The Art of Wealth Unbroken podcast is specifically researched for investors that are on a path of success in achieving their retirement goals, but are just as focused on their planning to not expose their wealth to avoidable mistakes. You will have a better understanding of the common mistakes often made, how to navigate around those pitfalls, and be more educated during these financial times. Our hosts, Michael Wallin and Stacey Andres, are seasoned professionals in the field of financial planning and investment strategies. These discussions are designed to give you the knowledge you need to become financially independent to live the lifestyle you’ve always imagined and how to protect it.
Last week, we talked about the importance of having a personal care plan in the event your physical or mental health takes a turn. It's also vitally important to have a trust. A trust is a legal document that allows you retain control of your assets both before and after your death.
Stacey shares the sad story of a client who put off setting up a trust. Her health unexpectedly changed, and the next thing she knew, her relatives were in a courtroom getting control of her assets. It's a cautionary tale for sure.
Michael and Stacey talk about the importance of a trust, especially if you have minor children. And your trust does not have to be controlled by relative! You control who is in charge.
Finally, simply setting up the trust is not enough. Many clients set up the trust, but never get around to moving their assets into it. And that can have disastrous consequences. It's important to have a team of an attorney, trusted financial advisor, and more, to make sure everything is set up according to your wishes.
Stacey Andres and Michael Wallin have made the Life Arc Plan and Info Right process available to all listeners of our podcast. To learn more, you can reach out to them at (855) 378-1806 or visit our website, https://artofwealthunbroken.com/
What happens when your health takes a turn? Having a plan in place is one of the most important things you can do for your and your family's future.
Today, Michael and Stacey talk about why it's so important to do this, and how to get started. Mike shares a story of a client that made the mistake of thinking she had a plan in place.
These conversations are very difficult to have, but coming up with a personal care plan is of the utmost importance. Our hosts share some sobering statistics to back this up.
Facilitate a family meeting, perhaps with the help of professionals like Michael and Stacey. Then start working on real solutions to questions about future living arrangements.
If you'd like help with your financial future, and want to talk to Michael, Stacey, and the team at Optivise, you can visit our website at https://www.artofwealthunbroken.com/
Or give them a call at 855-378-1806. They'll get you your free Arc of Life report, tailored to your own individual circumstances.
Today’s show comes to us from an article published by Michael Kitces’ team titled, “Questions, Not Answers: Conversations For Advisors To Navigate Clients’ Anxiety Around Change” released on May 4, 2022. Investors, particularly in turbulent times, can have narratives that will compound the negative impacts to their finances.
Often, an advisor's reaction is to tell the client that their plan is working, and not to worry. But as we dig into the area of personal finance - that's often not helpful. The article advise to encourage a client to form new personal narratives, instead of addressing their stressors, can help them understand and implement new perspectives that make it easier for them to address challenging situations in different (and often more successful) ways.
There are steps that you, as an investor, can take right now.
If you'd like help with your financial future, and want to talk to Michael, Stacey, and the team at Optivise, you can visit our website at https://www.artofwealthunbroken.com/
Or give them a call at 855-378-1806. They'll get you your free Arc of Life report, tailored to your own individual circumstances.
Last week, Michael Wallin and Stacey Andres spoke about investment vehicles for your second, or "mid range" bucket. One such vehicle is known as a "Buffered ETF." Today, they break down the why, the how, and the terms of these products.
Stacey explains the growth potential in Buffered ETF's, that simultaneously offer downside protection. As Michael adds, it's a way to diversify your portfolio away from traditional stocks and bonds. It's also a nice alternative to panicking and leaving the market during times of volatility!
We talk about how Buffered ETF's would have fared historically, and why it's best to invest in one through a broker.
