ME and Money Podcast

As we close out this experiment of “Would You Rather?”, Matt asks Elliott a mind-breaking question at the end. Stay tuned to hear the spicy conclusion! In this episode we give our take on: Would you rather own Real Estate with 5 Family Members, or Start a Business with 5 Total Strangers? Would you rather gamble $10,000 at the casino, or on r/WallStreetBets? The secret question that bro...

We had so much fun doing this last week, we had to do it again! In this episode, Matt and Elliott debate: Would you rather never compare your finances to someone else, or know you’re always beating them? Never stress about money, or never pay taxes? Always feel like you never have enough, or never know how much money you have? Let us know what you think! Shoot us an email! Have a question fo...

We’re kicking off a little experiment, which started with an interesting conversation we had a couple weeks back off the air. For the next few weeks, we’re going to play a financial version of the classic “Would You Rather?” social game. To kick things off, Matt and Elliott discuss their takes on: Would you rather be Age 40 with $500k, or 65 with $5M? Have $1M now, or $100k...

With all the tariff-related market fluctuations, Matt and Elliott take some time this week to discuss market-timing. Is it possible to time the market, consistently? How do you know when to get out? More importantly, when to get in? Why making decisions for days at a time, can have decades of an impact? Horror stories of trying to time the market Have a question for a future show topic? Matt Fizel...

Building off of the technical information from last week, Matt and Elliott discuss more about some of their favorite use cases for a Brokerage Account, and who may find them to be a valuable tool. While we don’t know the details of your exact situation, perhaps hearing a few examples may help you understand if this is the right tool for you to consider. (Please consult with your financial or...

“Brokerage Account, what the heck is that?” In this episode, Matt and Elliott discuss one of the most confusing accounts in the savings worlds, Brokerage Accounts. These can sometimes just be called “Individual”, “Joint”, or “Taxable” investment accounts, adding to the confusion. While they function much like an IRA, Roth IRA, or any other retail inv...

In a follow-up to our last episode, we went even deeper into the Roth versus Traditional debate for IRAs and 401ks. We hope you enjoy this nuanced discussion around saving for retirement, and why the best decision for you, is much more the question than listening to the “YOU MUST DO THIS…” news articles out there. Have a question for a future show topic? Matt Fizell, CFP® can be...

We’re here to talk retirement plan options today! Many times when working with their clients, Matt and Elliott take the approach that many of these accounts are functionally the same thing, but they come with slight variation in how, when, and what you can contribute to them. Think of these accounts as “ice cream”, but with different flavors! In this episode, we talk about: Contr...

Picking up where we left off last time, we’re here to talk about Health Sharing Plans, which are sometimes used as a replacement for traditional health insurance. In this episode, we talk a bit more about the pitfalls and considerations you should make before signing up for a community/group health sharing program. Have a question for a future show topic? Matt Fizell, CFP® can be reached by...

Healthcare is undoubtedly one of the greatest financial concerns for the majority of Americans. With health-related expenses being the #1 cause of bankruptcy, it’s really important to understand what all these letters mean. In this episode, Matt and Elliott share” What is the difference between an HMO and PPO? Deductibles, Max Out Of Pocket, and understanding what annual costs could be...

Credit Scores and their importance are one of the most written about topics when it comes to personal finance, yet there is still a great deal of confusion on how they work, what they mean, and what you can do to take care of it. In this episode, Matt and Elliott discuss the 5 major factors a Credit Score is based on, some general rules of thumb for how to manage your credit, and what pitfalls to...

Each year, our world becomes even more “digital”, and with it, this means there are more ways than ever to have your information, identity, and financial life hijacked on the internet. In this episode, Matt Fizell, CFP® and Elliott Appel, CFP® discuss a variety of ways you can protect your finances, and make life a little more secure. While the strategies in this episode are not the on...

Tax season is right around the corner! Are you prepared to prepare those returns? Tax filing deadlines can sneak up on us quickly, and make life a bit more stressful than it needs to be. In this episode, Matt and Elliott discuss a few helpful pointers that you can use both when filing that 2024 Return, along with proactive tips to carry with you throughout the year that can make 2025’s Retur...

