Fearless Money Talks

Doing it yourself can be a great way to build wealth. In fact, many DIY investors have done exactly that. But success can also create new challenges that aren't always obvious until years later. In this season finale of Fearless Money Talks, Brian and Kelli walk through some of the most common mistakes they see when self-directed investors eventually seek professional advice. The conversation...

AI can summarize an article, build a budget, explain a Roth conversion, and answer almost any financial question you can think of in seconds. So what happens when investors start asking a bigger question: do they still need a financial advisor? In this episode of Fearless Money Talks, Brian and Kelli sit down with Halbert Hargrove Wealth Advisor Tyler Gilley to explore where AI can be useful, wher...

Buying a business sounds like the move. Be your own boss. Generate income. Maybe even step back and let it run. But most people walk into the process not knowing what they don't know, and that gap can cost them. This episode of Fearless Money Talks brings in David Koch , senior wealth advisor and director of portfolio management at Halbert Hargrove, for a candid conversation about what smart...

Talking to your parents about money sounds like it should be straightforward. It’s not. This episode of Fearless Money Talks takes on one of the most uncomfortable financial conversations out there: inheritance. Or more accurately, everything around it that isn’t really about the money. Kelli Kiemle and Brian Spinelli unpack why most people aren’t usually asking “What do I get?” They’re asking, “A...

What You’ll Learn How Roth conversions actually work Why timing matters more than most investors realize The tax traps that can make conversions expensive How Roth conversions affect Medicare premiums Why inherited IRA rules changed under the SECURE Act What the Roth five-year rule means in practice When paying taxes from the IRA may still make sense Most people have probably heard that a Roth IRA...

What if everything went wrong in the markets and it still wasn't as bad as you expected? This episode of Fearless Money Talks is a Q1 2026 market recap that actually earns its runtime. Kelli Kiemle and Brian Spinelli walk through a quarter that had no shortage of headlines, oil spikes, geopolitical tension, AI panic, inflation jitters, and ask the question most investors forgot to ask: so how...

What happens to all that boomer wealth everyone keeps talking about? And while we're at it, how much should you actually spend on your nephew this Christmas? This episode of Fearless Money Talks takes a sharp turn from the sentimental to the sobering. Brian Spinelli and Kelli Kiemle are joined by producer Brodrick Lothringer, who jumps in along the way with questions that keep the conversatio...

Have you ever been in a conversation where someone kept explaining something long after you stopped caring? That realization comes up in this episode of Fearless Money Talks, and it opens a bigger discussion about one of the most overlooked skills in financial advice: listening. From Kelli’s early retail jobs at Nordstrom to Brian’s first client meeting that went completely sideways, the team refl...

Have you ever had to tell someone a raise or bonus wasn’t happening anymore, and realized mid-sentence that you hadn’t explained nearly enough? That moment comes up early in this episode of Fearless Money Talks, and it opens a much bigger conversation. What happens when leadership goes through a hard stretch, communication breaks down, and people start assuming the worst? And how do those moments...

Managing money can slowly turn into one more thing competing for your attention, and it has nothing to do with ability, but with the fact that your days may already be filled up with other decisions that drive your life and work forward. This episode’s conversation starts there. Brian and Kelli talk with Taylor Sutherland about why high-performing people may step away from day-to-day investing, ho...

Money has a way of sneaking into moments that are supposed to feel easy, like group dinners, trips with friends, roommates or family traditions. But suddenly there’s a bill on the table, everyone freezes, and no one wants to be the person who speaks up. In this episode of Fearless Money Talks, the conversation goes straight into those uncomfortable spots; the moments when splitting things evenly f...

A business sale typically doesn’t start with a plan. Most of the time, it begins with a call, a letter of interest, or a number that can suddenly make everything feel more complicated. In this conversation, Brian and Kelli sit down with attorney Matt Rabin to talk through what actually happens once interest turns into action, and why selling a business can bring far more than legal paperwork into...

Losing a spouse reshapes the pace of life in ways that aren’t easy to explain until you’re in it. In this conversation, Brian Spinelli CFP®, AIF®, Kelli Kiemle AIF®, and this week’s guest, Senior Wealth Advisor Samantha Garcia CFP®, AIF®, CDFA® talk through what tends to unfold during that first stretch when grief is still raw and the financial to-dos arrive sooner than anyone expects. Samantha sh...

