The Money Alchemist Podcast

Exponential Wealth through Concentration: Integrating a Focused Strategy into Your Financial Plan

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.
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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.

The Most Hated Economy: Building a Financial Plan to Thrive in a Divided Market

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! 
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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.karatstick.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.
 

Should Your Advisor Watch CNBC?

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.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act: Tax Changes, Deficit Impact, and Your Financial Plan

Some beauty is skin deep.
Reinforcing a modern political trend, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) garnered only strict partisan support.  Carrying the timbre of our nation’s President, its name either strikes a nerve with unbearable annoyance or tickles the funny bone.  A dichotomy to define out times.  One many have grown weary of.    
Now signed into law, few Americans are unaffected by its reach.  Even fewer still understand the full scope of its consequences.  The CBO estimates $2.4T – 3.3T will be added to the Federal deficit over the next decade while the White House claims a $1.4T deficit reduction over the same period with tariffs. 
The appropriate way to view such estimates is with extreme suspicion.  Like the odds that an astronaut will land a hole-in-one from the wing of the International Space Station.  The CBO thinks they can do it.  The White House believes the earth and hole will be pulled into the gravity well of the ball.  It’s all haruspication.
No one accurately forecasted our national debt a decade ago, currently sitting at $37T and counting.  Directionally, the CBO’s estimate is probably more correct given strong incentives for policy makers to deficit spend. 
But who cares about something as banal as the national debt, we want the beautiful eye candy.  The OBBB does not disappoint in this aspect, delivering on promises of substantial tax relief for individual taxpayers.  
This comes as no surprise as it was a major cornerstone of the current administration’s campaign and the necessary showpiece for public support.  Some of the major upgrades to the tax code include:
Permanent extension of the lower Federal brackets passed as temporary relief for individual taxpayers in the TCJA (2017).
Permanent doubling of the standard deduction with a doubling of the inflation adjustment for 2026.
Permanent child tax credit of $2,200 per qualifying child (under 17), indexed for inflation.
Permanent 20% deduction on Qualified Business Income (199A deduction).
Permanently set the Federal estate tax exemption at $15M per individual with an inflation adjustment.
Added the “Trump Account” for minors with a $5,000 annual contribution limit and one-time $1,000 Federal government contribution for babies born 2025 – 2028. 
Added an additional $6,000 per person deduction on top of the standard deduction for taxpayers 65 and older, subject to phase outs.
Charitable contributions up to $2,000 (MFJ) can now be taken even if the standard deduction is elected.
Temporary tax relief on income earned through tips and overtime from 2026 through 2028 (phased out at $150k Single / $300k MFJ)
Temporarily lifted the state and local income tax (SALT) deduction limit to $40k for households with an AGI of $500k or less, reverting to $10k with 1% annual inflation adjustment in 2030.
There are more obscure updates made to the tax code in the 800+ page bill signed into law, but we’ve covered the highlights.  Much of it is still being digested by tax and legal firms and/or requires clarification from the IRS. 
While we love eye candy, the beautification process is both complex and painstaking.  A principal that holds true in the application of this legislation.  All the ‘beautiful’ parts of the law require effort and guess who gets to apply the makeup?
You.  True to form, policy makers have further complicated an already convoluted tax code.  The real winners are financial planners and full-service CPA firms, although the net effect is lower taxation across the board for most taxpayers.  
So much for simplifying the tax code. 
To offset the projected cuts in tax revenue, lawmakers looked to niche tax increases and spending cuts, specifically in Medicaid.  We need not cover one obvious source of additional tax revenue in 2025, tariffs, but other tax increases were included in the final Bill.
For one, many university endowments will see their net investment income tax climb from 1.4% to as high as 8%.  Still lower than personal tax rates but an increase, nonetheless. 
Second, AMT provisions were adjusted that will slightly increase the number of Americans subject to Alternative Minimum Tax.  Chances are it will not affect you unless a significant portion of your compensation comes from ISOs. 
The ugly part of the legislation were the necessary cuts to welfare programs, Medicaid in particular.  It’s important to not conflate Medicaid with Medicare.  The two programs may share 6 out of 8 letters but are very different. 
There are no cuts to Medicare or Social Security as part of the OBBB, which are the programs many retirees depend on.  The same is not true for Medicaid, which is the socially subsidized health insurance program for qualifying individuals living in the US. 
Qualification status varies by state given each manages their Medicaid programs separately using Federal funding.  The OBBB establishes more strict qualification criteria than currently exist in most states.  The obvious effect is less individuals will qualify, hence the reduction in spending.
Some estimate that as many as 10 million with be shifted off fully subsidized Medicaid plans to an uninsured status or partially subsidized ACA plans.  Regardless, it marks a notable shift in policy support for Federal redistribution programs. 
Decrying the spending cuts may be cathartic to those standing in opposition, but it fails to properly consider the full scope of potential long-term consequences.  The most significant of which being an increased reliance on US Treasury bond sales to fund current and future spending. 
Heavy reliance on debt to fund operations destabilizes currencies and the economies that use them.  So long as the dollar remains the world reserve currency, the appetite for its debt will remain quite high.  Even so, it’s not without drawbacks.  
Deficit spending diverts inflation into financial assets, which will further exacerbate wealth disparities.  Marie Antoinette might have offered a more personal account on where this could lead but tragically, she lost her head during her exit interview. 
More than ever, it’s important to save and invest to gain a footing on society’s social ladder.  There’s an idea for a portion of your tax savings.  You’ll certainly need it.
For a more in-depth breakdown of the OBBB, listen to the latest episode of The Money Alchemist Podcast where we dig into the legislation.  Tax talk has never been this much fun! 
 
