Best In Wealth - Best Practices For Real People, Investments, Retirement Planning, Money Management, Wealth Building, Financi

Over the years doing this podcast, I have clearly stated that you cannot time the market and you should never try. But what about asset classes? Can you predict when one asset class will do better than another? Should you try? In this episode of Best in Wealth, I look at how value stocks and growth stocks have performed in the last few years. I will nail down why staying disciplined in asset classes is just as important as not timing the market. Check it out! [bctt tweet="Why is it important to stay disciplined with your investments in different asset classes? I share some thoughts in this episode of Best in Wealth! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [1:15] The importance of values and discipline [5:54] What are growth and value stocks? [8:27] The good news for growth stocks [10:50] Why you have to stay disciplined [12:39] What can you do to stay disciplined? What are growth and value stock

In 1991, I traveled to Alaska with three friends to get rich. Why? We had learned that we could make $5,000–$7,000 a month working in Alaska over the Summer. I thought I would leave Alaska having made $25,000. I was going to be rich. I was going to get a new mountain bike, leather jackets, and 100 new CDs. My list went on. What happened? We only worked for a month and a half. I did not get rich that summer. But how do you know if you’re rich or not? What does it mean to be rich? What is your definition of rich? In this episode of Best in Wealth, I will cover the definition(s) of rich, what rich is in terms of income, and what the three levels of wealth are according to Stewart Butterfield. Check it out! [bctt tweet="Are You Rich? What does it mean to be rich? I share how you can determine if you’re rich in this episode of Best in Wealth! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [1:07] I always wanted to

I read an article titled, “The Sinister Side of Work Ethic,” and it got me thinking. I love work ethic. I believe God made us to work. But what is work ethic? Work ethic is defined as “The principle that hard work is intrinsically virtuous or worthy of reward.” Is that the way you see work ethic? What is your definition of work ethic? How does the concept of “life ethic” fit into the mix? Learn more about how to balance life and work ethic in this episode of Best in Wealth. [bctt tweet="What is life ethic? Is it the opposite of work ethic? Learn how it pertains to YOU in this episode of Best in Wealth! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [1:04] My dad’s work ethic was unrivaled [2:02] What is your definition of a good work ethic? [6:12] When there is a cost to work ethic [8:29] How is your life ethic? [10:42] How much life ethic do you need? [12:16] Is it time to pay more attention to life

Many people greatly fear the thought of a recession. They cannot handle the idea that their investment portfolio will decline in value. They cannot handle the volatility. Fear leads people to make poor decisions. But I do not believe you should be afraid of a recession. Why? I share why you have reason to remain hopeful in this episode of Best in Wealth! [bctt tweet="I share why a recession shouldn’t scare you in this episode of Best in Wealth! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [1:08] One positive thing you can do today [4:04] Are we in a recession yet? [7:00] Why I do not fear a recession [10:15] How to face recessions head-on Are we in a recession yet? In his recent article, “Are We In a Recession Yet?” Benjamin Curry discusses whether or not we are heading for a recession. He goes on to define a recession as, “Two consecutive quarters of negative gross domestic product (GDP).” This happen

Are you feeling positive or negative about the world today? Have you been watching the financial news and feeling a sense of doom because everything they report is negative? Do you feel like inflation is out of control? I am here to tell you that we have reason to remain hopeful and optimistic. I share why in this episode of Best in Wealth. [bctt tweet="With all of the news surrounding inflation, I still believe that we have reason to remain hopeful. Find out why in this episode of Best in Wealth! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [1:05] Do you believe most people are good? [2:36] Is inflation out of control? [5:47] The average inflation over the last 100 years [7:18] Market sentiment regarding inflation [9:13] We have reason to hope [11:43] Will you be a positive or negative investor? Is inflation out of control? Inflation is the primary reason the stock market took a nosedive in 2022.

Did you watch the NCAA basketball tournament? Did you fill out an NCAA bracket? An estimated 1 in 4 Americans filled out a bracket to try and predict who is going to win it all. I do not watch a lot of basketball, but I still fill out a bracket every year. This year’s tournament was a wild and crazy ride. There were numerous upsets. What is your strategy for filling out your bracket? Do you guess? Do you fill it in based on the best seed? Or are you like my admin and you make choices based on how long the college name is? This year, as I was filling out my bracket, I saw some connections between investing and filling out a bracket. Listen to this episode of Best in Wealth to learn some similarities and differences between the two worlds! [bctt tweet="How does filling out an NCAA bracket compare to investing? Listen to this episode of Best in Wealth to find out! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [

As family stewards, we think of wealth differently. Many people focus on money. Our wealth might be our family, spirituality, friends, etc. Money might be further down the list. So how do vacations make you wealthy? When you are healthy, you are wealthy. Anyone who struggles with chronic illness would give anything for their health. In the article “Importance of Taking a Vacation,” Kathryn Isham shares seven health benefits of taking vacations. In this episode of Best in Wealth, I will share Kathryn’s research and why I think it holds up. [bctt tweet="How do vacations make you wealthy? I share my thoughts in this episode of Best in Wealth. Don’t miss it! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [1:04] What is the best vacation you’ve ever taken? [4:03] Bonus benefit: Anticipating your vacation [7:53] Benefit #1: Improved physical health [8:27] Benefit #2: Improved mental health [9:11] Benefit #3:

