Make the Most of Your Money Podcast

We explore how AI actually helps with money—what it accelerates, where it fails, and how to use it without risking your life savings. We weigh job market risks, resilience moves like liquidity, and why human judgment and behavior still drive real results. • using AI for frameworks, summaries, and first-pass projections • limits of AI in taxes, edge cases, and incomplete context • behavior and valu...

We dig into the real risks of single-stock wealth, why diversification protects your future, and how to navigate taxes, FOMO, and strategy without losing what you’ve earned.  • defining concentration by impact on your life, not a fixed percentage • where big positions come from, including employer equity • why FOMO and upper bounds distort judgment • winners vs diversification and the humility of...

There's a lot that goes into giving money to kids (or receiving money as a child.) There are tax ramifications, behavioral impacts, and of course "spiritual" elements to consider. We'll talk about how to plan for giving or receiving a gift, the supposed tax "limits" to giving, and what not to do.  We'll also talk about: • balancing generosity with grit and intrin...

We explore why retirement is a true pivot point: identity shifts, new risks, and the move from one paycheck to many income streams. We share practical ways to plan with uncertainty, from guardrails to healthcare decisions, and how to retire to something with purpose. • identity, structure and purpose beyond your job • switching from saving to spending with multiple income sources • taxes moving fr...

We test the most common money rules of thumb and show how to adapt them to real life. From saving rates to Social Security timing, we map the assumptions under each rule and explain when to trust them and when to change course. • saving 15 to 20 percent as a flexible target  • emergency fund size by income stability and risk  • stock and bond mix guided by time horizon and inflation  • retirement...

We explore why money reveals our inner life more than our bank balance, and how purpose transforms financial decisions from optimization to meaning. Rev. Josh Bascom joins us to dig into self-help’s limits, AA’s wisdom, and the power of loving your neighbor. • technical behavioral spiritual lens for money • money anxiety identity and privacy around numbers • rich versus wealthy and status signalin...

We step back from “term good, perm bad” and map the real trade‑offs of permanent life insurance. We explain whole life, UL, VUL, IUL, and GUL, where they fit, where they fail, and how to avoid sales traps by matching the product to the problem. • term versus permanent: cost, certainty, purpose • whole life guarantees and steady cash value • universal life flexibility and moving parts • variable UL...

Variable Universal Life is a complicated life insurance product that may not have the best reputation, but we visit with Victor Yates of Nationwide to learn about how they are doing things differently.  We'll discuss the role of life insurance in general in a financial planning, when permanent life insurance is a fit, how Nationwide's VUL works, and who it is best for.  As a reminder, Co...

We unpack why most portfolios don’t need frequent changes and how a clear purpose, time horizon, and risk preference do the heavy lifting. We trade “performance reviews” for plan reviews, walk through rebalancing and tax tactics, and explain how to ignore scary headlines and shiny objects. • setting allocation by purpose, time horizon, and risk • why daily market moves rarely justify changes • whe...

Clicking “same as last year” might be the most expensive choice you make all fall. We break down open enrollment with a practical, no-fluff framework: protect against the big risks, pay cash for the small ones, and route every eligible dollar through the most tax-efficient account. From health insurance trade-offs to the truth about dental and vision, you’ll get clear guidance you can act on today...

While it may seem obvious, having kids drastically changes your financial plan. This episode will cover some of the obvious and less obvious changes and give you practical ways to think about making the tradeoffs you will have to make. Topics covered include: Budgeting for kids before having them The Kindergarten myth If childcare eats one salary, should someone step back? Putting your own oxygen...

After a brief summer hiatus, we're diving into the newly passed One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBA) to unpack what these changes actually mean for your financial planning. The good news? Many of the lower tax rates you've enjoyed since 2017 are now permanent (or at least until some future Congress changes them). But beyond that headline, there are several meaningful changes worth understanding...

Retirement planning requires understanding three major tax landmines that can derail your financial strategy: Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), the widow's penalty, and beneficiary taxes. • RMDs are mandatory withdrawals from tax-deferred accounts starting at age 73 (increasing to 75 in the future) • The percentage of your account that must be withdrawn increases with age, potentially pu...

Financial projections can be both helpful and misleading when planning your financial future. While they provide valuable insights into potential outcomes, they shouldn't be taken as literal predictions of what will happen. • Your financial life consists of: money in, money out, growth over time, taxes, and inflation. All financial projections are just projecting these variables • Monte Carlo...

Navigating the complexities of Social Security can feel overwhelming, but understanding the fundamentals is crucial to maximizing your retirement security. In this detailed exploration, we break down how Social Security benefits are calculated, when to claim them, and strategies for optimizing your lifetime benefits. At its core, Social Security functions like a government pension, providing incom...

Understanding Medicare requires navigating complex options, deadlines, and potential pitfalls that can impact healthcare coverage for decades. Insurance broker Margo Steinlage shares expert insights to help individuals approaching retirement make informed Medicare decisions that account for both current and future healthcare needs. • Medicare enrollment decisions should begin 12-18 months before t...

Roger Cantu, of OneAmerica, brings his 36 years of long-term care (LTC) industry experience to the show. We discuss:- What long-term care actually is- How likely you are to need it and for how long- How you can plan for LTC- What medicare covers (and what it doesn't)- The different types of LTC insurance policies- How the LTC insurance landscape has changed- Where and how to begin evaluating...

Ed Coambs CFP®, LMFT, CFT-I™ joins the show to talk about relationships and money. As both a therapist and financial planner, Ed brings a unique perspective to the conversation. He discusses identity crisis, attachment theory, how to talk about money in a relationship, and much more.

Mike Staman joins Colin and Taylor to talk about Charitable Giving. They discuss:- Tax-efficient giving- Donor advised funds- How to talk about giving with your family- Giving while you're alive versus dead- and more

Broc Buckles of BC Brokerage joins Colin and Taylor to break down the ins and outs of buying insurance. They discuss what kind of agent to work with, key red flags to watch for, and how to know if you’re getting a good deal.

Colin and Taylor break down all things debt—what’s good, what’s bad, how much to take on, and the best way to pay it off. Most importantly, they explore debt from a technical, behavioral, and even spiritual perspective.

Colin and Taylor discuss where to find financial information—and, more importantly, how to evaluate it—to better educate yourself on personal finance.

Should you pay off debt or save for retirement? Which accounts should come first? Colin and Taylor break down the ‘savings waterfall’—a step-by-step approach to prioritizing your savings. They walk through Colin’s savings order, discuss key exceptions like HSAs, 529s, and big purchases, and help you make the right choice for your situation. An example of Colin's waterfall:1. Employer Match2....

Colin and Taylor break down budgeting—what works, what doesn’t, and how to find the best strategy for you. Below are links to the articles discussed in the episode:https://www.oakleighwealth.com/articles/flow-based-budgetinghttps://www.oakleighwealth.com/articles/budgeting-is-optional-tracking-is-necessary

Colin and Taylor explore why saving matters, share simple tricks to save more, and unpack the critical tradeoff between spending and saving.