Money Dates

“You get to celebrate the highest of highs with each other, but also you have to deal with the lowest of lows, whatever that may be for your business."

Our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, pull back the curtain on what it's really like to run a business together as a married couple. After 6+ years of building Equal Voices Wealth (which started as Fyooz Financial Planning) from their shared desk in Natalie's mom's townhouse, they're ready to share both the triumphs and the tears.

Professional Natalie operates differently than personal Natalie, being more direct and demanding higher standards. Dan learned this the hard way when work personas collided with marriage dynamics. On the plus side, they get to celebrate that first client signing over pizza, run circles around the kitchen island after winning an award, and witness sides of each other that would never emerge in separate careers.

The flexibility proves invaluable. When their daughter was born, they could alternate work schedules for five months. They structure their calendar around client needs and their own priorities. The insurance complexities loom large, especially with enhanced premium tax credits set to expire at the end of 2025, which will cause health insurance premiums to spike by an average of 75% for individual market purchasers.

Financially, the implications multiply exponentially. Two self-employed partners mean irregular income squared, double the financial entities to manage, and significantly more tax complexity. The retirement planning responsibility falls entirely on their shoulders (no HR department sending reminders about 401(k) contributions). Without employer group health insurance plans, many face the challenge of self-insuring at much higher costs.

Perhaps most interestingly, having shared business interests creates additional incentive to make the marriage work. As Natalie puts it, the complexity of untangling both personal and professional lives provides motivation to address small issues before they become big ones. There's simply too much at stake professionally to let personal issues fester.

Despite early struggles and ongoing challenges, Dan says he'd do it all again in a heartbeat, from those uncertain early days to building lasting client relationships together!

Key Topics:

• “Working With Your Spouse is a Different Beast!” (07:53)
• Personal Implications and Different Work Personas (10:44)
• Flexibility Benefits in Scheduling and Time Management (16:50)
• Setting Work-Life Boundaries and Marriage Impact (18:04)
• Financial Implications and Complexities Overview (22:07)
• Would They Do It All Again? (32:16)

Schedule a Free Consultation Here: https://www.equalvoices.co/start

Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.equalvoices.co/contact

Natalie Slagle, CFP®, and Dan Slagle, CFP®, are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Equal Voices Wealth https://www.equalvoices.co/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s, 40s, and 50s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together.

At Equal Voices, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals.

Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.equalvoices.co/legal

“The decision is going to be made in some way, shape, or form. Wouldn't it be nice if you were a part of that decision-making process, or if you just took that off the hands of your loved ones? That's the best gift you can give people if you were to pass away.”

Our hosts Natalie and Dan Slagle tackle the uncomfortable but essential topic of estate planning—or as Natalie now calls it, planning for our "expiration date." While death may be inevitable, leaving your loved ones with a legal and financial mess doesn't have to be.

High-profile cases like Prince and Chadwick Boseman remind us that even successful people overlook estate planning. When assets go through probate without proper documentation, the process becomes public, expensive, and emotionally draining for grieving families. As Natalie emphasizes, estate planning is more for the people you leave behind than for yourself.

The core estate planning documents include a will (naming executors and guardians for minor children), power of attorney, healthcare directive, and potentially a trust. Dan highlights a practical starting point many overlook: employer-provided legal insurance, which can reduce estate planning costs from $3,000-5,000 to monthly premiums starting around $20.

The couple shares their personal approach, revealing that they're joint on all accounts and have updated beneficiaries on retirement accounts and life insurance. But they acknowledge the ongoing maintenance required—beneficiary designations trump wills, and forgetting to update them after major life events like divorce can send assets to unintended recipients.

Natalie stresses a crucial point: without proper beneficiary designations and account titling, even having a will won't prevent probate. Every account needs attention—retirement accounts, bank accounts (requiring Transfer on Death designations), brokerage accounts, and property deeds.

Nearly everyone now needs a trust, especially those with minor children, businesses, or multi-generational assets. The goal isn't just distributing assets but ensuring your minor children don't inherit everything outright.

Whether through an attorney, employer benefits, or online platforms, get it done. Your loved ones deserve to grieve without drowning in administrative chaos.

