Purpose with Mark Bertrang

FREE DOWNLOAD "Investments Don't Hug: Embracing the Life Insurance Asset" – A weekly audio book segment, a gift from Financialoscopy® creator - Mark Bertrang, as read by the author.

Who Was I Before Retirement? Who Am I Now After Retirement? These are the questions many people ask as they enter the "retirement zone." They're not fully retired yet, but their financial concerns are settled. Health insurance is arranged, and the formalities of their financial life are in place. But what about who they are now—their passions, their purpose, and their soul? What is their identity...

The Medicare conversation should be easy. It isn't. There are multiple decisions to be made and these decisions are not only for the first time you qualify for Medicare at the age of sixty-five. The decisions you make that first year could potentially lock you into a plan that you could embrace or regret for the rest of your life. There may also be annual decisions you may need to continue to make...

Laurie Finn is our guest from Finnottes. Laurie lives a life of Mission, Nuts and Chocolates. She makes a lasting impact on everyone she meets. Finnottes was established in 1986 by the husband-and-wife team Frank Finn and Laurie (Otte). Merging their lives and their last names, they have grown their business over the years to become Finnottes Nut & Chocolate Shop. This episode may be considered a...

Mark Bertrang interviews Sarah Gebo, the Program Director of "The Exchange" the La Crosse Area Furniture Bank. The Exchange provides donated furniture and household goods to families and individuals transitioning out of homelessness and poverty. It is driven by volunteers and donations of basic household goods and gently used furniture from the community. The team of volunteers carefully inspect t...

You haven't gain real wisdom until you have walked through the pasture of life and unexpectedly step into a fresh cowpie, feeling the warm manure squish between your toes. Life can sometimes playout like a checkerboard of bovine bingo, a unique community activity which oftentimes plays-out on hot summer days in town squares, as townspeople celebrate their local festivals in small gatherings, throu...

How much has changed during your life? Will it keep on changing? Do those changes concern you? How can you add certainty to your life? It's like knowing you have a winning lottery ticket. If you owned that ticket and you knew it was going to payout in the future, how might that change how you live your life today?

Have you ever found yourself needing to clear space but having no idea where to even begin? Perhaps you were named in a departed loved one's will to clear the estate, or you need some guidance preparing for a home renovation, or maybe you're just overwhelmed by clutter. Mark speaks with Sara Washburn of Peace by Piece Professional Organizing to discuss the purpose of her organization and what serv...

When I told the social media world that I would be dropping a video and podcast soon with Chris Lezpona as my guest, I was surprised by the huge reaction I received. Chris has weathered many storms in his life, the biggest being a brain tumor and the following surgery to remove it over a decade ago and then the resulting handicaps he has overcome since. To know Chris is to know someone who causes...

We are all bombarded with so much "stuff" that fills our basket of 'to-dos' each day. How is an overwhelmed person supposed to conquer the pile of life's stuff that blocks our path to success and happiness. Mark Bertrang revisits Gary Keller's book – The One Thing. He explains how he prioritizes what needs to be accomplished first, from each list of to-dos in his life. 0:00 Intro 1:10 A Day in the...

How do you begin your day? Upbeat or downtrodden? We're told that you can choose your outlook. If that's true, how should you begin your day? Mark Bertrang, author of "Investments Don't Hug" provides his simple formula to beginning and staying positive each day. 00:00 Intro 00:35 Why beginning your day with the News is a bad idea 02:33 Mark Bertrang's morning routine 05:41 Stay Informed on world e...

0:00 – Intro 3:10 – Why "Truth Concepts"? 6:42 – Sensationalized News and Number Panic 19:00 – Overcoming the Fear of Utilizing Your Own Money 21:27 – Todd's Passion for Financial Services 25:18 – Using Strategy to Uncover Truths 32:49 – Investments Don't Hug 33:24 – Insuring Your Most Valuable Asset: You! 41:08 – Finding Peace of Mind 44:52 – The Safety in Whole Life Insurance 50:46 – Benefits of...

