On this episode I talk to the author of the new book "F.I.R.E for Dummies", Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP®️.

Jackie's road to an early retirement in her forties began with a wake-up call during her divorce.  She walks us through her journey from conquering her fear of the stock market by joining an investment club, educating herself on the ins and outs of personal finance and eventually sharing her knowledge through writing and educating others.   

We talk about... 

• How life events like divorce can spur a quest for financial knowledge.
• How joining investment clubs and other communities can demystify the stock market and provide valuable insights around personal finance.
• What F.I.R.E is and isn't and how achieving an early retirement requires planning, a commitment to financial education and ACTION!
• How to take control of your finances and how to find useful resources for your own F.I.R.E journey.

And much more...

READ+LISTEN+LEARN:

Jackie shared some amazing resources during our conversation.  Check them out to find podcasts to listen to, blogs to read and resources to help you along your own path toward Financial Independence and Retiring Early:

https://www.choosefi.com/
https://www.madfientist.com/
https://richandregular.com/
https://www.financiallyintentional.com/
https://www.biggerpockets.com/
https://affordanything.com/

WELLBEING:

Jackie shared that she tries to go out for a hike as much as she can.  Now that she's financial independent and has the flexibility, she'll go out for a walk almost everyday.

FIND JACKIE:

Buy the Book !  : https://bit.ly/3SjbNue
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackiecummingskoski/
https://www.instagram.com/finomenal_woman/
Check her podcast : https://catchinguptofi.com/

ABOUT ME:

My name is Jim Grace and I am a CFP®️ (Certified Financial Planner) and the Director of Wealth Management at Silver Pine Capital, LLC. (www.silverpinecapital.com) a registered investment advisory firm in Medfield, Massachusetts. ​

In my spare time I host a podcast and write about Financial Wellness & Wellbeing.  Check out some of my other work @  www.ModernFinancialWellness.com. On the website I try to unpack each episode a little further and also spotlight any other resources I think might be helpful to anyone trying to feel better about their finances.

On this episode I am joined by Christine Hargrove, PhD candidate at The University of Georgia.  Christine's work centers around ADHD, Relationships and Finances and we had a great conversation about the intersection of all three of those things. 

ADHD is something that my family lives with, which in the past has sometimes made it challenging for my wife and I to have healthy, constructive conversations about our finances.  Being neurodivergent can make the difficult task of managing your money even more challenging.  

Additionally, being the spouse or partner of someone with ADHD (like me) requires additional thought and attention focused on things like how you will communicate with one another, what systems of support you might need to have in place and an acknowledgement that even if things are tough, you can and will get through it if you work together and remember that it doesn't have to be perfect. 

We talk about ... 

• What ADHD is, how it is diagnosed and the symptoms that present in those living with it. 
• Executive functioning skills and how they are impacted by ADHD.
• How ADHD can impact not only being able to effectively manage your finances, but also the affects it may have on your relationship.
• Systems of support and resources available to help you understand the condition better and tips to apply to your financial lives to help you have a better relationship with money. 

... and much more.

READ + LISTEN + LEARN: 

Christine provided an amazing list of resources, YouTube channels and books to check out.

• The work of Dr. Russell Barkley.  His book "Executive Functions" as well as his YouTube channel.  

Note: The "Executive Function Jenga" image that appears in the video was adapted by Christine based on the work of Dr. Barkley.

• The "How to ADHD" YouTube channel  and specifically the, "Wall of Awful" videos.
• "Love & Money: 15 Exercises to Strengthen Your Relationship", The book by Dr. Sonya Lutter.
• "Your Future Self: How to Make Tomorrow Better Today", The book by Hal Hershfield  is also brought up, not as a direct recommendation of Christine.  However, having read it myself I wanted to make sure it was listed here. 

WELLBEING:

• Christine joked (but was serious) that if you live with ADHD, you should make sure you are taking your meds as a step #1 in improving your wellbeing.
• She also told us that one of her tricks to make sure she gets a good night sleep is to get herself ready for bed when her kids go to sleep.  This keeps her from catching a "second wind" late at night and getting sucked into work into the later hours of the evening.  Advice that I could use myself! 

