Rocket Your Dollar: Recent Episodes
Rocket Dollar
99% of Americans with IRAs aren’t using the most powerful investment vehicle available to them — The Self-Directed IRA. The finance gurus who started Rocket Dollar, the Self-Directed IRA SaaS, shed light on this lesser known retirement account and give actionable advice on how to use it to achieve financial independence.
In this episode, Henry interviews Cormac Kinney, Founder and CEO at Diamond Standard. Diamond Standard is the producer of the world’s first diamond commodities. They are developing a technology, becoming a diamond market-maker, and a commodity producer. Headquartered in New York City, DSC is helping investors add diamonds to their portfolios.
In this episode, Cormac speaks about:
- How DSC solves the “different diamond quality” issue.
- The factors that are making diamonds more valuable.
- The solutions the company offers and their plans for the future.
- How you can use diamonds to diversify your portfolio.
- The low correlation diamonds have to other assets.
- And more!
In this episode of Rocket Your Dollar, Henry speaks with Nick King, Founder and CEO of Vint. Vint is an investment platform that makes it possible for investors of all sizes to invest directly in securitized and diversified collections of fine wine and rare spirits.
In this episode you'll learn about:
- Nick's background and how Vint came to be.
- Some of the realized returns Vint has generated since being founded.
- The types of wines and spirits available.
- How Vint makes this structure for investing possible.
- Diversifying your portfolio with wines and spirits.
In this episode, Henry speaks with the CEO of Roofstock, Gary Beasly. Roofstock is a leading online marketplace for investors in the single-family rental (SFR) home sector. They have helped support more than $5 billion in total transactions, and that number continues to grow.
- In this episode, Gary discusses:
- How he made his way into real estate.
- The current state of the real estate market.
- The different ways you can interact with Roofstock from an investor standpoint
- How they are scaling property management for investors.
- Vertical stack capabilities Roofstock supports.
and more!
In this episode, Henry speaks with Co-Founder Tim White and Chief Product Officer Danny Lohrfink of Wealth.com. Their company is on a mission to modernize estate planning. While most people recognize the need for an estate plan, the process is confusing, time-consuming, and inaccessible. Wealth.com is here to change that.
In this episode, the trio discusses:
- How the team came together to start Wealth.com
- How wealth.com works and what to expect
- The difference between them and your traditional estate planning.
- Reasons you should update your estate plan.
- Scenarios when estate planning needs to be done.
- and more!
In this episode Henry interviews, Founder of Valur, Mani Mahadevan. Valur is helping their customers reinvest their earnings pre-tax to grow nest eggs faster. With Valur, you can strategize, calculate the potential gains, and execute your plan — all in one seamless experience.
In this episode, Mani discusses:
- What led him to found Valur.
- The tax advantages that are frequently left out by everyday people.
- The complexity of navigating an exit.
- Why you should start today instead of waiting.
- Where you can find content to get started with Valur.
Henry interviews Founder and CEO Dana Dunford. Hemlane makes property management simple and easy. They offer rental listing management, local agent connection for property management, lease tracking, online rent collection, repair coordination, and even document storage.
In this episode, Dana discusses:
- How she started Hemlane
- How to take control of your retirement now and have a stable investment strategy that you have control over.
- How they've helped over 20,000 investors
- Why you should start today instead of waiting
- How they can help you build your real estate empire.
Henry interviews Trish Costello, Founder and CEO of Portfolia. Portfolia creates investment funds designed for women, backing innovative companies, for returns and impact. Trish and Portfolia are paving the way to empower women investors in the upcoming years and beyond. Portfolia is leading the most influential community of women investors in the world by building an engaging and educational investing process that can fit even the busiest schedule.
In this episode, Trish discusses:
- The planning that went into Portfolia and why she created the company
- How venture capital has changed over the decades
- The benefits of investing with Portfolia
- How their company is rebuilding VC culture
- The major benefit of being a fund participant
- The untapped $30 trillion dollars of wealth in the US over the next decade
In this week's episode, Henry interviews Nelson Chu, Founder and CEO of Percent. Percent helps investors find alternative investments that align with their portfolio objectives. They also provide access to private credit deals with transparent profiles and an easy-to-use platform. Founded in 2018, Percent is providing the infrastructure to help investors get as much deal flow as possible with the technology they're building.
