Check Your Balances

What are the critical discussions you should be having with your parents about money? As you transition from your formative first impressions of money to trying to "lead up" - how do you even start to bring it up? Send your questions for Ross and Dan to checkyourbalances@outlook.com to be featured on an upcoming show! Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming show to checkyourbal...

Index funds have become a popular tool for investors when building a portfolio.  This week, we talk about the origins of the earliest indexes, their rise to popularity, and how direct indexing could change the way we think about index investing. Send your questions and feedback to checkyourbalances@outlook.com , or connect with us on Instagram ! Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming sh...

This week Ross and Dan ponder a range of "Would you rather?" style questions from the practical to the absurd. We hope you enjoy the hot takes on a wide range of topics. Send your questions and feedback to checkyourbalances@outlook.com , or connect with us on  Instagram ! Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com @checkyourbalances on Instagr...

This week Ross and Dan use two listener questions to reflect on the current state of the mortgage market. Check your own math with this handy Free Amortization Calculator . Send questions to the show to checkyourbalanaces@outlook.com . Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com @checkyourbalances on Instagram

This week we open the mailbag to see what you, our listeners, want to hear about. Should you let AI help with your stock picking? Does the Social Security trust fund running low change your strategy around filing? Tune in to find out. Send your questions to checkyourbalances@outlook.com to have them featured! Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com @...

As more Americans seem to be struggling with "Tip fatigue" we wanted to talk about tipping from an academic lens. This week we are joined by Dr. Michael Lynn from Cornell who has studied the service industry and written extensively on tipping practices. Send questions for upcoming episodes to checkyourbalances@outlook.com . Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming show to checky...

Does beach season have you thinking about how nice a second home would be? This week Ross and Dan unpack some of the considerations, pitfalls, and a simple way to test if your theory is really right. Send your questions for an upcoming mailbag episode to checkyourbalances@outlook.com  to have them featured! Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com @ch...

How worried should we be about the increase in consumer debt?  What does a persistently low Expecations Index mean?  What is the Expectations Index anyway?  That and more on this week's show. If you have any questions for the show send them to checkyourbalances@outlook.com ! Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com @checkyourbalances on Instagram

A veteran of the car dealership and finance world, Chris Johnson joins the show to talk about the places where the dealership really makes their money. Do you really need that warranty they offer in the finance office? Tune in this week or check out Chris' e-books to learn more. Send your questions for the show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com ! Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcomi...

Non-Profit hospitals in the United States are required to offer Charity Care programs to help reduce or eliminate medical bills for low to midddle income patients.  Why don't more of us know about this? Today we are joined by Jared Walker, founder of the charity Dollar For.  His organization is dedicated to increasing awareness of these programs, and advocating for patients to help eliminate...

While most of our loyal listeners are very comfortable in the language of personal finance, we know not everyone feels the same. This week Adam Koren of Adam Koren Coaching joins the show to talk about his approach. Send questions for the show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com ! Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com @checkyourbalances on Instagram

Does it make sense to adjust your net worth for the taxes that are embedded in your portfolio? This week Ross and Dan open up the mailbag to dive into your feedback and questions.  Send your questions for the show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com ! Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com @checkyourbalances on Instagram

The internet was abuzz with a story about how under new mortgage rules, borrowers with better credit will pay more for mortgages than borrowers with poor credit.  Could that be true?  We dive into that story, as well as a potential tax reduction strategy for owners of pass through entities. Do you have any questions for the show?  Email us at  checkyourbalances@outlook.com ! Send us Fan Mail Send...

Matt Trogdon, CFP joins us for this week's episode to talk about the ways a financial plan can give you permission to spend more of your money rather than saving it. Whether you want permission for the little things or the big things, knowing where you stand can make those choices more comfortable. Send your questions for the show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com ! Send us Fan Mail Send your...

This week Ross and Dan look at all of the parallels between the game of golf and the game of investing. From temperament to where you focus your time, there are a lot of ways they can be compared. Send your questions or ideas for the show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com . Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com @checkyourbalances on Instagram

As the 2023 tax deadline looms, Ross and Dan talk through a number of situations that seem to come up frequently. Dial in your withholding with the IRS Withholding Estimator . Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com @checkyourbalances on Instagram

How safe is your money with SIPC, and what does it even protect? We answer that and more on this week's mailbag episode. Send your questions to checkyourbalances@outlook.com to have Ross and Dan weigh in on your finance questions! Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com @checkyourbalances on Instagram

While researching a complex loan situation for a client, Dan stumbled upon The Institute of Student Loan Advisors (TISLA). Betsy Mayotte was kind enough to join us for an interview to talk about the landscape of student loans and all of the great work that she and her team at TISLA are doing FOR FREE! Send your questions for the show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com to be featured on an upcoming m...

In the wake of multiple bank failures, Ross and Dan talk about the implications of the Silicon Valley Bank failure and the cloudy nature of the current banking environment. Where might you be exposed to the problems, and what should you be doing about it? Tune in to hear. Send questions for the show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com to be featured on an upcoming episode! Send us Fan Mail Send your...

Matt Malkus, Partner and Director of Analytics at Institutional Life, joins the show to talk about what is going on behind the scenes in the insurance world. Send your questions for the show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com ! Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com @checkyourbalances on Instagram

It's the most wonderful time of the year... no, not that one. The annual Berkshire Hathaway report with Warren Buffett's letter to shareholders is out, and we give you our 10 takeaways. Send questions for the show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com to have them featured on an upcoming episode! Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com @checkyou...

This week Ross and Dan ask Chat GPT to craft answers to financial planning questions and evaluate how safe their jobs are from the AI sensation. Send your questions for the show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com ! Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com @checkyourbalances on Instagram

Are you converting a rental into your primary residence, or thinking about how many different accounts you should have? This week's mailbag episode could be for you. Send your questions for the CYB Podcast to checkyourbalances@outlook.com to be featured on an upcoming show! Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming show to checkyourbalances@outlook.com @checkyourbalances on Instagram

This week, Ross and Dan celebrate Valentine's day with a Love and Money episode. From gift-giving to challenging conversations around estate planning, there are endless ways that your money and relationships ultimately intersect. Send your questions to checkyourbalances@outlook.com to have them featured on an upcoming mailbag episode! Send us Fan Mail Send your questions for upcoming show to...

This week Ross and Dan unpack five "tax traps" that can sneak up on you if you're not paying attention to them. Tune in for what to look for and possibly how to mitigate the impact. As always, know that Ross & Dan are not CPAs or Tax Preparers. Any tax discussion is strategic in nature, and should always be discussed with your personal tax advisor prior to implementing! Send you...