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Show Reference:
 
Charitable Bunching using a DAF: https://www.karatstick.com/p/tis-the-season?utm_source=publication-search
 
___________________
 
 
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.
 

Are Financial Plans A Waste Of Time?

Planning isn’t predicting.
Some things in life are more exciting than others.  Most of us woke up on the 4th of July with a lighter step and enthusiastic anticipation for the day.  Fireworks, need we say more?  No one in their right mind sets a meeting with their financial planner to map out a savings strategy on such a day.  
Just because something isn’t intuitively engaging doesn’t make it a waste of time.  Many things are like this: dental hygiene, exercise, study, failure, and constructive criticism to name a few.  Financial planning falls in the unfortunate category of Important but boring.
The necessity of financial planning is so distressing that there are over 300,000 financial advisors employed in the United States alone to advocate for it.  Big money industry is a big money industry.  
If financial planning were a waste of time, there would be no market to outsource the process to a professional.  Similarly, there’s no market for third-party food chewing services.  Teeth come naturally while capital markets, central banking, and macroeconomics do not. 
Each of us is only given 24 hours in a day, 16 of which are waking and 12 are productive.  Dedicate 8 of these 12 productive hours to work and this leaves about 4 hours per day to employ yourself as required.  
We don’t need to review the laundry list of life-chores, including laundry, to conclude that we Americans suffer from chronic time crunch.  Financial planning just seems like one of those things that can wait, perhaps indefinitely. 
Some even go so far as to excuse it as a complete waste of time.  It can be if a broken process is used.  Mowing grass with an inoperable mower would certainly be a tragic waste of time.  
Because the effort of planning is no small time-investment, consuming valuable personal motivation stores, it’s important to adopt an effective process.  Ben and Brent thought this would be a good topic to touch on.  
In news that may come as shocking to the listener: the Financial Planners do not think financial planning, done correctly, is a waste of time.  The key is in process and execution, the focus of the episode’s discussion.   
 
____________________________
 
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 
  ____________________________
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.

