Markets, Oil, and AI: What's Really Driving the Second Half?
From Saving to Spending: Navigating the Mindset Shift in Retirement
What happens when you finally reach your retirement "number"… and then have to start spending it?
In this thoughtful and highly relatable conversation, Russ Ball sits down with Jeff Perry—recently retired financial advisor—to explore one of the most overlooked challenges in retirement: shifting from saving to spending. After decades of focusing on accumulation, the transition to drawing down assets brings both financial and emotional complexities that aren't always easy to prepare for.
Jeff shares his firsthand experience navigating those first few months of retirement, offering an honest look at the psychological hurdles that come with watching your portfolio decrease rather than grow. Together, they discuss how to determine sustainable withdrawal rates, the importance of truly understanding your expenses (including the often-forgotten "life happens" costs), and why having a clear plan can make all the difference in building confidence.
The conversation also dives into practical strategies—like guardrails, bucketing, and annual plan reviews—that can help retirees stay on track while still enjoying their money. Perhaps most importantly, this episode highlights the emotional side of financial planning: overcoming fear, embracing flexibility, and giving yourself permission to live the life you've worked so hard to create.
#RetirementPlanning #FinancialAdvising #WealthManagement #RetirementIncome #FinancialSecurity #ClientExperience #PersonalFinance
The Healthcare Heist: Why Costs Keep Rising and What We Can Do About It
The Healthcare Heist: Why Costs Keep Rising and What We Can Do About It
Why does healthcare feel so expensive, complicated, and—at times—frustratingly broken? In this episode of Something More with Chris Boyd, we welcome back Dr. Jordan Grumet to explore his new book, The Healthcare Heist, and unpack the root causes behind rising costs and declining patient experience.
Drawing on his background as a physician and financial expert, Dr. Grumet explains how the modern healthcare system has evolved from a community-centered model into one heavily influenced by third-party interests. Insurance companies, pharmaceutical firms, and other stakeholders—many driven by profit rather than patient care—have reshaped incentives in ways that impact both costs and outcomes. The result? Patients and providers often feel caught in a system that doesn't fully serve either of them.
Beyond diagnosing the problem, this conversation dives into what meaningful change could look like. From understanding the role we all play as patients, to exploring how storytelling and collective awareness could drive reform, this episode offers a thoughtful and balanced perspective on one of the most pressing issues in our lives today.
If healthcare is something you've ever worried about—whether it's affordability, access, or long-term planning—this discussion will challenge your thinking and give you a clearer lens on where we go from here.
Listen to our other conversation with Dr. Jordan Grumet:
SMwCB - The Purpose Code – Dr. Jordan Grumet
If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about money, life, and what really matters, be sure to like, subscribe, and share.
Jordan Grumet, MD | Author, Speaker, Coach
Jordan Grumet's Podcast, Earn & Invest
More Than a Will: How Estate Planning Fits Into Your Financial Life
Estate planning isn't a separate "legal chore" you do once and forget — it's a core part of financial planning that helps your money decisions work the way you intend, both during your lifetime and after. In this episode of Something More with Chris Boyd, Chris Boyd and Russ Ball explain why estate planning belongs in the same conversation as retirement planning, tax strategy, investment design, and risk management. They break down the foundational documents (wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives), but the bigger point is how these tools coordinate with everything else you're doing financially. Your account titling, beneficiary designations, cash flow plan, tax planning, and long-term projections can all be impacted by what your estate documents say — and by whether your plan is properly implemented and kept up to date. The episode also highlights a common gap: people often have an attorney, an investment account, and a tax preparer operating in silos. Chris and Russ discuss why integrated planning helps "connect the dots," so your investments and planning strategies align with your estate goals, family dynamics, and potential tax exposure over time. If you've ever wondered "Do I really need a trust?" or "Is my plan still accurate after life changes?" this conversation reframes estate planning as a practical, living part of your overall financial strategy — designed to reduce confusion, improve outcomes, and support the life you want to live (and the legacy you want to leave). #EstatePlanning #FinancialPlanning #WealthStrategy #TaxStrategy #RetirementPlanning #LegacyPlanning #SomethingMoreWithChrisBoyd
Leadership Matters; sometimes more than investors realize
In this episode of Something More with Chris Boyd, Chris is joined once again by Brian Regan, Senior Portfolio Manager on the AMR Team at Wealth Enhancement, to explore how leadership changes—at major corporations and within the Federal Reserve—can materially influence investment outcomes.
The conversation begins with high‑profile leadership transitions, including Apple's succession from Tim Cook, shifts at Berkshire Hathaway, Netflix, Starbucks, and Simon Property Group, and why investors should care not just who leads a company—but how they got there.
Chris and Brian unpack what they look for in effective leadership:
- Founder-led vs. externally hired CEOs
- Long tenure and institutional knowledge
- Capital allocation discipline
- Governance structures that protect shareholders
- The risks of concentrated control and weak oversight
They also discuss:
- Apple's strategic restraint in AI spending—and why that may be a competitive advantage
- Governance failures that create "value traps"
- Why leadership continuity often trumps flashy turnarounds
- The coming transition at the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell's legacy, and what uncertainty at the Fed could mean for markets
- Why strong bank earnings are a reassuring economic signal
The episode concludes with a candid discussion on financial advisory fees—when advisors do earn their keep, when they don't, and how good advice extends far beyond investment selection into behavioral coaching, planning, tax strategy, and risk management.
A thoughtful reminder that people matter behind the balance sheets—and so does the advice you rely on.
