Common Sense Financial Podcast: Mindset & Growth

The concept of investing is often associated only with money and the pursuit of wealth, but this Annuities are a popular thing these days… why is that the case? And are they a valid option for those planning their retirement? In this new episode of the Common Sense Financial Podcast, host Brian Skrobonja explores the world of annuities – from what they are and the three types of annuities all the way to four common myths, Brian’s “unpopular opinion” and why annuities and investments aren’t in competition. Plus, Brian reveals what he considers the best way to accumulate wealth. You need to keep in mind that there are plenty of unknown factors in your life, such as how long you’re going to live, inflation, how the market is performing, healthcare costs, and economic shifts. Brian believes that the uncertainty surrounding retirement is why annuities are so popular. Annuities are a way to transfer risk over to an insurance company and provide some sense of safety for the future, says Brian. According to Statista

The concept of investing is often associated only with money and the pursuit of wealth, but this fails to capture the true essence of investing. An ideal future isn’t encapsulated by a stack of $100 bills. The true essence of investing is not about building wealth, but about building the atmospheric conditions that align with your ideal future self. Listen to the latest episode of the podcast to learn why a relentless focus on accumulating wealth will end up costing you what you’re actually working for, and why you need to have a more encompassing vision for what your retirement can be beyond your portfolio. Your quality of life isn’t determined just by the number in your bank account. Those dollars are merely the resources you use to create the ideal life. Wealth extends beyond the mere accumulation of money. It’s about the life you can construct around it and the atmospheric conditions you can create for yourself. You can possess all the wealth in the world, but without the cornerstones of a healthy life l

Brian Skrobonja goes through the five questions you need to answer to gauge how prepared you are for retirement. He covers the benefits of having a detailed income plan, how to design a comprehensive tax strategy, and what it takes to enjoy your retirement without constantly second-guessing your financial decisions. Brian starts the conversation by explaining why retirement is more than just a financial milestone. It's a complete shift in how you use money and approach life. According to Brian, setting a retirement date before having an optimized retirement plan is like quitting a job before you have another one lined up. Retirement isn't just about having money in the bank or having an investment account. It's about understanding how that money converts into consistent, reliable income that can support your lifestyle for decades. Retirement's a great thing--and it could be very good, but you need to be prepared. Brian goes over the questions that gauge how well prepared you are for retirement. Do you have a

Many people accumulate their wealth in a bank or a long-term investment, and this may create problems. But there is a different strategy. In this new episode of the Common Sense Financial Podcast, host Brian Skrobonja goes over the Build Banking strategy and how you can consider a different banking paradigm using specially designed life insurance policies that allow you to start banking on yourself. Most people know that banks use other people’s money to generate profits. This process is known as Fractional Reserve Banking, which is basically the bank using the spread between interest rates to profit. For banks, it goes a little deeper. Banks can loan out the money they have on deposit to people, and those dollars are then deposited again, which begins the cycle anew. This process acts as a money-printing machine within the economy. Banks aren’t currently required to hold any reserves to cover their customer’s deposits. The result of Fractional Reserve Banking is the expansion of the money supply which contr

Time is your most precious resource, but how you use it is up to you. The shift from earning to retirement can be quite challenging, as you have to thread the needle between income, growth, and time. In this new episode of the Common Sense Financial Podcast, host Brian Skrobonja goes over the most important mindset shift people need to make in order for their retirement plan to succeed. It is possible to retire without growth, but it’s impossible to succeed without income. But many people have trouble shifting their mindset from focusing on long-term growth into a consistent and reliable income. When you invest long-term, that means not having to withdraw money from your assets for a long time. But once you enter retirement, your timeline moves from the future to the present. This transition requires a mindset shift to be made before significant progress can be made. Retirement planning is a discovery process that boils down to learning whether or not you have an income gap in retirement and, once that’s dis

“The more money you have, the bigger the mistakes,” someone once told Brian… How does that translate into retirement planning? And how can you help ensure you approach your financial planning for your “golden years” in the best possible way? In this new episode of the Common Sense Financial Podcast, host Brian Skrobonja goes over five retirement mistakes that you should stay away from at all costs, as well as what retirement is actually about. Brian touches upon something that a very successful person told him when he was getting started with his business back in 1993: ‘The more money you have, the bigger the mistakes.’ With his desire to work hard and strong work ethic, Brian quickly became successful. But there was a problem with his approach – Brian opens up about that. Brian shares some of the retirement mistakes he has seen people make in his 30-year career. Having a distorted view of what wealth really is and having what Brian calls “vertical diversification” are two common mistakes Brian has seen over

Brian Skrobonja shares practical tips on year-end tax planning so you can make informed decisions and take control of your financial future. He explains why now is the perfect time to assess your financial situation and the type of strategic moves you can make to reduce your tax liabilities, maximize savings, and enhance your overall financial health. Brian starts the conversation by revealing the key elements of a well-designed year-end tax planning strategy. Tax planning isn't an April 15th activity. The tax return itself is just a scorecard. For Brian, tax planning goes from January to December of the year you're in. Brian talks about the benefits of being intentional about allocating resources and ensuring you remain in a reasonable tax bracket throughout the year. According to Brian, it’s unfortunate that most tax preparers recommend buying vehicles or equipment to save on taxes. Brian explains how that line of thinking may be costing you money, not saving you money. Brian reveals why he doesn’t defer t