Key Topics:

• Components of an Estate Plan (06:49)
• Using Employer Legal Insurance Benefits (11:21)
• The Will: Executors, Guardians, and Assets (14:36)
• Power of Attorney and Healthcare Directives (21:30)
• Avoiding Probate Through Proper Titling (24:07)
• Beneficiary Designation Mistakes (25:37)
• Why Trusts Matter for Minor Children (31:06)

Schedule a Free Consultation Here: https://www.equalvoices.co/start

Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.equalvoices.co/contact

Natalie Slagle, CFP®, and Dan Slagle, CFP®, are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Equal Voices Wealth https://www.equalvoices.co/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s, 40s, and 50s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together.

At Equal Voices, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals.

Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.equalvoices.co/legal

“We do like to make sure our clients are really balancing the living for today while protecting their future selves as well.”

Your emergency fund should cover three to six months of expenses. But how should you adapt your financial strategy when your savings account balance keeps growing beyond that target? Our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, tackle this surprisingly common problem that leaves many people psychologically stuck.

The Federal Reserve data reveals interesting contrasts: while the median savings account holds just $8,000, the average sits at $62,410. For couples with kids, those numbers jump to $12,500 and $73,980, respectively. Natalie's skeptical of the averages—how can households making $70,000 annually have that much saved? The outliers on both ends skew the data, but it highlights how many Americans might be holding excessive cash.

Dan and Natalie open up about their own challenges. Their target emergency fund is $35,000-40,000 based on $12,000 monthly expenses, yet they're sitting on over $50,000. Natalie admits she never wants to see that balance drop below $50,000 now—a perfect example of how psychological comfort can override financial logic. They acknowledge the trade-off: that excess cash could have grown more if invested in their brokerage account over the past few years.

Their solutions focus on intentionality. First, separate your emergency fund from other goals by opening dedicated savings accounts labeled for specific purposes—travel, home down payment, or that new car. Second, ensure you're maximizing returns with high-yield savings accounts offering 3.5% or more, not the 0.01% many banks still pay.

Most importantly, they advocate for creating a "flexibility bucket" in a brokerage account—invested money without a specific purpose that provides options when opportunities arise. One client used theirs to buy a second home they hadn't even considered when opening the account.

The key is balancing mathematical optimization with psychological comfort while ensuring your money serves your values.

Key Topics:

• The 3-6 Month Emergency Fund Framework (06:32)
• Federal Reserve Savings Statistics (12:16)
• When to Invest vs. Keep Cash (18:21)
• Dan & Natalie's Personal $50K Dilemma (22:12)
• High-Yield Savings and Account Separation (27:46)
• The "Flexibility Bucket" Concept (29:03)

Schedule a Free Consultation Here: https://www.equalvoices.co/start

Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.equalvoices.co/contact

Natalie Slagle, CFP®, and Dan Slagle, CFP®, are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Equal Voices Wealth https://www.equalvoices.co/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s, 40s, and 50s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together.

At Equal Voices, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals.

Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.equalvoices.co/legal

"If it feels like you're being kind of sleazy about something, then you're probably being sleazy about it."

Our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, tackle one of the most uncomfortable topics in relationships: financial infidelity. When couples hide money matters from each other, they're essentially combining the top two causes of divorce into one explosive cocktail. But as they discover, the definition isn't as black and white as one might think.

Natalie did some research and found some Reddit confessions, including one from a woman who repeatedly lied about credit card debt to her "nicest man in the world" husband. It's the kind of story that makes you cringe and check your own relationship temperature. But the real jaw-dropper comes from Natalie's professional experience: discovering a client's secret bank account during a routine financial planning meeting, with the wife finding out in real time. Talk about a rough Tuesday afternoon!

Avoiding these landmines isn't about setting rigid rules. Instead, it's about having ongoing conversations. Dan and Natalie demonstrate this with a spontaneous game, revealing their different comfort levels for unannounced spending ($350 versus $200). Dan's recent $200 physical therapy bill becomes a perfect case study in how context matters.

