James Walters, CIMA®, CRPC® and Brandon West, CPA

15 Minutes of Finance

Business EN ↓ 215 episodes

15 Minutes of Finance is your quick, easy to understand take on markets, taxes, and making smarter financial decisions! The show is produced by West and Walters Tax and Wealth Management, an RIA and tax firm based in Carlsbad, California. Hosted by James Walters, CIMA®, CRPC®, and Brandon West, CPA, co-owners of West and Walters, each episode gives you clear, honest, and actionable financial talk in the time it takes to drink your morning coffee!

Author

James Walters, CIMA®, CRPC® and Brandon West, CPA

Episodes

Here's How I Would Make a MILLION Dollars in Thirty Years 30.04.2025 24:38

Send us a text Brandon West, CPA walks you through various tax planning strategies to help you keep more of your hard-earned money. Today, I'm going to tell you exactly how I would confidently make a million dollars in just 30 years. I can all but guarantee you it is easier, and more doable, than you realize. Let's talk about some practical steps, investment principals, and investment options you...

FINALLY, a Green Week. Even the Best Investors Get it Wrong. And, Stocks to Watch!! 25.04.2025 46:45

Send us a text James discusses current news, stocks to watch, and why even the best investors get it wrong.

How ONE Bad Financial Decision Can Hurt Your Retirement 21.04.2025 20:52

Send us a text Brandon West, CPA walks you through various tax planning strategies to help you keep more of your hard-earned money. Today, we talk about the compounding effect of early financial mistakes. Why should we weather this current financial downturn, and how bad would selling on the drop be?? Plus, we dispel 3 of the most common pieces of bad financial advice that are being spread today.

Taxes are NOT DUE on April 15th?? Avoid Getting Penalized for Underpayment of Taxes. 18.04.2025 18:01

Send us a text Brandon West, CPA walks you through various tax planning strategies to help you keep more of your hard-earned money. Today, we talk about the single most misunderstood aspect of taxation in the USA: when are taxes due?? I bet it's NOT when you think. Learn how to properly tax plan throughout the year and avoid costly penalties with the IRS! Plus, learn how we lowered a real estate p...

The Art of The Deal- a Masterclass in Bluffing, and, a Case Study: Particulary Bad Advice 15.04.2025 44:11

Send us a text James reviews tariffs, news and goes into detail on a case study of particularly bad finanical advice.

How Are YOU Building Wealth For Retirement? 10.04.2025 26:41

Send us a text Brandon West, CPA walks you through various tax planning strategies to help you keep more of your hard-earned money. Today, we talk about wealth building in 3 categories: fixed income, real estate, and retirement accounts. Do YOU know how much money you'll retire with? How do you stack up against the average American? Let's talk about it. Plus, best investment return in decades??

The Apprentice: You Get a Tariff, You Get a Tariff, YOU ALL GET A TARIFF! 04.04.2025 31:32

Send us a text Trump’s Trade Tactics & What It Means for Your Wallet

Market News, A Successful Company You Have Never Heard Of, AND, Story Time With James!? 29.03.2025 21:04

Send us a text In this Saturday morning episode of 15 Minutes of Finance , James from 77 Financial Group dives into the latest market news, including the impact of hot Tariff impact, Lululemon’s stock tumble, and the hidden gem American Water Works (AWK). Then—story time. James shares an original allegorical tale, The Tale of the Three Farms , inspired by classics like Animal Farm and Hatchet . Th...

Not Filing Tax Returns as a Protest Against DOGE?? I'd Reconsider. 26.03.2025 19:15

Send us a text Brandon West, CPA walks you through various tax planning strategies to help you keep more of your hard-earned money. Today, we talk about the rising resistance against Elon Musk's DOGE initiative. Taxpayers are saying DO NOT FILE YOUR TAXES as a form of protest. Is this a good idea? Let's talk about whether the IRS is actually too belabored to come after you, and what the consequenc...

Markets Finally Have a Green Week: Buy the Dip, Big Stock Moves, and the Underrated Power of the Secretary of Commerce 21.03.2025 20:03

Send us a text In this episode of 15 Minutes of Finance , James from 77 Financial Group celebrates the market’s first green week in over a month and explains why it matters for investors. We break down the latest stock market rally, including gains across the NASDAQ, S&P 500, and Dow Jones, plus key moves from companies like Tesla, Nike, FedEx, and Micron. James also explains the concept of “...

