Real Money Pros

Higher bond yields can look attractive to investors seeking income, but they also come with a tradeoff: when market yields rise, the prices of existing bonds generally fall. So what does that mean if you're already holding bonds, particularly as you approach or enter retirement?

In the first hour of the show, Jeremiah runs solo to break down the relationship between bond prices and yields using a straightforward example of a $1,000...

Selling a business isn't one decision. It's a process that can begin years before the transaction actually closes.

Jeremiah Bates and Nic Daniels are joined by Jeff Szczypinski of WR Valuations to walk through that process, from establishing what a business is worth and identifying what could improve its value to dealing with buyers, due diligence, deal structure, taxes, and the eventual closing.

They also look at the sale from the...

A financial decision can make perfect sense on its own and still create an unexpected consequence somewhere else.

This week, Jeremiah and Nic look at that tax domino effect through situations they're dealing with in actual planning. A rental property is sold for needed liquidity, but the capital gain could affect the owner's wife's ACA health insurance subsidy. A Roth conversion could improve the long-term tax picture while increas...

Private markets have historically been dominated by pensions, endowments and other large institutional investors. But as access expands, individual investors are increasingly encountering private equity, private credit and other investments outside the traditional public markets.

This week, Jeremiah Bates and Alex Lundgren are joined by Christian McCormick, CFA, Head of Client Portfolio Management at Meketa Capital, for a three-hou...

Treasury yields are rising, but what does that actually mean for your money?

Nic dives even deeper into what a Treasury yield is, why bond prices and yields move in opposite directions, and why higher yields can affect more than just the bond market. From stock valuations and cash yields to mortgage rates and retirement income, changes in interest rates can work their way into several parts of a financial plan.

The bigger question ...

Selling a business can be one of the biggest financial events of an owner's life, but getting a good deal takes more than simply finding a buyer.

This week, Jeremiah Bates is joined by Rob Wolfe, Managing Director at Apollon Wealth Management, to discuss what makes a business attractive to potential buyers and how owners can prepare years before an exit. They cover the difference between owning a practice, a business and an enterpr...

What do rising Treasury yields actually mean for your portfolio, and should market volatility change the way you're investing?

This week, Nic Daniels and Alex Lundgren start with September market volatility, rising Treasury yields and the relationship between bond prices and yields, while explaining why investors should be careful about making long-term portfolio decisions based on elections, geopolitical events or short-term marke...

Your retirement projection is green. The Monte Carlo analysis shows a 95% probability of success. Everything looks good. So what could still go wrong?

A retirement plan is only as good as the assumptions behind it—and real life rarely follows those assumptions perfectly.

In this episode, we look beyond investment returns at some of the risks that can change an otherwise strong retirement plan: long-term care, the early death ...

What does financial planning actually mean beyond managing an investment portfolio?

Jeremiah Bates and Nic Daniels are joined by Bob Ruelle, Senior Vice President of Financial Planning at Apollon Wealth Management, to walk through how an experienced planner approaches a client's entire financial picture. Bob explains why good planning starts with understanding a person's goals, lifestyle, concerns and priorities before recommending...

Estate planning is often built around a familiar structure: your spouse makes decisions for you, your children eventually inherit your assets, and a responsible family member serves as executor or trustee.

But what happens when you don't have children—or an obvious person to fill those roles?

In this episode, we discuss how estate planning changes when there aren't default answers. Who should make financial or healthcare deci...

Brian Wiley and Alexandra Lundgren are joined by Eric Sterner, Chief Investment Officer at Apollon Wealth Management, for an extended conversation on portfolio strategy and where he sees opportunities developing across the investment landscape.

Eric discusses why the AI investment story extends well beyond technology stocks, with potential beneficiaries across healthcare, utilities, industrials, materials and the infrastructure nee...

You need cash for a major purchase or investment opportunity. You could sell appreciated investments and potentially trigger capital gains taxes—or borrow the money and leave your investments alone.

Borrowing can sound like the obvious choice. After all, loan proceeds generally aren't taxable income. But what happens when it's time to pay the loan back?

In this episode, Nic breaks down the planning behind selling investm...

The financial world looks very different than it did just a few years ago. Brian Wiley is joined by Steve Cilley of Ataraxis PEO for a wide-ranging conversation about how changes in technology, the workplace, housing, and the economy are reshaping the way people build and protect wealth.

The show begins by looking back at the...

Where you invest your money is only part of the equation. Which accounts hold those investments, how they're taxed, and where you eventually take income from can have just as much impact on your financial plan.

Brian Wiley and Jeremiah Bates begin with a listener looking for conservative retirement income, breaking down Treasury bills, notes and bonds, buying at auction versus the secondary market, bond ladders, CDs, annuities, int...

For many entrepreneurs, their business is their largest financial asset, but very few know what it's actually worth or what it takes to maximize its value before an exit.

This week, our team is joined by Jeff Szczypinski of WR Valuation for an in-depth discussion on business valuations and why they're about much more than determining a sale price. They explain how valuations support retirement planning, succession planning, estate ...

Selling a business is one of the largest financial events many entrepreneurs will ever experience... But most owners spend years building their company without spending nearly enough time planning how they'll eventually leave it.

Jeremiah and Nic discuss why successful business exits begin long before a purchase offer arri...

Owning an annuity you no longer like does not automatically mean surrendering it is the right decision.

Nic has the discussion of how to evaluate an annuity that no longer seems to fit your retirement plan. He walks through the reasons investors become dissatisfied with their contracts, the questions to ask before making a change, and the different options that may be available.&nbs...

Retirement taxes are rarely as simple as people expect, and making the wrong withdrawal at the wrong time can have consequences far beyond your tax bill.

In our first hour, Jeremiah Bates and Alex Lundgren explain how IRA withdrawals, pensions, Social Security, brokerage accounts, Medicare IRMAA surcharges, and capital gains work together to shape your lifetime tax picture. They discuss why major purchases, home remodels, and other...

Whether you're starting a business, growing one, or preparing to exit, the financial decisions you make today can have long-term tax and estate planning consequences.

In Hour 1, Brian Wiley and Jeremiah Bates explain the differences between LLCs and S Corporations, when an S Corp election may make sense, how business structure affects taxes and liability, and why business owners should coordinate their entity planning with their es...