Dollars&Sense Nelson Financial Planning

Dollars&Sense Nelson Financial Planning

💵 About Dollars & Sense: 💵 Hosted by Joel Garris, a Certified Financial Planner and Fiduciary at Nelson Financial Planning, Dollars & Sense is one of Central Florida’s longest-running radio programs and a top 25 financial planning podcast. Each week, Joel and his team provide expert insights to help you make sense of all your financial decisions. 💥 Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an update. 👉 Visit our website: NelsonFinancialPlanning.com for more resources and to connect with our team of Certified Financial Fiduciaries. About Joel Garris: Joel Garris is a Certified Financial Planner and Fiduciary at Nelson Financial Planning. He’s dedicated to providing comprehensive financial advice to help you achieve your retirement goals. With a team of expert advisors, Nelson Financial Planning is committed to delivering personalized and effective retirement and financial planning solutions. Offering securities through Nelson Ivest Brokerage Services, Inc, Member FINRA, MSRB & SIPC. Advisory services through Nelson Advisory Services, Inc., a State of Florida registered investment advisor. Please note that these broadcasts are intended for general informational purposes only as individual situations may vary. The views expressed are those of the speaker and are subject to change at any time. Statements made should not be relied upon as a recommendation or solicitation. When discussed, past performance is no guarantee or indication of future results.

Episodes

October 19, 2026 • 38 mins
What happens when retirement arrives earlier than planned—and how should you respond without making rushed, irreversible decisions? 

In this episode of Dollars & Sense, Joel Garris  discusses the financial checklist for an unexpected retirement, including cash flow, emergency reserves, health coverage, taxes, Social Security, retirement-account rollovers, and investment allocation. 

You’...
  • Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    Trump Accounts are changing, AI stocks are surging, and markets are reaching all-time highs. What do these developments mean for families, investors, and retirees?

    In this episode of Dollars and Sense, Chet Cowart and Kristin Kalley discuss:
    • New Trump Account auto-enrollment and individual-stock donations
    • Potential benefits, concentration risks, and concerns for parents
    • Whether AI earnings support today’s market e...
    Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    What does your health portfolio have to do with your financial future? More than you may think.
    In this episode of Dollars & Sense, Joel Garris of Nelson Financial Planning walks through three timely conversations that can affect your retirement, your family, and your investment decisions.

    First, Joel discusses why retirement planning is about more than account balances. A strong financial portfolio matters, but so do...
  • Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    What should you do if your bank account gets hacked—and why are rising interest rates causing so much confusion in the bond market? 

    In this episode of Dollars & Sense, Joel Garris and Chet Cowart walk through practical steps to take if you discover suspicious activity in your bank account, including how to contact your bank safely, document fraudulent transactions, secure connected accounts, update passwords,...
    Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    AI is everywhere in the headlines right now—and some of the smartest people in technology are warning that artificial intelligence could pose serious risks to humanity. But is this truly the beginning of the end, or are we seeing another round of fear that often comes with major technological change? 
    In this episode of Dollars and Sense, Joel Garris of Nelson Financial Planning takes a thoughtful, practical look at t...
    Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    In this episode of Dollars & Sense, Kristin Kalley and Christina Lamb discuss three important financial topics that can impact families, couples, and investors.

    First, they unpack why the phrase “he handles it” can create financial vulnerability in a marriage—and what both spouses should know about accounts, beneficiaries, credit, estate documents, and household finances before a crisis happens.

    ...
    Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    Interest rates, inflation, investing, and charitable giving may seem like separate financial topics—but they all come back to one important idea: having a plan. In this episode of Dollars & Sense, Joel  breaks down how changing interest rates can affect borrowers, savers, bond investors, retirees, and anyone trying to make smart decisions with their money. 

    Joel also explains why waiting for the “pe...
    Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    The U.S. national debt has crossed $40 trillion — but what does that actually mean for everyday Americans? In this episode of Dollars & Sense, Joel Garris and Zach Keister of Nelson Financial Planning break down the headlines in plain English and explain why the debt conversation is important, but not necessarily a reason to panic.

    They also discuss one of the most common retirement planning questions: How much can...
  • Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    In this episode of Dollars & Sense, Joel Garris of Nelson Financial Planning discusses three important topics that can affect your financial life: knowing your income numbers, understanding the risks of financial advice on TikTok, and preparing for the responsibilities of caregiving.

