The Mind Money Spectrum Podcast

Being intentional with spending and saving can reduce stress and increase happiness. If you are on track to be financially independent, when is it ok to spend more? If you are saving well and your income keeps growing, do you scale back or use your extra to move beyond basic needs? After you are earning enough to cover regular spending and saving, it becomes an intentional life decision of what yo...

How the math behind Buffett's Billion applies to psychology and finance. In this episode, Aaron and Trishul look at the math behind the March Madness game Buffett's Billion and the probabilities of unlikely things happening. How does Warren Buffett put up $1 Billion for a free game? While each individual underdog is more likely to lose, if enough underdogs play, you can start to expect t...

Deflation from technology, but prices still increase. In this episode, Aaron and Trishul discuss deflation due to improvements in technology. They use computers, TVs, and cars as analogies for real estate, education, and healthcare. Even if prices of new cars aren't going down, it's the benefits and value that have driven the increases in prices. They guess how it may be possible for the...

Need to know about AMT preference items, add backs, and exclusions? And how do AMT credits work? In this episode, Trishul convinces Aaron to wade deep into AMT. They discuss Alternative Minimum Tax preference items, exemptions, adjustments, and exclusions. Aaron provides an example of how the AMT exemption matters when exercising ISOs and why you may not get all of your AMT credit back in future y...

A well-designed asset allocation shouldn't need to adjust in response to inflation. In this episode, Aaron and Trishul discuss inflation. They go through factors that led to rising prices in 2021. And they relate potential impacts to consider. Our hosts then explore how stocks and bonds have performed over historical inflationary periods. You probably don't want to make any tactical chan...

Resolutions and blocking off calendar, and controlling time and your schedule. Don't forget 401k contributions, ISO exercises. In this episode, Trishul and Aaron talk about things they consider at the beginning of the year. They double-check savings rates based on raises and current 401k limits, and they evaluate the exercise of ISOs. They also evaluate many age-based topics, such as RMDs, QC...

Longevity and life expectancy assumptions in financial planning projections. In this episode, Aaron and Trishul discuss planning issues related to longevity and life expectancy. Retirement projections require an end date, but choosing one is an art rather than a science. The process requires assimilating incongruent datasets and incorporating human emotion. But then what happens if longevity conti...

The life lessons of skiing and snowboarding are different for kids and adults. How do skiing and snowboarding relate to teaching children grit? How do you learn to say 'no'? And where does "Zelda: Breath of the Wild" fit in with all this? In this episode, Trishul and Aaron discuss how winter sports and video games serve as examples of the balance between pushing through failure...

Our favorite episodes from Year 2. In this episode, Aaron and Trishul look back on their second year of podcasting. In the beginning, they focused on the process, recording one conversation at a time, and eventually, they established a consistent habit. To wrap up Season 2, our hosts recount their favorite episodes of the year. So which ones did you enjoy the most? Listen to the end to find out. E...

During Open Enrollment, make sure you opt-in to 401k, life, disability, and health insurance. You can figure out the details later. In this episode, Trishul and Aaron discuss common client concerns that surface during Open Enrollment Season. Each fall, you get inundated with plan documents from work. But now is a time when your seconds can save you hundreds or even thousands. Often, you need to op...

ISOs, NSOs, RSUs, and ESPPs all together. In this episode, Trishul and Aaron discuss alternative forms of employee equity compensation. In addition to ISOs, there are NSOs, RSUs, and ESPPs, and each one comes with different tax implications. Your employer can grant access you any combination of these plans. So then, how do you decide when to exercise and when to sell? You can choose to hold on to...

ISOs in late stage private companies and after going public. In this episode, Aaron and Trishul discuss what you can do with your ISOs to prepare for an upcoming liquidity event. At this point, investment risks are still high, so what's the best way to capitalize from here? First, you must consider the timing of exercise. Next, you need to evaluate if you will cash out or hold on for more ups...

