Meaning Over Money

Today’s episode is a cautionary tale about the American Dream—the nice house, the new cars, the stylish wardrobes, the exotic trips, and all the other trappings that accompany it. Having nice things is extremely cool…..and so much fun! However, for many Americans, the pursuit of this materialistic lifestyle is literally robbing them of their best life. Yeah, the stuff is enjoyable, but at what cos...

Have you ever been made to feel guilty for spending money on something you don’t “need.” Oh good, glad we aren’t alone. There seems to be a toxic undercurrent in our money culture that says we should only buy things we need. This leads to guilt, regret, and hoarding tendencies. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton discusses how destructive and counter-productive these mindsets are, and why it’s...

There's no harder stage in life than being a young adult. You're still trying to figure out who and what you are, where you want to be, what you want to do, and likely have limited resources to get it all started. Further, no other stage of life brings so many significant life changes (marriage, kids, careers, houses, etc.). In today's episode, host Travis Shelton shares the six steps...

Nobody wants to think about their own mortality. It’s an awkward subject that can bring up a lot of emotions. This is one of the main reasons why most Americans die without a will. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton explains why it’s so important for each of us to have a will in place. Further, he lays out the key decisions we each must make when creating our wills. This is a can’t miss topic...

Whenever someone passes away too soon, we tend to look at their situation as proof that we need to hurry up and get to retirement so we can “actually enjoy life” for as long as possible. We couldn’t disagree more with this sentiment. We, too, are impacted by these tragic situations. However, it’s quite the opposite for us. Instead, we believe these stories are proof that we need to find meaning in...

All work matters, but not all work matters to you. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the importance of defining what gives our work meaning (regardless of what others think), then aggressively pursuing it. The episode is framed through the lens of a recent conversation with a friend, in which Travis was accused of being a hypocrite for some of his work. This is an important topic t...

In episode 305 (linked below), we talked about how car debt is some of the most crippling debt to be in, but also some of the easiest to get out of. However, we noted that it’s emotionally difficult for people to unwind their car debt for one big reason: it’s a public decision. The act of selling a vehicle and downgrading is visible to everyone around us, which is tough. In today’s episode, we div...

Since aggressively launching into the topic of investing, listeners have been coming out of the woodwork with their own stories. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton shares examples from two of his friends who recently realized they were sold a terrible bill of goods. They trusted their investment professionals, only to be overcharged and underdelivered. However, there’s a silver lining. When w...

We live in a culture that glorifies retirement. So much so that it causes us to tolerate crappy (but good paying) work, hoard as much money as possible, and race to an earlier-the-better finish line we like to call retirement. That’s a lot of pressure! Oh yeah, and it can also be void of meaning and fulfillment along the way. Instead of living a life where we grind, grind, and grind so that one da...

We've been talking a lot about taxable investing lately. The importance of it. The simplicity of it. The effectiveness of it. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton walks you through the very simple process of setting up and funding your taxable investment account. Have fun with it! If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can fin...

We have a car crisis in America. Well, it's actually a much wider crisis, due in part to our crazy car-related decisions. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the most recent car loan data and explains why it's critical that we make different choices in this area of our financial lives. There's a better way, guys! If you have questions or would like to connect with us...

We often reference the idea of taxable investing. In our opinion, it's one of the most overlooked and misunderstood topics in the investing arena. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains what it is (and what it's not), why it matters, how simple/powerful it can be, and what it can do for your financial journey. If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of...

Have you made any mistakes or poor financial decisions in the past? Whew, glad we aren’t the only ones! We all have junk our our past: regret, frustrations, and lingering consequences. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton explains how we only have two options on how to approach it. We can either dwell on the past and sit in our regret, or we can put 100% of our energies and focus on the present...

Study after study shows that the average American is grossly underperforming the overall stock market. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains the primary drivers for this phenomenon. The bad news is these factors are crushing people. The good news is they are extremely simple fixes. If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find u...

The cultural narrative is that people simply don't "support" small businesses, which is why they end up closing down. In today's episode, we want to flip the script and look at this idea from the opposite perspective. Instead of us needing to support them, it's their job to earn our patronage, and then re-earn the right for us to come back again. When done well, it's amaz...

Instead of education and context, many financial professionals simply pander to people's irrational fear. Nobody wants to take undue risk, but what is risk? In today's episode, host Travis Shelton attempts to bring rationality into a significantly irrational topic: stock market risk. Without realizing it, millions of Americans are inadvertently costing themselves hundreds of thousands (or...

Conventional personal finance advice includes "have an emergency fund." It's simple advice, and it's good advice. But behind the general concept are many questions. How much? When do you need it? Where do you keep it? In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the emergency fund through the lens of a 3-bucket concept. It's a simple idea, but we're finding this...

In today's episode, we shine a light on one particular family's investing situation. This family is living a similar reality that millions of Americans are unknowingly living. It's time to shine a light on it. Stick to the end to learn how this family transformed their entire financial future with just a 10-minute investment of their time. If you have questions or would like to connect...

Do you ever get worked up about all the things you can't control? You aren't alone! There are two categories of things in life: those we can control, and those we can't. And unfortunately, most are in the "can't" camp. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the importance of focusing our energy on the things we can actually control. When we do, it's ama...

How did your investments do in 2023? Lots of people are celebrating their 12%, 16%, and even 18% performance. Considering the stock market is supposed to get "8%-10% per year," they crushed it.....or did they? Context matters. Unfortunately, these people lost big time. Why? Because the U.S. stock market returned 26% on the year (including dividends). So if your portfolio came in well und...

Do you enjoy using your credit card points for travel? We all do! However, all may not be as it seems. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the trap many of us face. In our pursuit to acquire and use these reward points, we often unknowingly sabotage our finances in the process. We also share a recent experiment that can highlight the hidden psychological impacts of credit cards....

Tax deductions are a business’s best friend…..and possible worst enemy. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton discusses how many business owners, in a pursuit to reduce taxes, are actually impairing their profits and cashflow. Yes, tax deductions can be a good thing! But we shouldn’t throw away a dollar just to save a quarter on taxes. If you have questions or would like to connect with us outsi...

Death. It’s not a fun topic to talk about, but it’s an important one. Someday (hopefully far into the future), one spouse will pass away. When that day comes, will the surviving spouse be prepared to pick up the financial pieces? That season of life will be tremendously difficult, but finances don’t have to make it worse. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton walks through a simple but effective...

Do you ever make the seemingly right decision, only to have a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach about it? In today's raw, unedited episode, host Travis Shelton talks about gut checks and why listening to them is so important in our decision-making process. Yes, we need the mental part of decisions. Yes, we need the emotional part of decisions. But that third factor, the gut check, is crit...

In today's episode, we look back at the year that was. Wow, so much good stuff to be grateful for. We covered a lot of different topics and encountered many unexpected obstacles/opportunities. We also discuss the top 10 most downloaded episodes of the year. We're thankful for you and your continued desire to invest your time in this podcast. It means so much to us. Cheers to 2024! Top 10 e...