavior, how doing and becoming reinforce one another, and the principles that can guide a...

We focused on the challenges retirees face transitioning from wealth accumulation to income distribution, the role of whole life insurance as a risk-shifting tool in retirement planning, how whole life differs from universal life, the mechanics of dividend interest rates and cash value accumulation, practical considerations for taking distributions from a whole life policy, and the integration of...

44%. That's how much more households with greater guaranteed income spend in retirement, according to J.P. Morgan's 2026 Guide to Retirement. Not because they're wealthier, because they're more confident. Retirement isn't just about having enough money, it's about believing you'll continue to have enough tomorrow. Want to talk with a professional about where you are and where you want to go with y...

Most people think their biggest financial problem is debt. I disagree. I think it's Commitment Debt. Every time you say, "I'm going to start saving." "I'm going to work out." "I'm going to stick to my budget." ...and then you don't... You're borrowing against your future confidence. Eventually your subconscious stops believing you. The interest isn't financial. It's psychological. This episode exp...