Q&A: How should we save for kids beyond a bank account? Whether a 26‑year‑old really needs life insurance? How much life insurance should a family actually carry?

You have probably seen commercials, gotten dinner invites, or maybe even own one yourself. Annuities spark a lot of curiosity, and today we dig into what they really are, when they may make sense or not, and why the fine print matters.

In recent years, IUL policies have seem to flood the market. We see them on Social Media all the time. There's different rules regulating them that's important to know. The lawsuits against them seem to be growing at a rapid pace.

The IRS rolled out new 2026 retirement contribution limits and, yes, more new rules! Who's excited?! Not a huge shocker, but we think some are good! They made some things more complicated though. From new income limits, new catch ups, a super catch up window that only exists from ages 60 to 63, and the mandatory Roth catch up for higher earners, it feels like the IRS is writing plot twists just to keep us on our toes.

Why do interest rates move, and how could they impact your money? In this episode, Michael, CFP®, EA, breaks down the complex mechanics of the Federal Reserve, inflation, and the bond market into simple, everyday terms. We explore how shifting interest rates directly affect your mortgage, car loans, and retirement savings—no economics degree required.

How might the next interest rate shift change your approach to saving, investing, or buying a home? Tune in to gain the clarity you need to navigate today's economy.

If you're a high-income earner, there's a good chance you could be making a costly IRA mistake without even knowing it — and it could be triggering a 6% penalty every single year if left uncorrected.

In this video, we cover one of the most overlooked rules around Roth IRAs and Traditional IRAs that can quietly catch families off guard — even ones working with seasoned advisors.

If you've ever heard someone mention a 529 plan and nodded along without really knowing what it means — this video is for you.

A 529 account can be one of the most powerful tools for saving for a child's or grandchild's college education, and yet most people don't fully understand how it works or why it matters.

In this video, we break down:

• What a 529 plan actually is

• How contributions, growth, and withdrawals work

• The tax advantages that make it so popular

• Why it keeps coming up in every college savings conversation

Whether you're a parent, grandparent, or just planning ahead — understanding the 529 could save your family in taxes for college costs.

Coffee in hand and the dogs supervising. Jacqueline wants Michael to take a slow walk through the wild vocabulary of finance words that people will throw around like everybody was born knowing what they mean.

We start right at the beginning. Stocks. Bonds. Why they are not the same thing. Why one makes you an owner and the other makes you a loaner. Why bonds move with interest rates even though they feel like they should just sit there quietly. Then they wander into index funds, ETFs, mutual funds, dividends, and all the mystery boards and elusive committees who decide what goes inside them.

Topics include:

💭 Do bonds move in value?

💭 Why do student loans and mortgages stay the same but bonds move?

💭 What's the difference between passive index funds and active funds?

💭 Why your money often flows to the top companies even when you think you're more diversified

💭 Why some people love dividends while others don't.

💭 Why's a bond different than a person paying interest on their student loans or home loan?

The whole episode is a friendly guided tour for anyone who hears finance lingo and thinks wait what are we even talking about and why does everyone else sound like they already know the language?

In this episode of Common Curiosities Retirement, we break down one of the most common debates we see on social media: What is the actual difference between the S&P 500 index and the Total Stock Market index?

Influencers love shouting what one you should have, sho the past returns alone but what would a trained professional want to know about them? Michael a CFP®, EA and a professional investment advisor want to know when looking at both of these?

This is not a recommendation. It is not tied to any investment company. It is simply a quick look under the hood so you can understand why these two popular funds overlap more than people realize.

If you have ever looked at your accounts and wondered, “Should I start pulling back the risk in my investments?” this episode is for you. Michael, CFP®, EA unpacks portfolio de-risking.

We look at what happens when your time horizon shrinks, why the often forgot about sequence of returns risk can quickly wreck a person's plan, and how to think about shifting from growth mode to enjoy your savings mode. JFK shows up with a surprisingly useful quote, football metaphors sneak into the conversation, and we explore that tension between wanting more and protecting what you've already built.

In this episode, Michael and Jacqueline welcome a special guest: Michael’s grandpa Larry. Long before Dave Ramsey made his financial classes famous, Larry was already living it. He stretched a teacher’s salary to provide for his family, steering clear of debt like it had fangs, and had the foresight to invest early with a long‑term mindset.

Welcome back to Common Curiosities: Retirement where this time of year means two things in our house: Sports season is in full swing, and so are the financial questions popping up on social media.

In this sporty moments episode, Jacqueline shows up repping LSU beach volleyball, Michael shows up repping his undefeated 8th-grade basketball squad, and together we break down a viral financial “hack” you’ve probably scrolled past:

Does paying your mortgage every other week actually save you money?

Should you pay off your medical school loans ASAP or stretch them out? This is an especially important question for medical professionals, with many factors to consider!

