The Money Alchemist Podcast
Join two dudes, Ben and Brent, to discuss current market events and savvy financial strategies to build wealth consistently over time.
Listen on:
Episodes
Saturday Dec 20, 2025
Saturday Dec 20, 2025
What does 2026 hold for your wallet? In this episode, Brent and Ben conduct a "Topic de Jour" deep dive into their 2026 Financial Predictions. Following their successful 2025 forecast—where they correctly predicted the AI counter-revolution and the crypto bear market—the guys are looking ahead at the next big shifts in the global economy.
From the Supreme Court tariff ruling to the AI trade fracturing, we break down why a diversified portfolio is your best defense in a shifting market. Plus, we discuss why the "Value Rotation" is finally here and what the Fed’s latest rate cuts mean for the "debasement trade."
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The 2025 Retrospective: What we got right (and the one thing we got wrong).
AI’s "Human Counter-Revolution": Why the "froth" is breaking down and where the real value lies.
Geopolitical Shifts: The potential China rebound and the impact of the House swinging Blue.
The Isaac Newton Lesson: A historical cautionary tale about the smartest man in the room losing it all.
Timestamps COMING SOON
About your Hosts
Ben Jones, CFP®
Managing Director, National Wealth Management Group
www.nwmgadvisors.com
Sign up for Ben’s newsletter at www.karastick.com
Follow him on X @thekaratstick
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-nwmg/
__
Brent Gargano, CFP®
Founder & Advisor, Infinite Wealth Planning
www.infinitewealthplanning.com
linkedin.com/in/brent-gargano-cfp®-2067b573
Join Brent's Monthly Newsletter:
https://40221980.hs-sites.com/join-infinite-wealth-plannings-newsletter
Comments or questions? Email us at comments@moneyalchemistshow.com
__________________
Editor:
Trevor Gargano (The Digital QB)
Email: Trevor@trevorgargano.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-gargano-72727b67/
Website: TheDigitalQuarterback.com
____________________________
Follow our socials to support the podcast; see extra clips and announcements!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneyalchemistpod/
X: https://twitter.com/moneyalchpod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556458987483
Disclosure:
Investment advice offered through National Wealth Management Group, LLC.
All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.
The information presented is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a recommendation or specific advice.
Saturday Dec 06, 2025
Saturday Dec 06, 2025
This Week's Agenda:
What’s happening in 10 min
Record Black Friday Sales
11.8B up 9.1% from 10.8B in 2024 (Adobe Analytics)
Higher in-store component (1.7% up since last year)
Alphabet surpasses Microsoft as 3rd most valuable company in the world
Concept of circular financing dominating headlines
Fed rate cut in December jumped to 80 - 85% Dec 9 - 10
Topic de jour - Is $140k the new poverty line?
Listener Q&A -
What should I do if my computer/Mac has been compromised?
Tip of the week
https://www.auctionzip.com/
_____
About your Hosts
Ben Jones, CFP®
Managing Director, National Wealth Management Group
www.nwmgadvisors.com
Sign up for Ben’s newsletter at www.karastick.com
Follow him on X @thekaratstick
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-nwmg/
__
Brent Gargano, CFP®
Founder & Advisor, Infinite Wealth Planning
www.infinitewealthplanning.com
linkedin.com/in/brent-gargano-cfp®-2067b573
Join Brent's Monthly Newsletter:
https://40221980.hs-sites.com/join-infinite-wealth-plannings-newsletter
Comments or questions? Email us at comments@moneyalchemistshow.com
__________________
Editor:
Trevor Gargano (The Digital QB)
Email: Trevor@trevorgargano.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-gargano-72727b67/
Website: TheDigitalQuarterback.com
____________________________
Follow our socials to support the podcast; see extra clips and announcements!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneyalchemistpod/
X: https://twitter.com/moneyalchpod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556458987483
Disclosure:
Investment advice offered through National Wealth Management Group, LLC.
All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.
The information presented is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a recommendation or specific advice.
Saturday Nov 22, 2025
Saturday Nov 22, 2025
This Week's Agenda:
What’s happening 10 min
50 year mortgage idea announced to unpopular fanfare
Bitcoin down 35% from highs, down 5% on the year. Crypto markets erase over $1.1T in market cap.
