Ben and Dave look at the past year in podcast guests, television, life highs, and what to look foward to in the new year. After 20 years as a financial services professional and completing thousands of financial plans for clients…Ben shares the secrets to building wealth, but more importantly building a fulfilling life. Brief legal disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The ideas and opinions on this episode do not constitute tax, legal or investment advice. Listeners should seek the input of their own tax, legal, and financial planning professionals before acting on any of the information provided. Any speaker on this podcast expresses ideas that are subjective to the time of the recording, and are subject to change without notice, and are not always indicative of the opinions of the underwriters of this show. This episode should not replace the diligence of a full financial plan with a financial planning professional that can take your specific situation into account.

If you could get a snapshot into your future, would that simplify your life now? To know if the decisions you are making will pan out; if the financial finish lines you are chasing will be met; if the health and fitness goals will be worth the time and effort. Time travel into the future has long been the realm of science-fiction… but professor Hal Hershfield thinks it also might be the key to making better decisions today.

Specializing in the intersection of health, longevity, and place, Ryan has reached tens of thousands of people through books, workshops, and online courses—and shared his insights everywhere from CBS News to Forbes. Ryan believes that where you live has an enormous influence on your quality of life and longevity. The right place elevates your well-being by helping promote purpose, facilitate relationships, catalyze physical health, support financial health, and inspire community engagement. On the flip side of that coin, the wrong place can do all the opposite. His best-selling book, Right Place, Right Time, is a guide helping readers find the right place for the 2nd half of their life. In it, he explores everything from different living situations (from staying in your current home, to downsizing, to intergenerational living and beyond), to exploring how different regions and neighborhoods have an influence on your health. GET THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/4muTz5k (affiliate link) While his book was decidedly focused on the 2nd half of life, Ryan has since founded Here, a company helping people of all ages and life stages unlock the power of place to transform their lives. The Internet has caused the largest migration in human history: from living in place to living online. The result? More and more of us disconnected from the places we call home. But those places profoundly affect every aspect of our wellbeing and lives. Through his work with Here, Ryan is looking to help people thrive by finding their right place. Brief legal disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The ideas and opinions on this episode do not constitute tax, legal or investment advice. Listeners should seek the input of their own tax, legal, and financial planning professionals before acting on any of the information provided. Any speaker on this podcast expresses ideas that are subjective to the time of the recording, and are subject to change without notice, and are not always indicative of the opinions of the underwriters of this show. This episode should not replace the diligence of a full financial plan with a financial planning professional that can take your specific situation into account.

The most important things in life—the topics we like to cover on this podcast—have one thing in common: they take time. A strong financial portfolio doesn't happen overnight. Relationships that thrive require daily investment. Success at work comes from years of effort. Physical health is built by hitting the gym day-after-day-after day. Overnight success doesn't exist. Tenacity is the key to building the life you want. Which is why I'm so excited to introduce you to Mark Batterson. Mark is a prolific leader, speaker, author, and entrepreneur. A New York Times Best-Seller, he's written 24 books on topics such as building faith, improving relationships, establishing productive habits, and developing tenacity. Mark's entrepreneurial spirit led the church to open Ebenezers Coffeehouse, which, in its nearly 20 years of operation, has become the largest coffeehouse on Capitol Hill. Serving government workers, locals, and tourists, 100% of profits are funnelled back out to fund local and global outreach efforts. But none of this success came easy. When Batterson held his first worship gathering in D.C., in 1996, only three people showed up—his wife, his son, and himself. But tenacity, grit, and faithfulness wrote a different story. Even if you don't count yourself a religious person, there will be so much gold in this conversation for you. So stick with us! Brief legal disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The ideas and opinions on this episode do not constitute tax, legal or investment advice. Listeners should seek the input of their own tax, legal, and financial planning professionals before acting on any of the information provided. Any speaker on this podcast expresses ideas that are subjective to the time of the recording, and are subject to change without notice, and are not always indicative of the opinions of the underwriters of this show. This episode should not replace the diligence of a full financial plan with a financial planning professional that can take your specific situation into account.

For better or worse, so much of you are—and the person you become—is tied to your family of origin. Now, imagine if everything you knew about that family began to unravel overnight. That's exactly what happened to Steve Osborne. A successful tech entrepreneur, sales trainer, and commercial real estate investor, Steve's family roots and heritage seemed to not stray too far from his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. A dedicated family man, at the encouragement of his wife, Steve took an at-home DNA test to answer some questions about his ethnicity. What he learned was much more than he bargained for. That simple DNA test led Steve to the earthshattering realization that his dad was not his biological father. From there, dominoes about his family and heritage began to fall in rapid succession. With the help of his wife, Becky, a part-time forensic genealogist, Steve walked the arduous, emotionally taxing, and ultimately freeing journey of trying to untangle just exactly who he is. Overnight, Steve had become a member of a group he previously didn't even know existed—DNA orphans. A few months ago, Steve released his first book detailing his incredible journey: DNA—Did Not Anticipate: How One Man's Search For His Roots Changed His Past, Future, and Definition of Family. https://amzn.to/3IC82y5 Steve's stranger-than-fiction story has to be heard to be believed. He has so much to share with us about identity, connection, and resilience, Brief legal disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The ideas and opinions on this episode do not constitute tax, legal or investment advice. Listeners should seek the input of their own tax, legal, and financial planning professionals before acting on any of the information provided. Any speaker on this podcast expresses ideas that are subjective to the time of the recording, and are subject to change without notice, and are not always indicative of the opinions of the underwriters of this show. This episode should not replace the diligence of a full financial plan with a financial planning professional that can take your specific situation into account.

