MoneyDad Podcast

#091.  More than 40% of first-time home buyers in Canada now rely on a gift or inheritance from family for their down payment. In Ontario, the average gift is about $128,000. But many parents don’t realize what happens to that money if their child gets married, moves in with a partner, or later separates.

In this episode, I sit down with Hilary Angrove and Adriana Klukowska of Angrove Law, a boutique virtual firm in Ontario that focuses on proactive, preventative law. We cover how down payment gifts are treated under Ontario family law, why more young couples are signing prenups and cohabitation agreements, and what parents should do before the money moves.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why “a gift is a gift,” and how a down payment gift can end up split 50/50 with your child’s spouse
• How married and common-law couples are treated differently when a relationship ends
• The difference between a prenup and a cohabitation agreement
• When a contract can override the Family Law Act, and when it can’t
• The risks of parents going on title, including joint tenancy, matrimonial home rights and capital gains
• Why a loan agreement has to be a real loan to hold up
• How to have the awkward “please sign a cohabitation agreement” conversation
• What to teach your kids about ownership and building wealth

Connect with Angrove Law:
Book a free 15-minute consultation at https://angrovelaw.ca

This episode is for general information only and is not legal advice. Talk to a qualified lawyer about your own situation.

Show notes and more at:

https://moneydadpodcast.com/session091

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#090.  What if the most important money lessons your kids will ever learn can’t be found in a classroom? Dr. Phil Xue came to Canada as a child immigrant with his mother, who arrived with just $1,000 to her name. Growing up in Toronto with very little, Phil developed something more valuable than money — a belief in learning, growth, and creating value for others. That mindset eventually led him to reach financial independence in his 30s, and write a children’s book series called Money Adventures of the Meadow.

In this episode, Phil and Justin dig into the financial concepts most of us were never taught as kids — and how Phil is changing that for the next generation through the power of storytelling.

In this episode, we cover:

• Phil’s immigrant story and the scarcity mindset that shaped his relationship with money
• How he defines financial independence — and why he still chooses to work
• The biggest gap between what schools teach about money and what kids actually need to know
• Why money is just a tool, and what the real goal is
• Inflation, monetary debasement, and how to explain a “melting ice cube” to a child
• How to raise kids who can hold their nerve through market downturns
• The unconventional way Phil is teaching his six-year-old about market volatility in real time

Whether you’re a parent looking to start money conversations at home, or someone still filling in the gaps from your own financial education, this episode is for you.

Find Money Adventures of the Meadow on Amazon.

Show notes and more at:

https://moneydadpodcast.com/session090

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#089.  What if the savings target you've been working toward isn't actually enough — because you haven't accounted for the tax bill that comes with it?

In this episode, we're turning the lens on us — the parents. Because before we can model financial freedom for our kids, we have to build it. And a lot of us may be quietly chasing FIRE — Financial Independence, Retire Early — without a clear picture of what the tax side of that plan actually looks like.

Justin is joined by Gary Pattengale, Certified Financial Planner and former CPA, with over 30 years of experience helping high-net-worth families build lasting after-tax wealth. Gary's philosophy is simple: stop thinking about pre-tax returns and start thinking about after-tax freedom.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why not all retirement "numbers" are equal — and how the tax makeup of your portfolio changes everything
• Why tax deferral isn't always the smart play, and when realizing income early actually works in your favour
• How to build the right mix of accounts during your accumulation years so you have real flexibility at retirement
• Why your spending rate matters just as much as your savings rate on the path to FIRE
• Why knowing what your life looks like after you stop working is as important as the financial plan itself

Whether you're deep into the FIRE community or just starting to think about what financial independence could look like for your family, this episode will change the way you think about building — and eventually drawing down — your wealth.

Gary Pattengale is Senior Vice President and Advanced Planning Specialist at Mesirow Wealth Management in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected] or 847-681-2333.

Show notes and more at:

https://moneydadpodcast.com/session089

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#088.  What does it take to go from a negative $50,000 net worth to becoming a debt-free, mortgage-free millionaire — all while putting your family first? This week's guest has done exactly that, and he's here to show you how.

Andy Hill is the award-winning family finance coach behind Marriage, Kids and Money — one of the most recognized family finance platforms in the personal finance space with over 10 million podcast downloads. He's been featured in CNBC, Forbes, Kiplinger's, and NBC News, and recently released his debut book, Own Your Time: 10 Financial Steps to Put Your Family First and Escape the Corporate Grind.

In this episode, Andy shares his remarkable journey from corporate burnout to owning a 3-day workweek, and breaks down the exact steps he and his wife Nicole took to build family wealth without sacrificing the life they actually wanted to live.