From different repayment options, to loan forgiveness programs, to tax implications. Not to mention the emotional satisfaction of making quicker progress on your debt. Which plan is right for you? Jacqueline, is currently in medical school so Michael has done a lot of research into this with other experts.

Ever feel like there are way too many retirement account names to keep straight? It’s almost like alphabet soup for your retirement planning.

In this episode of Common Curiosities: Retirement, Michael, CFP® and EA is joined by his wife, who asks the questions many people may secretly have. Like what to do with extra money now, what about extra money I don't need now, how do these different accounts actually work, and who can (or can’t) fund a specific account?

Along the way they cover:

💬 What's different between traditional IRA from a Roth IRA outside of just the taxes and who the heck is “Mr. Roth” anyway?

💬 Why are there so many types of accounts? 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and IRAs (and how they connect with one another)

💬 Who can open or contribute to a Roth IRA (even if you’re under 18)

💬 Why earned income matters (and what the IRS really means by that)

💬 The “Starbucks app” version of paying taxes now vs. later

💬 Plus, a little “girl math” and TJ Maxx logic to keep things grounded

Inside this episode we explore:

💭 Why 42% might feel tight depending on your lifestyle and income

💭 How the size of your income may change what percent of income your home may be

💭 The problem with planning your life around a forecast of three percent rates

💭 How mortgage rates connect to the federal funds rate

💭 Why the ultra low rates after the Great Recession were the exception not the rule

💭 What inflation and unemployment have to do with potential future rate cuts

💭 The impact of layoffs in tech and the race for artificial intelligence

💭 Why a higher rate today with a refinance option later can sometimes make sense

💭 How slower housing markets and price cuts may work in your favor

💭 Why assuming rates will drop soon can be dangerous for your long term plan

Ever wonder why your tax refund may change so much from year to year or why making a little more money doesn’t always feel like it pays that much extra?

In this episode of Common Curiosities: Retirement, Michael CFP® and EA breaks down how our progressive tax system actually works, using everyday language (and a few buckets of water).

We walk through side-by-side examples of a married couple earning $120,000 and $200,000 to see how their tax bill may look, what tax deductions they may get (or not get) and even look at planning around certain tax credits.

You’ll learn:

💧 How each “bucket” of income gets taxed differently

💡 The difference between marginal and effective tax rates

👶 How credits may reduce your tax bill (and when some begin to phase out)

💭 Why tax planning can be valuable and should align with your investment and retirement planning

It’s a practical, down-to-earth look at how the numbers actually stack up hopefully understandable as well.

Because good financial planning isn’t just about investing… it’s about knowing how taxes, savings, and long-term goals all fit together like ingredients in a recipe that works for you.

If you’re a Michigan school teacher, you only get 75 days from your first pay period to choose your retirement plan and that one decision may shape your financial future for decades.

In this episode, Michael CFP® and EA unpacks what those two options really mean. There's the Pension Plus 2 plan and the Defined Contribution plan. He discussed how they work differently when it comes to paychecks, matching contributions, potential taxes, early access, and even what happens to your money after you’re gone.

In this episode, Michael is joined by his wife Jacqueline (who's wearing all his clothes, apparently) for a casual chat that starts with some of Jacqueline's questions she hears about money recently to get those questions answered.

They cover:

💭 What an LLC actually does — and what it doesn’t do for taxes

💭 The difference between tax avoidance (smart) and tax evasion (illegal)

💭 What’s better: getting rich quick or building wealth the slow and steady way?

💭 Common money misconceptions small business owners fall for

💭 Why “write it off” ≠ “get it for free”

💭 And a reminder: hard work, patience, and planning still works (even if tjat doesn’t create trends on TikTok)

Gold has been shining bright lately (pun intended) and has hit all-time highs as 2025 is coming to a close. But what’s really behind the surge? In this episode of Common Curiosities: Retirement, we dig into some ideas of why reasons why gold’s up, and explore whether it still makes sense as part of a modern portfolio.

Markets are hitting record highs as we are ending 2025, but what’s really driving it? In this episode of Common Curiosities: Retirement, we take a curious look under the hood of today’s market momentum.

We’ll unpack a few key forces fueling the climb including:

💭 Many strong corporate earnings that are beating expectations

💭 Interest rate cuts — after a few years of tightening interest rate increases, potential interest rate cuts could be on the horizon

💭 Artificial intelligence - Many believe it's not just hype, but a potential long-term shift in how companies operate. What does the future mean for that?

💭 Investor participation — More and more people are now investing. Is that a good thing?

Of course, all-time highs don’t mean buy everything now. Markets move in cycles — and those pullbacks can be part of a healthy rhythm. This episode is all about understanding why we’re here, what might be next, and how to stay curious and have a plan ahead of time through the ups and downs