Making It Count

Think kids under 13 can’t learn financial basics? Think again! In Part II of our Money + Kids mini series, Cristina and Will learn tips and tricks for teaching younger children important money lessons. From explaining the differences between saving, spending, and giving to helping connect the dots between working and earning a paycheck, our guests, Clint Proctor from The Wallet Wise Guy and Karina...

Starting a family is a huge, exciting life milestone. In Part I of our Money + Kids mini series, hosts Cristina and Will learn all the financial considerations that should be covered before having a child. They are joined by John Stanton and Stefanie Flohr, financial advisors at CUNA Brokerage Services, who help listeners learn how to balance budgeting as a parent while saving up for your child's...

Planning to start a new career can be an exciting yet stressful experience. Listen along to learn how to find a compatible career that works for you. In this week’s episode, Cristina and Will welcome Jordan George from Addition Financial and Cliff Marvin from CareerSource Central Florida to discuss the best practices of switching and starting new careers. Learn how to financially prepare for this...

Welcome to the third part of our Money + Love mini series where hosts Cristina and Will discuss achieving post-honeymoon financial bliss with three special guests. They’re joined by returning newlyweds, Jordan and Katie George from Addition Financial, and Clint Proctor from The Wallet Wise Guy. In this episode, our experts reveal ways newlyweds can combine finances, avoid debt, and plan for their...

Who said planning a wedding had to be stressful? Tune into part two of our Money + Love mini series, where we explore how couples can save money while planning the wedding of their dreams. Cristina and Will are joined by returning newlyweds, Katie and Jordan from Addition Financial to welcome Kaila and Eryn from Frugal Twins. Learn how to create a sustainable wedding budget while avoiding common m...

Welcome back to Making it Count’s first episode of 2021 where our hosts uncover the secrets to dating bliss – at least financially speaking! On this part one of our Money + Love mini series we ask our financial experts how couples can know if they are financially compatible. Cristina and Will are joined by returning guest Rod Griffin from Experian, as well as newlyweds Katie and Jordan from Additi...

Year-end financial planning is a good way to get your financial house in order for the coming year. And with all the changes 2020 brought to our typical “normal,” there are some critical differences we all should be aware of. On this episode of Making it Count, we wrap up our Money + The Holidays mini series with a discussion on why it is so important to evaluate your finances this time of year an...

Do you have an estate plan? Understand the basics of estate planning and how to start protecting your assets by listening to the latest episode of Making it Count! Our hosts are joined by Mary Kaplan, attorney and owner of The Kaplan Firm, and Emily Ostresh, Legal Specialist at Addition Financial. We cover the important vocabulary and documents associated with the estate planning process so you ca...

Who’s ready to play the credit card points game? Learn all about maximizing your reward points and cash back this holiday season from returning guest Heidi Pauley and special guest Kevin Wright, the CIO at Addition Financial. They share tips on making the most of your holiday shopping using rewards credit cards on the latest episode of Making it Count. Links The Points Guy: https://thepointsguy.co...

We’re back with season two of Making it Count, the podcast that explores everyday financial topics to debunk common money myths. We’re your hosts – Cristina and Will. On this season of Making it Count, we’re introducing the Money+ mini series where we tackle big financial topics over three shorter episodes. We’ll hear from guests on how money influences the holiday season, our love lives, and...

It’s officially here – the first episode of season two of your favorite money smarts podcast, Making it Count! This episode is all about ways to prepare financially before the holidays and is part one of our Money + The Holidays mini series. Hear from guests Heidi Pauley from Addition Financial and Rod Griffin from Experian as they share expert tips for getting through the holidays without spendin...

And that’s a wrap on season one of Making it Count! We’re sharing our favorite lessons learned and funny moments from the past nine episodes on the season one finale with special returning guest Valerie Moses and show producer Lauren Buys. You won’t want to miss this behind-the-scenes look at your favorite financial education podcast! Links Subscribe for season two: AdditionFi.com/MakingItCount Le...

From snagging scholarships and eating healthy on a budget to juggling a job, classes and still having a social life, we cover all things college on this episode of Making it Count. Our hosts interview Richard Barbari and returning guest Valerie Moses, both from the Community Engagement department at Addition Financial. Links Student Loan Planner Article: https://hubs.ly/H0sTYDn0 College Graduation...

On this episode of Making it Count, hosts Cristina and Will explore retirement savings strategies for people over the age of 40. They are joined again by guests John Stanton and Rob Mazur, both financial advisors at CUNA Brokerage Services. Together, they tackle the big retirement questions for our older audience members. Links Yahoo! Finance Article: https://hubs.ly/H0nJzgD0 Retirement Goal Setti...

On this episode of Making it Count, hosts Cristina and Will get the inside scoop on the car buying process from two lending experts at Addition Financial. They learn what it takes to secure financing, choose their dream vehicle, and drive off the lot without breaking the bank. Links Edmunds: https://www.edmunds.com/ Kelley Blue Book: https://www.kbb.com/ NADA: https://www.nada.com/ Experian articl...

On this episode of Making it Count, hosts Cristina and Will learn what it takes to become a homeowner from two local real estate experts: Eric Mieles from H6 Homes and Kathy Michaels from Addition Financial. Listen along to get the inside scoop on the entire home buying process – from finding your dream home to closing your first mortgage! Links CNBC Article: https://hubs.ly/H0rTdpf0 First-Time Ho...

On this episode of Making it Count, hosts Cristina and Will take a deep dive into the Paycheck Protection Program with three special guests: Eduardo Fernandez, an attorney, Paul Roldán, a financial advisor, and John de Armas, a local small business owner. Listen along to learn how to utilize your PPP loan and strategies to qualify for loan forgiveness from three people who have actually gone throu...

On this episode of Making It Count, hosts Cristina and Will share their thoughts on what they've been doing to keep themselves mentally and physically healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also interview two positivity experts: the author of Addition Financial’s On the + Side blog series as well as a local licensed mental health counselor. Together, they discuss all the creative ways people a...

On this episode of Making it Count, hosts Cristina and Will learn strategies to prevent identity theft and fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic with expert guests Kevin and Brian from the Network Security Services department at Addition Financial. They cover the common scam red flags so listeners can spot and avoid malicious attacks and keep their finances secure. Links BBB Wise Giving Alliance: htt...

On this episode of Making it Count, hosts Cristina and Will talk with returning guests, John and Rob, to get advice on managing investments when the stock market is down. They address the fears and uncertainties that come along with the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Show Links: U.S. News & World Report Article: https://hubs.ly/H0pqQjZ0 On the + Side Blog Series: https://hubs.ly/H...

On this episode of Making it Count, hosts Cristina and Will explore retirement savings strategies for people under the age of 40. Helping them along the way are guests John Stanton and Rob Mazur, both financial advisors at CUNA Brokerage Services. Together, they tackle the big retirement questions for our younger audience members. Show Notes Washington Post Article: https://hubs.ly/H0nJzcJ0 Retire...

Do you ever feel like you’re stumbling through your finances? Well, you're not alone. In fact, one in three families earning less than $100,000 per year are stuck in the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. And earning more doesn’t necessarily mean less financial problems – 53% of Americans say they don’t have an emergency fund to cover at least three months of expenses.  You work hard for your money....