In this episode of Money and Taxes from BB to XYZ, Jason Speciner, CFP®, EA, and Regina Neenan, CFP®, ABFP®, introduce the newest member of the FPFoCo team, Kelli Mickley! As the three of them chat, Kelli shares what she’ll be doing as FPFoCo’s new Client Service Specialist, from account paperwork and client support to keeping filing systems organized and supporting the rest of the planning team behind the scenes. The conversation also covers her 15-plus years of experience in financial services, her recent client service certification, and why attention to detail and continuing education matter so much in her role. And, of course, there’s time to get to know Kelli beyond the office, including life on the North Carolina coast, football season, and some very exciting family news.

Email [email protected], and Jason or Regina might answer it in a future episode! New episodes drop every other Thursday, and they’re always ad-free with no subscription required. Learn more about FPFoCo at fpfoco.com and connect with us on social media @fpfoco.

Jason Speciner and Regina Neenan are investment advisor representatives of FPFoCo, a registered investment advisor. The information in this podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only. It may not apply to your individual circumstances and should not be considered financial, investment, or tax advice.

© 2026 FPFoCo

In this episode of Money and Taxes from BB to XYZ, Jason Speciner, CFP®, EA, and Regina Neenan, CFP®, ABFP®, break down restricted stock and restricted stock units (RSUs). These two common forms of equity compensation can quickly turn into a complicated mix of vesting schedules, taxes, trading restrictions, and investment decisions. They explain the important differences between restricted stock and RSUs, when each becomes taxable, and why RSUs can often be viewed much like receiving a cash bonus. The conversation also explores the risks of accumulating too much employer stock and how a thoughtful strategy can turn equity compensation into cash for other financial goals, investments, or tax-planning opportunities.

• Ask yourself: If your employer gave you the same amount as a cash bonus, would you use it to buy company stock? If not, selling vested shares and redeploying the money may make more sense.
• Remember the risk of double concentration: your salary and benefits already depend on your employer, so holding substantial employer stock can concentrate even more of your financial life in one company.
• Build equity compensation into your financial and tax plan before shares vest so you know how you’ll handle withholding, potential tax liabilities, and the cash — rather than reacting after the fact.

Email [email protected], and Jason or Regina might answer it in a future episode! New episodes drop every other Thursday, and they’re always ad-free with no subscription required. Learn more about FPFoCo at fpfoco.com and connect with us on social media @fpfoco.

Jason Speciner and Regina Neenan are investment advisor representatives of FPFoCo, a registered investment advisor. The information in this podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only. It may not apply to your individual circumstances and should not be considered financial, investment, or tax advice.

© 2026 FPFoCo

In this episode of Money and Taxes from BB to XYZ, Jason Speciner, CFP®, EA, and Regina Neenan, CFP®, ABFP®, explore Coast FIRE, a retirement strategy built around saving aggressively earlier in life and then allowing those investments to compound toward retirement with little or no additional retirement contributions. They discuss how reaching a “Coast” point can create more flexibility to work less, change careers, spend more intentionally, or redirect savings toward other goals while existing retirement assets continue to grow. The conversation also covers the risks of relying on long-term assumptions — including inflation, taxes, and sequence-of-returns risk — and why regular financial planning and cash flow check-ins remain essential. Regina and Jason also highlight different versions of Coast FIRE, from continuing full-time work without retirement contributions to stepping away from work entirely while relying on non-retirement-specific assets.

• Coast FIRE relies on saving heavily early, giving those dollars more time to compound toward a future retirement goal.
• Reaching your Coast point can create greater flexibility with work, spending, and other financial goals, but it still requires careful planning.
• Because returns, inflation, taxes, and spending can change, regular cash flow and financial planning check-ins are essential to staying on track.

Email [email protected], and Jason or Regina might answer it in a future episode! New episodes drop every other Thursday, and they’re always ad-free with no subscription required. Learn more about FPFoCo at fpfoco.com and connect with us on social media @fpfoco.

Jason Speciner and Regina Neenan are investment advisor representatives of FPFoCo, a registered investment advisor. The information in this podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only. It may not apply to your individual circumstances and should not be considered financial, investment, or tax advice.

© 2026 FPFoCo

In this episode of Money and Taxes from Bb to XYZ, Jason Speciner, CFP®, EA, and Regina Neenan, CFP®, ABFP®, examine the latest concerns surrounding the future of Social Security and what potential benefit changes could mean for retirement planning. They discuss the projected depletion of the Social Security trust fund and three potential solutions outlined by the Social Security trustees: increasing payroll taxes, reducing benefits for everyone, or reducing benefits for future claimants. The conversation also explores why fear alone should not drive an early claiming decision and how financial planning tools can stress-test different Social Security, inflation, tax, health care, and longevity scenarios. Rather than trying to predict exactly what lawmakers will do, Regina and Jason emphasize preparing a flexible retirement plan that can adapt as the system changes.

