Shows
Kitchen Table Finance2025 Quarter One Market Review and OutlookIn this episode, Nick and Dave take a seat at the kitchen table to unpack the highs and lows of the first quarter of 2025. From global diversification wins to U.S. economic uncertainty, they break down what investors need to know—and what they don’t need to stress over.
https://youtu.be/iXrCvNCGtO0
Glass Half Full
Diversification Pays Off: International stocks outperformed U.S. markets in Q1, offering a little sunshine in an otherwise cloudy domestic market.
Strong Labor Market: Unemployment remains low, with a resilient workforce keeping things steady desp...2025-04-2100 min
Kitchen Table FinanceCFP vs. ChatGPT for Retirement PlanningIn this special episode, Nick and Cole put artificial intelligence to the test in a fun and insightful financial planning battle—CFP vs. ChatGPT! They tackle some of the most common retirement and estate planning questions, comparing Nick’s expert advice to ChatGPT’s AI-generated insights. Who gives the better answers? You decide!
https://youtu.be/89elFdanuIU
Topics Covered:
✔️ Have I Saved Enough for Retirement?
Importance of budgeting and projecting income
Social Security, pensions, annuities, and investment returns
Using Monte Carlo simulations to stress-test retirement plans
AI’s reliance on rules of thumb like t...2025-03-1700 min
Kitchen Table FinanceGeorge Kinder’s Financial Life Planning ProcessEpisode Summary
In this episode, Dave and Nick discuss George Kinder’s Financial Life Planning Process and how it applies to retirement savings. They explore how financial planning goes beyond numbers and investments—it’s about aligning financial decisions with what truly matters to you. They also break down Kinder’s famous three questions that help individuals clarify their financial and life priorities.
https://youtu.be/Yvdb-nCmaZQ
Key Topics Covered
Who is George Kinder?
Known as the “Father of Financial Life Planning.”
His approach prioritizes personal fulfillment over just growing wealth.
2025-02-2520 min
Kitchen Table FinanceFinancial Disasters UnpackedIn this episode of Kitchen Table Finance, Dave Shotwell and guest co-host Cole Williams take a deep dive into financial crises—focusing on the Great Recession of 2007–2009. They explore its impact on financial planning, investor psychology, and how those experiences shape decisions even today.
https://youtu.be/iw3NV9gkARg
What You’ll Learn:
How the Great Recession shaped financial attitudes across generations
The emotional and psychological effects of financial downturns
Lessons from history: Comparing 2008 to the Great Depression and other crises
How financial advisors help clients navigate uncertainty and market volatility
Why market timing...2025-02-1000 min
Kitchen Table FinanceRetirement and Markets Over the Next Four YearsIn this episode, we explore the potential impact of recent political developments on retirement planning and market trends over the next four years. With Dave on vacation, Cole Williams, our associate advisor, steps in to discuss the implications of the presidential election and the upcoming sunset of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. We also touch on tariffs and their potential economic ramifications.
https://youtu.be/GGUpKS18eOs
Key Topics Covered
Impact of the Presidential Election
The role of the election in determining tax policies.
Analysis of the Tax Cuts...2024-11-1900 min
Kitchen Table FinanceRetirement Spending - Die With ZeroIn this thought-provoking episode, we explore the intriguing concept laid out in Bill Perkins’ book “Die With Zero,” which challenges traditional notions of retirement savings and spending. Join us as we discuss whether you should aim to spend your money before you die, and the mindset shift required to turn your savings into lifelong enjoyment.
https://youtu.be/HiUaq15G_XE
Key Topics Discussed:
Mindset Shift: We examine the prevalent industry focus on accumulating a large retirement fund and the challenges retirees face in spending that money to truly enjoy life.
