Savings and Sense

Logan Gilland discusses the latest market volatility, including concerns around AI spending, technology earnings, inflation, interest rates, and the ripple effects of higher bond yields. The planning conversation shifts to legacy planning and the importance of preparing the next generation financially. Logan covers beneficiary designations, gifting strategies, custodial accounts, the new Trump Accounts, and ways parents and grandparents can begin transferring wealth during their lifetime. The episode emphasizes that successful legacy planning is about more than passing along money. It's about creating conversations, building financial confidence, and helping future generations make wise decisions with the resources they've been given.

Logan Gilland and Katelyn Felker discuss the market's continued focus on inflation, interest rates, AI spending, and upcoming earnings reports before shifting to a timely year-end planning conversation. On the planning side, the conversation focuses on practical steps many families should be reviewing before year-end, including Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), retirement income planning, and open enrollment decisions. They explain the differences between Traditional and Roth retirement contributions, the value of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and why reviewing workplace benefits each year can have a meaningful impact on your long-term financial plan.

Logan Gilland and Allie Howard discuss the market's ongoing challenges with rising interest rates, inflation concerns, and higher bond yields before shifting to a timely year-end planning conversation. They explain how tax-loss harvesting can help investors potentially reduce taxes, why portfolio rebalancing matters after periods of market volatility, and how different tax strategies may apply depending on your income and investment accounts. The episode also highlights the unique financial challenges many people face in their 40s and 50s, from raising children and helping aging parents to preparing for retirement, and why this stage of life is often one of the most important times to have a financial plan.

Logan Gilland and Daniel Czulno explore the competing priorities many families face in their 40s and 50s, including raising children, preparing for college expenses, supporting aging parents, paying down debt, building retirement savings, and preparing for future inheritances. The conversation highlights why these years are often the most impactful for long-term wealth building and how creating a coordinated financial plan can help families make confident decisions about the future.

Logan Gilland welcomes Cincinnati-based planners Michele Daniher and Lora Anstaett to discuss one of the most difficult situations families face: the loss of a spouse. They walk through the practical steps that need to be taken after a death, including working with funeral homes, gathering important documents, updating account registrations, coordinating with attorneys and CPAs, and navigating beneficiary designations. The conversation highlights how proper estate planning can simplify the process, why communication with family members is so important, and how a trusted financial planning team can help surviving spouses focus on what matters most during an incredibly challenging time.

Logan Gilland is joined by Michele Daniher to discuss a critical financial planning topic that many people overlook: disability insurance. While most families focus on life insurance, retirement accounts, and investments, the conversation highlights the financial risk of losing income due to an illness or injury during your working years. They explain the differences between employer-provided and individual disability coverage, how short-term and long-term disability policies work, the tax implications of each, and why reviewing your coverage may be one of the most important steps in protecting your financial plan.

Logan Gilland and Allie Howard discuss the latest market developments surrounding inflation, interest rates, and the continued impact of global events on investors. They break down why Federal Reserve decisions matter, how rising rates affect businesses and the broader economy, and what investors are watching as the year progresses. The conversation then shifts to the practical side of personal finance, explaining what higher interest rates mean for borrowers, homeowners, savers, and everyday households. Whether you're carrying a mortgage, building an emergency fund, or simply trying to make smarter financial decisions, this episode provides a straightforward look at how rate changes affect your money.

Allie Howard and Katelyn Felker discuss the importance of periodically cleaning up your financial life, much like pruning a garden before a new season of growth. They explore practical ways to reduce financial clutter, including reviewing subscriptions, negotiating bills, consolidating old accounts, updating insurance coverage, and revisiting outdated financial plans. The conversation emphasizes that financial success is not always about adding more investments or accounts. Sometimes the biggest opportunities come from simplifying, organizing, and making sure every part of your financial life is still working toward your goals.

Logan Gilland and Allie Howard discuss the forces currently driving markets, including interest rate expectations, inflation concerns, and the impact of rising Treasury yields. They then shift to a conversation about the Great Wealth Transfer and what families should be doing today to prepare the next generation. The discussion covers beneficiary designations, estate planning considerations, gifting strategies, and the importance of teaching financial habits alongside passing down assets. They emphasize that successful wealth transfer is about more than money and that preparing heirs can be just as important as building wealth in the first place.

Allie Howard and Daniel Czulno break down the fundamentals of estate planning and why having the right documents in place is an important part of any financial plan. They discuss wills, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and beneficiary designations, explaining what each document does and why keeping them updated matters. The conversation highlights the importance of coordinating with both an estate planning attorney and your financial advisor to ensure your wishes are carried out and your assets are positioned the way you intend.