To find out how Michael and Stacey can created a Buffered ETF strategy tailored to your needs, or to receive your free Arc of Life Report, or to talk to Michael, Stacey, and the team at Optivise Advisory Services, give them a call at (855) 378-1806, or visit our website, https://www.artofwealthunbroken.com/
Michael Wallin and Stacey Andres have talked in previous episodes about the three buckets of financial planning - short, medium, and long term. Today we are focused on the medium term or "safe money" bucket. We'll cover some safe growth vehicles for this safe money bucket.
We'll tackle the pros and cons of
In our next episode we'll take a deeper dive into these Buffered ETF vehicles.
To receive your free Arc of Life Report, or to talk to Michael, Stacey, and the team at Optivise Advisory Services, give them a call at (855) 378-1806, or visit our website, https://www.artofwealthunbroken.com/
The markets have had a rough first half of 2022, and our natural instinct is to run. But time and time again, we hear that we need to "stay the course." Why is this so difficult? It's because we are fighting our own brain chemistry!
Behavioral finance takes a look at how our psychology affects how we invest. Key to this is loss aversion - we feel twice as much pain losing $20 as we do pleasure finding $20! A bad experience can significantly impact a person, a corporation, even a country's ability to take risks going forward. And the market changes we're experiencing this year are coming on the heels of the volatility we experienced in COVID!
Michael explains that there are three parts of the brain that activate this "loss aversion" phenomenon. And they relate to fear, anxiety/prediction, and disgust/avoidance. It's not our fault we want to pull out of the market - we're just wired that way!
Stacey and Mike close by talking about the importance of working with a financial advisor who understands behavioral finance, and the need to put a plan in place that considers market volatility ahead of time.
To receive your free Arc of Life Report, or to talk to Michael, Stacey, and the team at Optivise Advisory Services, give them a call at (855) 378-1806, or visit our website, https://www.artofwealthunbroken.com/
How do you select the right financial advisor? Too often, investors focus on investment returns and lose sight of the bigger picture. Does your advisor align with your personal values, risk tolerance, and investment philosophy? What are their methodologies? Have they successfully navigated their clients through economic storms before? The best advisors get to know their clients. They don't just sell to them.
82% of Americans say their values play a role in how they manage their finances. But 68% of advisors don't know this!
Using their proprietary Info Right system, Stacey Andres, Michael Wallin, and the team at Optivise Advisory Services evaluate 10 pillars of planning, and how they interact with each other: Investment, retirement income, tax, social security, education, healthcare, personal care, charitable, legal, and wealth transfer.
To receive your free Arc of Life Report, with no obligation, visit Michael and Stacey online at https://www.artofwealthunbroken.com or give them a call at 855 378 1806.
Having an expense plan is always important, but especially so during recessionary times. Today, Michael and Jag go over the 3 Reasons to have a plan.
Michael and Stacey can protect you and your family going forward. They are making the Life Arc plan available to any of our podcast listeners. To learn more or get in touch with Michael and Stacey, give them a call at (855) 378-1806 or visit them online at https://www.artofwealthunbroken.com/
"Begin with the end in mind." - Stephen Covey
This is good advice for creating your financial plan, according to Michael Wallin. Mike and Jag talk today about financial plans. They should start with defining short, medium, and long term goals. Tragically, too many people either start planning too late in life, don't have a direction to go in - or both!
With the Life Arc plan, Michael and Stacey Andres really get to know their clients, through 10 key areas - investment, social security, retirement income, wealth transfer, tax, healthcare, personal care, education, charitable, and estate planning. It's important to understand how these areas can interact with each other, so that a plan can be created that's both quantitative AND qualitative, depending on the investor.
Once the plan is created, then it can be adjusted as necessary.
Michael and Stacey can protect you and your family going forward. They are making the Life Arc plan available to any of our podcast listeners. To learn more or get in touch with Michael and Stacey, give them a call at (855) 378-1806 or visit them online at https://www.artofwealthunbroken.com/
Today, Michael Wallin and Jag talk about our national debt, and why it's important for you to understand how it could affect your bottom line.
