The New World Order (Ep 95)

Dive into the evolving global landscape in our latest episode of Make The Dough Rise, where we explore the seismic shifts challenging the post-WWII status quo. This "New World Order" could change how we think and approach personal and macro-finance conversations for decades to come. From the end of America's role as the global maritime protector to the pressing realities of de-globalization and the unprecedented energy shifts, we dissect how these changes are reshaping economies and geopolitics. Tune in as we seek to understand a new era defined by industrial upheaval, energy revolutions, and the critical need for innovation in facing the future's uncertain tides.

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Strategies For A Prosperous 2024 (Ep 94)

It’s time to turn our attention to 2024 and unravel the potential twists and turns ahead in the financial world. With the "Recession is coming" mantra entering its third year, we explore the diminishing shadows of inflation and emerging signs of industrial deflation. And as we step into an election year, we demystify the impact of political shifts on the market, and we don't shy away from addressing the elephant in the room: Federal actions. Will there be a shift from rate raising to cutting? Finally, we wrap up with a crucial segment on strategic goal setting. Join us for this episode as we equip you with the knowledge and strategies to make 2024 not just another year, but a milestone in your financial journey.

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On The Positive Side (Ep 93)

With 2024 almost here, this episode seeks to take a positive reflection on 2023. We'll highlight some personal and professional achievements from the year and give you some tips on how to make the most out of your remaining days this year. We'll also reflect on an issue that has gained more national attention, Social Security overpayments. Brian brought this to light on the last episode and shares additional insights with us today. We'll conclude with some money moves you can consider in the final few weeks of the year like tax optimization, charitable giving strategies, end-of-year contributions, and more...

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Sky High Health Insurance (Ep 92)

Explore the tangled web of healthcare economics on this episode of Make The Dough Rise. We're tackling the sky high rise of health insurance costs, the historical roots of current policies, and the entangled systems that drive these soaring prices. Brian will also provide an update on his recent story about navigating the rigid structures of Social Security and what the migration of thousands of millionaires to new countries means for the global financial climate (BRICS).

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Am I Rich? Unpacking Wealth Percentiles (Ep 91)

In this episode, we dive into the numbers and explore wealth percentiles. Where do you rank? Are you on par with everyone else? What does it mean to be financially comfortable? Find out how your net worth compares to different age groups and wealth percentiles across the United States. We’ll also expose the flaws in the standard 60/40 portfolio and look at the pandemic’s impact on our attitudes about what it means to “be wealthy”.

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Is Mexico the New China? (Ep 90)

Is Mexico the new China? Brian takes a close look at the reasons China might be in serious economic trouble and contrasts it with Mexico's rise as the #1 trading partner with the United States. What will be the impact of China dropping to third place in that metric? We'll also spend a little time circling back to our conversation about ESG and break down some popular investor personalities. How does your personality impact how you prepare for retirement? We'll touch on that and more on this episode of Make the Dough Rise!

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Looking Back... Vindication (Ep 89)

We'll revisit our prior conversations about ESG, DEI, and Woke Capitalism on today's episode. Have Brian's warnings about blindly following these investing fads found merit? We'll hit a few other topics as well, touching base on upcoming tax rate changes and breaking down some problematic financial advisor personalities and strategies. And is Taylor Swift stealing business from Disney? Tune in to learn about all of this and more on today's episode.

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Bored In Retirement? How Longevity Is Changing The Nature of Your Golden Years (Ep 88)

Being bored in retirement doesn't sound realistic. But, unfortunately, it's what's happening to a lot of people who enter this phase of their life unprepared. In this episode, Brian will underscore the importance of knowing what you're retiring "from" and "to.” We'll define the Freedom Factor and how it plays into your post-working life. Plus, for some of our new listeners, we'll spend a little time getting to know Brian a little bit better with some unique personality questions.

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Do You REALLY Understand Social Security? (Ep 87)

Let's take a close look at a recent Social Security quiz that tested the knowledge of pre-retirees on some of the basics and nuances of this important element of retirement planning. Incredibly, 69% of those tested did NOT get a passing grade. Brian will help us work through all 13 questions of the quiz to try to help clear up some of the confusion and to make sure you're not sabotaging your retirement future with bad Social Security decisions.

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Ep 86: Death Of The Dollar???

Have you read the headlines about the US Dollar losing its status as reserve currency, no longer privileged, and that this is all leading to terrible economic woes? If so, you're not alone. It has many people wondering if this is indeed the death of the dollar... Brian's here to break this complex conversation down for us. We'll get into China, The Euro, debt, energy, and other economic factors to try to get a better understanding of what's going on so we can make a little more sense of the headlines.

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Ep 85: D.I.D. - Demographics, Inflation & Dollars

Brian takes us on a deep dive into some fascinating global population data that unveils some of the immense problems facing economically significant countries like China, Germany and Italy in the years ahead. How will it impact the US and what will it do to our relationship with our neighbors Canada & Mexico? We'll explore those questions, delve into the potential consequences hitting Social Security and Medicare, and boil down how these global, macro forces might nudge you in various directions when it comes to your individual portfolio and retirement.

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Ep 84: Don't Let Your Portfolio D.I.E.

This episode is full of good nuggets as Brian has podcast and book recommendations for you. First, we'll breakdown some key takeaways from the fascinating book, The End of The World Is Just The Beginning by Peter Zeihan. Brian will breakdown the major reasons Russia and China are in big trouble and why the USA is in a better position than you might think to withstand some sort of globalization collapse. This all dovetails into revisiting the topic of ESG investing, which we first discussed in episode 52.

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Ep 82: Expert Panel Revisits Last Year's Deep Dive Into Debt, Inflation & Modern Monetary Theory

Bonds have been a pretty hot topic this year. Oftentimes, people misunderstand how they work and what role they play in a proper financial plan. On today’s show, we’re addressing some of the misinformation and explaining why this has not been a good year for bonds.

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Ep 81: Market Truth Bombs with Brett Danko, Plus What To Do If You're Being Forced Into Retirement

Main Street Financial Solutions Founder & Managing Partner Brett Danko, CFP®, is back on the show to drop some truth bombs about the economy, the stock market, interest rates and more. And in a 2-for-1 deal, Brett and Brian will spend the second half of the episode covering the 5 most common questions people ask when they get forced into retirement.

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Ep 80: Year End Tax Opportunities You Should Take Care of NOW

Don't be like the rest of the crowd and wait until late December to make your tax moves. This year in particular there are some strategies you can employ to save extra money, but you're way better off digging into it now compared to only a few weeks before we turn the calendar to 2023. So check out all the great tax details Brian has in store for you on this episode and then make sure to take advantage of that special offer we talked about a few episodes ago by getting your own Tax Snapshot Session. Go to www.livingworth.com and click "book a call" to set up your visit.

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Ep 79: Whoop There It Is... And Other Listener Questions About Money & Retirement

We didn't get to all the listener questions we wanted to on the last episode, so we're back with more! We'll cover topics like company stock inside a 401(k), inheriting $250k, having too much money in cash, social security, housing, and more. Brian will also give us an update on the stock market and some common questions he's getting from folks about investing in this current economic environment. And to kick things off, Brian will tell us about a new tool he's using to monitor his health and why you might want to check it out.

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Ep 78: Wacky Indicators & Where We Go From Here (Plus Listener Q's About Taxes & Roth IRAs)

This is a can't miss episode. You're going to learn what in the world the lipstick and underwear indicators have to do with your finances. And that's not all. Find out how sales of mac & cheese and champagne can "predict" the direction of the economy. We'll balance these batty economic signals with some more serious ones while also answering some listener questions about Roth IRA conversions and tax planning within a second marriage.

PLUS... Don't miss Brian's offer for a Tax Snapshot Session. Listen for more details and then don't forget to book a call on the website to set up your visit.

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Ep 77: What The IRS Agent Hirings & New Social Security Trustees Report Mean For Your Bottom Line

Pizza with fig jam and actual lemon slices on top? Brian reflects on this interesting combo and it's sort of reflective of today's episode. We have a few topics to hit from across the money world that you might find interesting. We'll explore the recent news about the IRS hiring 87,000 new agents, take a look at the latest Social Security Trustees Report findings, investigate why the Wash Sale Rule is getting talked about a lot lately, and get Brian's take on the latest inflation outlook. How does it impact you? We'll tie it all together as we go through the show, so don't miss this one!

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Ep 76: I Bonds & IRA Beneficiaries

Today's two topics don't really have anything to do with one another except for the fact that they are each making up a large portion of the questions Brian is fielding from clients and friends the past couple of weeks. The I Bonds discussion will build upon our initial discussion of the investments from a couple of weeks ago with some workarounds for the $10,000 limit. And then we'll spend some time talking about inherited IRAs, 401(k)s, and more. We'll touch on implications of the changes to required minimum distributions and other important nuances to consider in this segment of the legacy planning world.

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