    Joel begins by explaining why retirees and those over age 65 need to pay close attention to income thresholds that may affect Medicare cost...
  • Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    In this episode of Dollars & Sense, Rob Field and Joel Garris discuss how everyday financial decisions are shaped by both market conditions and personal money habits. They break down the latest market themes, including record highs, corporate earnings, interest rates, inflation, and why investors should review their portfolios even when things seem optimistic.

    Rob and Joel also explore how mindset and behavior can i...
    Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    Retirement planning is about more than simply saving enough money. In this episode of Dollars and Cents, Joel Garris breaks down several important issues retirees and pre-retirees should understand before making major financial decisions.

    First, Joel discusses the continued surge in annuity sales and why investors should be cautious before signing a long-term insurance contract. With record amounts of money flowing into annu...
    Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    Major student loan repayment changes are here, and borrowers on the SAVE Plan may have only 90 days after receiving their notice to choose a new repayment option. In this episode of Dollars & Sense, Chet Cowart and Kristin Kalley break down what happened to the SAVE Plan, why doing nothing could automatically move borrowers into a Tiered Standard Repayment Plan, and how that choice could affect monthly payments, ...
  • Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    In this episode of Dollars & Sense, Joel Garris of Nelson Financial Planning breaks down three timely money topics that can impact everyday financial decisions. First, he looks at the Bilt card and whether earning rewards on rent is really worth it—or whether the credit card risks outweigh the marketing hook.

    Then, Joel explains key Florida Retirement System choices, including the Pension Plan, Investment...
    Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    The One Big Beautiful Bill has been in effect for a year — but are taxpayers actually seeing the benefits? In this episode of Dollars & Sense, Joel Garris and Christina Lamb break down the latest tax changes, including larger standard deductions, new rules for tips and overtime, the senior deduction, charitable giving updates, and the expanded SALT deduction. 

    They also explain the newly launched Tru...
    Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    Summer is the perfect time to pause, reset, and make sure your money is still working for you. In this episode of Dollars & Sense, Zach Keister and Kristin Kalley walk through practical midyear money moves that can help you review your financial goals, get organized, and protect your household from costly mistakes. 

    First, they cover how to run a simple midyear money reset by reviewing what came in, what went out, w...
    Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    Is Social Security really running out? And if changes are coming, what should you be doing now to prepare for retirement? 

    In this episode of Dollars & Sense, Rob Field and Chet Cowart of Nelson Financial Planning break down the latest Social Security Trustees Report and explain what it may mean for future retirees. They discuss why Social Security is not expected to disappear entirely, what could happen if no ...
  • Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    In this episode of Dollars & Sense, Joel Garris of Nelson Financial Planning covers a packed lineup of financial topics—from market volatility and index changes to summer travel planning and a potentially significant tax refund opportunity.

    First, Joel discusses the recent uptick in market volatility, including how AI-related spending, semiconductor stocks, and market concentration are affecting investor conversati...
  • Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    As parents, it’s natural to want to help your children—especially when they’re facing financial challenges. But when that support becomes open-ended, it can create serious risks for your retirement, your emergency fund, your credit, and even your family relationships.

    In this episode of Dollars and Sense, Joel and Zach discuss five ways helping adult children can unintentionally hurt your retirement plan. T...
  • Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    In this episode, we look at three forces that can shape—or sabotage—an investor’s long-term success: exciting investment stories, nonstop financial headlines, and everyday money habits. 

    From the hype around companies like SpaceX to the emotional pull of market news, we discuss why compelling stories and breaking headlines don’t always translate into smart portfolio decisions. We also explore the...
    Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played
    Are today’s market highs a sign of strength—or a reason for caution? In this episode of Dollars & Sense, Joel Garris breaks down what investors should pay attention to as stocks sit near record levels, inflation remains sticky, and interest rate uncertainty continues to shape the financial landscape.

    Joel also tackles one of the biggest quiet risks in personal finance right now: holding too much cash. While c...
    Listen
    Watch
    Mark as Played

    Popular Podcasts

      If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

      Dateline NBC

      Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

      The Breakfast Club

      The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!

      The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

      The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.

      Crime Junkie

      Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.

    Advertise With Us
    Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

    Connect

    © 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.

    • Help
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • AdChoicesAd Choices