Retirement is one of the most common financial goals – after all, most people don’t want to work their entire life. That said, retirement statistics reveal that three-quarters of Americans agree that the country is facing a retirement crisis. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast, host Marc Bautis dives into the first episode of a three-part series on 401ks. Since its inception in 1978, the 401k plan has grown to become the most popular type of employer-sponsored retirement plan in the U.S. Millions of workers depend on the money they invest in these plans to provide for them in their retirement years. Tune in to uncover the mistakes you should avoid.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The advantages of investing in a 401k account.
• How to calculate how much money you need to retire.
• Tax considerations for 401ks.
• Common mistakes relating to 401k contribution plans.
• And more!

Resources:
Episode Transcript & Blog | Schedule an Introductory Call | Bautis Financial: 7 N Mountain Ave Montclair, New Jersey 07042 (862) 205-5000

Timestamps:
0:32 - Introduction | What is a 401k?
1:45 - Mistake #1: Not Contributing to a 401k At All
4:14 - Mistake #2: Not Taking Advantage of An Employer Match
5:11 - Mistake #3: Not Underestimating How Much Money to Save
8:54 - Mistake #4: Pausing Your 401k Contributions
9:55 - Mistake #5: Waiting Until the End of the Year to Make 401k Contributions 
10:44 - Mistake #6: Overlooking a Roth Option for 401ks

Business owners and high-income W2 earners, if you’re curious how to minimize the amount you owe come tax season, this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast is for you. In it, host Marc Bautis is joined by Mark Myers, the Founder and CEO of Peak Profit Solutions. Mark helps individuals reduce or eliminate tax without replacing their CPAs or financial investment advisors.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How Peak Profit Solutions works with business owners and high-income W2 earners to reduce their tax bill.
• Two tax-saving solutions for high-income earners.
• Multiple tax-saving solutions for small- to medium-size business owners.
• And more!

Resources:
Episode Transcript & Blog | Peakprofitsolutions.com | Bautis Financial: 7 N Mountain Ave Montclair, New Jersey 07042 (862) 205-5000

Timestamps:
0:32 - Introduction to Mark Myers
5:52 - A Typical Engagement with Peak Profit Solutions
9:40 - Tax-Saving Solutions for High-Income W2 Earners
16:28 Tax-Saving Solutions for Business Owners

If you’ve recently uncovered a paper savings bond, this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast is for you! In it, Marc Bautis, Founder and Wealth Manager at Bautis Financial, breaks down the need-to-know facts about savings bonds. 

In this episode, you will learn:

• What savings bonds are, including the types of savings bonds.
• How to calculate the value of your savings bonds.
• How to redeem your savings bonds.
• The tax implications of redeeming/selling your savings bonds.
• And more!

Resources:
Episode Transcript & Blog | Treasurydirect.gov | How to Calculate the Value of Your Savings Bonds | Tax Considerations for I Bonds | How I Bonds Can Hedge Against Inflation | Bautis Financial: 7 N Mountain Ave Montclair, New Jersey 07042 (862) 205-5000

Timestamps:
0:32 - Introduction 
1:57 - What Are Savings Bonds?
2:56 - What Type of Savings Bond Do You Have?
5:37 - How to Calculate the Value of Your Savings Bonds
7:25 - How to Redeem Your Savings Bonds
8:25 - Tax Implications of Selling Savings Bonds
12:52 - How to Recover Lost Bonds

According to insurance claim data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the single biggest complaining consumers made was about unsatisfactory settlement offers. Experiencing an event such as a home fire, theft in home or flood is stressful enough, the claims process shouldn’t add to it. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast, host Marc Bautis is joined by Galen Hair, Owner of Insurance Claim HQ, a practice dedicated to fighting for the rights of policyholders when they experience a loss due to fire, flood, hurricane or from the insurance company not keeping their word. Through property-casualty insurance claims, Galen and his team have helped over 800 families rebuild their homes and businesses. 

In this episode, you will learn:

• An overview of how the insurance claims process works.
• The top challenges that customers face when partaking in a claims process.
• What to do if you disagree with an insurance adjuster.
• How the insurance claims process has changed over the years.
• How a property casualty insurance attorney can assist in challenges throughout the claims process.
• And more!