In this episode, Nelson discusses:
- The planning that went into Percent before its launch
- The sophistication of the backend tools they have built
- What Private Credit is and where it is going
- Their ability to get a real-time look at investor sentiment
- Other asset classes vs. private credit
- The best way to get started in private credit investing
In this week's episode, Henry interviews Dave Thornton, CEO of Vested. Vested helps startup employees take charge of their earned equity. They also offer options funding with no out-of-pocket cost to their customers and tools that make understanding and valuing equity easier. Vested is changing the way we think of risk-adjusted VC access.
Listen in on this episode as Dave discusses:
- The broad set of diversification Vested features.
- His road to becoming CEO and an entrepreneur.
- How Vested is helping startup employees unlock their equity.
- How they are helping investors diversify into the alternative space.
- A normal market environment vs. the current environment.
- The opportunities of the nearing market.
In this week's episode, Henry interviews Troy Vosseller, Co-Founder of Gener8tor. Gener8tor strives to be the best partner for a community that creates wealth and jobs by investing in its best and brightest. Their team has garnered over $1.2B in funding for over 938 startups, recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and they have no plans of stopping anytime soon.
Listen in on this episode as Troy discusses:
- What led to starting Gener8tor.
- How they are changing the accelerator model.
- Starting a college t-shirt company that grew into a large brand.
- How he and his team are finding companies to invest in.
- The day-to-day of a CEO post covid and handling operations.
This episode is all about growth in alternative investing and changing the way we think about the current accelerator model.
In this week's episode, Henry interviews Hana Yang, Co-Founder of Allocate. A digital platform that is providing solutions specifically tailored to benefit investors of all types. Allocate’s digital platform makes it easy for investors to access, evaluate, and manage investments into highly curated venture funds and co-investments at industry-low minimums. With over 75 years of combined experience powering their team, it's no wonder Allocate continues to grow at such a rapid rate.
Listen in on this episode as Hana discusses:
- Her background and path to co-founder.
- How the business started.
- The opportunities Allocate offers.
- The Inner workings of Allocate's operations.
- The various reasons fund managers are turning to Allocate.
- & much more!
Hana's book recommendation: Essentialism by Greg Mckeown
Listen on Apple or Spotify
In this week's episode, we talk with Yuen Yung, Chief Executive Officer of Upside Avenue. Upside Avenue offers investors diversification with Multi-Housing Income REIT. Non-traded REIT stocks are offered to investors looking to invest in America's favorite asset class as an alternative, historically stable path to grow their wealth. They are helping the American public gain access to multi-housing and commercial properties through relatively low minimums. If you're interested in real estate, you will love this episode.
Listen in on this episode to hear about:
- How to be an investor alongside Yuen.
- Yuen's background and how he got to where he is today.
- The day-to-day structure between the Casoro Group, Upside Avenue, and Yuen's responsibilities.
- The challenges and triumphs of real estate in today's economy.
- The growth and income strategy behind real estate investing.
All of that and more in this episode!
In this week's episode, we talk with Steve Larsen, Senior Instructor at Interaxis and Co-Founder of PlannerDAO. Interaxis provides crypto education for financial planners. PlannerDAO is a decentralized community of financial advisors and the Certified Digital Asset Advisor designation. Through his Crypto for Planners consulting business, he helps Registered Investment Advisers establish cryptocurrency programs.
Listen in on this episode to hear about:
- Challenges the current market is facing.
- How Steve and his advisers assess a portfolio.
- How most advisers are implementing digital asset purchases.
- Why Steve started his company.
- The changing landscape of investment firms.
All of that and more in this week's episode!
In this week's episode, we go to our Office Hours where Henry answers questions submitted by you, our listeners. When speaking to our audience members, it becomes clear that many folks have similar questions about our accounts, alternative assets, and how a Rocket Dollar account can help you reach your retirement goals.
Have you ever thought about what happens when you contribute to a Roth IRA after you turn 59 1/2? What about some good place to park short-term cash in self-directed IRA accounts or what position should you start your portfolio at?
All of those questions are answered and more in this week's Office Hours.