There’s a moment in your 30s and 40s when money stops feeling theoretical and starts shaping your daily life. The home you buy, the debt you carry, the savings you manage to build, the risk you’re willing to take, all of it begins to influence your options, your stress levels, and even the way you picture the future. In this conversation, Brian Spinelli, AIF®, CFP® and Kelli Kiemle, AIF® talk thro...

Selling a business isn’t a single event, but a journey that blends numbers, timing, and emotion. In this episode of Fearless Money Talks, James T. Ahn, CFP®, AIF®, Senior Wealth Advisor, joins our hosts Brian Spinelli, CFP®, AIF®, and Kelli Kiemle, AIF®, to share five things business owners should do before selling. They explore what helps drive a successful exit, including basic things like prepa...

Life in your 30s and 40s can feel like you’re barely keeping your head above water. Between your job, kids, and social activities, it’s arguably the busiest time in anyone’s life. But it’s also one of the most important times to make a few key financial moves to help set your family up for success in the future. In this episode, Brian and Kelli discuss the pillars of a good financial plan, includi...

The word everyone in the media is using to describe the markets seems to be “uncertain,” but Brian Spinelli isn’t a fan. In his eyes, your opinion on the state of the markets may say more about where you get your news than any real volatility. Besides, when are the markets not uncertain? In this episode, Brian and Kelli look back at how the markets performed in Q3, and they look ahead at what coul...

Most people want to know how much money they should save for retirement, but here’s another important question: How much of the money in your retirement accounts is actually yours? Between capital gains and the tax implications of 401(k) withdrawals, retirees can face some pretty unpleasant surprises if they don’t plan ahead.  In this episode, Brian and Kelli discuss three common tax issues retire...

Social Security: When should you claim? Will it still be around by the time you retire? How much does your spouse get if they made less than you while you were working? What if your spouse passes away? We’re taking on the big questions about the most widely used retirement benefit in America. In this episode, Brian and Kelli are joined by Vincent Birardi, Senior Wealth Advisor at Halbert Hargrove,...

One of the most common questions financial advisors get is, “How much money should I save for retirement?” Until we figure out how to build a time machine, the answer is, “It depends.” In other words, how much money you need depends on how long you’ll live, how much you’ll spend on healthcare, and several other unknowable, uncontrollable factors.  Fortunately, there are a number of factors that we...

What does it really mean to invest for your life, not just your age or a risk survey? In this episode of Fearless Money Talks , we welcome JC Abusaid, AIF®, CEO and President of Halbert Hargrove, to talk about LifePhase Investing®. This approach recognizes that every stage of life brings different priorities. Building wealth, preparing for a transition, or drawing from what you’ve created all requ...

Markets rise, markets fall, and our emotions often rise and fall with them. This week, hosts Brian Spinelli, CFP®, AIF® and Kelli Kiemle, AIF® dig into how fear and greed shape investor decisions, especially when the headlines are screaming and portfolios are bouncing. From euphoria when everything looks unstoppable to panic when losses hit hard, they share insights on why behavior can be an inves...

Does anyone like talking about money? For years, the traditional advice has been to avoid the subject of money with anyone other than your immediate family, and even then some kids never heard their parents discuss it! Today, we’re talking about why money is such a taboo subject and how we can try to find a healthy balance when discussing it. In this episode, we’re honored to welcome Angela Renee,...

What do you spend your money on, and how does it make you feel to part with those hard-earned dollars? Whether you spend your money on trips, or eating out, or club sports for your kids, or something else, everybody approaches spending differently.  In this episode, Brian and Kelli discuss their shared love of family trips, and their shared pain at the resulting expenses. They share their approach...

How to Plan for Now and the Future In the first episode of “Fearless Money Talks,” we’re talking about something most people don’t want to talk about: money. Whether you’re scared or ashamed or just grew up in a family that never talked about it, chances are you’ve encountered uncomfortable financial conversations at some point in your life. Our hosts, Brian Spinelli and Kelli Kiemle, share their...