The Small Business Tax Primer Part 2 19.03.2025 29:49

Send us a text Brandon West, CPA walks you through various tax planning strategies to help you keep more of your hard-earned money. Today, we talk about what qualifies as a "write off" to an entrepreneur, and dive into some of the more detailed tax write offs such as vehicle depreciation, home offices, and self-employed retirement accounts. If you aren't sure if you are maximizing your tax deducti...

Does your portfolio hit 3/10? Market news, and, does your advisor OWN their claims? Do they even make claims? 14.03.2025 16:40

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DONT PANIC: History teaches us your investments are going to be just fine 06.03.2025 31:55

Send us a text Brandon West, CPA walks you through various tax planning strategies to help you keep more of your hard earned money. Today, investors face a major threat to keeping their money: steeling themselves to weather this market downturn and maintain their investments. Let's dive into a history of market declines and volatility to see how worried you really should be about your investments....

🚨 EMERGENCY EPISODE: Tariffs Tanking the Market, NVIDIA Earnings, and The Discount Dilemma 04.03.2025 28:15

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The Small Business Tax Primer Part 1 26.02.2025 16:02

Send us a text Brandon West, CPA walks you through various tax planning strategies to help you keep more of your hard earned money. Today, we talk about how an S Corporation can save small business owners TONS of taxes. We also explore many of the less often discussed reasons S Corporation owners may benefit beyond the tax implications.

MARKET DOWN 1.7%- Bad news or buying opportunity?, Tom Lee insight on rest of year, and, what exactly is a 50 day moving average? 21.02.2025 16:22

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What does another 4 years of Trump mean for YOUR tax bill? 19.02.2025 30:12

Send us a text The Tax Plan walks you through various tax planning strategies to help you keep more of your hard earned money. Today, we talk about what taxes might change under a Trump administration. Look, I don't want to go against the grain here... but the world might not ACTUALLY be ending?

Wait, James says Tariffs are the BEST thing to happen to markets since the internet?!?! and, what exactly is a Tariff? 13.02.2025 19:08

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EXCITING moves in the market, Palantir the next Microsoft, and, James is talking about Crypto?!?! Whaaaa?!? 07.02.2025 24:01

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How backdoor Roth conversions can save you tens of thousands of dollars and provide you retirement freedom 30.01.2025 19:44

Send us a text The Tax Plan walks you through various tax planning strategies to help you keep more of your hard earned money. Today, we talk a more advanced topic: backdoor Roth conversions to convert pre-tax money into a tax-free Roth account. Roth accounts avoid the RMD restrictions that affect retired taxpayers, and allow money to compound tax FREE forever. Learn how to utilize this powerful w...

The DEEP FAKE that is Deep Seek, buying this dip BIG time, and, what competition does for great companies 28.01.2025 22:47

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Is it worth it to have an advisor you pay 1%? 19.12.2024 35:48

Send us a text Brandon West, CPA and James Walters, CRPC discuss weekly topics surrounding personal finance, small businesses, investing, tax strategy, and retirement planning. In this episode we talk about an important concept for any investor: is it worth it to work with an advisor? Listen as we discuss the advantages of an AUM fee advisor who charges a percentage, as opposed to fixed fee financ...

The Tax Plan: Important 401k concepts with investment and tax implications 17.12.2024 18:03

Send us a text The Tax Plan walks you through various tax planning strategies to help you keep more of your hard earned money. Today, we talk everybody's 401k plans. What types of contributions can you make, how to maximize your employer's match, and how your investment choices will impact your long-term wealth.

What to keep in mind as the year comes to a close 13.12.2024 18:39

Send us a text Brandon West, CPA and James Walters, CRPC discuss weekly topics surrounding personal finance, small businesses, investing, tax strategy, and retirement planning. In this episode we break down good financial habits to exercise when years end. Check the yearly returns on your investments, ask your CPA some questions, and make sure your financial strategies are still in line with your...

The Tax Plan: Roth vs Traditional retirement account contributions and why it's the single MOST important thing you'll ever understand about money 11.12.2024 21:41

Send us a text The Tax Plan walks you through various tax planning strategies to help you keep more of your hard earned money. Today, we talk about (no clickbait) the single most important concept for the average investor to understand. Learn how you can easily, at almost any income level, retire a millionaire with TAX FREE income.