Resources:
Episode Transcript & Blog | ​​insuranceclaimhq.com | (844) CLAIM-84 | Bautis Financial: 7 N Mountain Ave Montclair, New Jersey 07042 (862) 205-5000

Timestamps:
0:32 - Introduction to Galen Hair
1:21 - How the Insurance Claims Process Works
2:10 - Challenges With the Insurance Claims Process
8:33 - What To Do If You Disagree with an Insurance Adjuster
12:55 - How the Insurance Claims Process Has Changed
17:02 - What is Insurance Fraud? 2 Types of Insurance Fraud
19:21 - What an Engagement with Insurance Claims HQ Looks Like

Over the course of the 20+ years Marc Bautis has been in the financial services industry, he’s seen and helped many people purchase real estate investment properties. Some of these investments have been prosperous, while others have led to financial disaster. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast, Marc Bautis shares the five biggest mistakes investors make when buying rental properties, and how to avoid them.

In this episode, Marc will detail the following:

• Mistake 1: Believing that rental properties are a passive investment.
• Mistake 2: Improper financial analysis before purchase.
• Mistake 3: Incorrectly estimating expenses.
• Mistake 4: Looking for the highest yielding property.
• Mistake 5: Overextending yourself. 
• And more!

Resources:
Episode Transcript & Blog |What Every Real Estate Investor needs to know about Cash Flow…And 36 Other Key Financial Measures | Biggerpockets.com | Bautis Financial: 7 N Mountain Ave Montclair, New Jersey 07042 (862) 205-5000

Timestamps:
0:41 - 4 Major Benefits of Owning Rental Properties
2:20 - Mistake #1: Thinking Rental Real Estate is A Passive Investment
5:20 - Mistake #2: Improper Financial Analysis Before Purchase
10:08 - Mistake #3: Incorrectly Estimating Expenses
12:55 - Mistake #4: Looking For The Highest Yielding Property
15:46 - Mistake #5: Overextending Yourself

As American workers across multiple income levels face inflated prices on food, gas, housing and more, saving – wherever possible – has become a widespread goal. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast, host Marc Bautis is joined by Gordon Stein, an international keynote speaker, blogger, personal finance expert and author of Cashflow Cookbook: $2 Million of Financial Freedom in 60 Easy Recipes. Together, they break down some of the concepts in his book and provide actionable money-saving tips to increase your cashflow.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Minimal effort strategies for reducing your monthly expenses.
• How small changes in the way you manage your money can lead to big results, like financial freedom.
• Other takeaways from Cashflow Cookbook: $2 Million of Financial Freedom in 60 Easy Recipes.
• And more!

Resources:
Episode Transcript & Blog | cashflowcookbook.com | Cashflow Cookbook: $2 Million of Financial Freedom in 60 Easy Recipes | Bautis Financial: 7 N Mountain Ave Montclair, New Jersey 07042 (862) 205-5000

Timestamps:
0:32 - Introduction to Guest Gordon Stein
1:06 - What to Expect from "Cashflow Cookbook: $2 Million of Financial Freedom in 60 Easy Recipes"
6:19 - Why Saving Does Not Need to Mean Sacrifice
9:03 - Minimal Effort Strategies for Reducing Your Monthly Expenses
11:04 - Money-Savings Strategies for Food & Drink

Entrepreneurial statistics underscore a significant shift toward independent work. According to census data that dates back to 2004, Americans applied for a record-breaking 5.3 million business ID numbers in 2021, and 2022 is already on track to be a record-breaking year as well, according to projections from QuickBooks. What many future entrepreneurs may not know is there is ample opportunity to become a business owner through acquisition of an existing company. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast, host Marc Bautis is joined by Elliott Holland, founder of Guardian Due Diligence, a company that specializes in helping everyday people acquire businesses as investments to optimize ROI and create new millionaires. Together, they walk through the process of acquiring a business through the lens of a first-time buyer.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Where to locate businesses that are for sale.
• How to put in an offer on a business, including tips for business valuations.
• How first-time business buyers can secure funding for the acquisition.
• The do’s and don’ts of becoming a business owner.
• And more!

Resources:
Episode Transcript & Blog | Exclusive Offer from Elliott Holland, Guardian Due Diligence: offerfromelliott.com | guardianduediligence.com | Bautis Financial: 7 N Mountain Ave Montclair, New Jersey 07042 (862) 205-5000

Timestamps:
0:32 - Introduction to Guest Elliott Holland
1:22 - What is Guardian Due Diligence?
3:16 - How to Locate a Business for Sale
4:43 - Recommendations for a First-Time Buyer
6:43 - The Acquisition Process
8:46 - How to Value a Business
16:12 - How to Obtain Financing / Financing Options
22:57 - Is There Such Thing As Passive Income?
27:03 - The Do’s and Don’ts in Buying a Business

In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast, the Bautis Financial team discusses the fifth book assignment in their monthly Book Club, Stacked: Your Super-Serious Guide to Modern Money Management by Joe Saul-Sehy and Emily Guy Birken. In discussing Stacked, each member of the team discusses their favorite topic from the 14-chapter book, and provides actionable tips for managing financial matters like debt, insurance coverage and credit score.