Fiduciary vs Finfluencer: When Consuming Financial Advice, Source Matters

I will just say in general, I’ve said SO many times, 99% of you watching do not need a financial advisor.  You need someone like me to teach you step by step how to invest for yourself”.  So says Tori Dunlap, one of the many outspoken influencers brimming with financial opinions that cannot be contained.
Like a bottle of Diet Coke shaken up by outside forces, the froth of conjecture can only go one way once an outlet is found.  There is no dialogue, only a microphone and a sermon.  A tough position from which to deliver advice on a uniquely complex topic like your finances. 
Money, as with health, is situation specific.  There are fundamental truths for wealth building that are universally applicable for which nuance makes no difference.  Axioms like ‘underspend your means’ and ‘invest with patience’ being two examples.  
For these axioms, the finfluencer impact on culture is quite valuable.  Saving should be encouraged as should a low time-preference mindset.  We need to be reminded from time to time to reinforce sound money behaviors that challenge our discipline.  
But make no mistake, the influencer’s advice may be worth less than you pay for it.  It’s not as if these individuals are paragons of altruism responding to a higher calling.  Otherwise, they wouldn’t have monetized channels.  
“You need someone like me…”, should be interpreted as “you need me”.  I wonder why?  
With little to no access barriers, online financial advice has become the go-to source for many, especially our younger generations.  Understandably so.  Who wants to spend money on something that can be procured for free?
Popular influencers demonstrate a degree of social proof as they flex their follower counts and video download statistics.  Surely this translates to workable solutions for the masses!  
It works until the details you can’t decipher start to matter.  And that’s if you’re lucky enough to follow a finfluencer that isn’t a complete charlatan.  The risk of misadvice is higher online.  
There’s absolutely no consumer protections if you happen to follow advice disseminated by such channels as they generally fall under the Publisher Exclusion (Section 202(a)(11)(D) of the Investment Advisors Act of 1940). 
As proponents of financial wellness, Ben and Brent encourage the accumulation of knowledge to this end.  They discuss the pros and cons of finfluencers, how what they do is different and how a good advisor can compliment your favorite influencer(s). 
The most important takeaway is to maintain an ability to think critically.  Inspect any recommendation with too broad an application.  Statements like “99% of you should …” are red flags.  
Having analyzed thousands upon thousands of individual scenarios, Ben and Brent can attest that no situation is alike.  Your mom said you were special, and you are.  
 
Sources:
 
On The Rise of Finfluencers
https://www.aboutschwab.com/mss/story/the-rise-of-finfluencers
https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/stock-market-social-media-financial-influencers-c41c4456
 
Finfluencer Hot Takes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=6IQsSuYagrI
 
____________________________
 
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 
 
____________________________
 
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. 

Kids and Capital: Navigating UTMAs, 529s, and Raising Financially Savvy Investors

The average child spends about eight hours a day in front of a video screen.  We’ve now seen a generation of children raised on a digital cocktail of social media, video games, and streaming services.  A panoramic window into the world, algorithmically tuned for your child’s wants and subconscious desires. 
Ferraris turn more heads than Hondas, a human preference so intrinsic that it shows up in children.  And wealth is more attractive than knowledge.  Countless hours of affluence are processed by brains that can’t even comprehend a simple cash flow statement. 
We’ve all encountered the proverbial trust fund baby with more money than sense and think, ‘what went wrong’? The grunge of teen spirit cannot be washed away with money.  It must be bathed in lessons hard learned under watchful guidance.  
Even then, the stink of poor choices persists as potent reminders that the stakes are real.  Guidance is the key.  What form this guidance takes is debatable and can vary depending on the child or situation.  
Ben and Brent argue their approaches to how we should introduce our children to wealth.  Their approaches vary, demonstrating that there is no one ‘correct’ path, but branching paths.  The objective should be to move on those paths that chart in the generally correct direction.  
Ben prefers the use of UTMA (Uniform Transfers to Minors Act) account as a training ground with a liberal degree child responsibility while Brent favors a more conservative tact with tighter controls.  
It’s a lively discussion, and we are curious to find out where you stand on the subject.  What age do you think your kids would be ready to handle a meaningful sum of capital?  
Send comments, questions, and requests for show contents to ben@nwmgadvisors.com or brent@infinitwealthplanning.com! 
 
