Dollar Wise Podcast

We have become constantly stressed. We are no longer in fight or flight mode just at the gym, we are in fight or flight mode just before bed. Stress is depleting us and taking away our ability to make the most out of our bodies for the rest of our lives. Mike Blaylock and Jason discuss how you can stay fit and active for the rest of your life by doing simple things like learning how to breathe better. 

Mike Blaylock is a fitness coach and the owner of Barn Strength and Conditioning. 

Tune into this episode to learn: 

• How to get out of the everyday pain you now dismiss as normal
• How the way you experience gravity changes your body 
• How to stay active your whole life 

Timestamps

(00:40) How is a finance coach similar to a fitness coach?

(02:06) The exhaustion of fight or flight mode

(06:54) Learning how to breathe is step 1 

(11:34) The effect of gravity on your body

(12:37) Your body is heavier on the right. What does this mean for you? OR Why are most people right-handed?

(17:05) How to change the way you breathe 

(24:44) Stopping your body from aging

3 Key Highlights 

1. Breathing dictates everything in your life. It dictates how your day goes and it dictates how you process events and regulate your emotions. We breathe 22,000 times a day.

1. Much of your health boils down to the shape of your lower back. It is what carries you throughout your life. 

1. Before pushing your body too hard in doing high-intensity training, you must first build a base for your body. You have to strengthen your aerobic zone and master how you get oxygen in and out of your body. 

Useful Links

Connect with Mike Blaylock: Barn Strength and Conditioning

Connect with Jason Gabrieli: LinkedIn

Like what you’ve heard…

Learn more about HFM HERE

Schedule time to speak with us HERE

Check out our Financial Wellness Program – HFM Ignite

Social security might be your largest asset in retirement, but how long will it last? And how can you increase the amount of money you receive when you retire? When you don’t know what you’re entitled to, you might be leaving more money on the table than you think. Catherine from HFM Investment Advisors and Martha Shedden, a social security expert and educator, have a conversation about what you must know about social security so that you can get as much money as possible during retirement. 

Martha Shedden runs Shedden Social Security to help retirees maximize the amount of social security they receive. She is the co-founder of the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts. 

Tune into this episode to learn: 

• How much money you would lose by claiming social security too early
• Whether social security will be discontinued in the future
• Why you should discuss survivor benefits with your spouse

Timestamps

[00:40] Who is Martha Shedden? 

[03:48] When should you claim your social security? 

[09:00] Will social security be increasing in the future?

[12:30] Will social security run out?

[15:34] What you must know about survivor benefits

[20:47] Why you shouldn’t think of social security as a tax

[24:55] What happens if you earn an income while collecting social security

[25:51] How to avoid costly misinformation about social security

4 Key Highlights 

1. You can rack up social security claims in the 6 or 7 figures. You contribute to social security for several decades, these contributions add up. You can be leaving lots of money on the table by making an uninformed decision about when you claim and how you claim social security. 
2. The majority of people collect social security before their full retirement age. Only around 3% of people collect their social security once they reach their full retirement age. 
3. Social security is unlikely to go away since it is supported across all political parties and demographics. Benefits may decrease, but they are unlikely to disappear completely.
4. It is best to learn about survivor benefits in advance. You won’t be able to learn about survivor benefits during an event of loss in the family. You’ll be too occupied. This is why it is best to make time with your spouse to learn about the best way to claim your survivor benefits.

Useful Links

Connect with Martha Shedden: Shedden Social Security Website | LinkedIn

Connect with Catherine Allen-Carlozo: LinkedIn

Like what you’ve heard…

Learn more about HFM HERE

Schedule time to speak with us HERE

Check out our Financial Wellness Program – HFM Ignite

Right now, I-bonds present an extremely attractive 9.6% rate of return. So, how come we never hear about I-bonds? Learn why I-bonds are currently popular, how to buy them, and whether your should in this snappy episode of the Dollar Wise Podcast.

Tune into this episode to learn: 

• How much money you can make by investing in I-bonds 
• Pros and cons of buying I-bonds
• Whether you should use your emergency fund to buy I-bonds 

Timestamps

[00:32] Episode overview: I Bonds

[01:23] Why are I Bonds popular right now? 

[02:43] Are I-bond returns guaranteed?

[04:35] How much I-Bonds can you buy?

[05:21] How long is your money tied up for when you buy I-bonds?

[06:51] What are I-bonds good for? Reasons to buy I-bonds. 

[09:30] How to buy I-bonds. 

3 Key Highlights 

1. I-Bonds are purchased from the US government. You can buy them from treasury.gov. Their interest rate is pegged to inflation. This is why they are popular right now with inflation running just over 9%. 

1. I-Bond returns are guaranteed. The rate of return is recalculated every 6 months. Right now that rate is 9.6% but the rate will get recalculated every 6 months. 