Government shutdown hits 43 days, ended when House of Reps passed a continuing resolution that would make it through the Senate.
No BLS jobs data ever for period.
Michael Burry announcing major AI short on Palantir and NVDIA then closes hedge fund shortly thereafter
Topic de jour - top financial questions to bring up at Thanksgiving
What investment should I buy?
I need to reduce my taxes, how are all people doing this?
The stock market is rigged, why should I bother?
I hate the mortgage debt/payment and just want to pay it off, why shouldn’t I do that?
My advisor has been recommending annuities, is that a good idea?
My friend/acquaintance has made so much money trading, where should I start?
TikTocker/YouTuber says we’ve peaked. Time to get out, the crash is coming.
The housing market is going to crash, terrible time to buy.
The US debt ($38T) is too great and the American dollar is going to collapse. I’m buying gold. Prove me wrong.
What about this AI bubble? What’s that about?
Listener Q&A -
I’ve maxed out my 401(k) by summer and was told I might be missing out on company match. Will I continue to get a company match?
Tip of the week
Learn how to login to your payroll portal and figure out split deposits
https://www.auctionzip.com/
https://simplelogin.io/
_______
About your Hosts
Ben Jones, CFP®
Managing Director, National Wealth Management Group
www.nwmgadvisors.com
Sign up for Ben’s newsletter at www.karastick.com
Follow him on X @thekaratstick
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-nwmg/
__
Brent Gargano, CFP®
Founder & Advisor, Infinite Wealth Planning
www.infinitewealthplanning.com
linkedin.com/in/brent-gargano-cfp®-2067b573
Join Brent's Monthly Newsletter:
https://40221980.hs-sites.com/join-infinite-wealth-plannings-newsletter
Comments or questions? Email us at comments@moneyalchemistshow.com
___________________
Editor:
Trevor Gargano (The Digital QB)
Email: Trevor@trevorgargano.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-gargano-72727b67/
Website: TheDigitalQuarterback.com
____________________________
Follow our socials to support the podcast; see extra clips and announcements!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneyalchemistpod/
X: https://twitter.com/moneyalchpod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556458987483
Disclosure:
Investment advice offered through National Wealth Management Group, LLC.
All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.
The information presented is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a recommendation or specific advice.
Saturday Nov 08, 2025
Saturday Nov 08, 2025
Agenda
What’s happening 10 min
Gov’t shutdown - no BLS employment data
Bitcoin now in bear market collapsing to below $100k
Michael’s Burry’s new big short
Healthcare premium inflation
Jester “Jack” Daniels - how he built an empire and did not survive to reap the reward
Topic de jour - Cost of healthcare for workers vs retirement, long-term care
Listener Q&A -
I’ve maxed out my 401(k) by summer and was told I might be missing out on company match, will I continue to get a company match?
All my neighbors are putting their homes in a trust or giving them to their kids so the nursing home doesn’t take the money, should I do that?
Tip of the week
Understand how you pay for a mortgage - not all refis are the same.
___
Sources
https://communications.fidelity.com/wi/tools/retirement-health-care/
Healthsherpa.com
https://www.carescout.com/cost-of-care
_____
About your Hosts
Ben Jones, CFP®
Managing Director, National Wealth Management Group
www.nwmgadvisors.com
Sign up for Ben’s newsletter at www.karastick.com
Follow him on X @thekaratstick
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-nwmg/
__
Brent Gargano, CFP®
Founder & Advisor, Infinite Wealth Planning
www.infinitewealthplanning.com
linkedin.com/in/brent-gargano-cfp®-2067b573
Join Brent's Monthly Newsletter:
https://40221980.hs-sites.com/join-infinite-wealth-plannings-newsletter
Comments or questions? Email us at comments@moneyalchemistshow.com
___________________
Editor:
Trevor Gargano (The Digital QB)
Email: Trevor@trevorgargano.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-gargano-72727b67/
Website: TheDigitalQuarterback.com
____________________________
Follow our socials to support the podcast; see extra clips and announcements!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneyalchemistpod/
X: https://twitter.com/moneyalchpod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556458987483
Disclosure:
Investment advice offered through National Wealth Management Group, LLC.
All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.
The information presented is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a recommendation or specific advice.
