Connecting the Dollars by Propel Financial Advisors

You Inherited a Haunted House: Now What?

It's Halloween season, so Emily & Amanda take this opportunity to discuss personal finances of one of their favorite scary movie tropes - haunted houses.
Time stamps 2:12 Inspection and appraisal 3:55 Check your insurance coverage 5:40 What if your spouse is the one to inherit? 9:40 Lessons from The Shining 13:14 How to Sell a Haunted House

Fall Financial Planning Checklist

The seasons are changing which means it's time to tackle those year-end financial tasks. Amanda & Emily talk tax planning, retirement planning, budgeting, and what to expect for the rest of 2024. What's on your to-do list before we hit 2025?
Topics Covered: Fed rate cut, Tax Planning: withholding, Tax Planning: harvesting capital losses or gains, Tax planning: Roth accounts, Retirement planning: 401(k) contributions, income limit for Roth IRA contribution, Holiday budget planning, Election impact on markets and Open enrollment.

Balanced Money Moves in Light of the Fed Rate Cut

Emily & Amanda discuss how the recent Fed rate cut may impact your personal finances. They suggest considering the rate cut in context before making any changes to your financial plan.
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The Fed's Much-Anticipated First Rate Cut of 2024 and its Impact

All year, Wall Street has been practically chomping at the bit for lower rates, while Fed Chair Powell has continually urged a more steadied, cautious approach to lowering rates. Now, it seems to be around the corner, as Powell signaled at his last press conference. In this episode, Amanda and David discuss the potential impacts of the pending Fed rate cut - expected on September 18. We discuss: 1) Potential cash moves 2) The Impact on bond and stock markets; and 3) The Impact on mortgage market.
 
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After the Glory Days: Post-Olympics lessons in personal finance

Emily and Amanda discuss what we can learn about personal finance from the recent summer Olympics in Paris. One thing about athletes is that they know there will be a peak performance and that they’ll have to adjust their career afterwards. What about regular people? Most don’t recognize when they’re at their peak earning potential. Life happens – you have a baby, you lose a job, you burnout on your career. We might not know when we peak, but we do know that if you are a high earner, you may not stay one. If you plan now for when life throws a monkey wrench in the works, then you’ll be better able to pivot when the change comes.

Midyear Market Insights Part 2: the Fed & the Economy

Midyear Market Insights Part 2: the Fed & the economy Connecting the Dollars Podcast Episode 50 Emily and Amanda discuss some major market themes in 2024. Next in our series: The Fed and the economy Inflation has fallen this year, with the most recent readings falling below expectations. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate keeps creeping up. The Fed has a dual mandate on inflation and employment: will the long-awaited rate cut happen soon? 
 
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Midyear Market Insights. Part 1: NVDA & AI

Emily and Amanda discuss some major market themes in 2024. First up: Nvidia and AI:
The returns in Nividia and other AI stocks have been astronomical this year. Emily & Amanda lay out how we, as financial advisors interpret and apply the news. They discuss:
-          Comparisons to the dot-com bubble and whether they’re warranted
-          Portfolio concentration and risk
-          Recognizing the feelings of FOMO that can lead to imprudent behaviors
 
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First Home Finances: Get your financial ducks in a row before buying a home

This week, Emily and Amanda dive into the current state of the housing market and what to consider before purchasing your first home. After discussing the impact of higher interest rates and rising home insurance costs, they cover five key considerations before taking the leap into real estate.
 
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Timeless Troubles: Tackling Five Ever-Present Personal Finance Challenges

This week, fellow advisor Danielle Woods joins the podcast. Danielle draws on her 26 years of experience as a financial advisor to discuss the five most common issues she sees clients struggle with. They are:
 
1. Focusing on an isolated issue rather than the whole picture.
2. Balancing paying off debt vs savings
3. Being proactive and speaking with your advisor before taking action
4. Preparing for death (legally and financially speaking)
5. Working on their budget
 
Additional resources:
 
During our discussion Danielle referenced a webinar that we hosted that goes through the elements of estate planning.
 
Navigating the Dark Cloud: Planning Before and After a Loved One's Death
 

Ten Tax Season Takeaways

In this episode, Emily and Amanda reflect on tax season 2024. When preparing tax returns, Emily and Amanda see recurring themes across clients. They discuss their top ten issues they saw taxpayers struggling with in 2024.
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