FIND HER AT:

• Christinehargrove.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-hargrove/

ABOUT ME:

My name is Jim Grace and I am a CFP®️ (Certified Financial Planner) and the Director of Wealth Management at Silver Pine Capital, LLC. (www.silverpinecapital.com) a registered investment advisory firm in Medfield, Massachusetts. ​

In my spare time I host a podcast and write about Financial Wellness & Wellbeing.  Check out some of my other work @  www.ModernFinancialWellness.com. On the website I try to unpack each episode a little further and also spotlight any other resources I think might be helpful to anyone trying to feel better about their finances.

Dr. Mary Bell Carlson, CFP®, AFC®, is a financial behavior expert, well-known speaker, podcaster, and storyteller and I was excited to have the chance to talk to her about her work around Financial Biases.

We had a really wide ranging conversation in which we cover... 

• Mary's extremely unique career thus far.   Having spent time in Washington D.C. working with the Pentagon and lobbying Congress on behalf of the Financial Planning Association, Mary gives us a behind the scenes look at the role of the federal government and the impact it can have on financial decision making and financial behavior. 
• We talk about what Financial Biases are and how they appear in our daily lives. 
• She helps us understand ourselves better and gives us a lesson in Heuristics, or the "short cuts" our bodies use to help us make decisions. 

And much more...

READ + LISTEN + LEARN: 

• "The Book of Forgiving", By Desmond and Mpho Tutu
• "The Bomber Mafia", By Malcolm Gladwell
• "Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela" 

WELLBEING: 

• Mary loves to spend time in prayer, reflecting on the things she is grateful for in her life and reading to her children.

FIND HER AT: 

• https://keynote.financial/mary-carlson/

ABOUT ME:

My name is Jim Grace and I am a CFP®️ (Certified Financial Planner) and the Director of Wealth Management at Silver Pine Capital, LLC. (www.silverpinecapital.com) a registered investment advisory firm in Medfield, Massachusetts. ​

In my spare time I host a podcast and write about Financial Wellness & Wellbeing.  Check out some of my other work @  www.ModernFinancialWellness.com. On the website I try to unpack each episode a little further and also spotlight any other resources I think might be helpful to anyone trying to feel better about their finances.

https://www.instagram.com/modernfinancialwellness/

Creativity is something that often appears as a key ingredient in finding purpose and living a meaningful life.  I find that connection between creativity and purpose to be really fascinating, which is why I was excited to have the opportunity to talk to Rochelle Seltzer.

Rochelle is an award winning designer, author and coach and she joined me to talk about her book, "Live Big: A Manifesto for a Creative Life". 

We talk about... 

• Rochelle's journey from business owner to coach & author. 
• How curiosity and creativity help create the space for purpose and meaning to grow.
• We also take a tour around her book and some of the 'Discovery Dozen' exercises which Seth Godin said "will change your creative practice (and your life) for the better." ! 

... And much more

The book is easily digestible and full of great activities, thought provoking questions and ideas to help you re-empower your creative self.

WELLBEING: 

• In 2015 Rochelle took a painting class which she describes as having changed her life.  She has been taking painting classes ever since and draws great joy from the experience in creating on a canvas. 
• She also enjoys writing.

FIND HER AT: 

• https://thelivebigbook.com/

ABOUT ME:

My name is Jim Grace and I am a CFP®️ (Certified Financial Planner) and the Director of Wealth Management at Silver Pine Capital, LLC. (www.silverpinecapital.com) a registered investment advisory firm in Medfield, Massachusetts. ​

In my spare time I host a podcast and write about Financial Wellness & Wellbeing.  Check out some of my other work @  www.ModernFinancialWellness.com. On the website I try to unpack each episode a little further and also spotlight any other resources I think might be helpful to anyone trying to feel better about their finances.

https://www.instagram.com/modernfinancialwellness/

Merging your finances and having joint bank accounts when you get engaged or married might seem like a good idea.  But it turns out that it's actually backed by science as well!

I sat down with Jenny Olson, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business to discuss her work around all things couples and money, but specifically...

• Combining finances and joint bank accounts.
• The reasons joint bank accounts are beneficial to relationships.
• The Connubial Crucible (aka the first 2 years of marriage).
• Financial Infidelity and the impact on a relationship.

.... and much more.