Saturday Oct 25, 2025
Saturday Oct 25, 2025
Agenda:
What’s happening 10 min
All asset classes are up: bonds, stocks, precious metals, crypto
Valuations at ATH
Brent’s new baby
Equity flows from funds to bonds
Crypto crunch in October - Bitcoin in corrective territory from ATH
Tariff threat with China last week.
This week’s most interesting money story - Alfred Nobel 15 min
Topic de jour - Open enrollment season - Optimize your choices 20 min
Listener Q&A -
“We are buying a new home, what do we do with our old home. Should we rent it out or sell it to fund goals or reduce the mortgage balance on the new home”
Tip of the week
Don’t use your HSA - defer it
Backup, Hidden savings of online delivery
529 plan payroll deduction
Resources:
Employer Benefits Checklist: https://www.fppathfinder.com/checklists/respond/423a7a8d-e99e-4201-b7da-80e337855dce
About your Hosts
Ben Jones, CFP®
Managing Director, National Wealth Management Group
www.nwmgadvisors.com
Sign up for Ben’s newsletter at www.karastick.com
Follow him on X @thekaratstick
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-nwmg/
__
Brent Gargano, CFP®
Founder & Advisor, Infinite Wealth Planning
www.infinitewealthplanning.com
linkedin.com/in/brent-gargano-cfp®-2067b573
Join Brent's Monthly Newsletter:
https://40221980.hs-sites.com/join-infinite-wealth-plannings-newsletter
Comments or questions? Email us at comments@moneyalchemistshow.com
___________________
Editor:
Trevor Gargano (The Digital QB)
Email: Trevor@trevorgargano.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-gargano-72727b67/
Website: TheDigitalQuarterback.com
____________________________
Follow our socials to support the podcast; see extra clips and announcements!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneyalchemistpod/
X: https://twitter.com/moneyalchpod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556458987483
Disclosure:
Investment advice offered through National Wealth Management Group, LLC.
All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.
The information presented is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a recommendation or specific advice.
Saturday Oct 11, 2025
Saturday Oct 11, 2025
This Weeks Topics:
Enrollment and contribution best practices
Plan design - who these plans are optimized for
Fees, what they pay for
How to collab with an advisor
Hidden secrets in the plan document
Recent policy changes that expand investment offering potential
_____
About your Hosts
Ben Jones, CFP®
Managing Director, National Wealth Management Group
www.nwmgadvisors.com
Sign up for Ben’s newsletter at www.karastick.com
Follow him on X @thekaratstick
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-nwmg/
_
Special Guest: Matt Heitman, CFA, CFP®, ChFC®
Wealth Advisor, National Wealth Management Group
www.nwmgadvisors.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-e-heitman/
Comments or questions? Email us at comments@moneyalchemistshow.com
Call us at 513-438-0095
Comments or questions? Email us at comments@moneyalchemistshow.com
___________________
Editor:
Trevor Gargano
Email: Trevor@trevorgargano.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-gargano-72727b67/
Website: TheDigitalQuarterback.com
____________________________
Follow our socials to support the podcast; see extra clips and announcements!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneyalchemistpod/
X: https://twitter.com/moneyalchpod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556458987483
Disclosure:
Investment advice offered through National Wealth Management Group, LLC.
All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.
The information presented is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a recommendation or specific advice.
Saturday Sep 27, 2025
Saturday Sep 27, 2025
Managing investment return expectations.
The truth behind terrible returns is a person that doesn’t quite understand market mechanics and how they tie into your financial goals.
Watch this episode now: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDMLU9XVm8Cd5c1-gWbk3VA
Sources:
https://www.ramseysolutions.com/retirement/the-12-reality
https://am.jpmorgan.com/content/dam/jpm-am-aem/global/en/insights/ltcma-2025-us-matrix_usd.pdf
https://corporate.vanguard.com/content/corporatesite/us/en/corp/vemo/vemo-return-forecasts.html
https://am.jpmorgan.com/us/en/asset-management/adv/insights/market-insights/guide-to-the-markets/
_______________
About your Hosts
Ben Jones, CFP®
Managing Director, National Wealth Management Group
www.nwmgadvisors.com
Sign up for Ben’s newsletter at www.karastick.com
Follow him on X @thekaratstick
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-nwmg/
__
Brent Gargano, CFP®
Founder & Advisor, Infinite Wealth Planning
www.infinitewealthplanning.com
linkedin.com/in/brent-gargano-cfp®-2067b573
Comments or questions? Email us at comments@moneyalchemistshow.com
___________________
Editor:
Trevor Gargano
Email: Trevor@trevorgargano.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-gargano-72727b67/
Website: TheDigitalQuarterback.com
____________________________
Follow our socials to support the podcast; see extra clips and announcements!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneyalchemistpod/
X: https://twitter.com/moneyalchpod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556458987483
___________
Disclosure:
Investment advice offered through National Wealth Management Group, LLC.