David Booth—the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Dimensional Fund Advisors—recently penned an article entitled, “What’s Your True Net Worth?” Here is the thing—your true net worth is not a calculation of your wealth. It stems from what you value. Find out what I mean in this episode of the Best in Wealth podcast! [bctt tweet="What is Your TRUE Net Worth? Find out what it really means in episode #217 of Best in Wealth! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement " username=""] Outline of This Episode [1:01] What do you truly value? [3:53] What is your true net worth? [8:40] What’s important to you? [11:18] Lifetime Integrated Financial Experience [16:58] Legacy is a big part of net worth What do you truly value? My wife, two daughters, and I did an exercise. My wife had 100 pieces of paper with words listed on them that described something we might value, things like “God,” “Love,” “Career,” etc. We separate the pieces of paper into

According to CNBC, 56% of Americans can’t cover a $1,000 emergency. They do not have enough money in the bank. If that is you, start building an emergency fund now. Dave Ramsey recommends saving $1,000 in the bank immediately. Then, you take any extra money you have and pay off your debt. After that, work to build savings of 3–6 months of living expenses. But once you have that, what do you do with the money? Where should you keep it? In this episode of Best in Wealth, I share the best way to keep your emergency fund liquid—and exactly how to get the interest rate you deserve. [bctt tweet="Learn how to earn the interest rate you deserve on your savings account in this episode of Best in Wealth! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [1:06] There was a time when I had nothing [2:53] The basics of emergency funds [4:09] Your emergency fund needs to be liquid [7:18] Is your bank taking advantage of

I have received many calls and questions from clients, friends, and family about how bad things were in 2022 and what they think is going to happen in 2023. I do not blame them. With the global pandemic, rapid inflation, the war in Ukraine, and the volatile stock and bond market, it is reasonable to feel uneasy. If you had knowledge of future events for the year 2020–2022—but did not know where the stock market would land—what would you have predicted? Probably not the 25% positive return that we saw. Investing in the stock market can feel like a roller coaster ride. But the truth is that it is normal. Learn more in this episode of Best in Wealth! [bctt tweet="How do you withstand the roller coaster ride of investing? Armed with the facts. Learn more in this episode of Best in Wealth! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [1:08] Do you have kids in sports? [3:19] The stock market can be a roller coa

In the article, “The Art and Science of Spending Money,” Morgan Housel talks about the psychology behind spending money. I’m going to talk about the six points she made that hit home for me. Why? Because we need to understand why we are spending. I am a financial advisor. I want you to save money. But I also believe there needs to be a healthy balance between spending now and saving for the future. Maybe you are cutting back too much. Or you are spending too much and not saving for the future. There needs to be a healthy balance. To find that healthy balance, you need to understand what influences your buying decisions. Learn what influences those decisions in this episode of Best in Wealth! [bctt tweet="In this episode of Best in Wealth, I cover the psychology of spending money. Don’t miss this interesting episode! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [1:05] Do you have kids that are in sports? [

Think back to December 2019. Unemployment, interest rates, and inflation were historically low. Then what happened? A pandemic. By the end of March 2020, the S&P 500 had dropped nearly 20%. By the end of the year, scientists had developed a vaccine and markets roared back. Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google (FAANG) stocks soared. Bitcoin and crypto reached record highs, then they crashed. Meme stocks soared, then toppled. Inflation spiked to the highest levels most of us have ever experienced. Russia invaded Ukraine. Could anyone have predicted any of this? Let us pretend that you had. What would you have done? Would you have stayed in the market if you had known the market would still see an average yearly return of 10%? It is impossible to out-guess the markets. So what should you do instead? Find out in this episode of Best in Wealth. [bctt tweet="Do you have an investment plan that will get you through the good AND the bad times? Learn why this is important in this episode of Best in Weal

Building good habits can be hard. Half of dieters give up within one week of starting. So what is the answer to lasting change? How do you make it easier to achieve? Dr. Sean Young studies behavior change. He has helped people develop good eating, sleeping, and exercise habits. He literally wrote the book, “Stick with It: A Scientifically Proven Process for Changing Your Life-for Good.” In episode #211, I covered how to break bad habits. So in this episode of Best in Wealth, we are going to cover how to stick with it and build good habits in 2023. [bctt tweet="How do you “stick with it” and build good habits for the new year? Find out in this episode of Best in Wealth! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [1:29] What are your good habits? [4:54] Step #1: Small steps beat big dreams [6:28] Step #2: Call for backup (do it with friends) [7:46] Step #3: Why is it important? [8:41] Step #4: Make it

