The Money Alchemist Podcast

The 4% Rule has guided retirement planning for decades, but does it still make sense in today's market? In Episode 60, Ben Jones and Brent Gargano break down the origins of the 4% Rule, Bill Bengen's original research, the Trinity Study, and how retirees can think about safe withdrawal rates and spending guardrails throughout retirement. The conversation also covers recent developments in the mark...

In Episode 59 of The Money Alchemist Podcast, Brent Gargano and Ben Jones discuss one of the largest IPOs in history as SpaceX officially goes public, raising billions and pushing Elon Musk's net worth to unprecedented levels. The conversation explores how IPOs work, why companies go public, what investors should know about IPO volatility, and whether participating in high-profile public offerings...

Have you ever bought something and immediately wondered, "Why did I spend money on that?" In Episode 58 of The Money Alchemist Podcast, Brent sits down with Dr. Bryan Buechner, marketing professor at Xavier University and expert in consumer psychology, to explore the hidden forces that influence our financial decisions every day. Together they discuss how marketing shapes behavior, why self-contro...

Is AI about to replace financial advisors? In this episode of The Money Alchemist Podcast, we explore how AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok are beginning to influence investing, financial planning, and the way people search for financial advice online. We compare how AI responds to both simple and complex financial questions and discuss where these tools may be useful — and where they can st...

What accounts do you actually need to build wealth? In this episode of The Money Alchemist Podcast, Ben and Brent break down the idea that simplicity often beats complexity when it comes to financial planning and investing. They discuss why many investors end up chasing gimmicks, opening too many accounts, and overcomplicating their finances....when in reality, only a handful of account types tend...

What does TV get right… and wrong… about financial planning? In this episode of The Money Alchemist Podcast, Ben and Brent break down popular wealth strategies featured in Beef (Season 2) and separate what’s realistic from what’s not. They walk through concepts like buy, borrow, die, 1031 exchanges, and the use of entities, explaining how these strategies actually work in real life and where they’...

Topic of the Day CFP® Meets Reddit   What can real questions from Reddit teach us about personal finance? In this episode of The Money Alchemist Podcast, Ben and Brent review real posts from r/personalfinance and walk through how a CFP® professional would approach them. From navigating a major increase in income to thinking about long-term wealth, they break down practical decision-making in real-...

How much do financial advisors actually make? In this episode of Money Alchemist, Ben and Brent break down how advisors are compensated, how many clients they can realistically serve, and what their day-to-day work actually looks like. They also cover current market conditions, including recent S&P 500 movement, rising gas prices, and shifting expectations around interest rates. The conversati...

In Episode 52 of The Money Alchemist, Ben and Brent walk through the latest market developments, including inflation trends, labor data, and shifts in private credit. They also discuss the market implications of recent geopolitical events, including Operation Epic Fury, and how these dynamics are influencing oil, global trade, and investor sentiment. The episode closes with a practical tip of the...

Money Alchemist EP 51: What’s Next for U.S. Tariff Policy In Episode 51 of Money Alchemist, Ben and Brent dive into the shifting landscape of U.S. trade policy following a landmark Supreme Court decision. They break down the legalities of tariffs, analyze the real-world impact on consumer goods like the iPhone, and discuss why international markets are seeing a 2026 surge. About your Hosts Ben Jon...

In Episode 50 of Money Alchemist, Ben and Brent cover market updates, a story about Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway, and break down the most common tax myths that continue to confuse and stress investors.   About your Hosts    Ben Jones, CFP®  Managing Director, National Wealth Management Group  www.nwmgadvisors.com    Sign up for Ben’s newsletter at www.karatstick.com    Follow him on X @th...

In this episode of Money Alchemist, Ben and Brent take a step back to examine the current American mood and what shifting consumer sentiment may signal for the broader economic landscape. They begin with a look at recent market activity, including a strong start to the month for stocks, evolving global trade conversations, and continued movement in precious metals. The discussion also touches on b...

In this episode, we break down the "pretext" behind the legal pressure on Jerome Powell and analyze a surprise GDP beat. Then, we shift gears to our Topic de Jour: Goal Setting. If you want 2026 to be your best financial year yet, you need a framework that goes beyond simple resolutions. In this episode, we cover: The Holiday Recap: Catching up with Ben and Brent after the break. Geopolitical Shoc...