Financial infidelity thrives in the absence of communication. Whether couples keep everything joint or maintain separate "fun money" accounts, the magic ingredient is transparency about the system itself. It's not about micromanaging every purchase; it's about agreeing on the framework and sticking to it.

Key Topics:

● Defining “Financial Infidelity” (03:51)

● Hidden Credit Card Debt: A Reddit Confession (05:48)

● The Secret Bank Account Discovery (08:58)

● Why People Commit Financial Infidelity (11:56)

● The Spending Limit Game ($350 vs $200) (18:06)

● Prevention Through Communication (23:58)

Schedule a Free Consultation Here: https://www.equalvoices.co/start

Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.equalvoices.co/contact

Natalie Slagle, CFP®, and Dan Slagle, CFP®, are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Equal Voices Wealth https://www.equalvoices.co/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s, 40s, and 50s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together.

At Equal Voices, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals.

Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.equalvoices.co/legal

"We can't break all almost 900 pages worth of everything, but we're going to break down the things that we think our audience would benefit from having a conversation about."

Our hosts, Dan and Natalie Slagle, tackle the massive tax legislation signed on July 4th. While Natalie spent her holiday evening digesting 890 pages of congressional prose (in lieu of watching Squid Game with the family), she emerged with insights that affect literally every American.

For starters, those Trump-era tax cuts everyone expected to sunset in 2026 are sticking around. This saves taxpayers from higher tax brackets but adds $5 trillion to the national debt. Natalie sees this as a wake-up call for Roth conversions, that today's historically low tax rates won't last forever.

The SALT deduction quadruples from $10,000 to $40,000, a game-changer for high-tax states like California and New York. Suddenly, itemizing deductions might make sense again, meaning you'll need to track things like charitable donations and mortgage interest.

Speaking of charity, there's both good and bad news. A new floor means you can only deduct charitable gifts above 0.5% of your income starting in 2026. But if you don't itemize, you can now deduct up to $2,000 in donations anyway. A win for nonprofits everywhere.

The child tax credit inches up to $2,200 (indexed for inflation), while 529 plans expand to cover tutoring and professional credentials. Controversially, the new "Trump account" offers $1,000 for kids born 2025-2027, but Natalie's not impressed with its convoluted rules.

Dan and Natalie believe that Congress missed opportunities to simplify existing accounts instead of creating new ones. Some changes feel more political than practical when they’re conveniently set to expire when Trump leaves office.

Key Topics:

● Tax Rates Staying the Same Through 2026 (05:05)

● SALT Deduction Increases to $40,000 (14:51)

● Charitable Deduction Changes and Floors (20:27)

● Car Loan Interest Deduction for US-Made Vehicles (24:29)

● Child Tax Credit Increases to $2,200 (29:00)

● 529 Plan Expansions for Tutoring and Credentials (31:14)

● The New Trump Account for Children (34:12)

Resources:

• How Does The One Big Beautiful Bill Impact Me? (blog post) https://www.equalvoices.co/post/how-does-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-impact-me
• Saving for our kids. (podcast episode) https://www.equalvoices.co/podcast-1/the-high-earners-problem-are-we-spoiling-our-kids

Schedule a Free Consultation Here: https://www.equalvoices.co/start

Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.equalvoices.co/contact

Natalie Slagle, CFP®, and Dan Slagle, CFP®, are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Equal Voices Wealth https://www.equalvoices.co/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s, 40s, and 50s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together.

At Equal Voices, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals.

Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.equalvoices.co/legal

“If things haven’t been buttoned up, wow, that really distracts from the grieving process.”

Our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, address the elephant in the room for many families: how to talk to aging parents about their finances. When you're talking about $124 trillion changing hands over the next couple of decades, this stops being someone else's problem and becomes everyone's reality.

Dan gets vulnerable about his experience after his mom passed away unexpectedly, sharing everything from finding her handwritten financial notebook in the attic to the surreal moment of teaching his dad how to use an ATM. He reminds us that we might not know as much about our parents' financial lives as we think.

