The Investor Coaching Show with Paul Winkler

Today, Paul shares some research that shows over 80% of investors near retirement have portfolios that lack diversification and that most investors equate large U.S. companies and cash with safety. The problem is that portfolios like these can be very difficult to take an income from and leave you vulnerable to market fluctuations. Listen along as Paul explains why a financial advisor can help tea...

A new year provides a new opportunity to change your life for the better by reflecting and setting new goals. Today, Paul talks about why understanding yourself helps you actually reach your goals, instead of setting them and getting stuck in the same old patterns. Listen along to hear how you can work with your brain to overcome old patterns and have a better year in 2026. Later in the episode, P...

Last year should have been a great year for crypto investors. The digital assets received favorable treatment from a pro-crypto government, and the financial industry plugged the investment at every turn. Unfortunately, that didn’t make a positive difference in market prices. Listen along as Paul shares why this year brought more losses for people who have been swept up in the crypto craze and why...

Today, Paul explains that fund companies that offer your 401(k) plans are choosing investments that seem safe and popular. These low-cost funds focus heavily on large U.S. companies and keep your money out of the highest-performing markets of 2025. Paul explains how these fund companies have ditched academic research, forcing them to make it up as they go along. Later in the episode, Paul discusse...

This year, private company funds made their way into 401(k) plans around the country. While Paul doesn’t think these funds adequately pay for your risk, there is another problem that makes these products even worse. Listen along as Paul and Evan explain why many investors will get sucked into a product where companies don’t have to disclose important information about their finances, which public...

Money is a tool to help you express what is most meaningful to you. People who have a good relationship with money typically have a deep sense of purpose. Today, Paul and Evan have a conversation about how younger Americans report feeling a lower sense of purpose, how to get on the right track about what’s most important to you, and how you can use money to help you live a meaningful life. Want to...

Since 401(k)s are full of hidden fees, poorly diversified funds, stock picking, and market timing, how can you make the most of your employer-matched retirement option? Today, Paul and Evan explain why 401(k)s are designed to be confusing and misleading and how you can work with an advisor to learn what your options are and be a more confident investor. Want to cut through the myths about retireme...

Paul and Evan discuss the holiday season and how most investors have a large U.S. rally on their Christmas wish list this year. Listen along to hear the two advisors share why putting your hope in the industry and large U.S. companies usually leads to watching markets and having your emotions pulled around by things you can’t control. Later in the episode, Paul brings up how loyalty used to be mea...

Everyone will eventually reach a point where they can’t or no longer want to work. Paul and Jim discuss U.S. doctors who earn the highest wages in the world but dislike their jobs. Listen along to hear how purpose, work, and finances can either create a nightmare for you in the future or allow you to be flexible and choose what is best for you in any season. Later in the episode, Paul talks about...

Paul and Jim cover an article and an interview that spreads misinformation about 60/40 portfolios and exposes the industry's problem with them: They never set them up or manage them correctly, and then complain about the results. Listen along to learn about why the industry wants to push you in other directions when taking retirement income and what the Nobel Prize-winning research says instead.  ...

Today, Paul and Jim discuss an article that claims the math proves the optimal age to take Social Security is 70. Listen along as these advisors talk about why each plan is unique and some reasons it may be a bad choice to take it at that age. Confident investors know that taking benefits at a mathematically perfect age can be a trap, but learning about your own plan and goals can help you discove...

Paul and Jim open the episode by discussing a challenge that often sneaks up on newly retired investors: trusting the process and letting their money work for them. The two advisors then acknowledge the difficulty of becoming a homeowner in 2025 and share a few different opinions about why the average age of a first-time homeowner is now 40. Listen along as they break down these takes and add thei...

Getting investors to recognize the limitations of stock picking has always been a problem. Now, it is even more difficult because Robinhood has changed the investing culture for the next generation. Today, Paul, Evan, and Jim talk about how Robinhood has exploded by blurring the lines between investing, which requires patience and a long-term outlook, and betting, which focuses on entertainment an...

Today, Paul, Evan, and Jim discuss why steady population growth is an important factor in an economy's health and prosperity. The problem is that population growth is difficult to affect through policy. Listen along as these advisors discuss how the U.S. government has worked to incentivize marriage and family, whether the Trump accounts are a similar tactic, and how policies that slow immigration...

Paul, Jim, and Evan bring up a lawsuit between NASCAR driver Kyle Busch and Pacific Life. Busch was sold a life insurance policy that would allow him to pull out $800,000/year after he turned 52. After many attempts to talk with his agent, it seems his money is gone. Listen along to hear why insurance products that claim to be “safe” are even too risky for someone who drives race cars professional...

Evan and Jim join Paul on the show today to talk about how easy it is to start heading in the wrong direction with your finances. The industry is designed to confuse you and wear you down, and people's instincts lead them to what feels exciting or safe. Paul shares an honest clip about NFTs and how millions were lost in the craze. Listen along as these advisors share why living with purpose and kn...

Marketers work hard to manipulate your opinion of health and prosperity largely because of a man named Edward Bernays. Today, Paul shares a video about Edward Bernays, Sigmund Freud’s nephew, who worked hard after WWII to sell products to American consumers through manipulation and psychology. Listen along to hear how Bernays’ propaganda principles have shaped advertising and modern life in the Un...

Americans for decades have learned about investing in school through a game that puts gambling at the center of the process. Fast forward a few generations, and companies like Robinhood have taken over the industry, offering both investing and sports betting on the same platform. Listen along as Paul explains that when you truly invest, you should be able to look at market benchmarks to measure yo...

Each time we seem to be on the brink of a technological paradigm shift, investors flock to bet on the companies that are vying to win the technological race. Today, Paul reminds investors what happens when you try to bet on winners and losers and let greed enter the investing process. Listen along as Paul explains why AI has the potential to make all investors profit, but could really hurt the few...

Paul shares that people who experience the most stress in life tend to focus more on the outcomes than on the process. Today, Paul talks about why happiness is more difficult to achieve the more you chase it. Listen along to hear why Paul believes that controlling what is in your control and focusing your attention on daily tasks and pleasures turns your brain from a place of anxiety to a place of...

Who wants to pay more taxes than they should to the government? No one. Today, Evan and Paul talk about taxes and why companies use your desire to pay less in taxes to push you into investment vehicles that might actually cost you more in the long run.    Want to cut through the myths about retirement income and learn evidence-based strategies backed by over a century of data? Download our free Re...

Evan shares an ad from a company that features a concerned investor trying to determine if they need a fiduciary for their investments. Paul and Evan break the illusion by sharing just how easy it is for the industry to lure people in with the term fiduciary and then hide behind loopholes and confusing disclosures. Fiduciary is supposed to mean someone who acts in your best interest, but the stand...

Today, Paul and Evan continue a conversation about what makes gold valuable and why so many investors believe it’s a strong investment. The two advisors then expand on the idea to discuss currencies, real estate, and stocks. How does the market decide what something is worth, and why does Paul exclude some popular commodities from his portfolio?   Want to cut through the myths about retirement inc...

Today, Paul and Evan share some commentary on the U.S. Federal Reserve and why its job is to create a stable currency, not a zero inflation economy. Listen along to learn about the history of the Federal Reserve and about how inflation can actually be a useful tool in the U.S. economy. Later in the episode, Paul shares why he doesn’t include gold as an investment in any investment portfolio. Want...

Warren Buffett is a brilliant business owner with a long history of buying companies and learning how to provide value. This year, he released his final letter to stockholders, focusing not on his investing success but on the people who have had the greatest impact on him and the gratitude he has for all those who have worked with him and contributed to his success over the years. Listen along as...