Pocket-Sized Financial Planning: Monitoring Your Money Vitals

What Does “Pocket-sized” Financial Planning Really Mean?

Ever wondered what your financial vital signs would look like? Just as doctors monitor your heart rate and blood pressure, certified financial planner Jason Taylor has created an innovative system that tracks the pulse of your money through a pocket-sized app. Gone are the days of intimidating binders and complex spreadsheets – financial planning now fits comfortably in your pocket and actually makes sense.

The MyPocketFP approach transforms abstract financial concepts into measurable indicators anyone can understand. By checking these vitals weekly, users witness their progress in real-time, creating powerful motivation through visible results. Imagine the satisfaction of watching your debt percentage steadily decrease or your retirement savings consistently grow! This visual feedback creates psychological incentives to maintain positive financial behaviors without the overwhelm of traditional methods.

What makes this system truly revolutionary is its tiered approach to personalization. Starting with essential cash flow planning (deliberately avoiding the trauma-inducing word "budget"), the platform scales to match your financial complexity. The base level handles fundamentals like W-4 completion and 401(k) setup, while advanced tiers offer sophisticated tax planning and business strategies. This hybrid system balances automated calculations with personalized guidance, providing comprehensive coverage across taxes, insurance, retirement, and investments. While perfect for routine financial decisions, Jason honestly acknowledges that major life transitions still benefit from professional input – a refreshing perspective in today's tech-focused world.

Ready to transform your relationship with money? Download the MyPocketFP app today and discover how small monthly changes can create massive positive shifts in your financial endgame. Your financial planner is now officially pocket-sized and doesn't charge by the hour!

To learn more about MyPocketFP visit:
https://www.MyPocketFP.com
MyPocketFP

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to my Pocket FP, the podcast where your
wallet finally meets itsfinancial planner and they
actually get along.
Join your host, jason Taylor,certified financial planner,
money mentor and your guide tofinancial freedom.
Whether you're planning forretirement or just trying to

(00:24):
figure out where all your moneywent last weekend, we've got you
covered.
Get ready to take control ofyour financial life with smart
tips, surprising insights andyes, an app that fits right in
your pocket.
This is my Pocket FP, becauseyour future deserves more than
guesswork.

Speaker 2 (00:52):
Forget the spreadsheets and binders.
Financial planning just got awhole lot lighter.
In this episode, Jason breaksdown what pocket size really
means and how it's changing theway we manage money on the go.
Welcome back everyone.
I'm Millie M, co-host andproducer, back in the studio
with Jason Taylor, certifiedfinancial planner and creator of
my Pocket FB.
How's it going, Jason?

Speaker 3 (01:12):
Going well.
Thanks, Millie.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
Awesome.
I'm looking forward to learningmore about this one, because if
financial planning can fit inmy pocket, I'm officially out of
excuses.
What does pocket-sizedfinancial planning really mean
officially?

Speaker 3 (01:25):
out of excuses.
What does pocket-sizedfinancial planning really mean?
Well, basically, we take theidea of monitoring your
financial vitals, a lot like adoctor does.
They measure your heart rateand different aspects of your
health.
We do the same thing withfinance and pocket-sized it's
within an app, so it can be onyour phone and you can watch the
measurements of your financialvitals.
I wouldn't necessarily want youto do it day by day, but

(01:48):
definitely once a week.
Take a look and see how it'sdoing.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
So how does pocket size planning help people like
myself who feel overwhelmed bytraditional methods?

Speaker 3 (02:01):
That's really why we're focusing on this app,
because it measures those vitalsand you can make small changes
and they can make a bigdifference in the long run.
So if you just kind of monitorit and watch, you know, say,
like your debt going down, itcan motivate you to even pay it
down even more.
So that's one of the things wemonitor is debt rate, and by
monitoring it, you know peoplecan watch it go down and get

(02:22):
excited, or see it go up and getmotivated to reverse it.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
So is pocket-sized planning.
Is it supposed to becomprehensive or more of a
starting point?