What are your bad habits? When I finally climb into bed at night—I grab my phone and start scrolling. Before I know it, 30–40 minutes have passed. Looking at screens right before bed negatively impacts sleep, yet I continue to do it. So in this episode of Best in Wealth, I share four “laws” from James Clear’s book, “Atomic Habits,” that will help you say goodbye to your bad habits. [bctt tweet="In this episode of Best in Wealth, I share four “laws” from James Clear’s book, “Atomic Habits,” that will help you say goodbye to your bad habits. Don’t miss it! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [2:37] What is your bad habit? [5:23] Get an accountability partner [6:54] Step #1: Make it invisible [8:40] Step #2: Make it unattractive [10:06] Step #3: Make it difficult [11:52] Step #4: Make it unsatisfying What is your bad habit? What is your worst bad habit? Describe that behavior. What is undesir

What question am I asked the most? It is usually along the lines of: “What do you think the stock market is going to do? When will we be out of this horrible downturn? When will things turn around?” These are the questions I will try and answer in today’s episode of the Best in Wealth podcast! [bctt tweet="What is driving the stock market gains? We share what we think it is and why it might stick in this episode of Best in Wealth! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [1:22] What question am I asked the most? [3:07] Reminder: We do not have a crystal ball [4:54] What has happened since the 4th quarter? [7:27] Why investors are feeling bearish [8:48] What the data is pointing toward [13:45] How we invest, bear or bull market Why I am sharing this piece My company, Fortress Planning Group, brought on a new partner in march—Brian Cayon. He is a Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) and a Certified

It is time for open enrollment for every insurance option—including Medicare. Are you confused? You are not alone. If you are not 65 and do not qualify for Medicare yet—do not tune out. This episode is for you, too. Everyone nearing retirement age needs to understand the process and the costs. So in this episode of Best in Wealth, it is my goal to help you understand the basics of Medicare. [bctt tweet="In this episode, I share a simple guide to understanding Medicare. This is something everyone nearing retirement age NEEDS to understand. Don’t miss it! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [4:47] Step #1: What is Medicare? [7:31] Step #2: What does Medicare cost? [10:54] Step #3: What does Medicare cover? [14:34] Step #4: Understanding supplemental coverage [23:29] Medicare planning is for everyone What is Medicare? Medicare is split into three parts: A, B, and D. Part A is hospital coverage,

I know what you are thinking—how could there possibly be cons to being rich? While everyone has a different definition of what “rich” is, most can agree that becoming rich would be life-changing. But I would argue that it is not always life-changing in a good way. Find out what I mean in this episode of Best in Wealth! [bctt tweet="What are the pros and cons of becoming rich? Hear my thoughts in this episode of Best in Wealth! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [2:09] Who would not want to be rich? [3:16] The pros of being rich [7:58] The cons of being rich [13:41] How will becoming rich change you? What if you won the lottery? The other day, I had lunch with my dad and brother. Our lunch conversation centered around the Powerball jackpot being at $1.5 billion. We were all amazed by the cost of the chicken we had ordered, which led to the conversation about winning the Powerball. My dad said,

What brought meaning to your life today? I got to wake up healthy kids. I got to drink coffee with my wife. I got a text from my 24-year-old living hundreds of miles away. I help my clients navigate retirement. All of these things bring meaning to my life. Pew Research surveyed 17 different countries to find out what was meaningful to each of them. In this episode of Best in Wealth, I cover some of the results of this study and share why a meaningful life is an important piece of retirement planning. Check it out! [bctt tweet="In this episode of Best in Wealth, I share how 17 countries define “meaningful lives” and why it matters for your retirement. Don’t miss it! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [1:07] What brings meaning to your everyday life? [3:32] What makes your life meaningful [5:07] The four most important sources of meaning [12:18] The other sources of meaning [13:18] Faith, relig

We cannot control the stock market, right? But there are many things we can control. At Fortress Planning Group, we do intense tax planning to help you save every dollar you can. There are so many facets of financial planning to consider. Are you doing estate planning? Do you know how much insurance you need? Are you strategically optimizing your dividends and rebalancing so you buy at the lowest possible point? Let’s control what we can control. And there is one thing you can control to add more years to your life. If you’re behind on retirement planning, this could be the key to a successful retirement. Find out what it is in this episode of Best in Wealth! [bctt tweet="How do you earn more time? How do you add years to your life so you have more time to invest in the retirement of your dreams? Find out in this episode of Best in Wealth! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""]   Outline of This Episode [1:07] Let’s co

7 Tips to Help You Navigate Money in Your Marriage, Ep #205 Did you just get married? Or have kids about to get married? Maybe you fight about money and need to recommit to a healthier money mindset. Rachel Cruze wrote an article where she shared 7 tips for a healthy relationship with money in marriage. I will share what those tips are and what I might do differently. Even if you do not fight about money, this episode of the Best in Wealth podcast is full of tips and tricks anyone can implement to change the money conversation. Check it out! [bctt tweet="In this episode of Best in Wealth, I share 7 tips to help you navigate money in your marriage. Check it out! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [1:05] My oldest daughter is getting married! [2:52] 7 tips for a healthy relationship with money [5:37] Tip #1: Keep a joint bank account [8:02] Tip #2: Discuss lifestyle choices together [9:37] Ti