1. At maximum, each US citizen can only buy $15,000 of I-bonds each year.

Useful Links

Connect with Jason Gabrieli: LinkedIn

Connect with Tyler Reedman: LinkedIn

Like what you’ve heard…

Learn more about HFM HERE

Schedule time to speak with us HERE

Open an HFM Ignite account HERE

We have officially entered a bear market. In this episode, Jason and Tyler discuss the 5 things you need to do to survive and thrive in any bear market. They discuss how long it will take for the market to recover, what can diminish your returns in a bear market and how to avoid it, what your mind is like in a bear market, and the main thing you have to know before changing any of your investments. 

Tune into this episode to learn: 

• How checking your investment accounts directly affects your gains
• The best way to invest in every market 
• How long it will take for the market to recover

Timestamps

[00:39] Episode overview: What’s going on in the stock market? 

[01:33] Is there something we could have done to avoid a bear market?

[02:26] The worst time to figure out your risk tolerance.  

[07:04] “I don’t have time for the market to recover” 

[08:20] How not diversifying can kill your returns (examples).

[13:30] How often you should check your investment accounts.

[17:22] How to THRIVE (not just survive) in a bear market. 

3 Key Highlights 

1. Know your risk tolerance and align it with your portfolio. There are many different tests you can take to find out your risk tolerance. You also need to figure out how much risk or how little risk you need to take to reach the goals you’ve set for yourself. 

1. Diversification is not sexy, but it gets the job done. When you diversify your investments, you increase your chances that something you’re invested in does well. For example, cryptocurrency makes up around 2% of the world market, you should keep that in perspective when balancing and diversifying your portfolio. 

1. The market is on sale right now. You can buy stocks at a discount right now, so don’t stop investing. You want to get stocks at the best price possible, bear markets are an opportunity for that. The stock market is the biggest wealth creator of all time. 

Useful Links

Connect with Jason Gabrieli: LinkedIn

Connect with Tyler Reedman: LinkedIn

Like what you’ve heard…

Learn more about HFM HERE

Schedule time to speak with us HERE

Open an HFM Ignite account HERE

In this episode, Jason Gabrieli and Tyler Reedman discuss whether it’s a good time to buy a home given rising home prices. Most of us have a tendency to overanalyze our homebuying decisions and ultimately treat homebuying as an investment. In the conversation, they explain why you shouldn’t treat homeownership as an investment and they provide better metrics that help you decide whether it’s a good time for you to buy a home.

Tune into this episode to learn:

●     How to decide whether or not to buy a home in this market

●     Whether home prices will fall and how they have fallen in the past 35 years

●     Why buying a home can help you beat inflation long-term.

Timestamps

[00:49] Episode overview: homeownership

[01:07] Is it a good time to buy a house?

[02:46] Should you buy a house even if interest rates are high?

[06:56] The BEST hedge against inflation for average Americans.

[08:45] Should you wait for home prices to drop before buying a home?

[13:32] How long you should live in your home before selling it

3 Key Highlights

1. Just 30% of people in the US believe that now is a good time to buy a house. This is the first time this statistic has gone below 50% since 1978.
2. Even if you buy a home with a high-interest rate, it is important to remember that interest rates can possibly go down. If they do, you can refinance your mortgage.
3. If you don’t need to particularly buy a home right now, there is some merit to waiting until prices drop.

Useful Links

Connect with Jason Gabrieli: LinkedIn

Connect with Tyler Reedman: LinkedIn

Like what you’ve heard…

Learn more about HFM HERE

Schedule time to speak with us HERE

Open an HFM Ignite account HERE

Ex-car dealership owner Tom Reedman joins Jason to discuss the state of the car industry these days. They discuss why car prices are unbelievably high at the moment, the secret to getting a good price for a car even when they’re really expensive, what to make sure to negotiate when you’re closing on a car at the dealership and what isn’t worth negotiating, and many other car buying tips straight from an ex-car dealership owner. 

Tom Reedman operated his family business Reedman World Center. He had a 55-year professional career in the automotive industry, 30 of which were spent in the family business.  The Center was accredited by the Philadelphia Inquirer as the original mall concept of selling cars. His uncle started Reedman World Center after World War II and was a pioneer in the automobile business.  Reedman World Center was sold in 2004 and it became Reedman Toll Auto World.

Tune into this episode to learn: 

• Whether you should lease your new car
• Why vehicle prices are so high at the moment
• What to make sure to negotiate when buying a car
• How to know if you’ve got a good lease

Timestamps

[00:30] Episode overview: Who is Tom Reedman of the Reedman World Center?

[02:23] Are gas prices unprecedentedly high?  OR What did people do when gas prices were really high in the past?

[04:15] How the car business is performing against inflation OR How much people are paying above sticker price to buy a car (and what are the rules?).  

[06:41] What to do if you absolutely have to buy a car in a bad market? OR The secret to getting a good price for a car in a bad market.

