David and Goliath is a simple story about a small man overcoming an impossible battle with a giant. How do smaller and larger financial planning companies reflect these differences?

In this episode, Michael Labos explores the Davids and Goliaths of the financial planning industry. He focuses on what smaller businesses provide that larger companies tend to ignore and how those differences impact the client experience.

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When planning your retirement, long-term care needs will also play a role in future spending. Planning for it today could save you money in the future.

In this episode, Micheal Labos dives further into accepting mortality and preparing aging parents for long-term care needs. He shares the advice he gives to clients on balancing costs while preparing a legacy for beneficiaries and some solutions that couldn’t be considered 20 years ago.

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With rising costs for future education, preparing for college tuition is a concern for many parents. How can they build an abundant and secure financial plan for their childrens education?

In this episode, Micheal Labos speaks with Ann Garcia, CFP and Owner of Independent Progressive Advisors, on the cost of college and creating a budget to include personal contributions, scholarships and government funded financial aid for your childs future education.

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About Our Guest:

Ann Garcia is a CFP® and owner of Independent Progressive Advisors, a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor in Portland OR, author of The College Financial Lady blog  (thecollegefinanciallady.com). Her blog has approximately 15,000 subscribers in various media (blog, Facebook). In addition, she is regularly cited in national media (New York Times, US News & World Report) on the subject of college planning. Ann earned a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and am a member of Phi Beta Kappa and of NAPFA, the leading association of fee-only financial advisors.

Mortality is something that catches up to everyone eventually. What will you leave behind afterwards?

In this episode, Michael Labos is joined by Sandra Hunter, a Life Coach and Founder of Wild Women Leaders Of Color, in discussing moving aging parents into the next stage of life and creating a legacy through sharing experiences.

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About Our Guest:

Sandra Hunter is an Anglo-Indian with Sri Lankan, Portuguese, and Dutch ancestries. Her father’s grandmother brought her Anglo-Indian family to England after the Indian Independence. Her mother comes from a line of Portuguese and Dutch spice traders. Sandra found that she belonged to neither side of her family. Sandra has 19+ years of teaching in college and has worked in Kenya. She faced racism and sexism at work, went through a divorce, and started her own business. Sandra knows what it’s like to function under stress while working towards true self-liberation.

Preparing for education beyond high school has become a struggle between increasing costs and student competition. How can your child optimize their chances of entering and affording their dream school?

In this episode, Michael Labos dives into college planning, starting from the early financial strategies to the benefits of different application periods to increase your child’s chances of getting into and affording their dream school.

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When choosing a credit card, what do you look for? Interest rates, miles or cash back? Or do you choose a company you are familiar with?

In this episode, Michael Labos dives into the world of credit card choices, revealing the additional benefits gained by choosing the right credit card for the right purchase and how to optimize incentives.

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After your death, life insurance provides your beneficiaries with financial security. Or does it?

In this episode, Michael Labos shares why the government’s lack of love for life insurance makes him love using it in financial planning. He dives into how governments view life insurance, how to avoid its pitfalls and create a plan for you and your beneficiaries.

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A traditional portfolio has 60% stocks and 40% bonds to balance the ups and downs of the market. But how can you increase your returns when stocks and bonds are down?

In this episode, Michael Labos shares his knowledge on stocks and bonds within portfolio division and the alternatives to boost a portfolio when the 60/40 split doesn’t work. 

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It’s hard to know where to start when creating a financial plan. You have so many options, and it’s tough to know which one is right for you. 

You’re not alone in this struggle. 

In this episode, Michael Labos explains how to stop putting off your finances and start thinking about them instead. Michael shares ten small steps that will make you start thinking about financial planning.

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When scrolling through Facebook, you may have seen posts for GoFundMe’s asking for money to cover anything from charities to surgeries. Overreliance on these types of financing has created what can be called ‘The GoFundMe Dilemma’.

In this episode, Michael Labos dives into the unfortunate connection between GoFundMe fundraising and financial planning, the downsides to using GoFundMe as an emergency fund and three types of insurance benefits for avoiding stressful financial situations.

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