In today's episode, Henry talks with Brian Dally CEO and Co-Founder of Groundfloor. Groundfloor offers short-term, high-yield real estate debt investments to the general public. Groundfloor believes everyone should be free to invest on their terms.
Listen in as Brian Talks about:
- His background and how he got to where he is today.
- What helped him shape his company.
- The benefits of diversifying into real estate.
- Groundfloor and their average returns of 10%.
- How he and his team are trying to help grow the US housing supply.
- & much more!
With the current state of the housing market, this is one episode you don't want to miss.
In this episode of Rocket Your Dollar, Henry talks with Andrew Luong, one of the Co-Founders of real estate investment startup, Doorvest is an entirely-online platform for owning income-producing real estate. They empower individuals to unlock homeownership, passive income, and equity by simplifying the process of buying and managing an investment property.
Listen in as Andrew tells about:
- How he and his co-founder came up with the concept for Doorvest
- His background and how he got to where he is now.
- The process behind Doorvest and its growth
- Some of the biggest challenges the Real Estate industry is facing today
- Launching new markets
- & More!
The real estate market has changed over the last few years and become increasingly difficult to navigate. It has also continued to grow and be a leading alternative asset in investors’ portfolios, and Doorvest makes the process of buying a rental home easier.
Prepare for launch.
Rick Sapio, co-founder and general partner of Mutual Capital Partners joins the podcast to discuss his philosophies of business and success.
In this special episode of Rocket Your Dollar, CEO Henry Yoshida hosts Michael Sigmore, Partner & Co-founder of Broadhaven Ventures where they discuss how culture as an asset brings the "alt alts" into mainstream investing with the help of growing infrastructure in niche trading platforms.
CEO of OneGold (and APMEX), Ken Lewis, shares how the modern platform provides a fast, easy, and cost-effective alternative to investing with precious metals and discusses the advantages of a Precious Metals IRA.
Texas commercial real estate expert and president of BV Capital, Rob Anderson, discusses the importance of investing in CRE for accredited investors.
Aaron Fragnito, Co-Founder of Peoples Capital Group discusses New Jersey syndication and shares why management is the most important factor in real estate.
Brandon Silveira, CEO of FarmFundr, shared how his farmer-based, farmer-started crowdfunding platform bridges the gap between the agricultural industry and investors.
Founder & CEO, Alan Donenfeld shares how CityVest, a top-tier real estate crowdfunding platform, is reinventing how people invest in real estate.
CEO of EquityDoor Clint Anderson has opened the door to all levels of investors to share real estate equity via crowdfunding.
Jason Urban, CEO of Drawbridge Group, has innovated a market & credit-based approach to crypto lending, creating a high level of versatility and yield within the asset.
President of Prospera Growth Fund, Kellen Jones, talks about the strengths of real estate as a tangible asset against the market and market volatility.
Realtor, Project Manager, and Connector Jonathan Mickles shares how networking & keeping relationships helped to connect the dots from project management to real estate.
Resources Mentioned:
- Rich Dad Poor Dad
- Mauricio Rauld video
- Project REAP
HJH Investments partner Ben Kogut talks frustrations with market volatility and how alternative assets like real estate are proving their long-term worth.
Scott Carson, President & CEO of We Close Notes discusses strategies in the note investment space and the importance of flexibility and resilience in down markets.
Resources Mentioned:
Free Book: noteblueprint.com/freebook
The Note Closers Show
Note Night In America
Bryan Ellis, CEO of SelfDirected.org, talks about becoming a ninja-level investor and the overwhelming tax benefits that follow.
Kim Wilkin from The Abundant Traveler shares how she made real estate investing her career which allows her the financial freedom to travel the world.
John Nance, President & CIO of Deal Box, Inc. shares the future of online crowdfunding and how issuing securities on a blockchain increases the efficiency of transferability which enhances transparency and liquidity.
Compassionate Capitalist Karen Rands shares how access to capital has changed when it comes to investing in entrepreneurs, who are at the core of wealth creation. Choosing to direct funds into entrepreneur endeavors brings innovation, jobs, and wealth to the market, giving the investor a double impact in the way their money is used.
The investment space is always shifting. Now, in 2020, there are countless options for investors. There's new tools, new processes, new technology. So what's stopping people from utilizing these and reaching higher-quality financing? Well, some don't know how and others don't know they exist. That's why Blake Janover, Founder & CEO of Janover Ventures, provides the education the market lacks, making information and financial instruments accessible to everyone. He shares the importance of education in businesses as it creates market share.