We cover:

• How Andy and Nicole got on the same page financially — including the "volcano fight" that led them to marriage counseling and ultimately to Coast FIRE
• What Coast FIRE is and why it's the most realistic path to time freedom for busy parents
• The 3-day workweek — what it looks like in practice and how to pursue it whether you're an entrepreneur or still in a traditional job
• How to make your kids millionaires using Andy's 60/40 generational wealth plan
• Why letting your kids make money mistakes early is one of the best financial gifts you can give them
• The one thing Andy recommends every overwhelmed parent do today — and it only takes 10 minutes

If you're a parent looking to build real wealth, reclaim your time, and show your kids what financial freedom actually looks like, this episode is for you.

Pick up Andy's book Own Your Time on Amazon or at marriagekidsandmoney.com

Show notes and more at:

https://moneydadpodcast.com/session088

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#087.  What if the best way to teach your kids about money isn't a piggy bank or a savings account — but a silver coin they can hold in their hand?  In this episode, Justin sits down with Dana Samuelson, president of American Gold Exchange and a 45-year veteran of the precious metals industry, for a conversation that will change the way you think about gold, silver, and how to pass real financial wisdom on to your kids.

Dana and Justin cover:

• Why gold and silver aren't investments — they're a savings technology, and why that distinction matters
• The history of gold as money, and why most North Americans have lost touch with precious metals culture
• Why central banks around the world are buying gold at record levels — and what that signals for everyday families
• The macro forces currently driving gold and silver prices, including debt, de-dollarization, and geopolitical tension
• The growing counterfeit problem in the physical metals market and how to protect yourself
• Why a one-ounce silver coin is one of the most powerful financial teaching tools a parent can put in their child's hands
• Physical gold and silver vs. ETFs — and when each makes sense
• The stepped-up cost basis advantage of passing precious metals on to your heirs

Justin also shares how this conversation inspired him to take his own kids to their local gold and silver dealer — and convert their savings into Canadian Silver Maple Leafs as a hands-on money lesson.

Whether you're a seasoned precious metals investor or have never owned an ounce of gold in your life, this episode is essential listening for any parent who wants to raise financially literate kids.

Connect with Dana Samuelson:
American Gold Exchange — amergold.com | [email protected]

Show notes and more at:

https://moneydadpodcast.com/session087

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#086.  Most parents think about building wealth through savings, investments, or real estate. But what if one of the most powerful financial literacy tools you could give your kids was a business they could actually see working in real time?

In this episode, Justin sits down with Jon Ostenson, founder of FranBridge Consulting and one of the top franchise consultants in the US, to explore how business ownership — specifically non-food franchising — can be both a wealth-building vehicle and a live classroom for the next generation.

Jon shares how leaving the corporate world changed not just his income, but the money conversations he has with his kids. From paying his children through the business and building them a tax-advantaged nest egg, to teaching his son about the marketing funnel on the school run — Jon is doing exactly what MoneyDad is all about: making real money lessons part of everyday life.

In this episode we cover:

• Why business ownership changes your relationship with money in ways investing alone never does
• The non-food franchise categories seeing the most momentum right now
• What "franchise stacking" is and how families are using it to build diversified income streams
• How some parents are buying franchises specifically for their kids to operate — acting as the capital partner while the franchisor provides the support system
• Franchise vs. buying an existing independent business
• The one money lesson Jon believes every parent should be teaching their kids right now

Whether you're seriously considering business ownership or just starting to think about it, this conversation will challenge how you think about wealth, lifestyle, and what you're modelling for your children.

Resources mentioned:

• FranBridge Consulting: franbridgeconsulting.com
• Free download: Non-Food Franchising by Jon Ostenson (available at franbridgeconsulting.com)

Show notes and more at:

https://moneydadpodcast.com/session086

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#085.  In this episode, Justin sits down with Lisa Clements, founder of Clear Springs Wealth and a former corporate HR leader at Meta and Accenture, who left a nearly 24-year corporate career to help single women build wealth on their own terms. Lisa brings both professional expertise and lived experience — she's built significant financial independence as a single woman herself, and that perspective shapes everything she teaches.

We dig into why Lisa believes girls need the same expectation boys often get by default: get a job in high school, start managing your own money, and make your money mistakes while you're still under your parents' roof — not for the first time in a college dorm. Lisa shares real stories from her own family and clients about what happens when daughters are — or aren't — brought into financial conversations early, including why opening up the family budget at 14 can build confidence instead of anxiety.

