Real Personal Finance

Scott Frank and James Conole

Your personal finance questions answered by CFP® professionals

  • 37 minutes 41 seconds
    What Does Your Most Fulfilled Life Look Like?

    What does your most fulfilled life look like? If you’re not sure, then this episode is for you. 

    Join us as we discuss three questions to help you uncover what is most important to you!

    Resources mentioned in this episode:

    Ready to learn more? 


    Leave us a question! 

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial or Flow Financial Planning

    19 December 2024, 4:00 pm
  • 33 minutes 53 seconds
    Should I Rent or Should I Buy?

    To be a home owner or not to be a home owner, that is the question – and the answer is anything but simple!

    Tune in as we discuss when home ownership makes sense and when it may be better to rent. 

    Ready to learn more? 

    Leave us a question! 

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial or Flow Financial Planning

    5 December 2024, 2:00 pm
  • 27 minutes 39 seconds
    When Roth Conversions Make Sense (and When They Don’t)

    Roth conversions can be a great tool for minimizing your tax burden, but you don’t want to jump in blind. If you have a 401(k) and/or an IRA, you don’t want to miss this episode.

    Join us as we look at the what, when and why of Roth conversions.

    Ready to learn more? 

    Leave us a question! 

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial or Flow Financial Planning

    21 November 2024, 4:00 pm
  • 31 minutes 4 seconds
    What Do Financial Advisors Actually Do?

    Ever wonder what exactly a financial advisor does? In our latest episode, we’re going beyond investments and insurance to look at the big picture of everything we do as advisors.

    Join us as we pull back the curtain on what we do, how we think about it, and how we help our clients.

    Ready to learn more? 

    Leave us a question! 

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial or Flow Financial Planning

    7 November 2024, 4:00 pm
  • 30 minutes 6 seconds
    How to Leverage Tax Projections to Minimize Your Tax Burden

    Sitting down to do a tax projection can make a huge impact on the amount of taxes you pay – but you have to do it before December 31!

    Whether you’re expecting next year to be a high- or low-income year, join us as we discuss how a tax projection can help minimize your tax burden.

    Ready to learn more? 

    Leave us a question! 

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial or Flow Financial Planning

    24 October 2024, 3:00 pm
  • 30 minutes 32 seconds
    Making Moves During Open Enrollment? Learn More About Life Insurance, Disability Coverage, 401(k), and More

    We’re back with another look at open enrollment decisions! This time, we’re talking life insurance, disability coverage, 401(k)s and more.

    Join us as we discuss which options make sense, and which you could probably ignore.

    Ready to learn more? 

    Leave us a question! 

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial or Flow Financial Planning

    10 October 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 22 minutes 35 seconds
    Weighing the Benefits: How to Make a Decision on Employer-Provided Health Insurance

    Open enrollment season is almost here! Do you know what you’ll need for health insurance next year? 

    Join us as we look at the most important factors to consider when choosing your plan. 

    Ready to learn more? 

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial or Flow Financial Planning

    26 September 2024, 3:00 pm
  • 27 minutes 47 seconds
    Embracing the Mess: How to Improve Financial Outcomes When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned

    If your financial goals always feel like they’re just out of reach, you’re not alone! In this episode, we talk about the dissonance between your financial plan and real life – and how to put your advisor’s best advice into action more consistently.

    Join us as we discuss the stories and strategies that make financial planning such a dynamic and important journey.

    Ready to learn more? 

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial or Flow Financial Planning

    12 September 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 26 minutes 44 seconds
    What is an Exchange Fund (and Should You Ever Join One)?

    Should you join an exchange fund? Can they really minimize taxes? What are the potential downsides? What are your other options? Do we recommend them?

    Join us as we talk through the pros and cons of exchange funds, plus a few alternatives that could provide added protection without all the complexity. 

    Ready to learn more? 

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial or Flow Financial Planning

    29 August 2024, 3:00 pm
  • 24 minutes 8 seconds
    Politics and Personal Finance: Strategies for Stability During a Wild Election Season

    It’s election time again and right on cue, everything feels a little out of control. But should it? What does history have to say about market behavior around elections? Join us as we consider the influence of Democrats vs. Republicans, presidents vs. senators, the Fed vs. the DOJ, and more as we seek to find where politics and economics overlap (and where they don’t).

    Plus, we’ll zoom in to see how you can seek to maintain financial stability, even when the news seems hell-bent on trying to make you panic. Whether you're a retiree needing balanced asset allocation or someone in your prime earning years looking to capitalize on market dips, you’ll find relevant, actionable steps to guide you through uncertainty and help you focus on your goals.

    Election Stats Mentioned

    Ready to learn more? 

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial or Flow Financial Planning

    15 August 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 30 minutes 13 seconds
    Balancing Stocks, Bonds, Cash, and Your Financial Goals

    How do financial advisors mix stocks, bonds, and cash to achieve the best returns to meet each person’s financial needs? In today’s episode, Scott Frank and Meg Bartelt discuss the unique risks and potential returns each one offers; focusing on these primary asset classes can lead to a more stable and profitable investment strategy. They dive into the various types of bonds—government, municipal, and corporate—and their role in your portfolio, while delving into the importance of credit ratings, bond maturity, and global currency risks, offering you insights on how to navigate these complexities. 

    Scott and Meg provide tailored investment strategies for different financial goals and timeframes, whether you're saving for a short-term goal like a home down payment or a long-term objective like retirement. Learn the pitfalls of short-term stock market investments and the benefits of safer options like high-yield savings accounts for immediate needs. For long-term goals, they discuss leveraging the historical growth of the stock market while balancing intermediate-term objectives with a well-thought-out plan. 

    Ready to learn more? 

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial

    1 August 2024, 3:00 pm
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