The concept of investing is often associated only with money and the pursuit of wealth, but this fails to capture the true essence of investing. An ideal future isn’t encapsulated by a stack of $100 bills. The true essence of investing is not about building wealth, but about building the atmospheric conditions that align with your ideal future self. Listen to the latest episode of the podcast to learn why a relentless focus on accumulating wealth will end up costing you what you’re actually work...
Aug 30, 2023•14 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Many people accumulate their wealth in a bank or a long-term investment, and this may create problems. But there is a different strategy. In this new episode of the Common Sense Financial Podcast, host Brian Skrobonja goes over the Build Banking strategy and how you can consider a different banking paradigm using specially designed life insurance policies that allow you to start banking on yourself. Most people know that banks use other people’s money to generate profits. This process is known a...
Aug 23, 2023•16 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Time is your most precious resource, but how you use it is up to you. The shift from earning to retirement can be quite challenging, as you have to thread the needle between income, growth, and time. In this new episode of the Common Sense Financial Podcast, host Brian Skrobonja goes over the most important mindset shift people need to make in order for their retirement plan to succeed. It is possible to retire without growth, but it’s impossible to succeed without income. But many people have t...
Aug 16, 2023•16 min•Season 3Ep. 9
“The more money you have, the bigger the mistakes,” someone once told Brian… How does that translate into retirement planning? And how can you help ensure you approach your financial planning for your “golden years” in the best possible way? In this new episode of the Common Sense Financial Podcast, host Brian Skrobonja goes over five retirement mistakes that you should stay away from at all costs, as well as what retirement is actually about. Brian touches upon something that a very successful ...
Aug 09, 2023•15 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Are you part of that 68% of people who would like to have a personalized financial plan, but aren’t sure where to find a financial advisor? What should you pay attention to when trying to get a financial planning expert to help you, and you’re evaluating different options? In this new episode of the Common Sense Financial Podcast, host Brian Skrobonja shares six factors you should keep into consideration and look at when going through different financial advisor options. According to a May 2022 ...
Aug 02, 2023•16 min•Season 3Ep. 7
You feel healthy so everything is okay, right? Have you ever thought that health planning should be part of your retirement planning efforts? If you’ve answered ‘yes,’ pay close attention to Regan Archibald! Regan joins host Brian Skrobonja to discuss how people should approach health planning, the world of preventive care, the role of nutrition, and why longevity medicine is something you should be mindful of. Regan Archibald kicks off the conversation by sharing his origin story. In his work w...
Jul 26, 2023•54 min•Season 3Ep. 6
What comes to mind when you think about retiring? Is it enjoying your "golden years"? That's an outdated approach, says today's guest Dean Jackson! He joins host Brian Skrobonja to discuss a new way to think about retirement – and how doing things this way will change your life – the concept of "pre-tiring," two types of economy, and what "money hobby" and self-managing companies are all about. The idea of the conversation with Dean came to Brian as the result of conversations he has been having...
May 31, 2023•58 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Life when you’re gone… an uncomfortable conversation most people prefer to avoid. Why isn’t that a good idea? How can estate planning help you ensure that things are taken care of once you aren’t around anymore? Listen to learn about big mistakes people make, the different elements that make up the estate plan puzzle, the three primary areas of cash flow, and the type of plan you should have in place. When it comes to end of life financial planning, many people tend to put it off because it’s an...
May 24, 2023•14 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Did you know that a good part of American households haven’t thought about retirement planning? When it comes to planning for retirement, there are some key concepts to understand and three traps you should do your best to avoid. Listen to learn why a money increase doesn’t always equal a lifestyle enhancement, the three things people often look at but that come back to bite them later on, and how you can effectively plan for retirement and protect your money. As life expectancy increases, peopl...
May 17, 2023•14 min•Season 3Ep. 3
You can live without saving money, and you can live with debt, but you cannot live without cash flow. In fact, if you want your personal finance to flourish, cash flow is a key element you need to focus on – passive income too. Why is that the case? Find out about critical personal financing missteps you should avoid making, what to focus on to measure financial progress and happiness, and the key traits you can learn from the happiest and most successful people to win more in personal finance. ...
