If you want to learn more about how stocks, bonds, and other investments work together to help you achieve your long-term financial goals, listen to this episode of I’ve Been Meaning To Do That. Host Oscarlyn Elder talks to Truist Wealth’s Trey Smith and Niles Greene about the basics of building a portfolio. They discuss (time stamps are approximate):

• Introducing Trey and Niles (1:20)

• Saving vs. investing (3:10)

• Volatility and the long-term trend of stock prices (6:50)

• How to assess and manage investment risks (13:20)

• Striking a balance between risk and reward (18:55)

• Why investment liquidity matters (23:50)

• Risks with bonds (25:40)

• Managing risk with dollar-cost averaging and diversification (28:50)

• Adding alternative investments to a portfolio (33:00)

• What Niles and Trey have been meaning to do (39:00)

• Final thoughts from Oscarlyn (41:40)

The podcast team has created a template for taking notes on each episode. You can find it at

Truist.com/resources/wealth/financial-planning/the-role-of-investments-in-your-financial-plan

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected].

Take action on what you’ve been meaning to do with the help of this Truist Wealth podcast. In this Best of 2023 episode, host Oscarlyn Elder talks to thought leaders at Truist and elsewhere about the journey of exploring your purpose, living out your values and aspirations in your financial plan and wealth objectives, and planning for unexpected events. They discuss (time stamps are approximate):

• Actions you can take to understand your purpose (1:40)

• How to keep it simple when exploring your purpose (5:00)

• Why it’s important to prioritize wealth objectives (6:35)

• The impact of regret avoidance and status quo bias (9:20)

• Preparing for the first days of retirement (13:20)

• When to revisit your financial plan (15:50)

• Talking to your teens about paying for college (19:40)

• When “life happens,” why you should trust an advisor (24:50)

• A common problem of business owners in preparing for unexpected events (26:30)

• The benefits of a donor-advised fund (31:30)

• Reviewing insurance coverage when home prices rise (33:50)

• Solving the “middle problem” of our financial goals (36:30)

• Final thoughts from Oscarlyn (38:20)

The podcast team has created a template for taking notes on each episode. You can find it at Truist.com/resources/wealth/financial-planning/best-of-2023

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected].

If you’ve had trouble staying within your budget—or even developing one—this episode of I’ve Been Meaning To Do That can help. Host Oscarlyn Elder talks to Perry Wright of Duke University’s Center for Advanced Hindsight about creating budgets that are more effective, tips for staying on track with your spending, and how budgets can reflect your values. They discuss (time stamps are approximate):

• Introducing Perry Wright (0:50)

• The role of budgets (6:30)

• Budgets provide visibility to spending (9:25)

• How budgets are often too optimistic (18:15)

• Create buckets for spending—but not too many (25:30)

• How budgets can reflect our values (28:15)

• Tips for taking action on budgets (32:30)

• Summing up the big lessons (43:30)

• What Perry has been meaning to do (48:40)

• Final thoughts from Oscarlyn (50:00)

The podcast team has created a template for taking notes on each episode. You can find it at Truist.com/resources/wealth/financial-planning/budgets-are-for-everyone

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected].

Dr. Ayelet Fishbach has the practice of setting and achieving goals down to a science. In this episode of “I’ve Been Meaning To Do That,” host Oscarlyn Elder and Ayelet, a professor of behavioral science and marketing at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, talk about how to develop, prioritize, and stay on track with your goals. They discuss (time stamps are approximate):

• Introduction of Ayelet Fishbach (0:40)

• Developing meaningful goals (3:20)

• Intrinsic motivation and targets for goals (6:20)

• Keep the middles short (12:30)

• Organizing and aligning goals (17:50)

• The need to pursue multiple goals at one time (26:40)

• Tactics for battling temptations (28:40)

• Connect to your future self (37:20)

• Tips for developing patience (38:10)

• The role of social support in motivation (41:10)

• Change the environment, not yourself (51:40)

• What Ayelet has been meaning to do (54:10)

• Final thoughts from Oscarlyn (58:20)

To learn more, read Ayelet’s book:

Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation

The podcast team has created a template for taking notes on each episode. You can find it at Truist.com/resources/wealth/financial-planning/setting-goals-what-are-you-still-meaning-to-do

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected].

Every financial plan has risks. Some are easy to spot, while others—such as mistitled assets—take more work to uncover. But it’s important to identify all your plan’s risks because they’re all related: A risk in your estate plan, for example, might affect your investments. In this episode of our podcast “I’ve Been Meaning To Do That,” the latest in our “Life Happens” series, host Oscarlyn Elder talks to Truist Wealth’s Christin Kennedy and Bart Pyle about how to identify and manage the risks in your financial plan. They discuss (time stamps are approximate):

• Introduction of Christin and Bart (1:31)

• Defining risk (3:10)

• Risk as a five-point star (6:38)

• Will-based vs. trust-based plans (11:49)

• Advanced wealth-planning tools (15:42)

• Asset protection basics (23:25)

• Legal protections for property (27:50)

• What Christin and Bart have been meaning to do (33:35)

• Final thoughts from Oscarlyn (35:28)

The podcast team has created a template for taking notes on each episode. You can find it at Truist.com/resources/wealth/financial-planning/life-happens-make-sure-you-are-protected.

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected].