They’re not saying be greedy or pushy. Rather, it’s about making sure your parents' wishes actually get carried out and sparing everyone the administrative nightmare that comes with poor planning. Dan's story proves that having these tough talks early means you can focus on what really matters when loss hits: healing and remembering, not hunting down account passwords.

Natalie admits she took a more direct approach with her own parents, basically telling them, "Handle this or it becomes my problem." It might not have been the most tactful way to put it, but it worked. The lesson there is to find your family's communication style and lean into it.

Start the conversation now, before you're forced to figure it out in crisis mode.

Key Topics:

● The $124 Trillion Wealth Transfer (04:08)

● Breaking Communication Barriers (06:35)

● Dan's Personal Loss Experience (10:42)

● Essential Planning Steps (13:38)

● Family Meeting Strategies (24:37)

Resources:

• Helping a Parent Navigate Finances After Loss (blog post) https://www.equalvoices.co/post/helping-a-parent-navigate-finances-after-loss

Schedule a Free Consultation Here: https://www.equalvoices.co/start

Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.equalvoices.co/contact

Natalie Slagle, CFP®, and Dan Slagle, CFP®, are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Equal Voices Wealth https://www.equalvoices.co/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s, 40s, and 50s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together.

At Equal Voices, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals.

Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.equalvoices.co/legal

“Do we want to set our money aside for our child’s future education? I don’t think the answer should be an automatic yes.”

Our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, discuss the question many young parents are asking: How much should you save for your child’s college, and when should you start?

Drawing from client stories and their own experience, they break down why this decision isn’t one-size-fits-all, how to calculate future costs, and how tools like 529 plans (and even family Ugift links) can help make the goal more manageable.

For the Slagles—and many of their own clients—it all starts with talking honestly about priorities with your spouse. Saving for a child’s education isn’t a given; it’s a decision couples should make intentionally, based on values, not guilt.

They unpack how much college might cost in 18 years (spoiler: close to $300K!), and how the 529 plan helps families make the most of time and compounding. Beyond tax benefits, they explore a go-to hack for many parents today: the ability to share a contribution link with family and friends for birthdays or holidays.

Starting early—even small—can lead to powerful results. To Natalie, the joy that comes from successfully building your child’s future is more satisfying than any number in your retirement account!

Key Topics:

• The Emotional Cost of Graduation (01:18)
• How Much Will College Cost? (11:59)
• 529 Plan Benefits & Setup (18:40)
• New Roth IRA Transfer Rule (24:17)
• Using the 529 Ugift Link (26:38)

Schedule a Free Consultation Here: https://www.equalvoices.co/start

Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.equalvoices.co/contact

Natalie Slagle, CFP®, and Dan Slagle, CFP®, are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Equal Voices Wealth https://www.equalvoices.co/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s, 40s, and 50s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together.

At Equal Voices, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals.

Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.equalvoices.co/legal

“I have anxieties around the same exact situation as you, but you have a different feeling from it.”

Our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, know that even in a happy, communicative marriage, the topic of money can be a bit of a minefield. But what happens when one partner is way more anxious about money than the other? That’s the question Dan and Natalie are looking to unpack.

To start with, they each take the “spendthrift-tightwad” test—a scale developed by researchers to measure how freely (or not) you spend. Dan scores a 12, making him a cusp neutral “unconflicted consumer.” Natalie lands squarely in “tightwad” territory between 8 and 9. The results don’t surprise either of them, but they do open the door to a deeper discussion.

Natalie shares that her need to track every dollar stems from a tendency toward control, especially when it comes to long-term security. Dan, meanwhile, is more focused on balance—enjoying the present while still saving for the future. This mismatch in money mindset often leads to friction, but also opportunities for growth.

It’s not about changing each other—it’s about understanding the “why” behind each partner’s money habits. With the right tools and ongoing conversations, Natalie and Dan believe that financial tension can become a bridge, not a barrier.