• If no legislative action is taken, Social Security could continue paying benefits from incoming payroll taxes, but at a reduced level once trust fund reserves are depleted.
• Potential solutions include higher payroll taxes, benefit reductions, later claiming ages, or a combination of changes.
• Don’t make a Social Security claiming decision based on headlines alone. Stress-test your retirement plan and adjust your savings, investments, or income strategy as new information becomes available.

Email [email protected], and Jason or Regina might answer it in a future episode! New episodes drop every other Thursday, and they’re always ad-free with no subscription required. Learn more about FPFoCo at fpfoco.com and connect with us on social media @fpfoco.

Jason Speciner and Regina Neenan are investment advisor representatives of FPFoCo, a registered investment advisor. The information in this podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only. It may not apply to your individual circumstances and should not be considered financial, investment, or tax advice.

© 2026 FPFoCo

In this episode of Money and Taxes from Bb to XYZ, Jason Speciner, CFP®, EA, and Regina Neenan, CFP®, ABFP®, explore one of the foundational questions of financial planning: Why do you invest? Using investment risk as the starting point, they explain that risk isn’t simply about stock prices rising and falling; it also includes factors like liquidity, inflation, savings rates, income needs, and the possibility of not reaching your financial goals. They distinguish between risk tolerance (the amount of investment risk you’re willing to accept) and risk capacity (the amount of risk your financial circumstances can reasonably support), then show how those concepts drive asset allocation and even where investments should be held for maximum tax efficiency.

• Understand your risk tolerance first. Determine how much investment risk you’re personally comfortable taking before choosing an investment strategy.
• Evaluate your risk capacity. Your timeline, financial goals, available resources, liquidity needs, and overall circumstances may require you to take more (or less) risk than your tolerance alone suggests.
• Match investments to the right accounts. Once your asset allocation is determined, use asset location strategies by placing growth and income-producing investments in the most tax-efficient account types to maximize long-term results.

Email [email protected], and Jason or Regina might answer it in a future episode! New episodes drop every other Thursday, and they’re always ad-free with no subscription required. Learn more about FPFoCo at fpfoco.com and connect with us on social media @fpfoco.

Jason Speciner and Regina Neenan are investment advisor representatives of FPFoCo, a registered investment advisor. The information in this podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only. It may not apply to your individual circumstances and should not be considered financial, investment, or tax advice.

© 2026 FPFoCo

In this episode of Money and Taxes from Bb to XYZ, Jason Speciner, CFP®, EA, and Regina Neenan, CFP®, ABFP®, unpack what "investment risk" really means and why it goes beyond simply watching account values rise and fall. They explain the difference between risk tolerance, or how much risk you’re willing to take, and risk capacity, or how much risk your financial circumstances can support. The conversation explores how goals, timelines, liquidity needs, savings rates, and retirement plans all shape an appropriate investment strategy. Regina and Jason also discuss how risk translates into asset allocation and why asset location — placing the right investments in the right types of accounts — can add tax-savvy efficiency to a portfolio.

• Risk tolerance measures how much investment risk you're emotionally willing to take.
• Risk capacity considers your real-life circumstances, including goals, timelines, liquidity needs, and available resources.
• Smart investing also means using asset location to place growth and income-producing investments in the most tax-efficient accounts.

Email [email protected], and Jason or Regina might answer it in a future episode! New episodes drop every other Thursday, and they’re always ad-free with no subscription required. Learn more about FPFoCo at fpfoco.com and connect with us on social media @fpfoco.

Jason Speciner and Regina Neenan are investment advisor representatives of FPFoCo, a registered investment advisor. The information in this podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only. It may not apply to your individual circumstances and should not be considered financial, investment, or tax advice.

© 2026 FPFoCo

In this episode of Money and Taxes from BB to XYZ, Jason Speciner, CFP®, EA, and Regina Neenan, CFP®, ABFP®, discuss what to do when a mid-year income boost — like a raise, bonus, RSU vest, or ESPP benefit — creates new tax planning opportunities. They explain why more income can mean more taxes, but also more ways to strategically reduce taxable income and redirect cash flow. The conversation covers bonus withholding, pre-tax employer retirement plan contributions, HSAs, deferred compensation, RSUs, ESPPs, charitable giving, and donor-advised funds. Regina and Jason emphasize that the key is building a tax projection early enough in the year to understand what’s changing and make smart decisions before year-end.

• Start by looking for ways to reduce taxable income at the source, such as 401(k), HSA, IRA, or deferred compensation options.
• Consider selling RSU or ESPP shares when they vest so you can diversify, manage tax exposure, and redeploy the cash intentionally.
• After source-level planning, review tax-return strategies like charitable contributions, appreciated stock gifts, and donor-advised funds.