Are you part of that 68% of people who would like to have a personalized financial plan, but aren’t sure where to find a financial advisor? What should you pay attention to when trying to get a financial planning expert to help you, and you’re evaluating different options? In this new episode of the Common Sense Financial Podcast, host Brian Skrobonja shares six factors you should keep into consideration and look at when going through different financial advisor options. According to a May 2022 PR Newswire survey, 68% of people would like to have a personalized financial plan, but they’re not sure where to find a financial advisor. Brian sees information-gathering and understanding that planning isn’t the same as investing are the biggest mental hurdles of financial planning. When it comes to picking a financial advisor, there are six primary factors Brian suggests looking at. A 2022 study found that 80-90% of advisors fail in the first three years of practice – the main reason being the steep learning curve

You feel healthy so everything is okay, right? Have you ever thought that health planning should be part of your retirement planning efforts? If you’ve answered ‘yes,’ pay close attention to Regan Archibald! Regan joins host Brian Skrobonja to discuss how people should approach health planning, the world of preventive care, the role of nutrition, and why longevity medicine is something you should be mindful of. Regan Archibald kicks off the conversation by sharing his origin story. In his work with entrepreneurs, Regan has found that when people focus on creating more balance and focus on their health, their business improves – and so does everything else. One of the major health issues both Regan and Brian have noticed is that many people think that if they feel okay, everything is okay… Regan stresses the importance not only to focus on a certain problem (like high blood pressure) but on trying to understand its cause (so, asking “Why is my blood pressure high?”). Regan illustrates how longevity medicine a

What comes to mind when you think about retiring? Is it enjoying your "golden years?" That's an outdated approach, says today's guest Dean Jackson! He joins host Brian Skrobonja to discuss a new way to think about retirement – and how doing things this way will change your life – the concept of "pre-tiring," two types of economy, and what "money hobby" and self-managing companies are all about. The idea of the conversation with Dean came to Brian as the result of conversations he has been having with clients, plus the increased longevity and the outdated models that are still presented as the tools to approach retirement planning. From an early age, Dean realized the difference between what Dan Sullivan calls the time & effort economy, and the results economy. In the first type of economy. you get paid a fixed amount for your time and effort, whereas in the latter. you’re paid by the results you create. Dean has been “pre-tiring” since 1999, splitting his time between Canada and Florida. For Dean, trying

In this episode, Brian Skrobonja breaks down Kamala Harris' proposed tax plan and how it aims to tax unrealized capital gains for the ultra-rich. He sheds light on how the tax plans will affect all Americans regardless of their income level, what to do if Kamala Harris is elected president, and how taxing unrealized gains could contribute to constant market volatility. Brian starts the conversation by breaking down the key elements in Kamala Harris' plan to tax unrealized capital gains for ultra-high-net-worth individuals. While proponents argue this would ensure the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share, Brian believes the potential implications warrant careful consideration. Brian breaks down the key aspects of Kamala’s proposal and how it could impact investors, businesses, and the overall financial landscape. According to a 2020 study, 93% of stock market wealth is held by the top 10% of households. If these individuals face a huge tax bill, they will likely find ways to move out of the market and in

In this episode, Brian Skrobonja shares tips and insights on how to help protect yourself against identity theft. He sheds light on the best identity theft tools in the market, what to consider when someone steals your identity, and ways to minimize the risk of your data ending up in the dark web. Brian starts the conversation by sharing what he learned as a victim of identity theft and how you can be more prepared if you find yourself in a similar situation. The reality is that identity theft continues to be a growing problem and millions of people each year find themselves having to deal with these thieves. So this shouldn't be viewed as something that happens to other people. It happens to a lot of people and can happen to you too. An important step to help protect yourself against identity theft is to assume it will happen to you at some point and try to be prepared to defend yourself when it does happen. Brian explains that we are on our own when it comes to protecting our identity--the police and credi

Life when you’re gone… an uncomfortable conversation most people prefer to avoid. Why isn’t that a good idea? How can estate planning help you ensure that things are taken care of once you aren’t around anymore? Listen to learn about big mistakes people make, the different elements that make up the estate plan puzzle, the three primary areas of cash flow, and the type of plan you should have in place. When it comes to end of life financial planning, many people tend to put it off because it’s an uncomfortable conversation to have. Even though the process for end of life planning is relatively simple in nature, Brian recommends getting professional help to deal with the details, which can be complex. Despite every situation being different, there are several core aspects of estate planning that everyone should consider. The first has to do with title and legal work. Brian has noticed that many people have a complete misunderstanding of the role legal work plays within their planning. Then, there’s life insura