Key Topics:

• Spendthrift vs Tightwad Mindsets (06:53)
• Natalie and Dan’s Spendthrift-Tightwad Test Results (11:46)
• Causes for Financial Anxiety (16:59)
• Steps to Reduce Financial Anxiety Within Marriage (19:51)
• Tools for Better Financial Communication (23:39)

Resources:

• The Tightwad-Spendthrift Scale: https://umich.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_55xxAQrYK0WRlY2

Schedule a Free Consultation Here: https://www.equalvoices.co/start

Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.equalvoices.co/contact

Natalie Slagle, CFP®, and Dan Slagle, CFP®, are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Equal Voices Wealth https://www.equalvoices.co/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s, 40s, and 50s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together.

At Equal Voices, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals.

Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.equalvoices.co/legal

Homeownership versus renting—each choice comes with its own set of emotions, cultural influences, and practicalities.

Turns out, earning a good income doesn’t magically make homeownership easy—a lesson our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, know all too well. Despite making over $300K a year, they still find themselves doing the math, wondering if homeownership is really worth it.

They’ve owned before—briefly—and after moving out west, they switched back to renting. Now, with a toddler in the picture, the idea of “putting down roots” feels like it could be the right choice.

But the numbers? Yikes. Renting their current home costs about $4,000/month. Buying that same house would double the payment, thanks to today’s interest rates. That’s not even counting the down payment and closing costs.

There’s this deeply ingrained idea that owning a home equals stability, especially for families. But is that true? Natalie admits she craves that security, but also knows her daughter’s sense of safety comes from her parents, not the mortgage.

Ultimately, they make a strong case that buying a home is about more than finances. It’s about how you want to live, what trade-offs you're willing to make, and how much house you really need to feel “settled.”

Key Topics:

• Buying vs Renting Mindset (03:36)
• Emotional Pull of Homeownership (04:42)
• Financial Realities of Buying Today (08:49)
• Equity Myths & Retirement (12:00)
• Lifestyle Trade-Offs (15:55)
• Affordability Benchmarks (22:16)
• Why There’s No One-Size-Fits-All Answer (27:45)

Schedule a Free Consultation Here: https://www.equalvoices.co/start

Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.equalvoices.co/contact

Natalie Slagle, CFP®, and Dan Slagle, CFP®, are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Equal Voices Wealth https://www.equalvoices.co/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s, 40s, and 50s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together.

At Equal Voices, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals.

Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.equalvoices.co/legal

Creating purpose and intention around travel funds is so important.

Our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, tackle a financial topic that flies under the radar more often than it should—travel. Sure, vacations are meant to be a way to decompress and have some fun after a good period of work, but they can also quietly sabotage your budget if you're not careful!

Pulling from both their own marriage and stories from clients, the Slagles break down how to make travel a *planned* part of your financial life instead of an expensive surprise.

Their approach? Be intentional. Every December, they sit down and map out the year ahead, figuring out which trips are non-negotiable (like weddings, family reunions, or that annual visit to Grandma’s) and which ones are just for fun. They set a big-picture travel budget—$15,000 for 2025—and leave some wiggle room for spontaneous adventures.

To keep trips from messing with their monthly cash flow, they automate savings into a travel-only account and swipe with a dedicated credit card just for those expenses. That way, when it’s time to book flights or splurge on dinner in Paris, it’s already covered—no guilt, no stress.

Travel doesn’t have to throw your finances into chaos. With correct planning, a realistic budget, and some clear priorities, even last-minute trips can stay low-stress.

Key Topics:

• The Travel Planning Problem (01:12)
• How Travel Budgeting Started for Them (02:10)
• Annual Planning & Obligations (04:25)
• Budgeting for Flexibility (08:39)
• Spontaneity Without Stress (09:52)
• Different Funding Strategies (14:54)
• Guilt-Free Travel Spending (17:38)
• Making Budget Fit Your Values (20:50)

Resources Mentioned:

• Fyooz Blog Post: We’re Financial Planners, This is How We Travel: https://www.equalvoices.co/post/we-re-financial-planners-this-is-how-we-travel

Schedule a Free Consultation Here: https://www.equalvoices.co/start

Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.equalvoices.co/contact

Natalie Slagle, CFP®, and Dan Slagle, CFP®, are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Equal Voices Wealth https://www.equalvoices.co/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s, 40s, and 50s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together.

At Equal Voices, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals.

Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.equalvoices.co/legal