The end of the year is once again upon us. This is a great time to look at your finances and see if there are any improvements you can make. Brent, Matthew, and Joshua will talk about some end of the year strategies you can implement, so you can kick off 2022 with a solid financial situation.

One important financial tool that is often overlooked is a balance sheet. This will help you keep an inventory of the financial assets you have and you can easily track your progress from year to year. Brent, Matthew, and Joshua will walk you through on how to create a balance sheet, the different elements you should include, and how you can utilize this tool to make better financial decisions.

We invite Amber Storms of Collaborative Tax Partners to the podcast this week. Amber is an enrolled agent, which is the highest credential that is awarded by the IRS. She is passionate about helping her clients navigate through the complex and ever-changing tax landscape. Brent, Matthew, and Joshua discuss common mistakes Amber sees in her practice, collaborative tax planning, and some considerations to keep in mind as we approach the end of the year.

We have been feeling the effects of inflation over the past year and this topic of conversation is quickly becoming a top concern. Brent, Matthew, and Joshua talk about some of the factors that have contributed to the rise of inflation and some of their favorite cash management strategies to protect against this risk.

Quarter three just wrapped up and the numbers are in. Brent, Matthew, and Joshua discuss reasons for the slight pullback and some newsworthy items to be aware of as we head into the last quarter of the year.

Joe Biden’s tax proposal has made its way to the House for discussion and there have been many changes made from the original plan. Brent, Matthew, and Joshua will discuss the key items that are in this proposal and who will be impacted by these possible changes.

We have witnessed the S&P 500 continue to rise over the past few years and now retirement accounts are at all-time highs right now. But we should take a step back to review the investments every so often to see if there are other opportunities we can take advantage of. Brent, Matthew, and Joshua discuss the importance of knowing what your goals for your investments are and how knowing this information can help you make more specific customizations in your plan.

Your lifestyle and financial situation can be drastically impacted by what state you reside in during retirement. Brent, Matthew, and Joshua will compare and contrast the tax laws of California with the laws of states that many people choose to move to after they retire, and will help you financially prepare for moving out-of-state.

On today's show, Brent, Matthew and Joshua will review highlights from the second quarter, some factors that might affect the market down the road, and how these numbers correlate to the current health of the U.S. economy.

One of the most important factors in a financial plan is the amount of risk you have in your portfolio. This factor varies from person to person, so it's vital to get your risk tolerance and capacity customized to your wants and needs and not just thrown into a one-size-fits all plan. Brent., Matthew, and Joshua talk about the considerations they go through when determining someone's risk tolerance and how this may change as you get closer to retirement.

It's the 50th episode of the podcast! In honor of this milestone, Brent, Matthew, and Joshua reflect on some of the financial knowledge and lessons they have gained along the way.

If you were to receive a lump sum of money right now, how would you invest it? This question can feel overwhelming to many people because of how many options there are. We hope to provide some clarity to this situation on today's show. Brent, Matthew, and Joshua discuss some proactive ways to invest a lump sum of money, and why age is such a big factor in this decision.

The topic of inflation has been getting a lot of attention from the mainstream media lately. People are worried that inflation is going to continue to rise and skyrocket. As with any piece of news media, it's important that we take a step back and look at what's actually going on. Brent, Matthew, and Joshua will discuss the current inflation environment and if this issue should be a top concern right now.

Renowned personal finance author, Ramit Sethi, had recently tweeted about the 4 signs when you might want a financial advisor. Brent, Matthew, and Joshua offer their opinions on this tweet and discuss how an advisor can add value to your situation.

Building personal wealth can take a long time to do and making smart, financial choices can be difficult to carry out. On top of that, there are many products in the financial industry that can do more harm than good and can affect your personal wealth long term. Brent, Matthew, and Joshua discuss some potential wealth destroyers they have seen in their practice and offer a few strategies that might help you get out of these situations.

Many people are preparing their taxes right now, so we thought this would be a great opportunity to talk about some tax saving strategies you can possibly implement. On today's show, Brent, Matthew, and Joshua discuss the different ways you can be proactive in your tax planning and some of the lesser known strategies.

One point that we reiterate on the podcast is the importance of being an informed investor and not a day-trader. One way to eliminate some of the guess work is by investing in an index fund. This investment tool is meant to mimic a financial market index such as the S&P 500. In other words, you will have a better idea on your expected rate of return and the amount of risk you are subjected to. Brent, Matthew, and Joshua talk about where you can get an index fund and why this investment is a great fit for many financial plans out there.

If you tune into any financial news, you have probably heard about cryptocurrencies, the most popular one being Bitcoin. Many people are interested in this novel investment because of how well it has been doing lately and they don't want to miss out. However, as with any popular topic, it can be difficult to filter through noisy opinions and find factual information. Brent, Matthew, and Joshua discuss what Bitcoin is, how it's being used, and why it's difficult to be regulated.

If we take a look at the financial landscape right now, we see a thriving real estate market, a low interest rate environment, and a stock market that is continuing to rise. Though the pandemic caused major disruption in March of last year, the economy seems to be recovering well, which is an important thought to keep in mind if you plan on retiring soon. Brent, Matthew, and Joshua talk about the factors that have contributed to the economy's recovery, and some strategies you may be able to utilize under the current financial conditions.

You probably heard all about GameStop stock and buzzwords like short squeeze, Reddit’s WallStreetBets, and hedge funds the last week of January. But what really happened that had all of the financial media world stirred up and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ted Cruz actually agreeing about something? Brent, Matthew, and Joshua break down this multifaceted story and cover some key lessons that we can take away from these recent events.