Off The Wall

SECURE Act 2.0 created new retirement and savings opportunities that were not part of the original SECURE Act . Notably, it gives business owners the ability to be more strategic when choosing what kind of tax-deferred plan is best for them based on their personal and business circumstances. And i t also gave them more options for  employees . So why should business owners be think ing about meani...

What is the Flexible Asset Allocation strategy and how do we use it to manage your wealth? Great question! Tune in to this episode to learn everything you need to know about it.   In this episod e of Off t he Wall, hosts David A rmstrong and Jessica Gibbs invite Monument's Erin Hay, CFA, and Nate Tonsager, CIPM, to talk about the Flexible Asset Allocation (FAA) Model –what it is, where we use it a...

Want to support your child's education , but don't know where to start? Worried that contributing to your child's college fund may impact building your retirement account ? Saving for college can be nerve-wracking, but we promise this episode will make it less scary and more empowering .     In this episod e of Off t he Wall, hosts David Armstrong and Jessica Gibbs welcome Ann Garcia, aka The Coll...

Have you heard the terms "direct indexing", "custom indexing" or "factor-based investing"? This approach to investing is gaining popularity due to its ability to build allocations that are customized to an investor's unique preferences and constraints, and it s ability to harvest tax losses. Interested in learning how it work s and if it could be a good fit in your portfolio? Let us break it down...

This is the final episode in our 3-part political series on how politics impacts the economy, markets, and your wealth.      Recently, we had Reince Priebus and Bob Stine on the show. Each guest gave their perspective on politics and the economy, offering a Republican and an economist's view – now it's time for the Democratic take.     In this episode of Off the Wall, hosts David Armstrong and Jes...

2023 is finally here…and we have some important things to reflect on.    2022 was a year full of negative performance in many markets, but it just goes to show that you must keep your eye on relative performance in a year as volatile as 2022.    In this episode of Off the Wall, hosts David Armstrong and Jessica Gibbs are joined by Erin Hay and Nate Tonsager from Monument's Portfolio Management tea...

Bob is back! Robert Stein, Deputy Chief Economist at First Trust Advisors, joins us again for our final episode of the year. With the midterms in the rear view and 2023 just around the corner, many people are wondering: What is the 2023 economy going to look like? What can we expect for the 2024 presidential election? Why are gas prices coming down? What can we expect with inflation and the housin...

Who makes the laws that impact Americans? Politicians! We all know that every story has multiple sides. So, in this episode of Off the Wall, hosts David Armstrong and Jessica Gibbs welcome Reince Priebus, former White House Chief of Staff for President Donald Trump and chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) , to give a Republican viewpoint on what is happening in American politics.  ...

If you're an entrepreneur who's considering selling your business, tune in to gain valuable advice and insight into preparing for and going through the process. In this episode of Off the Wall, hosts David Armstrong and Jessica Gibbs welcome Kevin DeSanto, the Co-Founder, Managing Director, and Investment Banker at KippsDeSanto & Co. Kevin has broad experience providing advisory services to compan...

Are you or someone you know approaching age 65 soon? This is the episode for you! Tune in to this episode to learn how to sign up for Medicare health insurance and choose the right Medicare plan for you.   In this episode of Off the Wall, hosts Jessica Gibbs and Emily Harper welcome John Norce, the President and Founder of Medicare Portal, an independent organization that offers education and guid...

We're talking about bonds—yes, you read that right! Bond yields are going up. If you haven't wanted to invest in bonds in recent years because yields were low, is now the time to reconsider adding bonds to your portfolio? Monument's Asset Management Team of Dave Armstrong, Erin Hay and Nate Tonsager is back to recap what went on in the markets in Q3 2022 and to give their thoughts on bond yields,...

Last week's market volatility flirted with a bear market as sell-offs deepened. Analysts are much less confident where stocks and the economy are going. A lot of investors thought the Fed was getting inflation under control, but the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for August told a different story. A lot of companies are revising their outlooks downward because the landscape has changed.   Is all this...

Are you going through a divorce or thinking of filing for divorce? Wondering how divorce will impact your finances? Tune in to learn from a divorce financial planning expert.   In this episode of Off the Wall, hosts David Armstrong and Jessica Gibbs welcome Stacy Francis, the President and CEO of Francis Financial and a nationally recognized financial expert who specializes in divorce financial pl...