When Power of Attorney Isn't Enough: Real‑World Estate Challenges
In part two of Chris Boyd's conversation with author Beth Pinsker, they dive into the legal and logistical realities families face when a loved one declines or passes away.
Beth shares firsthand stories about powers of attorney that didn't work, banks refusing access, the maze of government agencies, and the surprising complications of digital assets.
One striking line from the show:
"I thought those documents were the golden ticket… and then I went to try to use a power of attorney."
"I thought those documents were the golden ticket… and then I went to try to use a power of attorney."
They also explore estate planning, fairness vs. equality among heirs, and how to prevent family conflict before it starts.
#EstatePlanning #DigitalAssets #PowerOfAttorney #ElderCare #FinancialCaregiving #FamilyPlanning #WealthManagement #SomethingMoreWithChrisBoyd
Planning for the phone call that changes everything: Financial caregiving for aging parents
Most families don't plan for financial caregiving until they're forced into it. In this episode, Chris Boyd talks with award‑winning financial journalist and author Beth Pinsker, whose book My Mother's Money: A Guide to Financial Caregiving blends memoir and practical guidance.
They explore the moment "everything changed," the early red flags families often miss, why even the "right" documents aren't always enough, and how the cost of care becomes painfully real.
As Beth says: "Financial red flags come first… handling money is a complicated higher function."
If you have aging parents — or expect to one day — this conversation is essential.
#FinancialCaregiving #AgingParents #ElderCare #FamilyFinance #LongTermCare #CaregivingJourney #EstatePlanning #SomethingMoreWithChrisBoyd #WealthEnhancement
Are You Making These Retirement and College Savings Mistakes?
In this episode of Something More with Chris Boyd, Chris and Brian dive into two of the biggest areas where families unintentionally sabotage their financial success: retirement savings missteps and education planning mistakes.
Brian discusses patterns he's seen after reviewing hundreds of 401(k) plans — especially the surprising frequency of investors mixing target-date funds with additional stock funds, inadvertently doubling their risk. Chris and Brian explain how target-date funds are designed, why adding extra funds defeats the purpose, and how investors often fall into the trap of chasing performance or comparing themselves unfairly to the S&P 500.
The conversation also unpacks:
- Why the S&P 500 is not an appropriate benchmark for most people
- How risk tolerance, time horizon, and personal financial stability should determine allocation
- Why short-term performance viewing leads to emotional decisions
- The "illusion of diversification" when holding many similar stock funds
- How to properly evaluate whether your portfolio risk matches your goals
- The importance of focusing on time in the market, not timing the market
Then the episode turns to education planning mistakes — an increasingly urgent topic as college costs continue skyrocketing. Chris and Brian cover:
- Why early and consistent saving matters most
- Why 529 plans remain the best savings vehicle for education
- How the new Trump savings accounts fit in (and don't)
- How costs differ dramatically between public vs. private education
- Why parents often damage their own retirement security trying to pay for college
- The importance of setting expectations with children early
- Brian's personal system for projecting education costs to 2044
- Why lifestyle decisions (cars, home choices, spending patterns) impact your ability to fund education
Finally, the discussion closes with a thoughtful segment on whether buying a home is always the right move, especially for Millennials and Gen Z. Chris and Brian outline why today's high prices and high mortgage rates reduce affordability — and why renting may sometimes make more financial sense until conditions improve.
Like, subscribe, and share if you find this helpful.
#RetirementPlanning #CollegeSavings #TargetDateFunds #529Plans #FinancialEducation #WealthManagement #smwcb
Should You Sell When Markets Go Down? Smart Decisions in Volatile Times
Why panic selling backfires — and how proper planning prevents emotional mistakes.
In this episode of Something More with Chris Boyd, Chris and Brian Regan tackle a timeless question: Why do investors feel the urge to sell when markets decline? They explore the psychology behind market fear, why this instinct is often counterproductive, and how disciplined planning helps investors avoid costly emotional decisions.
From there, the conversation moves into today's market environment — including the global tensions, oil price changes, sector‑specific volatility, and what these disruptions mean (and don't mean) for long‑term investors.
A major focus in this episode is private credit; an area Brian has been warning about since early 2025. He outlines why the surge in private credit inflows, liquidity mismatches, rising default rates, and cross‑ownership structures between private equity and private credit funds are creating instability beneath the surface. While not a 2008‑style crisis, Brian explains why investors — especially those unknowingly exposed — should pay attention.
#MarketVolatility #InvestorBehavior #FinancialPlanning #WealthManagement #PrivateCredit #SomethingMoreWithChrisBoyd
How LLCs Strengthen Your Estate Plan: Asset Protection, Residency & Tax Reduction — Part 2 (w/ Atty. F. Keats Boyd, III)
In Part 2, Chris and Attorney Keats Boyd dive into advanced strategies that protect wealth, reduce risk, and potentially eliminate state‑level estate taxes.
Topics include:
- Why rental property owners should strongly consider using an LLC
- Inside vs. outside creditors — and why the distinction matters
- How LLCs protect your home and financial assets from tenant lawsuits
- Selecting the right state in which to form an LLC (charging order jurisdictions explained)
- Filing requirements, costs, and practical considerations
- Using LLCs as part of multi‑generation wealth planning
- Whether MA real estate taxed in an estate can be reduced or eliminated using LLCs or credit shelter trusts
If you own rental property or have substantial real estate value, this episode is full of actionable insights that may save your family significant taxes and liability exposure.
#EstatePlanning #FinancialPlanning #WealthManagement #TrustsAndEstates #TaxPlanning #RetirementPlanning #LLC #AssetProtection #RealEstateInvesting #LandlordLife #LiabilityProtection #Smwcb