Get the most out of your assets with the help of thoughtful year-end planning. Host Oscarlyn Elder talks to Mike Frost, an advice and planning strategist for Truist Wealth, about common year-end decisions for charitable giving, investment planning, and wealth transfer. Tim Houlihan, Truist’s chief behavioral scientist, also joins Oscarlyn to discuss how to get going and follow through on year-end financial planning. They discuss (time stamps are approximate):

• Introduction of Mike Frost (1:54)

• Year-end planning considerations for charitable giving (4:45)

• Benefits of donor-advised funds (8:11)

• Tax-loss harvesting: how it helps, what to watch out for (10:12)

• Planning of annual exclusion gifts (12:50)

• Preparing for the estate tax law sunset at the end of 2025 (16:26)

• Introduction of Tim Houlihan (24:49)

• Why time blocking on your calendar works (26:35)

• Developing tiny habits (32:12)

• Take advantage of the snowball effect (37:40)

• Why you should make decisions in a “cool state” (39:17)

• What Tim and Mike have been meaning to do (44:28)

• Final thoughts from Oscarlyn (46:29)

Also mentioned in this episode:

Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything, B.J. Fogg

The podcast team has created a template for taking notes on each episode. You can find it at Truist.com/resources/wealth/financial-planning/start-your-year-end-planning.

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected].

In this episode of the podcast’s “Life happens” series, host Oscarlyn Elder talks to Truist Wealth’s Lee McCrary (Strategic Client Group) and David Herritt (Center for Family Legacy) about why it’s important for business owners to prepare themselves and their family for a transition. They discuss (time stamps are approximate):

• Introducing Lee and David (1:44)

• Defining pivotal moments (3:23)

• The personal aspects of a major event (5:35)

• The framework for a transition (9:52)

• Preparing your family’s human capital (14:28)

• First steps for business owners (28:03)

• Understanding your values before the transition (34:14)

• What Lee and David have been meaning to do (37:43)

• Closing thoughts from Oscarlyn (40:27)

The podcast team has created a template for taking notes on each episode. You can find it at Truist.com/resources/wealth/financial-planning/life-happens-navigate-pivotal-moments-for-your-business-and-family.

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected].

Life is full of surprises. Are you and your financial plan ready for them? In this first episode of the podcast’s “Life Happens” series, Truist Wealth’s Robin Thomas and Jacqueline Parks join host Oscarlyn Elder for an overview of common out-of-the-blue situations and some first steps you can take to prepare for them. They discuss (time stamps are approximate):

• Introducing Robin and Jacqueline (1:31)

• The most common unexpected events (3:10)

• Your biggest priorities for planning (7:44)

• How to uncover your main risks (12:02)

• Common protections against the unexpected (17:59)

• Why some people are reluctant to plan for life events (21:51)

• The dangers of tunnel vision (27:32)

• First to-dos for planning for life’s surprises (33:25)

• What Robin and Jacqueline have been meaning to do (38:38)

• Closing thoughts from Oscarlyn (40:49)

The podcast team has created a template for taking notes on each episode. You can find it at Truist.com/resources/wealth/financial-planning/hidden-biases-and-what-you-can-do-about-them.

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected].

Help your high schoolers develop the financial skills they’ll need as adults. This episode of “I’ve Been Meaning To Do That” provides tips on how to discuss spending, saving, and making a college decision with your teens. Host Oscarlyn Elder and Truist Wealth’s Emily Haenselman and Karen Kahn also talk about important actions to take before dropping off your kids on campus. They discuss (time stamps are approximate):

• Introducing Emily and Karen (1:25)

• Key financial concepts for high schoolers (4:24)

• The power of saving (5:55)

• A spending plan for your teen (7:52)

• Tie spending lessons to driving, other milestones (9:35)

• Use credit wisely (12:02)

• How and when to have financial talks (16:50)

• Connect values to priorities (20:17)

• Talk to teens about paying for college (23:48)

• Give your children ownership of their education (31:31)

• Tips on 529 plans (35:43)

• Powers of attorney when your children turn 18 (40:35)

• Young adults and health care decisions (45:44)

• What Karen and Emily have been meaning to do (48:03)

• Closing thoughts from Oscarlyn (51:51)

The podcast team has created a template for taking notes on each episode. You can find it at Truist.com/resources/wealth/financial-planning/hidden-biases-and-what-you-can-do-about-them.

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected].

Create your financial plan, then keep the conversation going: That’s the message of this episode of “I’ve Been Meaning To Do That.” You might know your purpose and what you want to do with your wealth, but you need a plan—a how-to guide—to accomplish your wealth objectives. And that’s just the start. Ongoing discussions with your advisor can keep your financial plan thriving. Truist Wealth’s Kristin Beard and Craig Cascio and host Oscarlyn Elder discuss a step-by-step process for building a road map to your future. They discuss (time stamps are approximate):

• Introducing Kristin and Craig (0:57)

• Financial plans are like road maps (3:43)

• Know the numbers behind your aspirations (6:37)

• How a plan empowers you (08:50)

• Financial plans and the freedom to choose (15:23)

• Components of a financial plan (19:21)

• Assumptions and estimates in your plan (22:11)

• Checking in on your progress (30:15)

• What Craig and Kristin have been meaning to do (35:45)

• Closing thoughts from Oscarlyn (39:38)

The podcast team has created a template for taking notes on each episode. You can find it at Truist.com/resources/wealth/financial-planning/hidden-biases-and-what-you-can-do-about-them.

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected].