The Personal Finance Project

In this solo episode of The Personal Finance Project , Greg Ashcroft tackles one of the most popular—and often misunderstood—topics in personal finance: Roth accounts. From Roth IRAs and Roth 401(k)s to Roth conversions, conventional wisdom often treats Roth strategies as the obvious choice. Greg argues that the reality is far more nuanced. Drawing on real-world retirement planning experience, Gre...

In this episode, we introduce the concept of "financial escape velocity"—a practical middle ground between traditional retirement and the extreme version of the FIRE movement. We discuss how to recognize when your investments begin doing the heavy lifting, reducing the need for continued high levels of saving, and what that inflection point can mean for your lifestyle decisions. We explore key ind...

Trump Accounts are generating a lot of interest—but how do they actually work, and where do they fit within a broader financial plan? In this episode, we walk through: Who qualifies and how contributions work Tax treatment and key differences vs. Roth IRAs and 529 plans Potential long-term growth implications Strategic considerations at key decision points Common risks, including tax complexity an...

In this episode of The Personal Finance Project, Greg Ashcroft and Scott Bartosh provide an update on ExxonMobil pension segment rates and what recent interest rate movements could mean for employees and retirees evaluating their pension options. The discussion covers how IRS segment rates are calculated, why geopolitical events and inflation expectations can influence pension lump sums, and what...

Are capital gains really the "tax nightmare" retirees fear? Or are they actually one of the most tax-efficient sources of retirement income available? In this episode of The Personal Finance Project , Greg Ashcroft and Scott Bartosh break down the myths, misunderstandings, and planning opportunities surrounding capital gains in retirement. The guys explain the critical differences between short-te...

After a five-month hiatus, The Personal Finance Project is back — and a lot has changed. In this episode, Greg and Scott finally answer the question listeners have been asking: "Where have you guys been?" The last several months brought major life changes for the team, including Hannah welcoming her first child, Scott moving into a new home with his wife Kasyn, and Greg's family navigating a devas...

In this episode of The Personal Finance Project , Greg Ashcroft and Scott Bartosh break down the essential year-end tax moves for 2025—and the big changes coming in 2026. They cover: • How to handle your first RMD at age 73 • Using year-end IRA withholding instead of quarterly estimates • Safe harbor rules and avoiding penalties • Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) and why they can lower yo...

In this episode of  The Personal Finance Project , Greg and Scott sit down with  Joe Hodes , Director of Research on Baird's  Specialized Asset Management (SAM) team. With a decade of experience as a research analyst and his CFA designation, Joe brings a deep and practical perspective on how portfolios are built, how companies are evaluated, and what investors should understand about today's marke...

In this episode of The Personal Finance Project , Scott and Greg welcome back Justin Nichols , a nearly 30-year industry veteran, for a timely and expansive discussion on the economy, AI, and the future of financial advice. We begin with today's economic backdrop—from tariffs and inflation to interest-rate strategy and the growing importance of U.S. energy. Justin explains why tariff revenues are...

What if you could retire right now ? In this episode of The Personal Finance Project , Scott Bartosh and Hannah Gowdy dive into the fascinating world of  FIRE — Financial Independence, Retire Early — and unpack what it takes to make early retirement work (and when it doesn't). From "lean FIRE" minimalism to "barista FIRE" side gigs, Scott and Hannah explore how people are redefining work, wealth,...

We turn tax complexity into action: marginal vs. effective rates, bucket logic, IRMAA and the widow(er)'s penalty, inherited IRA rules, and when Roth conversions actually make sense. Plus, asset location (Roth/traditional/taxable) and the early-retirement access rules most people get wrong.

In this Book Club installment of The Personal Finance Project , we dive into Christine Benz's How to Retire —specifically her interview with retirement researcher Wade Pfau . We translate the theory into plain-English decisions: how to turn your portfolio into reliable income you'll actually feel comfortable spending. We break down Pfau's framework across two key preferences— Safety-First vs. Prob...

Gold has fans, critics, and a whole lot of marketing. In this Financial Mythbusters-style episode, we unpack when (and if) gold earns a seat in a long-term portfolio. We cover how gold really behaves across market cycles, why "true believer" doomsday cases fall apart in practice, the overlooked tax trap on ETFs and bullion (hello, 28% collectible rate), and the messy realities of storage, insuranc...

Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) can turn decades of company-stock growth inside a 401(k) into long-term capital gains outside the plan—often at lower tax rates and without the 10% early-withdrawal penalty. Greg and Scott break down how NUA works, who qualifies, the "final liquidating distribution" rule, hybrid holding periods, the NIIT carve-out, IRD/step-up considerations, and why ExxonMobil re...

Scott and Greg wade into the shadowy corner of TikTok known as  FinTok  to separate confident-but-wrong money takes from durable, real-world planning. They react to three viral clips—"Three Things Women Need to Know About Money," "Retire in 5 Years with Amazon Dropshipping," and an "income for life" annuity pitch—then close with a listener question on the best place to keep an emergency fund. What...

What happens when speculation collides with investing? In this episode of  The Personal Finance Project , Scott Bartosch takes a solo dive into the world of Reddit's infamous  WallStreetBets  community. From the GameStop frenzy to zero-day call options and viral market memes, Scott reacts to some of the internet's spiciest takes on trading. But beyond the laughs and satire, this episode highlights...

Today's Book Club installment explores Maria Bruno's lesson from Christine Benz's How to Retire :  focus on what you can control . We translate that into a concrete retirement playbook—how to define your lifestyle and purpose, set realistic spending, and use tax and withdrawal strategy to your advantage. We discuss what to ignore (short-term market moves, election cycles, interest-rate guessing, s...

Many people believe their primary residence is their best investment—but is that really true? In this episode of The Personal Finance Project , we challenge common assumptions about homeownership and financial returns. Scott and Greg break down: How most homeowners calculate their "return" incorrectly Why annualized returns matter more than big round numbers The hidden costs of owning a home—maint...

If you're preparing to retire from ExxonMobil, you've probably heard about  segment rates —and how they directly impact the  value of your pension lump sum . In this episode of  The Personal Finance Project , our team at Baird Retirement Management breaks down: How the  ExxonMobil pension plan  (defined benefit plan) works What  segment rates  are and how they affect lump sum vs. annuity options W...

Thinking about buying a business with no money down? Wondering if leveraged crypto trading is safe? Curious whether AI art or TikTok "get rich quick" strategies really work? In this episode of  The Personal Finance Project , we react to viral FinTok videos that promise fast millions but leave out the real risks. We cover: The truth about seller-financed business deals Why leveraging debt to invest...

In Part 6 of our  How to Retire  series, we unpack Christine Benz's popular "bucket strategy" for retirement income planning. Drawing from her book  How to Retire , we explore how cash, bonds, and stocks can be organized into purpose-driven "buckets" to help retirees weather market volatility without sacrificing peace of mind. We break down: Why relying solely on portfolio income can be risky How...

In this episode of  The Personal Finance Project , financial advisors Scott and Greg break down some of the most viral personal finance advice circulating on TikTok. From using high-yield investments to cover your streaming subscriptions to the true cost of leasing vs. buying a car, and whether owning a laundromat is a smart passive income strategy—nothing is off the table. What You'll Learn in Th...

In this episode of  The Personal Finance Project , Scott and Greg sit down with Andrew Atkinson, Financial Advisor and Branch Manager of Baird's Houston Memorial City office, to unpack one of the most underutilized tools in financial planning: the Health Savings Account (HSA). Andrew, a Certified Private Wealth Advisor® and Retirement Management Advisor®, explains why the HSA is often referred to...

In this special tax planning edition of  The Personal Finance Project , Scott and Greg break down the most important takeaways from the newly passed "One Big Beautiful Bill Act"—and how it could reshape your retirement income strategy, charitable giving, and Roth conversions in 2025 and beyond. Whether you're nearing retirement, already drawing from IRAs or Social Security, or just curious about h...

In this episode of  The Personal Finance Project , Scott and Greg sit down with Michael  Antonelli —Managing Director, Market Strategist at Baird, and author of the  Bull and Baird  blog—for a wide-ranging conversation on what it really takes to be a successful investor. From presidential politics and market overreactions to behavioral finance, financial influencers, and the temptation to "do some...