Did you know that a good part of American households haven’t thought about retirement planning? When it comes to planning for retirement, there are some key concepts to understand and three traps you should do your best to avoid. Listen to learn why a money increase doesn’t always equal a lifestyle enhancement, the three things people often look at but that come back to bite them later on, and how you can effectively plan for retirement and protect your money. As life expectancy increases, people will be finding themselves needing to save more money for retirement. Brian believes that it’s going to be possible to be retired for as many years as one has worked, because people are living longer than ever before. According to a 2019 retirement confidence survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, more than half of American households are at risk of running out of money in retirement due to the lack of savings and the unpredictability of the stock market. If you look back and think about how much money y

You can live without saving money, and you can live with debt, but you cannot live without cash flow. In fact, if you want your personal finance to flourish, cash flow is a key element you need to focus on – passive income too. Why is that the case? Find out about critical personal financing missteps you should avoid making, what to focus on to measure financial progress and happiness, and the key traits you can learn from the happiest and most successful people to win more in personal finance. Just like many other areas of life, personal finance too is dependent on your own tank both from a mental, physical, and resources standpoint. Trying to do too much with their resources is one of the most common personal finance missteps people make. There’s a tendency of segregating financial goals into silos and of gravitating towards what looks easiest over what is often best – which typically leads to personal finance goals not being achieved. Brian believes that the key to maximizing your capabilities should be o

Emergencies and retirement. This is what we're taught to save for. But what if you created a different system, which allowed you to pay for the expenses you will incur between now and retirement age – without losing the ability to build wealth? Find out why you may need to rethink your financial planning approach and what you should do about the “Missing Middle.” According to popular opinion, sound financial planning advice typically consists of two main steps: saving for emergencies and saving for retirement. Brian found this to be slightly misleading because of the phenomenon he refers to as “The Missing Middle.” Think about how life generally goes: there are car payments, furniture, credit cards, tuition… you also have money going into an account that you can’t touch until you’re 60 and then, before you know it, you have thousands of dollars of debt. And that’s by following general advice. However, opting for a less traditional and more customized approach allows you to pay for the expenses you incur betw

In this episode, Brian Skrobonja breaks down the seven key questions you must ask your advisor before choosing to work with them. He sheds light on why selecting a financial advisor is crucial for your financial well-being, the benefits of working with an experienced financial advisor, and why you should be wary of financial entertainers. How can people find financial advisors who can help them beyond just picking investments? Brian goes over seven key areas you must consider before working with an advisor. He explains how selecting a financial advisor is a critical decision that can significantly impact your financial future. Brian reveals the difference between having an advisor who can help you invest money and one who can assist you in living the best life. For Brian, a good financial advisor helps you achieve results, not just in terms of market performance, but by providing actionable steps to move you closer to your desired outcome. An advisor's experience is critical in providing sound financial advi

In this episode, Brian Skrobonja goes over the three main retirement mindsets that could negatively impact your retirement plans. He sheds light on what most retirees get wrong about retirement planning, why being confident doesn’t eliminate investment risks, and what to consider when hiring a financial planner. Brian goes over three retirement mindsets that have the potential to derail even the best-laid retirement plans. He starts by explaining that there is more to the conversation around retirement than just having a permanent vacation. Retirement is not a destination; it’s a transition into a new stage of life. The different mindsets you need when saving money and growing a nest egg versus spending and withdrawing money from your retirement accounts. Mindset #1 - The Idea That Annuities Are Bad. For Brian, retirement is about having a steady stream of income you can rely on no matter what Wall Street throws your way. Brian reveals that most retirees want consistency and predictability in retirement--th

In this episode, Brian Skrobonja explains what alternative investments are and why they are the fastest route to growing your assets or retirement savings. He sheds light on how the most successful investors in the world keep getting wealthier and how to use an endowment like strategy to position your retirement assets. Brian explores alternative investments opportunities.  He goes over what larger investors are doing to diversify away from the public market in an effort to help clients protect downside risks. The shift in investment philosophy amongst the largest investors is something to pay attention to as it could offer valuable insights on how to position your retirement assets. Brian explains why it's prudent for investors to adopt an endowment like model. The wealthiest and most successful investors in the world keep getting wealthier, not because they are lucky or privileged, but because they are playing a different game than the average investor. According to Brian, with medical advancements extendi

In this episode, Brian Skrobonja answers the top questions he receives from people looking for help with their financial plan. He sheds light on why a plan is more than just picking stocks, what most people get wrong about passive income, and the benefits of knowing how much tax liability you’ll have in the future. Brian answers the top questions he receives from people looking for financial planning assistance.  He starts by explaining why a financial plan is more than just picking a few stocks or bonds. Unfortunately, there are many situations where products are being sold instead of financial plans being developed. For example, an annuity salesperson sells an annuity to somebody and suggests that the product is the retirement plan.  So, what does a good financial plan look like?  According to Brian, the first step is defining what success looks like. Growing your money is not a goal. You must understand and clearly know why you are saving money.  The other question Brian gets asked a lot is about passive