Speaker 3 (02:34):
It is comprehensive.
We look at everything fromtaxes to insurance to retirement
and investments.
We look at everything.
So it's pretty comprehensivefor most people.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
And how do you balance the simplicity of the
vital sign concept withpersonalization?
Because you know everybody'slife situation is different and
they really need their financialplanning personalized just for
them.
So how?

Speaker 3 (03:02):
do you?

Speaker 2 (03:02):
balance those two.

Speaker 3 (03:03):
Yeah, well, the main balance is we have different
levels.
The base level is helpingpeople fill out their W-4s basic
questions on how to set up a401k, just getting started, type
of things and then the nextlevel is a little more advanced,
with some tax planning forpeople who have tax issues, and
the higher up level has evenmore tax help and looks into how

(03:27):
to have business savings andthings like that.
So each level has a little morepersonalization necessary for
it.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
Would you say these levels are based on income level
.
As your income goes up, yourlevel goes up.

Speaker 3 (03:43):
Not necessarily.
It's more complexity whichactually comes with income.
So it's they almost go hand inhand, but it's not exact.

Speaker 2 (03:53):
Okay, what role do you think technology or would
you say technology plays infinancial planning as a whole
and making it mobile andintuitive, in helping people?

Speaker 3 (04:04):
You know, I I struggle because I make, because
I think it makes it too easyfor people and they take the
wrong information.
And you know, like Wikipediaand Investopedia and those
things, they have informationbut not necessarily for every
person, and that's why we wantto individualize a little kind
of, have a hybrid system betweensome things are automated, like
the calculation of thedifferent elements and the rates

(04:28):
, and whereas they might havemore personalized questions that
are necessary.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
Makes sense, makes sense.
So, for someone just startingout, what's the first step to
making their financial life fitin their pocket?
How can they so you?

Speaker 3 (04:44):
know it's funny you say just starting out, but not
necessarily just starting in.
You know working, it's reallyfocusing on your finances and
I'd say step one for everyone iswhat everybody loves.
You know the budget and we trynot to use the name budget.
Yeah, cashflow plan.
You know different namesbecause the word budget just.

Speaker 1 (05:07):
I saw your eyes light up when you heard that.

Speaker 2 (05:10):
I'm glad that word brings me trauma.

Speaker 3 (05:14):
That is step one.
So we do.
Cash flow planning is step oneand on our website it'll walk
you through the process.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
Okay, and one last question what kinds of decisions
can someone confidently makeusing this pocket-sized method?
Is it for all decisions,investing and home purchasing?
Talk to us about the decisionsthat people can feel more
confident making by using yourmethod.

Speaker 3 (05:42):
Right, the stuff that does not need the financial
plan behind it.
You can calculate how much toinvest, how much to save.
Things like that can beautomatically kind of planned by
the person.
But the bigger things, like howto plan for education and we
just had a baby, now what?
Just got married, now what,those big life moments you

(06:03):
really need a little morepersonal touch than just, you
know, ai or some app.

Speaker 2 (06:13):
Yes, you definitely have to balance that simplicity,
like I said, with thepersonalization.
You can't oversimplify yourfinances and what I learned is
that, like a flat budget,doesn't even work from month to
month because in August butSeptember is my birthday month,
so I might go all out.

Speaker 1 (06:30):
So happy birthday yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:34):
But even with that cashflow planning you definitely
have to look ahead from monthto month and adjust for those
changes.
So thank you so much, jason,for unpacking that Turns out.
Pocket size doesn't mean smallimpact Exactly Appreciate your
insight.

Speaker 1 (06:46):
Thank you, appreciate your insight.

Speaker 2 (06:49):
Thank you, appreciate your insights.
We'll see you on the nextepisode of my Pocket FP.
Sounds good.

Speaker 1 (06:57):
Thanks for tuning in to my Pocket FP, where we
believe small monthly changescan make big positive changes in
your financial endgame.
If you're ready to level upyour money game, head over to
MyPocketFPcom and download theapp today.
Your financial planner is nowofficially pocket-sized and
doesn't charge by the hour Untilnext time.

(07:20):
Keep your goals high, your debtlow and your's smart.