What does 2026 hold for your wallet? In this episode, Brent and Ben conduct a "Topic de Jour" deep dive into their 2026 Financial Predictions. Following their successful 2025 forecast—where they correctly predicted the AI counter-revolution and the crypto bear market—the guys are looking ahead at the next big shifts in the global economy. From the Supreme Court tariff ruling to the AI trade fractu...

This Week's Agenda: What’s happening in 10 min  Record Black Friday Sales 11.8B up 9.1% from 10.8B in 2024 (Adobe Analytics) Higher in-store component (1.7% up since last year) Alphabet surpasses Microsoft as 3rd most valuable company in the world Concept of circular financing dominating headlines Fed rate cut in December jumped to 80 - 85% Dec 9 - 10 Topic de jour - Is $140k the new poverty line?...

This Week's Agenda: What’s happening 10 min  50 year mortgage idea announced to unpopular fanfare  Bitcoin down 35% from highs, down 5% on the year.  Crypto markets erase over $1.1T in market cap.  Government shutdown hits 43 days, ended when House of Reps passed a continuing resolution that would make it through the Senate.  No BLS jobs data ever for period.   Michael Burry announcing major AI sh...

Agenda What’s happening 10 min  Gov’t shutdown - no BLS employment data  Bitcoin now in bear market collapsing to below $100k  Michael’s Burry’s new big short  Healthcare premium inflation  Jester “Jack” Daniels - how he built an empire and did not survive to reap the reward  Topic de jour - Cost of healthcare for workers vs retirement, long-term care Listener Q&A -  I’ve maxed out my 401(k) b...

Agenda: What’s happening 10 min  All asset classes are up: bonds, stocks, precious metals, crypto  Valuations at ATH Brent’s new baby Equity flows from funds to bonds Crypto crunch in October - Bitcoin in corrective territory from ATH Tariff threat with China last week.  This week’s most interesting money story - Alfred Nobel 15 min Topic de jour - Open enrollment season - Optimize your choices 20...

This Weeks Topics: Enrollment and contribution best practices  Plan design - who these plans are optimized for  Fees, what they pay for How to collab with an advisor  Hidden secrets in the plan document  Recent policy changes that expand investment offering potential  _____   About your Hosts    Ben Jones, CFP®  Managing Director, National Wealth Management Group  www.nwmgadvisors.com    Sign up f...

Managing investment return expectations.   The truth behind terrible returns is a person that doesn’t quite understand market mechanics and how they tie into your financial goals.     Watch this episode now: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDMLU9XVm8Cd5c1-gWbk3VA   Sources: https://www.ramseysolutions.com/retirement/the-12-reality https://am.jpmorgan.com/content/dam/jpm-am-aem/global/en/insights/...

Diversification is the foundation of most investment advice, but what if it's also the single greatest barrier to generating true, exponential wealth? In this episode, we challenge conventional wisdom and explore the high-risk, high-reward strategy of concentrated investing. We delve into how some of the world's most successful investors built fortunes not by spreading their capital thin, but by p...

A war of the classes  “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, so begins the famous novel Tale of Two Cities written in 1858.  Written by Charles Dickens, the motif of duality can easily be applied to our modern economy.   Throughout history, the state of mankind can generally be described as fitting someplace between bad and good.   The economy is either terrible or great, depending...

News or Noise? In our fast-paced, 24/7 news cycle, it can feel like a financial advisor's credibility hinges on keeping up with every daily headline. A tweet from a prominent news host, a new market prediction, or a breaking story from CNBC can make an advisor who isn't up to speed feel discredited. The question of whether an advisor should be a news junkie is at the heart of today's episode. Ben...

Some beauty is skin deep. Reinforcing a modern political trend, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) garnered only strict partisan support.  Carrying the timbre of our nation’s President, its name either strikes a nerve with unbearable annoyance or tickles the funny bone.  A dichotomy to define out times.  One many have grown weary of.     Now signed into law, few Americans are unaffected by its...

Planning isn’t predicting. Some things in life are more exciting than others.  Most of us woke up on the 4th of July with a lighter step and enthusiastic anticipation for the day.  Fireworks, need we say more?  No one in their right mind sets a meeting with their financial planner to map out a savings strategy on such a day.   Just because something isn’t intuitively engaging doesn’t make it a was...