Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! As many of you know, I work with a team to produce one new episode a week despite running a business; and around the summertime, I always feel the need to take a little break from the podcast to refuel my creative juices where the show is concerned. So, I take the month of August off from airing new shows, and during this time, I replay some of my favorite episodes from this past year. I hope you enjoy hearing again or for the first time some of my favorite episodes of this past year. I’ll be back in September with new shows and hopefully some exciting news about Financial Gym. Until then, I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and I’ll see you in September!

I have been working as a financial planner for over 10 years now and while my clients are all unique with different life goals, a common question that comes up repeatedly is how to best save for retirement, specifically, should you utilize a traditional IRA or 401k plan, otherwise known and the pre-tax options or utilize a Roth IRA or Roth 401k plan or the post-tax options. This question has become increasingly important given that the Roth options have appeared in recent legislative bills, so I thought I would bring on the show a good friend of mine and an expert in helping plan for retirement, Michael Kitces. Michael is the Chief Financial Planning Nerd of Kitces.com, which teaches and trains financial advisors, he’s Head of Planning Strategy for Buckingham Wealth Partners, which provides wealth management to retirees. And Co-Founder of XY Planning Network, a network of 1,500+ fee-only financial planners who provide advice to consumers in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. Michael joins me today to help answer the question, to Roth or not to Roth. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode433

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! As many of you know, I work with a team to produce one new episode a week despite running a business; and around the summertime, I always feel the need to take a little break from the podcast to refuel my creative juices where the show is concerned. So, I take the month of August off from airing new shows, and during this time, I replay some of my favorite episodes from this past year. I hope you enjoy hearing again or for the first time some of my favorite episodes of this past year. I’ll be back in September with new shows and hopefully some exciting news about Financial Gym. Until then, I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and I’ll see you in September!

At the Financial Gym, when a client experiences a positive financial health result after joining the Gym and focusing on their finances, we call it “Gym Magic.” Gym Magic and helping our clients find it and believe in it is so important to us that it’s a core value of the Gym. For over eight years now, I’ve witnessed the magic firsthand and every single one of my teammates has seen it as well. And I’m so excited to share with you that for the month of November, we’re going to share some of that Magic with you. This month I’m talking to clients and teammates who have truly experienced and witnessed results that are nothing short of magic and their stories and journeys are just what we need for this crazy time in life.

Joining me today are three trainers from the gym. Sara B, Bevin, and Kadri.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode432

Today is the last Friday of the month and my regular listeners know that on the last Friday of the month, I host the happy hour on the podcast where I gather great friends with me to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics. During the month of July, the US typically celebrates Independence Day and I always think about financial independence during this time. There is nothing more liberating than to have choices, especially in the world we’re living in, and financial independence is the key to this. It comes in a variety of formats based on who you’re talking to, so I’m talking to my friends about their FI plans, their thoughts around saving vs. spending, and how you can find the right mix for you no matter what stage of life you’re thinking about. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode431

I get asked all the time about how someone can find a great financial planner and whether or not it makes sense to invest in a financial planner. And I always say that if you’re working with someone who’s just investing your money, I’m not sure it makes sense for you to pay for that, especially when there are plenty of great robo-adviser options for much lower fees. I do think a great financial planner not only helps an individual, couple or family determine the best road trip to accomplish all of their financial goals but also helps them prepare for the unexpected and helps avoid risks as much as possible. Risk management is a key part of great financial planning and when we’re talking about risk management, we’re usually talking about insurance. There are so many different types of insurance and it’s hard to know what types you should have and whether or not the additional expense makes sense. 

Joining me today is Yael Wissner-Levy the VP of Communication from Lemonade to talk about insurance and what types make the most sense to have. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode430

I have been working with clients now for over 10 years and something that I always find fascinating is how client behavior changes add up over time. The hardest part of a financial journey is at the beginning, especially if you’ve never done it before. But with focus and mindset shift, small changes over time literally lead to big results.

That’s why I was so excited to talk to today’s guest Ramona Cedeno, author and CEO of Fibrick because she literally wrote an entire book about it. Ramona joins me today to talk about her book Simple Choices Big, Rewards in Money and how you can make these changes in your life. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode429

These are challenging and stressful times we’re living in. With the recent decisions by the Supreme Court, I know many of you are feeling like you don’t have a voice or you’re frustrated by what’s happening around you and you’re not quite sure what to do about it. 

Well if you’re feeling like this now might be the perfect time to read the latest book from my guest today, Tanja Hester. Tanja is an author and activist and was previously on the show to promote her book Work Optional, about her journey to financial independence. Today she is here to talk about her new book Wallet Activism: How to Use Every Dollar You Spend, Earn, and Save as a Force for Change 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode428

At the Financial Gym, we call the first meeting you have with a trainer, the “Financially Naked Session.” In this meeting, you share everything about yourself financially so that the trainer knows where you’re starting so that he or she can make the plan for how you can get where you want to go. Above all other meetings, this one scares clients the most because they are afraid or ashamed of their financial situation. Over 2 years ago now on this podcast, I shared my financially naked session and it led to a request for more and now this is a regular series on this podcast. 

Getting in the hotseat today is Kat. A Financial Gym client who heard me on a podcast in college and shares how that chance listening changed the trajectory of her financial life for the better. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode427

Today is the last Friday of the month and my regular listeners know that on the last Friday of the month, I host the happy hour on the podcast where I gather great friends with me to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics. 

I have been a financial planner for over 10 years now, and if there is one important message I can communicate about financial planning for your life is that the unexpected is guaranteed. No matter how much we can plan and plot out life, we are bound to be confronted with the unexpected and frequently when we are, it’s at a surprisingly large expense to our finances. We’ve all had a front row seat to the unexpected during the pandemic, but I’ve witnessed anything from a lost job, to a surprise baby, to a house fire and everything in between. Joining me today are my friends to share how they plan for the unexpected and share some best practices for you to implement on your own. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode426

At the Financial Gym, one of the most important questions we ask clients during their financially naked meeting is “What’s Important to You?” In other words, what are your non-negotiables. What are the areas of your budget that you would protect over all others? Because other than 1% of the population, 99% of us have to make choices when getting financially healthy. We can’t have everything we want, but we can certainly get everything we need. Of the thousands of clients we work with, the large majority will say that travel is their primary non-negotiable, but a very close second for people are fur babies. Especially since the pandemic, we have seen a rise in fur babies in our client’s homes and while they bring us so much joy in life, they also come with their fair share of expenses. 

So joining me today is Financial Gym client, Anne to share her story about fur baby costs. How she manages them and the pros and cons of pet insurance that she invests in to help her offset those costs.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode425