The Money Knight

Are you a golfer? Even if you're not, the game of golf can teach us valuable lessons about retirement planning. For example, hitting a hole-in-one might be thrilling, but it won't necessarily guarantee your overall success. And just like you need different clubs in your golf bag to play a round, you need a well-balanced approach to your investments in retirement. But perhaps the most important les...

Keyla Hernandez and Compassion International are not affiliated with CWM, LLC, and opinions expressed may not be representative of CWM, LLC. The charitable entities and/or fundraising opportunities described herein are not endorsed by, or affiliated with CWM, LLC or its affiliates. Our philanthropic interests are personal to us and are not reviewed, sponsored, or approved by CWM, LLC. As we have m...

Beneficiaries are an important part of a well-thought-out retirement plan. While it may seem like naming beneficiaries is a simple task, there are some areas in this process that are easy to overlook, which could cause major complications down the road. On this episode, we’ll address five common beneficiary mistakes. We’ll bring these mistakes to your attention and explain why these could damage y...

After being discussed in Congress for nearly a year and a half, the SECURE Act 2.0 passed in January. Listen to today’s episode to see what you need to know and learn four ways the new changes might impact you. All the changes that came down in this new bill likely won’t affect your retirement but you want to be aware of everything because there could be some planning opportunities to hop on this...

Rob Blue and Kingdom Financial Advisors are not affiliated with CWM, LLC, and opinions expressed may not be representative of CWM, LLC. We talk about the idea of financial freedom all the time on this show but maybe we should be looking at it through a slightly different lens. As today’s guest points out, financial freedom isn’t something you can feel. What we really should strive to achieve is fi...

Rob West and Kingdom Financial Advisors are not affiliated with CWM, LLC, and opinions expressed may not be representative of CWM, LLC. Money and faith are often more aligned than we think, and that’s led more and more people to search for financial guidance that aligns with their beliefs and helps to marry those two important aspects of life. That’s why being a Certified Kingdom Advisor has alway...

Too many folks misunderstand bonds, how they work, and what role they play in a proper financial plan. We’ll address some of those bond related issues on today’s show.   Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: What is a bond? (2:24) The difference between owning a bond vs a bond fund. (4:36) What is the relationship between interest rates and bond values? (8:46) Can you consider bonds to...

Inflation continues to be a big story. In 2022, it went through the roof- we were told it would be transitory, but that ship has sailed. Though gas prices are down slightly, they are still significantly higher than they were a few years ago. In this episode, we will discuss how inflation is affecting the world right now and will share some perspectives that you may not have considered, as well as...

We all make poor decisions from time to time, but we want to be sure to make the right ones when the stakes are high. In this episode, we will explore some of the things you should be thinking about to make smart financial decisions when you encounter some of the most significant events in your life. Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: What to consider when going through a job change...

For anyone being forced into retiring earlier than they planned (or at least being presented with that option), we’ve found that there are often some common questions that they’re asking. In this episode, we will answer those questions and go over some scenarios that you may want to consider. Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: Should you accept a buy-out offer from work? (0:59) Shou...

Just like the lights on your dashboard can indicate if something is wrong with your car (like low tire pressure or leaking oil), there are indicators in your financial life that might point out that you have a problem that needs to be addressed. Let’s talk about some of the most common warning signs we see from pre-retirees and discuss what action you might need to take. Here’s some of what you’ll...

It’s a somber day for those using the Mvelope budgeting program we have talked about before with clients. They went out of business. The hunt for new budgeting tools inspired us to share some budgeting tools and our thoughts on them. Do you know where you are spending your money? Even if you think you do, it could be time to revisit your budget and see if there are any expenses or splurges you’re...

Being a good advisor isn’t about winning a popularity contest or just saying the same things that everyone else in the industry says. It’s about giving the best advice that you can for each individual situation. On today’s show, we’re going to peel back the curtain to discuss some areas where a good financial advisor’s opinions might go against the grain with mainstream ideas in the industry.   He...

Sometimes it’s important to dive into the process behind what we do, so you know what to expect with Smart Choices Wealth Management Solution. Our process didn’t happen by accident. We have very intentional steps we take through the financial planning process. In this episode, you will learn about the services we offer, and how we collaborate and brainstorm with other professionals to your benefit...

If you have listened to our podcast before, you know we are advocates of giving. Today we have Jim Kirk with us. We will talk about an organization we have been supporting and show you how you can give smarter. Compassion International is an organization that allows you to sponsor children globally experiencing poverty. Giving through compassion can be as simple as a small monthly donation. We wou...

We’re all guilty of putting off things longer than we should, but doing it with your money could create some serious problems. People have many reasons for procrastinating when it comes to putting a retirement plan together. Let’s explore some of those excuses and why they can be dangerous, and talk about how to overcome them. Here’s some of what you’ll learn on this episode: Why planning has beco...

Chessman Wealth Strategies began back in 2004 when Wade Chessman left a large national firm to go independent. There were a few different reasons for the move, but it ultimately came down to the inability to serve clients in the way we felt was in their best interest. So nearly 20 years later, we’ll take a look back on how Wade started in the financial services industry, the issues he quickly disc...

It’s no secret the stock market is in turmoil. We’re in a bear market and the R-word (recession) is getting thrown around daily. So, what can you do to survive bear markets like the one we’re in now? We’ll discuss some things you should keep in mind as you navigate through this down period. Here’s some of what you’ll learn on this episode: Why a bear market could potentially be good news for you....

In some ways, retirement planning was easier for past generations. Let’s explore how a good financial advisor helps people overcome the additional challenges of today. Our parents and grandparents may not have had to face these things, so just relying on the experiences of family members might not be enough to help us achieve our own financial success. Here’s some of what you’ll learn on this epis...

On this episode, we’ll try to pick sides of some important financial debates. From bonds to life insurance, credit card debt to starting Social Security, we’ll propose several different topics to see which sides of the debates you and your advisor should probably fall on. This is the second part of the discussion and it wraps up the debate on four more topics that we work on all the time. Plus, th...

On this episode, we’ll try to pick sides of some important financial debates. From bonds to life insurance, credit card debt to starting Social Security, we’ll propose several different topics to see which sides of the debates you and your advisor should probably fall on. Since there’s a lot to discuss, we’re going to break up this conversation into two parts. Join us as we weigh in on this first...

There are plenty of external factors that often negatively influence our chances of having a successful retirement. But often, failure comes from within. On this episode, we’ll talk about some of the common ways people get in their own way when it comes to financial planning and what you can do to change that.    What we discuss in this episode:  0:30 – Fear and greed causing us to buy and sell 3:...

The goal for everyone we work with is to reach that day where you become financially independent. It opens up a world of opportunity to do what you want and what you love. Before you get there, however, you want to make sure everything is in order.  Today we've put together a short checklist of the most important things you can do as you're counting down the days to financial independence. This is...

Getting older isn’t something all of us like to celebrate and birthdays lose a lot of the luster they had when we were younger, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to look forward to as you arrive at retirement. There are certain milestone ages that present new retirement planning opportunities that everyone needs to be aware of and ready for. On this episode, we’ll look at the most important bi...

The financial industry is filled with all types of complicated terms, acronyms, and expressions, which can make it difficult to follow along when you’re reading or watching news on the markets. We want to take this episode and use it to clear up some of the jargon you’re likely hearing more often in our current environment of inflation and uncertainty. We won’t get into the weeds and bring you up...