ISOs in the mid stage of a private company. In this episode, Trishul and Aaron discuss what you should look for when you've been at a private company for a few years. At this point, your ISOs may have climbed in value, so it's quite the balancing act. Not only do you need to factor in future investment risks, but also you need to analyze the impact of AMT. Furthermore, waiting to exercis...

What should you look for when you first receive an ISO grant? In this episode, Aaron and Trishul discuss what you should look for when you begin working for a pre-IPO company and receive a grant of Incentive Stock Options. AMT isn't a concern just yet, but your investment risk is significant. Between QSBS and 83b elections, there are a few critical actions you can take right away. But most of...

Pandora Papers: Round three of leaks behind the wealth for rich and famous. In this episode, Trishul and Aaron discuss the Pandora Papers. Similar to the Panama Papers leak from 2016, this new investigation further reveals how the wealthy and powerful use offshore tax havens to shelter trillions in assets. But how does this influence the average American? It turns out its impact on you and your fa...

How much money should you put in Robinhood and crypto? In this episode, Aaron and Trishul discuss how much money you should invest in crypto. Similar to investing in single stocks, there are some rules of thumb to consider. Do you already save enough for retirement? Is your emergency fund adequate? Does your lifestyle depend on this money? If you're well covered, then the added risk of that B...

Biden tax plan is getting updated, but will it even pass? In this episode, Trishul and Aaron discuss updates to the Biden tax plan as it makes its way through Congress. Most of the changes target the top 1% of income earners. For example, there's talk of increases to income taxes, capital gains taxes, corporate taxes, and even estate taxes. But will any of this even make a dent in the pockets...

What's the trade-off between security and privacy? And does Google know more about you than you do yourself? In this episode, Aaron and Trishul discuss the trade-offs between security and privacy. Are you okay with "free" services like Google tracking everything you do online? Nobody out there has time to read all the end-user license agreements that we come across. After all, someo...

Hacking, phishing, and password managers, oh my. In this episode, Trishul and Aaron discuss modern lifestyle security risks. Between hacking, phishing, and scamming, cyber fraud has become increasingly sophisticated. These days, it's almost impossible to distinguish between a legitimate email and an attempt to steal access. They share a few of their learning experiences and how password manag...

When things aren't going well, when do you persevere and when do you throw in the towel? In this episode, Aaron and Trishul try to address the following question, "If things aren't going well, when do you make a change?" How do you overcome the emotional gravity of past actions to make good decisions moving forward? They discuss how impactful the status quo can be when framing...

What do you track? What do financial advisors track? What should you track? In this episode, Trishul and Aaron try to address the question, "How do I know if I'm doing well?" From an investments perspective, this has historically meant comparing the performance of an investment strategy to a benchmark. But for meeting life goals, tracking net worth, savings, and spending may be more...

Why start your own business? In this episode, Aaron and Trishul discuss the recent trend of educated workers quitting their jobs to prioritize their life. They examine the question "What is the role of employment in your life?" both as it pertains to their personal choices and as it applies to conversations with clients. While it may feel like choosing to be less ambitious is choosing yo...

Fee-only advisors and all the other fees you may pay. In this episode, Trishul and Aaron discuss what it means to be fee-only and why they chose to make this commitment. AUM, hourly, and flat fees are just a few methods that all fall under fee-only. They discuss the evolution of financial services and why reputable advisors may still choose to sell financial products for a commission. They also ex...

Why Aaron and Trishul chose to go independent. In this episode, Aaron and Trishul highlight their career paths. They then discuss what led them to create independent advisory firms after joining the XY Planning Network. Trishul started by writing a financial blog before realizing he wanted to provide more individualized help. Aaron failed out of sales before joining another RIA as an employee for...

The CFP® is the gold standard in financial planning for individual households. Trishul recently passed the CFP® exam. And so, in this episode, Aaron and Trishul discuss why the CFP® is so important. They discuss the Certified Financial Planner™ exam, continuing education requirements, the Code of Ethics, and the fiduciary standard. While the CFP® is not as academically rigorous as many formal post...