Yesterday, I was at our local Office Depot. I needed to pick up some more spiral binders. I write each and every morning, and I believe that journaling is an important way to focus your thoughts for the day. If that is not something that you are doing now, I would highly recommend it. If you want to center yourself and have clarity, I suggest that you don't turn on the news or listen to podcasts....

What are the odds that as you are driving the roadways of Wisconsin that your life will end this year? Maybe the better question is: how many people are negatively Affected by accidents in the state of Wisconsin? I was discussing this with the team one morning. There are often signs with blinking lights placed next to highways that will say how many people have been killed on Wisconsin roadways du...

In my first career, decades ago, I worked as an announcer at a radio station in a small, rural town. One of my jobs included doing the emergency broadcast testing on a monthly basis. I can still remember what I needed to say during the test: "The attention signal that you just heard, had it been an actual emergency, would have been followed by official news or instructions. Remember, this is only...

What does it mean to be a CEO, a Chief Executive Officer? Most people think about a business CEO, but what does it mean to be the CEO of your family's financial future? I got to thinking about this last week: it was the end of the quarter and I picked up a report of our corporation for the first three months of this year from my accountant. This gives me information that I need to figure out how w...

People often have a difficult time when it comes to accomplishing their goals and focusing in on their needs and wants, and the aspirations in their life. Sometimes, it comes down to just one question. In my office, I will often look up at my bookshelf and just look at one book in particular. The book is titled, The One Thing. I should probably have the back of the book facing me because it shows...

People often have a difficult time when it comes to accomplishing their goals and focusing in on their needs and wants, and the aspirations in their life. Sometimes, it comes down to just one question. In my office, I will often look up at my bookshelf and just look at one book in particular. The book is titled, The One Thing. I should probably have the back of the book facing me because it shows...

Imagine, you can't speak. Your eyes watch as the doctors and your family discuss your medical treatment. Your love ones don't know what to do. They don't even have the legal permission to provide the hospital staff with recommendations for your care. Worse yet, if they had the legal right, they're fighting among themselves as to what care you would even want to have. If they only knew. If they onl...

A question I asked recently of a medical professional. The answer shocked and emotionally moved me.

Life Insurance is a difficult industry. Statistics have shown that about five percent of life insurance agents survive just five years in this career. Why is that, especially since improving the lives of families can be so rewarding? This conversation might draw the curtain away from the industry, so the layperson can see what this profession actually entails. This is an opportunity for a life ins...

Have you ever made a promise? Was it for a short-term promise or was it a forever promise? There's a difference, isn't there? Forever promises typically aren't flashy. They're thoughtful and serious. This morning, I saw a promise through, which was made thirty years ago. So, as I pause and take in the scenery of this new fallen snow, let me share with you a story of a watch, a wake and a promise.

Have you ever found yourself needing to tighten a screw, but you couldn't find a screwdriver? Admit it. You went to a kitchen drawer and pulled out a butterknife, didn't you? Once the project was complete, you probably returned the knife to the drawer slightly bent at its tip, because a butter knife isn't a screwdriver. Would you have consider buttering a piece of bread with a screwdriver? Let's h...

Before you discuss will-planning with an attorney, prepare your hard data collection. Mark's guest – Katelyn Doyle, attorney with Johns, Flaherty & Collins, SC discusses those items you may wish to outline prior to your first meeting with a lawyer. Our discussion includes a conversation of your dependents, special needs individual who maybe in your life, life insurance, debt, retirement account ba...

At some point in our lives, things become real. In fact, sometimes things become 'really' real. Years ago Mark Bertrang had a client who worked in the silk screening industry. This specialization creates the display printing on the front of your kitchen appliances and the imprinted dials and woodgrain dashboard finishes of your automobile. Mark had always been impressed with some of the beautiful...