Email [email protected], and Jason or Regina might answer it in a future episode! New episodes drop every other Thursday, and they’re always ad-free with no subscription required. Learn more about FPFoCo at fpfoco.com and connect with us on social media @fpfoco.

Jason Speciner and Regina Neenan are investment advisor representatives of FPFoCo, a registered investment advisor. The information in this podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only. It may not apply to your individual circumstances and should not be considered financial, investment, or tax advice.

© 2026 FPFoCo

In this episode of Money and Taxes from BB to XYZ, Jason Speciner, CFP®, EA, and Regina Neenan, CFP®, ABFP®, explain why mid-year tax planning can be just as or even more valuable than year-end planning. With many 2025 tax returns now filed and many months left in the 2026 tax year, they discuss how listeners can use last year’s return to identify planning opportunities while there’s still time to act. The conversation covers key tax law changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including higher standard deductions, SALT deduction changes, expanded charitable giving opportunities, and above-the-line deductions. Jason also walks through where to look on your Form 1040 to review income, deductions, payments, credits, and withholding so you can make smarter tax decisions before year-end.

• Use your 2025 tax return as a roadmap to spot 2026 planning opportunities while there’s still time to make changes.
• Review income, deductions, and credits to understand what may be different this year.
• Don’t tip the IRS. Aim to withhold or pay in enough to avoid penalties while keeping your money productive throughout the year.

Email [email protected], and Jason or Regina might answer it in a future episode! New episodes drop every other Thursday, and they’re always ad-free with no subscription required. Learn more about FPFoCo at fpfoco.com and connect with us on social media @fpfoco.

Jason Speciner and Regina Neenan are investment advisor representatives of FPFoCo, a registered investment advisor. The information in this podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only. It may not apply to your individual circumstances and should not be considered financial, investment, or tax advice.

© 2026 FPFoCo

In this episode of Money and Taxes from BB to XYZ, Jason Speciner, CFP®, EA, and Regina Neenan, CFP®, ABFP®, focus on three key types of personal insurance protection: life, disability, and long-term care insurance. They explain how each type of coverage fits into a broader financial plan, when different policies may make sense, and why insurance should be used intentionally. The conversation covers term versus permanent life insurance, income protection through disability insurance, and the growing costs and evolving strategies surrounding long-term care coverage, including hybrid life-and-long-term-care policies. Jason and Regina also emphasize tailoring insurance coverage to your stage of life, financial goals, and family needs, rather than buying coverage simply because it's available.

• Disability insurance, or “income insurance,” is often the first coverage to prioritize among these three because protecting your ability to earn income is critical during your working years.
• Life insurance should be tied to a specific financial need, such as income replacement, debt payoff, estate liquidity, or legacy planning, rather than purchased without a clear purpose.
• Long-term care planning may involve a combination of insurance, personal assets, and home equity. Hybrid life-and-long-term-care policies can provide flexibility if long-term care is never needed.

Email [email protected], and Jason or Regina might answer it in a future episode! New episodes drop every other Thursday, and they’re always ad-free with no subscription required. Learn more about FPFoCo at fpfoco.com and connect with us on social media @fpfoco.

Jason Speciner and Regina Neenan are investment advisor representatives of FPFoCo, a registered investment advisor. The information in this podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only. It may not apply to your individual circumstances and should not be considered financial, investment, or tax advice.

© 2026 FPFoCo

In this episode of Money and Taxes from BB to XYZ, Jason Speciner, CFP®, EA, and Regina Neenan, CFP®, ABFP®, go back to basics on property and casualty insurance: what it covers, why it matters, and how it fits into a broader financial plan. They explain the difference between property and liability protection, common policies like homeowners or renters, auto, and umbrella insurance. The conversation highlights how deductibles, premiums, emergency savings, and coverage limits all work together, and why your Emergency and Future Opportunities Fund (EFOF) should be strong enough to cover deductibles when claims arise. Regina and Jason also flag common insurance gaps, including too little umbrella coverage, low auto liability limits, missing uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and insufficient dwelling coverage on a home.

• Property and casualty insurance protects both your stuff and your liability if you cause financial harm to someone else.
• Your EFOF should be large enough to cover deductibles so you can choose higher deductibles and potentially lower premiums.
• Review coverage regularly for gaps in umbrella, auto liability, uninsured/underinsured motorist, and dwelling coverage.

Email [email protected], and Jason or Regina might answer it in a future episode! New episodes drop every other Thursday, and they’re always ad-free with no subscription required. Learn more about FPFoCo at fpfoco.com and connect with us on social media @fpfoco.

Jason Speciner and Regina Neenan are investment advisor representatives of FPFoCo, a registered investment advisor. The information in this podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only. It may not apply to your individual circumstances and should not be considered financial, investment, or tax advice.

© 2026 FPFoCo