DO MORE WITH YOUR MONEY

No pain, no premium. The unfortunate reality is that to benefit from the returns of financial markets (especially the stock market) we have to be willing to accept the inevitable risk of short term declines. Declines and periods of volatility happen regularly and are a normal part of investing. The ups and downs can go on for weeks and months, which can be psychologically taxing, even when it's a...

In this podcast episode, I discuss the framework for deciding how aggressive to be with employer equity compensation. Equity compensation discussed includes Options (at-the-money vs out-of-the-money) vs Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). In situations where there is a vesting schedule (over a 3,4,5 year period), it almost always makes sense to take the equity compensation (vs cash). However, I also di...

The fear of missing out (aka FOMO) is one of the strongest forces that can affect investment decisions. The best investors are comfortable with accepting FOMO and staying in their lane (focusing on their individual race). It can be difficult to not let "water cooler talk" affect our investment decisions when we hear about what our peers are doing. In this podcast episode, I share my thoughts aroun...

In this podcast episode, I discuss the three "mainstream" investing styles for the Mainstreet investor. Active vs. Passive vs. Factor Investing  

On this guest podcast episode, José Hernandez aka The Millennial Money Mentor (as he goes by on Instagram) joins me to talk about the future of financial education and personal branding. In this episode, we discuss José's journey of navigating some of the pitfalls of corporate wealth management while trying to build a platform focused on educating the next generation of investors. If you've ever c...

In this podcast episode, I discuss the basics of determining business valuations and why it's crucial to build something outside of your primary business. While we have more control over our personal businesses, it's never a good idea to become dependent on it as our main asset when we're ready to retire.  The goal should be to take advantage of tax-preferred accounts along the way while building...

It's easy to take for granted being healthy and how incredibly valuable that is. When we look at our personal financial balance sheet we SHOULD take into account our health because that is an ASSET. This past weekend I was reminded of this when I suffered a knee injury that still leaves me unable to walk. When your health is compromised nothing else matters. It puts into perspective what real prob...

Have you taken full advantage of your tax-deferred accounts such as workplace and/or individual retirement accounts? Each year we have a limit on our tax-advantaged accounts, so it's best practice to create a hierarchy for how we use our money. In this podcast episode, I discuss some year-end planning ideas for maximizing your hard-earned money. While these considerations depend on your individual...

In this podcast episode, I discuss the pros and cons of two common retirement plans for small business owners. If you're a small business owner who has been considering adding a business retirement plan to help fund your retirement and reward your employees this is a great resource for getting started! It's never been easier to start saving for your financial future outside of your business. Don't...

It's easy to forget that the concept of 'retirement' is very new relative to the history of human societies. It's only in the last ~100 years that life expectancies, technology, and human productivity have reached a point that allows us the opportunity to stop working. In this podcast episode, I discuss how the burden of retirement has been switched from the employer to the employee. This change f...

Incentive Stock Options (ISOs) are one of the most complicated forms of employer stock compensation. In this podcast episode, I discuss the basics of ISOs, how they function from a tax perspective and some major pitfalls to be aware of. I also discuss the fear of missing out (FOMO) as it relates to owning employer stock (or any concentrated position for that matter), and why I'm a fan of regret mi...

At what point in your business's lifecycle are you? Are you at the point where reinvesting in your business (increasing employees, equipment, etc.) provides diminishing profit returns? If so, consider creating a financial fortress outside of your business so that you are NOT dependent on your business to supplement your lifestyle. When you create a business, it's your baby (I get it). It's easy to...

Are you interested in planning for your child's education savings? Then this podcast episode is for you! In this episode, I discuss the different ways to save for your child's education. Including the benefits of education savings accounts, such as a 529 plan, which has tax benefits when used for qualified expenses. I also discuss the basics of planning for potential financial aid. It's important...

In this podcast episode, I discuss my biggest takeaways of starting a service-based business. No matter how good your product or service is, there will inevitably be randomness that is out of your control (whether good or bad). Give yourself less credit when things are going well, and less blame when things aren't. These things tend to even out over time, as long as you're being consistent, it sho...

Being mindful of excess with our spending and minimizing outflow is GOOD. Being intentional with our spending to bring us optimal excitement, happiness, and utility (in the present) is BETTER. In this podcast episode, I share my thoughts on how to spend money more intentionally. I also discuss how our personal frugality lens is HEAVILY influenced by our upbringing.

Conventional wisdom has told us that renting is 'throwing away money'. However, when we take a deeper dive into the recurring costs associated with owning a home, you can quickly see the renting versus buying decision becomes much more complicated. In this episode, I discuss the different costs associated with owning a primary residence. Especially for the first time homebuyer, it's crucial to und...

Being cognizant of the small purchases in life and how they can lead to wasting substantial sums of money is important. However, to achieve meaningful wealth I don't believe the "latte factor" is ultimately going to move the needle. The major purchases in life such as a car, home, and education have opportunity costs that are worth a lifetime of latte purchases. So while I respect the principles o...

Concentration gets you rich, diversification keeps you rich. With that being said, it's important to clarify the difference between investing in publicly traded financial markets versus an entrepreneur who is investing in a business they have a material involvement in. When I talk about the benefits of diversification I'm talking SOLELY about investing in financial markets, because successful entr...