Information in this podcast should not be construed as tax advice. Consult with your tax professional for specific advice on your situation.
The information presented is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a recommendation or specific advice.
Saturday Sep 13, 2025
Saturday Sep 13, 2025
Diversification is the foundation of most investment advice, but what if it's also the single greatest barrier to generating true, exponential wealth?
In this episode, we challenge conventional wisdom and explore the high-risk, high-reward strategy of concentrated investing. We delve into how some of the world's most successful investors built fortunes not by spreading their capital thin, but by placing high-conviction bets on a few key assets.
We’ll discuss the principles behind this approach, the deep research it requires, and why it's a strategy that can either lead to transformative wealth or significant loss. Join us as we explore whether the path to exponential returns lies in taking a different, more focused direction.
________
About your Hosts
Ben Jones, CFP®
Managing Director, National Wealth Management Group
www.nwmgadvisors.com
Sign up for Ben’s newsletter at www.karastick.com
Follow him on X @thekaratstick
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-nwmg/
__
Brent Gargano, CFP®
Founder & Advisor, Infinite Wealth Planning
www.infinitewealthplanning.com
linkedin.com/in/brent-gargano-cfp®-2067b573
Comments or questions? Email us at comments@moneyalchemistshow.com
___________________
Editor:
Trevor Gargano
Email: Trevor@trevorgargano.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-gargano-72727b67/
Website: TheDigitalQuarterback.com
____________________________
Follow our socials to support the podcast; see extra clips and announcements!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneyalchemistpod/
X: https://twitter.com/moneyalchpod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556458987483
___________
Disclosure:
Investment advice offered through National Wealth Management Group, LLC.
Information in this podcast should not be construed as tax advice. Consult with your tax professional for specific advice on your situation.
The information presented is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a recommendation or specific advice.
Saturday Aug 16, 2025
Saturday Aug 16, 2025
A war of the classes
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, so begins the famous novel Tale of Two Cities written in 1858. Written by Charles Dickens, the motif of duality can easily be applied to our modern economy. Throughout history, the state of mankind can generally be described as fitting someplace between bad and good.
The economy is either terrible or great, depending on who you ask. It’s a subjective sentiment check more based on feelings colored by bias rather than material facts. The Michigan Consumer Sentiment survey illustrates that respondents feel worse about our present day economic state as they did in the doldrums of the 2008-09 Great Financial Crisis.
The perplexing disparity requires us to unpack layers of independent variables feeding data points like the Consumer Sentiment Index to better understand what is going on. First, it’s important to acknowledge that winners and losers exist concurrently. There is no economic condition in which all market participants are doing well or all are doing poorly. We all function as independent cogs in the machine.
Some cogs receive more lubrication than others depending on their positioning in the mechanism. It is undeniable that inflation is the rust deteriorating the function of smaller economic ‘inputs’. Inflation exacerbates wealth disparity as asset prices accrete monetary premiums whilst prices for necessary goods and services devour greater portions of free cash flow. A one-two punch for the middle and lower classes.
A big differentiator in 2008-09 is that most felt some degree of pain, even the wealthy. For the first time in many generations, housing prices fell. Stock and fixed income markets fell substantially more than a typical recession. It was a great opportunity for those who played it safe, although many didn’t change their appetite for risk when the time was ripe.
Today, the situation is grossly asymmetric. Anyone who has achieved a financial escape velocity, a definition that is subjective but not representative of the majority, is doing quite well. Those living paycheck to paycheck, not so much.
In fact, they may be doing worse than ever, relatively speaking. Delinquencies are picking up across the board, with most of the increase concentrated in higher risk loans such as credit card and auto loans. Recent revisions to the BLS establishment survey suggest that lower income earners may not be as well off as initially reported.