When it comes to living well, there's a major portion of the American population being left behind.

Compared to their peers, they're 3x more likely to overdose; 4x more likely to commit suicide; and 14x more likely to be incarcerated. They graduate college at ½ the rate of their peers; make up 98% of all mass shooters; and are in the midst of record levels of mental illness.

Who is it? Young men.

For much of American history, women were passed over and ignored. Much has been done to remedy this—it's incredibly important work that is necessary and should continue. But while championing the continued rights of women, we can't ignore the fact that young men and boys are falling by the wayside at an alarming rate.

Experts point to any number of reasons, but one statistic jumps out to me. From 1960 until today, the percentage of single-parent households in America grew a whopping 311%.

Author, thought-leader, and pastor, Jon Tyson, wasn't willing to take a chance with his own son. Knowing that men are made, not born, he got to work. He read all that he could. He researched. He talked to experts. He experimented.

No matter who you are, I'm confident there is a boy or young man in your life that you could positively influence. This episode just might change their life… and yours.

Brief legal disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The ideas and opinions on this episode do not constitute tax, legal or investment advice.

Listeners should seek the input of their own tax, legal, and financial planning professionals before acting on any of the information provided. Any speaker on this podcast expresses ideas that are subjective to the time of the recording, and are subject to change without notice, and are not always indicative of the opinions of the underwriters of this show. This episode should not replace the diligence of a full financial plan with a financial planning professional that can take your specific situation into account.

Attorney. Entrepreneur. Novelist. Just one of those titles is enough to keep most people busy. But Nathaniel Sizemore is doing all three… and more.

Retirement is coming. Your plan, and your preparation, can be the difference between twilight years that are a pleasure… and those that are a pain. Consider this: the last 30 years has seen the first generation retiring primarily without a pension. As life expectancy increases, the need for retirement funds, and to use them wisely, has never been more important. To put it bluntly, retirement is a balancing act trying to avoid having more years of life than funds in the bank. That's where financial adviser Bill Bengen comes in. Bill first articulated the 4% percent rule for retirement funds—a now common strategy that suggests retirees can safely withdraw 4% of their total retirement savings during the first year of retirement, then adjust that amount annually for inflation. While the 4% rule is so common today, you'd be hard-pressed to find a financial adviser who doesn't recommend and practice it, it literally took a rocket scientist to get us there. A native of Brooklyn, Bill received a degree from MIT in aeronautics and astrophysics, even publishing a book on model rocketry. After working in his family's soda business for 17 years, Bill moved to California and opened a financial planning firm. He ran the business as fee-only (no commission) for 20 years, before selling it and retiring in 2013. Today, we're going to chat with this living legend about preparing for retirement, the research that led to the 4% rule, and how we can use it to our advantage. Brief legal disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The ideas and opinions on this episode do not constitute tax, legal or investment advice. Listeners should seek the input of their own tax, legal, and financial planning professionals before acting on any of the information provided. Any speaker on this podcast expresses ideas that are subjective to the time of the recording, and are subject to change without notice, and are not always indicative of the opinions of the underwriters of this show. This episode should not replace the diligence of a full financial plan with a financial planning professional that can take your specific situation into account.

We dig into the podcast episode library to bring back one of the all time favorites. Ben digs into a great conversation with Bill Perkins to cover a lot of ground on a variety of topics that all relate to life, money, and living well. A can't miss episode!

Brief legal disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The ideas and opinions on this episode do not constitute tax, legal or investment advice.

Listeners should seek the input of their own tax, legal, and financial planning professionals before acting on any of the information provided. Any speaker on this podcast expresses ideas that are subjective to the time of the recording, and are subject to change without notice, and are not always indicative of the opinions of the underwriters of this show.

This episode should not replace the diligence of a full financial plan with a financial planning professional that can take your specific situation into account.

What does it take to become a legend? Excellence? Drive? Work ethic? A little bit of luck? Now, imagine becoming a legend not only in one avenue of life... but two. That's what Stan Smith has done.

At the age of 16, a young Stan set some simple (if not audacious) tennis-related goals for himself: to make the US Davis Cup Team; to become the best player in the US, to win Wimbledon; and to become the best player in the world. And then, he went about checking things off his list.

He was the #1 player in the US four times between 1969-1973. In 1972, he won Wimbledon's singles title. Later that same year, he was named the #1 player in the world.

In 1978, Stan changed the fashion world when Adidas took his name for their classic tennis shoe. One of the most popular, and iconic, shoes in history, Adidas continues to make Stan Smiths, and estimates it has sold over 40 million pairs since their introduction.

Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987, Stan continues to take new ground. He is involved with a tennis academy in Hilton Head for young players, works with charitable organizations like The Boys and Girls Club & the Heritage Foundation, and is preparing to release a book in March called "Winning Trust."

Brief legal disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The ideas and opinions on this episode do not constitute tax, legal or investment advice.

Listeners should seek the input of their own tax, legal, and financial planning professionals before acting on any of the information provided. Any speaker on this podcast expresses ideas that are subjective to the time of the recording, and are subject to change without notice, and are not always indicative of the opinions of the underwriters of this show.

This episode should not replace the diligence of a full financial plan with a financial planning professional that can take your specific situation into account.