May 10, 2023•14 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Emergencies and retirement. This is what we're taught to save for. But what if you created a different system, which allowed you to pay for the expenses you will incur between now and retirement age – without losing the ability to build wealth? Find out why you may need to rethink your financial planning approach and what you should do about the “Missing Middle.” According to popular opinion, sound financial planning advice typically consists of two main steps: saving for emergencies and saving ...
May 03, 2023•16 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Retirement isn’t a thing that happens. It's a time of life that needs to be planned for. When it comes to planning for retirement, there are a huge number of assumptions that people make about what’s going to happen and when, but what if those assumptions are wrong? Find out why you may need to rethink your retirement plans. Most people envision retirement as a destination. A fixed point in time where their pension or Social Security begins, but retirement is a transition, not a timestamp. Plann...
Jun 08, 2022•9 min•Season 2Ep. 23
Would you rather look back on the past and regret what happened or would you rather look to the future and make plans so that you can choose the outcomes you want? The latter of course! But when it comes to taxes, most people take the first option without even realizing there are better choices. Learn about the difference between tax preparation and tax planning, and how you can create a comprehensive wealth strategy for your future, but you have to start now. There's a huge difference between a...
Jun 01, 2022•11 min•Season 2Ep. 22
Social Security can be a maze of rules, exceptions, and formulas and can feel almost impossible to navigate for most people. That’s why Rich Grawer is back to talk about making sense of Social Security and the common sense guidelines that allow you to maximize your Social Security benefit and minimize your tax liability while in retirement. Social Security as the system is an income replacement system. It is not meant to be your sole source of income in retirement. The first thing to understand ...
May 25, 2022•47 min•Season 2Ep. 21
It’s no secret that entrepreneurs and real estate investors are responsible for the majority of the wealth creation in the world, but did you know it’s possible to take the same strategies they use and apply them to your own investments? Learn how to multiply your wealth through the power of leverage and how to use the idea of internal and external rates of return to acquire assets that not only appreciate but generate cash flow at the same time. Many investors have a contradictory attitude when...
May 18, 2022•12 min•Season 2Ep. 20
The sale or transition of a business is a messy, complex, and time consuming process. If you want to make sure it’s a success and doesn’t tear your family apart, you have to make sure it’s done right. Randy Long reveals the biggest misconceptions around selling a business and how to make sure your children still want to eat Thanksgiving dinner together afterward. Randy is a lawyer by trade with a background in finance, having practiced for the past 25 years. Around half way into his career in la...
May 11, 2022•43 min•Season 2Ep. 19
There is a key mindset shift that many people fail to make when they retire and it can cost them thousands of dollars from their investment portfolio. Hear about Hypothetical Helen and how her plan to pay off her mortgage with money from her 401k once she retires actually puts her further away from her goals, and what the most optimal solution for cash flow in retirement is. Retirement in its purest form is simply the creation of passive income sources used to support your cash flow requirements...
May 04, 2022•12 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Regret and retirement don’t have to go together, but for many people they often do. Learn about the top five regrets people have in retirement and how you can set yourself up so instead of feeling like you should have done more, you can retire with confidence. When it comes to retirement, there are almost always things that you’re going to regret. Investments you missed the boat on or investments that went sour. Unfortunately, there is no crystal ball to make retirement planning easy. There are ...
Apr 27, 2022•9 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Most people think about what investments they should be making or what stocks they should have in their portfolio when they approach retirement age, but they are going about it backwards. Brian Skrobonja breaks down the calculations you need to make in order to understand how ready you are for retirement and what your retirement plan needs to factor in to be truly financially free. How do you know when it's safe to retire? The answer depends on your plan and understanding the most important numb...
Apr 20, 2022•10 min•Season 2Ep. 16
How do you pick between a lump sum payment from your pension and an annuity? A lot of that decision depends, but if you want to have control over your financial assets, a lump sum is often the better option. Find out when you should take a lump sum option instead of an annuity, why insurance is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle, and how to ensure your family doesn’t lose out either way. The choice between a pension annuity and a lump sum often comes down to which provides the greate...
