Financial Symmetry: Balancing Today with Retirement

Did you know that your natural human behavior could be affecting your finances in a negative way? Behaviors may seem like small decisions but they build up over time. Human behavior makes a big difference in whether you are able to reach your financial goals. On this episode, Mike and I explore how human behavior impacts your financial choices. We have discovered 5 secrets to improve the way you g...

Charitable giving fills a need in our society and betters it as a whole. And until recently, donating to nonprofits helped people receive attractive deductions on their tax bills. With the recent tax law change, it's important to understand how your charitable contributions will affect your next tax return. We want to make sure that you continue to get the biggest tax benefit possible when giving...

Heather Gudac and Haley Modlin join Mike and me on this episode of the Financial Symmetry podcast to discuss how to become a financially successful millennial. We have had targeted advice toward other age groups in the past, and now we're excited to find ways to help out the younger generation. Heather and Haley have worked hard to put together a fantastic list of five money tips for millennials t...

Do you know what the number one most avoided financial subject is? On this episode of The Financial Symmetry Podcast, we are diving deep into estate planning where you'll learn why it is so avoided and why you really shouldn't avoid it. Cameron Hendricks joins us on the show today to help us navigate this touchy subject. Estate planning is easy to forget to do and so many people end up putting it...

Allison Berger and Grace Kvantas are stepping in for Mike on this episode. They join us to talk about how to navigate through a life crisis, specifically financial considerations after the death of a spouse. It's hard to think financially after such a terrible emotional blow, but proper financial planning can help ensure that you will have less to worry about in the years to come. Listen to this e...

On this episode of Financial Symmetry, we're getting you ready for tax time! We've been helping clients check their taxes for many years and we know that there are two types of people that file their tax returns. The optimists try and get their taxes done as quickly as possible and probably have already filed their taxes. Those of you that are pessimists are waiting until the last minute and proba...

We're jumping into the March Madness spirit by seeding our top 8 big financial life decisions. We have weeded through all the challenging financial decisions that you will come across in your life and ranked the top 8. By carefully choosing how you decide these 8 factors you could change the trajectory of your potential to build wealth over your lifetime. These decisions can make differences in th...

On this episode, we're jumping into the March Madness spirit by seeding some of your biggest financial life decisions. We have weeded through all the challenging financial decisions that you will come across in life and ranked the top 8. By carefully choosing how you decide these 8 factors you could change the trajectory of your potential to build wealth over your lifetime. These decisions can mak...

When it comes to investments, too many people take a haphazard approach when what they need is an investment decision process that makes the most of a number of different available resources. This episode of the podcast is aimed at helping you understand what goes into a good investment decision process and how the team at Financial Symmetry approaches investments for its clients. Chad and Mike di...

Studies show that most women don't think of themselves as having financial savvy. Honestly, it's a very sad situation but one that is improving as years go by. In this conversation, you will hear some of the latest statistics about the improving state of women's finances, the causes behind these improvements, and what any woman can do to grow to be savvier when it comes to financial planning.  But...

Checklists make life easier.  Research has demonstrated  the value of checklists in all industries from medicine to construction. Often our financial to-do lists are scattered tasks we think about often but struggle to complete due to the multiple steps involved. Most of us start the year with hope that this year will be different from this perspective. How much easier could tackling these tasks b...

As we approach year end, we now have the first major tax overhaul in over 30 years, which became effective January 1, 2018. As financial planners, we are focusing a great deal of our attention on the changes that are coming and how they are going to affect each of our clients in the coming years. The reform creates new opportunities for some, and closes the door on others. So, what are the major c...

We read, write and talk a lot about better ways to build wealth, and after reading Dr. Daniel Crosby's latest book, The Laws of Wealth, we wanted to dive deeper on his 10 rules of wealth building. Daniel does a great job of weaving relevant stories in to topics that often can be overly complicated.  In this episode, we walk through our favorite rules along with steps you can take to put these rule...

One of the most asked questions we receive centers around the HSA. It's also one of the largest missed opportunities for tax savings we see people are missing, if they are eligible. Health Savings Accounts, known also as HSA, are gaining more and more popularity. But there is still a lot of confusion on how this account is different. Join us this week, as we break down the ins and outs of all you...

Near tax time each year, do you find yourself wondering what other tax strategies you may be missing? Many people have a goal of paying less in taxes but are missing opportunities to be as tax efficient as possible with their entire financial picture. Fact is, there are things you can do between now and the end of the year that could be a nice benefit when filing your tax return this year. Join us...

What if you knew the secret to building wealth? For many, asking that question alone is part of the problem. That's because it's less of a secret, and more of a discipline of small habits and behaviors we are programmed to ignore. Whether it's how easy we get distracted or our propensity to keep up with the Joneses , understanding our thought patterns around these topics is informative and can lea...

Did you realize that we are hardwired to make irrational financial choices? The incentives to spend now vs. save are difficult to overcome on our own.  On this episode, we break down six key behavioral biases we all share at some point around our finances. The good news is that human accountability and automated savings programs can go a long way to fight against these instinctual biases. So join...

Interest remains high of how to protect yourself after the Equifax Credit scandal. The good news is there are steps to take to mitigate your risks to guard your credit reputation. The bad news is that similar breaches have happened before and will happen again. Listen this week as Chad and Mike discuss ways thieves will try and take advantage and the details on steps you can take to decrease your...

For many, the open enrollment period is just another email you quickly delete thinking nothing has really changed since last year. But this passive approach can be extremely costly if new benefits are being offered or life changes you forget about throughout the year may have happened. On this episode we share some of our unique perspectives given how many different employee benefit packages we se...

Picking out a small business retirement plan can be daunting. This is why we see many small business owners, or those with side hustles, not taking advantage of a retirement plan for them or their employees. This is often because they are overwhelmed by the number of plan options, plan administration requirements, fiduciary responsibilities or they think they are too expensive. On this episode we...

Once you hit your 40s, it becomes more important than ever to evaluate your financial plan and fill in any gaps in your future. Many of the planning tasks can be tedious or seem unimportant now, but you will thank yourself later when you look back on your conscious and careful financial decisions. Life throws a lot of curveballs and it's easy to get busy and forget to keep your plan up to date. Bu...

It doesn't get much more stressful than preparing your child for college. From the testing and forms to the outrageous tuition prices, the process can truly be a nightmare without the right strategy. Cozy Whittman from College Inside Track joins us on the show today to share some really valuable information that could save your family tens of thousands of dollars over the course of the college pro...

You know those things you know you should do - eat healthy, work out every day, sleep eight hours - but struggle to get done? We all do it, and skipping over financially healthy habits is another common way to cut corners. Overlooking seemingly small aspects of your financial life now is just like skipping floss or skimping on sleep - they don't have a huge impact immediately, but can really affec...

There's always more to learn when it comes to the world of finance. A great way to squeeze in some extra know-how this summer is through reading. So on this episode, we have a list of 13 great titles that you may want to add to your reading list, no matter where you are financially or what interests you have. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here:  http://bit.ly/2ukGIgu  

When was the last time you asked yourself: what purchases have I made in the last month that really made me happy? It might sound like a silly question, but as we'll reveal in this episode, the answer is key to making sure you spend money in a way that supports short- and long-term happiness. In this episode, we're switching it up a bit and giving you a rundown of one of our favorite books:  Happy...