In this episode, we discuss the team's favorite chapters of Stacked, on the topics of:

• Debt
• Insurance
• Credit Cards
• Goal Setting

This is the fifth episode in the Bautis Financial Book Club series. Listen to the other episodes:

• Episode 75 – Bautis Financial Book Club: Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Episode 76 – Bautis Financial Book Club: The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
• Episode 88 – Bautis Financial Book Club: Elon Musk – Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
• Episode 100 – Bautis Financial Book Club: Animal Spirits by George Akerlof and Robert Shiller

Resources:
Episode Transcript & Blog | Stacked: Your Super-Serious Guide to Modern Money Management | Episode 108 – Stacked: Your Super-Serious Guide to Modern Money Management With Emily Guy Birken | Bautis Financial: 7 N Mountain Ave Montclair, New Jersey 07042 (862) 205-5000

Timestamps:
0:32 - Bautis Financial Book Club Introduction
1:58 - Discussion 1: How to Get Out of Debt
7:51 - Discussion 2: How to Asses Your Insurance Coverage
16:19 - Discussion 3: Understanding Credit
23:18 - Discussion 4: How to Set Achievable Goals

This is not your typical, jargon-filled financial podcast. In fact, the word “budget” comes with a warning label in this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast. Today, host Marc Bautis is joined by Emily Guy Birken, a former educator, lifelong money nerd and a Plutus Award-winning freelance writer specializing in the scientific research behind irrational money behaviors. She is the author of five books, including the newly released Stacked: Your Super-Serious Guide to Modern Money Management, written with Joe Saul-Sehy. Together, Emily and Marc break down some of the most important – but frequently overlooked – basics to successful money management. 

In this episode, you will learn:

• How to timeline your financial goals to make them more achievable. 
• How someone who is typically afraid to even check their bank account can slowly transition into loving the “b word” (budgeting).
• Simple approaches for couples working through financial differences.
• How – and why – to gamify your finances.
• And more!

Resources:
Episode Transcript & Blog | emilyguybirken.com/aow | ​​Stacked: Your Super-Serious Guide to Modern Money Management | The 5 Years Before You Retire | Bautis Financial: 7 N Mountain Ave Montclair, New Jersey 07042 (862) 205-5000

Timestamps:
0:32 - Introduction to Guest Emily Guy Birkin
1:05 - About "Stacked: Your Super-Serious Guide to Money Management"
3:05 - What is Modern Money Management?
5:16 - How to Set Financial Goals
12:48 - The Importance of Knowing Where Your Money Goes
15:20 - The "B Word" (Budgeting)
17:38 - How to Improve Your Spending Habits
20:07 - How Couples Can Work Through Financial Differences
24:09 - How – and Why – to Gamify Your Finances

In today’s market, more and more people are looking into fixed income: an investment approach focused on preserving capital and income in the form of a reliable income stream, typically with lower risk than stocks. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast, host Marc Bautis is joined by Bautis Financial Planner Kayla Waller to talk about the considerations an investor should make before adding fixed income investments to their portfolio. 

In this episode, you will learn:

• The various kinds of fixed income investments.
• How interest rate changes trickle down to bonds, mortgages, savings accounts, etc.
• The risks associated with investing in fixed income.
• Fixed income strategies, such as bond ladders. 
• And more!

Resources:
Episode Transcript & Blog | ​​How Building a Bond Ladder Can Hedge Against Rising Interest Rates | How I Bonds Can Hedge Against Inflation | Bautis Financial: 7 N Mountain Ave Montclair, New Jersey 07042 (862) 205-5000

Timestamps:
0:46 - Spoiler: Should You Add Fixed Income to Your Portfolio?
1:46 - What is a Fixed Income Investment?
2:07 - Common Types of Fixed Income Products
3:04 - How Big is the Fixed Income Market?
3:50 - How Interest Rates Change
6:13 - Why People Are Considering Fixed Income in Today's Market
7:53 - Fixed Income Risks
8:34 - What Is a Bond Ladder?
11:47 - How I Bonds and TIPS Hedge Against Inflation & Add Fixed Income
14:32 - Normal Yield Curve vs Inverted Yield Curve
17:14 - Why Do Some Growth Stocks Drop in Price When Interest Rates Rise?