Over the life of the United States, we've come to rely more on tax revenue from our citizens and corporations, as opposed to tariff revenues on imported goods. And the government spends a lot of money - on social security, Medicare, Medicaid, our military, and more. And much like our personal budgets, when you've got more money going out than coming in, something needs to change. Either you need to bring in more money, or spend less. And we're not spending less, regardless of which political party is in the White House or controls Congress.
Today's National Debt is $30.5 Trillion. That averages out to $91.622 for every baby that's being born as you read these notes and listen to this podcast. And with raising interest rates, that's going to be even more challenging. So you need to come up with a personal financial plan that protects you against an uncertain future. The Info Right Process focuses on six key areas of concern: income, investment, taxation, health care (long term and personal), charitable donations, and estate planning.
This is where Michael and Stacey can come in to protect you and your family going forward. They are making the Life Arc plan available to any of our podcast listeners. To learn more or get in touch with Michael and Stacey, give them a call at (855) 378-1806 or visit them online at https://www.artofwealthunbroken.com/
The key to any type of financial planning is knowing your budget. Today, Michael Wallin and Jag break down the 7 stages of financial freedom, as reported by Acorn/CNBC's Ryan Ermey here: https://grow.acorns.com/self-made-millionaire-grant-sabatier-levels-of-financial-freedom/
The key to moving through each of these steps is a budget. Knowing what it is, and what in it is going to change! Inflation does not affect all things equally. And if your advisor is inflating the amount of money you need to retire, because he or she is assuming inflation on everything, you should be questioning that. The costs of some goods and services will not go up. So why be so aggressive in your investments if you don't need to hit as high of a target?
If you need help putting together a financial plan - so you can stick to it - feel free to reach out to Michael and Stacey. You can find them on our website - artofwealthunbroken.com. Or give them a call at 855-378-1806.
Additionally, for our podcast listeners who visit the website, we are making the LifeArc plan free to you - with no obligation. This will help you get started on taking stock (no pun intended) of your overall financial picture. Visit the website above.
This week, Michael Wallin and Stacey Andres look at the the market and what has caused 2022 returns to sit where they are, as we recorded this on Thursday, June 2nd. Michael opens the show by breaking down the hard numbers.
Next, Stacey looks at the why. The market correction of 2022 has been all about higher rates, inflation, an exogenous geopolitical events and not about an economic or earnings slowdown – which may surprise some.
Once again, both Stacey and Michael caution against giving in to your emotions. The key is to have a financial plan, separating your money out into short, medium, and long term, and allowing for market volatility. With the money you won't need until longer term, there may be an opportunity to get into the market now when it's "on sale." We'll explain what we mean by that.
If you need help putting together a financial plan - so you can stick to it - feel free to reach out to Michael and Stacey. You can find them on our website - artofwealthunbroken.com. Or give them a call at 855-378-1806.
Additionally, for our podcast listeners who visit the website, we are making the LifeArc plan free to you - with no obligation. This will help you get started on taking stock (no pun intended) of your overall financial picture. Visit the website above.
Today, Michael Wallin and Jag are talking about something we are currently seeing in the markets - volatility. A number of factors are driving this volatility, including the Ukraine/Russia war, inflation, the market’s uncertainty of whether or not the government is going to slow down the economy without over tightening the money supply, global supply chain problems, and domestic employment issues.
A solid investment strategy, however, should already have market volatility built in to the plan.
Step 1: Begin with the end in mind and avoid unnecessary risk.
Step 2: Build your investment plan around your budget plan.
Step 3: Embrace Volatility.
Michael feels the markets are reacting as expected to all of the above issues. But volatility is less scary when you have a plan that accounts for it.
If you need help putting together a financial plan - so you can stick to it - feel free to reach out to Michael and Stacey. You can find them on our website - artofwealthunbroken.com. Or give them a call at 855-378-1806.
Additionally, for our podcast listeners who visit the website, we are making the LifeArc plan free to you - with no obligation. This will help you get started on taking stock (no pun intended) of your overall financial picture.