We talk a lot about financial fitness and financial goals, but we don't talk about our physical health and fitness. Some would say staying physically healthy is important if you plan on enjoying your financial planning down the road. Adam Pecoraro is a fitness coach and an online-based entrepreneur that works with startup and finance employees to help them prioritize fitness among their busy schedules.
How do you think farmland (the NCREIF Farmland Index) performed during the last great financial crisis, the recession of 2008/09? Artem Milinchuk, Founder and CEO of FarmTogether, knows farmland was up 23% from Q4 2007 to Q4 2009. At FarmTogether, Artem and his team are democratizing farmland for investors because finding high-yield in asset-based alternatives that are not correlated to the US financial market. can be challenging
A self-directed account can be used for is hard money lending and private money brokering. Patrick St.Cin is a private money broker, hard money lender at REI Capital, and a Rocket Dollar customer. He shares how he uses his Rocket Dollar account to execute his business.
Two years ago, if you wanted to learn about stocks, bonds, currencies, commodities, you'd go on Google, and you've got a bunch of different ways to learn about them. However, if you wanted to learn about cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, or blockchain you'd have to go to Reddit or Twitter. Jason Yanowitz, Co-Founder at BlockWorks Group, ties together digital assets with traditional finances in a responsible way and educates organizations how they can too.
Why are people more comfortable discussing religion, politics, and personal lives as opposed to their finances? Lewis Weil, the founder of Money Positive, is trying to change that notion with his financial planning company.
What does social good mean? For Elizabeth Quintanilla, it means asking herself how she can lift generations and especially aspiring business people. That is the responsibility she takes on as a self-directed real estate investor.
Surprise! Rocket Dollar has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Republic.co, join us as we give you an inside look into our startup's growth. Our guest, Brooke Borden, Rocket Dollar's VP of Finance and Strategy, will also be discussing the benefits of crowdfunding and how to do it with a Self-Directed IRA or Solo 401(k).
Money is personal, and technology is a compliment to the role a human can play when it comes to finances. Brian Thorp started wealthtender, an online platform with the mission to help people achieve their financial goals in a community environment with a personal touch.
Decentralized finance (DeFi) can be complicated to understand for the everyday investor and seems to be growing in popularity in financial discussions. That's why we brought on Adam Blumberg, CFP® and Co-founder of Interaxis.io, to compare traditional finance to decentralized finance and explain how DeFi can affect your wallet, your economy, and your financial plans.
Matt Silk lived the entrepreneur's dream: he hustled and built his startup in San Francisco, scaled it, and sold it. He moved to Austin and took his entrepreneur experience and used it to start angel investing and real estate investing locally. Here's how he did it and what he looks for in his investments.
What if there was a platform that aggregated all the crowdfunding deals that are available to you and that you can filter out the noise and find the deals that matter the most to you. Meet Chris Lustrino, Founder and CEO of KingsCrowd, equity crowdfunding's #1 independent rating service.
Technological innovation is popular when it comes to financial products. But it only works if the tech is solving the right pain point. Michael Panzarella is a senior fintech leader, a passionate believer in financial inclusion through modern banking services, and a Rocket Dollar customer. He weighs in on how innovators can ask the right questions and answer with a tech product that eases their customers' pain points
Women get less than 2% of all financing, whether it be from the VC community or whether it be traditional financing. Dr.Roshawnna Novellus, Co-founder and CEO of EnrichHer, decided she must do something about this especially because women build new companies in the US at a rate of over 1,800 per day. Now with EnrichHer, the FINRA approved debt-based crowdfunding platform, she's making a difference in female founders' lives everywhere.
Retiring soon? Just getting out of college? Regardless of who you are, you need the money that you can count on being there when you need it. Teresa Kuhn, Founder and CEO of Living Wealthy Financial Group, lives and works by the philosophy of a safe money strategy and shares how she applies it to herself and her clients' lives.
A younger generation is starting to invest, Alec Chapman, Owner of Blockchain Capital, shares his perspective and successes when it comes to real estate investing.