We also cover:

• Why Lisa sees "learned helplessness" show up differently in women around money — and how to tell if it's authentic or a self-protective story
• The decision-making frameworks she teaches clients (and her nieces and nephews) for big money choices — the timeline test, the flexibility filter, and the future-self test
• How everyday moments — a disputed grade, a tough coach conversation, friend drama — are actually financial advocacy training in disguise
• What the Stanford marshmallow experiment gets wrong, and what it means for how we build financial patience in kids
• Practical, low-pressure ways to start a money conversation with your daughter this week

Whether you're raising a daughter, a son, or both, this conversation offers a clear-eyed look at where financial confidence really comes from — and how small, early experiences with money and self-advocacy compound over a lifetime.

Connect with Lisa:
Website: clearspringswealth.com
Instagram/TikTok/YouTube: @clearspringswealth
Email: [email protected]

Show notes and more at:

https://moneydadpodcast.com/session085

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#084.   What if everything we were taught about money was designed to keep you dependent — on debt, on social security, on a system that was never built for your family's success?

Rebecca Irey grew up watching her family lose a 3,000-acre South Dakota ranch during the Farm Aid crisis of the 1980s — not because they didn't work hard, but because they didn't know the rules of the financial game. Her father was brilliant and driven, but when things went sideways, he didn't know how to pivot. Wealthy families do. And that one difference changes everything.

Rebecca is the founder and CEO of Blue Sky Financial, a certified financial fiduciary, PhD, homeschooling mom of seven, and grandmother of six, who is on a mission to change the financial trajectory of American families — moving them away from dependence on broken systems and toward true legacy wealth and financial independence.

In this episode, Justin and Rebecca cover:

• Why the financial system is designed to create workers — and how to raise kids who think differently
• The importance of building a financial foundation first, so everything above it can be aggressive, experimental, and bold
• Why there is almost no point in life where you cannot start over — and why starting early makes it nearly impossible to fail
• How Rebecca teaches her seven children to become their own safety net, and the vision-casting technique that makes saving feel exciting at any age
• Why debt is not the enemy — and how wealthy families use it as a tool to build wealth rather than spend it
• The testing strategy that can give your kids up to two years of college credit before they ever step on a campus — debt-free
• The retirement tax time bomb hiding in your IRA — and why Roth conversions may be the most important financial move you're not making
• Why the market always comes back — but why that's cold comfort if your timing is wrong
• The story behind the name Blue Skye Financial, and why every family deserves someone in their corner when life knocks them down

Show notes and more at:

https://moneydadpodcast.com/session084

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#083. What if the financial system your kids inherit looks nothing like the one you grew up with? According to Silicon Valley venture capitalist Matthew Le Merle, that's not a hypothetical - it's already happening. Matthew is the co-founder of Fifth Era and Blockchain Coinvestors, and has backed over 750 blockchain and AI companies, including 75+ unicorns. In this episode, he breaks down why the digitalization of money is the next great transformation — and what it means for parents raising kids today.

We cover:

• Why blockchain is to finance what the internet was to communication - and why you don't need to understand the technology to benefit from it
• How to invest in innovation the right way, including why venture capital follows a power curve, not a normal distribution
• The money values Matthew and his wife Allison passed on to their five kids - and why "money is energy" is the framework that changed how he thinks about wealth
• Why the skills that will matter most in an AI-powered world aren't content-based - they are creativity, critical thinking, and the ability to keep learning
• The real reason your kids are better positioned for the future of finance than you are

Show notes and more at:

https://moneydadpodcast.com/session083

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#082. What if the financial industry has been quietly working against you all along? In this episode, Justin sits down with Robert Rolih - international bestselling author of The Million Dollar Decision and long-term investing mentor to clients in over 73 countries — to unpack the hidden forces draining everyday investors' wealth and the refreshingly simple strategies that actually work.

Robert shares his personal story of building a business from the ground up in Slovenia, only to lose most of his profits by blindly trusting financial advisors. That wake-up call sent him on a mission to master personal finance — and what he discovered changed everything.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why a seemingly small 1% management fee can cost you over $1 million by retirement
• The only investment products worth your money (and the ones to avoid completely)
• Why the simplest investing strategy outperforms most professionals — including Warren Buffett
• How to build a stress-free, long-term portfolio without following the news
• Robert's practical framework for teaching your kids about money, investing, and delayed gratification
• Why keeping your children off social media might be one of the smartest financial parenting moves you make

Whether you're just starting your investing journey or looking to simplify what you already have, Robert's message is clear: investing doesn't have to be complicated — and the industry's dirty secret is that it never was.

Show notes and more at:

https://moneydadpodcast.com/session082

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