READ+LISTEN+LEARN:

If you want to dig into the research and check out Jenny and her colleague's studies you can find them here: 

• "Common Cents: Bank Account Structure and Couples' Relationship Dynamics"
• "Loves, Lies & Money: Financial Infidelity in Romantic Relationships" 

Jenny also recommends:

•  "Tightwads and Spendthrifts: Navigating the Money Minefield in Real Relationships", by Scott Rick  
• "The All-or-Nothing Marriage: How the Best Marriages Work", by Eli J. Finkle 

WELLBEING: 

• Jenny loves "artisanal lattes and reflections at coffee shops", writing poetry and posting on Instagram (which was great to hear coming from a behavioral scientist!)

FIND HER AT: 

• www.jennyginolson.com

ABOUT ME:

My name is Jim Grace and I am a CFP®️ (Certified Financial Planner) and the Director of Wealth Management at Silver Pine Capital, LLC. (www.silverpinecapital.com) a registered investment advisory firm in Medfield, Massachusetts. ​

In my spare time I host a podcast and write about Financial Wellness & Wellbeing.  Check out some of my other work @  www.ModernFinancialWellness.com. On the website I try to unpack each episode a little further and also spotlight any other resources I think might be helpful to anyone trying to feel better about their finances. 

https://www.instagram.com/modernfinancialwellness/

On this episode I talk with Neil Bage about Ikigai, the Japanese concept that combines the words "Iki" or "Life" and "Gai" or "Worth".  Combined the word Ikigai means, "That which gives your life worth, meaning, or purpose".

Finding purpose and living a life filled with meaning are important things to pursue, but these concepts can sometimes feel difficult to approach.   Exploring Ikigai can be a helpful way to get started thinking about the things that are most important to you and how you want to be spending your time making a living. 

During the conversation we delve into... 

• The 4 key elements of Ikigai: 
  • What you love.
  • What you can get paid for.
  • What the world needs.
  • What you are good at.
  
  
• How the concept connects to our financial world.
• Why balancing what we love and how we get paid can be challenging and how to reconcile some of the conflict we find in our lives. 

... And much more.

WELLBEING: 

• To improve his Financial Wellbeing Neil focuses on automation and using apps like https://www.getchip.uk/, to off load some of the demands of managing his finances on a regular basis. 

READ + LISTEN + LEARN: 

• Neil recommends the book "The Power of Letting Go: How to Drop Everything That's Holding You Back", by John Purkiss. 
• Resources from PositivePsychology.com 

FIND HIM AT: 

• Shaping Wealth 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/neilbage

ABOUT ME:

My name is Jim Grace and I am a CFP®️ (Certified Financial Planner) and the Director of Wealth Management at Silver Pine Capital, LLC. (www.silverpinecapital.com) a registered investment advisory firm in Medfield, Massachusetts. ​

In my spare time I host a podcast and write about Financial Wellness & Wellbeing.  Check out some of my other work @  www.ModernFinancialWellness.com. On the website I try to unpack each episode a little further and also spotlight any other resources I think might be helpful to anyone trying to feel better about their finances. 

https://www.instagram.com/modernfinancialwellness/

On this episode of MFW I talk with Manisha Thakor about her new book "Money Zen: The Secret to Finding Your Enough".  In the book Manisha shares her struggles with workaholism and "hustle culture" and how she's left behind the constant quest  for "more" and created a life filled with balance and meaning.

I believe that the word "Enough" can be one of the most important topics in all of personal finance.  I don't know that I can think of another word that carries so much weight and can appear in so many different ways.

Do I make enough money?  Am I investing enough?  Are my returns good enough to help me accomplish my goals?  I hear questions like this all the time.

It shows up all over the place, intertwined with all kinds of financial planning concepts.  However, where the word starts to take on new meaning is when it' is asked in questions related to one's identity.

Questions like, Am I doing enough for my children?  Am I spending enough time with my family?  Am I good at my job?  When we start to use the word in this way what we are really doing is asking the question...

Am "I" Enough?  

All of these questions and how you feel about them can impact your financial lives, as well as your overall wellbeing. So spending some time thinking about what your "enough" is can be time very well spent.  Therefore I can't recommend Manisha's new book enough, pun intended!