Whether it’s a big vacation, your insurance bills, or even the subscriptions to various services, Matt and Elliott share their thoughts on when it makes sense (or maybe doesn’t) to prepay. In a world with increasingly popular “Buy Now, Pay Later” options, it’s important to know why paying in advance might not only help you create a successful financial future, but also feel better when you do spen...

Happy (almost… anyways…) New Year! As we all start looking ahead to 2025, many times it can feel like an opportunity to have a fresh start, make changes, or try to be a bit more proactive on a given habit or aspect of our life. In this episode, Matt and Elliott share how they approach these conversations with their clients in terms of their Personal Finances. You can expect some great...

**Episode 12 was also released today, don’t forget to check out our conversation with Olivia Sharp on all things Home, Auto, and Liability Insurance** In this second edition of ME & MONEY for this week, Matt and Elliott sit down with 3 Tax Experts as we enter the beginning of tax season for those 2024 Returns. With our special guests Alicyn McLeod, Ashley Francis, and Logan Graf, we touc...

In this episode, we’re back with another special guest! This time, to talk about some real-life stories with Property and Casualty (Home, Auto, Umbrella, etc.) Insurances. Olivia dives deep into several great topics with us in this episode, including: What most people are looking for with their insurance policies? Understanding when coverage does, and doesn’t make sense Real stories of...

Many times we see advertisements for “how you can save money on your home, auto, and personal insurance”. While most of us have these coverages, how do you know if you have enough? Is price the most important thing when shopping for insurance? Listen to this episode to find out! In this episode, we discuss: The different coverages and what to look for (Home, Auto, Renters, Umbrella, etc.) Understa...

In this episode, we welcome our first guest to the show! Tony Steuer, CLU, CPFFE joins us to talk a bit more about the nuance of Life Insurance, when it makes sense, and when it doesn’t. Tony has a wealth of experience on this topic, and Elliott and Matt (well… due to tech issues, mostly Elliott!) chat with Tony about the following topics. Understanding Permanent Life Insurance Differe...

In this “semi-breaking news” episode of Me & Money, Matt and Elliott chat a bit about what the election results could mean for some of the larger planning topics in Personal Finance. While there are surely to be mixed feelings depending on who you voted for, it’s a great time to focus on the big picture whether you’re optimistic or not about the next 4 years. Will the T...

While we don’t sell it, we believe insurance is an incredibly important aspect of a well-rounded financial plan. In our time working with clients, we’ve seen great plans, and some that leave us scratching our head. In this episode, we discuss: Different types of life insurance (term, whole life, cash value) Do you REALLY need life insurance? What does it pay for? How much does it cost? Have a ques...

It’s that time of the political cycle again, the election is near! Regardless of who you support, plan on voting for, or what their agenda may be, we wanted to give you a few words of wisdom for this upcoming election cycle when it pertains to your investments. In this episode, we discuss: What impact elections have had on investments, historically Proposed policy doesn’t mean anything will change...

Last time, we talked about the “why” behind investing. While we think it’s the most important, investment selection is the next key step. While there’s not a specific recommendation being made in this episode, we want to share a few helpful tips to think about while you think about how to structure your investments. In this episode, we discuss: Understanding your Investment Timeline Why discipline...

Investments are always in the headlines. So many times we hear about what we should be investing in, what the “hot stocks” are, and how to pick the next big thing. In this episode, we talk about the reasons why we need to invest, and why time may just be more important than knowing what the next big winner is. Here’s a few topics we discuss in this edition of ME & Money: Why you can’t stuff mo...

Usually when you see those financial advertisements, it’s all about “save, save, save”… but what if you don’t really need to? What if you have something you want to pursue NOW? In this episode we discuss: Planning for cash needs in the near future Retirement is important, but should it always be the top priority? Balancing saving while having debt Creating accountability for yourself if you do dec...