"Thinking Well" - it could be a super power. At the very least, it's a character trait that's vital in our current state of market volatility.
Fear is a powerful emotion. Michael Wallin equates market panic to the reaction the movie Jaws - when people were suddenly afraid to go to the beach. When you look at the numbers of actual shark attacks, that fear was largely unfounded. That same overreaction and panic often causes people to exit the market or make changes to their investments - which often results in "locking in a loss" and not giving your portfolio a chance to recover and grow.
Having a solid financial plan in place accounts for both market volatility and the resulting fear.
If you need help putting together a financial plan - so you can stick to it - feel free to reach out to Michael and Stacey. You can find them on our website - artofwealthunbroken.com. Or give them a call at 855-378-1806.
Additionally, for our podcast listeners who visit the website, we are making the LifeArc plan free to you - with no obligation. This will help you get started on taking stock (no pun intended) of your overall financial picture.
Today, Stacey Andres and Jag revisit the "Three Bucket Strategy" - investing your money for the short, medium, and long term - and looking at it through the lens of volatility we've seen so far in 2022.
As mentioned in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, you should begin with the end in mind. Think about how much money you're going to need to live in retirement. Then, what expenses will you have in the short and medium terms?
Be more conservative in the first, or short-term bucket. Market volatility like we've seen this year can wipe out that money without having sufficient time for it to recover.
The second, medium-term bucket can be more aggressive, but not too aggressive. Think about things like home-repairs, new vehicles, expenses that may be a few years out.
You can be most aggressive (and growth-focused) in the third, long-term bucket. That money has plenty of time to recover from market swings, and if planned well, can result in you having more money at the end of your retirement than in the beginning!
Stacey also briefly touches on a "two bucket strategy" - conservative and growth. When the market is volatile, pull from the conservative bucket. When the market is doing well, pull from the growth. Stacey and Jag explain why.
Want to know more, or have Stacey help you plan your financial future?
Visit our website: https://www.artofwealthunbroken.com/
Or give Stacey a call at 855-378-1806.
Today, Michael, Stacey and Jag walk through the process of how they take care of new clients, in particular with the LifeArcPlan, still available for podcast listeners on our website, https://www.artofwealthunbroken.com/
This, living, breathing, document allows investors to input all of their financial information and helps Michael and Stacey work with them to formulate an overall, holistic financial plan.
As Michael says, we live in a technology world, so why not use the best technology? He even shares a story of using the program to help a client decide on a car purchase.
Again, we are leaving our offer up for podcast listeners, on our website: https://www.artofwealthunbroken.com/.
Or, to learn more, call Michael and Stacey at 855 378 1806.
What is success when it comes to your financial future? While most people see that as a destination, a better way to look at it is as a direction. And that all starts with a plan. Too often, folks meet with Michael Wallin and Stacey Andres and they have pieces of their financial future figured out, but not a cohesive plan.
Today we look at the InfoRight Process and the six pillars of financial planning - Investment, Tax, Income Planning, HealthCare, Wealth Transfer, and Estate Planning. We also have a special offer for podcast listeners. They can, for free, sign up for the LifeArc program, which allows you to input all of your information and get a projection about your financial future.
To take advantage of this plan, visit https://www.artofwealthunbroken.com/
You can also call Michael and Stacey at 855-378-1806.
Last week, we saw Year over Year inflation numbers for the month of March and the results were worse than we expected. With the annual inflation rate at 8.5%, Michael Wallin and Stacey Andres wanted to revisit our discussion of inflation.
First, we define inflation and talk about how it's measured. Michael looks at what goods cost from 1972 to 2002 and now 2022. And we talk about what all these numbers mean for you, as the listener.
Inflation doesn't affect everyone the same. We talk about factors such as location, income level, socioeconomic status, and need. For example. the high price of cars doesn't affect you if you're not buying a car.
