Dollars & Sense

Marc is back for this week's episode of Dollars & Sense, and he's guiding the ship solo as Marion is out on vacation. Marc kicks things off with some reflection on his time off for a family vacation and then dives into the topic of today's episode - the importance of knowing your insurance details in case of disaster.     With the recent devastation in California from the wildfires, insurance...

With Marc on vacation this week, Marion is joined by Christian to discuss a very interesting topic - client's best and worst investments! Listen along as Christian and Marion give insight into the two most common "best investments" that clients tell them about, plus the one that is most commonly thought of as a "worst" investment. Do you agree with their choices?    A full complement of Dollars &a...

You’ve all heard of the phrase “keeping up with the joneses” and may have even been subject to its influence. But as you start thinking about retirement, it becomes very personal to YOU.    In this week’s episode of Dollars & Sense, Marc & Marion discuss the constant issue of moving the goalposts when it comes to financial and retirement planning. They also discuss the problem of retirees...

Will the stock market at the end of next year be up or down compared to where it was at the end of 2024? Will U.S. investments outperform international investments?    In this week’s episode of Dollars & Sense, Marc & Marion ring in the new year with a predictions special! Watch and listen along as they go through several different questions the market faces in 2025 and what they think may...

It’s that time of year again. As the ball drops in a few nights, we’re bound to see gyms flooded with newcomers and little space to move in the organic food aisle at the supermarket. That’s right – it's New Years Resolutions season. In this week’s edition of Dollars & Sense, Marc & Marion discuss the topic of resolutions and how big changes in your life can start with financial decisions....

With the holidays hitting next week, it's time for some last-minute shopping! Marc & Marion have an important message in this week's episode - it's OK to spend some money! Listen along as they discuss one of the biggest traps people fall into when financial planning - not spending ANY of their money. There's a time to save and a time to spend, and in this episode they break down why December i...

As we roll into December, Marc and Christian have end of year planning on their mind in today’s episode of Dollars & Sense. Listen along as the two discuss the impact of capital gains distributions for 2024 taxes, plus a discussion into the generational divide when it comes to savings.   Christian provides insight into his discussions with Freedman’s younger clients and how they approach retir...

With Thanksgiving now in the rearview mirror, Marc & Marion are onto the rest of the holiday season and discussing the big topic of spending. With so many people paying for convenience these days, it becomes vital to recognize what you are willing to spend money on and what you won’t spend money on.    Listen along as Marc & Marion work through the equilibrium of saving and spending with t...

How often does your financial advisor communicate with you?  In today’s special episode of Dollars & Sense on-site at Putnam Pantry, Marc and Marion discuss what they call the “72 points of communication” at Freedman Financial. Since 2009, the firm has committed to communicating frequently with clients through a weekly newsletter, webinars, events and much more.  Listen along to hear the philo...

What is the difference between working with Freedman Financial versus one of the national investment management companies?  In today’s episode of Dollars & Sense, Marc and Marion go over the holistic view that Freedman Financial takes with each one of its clients. Instead of just focusing on investment management for a specific fee, they look at every aspect of their client’s financial plan, h...

What is it that you need to understand as you begin to think about planning your retirement?  In this week’s episode of Dollars & Sense, Marc returns and is joined by Marion as they walk through the modern day retirement equation, which is defined by: what you can control, what you can’t control and what is somewhat in your control. Listen along as they break down all three of these and how th...

“It takes a lifetime to build wealth, and you can lose it all in a second.”  What threats could take your financial planning from success to a fear over where the next paycheck is going to come from? In this week’s episode of Dollars & Sense, Marion and Christian discuss the gigantic topic of insurance. What are your insurance needs and what insurance do you currently have?   Listen along as t...

Can you believe we are already near the end of 2024? With two months left in the year, it’s right about now that people start thinking about year-end charitable contributions.  In this week’s episode of Dollars & Sense, Marion and Christian discuss the several tax benefits available from year-end charitable contributions, plus other rules, regulations and strategies for end of year giving. The...

What are the slices of the financial planning “pie”?  In this week’s episode of Dollars & Sense, Marc and Marion go through the other aspects of financial planning that you should have in place in order to create a comfortable lifestyle throughout an expected retirement. Listen along as they discuss the several roles that a financial advisor can play in their client's lives.  A full complement...

“The long term is only a collection of short-term time frames.” How does one stay involved in the short term while also maintaining a long-term vision?  That, and much more, is the topic for Marc and Marion in this week’s edition of Dollars & Sense. Listen along as they discuss the several complexities of financial planning as you approach retirement age and how the Freedman emphasis on simpli...

Do you know what your net worth is? Even if you do... do you know where it ranks amongst U.S. households?  In today’s episode of Dollars and Sense, Marc and Marion discuss how the topic of net worth can often cause confusion with clients, whether it’s determining what theirs is or how it compares nationally and regionally. Tune in also for a discussion around the Freedman Financial philosophy of b...

“Complexity makes you sound intelligent, but simplicity makes you money”  In this week’s episode of Dollars and Sense, Marc and Marion discuss one of the core components of the Freedman Financial philosophy, simplicity. They discuss the overabundance of financial advice and strategy out in the marketplace and how it distracts most investors from what their actual goals may be.   Listen for Marc an...

Some topics are harder to talk about than others. For example, what happens when someone gets ill, needs additional care, gets close to passing away or even passes away unexpectedly?  While not fun to think about, these are financial realities that many of our clients have faced over the years.  In this week’s episode of Dollars & Sense, Marc and Christian discuss what proper estate planning c...

Did you know that many people leave their old 401(k)s or life insurance policies with outdated beneficiaries, only to have their assets go to someone they no longer intended?   In this week’s episode of Dollars & Sense, Marc and Christian are diving into the critical importance of keeping your beneficiary designations up to date. They share real-life stories of how these oversights can cause u...

As summer comes to a close and fall peaks its head out, many may be looking to make a change in this new season. For some, that means exploring their retirement options. But retirement isn't just a quick decision, especially if your employer presents you with several retirement options.   In this episode of Dollars and Sense, Marc and Marion walk through the three major pension options that most e...

School is back in session, but is your kid ready for a crash course in financial adulting?  In this episode of Dollars and Sense, Marc and Marion dive into the realities of back-to-school season and what it means for parents and their children. As your children head back to class and college, it's an ideal time to think about how we teach the next generation about money.  Tune in as we discuss the...

In this episode of Dollars and Sense, Marc and Marion are back in the office to share valuable planning pointers addressing common financial and investment issues clients are currently facing. This week, they explore real-life scenarios that extend beyond simply choosing the right or wrong investments.  Tune in to discover how you can ensure your financial legacy is passed on smoothly and avoid co...

Join us for another special edition of Dollars & Sense, broadcasted right from the floor of the LPL Focus Conference in San Diego, California!  Marc and Christian recap their break-out session entitled, Financial Planning: The Secret to a 99%, 20-Year Client Retention where they revealed the strategies behind their remarkable 99% client retention rate over the past 20 years. They dive deep int...

Join us for a special live edition of Dollars and Sense as we broadcast straight from the LPL Financial Focus Conference in San Diego, CA!  Marc and Marion dive into the latest financial insights, sharing key takeaways from several of the dynamic speakers at the conference.  In this episode, we explore the potential impacts of the Federal Reserve’s anticipated interest rate cuts and what they coul...

In our latest episode, we dive into a provocative question: Is your behavior more critical to your investing success than your intelligence?   Join us as we discuss why not sweating the small stuff and focusing on your investing behavior can lead to better financial outcomes. We explore the importance of maintaining discipline, sticking to your investment strategy, and avoiding emotional decisions...