Money Matters by Allworth Financial

How do you make smart financial decisions after you've already built significant wealth?

In this week's episode of Allworth's Money Matters, Scott and Pat help a retired couple with an $11 million portfolio evaluate Roth conversions, estate planning, charitable giving, and strategies to improve tax efficiency. Then they speak with a 52-year-old listener navigating uncertainty in the alcohol industry while balancing retirement savin...

After decades of saving and investing, how do you know when it’s okay to truly enjoy your money?

In this episode of Money Matters, Scott and Pat help a couple with nearly $8 million determine how much home they can comfortably afford after relocating to Florida, while another listener with more than $12 million asks whether Roth conversions still make sense given today’s tax rules and retirement tax planning environment...

Why do so many successful investors struggle to actually enjoy the wealth they’ve built? In this Memorial Day weekend episode of Allworth’s Money Matters, Scott and Pat talk with UCLA professor and behavioral expert Hal Hershfield and explore the emotional side of money, retirement, and investing.

From fear of running out of money to recency bias and loss aversion, this episode dives deep into the hidden psychological f...

When it comes to investing, the most important decisions aren’t made in theory—they happen in real life. In this episode of Allworth’s Money Matters, Scott and Pat answer real listener calls and break down how smart investing decisions actually play out.

Martha, a 79-year-old retiree with $4–5 million, considers a complex investing strategy involving direct indexing to generate tax losses and improve tax eff...

A good financial plan isn’t just about retirement—it’s about how all the pieces of your financial life fit together. In this episode of Money Matters, Scott and Pat talk with a caller who already has about $2 million and expects a much larger inheritance—but still struggles to spend any of it. They walk through why that happens and how a financial plan can help ease into actually using the money.

They also t...

If you’ve built significant wealth, knowing how to reduce taxes in retirement can have a major impact on what you keep—and what your kids ultimately receive. In this episode, Scott and Pat walk through two real-life situations: one caller facing large tax exposure from millions in pre-tax accounts, and another trying to make sure their children don’t quickly spend an inheritance.  Along the way, they also tou...

This episode of Money Matters explores advanced tax strategies that go beyond traditional investing to help high earners and retirees maximize efficiency, reduce taxes, and create smarter, more tax-efficient income streams.

With Pat out this week, Scott and Allworth advisor Mark Shone break down how strategies like direct indexing, long/short investing, and tax-loss harvesting can unlock new opportunities—especially for those...

How do you manage a concentrated stock position without getting crushed by taxes? In this episode of Money Matters, Scott is joined by Allworth advisor Mark Shone, who steps in while Pat is away to break down smart, tax-efficient strategies for handling highly appreciated stock positions. They use a real-life case of a recent retiree with nearly $2 million in Apple stock to explore how to reduce risk, diversify, and balance income ...

For many investors, the big question is whether $5 million is enough to retire—and this real-life case study shows how to answer it. With Pat out this week, Scott is joined by Allworth advisor Mark Shone to walk through a $5–6 million household navigating retirement while raising kids, funding college, and managing a second marriage. Scott and Mark break down what really matters when asking if you can retire with $5 mil...

In this episode of Money Matters, Scott and Pat react to a listener being pitched a complex direct indexing strategy using margin, while another wrestles with whether setting up trusts for their grandchildren is worth the hassle—breaking down what actually adds value and what doesn’t.

They expand into tax strategies for larger portfolios, including when more sophisticated approaches create more cost and complexity than ...

In this episode of Money Matters, Scott and Pat take calls from high-income listeners facing real financial crossroads—from deciding whether to return to work to navigating major portfolio and tax decisions. Along the way, they break down when a Roth conversion strategy makes sense, how taxes impact big financial decisions, and why timing and sequencing can have a long-term effect on wealth.

The conversation also covers portf...

In this episode of Money Matters, Scott and Pat break down real-world tax strategies for high net worth investors dealing with multi-million dollar IRAs, brokerage accounts, and rising future tax liabilities. They walk through detailed listener cases—including a couple with over $18 million in assets trying to minimize RMD taxes, IRMAA surcharges, and legacy tax burdens—while sharing actionable tax strategies for high n...

In this episode of Money Matters, Scott and Pat break down smart Roth conversion strategies for retirees who want to reduce lifetime taxes, manage future RMDs, and avoid costly bracket mistakes. A caller with $4+ million asks how much to convert each year — and whether moving IRA withdrawals into a brokerage account makes sense as part of a long-term Roth conversion plan.

They also discuss direct indexing, including how it wo...

In this episode of Money Matters, Scott and Pat unpack why tax diversification is one of the most overlooked strategies in retirement planning. From a 70-year-old investor with $3.6 million mostly in traditional IRAs to a 55-year-old looking to retire early and start Roth conversions, they explore how tax diversification can help reduce lifetime taxes and create flexibility in retirement income.

You’ll hear discussions about:

In this episode of Money Matters, Scott and Pat walk through smart decisions around Roth vs. pre-tax savings, pension lump sums, and when it actually makes sense to use your HSA. They help a high-earning family think through life insurance gaps and special needs planning, guide a soon-to-be retiree through a $1 million pension decision, and revisit a multi-million-dollar couple debating whether to spend or preserve a large HSA. Fro...

Taxes can quietly shape some of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make — from choosing how to take a pension to deciding how to leave money to your heirs. On this week’s Money Matters, Scott and Pat take calls from listeners working through those exact issues. One caller is weighing a pension lump sum against monthly payments, and the tax consequences of that decision become central to the conversation. ...

In this episode of Money Matters, Scott and Pat take calls from high-net-worth listeners who uncover the same wealthy tax mistake, despite very different financial situations. From retirees with most of their money in IRAs to investors weighing Roth conversions and income strategies, the conversations show how easy it is to pay more in taxes than expected. They explain how this wealthy tax mistake often comes from tax-deferred conc...

In this episode of Money Matters, Scott and Pat answer listener questions and explain when Roth conversions make sense, when they don’t, and how taxes, IRMAA Medicare surcharges, and market volatility can change retirement outcomes. They discuss strategic gifting to adult children, helping fund Roth IRAs, 401(k)s, and HSAs without killing motivation, and walk through a real call from a retired teacher debating whether convert...

In this episode of Money Matters, Scott and Pat break down a big shift for higher earners: the new 401(k) Roth rule that changes how catch-up contributions work. If you’re over 50 and earning a solid income, this could seriously affect your retirement plan.

They also cover smarter tax strategies and take listener calls. A recent retiree wonders if buying a rental property makes sense. Then, Scott and Pat help a man from Virgi...