____________________________
 
Sources:
Cost of College over Time: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d21/tables/dt21_330.10.asp
‘Trump’ Accounts: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/22/tax-bill-maga-baby-bonus-now-called-trump-accounts-who-is-eligible.html
 
____________________________
 
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 
Connect With Brent -> linkedin.com/in/brent-gargano-cfp®-2067b573 
 
____________________________
 
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.

The Biggest Ripoff: Understanding the True Value vs. Cost of Your Financial Advisor

The American proverb “you get what you pay for” is well understood but not commonly applied.  Nowhere is this made more abundantly clear than in the food services industry, where people line up for cheap, borderline toxic calorie bombs to satiate their immediate cravings.  
One should not ask why healthy food is so expensive but why fast food is so cheap.  The idea that a drive thru diet is lower cost is an illusion once you factor in the long-term health consequences of indulgence.  
This gets to the root of the question Ben and Brent discuss in today’s episode: where can we find the biggest rip offs in investing and how can we avoid them?  
Everyone loves a deal almost as much as they love themselves. This makes us susceptible to overconfidence errors in economic assessment.  
We find this to be especially true when it comes to purchasing financial advice. It’s also true that shopping for financial services is a highly variable experience with a non-zero chance of major trouble.  
It’s difficult to price the value of an advisor but that doesn’t stop us from trying.  The simplest interpretation is to think of a financial advisor as a stock picker - someone who can help you garner an edge.  
False.  In fact, if this is the pitch then that is the first sign that your non-zero chance of major trouble is now closer to 50/50.  If you want an edge, run for congress. We hear they have a legal insider information scheme going on.  
Pinpointing the value of an adviser is a nuanced subject that requires discussion.  As Shrek would say, it has layers.  If you're shopping for advice or just wondering what high-quality advice should look like, this episode is for you! 
 
 
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 
Connect With Brent -> linkedin.com/in/brent-gargano-cfp®-2067b573 
 
____________________  
 
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. 

Lessons From Warren Buffett: Key Takeaways on Management, Markets, and Mindset

Warren Buffett to Retire As CEO of Berkshire Hathaway 
When a person lives to the wise age of 94 and accumulates a networth of $168B, people tend to think he has some important things to say.  Nearly 20,000 Berkshire shareholders gathered in Omaha Nebraska on May 3rd to hear the resident Oracle speak live.  The annual tableau is something to behold.  Thankfully there’s YouTube.  
What does the 5th richest man in the world know about regular living?  As it turns out, quite a bit.  It can be easy to dismiss the musings of a billionaire as disconnected and not applicable to the life of a plebian, but Warren Buffet should not be ignored.  Not unless you are allergic to sagacious elements.  
Here are just a few of the takeaways we garnered from tuning in:
Buffett has served under 5 managers during his life and he admired them all - he did not suffer people he didn’t respect. 
He maintains a keen awareness of the time he has left and invests it with judiciousness 
The sillier people get (in the market), the better the opportunity. 
Market volatility is nothing to worry about.  Wouldn’t bother him if Berkshire dropped by 50% and would consider it a fantastic opportunity.
Read every book about investing available to him in the library as a child, discovering his talents and investing at an early age.
It’s difficult to take the position that people get what they deserve in life.  But American society manages to get closer to this ideal than anywhere else.  
Patience is an important trait for prudent investing. 
Most of the time, you do not have an edge and you will only have a handful of opportunities in life where that’s not the case - best not to miss those. 
For more than 4 hours, the 94 year-old CEO spit wisdom from his unpretentious throne, proving once again why he’s America’s most respectable rich guy for a reason.  He dashed the dreams of a few admirers, hoping to catch the corner of his slipstream by shortcut.  
Then he dropped a bomb announcing his retirement at year end.  While the stock initially dropped in response, the transition will likely be written about as exemplary in future business textbooks. 
You don’t have to mirror Warren’s success to set yourself up for a meaningful life.  He is a wonderful creation of auspicious birthright, talent, timing and obsession.  A product of his time that cannot be replicated.  
Charlie Munger, Warren’s late friend and longtime business was once asked something to the effect of, “Mr. Munger, how can I be a successful investor like you?”.  Munger’s response was, in a matter of words, “Well, I can tell you what I wasn’t doing.  I wasn’t standing around asking people like me how to do it.”  
Both hilarious and accurate.  I can see why he and Warren were successful and best friends.  
Live your life to the best of your ability by taking every opportunity given you.  Soak up the abundant wisdom freely given from the people you admire.  It may just equip you to see your path more clearly.  
Hopefully this episode can give you just a little bit of that as we discuss the life and success of Warren Buffett.  
____________________
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 
Connect With Brent -> linkedin.com/in/brent-gargano-cfp®-2067b573 
 
