Cash Out!

One of the biggest questions people have for me when they start thinking about working with a financial advisor is also one of the most obvious: "Do I need a financial advisor?" My short answer is, "Well, I've got one." On today's show, we discuss my longer answer. No, financial advisory services are not for everyone. If you're young, new to the workforce, living on a tight budget that doesn't allow for much saving or investing, or if you're managing a lot of consumer debt, then you probably don't need a financial advisor right now. But life changes, and your finances will change with it, especially once you start thinking about retirement. So let's take a look at some common reasons that people do decide they need a financial advisor and what we can do to help plan for your future

Thinking about how to die happy can be a difficult idea for people to wrap their heads around. Death doesn't carry any "happy" connotations, not for the deceased, and not for the bereaved. And in our youth-obsessed culture, we're conditioned to avoid the death conversation. Many of us would rather just sign a boilerplate will or write a check and say, "Here's where my money goes, split it up, give it away, I won't be here to care." But trying to keep death out of mind does not keep it out of sight. Knowing that you've done everything in your power to have a positive impact on the ones you love and to leave this world a better place – that's how you die happy. On today's show, I discuss some exercises I've developed to help my clients approach legacy planning from a more positive place and help them learn to die happy.

Pop quiz: What percentage of the human brain's decision making process takes place within the subconscious? Answer: Ninety-five percent. Threat or opportunity? Fight or flight? Approach or avoid? Thousands of years ago, evolution shaped our ancestors' brains to solve problems quickly. But the same hardwiring that helped our species manage resources and survive can create harmful biases in the modern world, where almost all resources boil down to one thing: money. On today's show, we discuss the Money Mind® Exercise, a series of questions which can help you discover your primary anchoring bias when it comes to money.

We see the advertisements every day, on TV, in magazines, in our email inboxes: smiling, happy, beautiful people driving around in a shiny new car, or relaxing on an exotic beach, or tapping away on the latest, must-have tech. The implied message in all these ads is the same: money will make you happy. And while there's certainly nothing wrong with having money, or advertising, or buying new things that we want, money equaling happiness is one of those false signals in our society that we have to tune down a little bit. On today's show, we discuss just how much happiness money can and can't buy.

This new show, co-hosted by my good friend Steve Sanduski, will lead you on a journey to retire on your terms, live well, and die happy.