Doing Better with Money By Talking About It with Ralph Estep Jr - 184 This Week's Money Talking Points 1. What’s a financial mistake you’ve learned to avoid because of others? One of the biggest mistakes I’ve learned to avoid—thanks to both my time working in a credit union and hearing others’ stories—is complicating my finances. A few years back, I started signing up for every promo under the sun—credit cards, bank bonuses, new investment accounts—you name it. I quickly realized I was...
13 days ago • 2 min read
The Importance of Financial Planning for Young Adults with Joel Miller - 183 This Week's Money Talking Points 1. How can you start building a financial plan? Let’s bust the myth right now — you do not need to be a millionaire to start financial planning. It’s not about massive spreadsheets, complicated jargon, or hiring an expensive advisor. A financial plan is simply knowing what you want to do with your next dollar. That’s it. Think of it like going to the gym — you don’t see massive...
20 days ago • 2 min read
Tax-Efficient Investing with Patrick Huey - 182 This Week's Money Talking Points 1. How can you use a taxable investing account? Let’s talk taxable investing accounts. I know, the name sounds a little intimidating. But here’s the deal: a taxable investing account is really just a souped-up savings account. Think of it like a bank account on steroids that lets you buy into the stock market. It doesn’t come with special tax breaks like Roth or traditional retirement accounts, but it does give...
27 days ago • 3 min read
Building Understanding and Getting on the Same Page with Travis Parry - 181 This Week's Money Talking Points What page are you trying to get to? One of the biggest takeaways from my conversation with Travis Parry was the importance of identifying what financial page you’re even trying to be on. So many of us jump into conversations with a spouse, a partner, or even just our own budget without a clear idea of what we want. Are you trying to get out of debt? Build up savings? Start investing?...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Using Our Emotions to Our Financial Benefit with Egle Aleknaviciute - 180 This Week's Money Talking Points 1. What system can help take the pain out of saving for you? If you’ve ever felt like saving money is a chore—or even a little painful—you’re not alone. Our brains are literally wired to avoid the discomfort of sacrifice. Saving feels like giving something up in the moment, and unless we’ve built strong habits, it’s easy to push it off or skip it altogether. That’s why having a system is...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
The Scary and Confusing World of Health Insurance with Christine MacLaren - 179 This Week's Money Talking Points 1. What health insurance plan is right for you? Choosing the right health insurance plan can feel like trying to read a foreign language, full of terms like premiums, deductibles, co-insurance, and out-of-pocket maxes. But here’s what I’ve learned: your choice should ultimately come down to two things—your cash flow and your expected medical usage. If you’re pretty healthy, don’t...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
All The Things You Didn’t Learn in School with Rob Finlay - 178 This Week's Money Talking Points: How Can Tracking Your Expenses Help You Get Started? If you're just starting out on your financial journey, tracking your expenses is the best first step you can take — hands down. Before you even think about building a budget, just pay attention to where your money is going. You don’t need fancy spreadsheets or a complicated app. Just log what you spend and where. When I first started doing this...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Welcome to Money Talk - 177 This week's Money Talk This week's Money Talking Points 1. How do we benefit from talking about money? One of the most powerful things we can do for our financial well-being is to simply talk about money. Whether it’s with a partner, a friend, or even a podcast guest, every money talk opens the door to new ideas and perspectives. I’ve learned so much through the conversations I’ve had here on the podcast—Paul Merriman helped me rethink my investment strategy in...
2 months ago • 3 min read
The Power of a Written Spending Plan with Danielle Reese - 176 This week's Money Talk This week's Money Buddy Danielle Reese is a vibrant money coach and founder of The Better Budgeting Playbook, committed to helping women and couples break free from the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. After overcoming $60,000 in personal debt, Danielle turned her experience into a passion for coaching, launching her program in 2020 to empower others with practical, sustainable budgeting strategies. She also...
2 months ago • 3 min read