Again, the three factors driving inflation are Money Supply, Supply and Demand, and Energy. We take a look at where we stand in each of these areas and how current policies in Washington are affecting them.
Want to know more? Visit our website: https://www.artofwealthunbroken.com/
Or give us a call at 855-378-1806
Last week, Stacey Andres and Jag talked about the problem around tax free retirement. The government pulled in $3.42 Trillion in 2020. 88% of that went to social security, Medicare, Medicaid, and service on our national debt. That doesn't even count defense spending, infrastructure, or anything else!
In fact, if you want to see a visual representation of this, you can visit: https://usdebtclock.org/
As we stated last week, the government needs to find money, which means taxes are likely to go up. And a large potential target for taxes is retirement accounts.
One major solution for investors is to put their money into tax advantaged, or tax free, accounts. In these Roth accounts, you pay the taxes up front, and then they grow tax free.
Stacey runs through some different retirement scenarios in today's podcast. Remember, any taxable income you take from retirement accounts creates an additional tax burden, including the chance that your social security income could also be taxed.
To learn more about tax advantaged accounts for your retirement, and how to best plan for a likely tax increase, you can reach Stacey Andres and Michael Wallin at https://www.artofwealthunbroken.com/
Or give them a call at 888-302-5559.
In the first of our two-part series on tax free retirement, we describe the problem . Next week, in part 2, we'll cover the solution.
According to a 2000 survey (and these percentages are still true today):
Obviously we all want to be in that 4%. A major factor in this can be retirement planning, especially tax planning.
Former comptroller of the United States, David Walker said a decade ago on our current fiscal path, the United States could be heading toward bankruptcy, unless future tax rates doubled. By 2020, 88% of US Revenue went to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and interest on our debt. At the same time, Americans had over $25 TRILLION in retirement assets. So it stands to reason that taxes on that money will go up.
Next week, we'll discuss further how to solve this problem.
If you need help putting together a financial plan - feel free to reach out to Michael and Stacey. You can find them on our website - artofwealthunbroken.com. Or give them a call at 855-378-1806.
Today, Michael Wallin and Stacey Andres break down 3 of the most common mistakes that investors make regarding their retirement. They are:
We discuss each of these points, and our hosts also explain the Life Art plan that they use. It uses hard numbers to determine our investors' ideal rate of return for a successful retirement.
If you need help putting together a financial plan - so you can stick to it - feel free to reach out to Michael and Stacey. You can find them on our website - artofwealthunbroken.com. Or give them a call at 855-378-1806.
Today's podcast episode was largely inspired by an article in TheBalance.com, titles "Why Average Investors Earn Below Market Returns." You can read it here: https://www.thebalance.com/why-average-investors-earn-below-average-market-returns-2388519
Investors often earn returns below what the market brings in. When Stacey Andres was teaching stock trading, it's something he ran into frequently. We used to call it "fear and greed," but now folks call it "behavioral finance." Essentially, the average investor is so afraid of losing money, that they often overreact to market volatility.
Michael Wallin cites a Dalbar study further showing the disparity between market returns and investor returns. Investors often perceive a loss of money when the market is down, but the money isn't actually lost until you sell the security! Recency bias often comes into play -with the belief that a down market will continue to fall, or that an up market will continue to rise.
This often leads to trailing the market by one or two percentage points a year. That may not seem like much, but it can compound over time. Stacey and his calculator show us how this turns into real money.
Our article from the balance talks about 4 ways to avoid these usual pitfalls.
Do nothing
Know that your money is like a bar of soap - the more you touch it, the less you have!
Never sell equities in a down market
Trust that the science works.
If you need help putting together a financial plan - so you can stick to it - feel free to reach out to Michael and Stacey. You can find them on our website - artofwealthunbroken.com. Or give them a call at 855-378-1806.
Inflation is a scary word, but it's here. Today, Stacey Andres and Michael Wallin break down what's causing it.