Is now a good time to buy a house? Do kitchens and bathrooms really sell houses? What will mortgage interest rates do going forward? Should you consider an adjustable-rate mortgage? Tune in to find out! In this episode of Off The Wall, hosts David Armstrong and Jessica Gibbs welcome Joan Stansfield of Stansfield Signature Real Estate and David Turner of Prosperity Home Mortgage to talk about resid...

Is inflation slowing down? Can I expect future fed rate hikes? Does it even matter if we're in a recession or not? Get the answers in this episode of Off The Wall with hosts David Armstrong and Jessica Gibbs, featuring Monument's portfolio managers Erin Hay, CFA and Nate Tonsager, CIPM. Listen in to this quarterly market update (Q3 of 2022) as they address the booming inflation debate, take an ins...

You want to be as financially unbreakable as possible, even after your career ends, right? No matter what age you "retire", or stop working, you still need to have an income to thrive. So, how do you plan to have an income after you stop working?   In this episode of Off the Wall, hosts David Armstrong and Jessica Gibbs welcome Christine Benz, Director of Personal Finance and Retirement Planning a...

Whether you realize it or not, your views on money are rooted in your early life experiences. Those views impact your financial decisions and your emotional and financial well-being. So, it's important to become aware of the money lessons that shaped you, define what financial well-being means to you, and prioritize funding contentment. Tune in to learn how!   In this episode of Off The Wall, host...

Are you wondering: Are we in a recession right now? How is the current market affecting my long-term wealth management plan?   We're going to answer those questions and more in this episode of Off The Wall with hosts David Armstrong and Jessica Gibbs, and Portfolio Manager Erin Hay.   Listen in to this quarterly and year-to date market update for 2022, as they break down how a well-constructed wea...

What's on the economic and political horizon? Bob Stein, Deputy Chief Economist at First Trust Advisors, joins the podcast to share what he thinks the future of the tech sector, trade wars, energy, banks and taxes will be. Bob also gives his predictions on what will happen in the upcoming congressional elections in 2022 and the presidential election in 2024.   Follow Bob Stein on Twitter @BobStein...

Markets are volatile right now. How you react will determine your success.   Monument's Portfolio Manager Erin Hay joins Dave Armstrong and Jessica Gibbs for a timely rundown on what's been going on the markets and what it all means for investors.   Dave and Erin discuss whether we are or are not in a recession, cryptocurrency drawdowns and their impact on general investor sentiment, and why losse...

"Rich" is a number, "wealth" is a mindset.   Dr. Brian Portnoy, one of the world's leading experts on the psychology of money, joins the podcast to discuss his book The Geometry of Wealth: How To Shape a Life of Money and Meaning . Brian explains how money fits into your happiness and the life you want to lead (not the other way around)—it's what he calls "funded contentment." Brian also answers t...

Dr. Richard Orlando of Legacy Capitals is back for Part 2 of our conversation about successfully transferring wealth to the next generation. Rich does a deeper dive on gifting to kids, including sharing ideas on timing gifts around core life stages. He explains what is a family meeting and why it is important, and suggests possible items to have on your family meeting agenda. Rich also addresses t...

There are lot of questions, worry and anxiety surrounding leaving an inheritance. How do I prepare my kids to be good stewards of this wealth? How can I make sure the money doesn't create entitled kids? Do I tell my kids how much I'm worth?   Dr. Richard Orlando, Founder of Legacy Capitals, joins the podcast to share his expertise on how to successfully pass on wealth to the next generation. In th...

Want the cliffs notes on what happened in the market and the economy in the first quarter of 2022? Monument's Portfolio Manager Erin Hay is back to discuss three highlights: 1) the Federal Reserve and the yield curve—and what this means for a recession, 2) inflation, and 3) trend. Listen to the end for our thoughts on planning for a recession (not the recession) and for highlights from Monument's...

What is a corporate trustee? And should you be considering one as part of your estate plan?   Michelle Diamond and Heather Savage with Cumberland Trust make the case that corporate trustees are worth considering regardless of your net worth—people are fallible, family dynamics are complex, administering a trust is a lot of work, and beneficiaries need education and support to successfully manage t...