Before Rocket Dollar, Thomas Young, the host of Rocket Your Dollar, was an avid freelancer. He shares his self-employed experience and explains why the Self-Directed Solo 401(k) is a product made for the freelancer that wants unlimited investment flexibility and a nest egg to retire with.
Before you invest in a small business or a startup, whether it's your money or time, taking a look at their culture is essential. Leo Ramirez, Jr., CEO and Co-founder of Encast ™, Inc specializes in revolutionizing workplace culture and helps businesses drive engagement and productivity, retain talent, enhance community impact, and improve customer experiences.
Take a deep dive into what it's like to work in the venture capital industry and invest in crowdfunding using a Self-Directed account. Brooke Borden, CFO at Rocket Dollar, with 20+ years of experience in banking and finance shares his Self-Directed investing journey.
Imagine your ROI if you had invested early in Apple or Starbucks...now imagine that ROI in a tax-advantaged account. That's the appeal of angel investing with a Self-Directed account. Chris Palmisano, COO/CRO and board member at Rocket Dollar, shares his passion for angel investing, as well as his strategy to investing in startups.
When it comes to real estate there are many assets to choose from, our guest today Paul Roger's ( as seen on Oprah) is choosing senior living for his latest real estate investment and shares why on this episode. Rogers invests in real estate, has his own fitness business and also mentors real estate agents and investors who want to take it to the next level. Use the code SMARTSENIORLIVING19 for $100 off of a Rocket Dollar account.
Dan Kryzanowski hosts Marc Rankin, a Principal at Adventum Funds & Advisory, a women and minority-led investment management firm focused on investing in growing companies en route to investing in real estate. Marc shares Adventum Funds formula to mitigating of risk and maximizing of profit in an individual's portfolio. Long gone are the days of 60/40.
Special bonus episode in honor of Rocket Dollar Gold being launched this October. Rocket Dollar Gold is taking self-directed investing to another level by packaging a checkbook and debit card with the purchase of a Gold Self-Directed IRA or Solo 401(k). Listen in as Thomas goes over all the features of Rocket Dollar Gold in this short episode of Rocket Your Dollar.
Market volatility doesn't have to be scary if you implement the dollar-cost averaging strategy. In this episode, Rick Dude, Rocket Dollar CTO, and Thomas Young, Rocket Dollar VP Marketing, discuss offsetting market gyrations with simple actionable strategies.
Take a peek behind the curtain at Rocket Dollar with Joe Won, Client Success Manager. Joe ensures every Rocket Dollar client gets their account open and funded as smoothly as possible. He walks our customers from start to finish and uses his 20+ years of financial experience to improve our clients' successes.
Mark Peck, Director of Business Development at Rocket Dollar and cryptocurrency investor, gives a brief overview of the benefits of crypto in a tax-advantaged account and explains the allure of crypto.
Dan Kryzanowski is Rocket Dollar's real estate expert, storage king, and EVP of Marketing and Business Development. Dan shares how he has used his Self-Directed IRA to invest in real estate and why it's his go-to alternative asset.
Rick Dude, Co-founder and CTO at Rocket Dollar, shares his initial experience trying to open a Self-Directed account the hard way and how it drove him to co-found and work at Rocket Dollar. Thomas and Rick discuss what the Self-Directed account opening process was like before Rocket Dollar and how Rocket Dollar has taken the pain out of Self-Directed investing.
For individuals with self-employment income, the Self-Directed Solo 401(k) is the premier retirement account available today. Secure your retirement with unlimited investment options, high contribution limits, and ultimate flexibility.
A Self-Directed IRA offers unparalleled flexibility and choice for retirement investors. Discover how a Rocket Dollar Self-Directed IRA is structured and why it's legal to invest your IRA in alternatives. Also, learn the IRS laws for these accounts like contribution limits, do's and don'ts of investing.
Thomas breaks down the tax advantages of a Self-Directed retirement account with real numbers. He also shares some research about the success of Yale endowment being invested in alternatives and why it could apply to any Self-Directed investor in today’s alternative asset market.
If Self-Directed investing can really lead to financial independence then why haven’t you heard of it? Investing with a Self-Directed IRA is a growing trend among everyday investors, but there are three reasons why you’ve rarely heard of the many investment opportunities that can be made through self-directed retirement accounts.