For more resources and to reach our hosts, visit our website: https://www.artofwealthunbroken.com/
Recently, Michael Wallin and Stacey Andres attended a conference called "Redeeming Money," put on by Kingdom Advisors. Kingdom Advisors is an organization that helps teach, educate and resource those who are in the financial planning industry approach helping their clients plan their future from a Biblical, God centered perspective. This aligns closely with Michael and Stacey's values, and the came away from the conference with a few quotes that illustrate this, including:
"Is your ladder leaning against the wrong wall?"
"I want to steward the much as much as I steward the little."
“Immature people only see things from their point of view. Lordship issues are resolved when I manage it for Him.”
Throughout today's episode, Michael and Stacey will explain their philosophy as advisors, and how they can help you with your financial future.
To learn more, visit our website: https://www.artofwealthunbroken.com/
Throughout the beginning of 2022, we have certainly seen our fair share of market volatility. This can present an opportunity for investors. Today, Michael Wallin and Stacey Andres explain their five rules around seizing the moment when opportunities present themselves.
Offense versus Defense
Have a Rules-Based Plan of Action.
When a contraction in the market happens, what should you consider to seize the moment?
In the spirit of the Olympics and the great Wayne Gretsky, skate to where the puck is going to be.
5. Work with an experienced professional, preferably one that offers a team of seasoned professionals to build an investment, retirement income, healthcare, tax, and estate plan.
To reach the team at Optivise for help with your financial future, give them a call at 888-302-5559.
Meet Michael Wallin, and Stacey Andres, two financial advisors who got into the field at different times, for different reasons. But both of them want to help people.
Michael has been doing this since 1994. Even back then, he saw people making very costly financial mistakes, often ones they couldn't recover from. This can be someone latching on to something they read or viewed, or just having bad assumptions. For example, not understanding tax brackets, or a full 360 degree view of how one financial decision can impact your whole world. He gives the example of someone who wanted to convert their retirement account into a Roth account, regardless of tax implications. Without realizing it, he really hurt his own son. Michael explains.
Stacey, meanwhile, was teaching students how to operate in the stock market. But these students weren't grade schoolers. They were retirees who were looking for ways out of poor financial decisions they had made.
Both Michael Wallin and Stacey Andres want to use this podcast as a way to communicate important financial information so that you can make informed, critical decisions with your money - and leave your wealth unbroken.
Stacey, Michael, and the Optivise team have software they use to help you understand your individual needs and situation. They are making it available to podcast listeners for free (a $1000 value). Simply call 888-302-5559.
The Art of Wealth Unbroken podcast is specifically researched for investors that are on a path of success in achieving their retirement goals, but are just as focused on their planning to not expose their wealth to avoidable mistakes. You will have a better understanding of the common mistakes often made, how to navigate around those pitfalls, and be more educated during these financial times. Our hosts are seasoned professionals in the field of financial planning and investment strategies. These discussions are designed to give you the knowledge you need to become financially independent to live the lifestyle you’ve always imagined and how to protect it.
Michael Wallin is a certified financial planner practitioner and Managing Partner of Optivise Advisory Services, LLC. and PanthRex Asset Management, an industry-leading money management platform that offers Biblically-Responsible investment strategies that allows investors to align their investment strategies with their principals and closely-held convictions.
Stacey Andres is CEO and founder of Anchor Wealth. He started the practice in 2013 after leaving his former company where they provided stock market and trading education. More than 43% of the students at that time where already retired and were in fear of outliving there money because their financial advisor had done nothing to protect their investments from the market crash in 2008 and 2009. Since then, he has made it his mission to help clients identify, understand implement a plan that helps protect against the pitfalls that come with their unique financial position. Together he and his clients develop and implement a strategy that provides a higher level of security for them in the life they are living now, and in their legacy plan.
Bs sure not to miss an episode of The Art of Wealth Unbroken. Follow the podcast in Apple, Spotify, or wherever you're listening right now.