____________________  
 
Editor:
Trevor Gargano
Email: Trevor@trevorgargano.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-gargano-72727b67/
Website: TheDigitalQuarterback.com
 
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Follow our socials to support the podcast; see extra clips and announcements!
 
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____________________
 
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.

Buy The Dip: Building Wealth Through Consistent Strategy, Not Perfect Timing

Too low to sell, too cash poor to buy the dip.  So laments an X user over this past week as he describes his current state of financial affairs.  No one wants to be a sucker yet prudent investing requires that you subject yourself to the fickle whims of the market - all in.
It’s hard not to feel like a sucker when you buy something only to watch it go on sale the next day.  Unlike Costco, financial markets will not retroactively match pricing (for retail investors).  This leads to a tendency to hold unproductive cash, waiting for an elusive signal for the lowest low. 
Only then can we brag to our spouse that we’re better than everyone else.  Catching the bottom seems like it's a critical component of investment success.  Pulling it off with style can even garner celebrity status and a possible Netflix deal.  
Having personally worked with hundreds of households over my two decade career, many of which have built substantial wealth, not a single success story can pinpoint buying a dip as its primary contributor.  In fact, reserving idle cash for timed purchases hurts long-term results.  
Most years are positive in the stock market.  Most trading days result in positive returns.  It stands to reason that a diversified equity portfolio, if left alone, will produce positive results.  Cash, on the other hand, will only produce a return equivalent to the prevailing 3-month T-Bill less a spread or a fee. This is usually close to the CPI stated rate of inflation.  
The delta between cash vs investment returns grows exponentially over time.  Failure to catch a bottom results in underperformance, and that is usually the outcome.  But at least this underperformance feels good in times like these.  
In fact, it feels so good that we often don’t pull the trigger when we should.  Exactly zero normal people like getting out of a warm bed on a cold winter day.  Yet, this is what success mandates.  The markets feel ice cold right now because this is the media sentiment.  
I read and watch the same drivel you do, this article excluded or course.  Most of it is pregnant with depressionary nostalgia.  “Levels not seen since 1928!” Like my children, surprised when bedtime happens every night, investors act as if they are reading hyperbole as fact for the first time ever.  
This is your signal.  This is when you buy and you will NOT catch the bottom.  That requires clairvoyance, luck or enough capital to synthesize market movements.  Apply within if you have any of the above.  
Progress on the path to wealth is made through consistent adherence to strategy.  Like putting one leg in front and then the next, it is patient and without overthinking.  So too should be your investing strategy.  
There are situations in which you might find yourself with lump sums of cash when markets are down.  This is a good position to be in!  Join us as we discuss what to do in these situations, as well as for some timely market prognosis! 
 
Reference Links:
J.P. Morgan Guide to the Markets - PE Ratios & Equity Returns
T.Rowe Price - The Cost of Cashing Out
Vanguard - Staying the Course
____
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 
Connect with Brent --> linkedin.com/in/brent-gargano-cfp®-2067b573 
 
______
 
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/
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______  
 
Disclosure: 
The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.  
Advisors associated with National Wealth Management Group may be either (1) registered representatives with, and securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC, and investment advisor representatives of National Wealth Management Group; or (2) solely investment advisor representatives of National Wealth Management Group, and not affiliated with LPL Financial. Investment advice offered through National Wealth Management Group, a registered investment advisor and separate entity from LPL Financial. 
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.