[09:16] Should you lease or buy your car?

[13:16] Why you have to know the market value of your car before you trade it. 

[15:48] What to do when a car dealership tries to upsell you (and what’s negotiable?). 

[19:20] Best car buying tip from an ex-car dealership owner.

[20:29] A good lease program vs. a bad lease program.

5 Key Highlights 

1. During the gas crisis of the Carter years, people were trading their Cadillacs for Chevies to save money on gas costs. They were trading expensive cars for cheap ones without considering that gas prices would normalize again. 
2. People are paying 20% above the sticker price to buy their cars from dealerships. The only rule dealerships have to follow is to list their cars at market value. 
3. If you want to buy your own car at the end of its lease, make sure to initiate the process for buying that car at least 90 days before the lease expires. If you wait until the lease is over you will have to pay fair market value for your own lease. 
4. Don’t buy warranties on a car you’re leasing unless you plan on keeping your vehicle. It’s much cheaper to buy warranties upfront. 
5. What to negotiate in a car dealership: having the warranty and maintenance as part of the car price. Don’t negotiate superficial things like fancier mats, you can get those anywhere. 

Useful Links

Know the market value of your car: Kelly Blue Book

Connect with Jason Gabrieli: LinkedIn

Connect with Tyler Reedman: LinkedIn

Like what you’ve heard…

Learn more about HFM HERE

Schedule time to speak with us HERE

Open an HFM Ignite account HERE

Title professional and attorney John Friedman, joins Jason to discuss if the title to your house can really be stolen. Buying a property can be the biggest investment you make. It is therefore only natural that you would want to make sure that your title to your house is fully protected. 

John Friedman is a New Jersey State Council at First American Title. 

Tune in until the end to learn: 

• Why it is not easy (but possible) for someone to steal the title to your house. 
• What happens to you if someone steals the title to your house. 
• What you can do to fully protect yourself from having the title to your house stolen.

Timestamps

[00:30] Who is John Friedman, Esq.?  

[00:53] Have you heard the ads about the title of your house getting stolen?

[01:33] The protections in place that prevent people from stealing the title to your property. 

[02:33] Can your property get stolen despite the protections in place? 

[03:39] What happens if someone actually gets a mortgage on your property? 

[05:48] Is standard title insurance enough to protect your title? 

[09:54] Who is eligible for enhanced title insurance and how much is it? 

[10:27] How can you get in touch with First American Title? 

3 Key Takeaways

1. There are many protections in place preventing people from stealing the title to your property. Title insurance companies evaluate real estate transactions carefully and determine who the owner of the property is. Buyers also need notaries to be involved when buying property, and it is a notary’s job to verify that each person in the transaction is who they say they are. 
2. Sometimes, it does indeed happen that the title to your property gets stolen. Sometimes, the lender doesn’t require title insurance and/or the notary is on it (the perfect storm). 
3. If someone buys the title to your property in an invalid way, they won’t be able to put you on the street. The issue now is that you would have a cloud on the title that you would have to clean up. The question is, who pays for it? Buying enhance title insurance can cover your back in such scenarios. 

Useful Links

Connect with John Friedman: LinkedIn | First American Title Website

Connect with Jason Gabrieli: LinkedIn | Email

Like what you’ve heard…

Learn more about HFM HERE

Schedule time to speak with us HERE

Open an HFM Ignite account HERE

Bill Webb returns to the podcast to dig into some basic mistakes people make as well as upcoming deadlines with respect to Medicare and then dive into a question we get all the time from clients getting to Medicare age: what is the difference between Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement? Bill and Jason explore some questions to ask yourself when you’re considering which is right for your situation.

Like what you’ve heard…

Learn more about HFM HERE

Schedule time to speak with us HERE

Open an HFM Ignite account HERE

When planning for your retirement one of the most important decisions to make is when to claim Social Security benefits.

Make the wrong decision and you can lock in a loss for the rest of your life.

Make the right decision and you may help secure the lifestyle you desire.

Today’s very special guest is Mary Beth Franklin, author of “Maximizing Social Security Retirement Benefits”. A nationally known speaker, Mary Beth shares her vast knowledge and helps people navigate through the social security maze to find the right income solutions with clear and simple advice.

Like what you’ve heard…

Learn more about HFM HERE

Schedule time to speak with us HERE

Open an HFM Ignite account HERE

Jason Gabrieli is joined by Devin DiNofa, a partner at TCS New Jersey with Keller Williams Realty.  Devin’s expertise spans both the Philadelphia and South Jersey markets and in this episode we get into navigating today’s real estate market, which has just exploded since the onset of the COVID pandemic.  Devin provides some tips for buyers on how to make your offer standout from the likely dozens of others and for sellers, how to determine the most solid offer – hint.. it’s not always as easy as just going with the highest bid!

If you’re interested in learning more about Devin and TCS, you can find him on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram @Devin_DiNofa