Apr 13, 2022•12 min•Season 2Ep. 15
When it comes to investing for retirement, following the status quo investment advice is one of the worst things you can do. Most people are deferring taxes in their 401k, storing money in a bank, and working to pay off their mortgage, all without realizing that doing those things won’t move them closer to what they really want in retirement. Find out how to ditch the status quo and build an investment portfolio that allows you to retire without having to worry about income, taxes, or what’s hap...
Apr 06, 2022•13 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Gold has been a source of wealth for thousands of years and a safe haven in uncertain times, but with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin coming onto the scene, is that about to change? Before we can answer that question, we need to understand the history of the US dollar and how gold has fared over the past 100 years to get an idea what the future may hold. Find out what makes Bitcoin so special and why it may be the gold of the 21st century. A growing number of people believe Bitcoin and other crypt...
Mar 30, 2022•11 min•Season 2Ep. 13
There is no silver bullet investment that’s right for everyone, so beware of financial professionals recommending a particular investment or product without first understanding where you are in your life and what your money goals are first. That’s essentially like prescribing a treatment before your doctor diagnoses your problem! Find out what questions you should be asking yourself and your financial advisor to figure out what you’re trying to achieve and the best strategy for you to get it don...
Mar 23, 2022•12 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Brian Skrobonja breaks down the myths and the mechanics of Infinite Banking and how this strategy allows you to take control of your cash flow and finance larger purchases while still allowing your money to earn dividends and interest. Learn how Infinite Banking works, why you need to forget what you think you know about whole life insurance, and whether this strategy is right for you. In order to understand the concept of Infinite Banking, you have to set aside the common understanding of how l...
Mar 16, 2022•19 min•Season 2Ep. 11
How much does an average rate of return matter? Or does it even matter at all? And what about your 401k? Is the way you’re approaching it the right one? Listen to this episode to hear a few common myths being busted – and get all the positives that will come your way as a result. The other day, Brian came across a quote that read,‘If things you thought were true were actually false, when would you want to know?’ As someone who is continuously seeking information to either support his way of thin...
Mar 09, 2022•25 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Money is a HUGE part of our life, yet schools don’t spend time teaching us how to manage it and most families don’t share their experiences with one another. Without guidance and learning best practices to achieve success, we are set up for FAILURE before we even begin our relationship with money. It seems reasonable to believe that it would be a good idea to acquire some training on how to effectively think about and handle money BEFORE we get started. These are a few basic points about handlin...
Mar 02, 2022•10 min•Season 2Ep. 9
What should you know, consider, and do when it comes to your social security benefits? And what about Medicare? Join Social Security and Medicare expert Rich Grawer and Brian to learn about how to determine your retirement age, whether or not a non-working spouse can qualify for their spouse’s benefit, understanding potential taxes on your social security benefits, and in which scenarios one can qualify for Medicare. Social security and Medicare expert Rich Grawer addresses some of the most freq...
Feb 23, 2022•35 min•Season 2Ep. 8
What should you think about when positioning your 401k and pension assets? How can you avoid the pension trap many people fall into? Find out about the two main purposes of your money, the role your cash flow plays, and how to make the most out of your pension choices in this podcast episode. When you’re accumulating money – when you’re working and accumulating – you’re not needing the money that you’re saving. You’re putting it away for retirement. You’re living on the income that you’re receiv...
Feb 16, 2022•23 min•Season 2Ep. 7
The truth is that we all, as human beings, carry around this proverbial backpack of beliefs and emotions, and we carry it everywhere we go. And when we show up somewhere that's in a relationship and a conversation having to make a decision, we unpack the backpack. There's no hiding the backpack. It's with us all the time. It is full of of a lot of good things, but mixed in with it our limited beliefs that can wreak havoc with our decision making. These beliefs are just an accumulation of informa...
Feb 09, 2022•44 min•Season 2Ep. 6
What’s the #1 thing successful investors are doing that average investors aren’t? What are some of the traps people typically fall into when it comes to investing that prevent them from achieving growth and freedom? Find out about what you can learn from Yale endowments, and what you should do to become a successful investor. ‘Nothing changes if nothing changes’ is one of the mantras around Brian’s house. It’s a reminder to not complain about an outcome or circumstance, but rather to try to find...
Feb 02, 2022•22 min•Season 2Ep. 5