We tried to contact an external analyst to inform on the matter, however the department was recently sacked as part of a strategic efficiency initiative. I assure you this is an isolated incident that has nothing to do with AI (it is most certainly AI).
Yet there has not been any meaningful deterioration in financial markets. It has been quite the opposite with the S&P 500 kissing the 10%+ performance marker so far in 2025. Housing prices have broadly moved higher with Zillow reporting a 0.4% YoY increase. One could conclude that the economy is quite strong when looking solely at asset prices.
This then begs the question: does it matter? To financial markets, no. What matters is total spending, not the symmetry of value exchange. To a stockholder, margins matter more than the quantity of widgets the customer receives. It does matter for political and economic stability.
Resentment is building with an unknowable tolerance threshold and outcome potential. Do the wealthy usher in a new age of economic dominance, dragging a disgruntled class of serfs like detritus? Or can we expect an upheaval or even a renaissance of egalitarianism?
Ben and Brent discuss this matter further and offer their insights on what could be going on, but more importantly, what to do about it. Listen to Episode 38 of The Money Alchemist Podcast to join in on the conversation!
_______________
Sources:
BLS Employee Situation Summary: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
Zillow July 31, 2025 National Home Value Report: https://www.zillow.com/home-values/102001/united-states/
JPMorgan Guide to the Markets: https://am.jpmorgan.com/us/en/asset-management/protected/adv/insights/market-insights/guide-to-the-markets/
_______________
About your Hosts
Ben Jones, CFP®
Managing Director, National Wealth Management Group
www.nwmgadvisors.com
Sign up for Ben’s newsletter at www.karastick.com
Follow him on X @thekaratstick
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-nwmg/
__
Brent Gargano, CFP®
Founder & Advisor, Infinite Wealth Planning
www.infinitewealthplanning.com
linkedin.com/in/brent-gargano-cfp®-2067b573
Comments or questions? Email us at comments@moneyalchemistshow.com
___________________
Editor:
Trevor Gargano
Email: Trevor@trevorgargano.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-gargano-72727b67/
Website: TheDigitalQuarterback.com
____________________________
Follow our socials to support the podcast; see extra clips and announcements!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneyalchemistpod/
X: https://twitter.com/moneyalchpod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556458987483
___________
Disclosure:
Investment advice offered through National Wealth Management Group, LLC.
Information in this podcast should not be construed as tax advice. Consult with your tax professional for specific advice on your situation.
The information presented is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a recommendation or specific advice.
Saturday Aug 02, 2025
Saturday Aug 02, 2025
News or Noise?
In our fast-paced, 24/7 news cycle, it can feel like a financial advisor's credibility hinges on keeping up with every daily headline. A tweet from a prominent news host, a new market prediction, or a breaking story from CNBC can make an advisor who isn't up to speed feel discredited.
The question of whether an advisor should be a news junkie is at the heart of today's episode. Ben and Brent explore their differing approaches to information consumption. Brent keeps the news on in the background, believing it's essential to have a pulse on market sentiment. Ben, on the other hand, believes that tuning out the daily noise is key to long-term strategic thinking.
About your Hosts
Ben Jones, CFP®
Managing Director, National Wealth Management Group
www.nwmgadvisors.com
Sign up for Ben’s newsletter at www.karastick.com
Follow him on X @thekaratstick
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-nwmg/
Brent Gargano, CFP®
Founder & Advisor, Infinite Wealth Planning
www.infinitewealthplanning.com
linkedin.com/in/brent-gargano-cfp®-2067b573
Comments or questions? Email us at comments@moneyalchemistshow.com
___________________
Editor:
Trevor Gargano
Email: Trevor@trevorgargano.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-gargano-72727b67/
Website: TheDigitalQuarterback.com
____________________________
Follow our socials to support the podcast; see extra clips and announcements!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneyalchemistpod/
X: https://twitter.com/moneyalchpod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556458987483
___________
Disclosure:
Investment advice offered through National Wealth Management Group, LLC.
Information in this podcast should not be construed as tax advice. Consult with your tax professional for specific advice on your situation.
The information presented is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a recommendation or specific advice.
Submissions
Please submit topics you want covered to our email comments@moneyalchemistshow.com
Thank You For Listening!