During our chat Manisha and I talk about: 

• Her childhood and how she traces her struggles with workaholism all the way back to the "small t" trauma she experienced when she was bullied in her elementary school days. 
• Being a "Human Doing" vs. Being a "Human Being" .
• Social Comparison & Counterfeit Financial Culture and the challenges that they present in our modern lives. 
• Net-Worth ≠ Self-Worth
• Money Zen = Financial Health + Emotional Wealth , How to invest in both sides of the equation.
• The 3 Super Power C's - Curiosity, Connection and Creativity
• Creating a "Joyful Spending" plan 
• Granting yourself permission to accomplish less. 

READ + LISTEN + LEARN:

I forgot to ask the specific question re: what books, podcasts or other things Manisha would recommend checking out, but during our conversation she references: 

• The work of Derek Thompson at The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/derek-thompson/
• "A Room of One's Own", The book by Virginia Woolf
• "Your Money or Your Life", The book by Vicki Robin & Joe Dominguez * This marks at least the 3rd time this book has come up on the podcast which means you should probably read it.

FIND HER AT:   

https://moneyzen.com/

ABOUT ME:

My name is Jim Grace and I am a CFP®️ (Certified Financial Planner) and the Director of Wealth Management at Silver Pine Capital, LLC. (www.silverpinecapital.com) a registered investment advisory firm in Medfield, Massachusetts. ​

In my spare time I host a podcast and write about Financial Wellness & Wellbeing.  Check out some of my other work @  www.ModernFinancialWellness.com. On the website I try to unpack each episode a little further and also spotlight any other resources I think might be helpful to anyone trying to feel better about their finances. 

https://www.instagram.com/modernfinancialwellness/

On this episode I discuss the often difficult subject of "Talking About Money" with Wealth Psychology Expert, Author and Coach Kathleen Burns Kingsbury.

Through her work Kathleen inspires women, the next generation, and financial professionals to break their money silence and live richer, more satisfying lives.

THINGS YOU WILL LEARN:

• Kathleen describes the shift she has seen in the financial services industry over the years and how advisors are now more open to discussing how clients are feeling and their attitudes towards money.  She even admitted that early in her practice she avoided using the word "emotions" when coaching advisors because it was "off putting".
• Why it can be difficult to talk about money in the first place and how to go about having better conversations about finances with your spouse or partners.
•  We talk about the unique challenges that women can face when talking about money, especially those that find themselves in the position of female breadwinner. 
•  Kathleen shares her thoughts on how women can go about determining what they are worth and how to ask for what they deserve in negations.
•  How to go about changing your "money talk mindset".

... And much more.

READ + LISTEN + LEARN: 

Kathleen Recommends: 

•  "Money Zen, The Secret to Finding Your Enough", The book by Manisha Thakor.  *** Stay tuned for my interview with Manisha about this book launching soon.
•  "The Financial Wisdom of Ebenezer Scrooge, 5 Principles to Transform Your Relationship with Money", The book by Ted Klontz, Ph. D., Brad Klontz, Psy. D., & Rick Kahler, MS, CFP©️
• Smartless - The podcast hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes & Will Arnett is what Kathleen turns to for some lighthearted entertainment!

WELLBEING:

•  Kathleen loves the outdoors and finds things like mountain biking, skiing, hiking and paddleboarding help improve how she's feeling. 

FIND HER @: 

•  Her Website: www.https://www.breakingmoneysilence.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleenburnskingsbury/

ABOUT ME:

My name is Jim Grace and I am a CFP®️ (Certified Financial Planner) and the Director of Wealth Management at Silver Pine Capital, LLC. a registered investment advisory firm in Medfield, Massachusetts. ​

https://silverpinecapital.com/ 

In my spare time I host a podcast and write about Financial Wellness & Wellbeing. 

Check out some of my other work @ https://www.modernfinancialwellness.com/ . On the website I try to unpack each episode a little further and also spotlight any other resources I think might be helpful to anyone trying to feel better about their finances.

In this episode I talk with Financial Planner Allen Mueller about F.I.R.E, Financial Independence Retire Early.  What it is and isn't, how to go about seeking financial independence and things to consider if you plan to retire early.

YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT:

• F.I.R.E - What it is and isn't
• Allen’s journey from engineer in a cubicle to being an independent financial advisor on his own path toward financial independence.  All of which was driven by a “Desire for a control of my time”.
• Retiring "Away" from something vs. Retiring "To" something else.
• Having the ability to live your lifestyle without earned income.
• Saving and investing enough to retire “earlier” than normal.
• Calculating your FI # (Financial Independence #) = Household spending x 25. 
• Coast FIRE  & Being FI Enough > Taking a pay cut to follow a passion.
• If I didn’t need the paycheck, would I still be doing this?
• Tips to Follow When Seeking Financial Independence:
  • Being as efficient as possible
  • Fees need to be low
  • Taxes need to be optimized 
  • Picking the right types of accounts
  • Proper planning for the "what if’s" of life 
  
  
• An alternative to "Budgeting" = "Conscious Spending Plan"

TOOLS:

• https://www.firecalc.com/
• https://www.monarchmoney.com/ 

READ + LISTEN + LEARN:

• "The Simple Path to Wealth", by  JL Collins 
• "Outlive", by Peter Attia & Bill Gifford
•  The "Choose FI" Podcast - https://www.choosefi.com/listen/choose-fi-podcast/
• https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/

WELLBEING: 

• Allen explains his thoughts on overall wellbeing telling us that, “Heath is wealth.  What’s the point of being retired early if you can’t enjoy it".  Therefore Allen likes to stay fit and focused on eating a healthy diet. 

FIND HIM @: 

https://7saturdaysfinancial.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allenrmueller/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/7Saturdaysaweek
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/7saturdaysaweek/

ABOUT JIM:

My name is Jim Grace and I am a CFP®️ (Certified Financial Planner) and the Director of Wealth Management at Silver Pine Capital, LLC. a registered investment advisory firm in Medfield, Massachusetts. ​

In my spare time I host a podcast and write about Financial Wellness & Wellbeing.  Check out some of my other work @  Modern Financial Wellness . On the website I try to unpack each episode a little further and also spotlight any other resources I think might be helpful to anyone trying to feel better about their finances.

Instagram

For the first episode of Modern Financial Wellness in 2024, I put together a short "How To" show. I'll walk you through the things to think about and steps to take when you consider organizing your finances.

We'll start with some high-level ideas like: 

• Creating a "Year End Review" for 2023.  Because you can't move forward without thinking about where you have been.
• Having an "Open Growth Mindset".  I reference Carol Dweck's book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" which tells us that anything you practice, you can get better at. This directly applies to managing your finances. Especially if managing your money is difficult or stressful. That's totally normal.  If you practice you will get better!  And it will feel less stressful over time!

I walk you through 3 important areas to focus your efforts: 

1) Getting Organized.
2) Understanding where your money is coming from and where you are spending it.
3) Building good processes and routines for cultivating healthy financial habits you can stick with. 

Any time I'm talking about building new habits and routines I always recommend James Clear's book,  "Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results".  If you are kicking off a new routine with your money, then this book should be on the top of your reading/listening list. 

I spotlight a few different Tools, Apps and FinTech Platforms that can help make your financial lives easier and generally lower the stress and anxiety around managing your money.  Here are a few: 

• Copilot
• Personal Capital (now Empower)
• Rocket Money
• Quicken
• TillerHQ
• Sequence

Along the way I also share lessons learned from prior episodes including: 

• EP:001 Mindfulness & Money w/ Derek Hagen - The importance of being "Non-Judgmentally Aware" of our spending and habits.
•  EP: 003 Getting Things Done w/ Dr. Moira Somers and Shaun Erikson - We're human, managing money is hard.  Give yourself a break and stick with it!
• EP: 005 Time & Money w/ Time Management Expert Dr. Sarah Reiff-Hekking - The importance of having an open growth mindset.

Finally, I talk about how my wife and I manage the day to day of our finances and what some of our routines look like, as well as anecdotes from client experiences and much more.

Best of luck with your financial goals for 2024 and beyond!  I am here to help if you need me.

And remember if you ever want to chat about anything from the episode or have questions about how these things might apply to you, please feel free to virtually drop by my office sometime using the link below.  I'm always happy to connect and help out where I can...

https://calendly.com/james-grace/office-hours