Adviso...2024-11-0422 min
Kitchen Table FinanceQ3 2024 Market Update & Economic OutlookIn this episode, we dive into the key developments in the markets during the third quarter of 2024, along with an update on the current economic environment. Join us as we discuss how stocks surged across the globe, inflation continues to cool, and the Federal Reserve’s pivotal decision to lower interest rates in September. Despite a slightly weaker labor market, overall economic indicators remain positive.
https://youtu.be/Y2W3rAD7ZD4
Key Takeaways:
Stocks have shown strong performance across all major indices, continuing a year-long rally.
In response to a cooling labor market an...2024-10-2530 min
Kitchen Table FinanceNavigating Retirement in Times of Market VolatilityJoin Dave and Nick as they explore strategies to manage market volatility during retirement. Drawing on behavioral finance principles, they provide practical advice to help you stay the course in turbulent times.
Key Topics Discussed
Market Volatility: The episode begins by discussing recent shifts in market sentiment, highlighting a 6.5% drop in the S&P 500. The hosts explain how quickly investor attitudes can change and the role media plays in amplifying these emotions.
Retirement Preparedness: Understanding how to cope with market fluctuations is crucial for those approaching or in retirement. Dave and Nick...2024-08-1325 min
Kitchen Table FinanceA Conversation with Summer Intern Cole WilliamsWelcome to this episode of Kitchen Table Finance where we’re joined by our energetic and insightful spring 2024 intern, Cole Williams. With a few weeks under his belt, Cole shares his experience and lessons learned while working with our very own David. And surprise, Cole – today’s chat is doubling as your extended interview for the rest of the spring season!
Watch on YouTube HERE
In This Episode
Cole’s Journey: Discover how a political science background led Cole to a passion for financial planning.
A Day in the Life: What doe...2024-04-1022 min
Kitchen Table FinanceShould You Add Bitcoin to Your Retirement Portfolio?We’ve talked about this topic before, but it keeps rearing its head. It’s Bitcoin and it’s back in the news. The SEC has now decided that Bitcoin and similar cryptocurrencies are going to be saved. There are a handful of them that took them up on that offer.
Watch on YouTube HERE.
Previously, to buy Bitcoin, you had to go to an exchange and open an account that handled cryptocurrencies. Now, what’s changed in January is any investment account where you can hold stocks. bonds, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds, you can now b...2024-02-0521 min
Kitchen Table FinanceRealistic Market Expectations for RetirementJoin Dave and Nick as they close out Season 2 of Kitchen Table Finance. They discuss setting realistic market expectations, especially in retirement.
What is a realistic market expectation?
Well, there’s a lot of research out there that shows that particularly in bull markets, a general investor has an inflated expectation of what the markets should do for them and how much money they should be making.
And there’s that old cliche we’ve all heard – “the formula for happiness is happiness equals reality minus expectations.”
When it comes to how we think...2024-01-0819 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 146: What Are Your Key Numbers for Retirement?When it comes to retirement planning, what are your key numbers? How often should you review them?
Watch on YouTube HERE
In today’s world, there’s a lot of different numbers out there. There are a lot of different things that you can stress about. So we are going to talk today about what numbers are actually important to think about when it comes to retirement.
It might surprise you. It is probably not what you think. We are also going to discuss how often you should look at your numbers.
Do...2023-12-0427 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp145: Reasons for Retirees to be ThankfulJoin Dave and Nick for a special Thanksgiving Episode where they talk about what they are thankful for, the Markets, what’s good for retirees, and financial planning.
We’ve got a lot to be thankful for as investors and financial planners this year despite the fact that it often seems like there’s a lot more bad news going on this year than there was last year. However, it’s kind of the reverse when you look at the numbers. As of this recording the day before Thanksgiving, the Standard and Poor’s 500 -the basic measure of the US...2023-11-2716 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 142: How will Artificial Intelligence Impact Your PortfolioJoin Nick and Dave as they discuss how the all-encompassing world of artificial intelligence may affect your investment portfolio.
Watch on YouTube HERE
This definitely isn’t a podcast about how it’s going to change our industry but we think of it in terms of how will it make us more efficient so we can help more people.
It doesn’t seem like, in our lifetime, there has ever been a type of technology that set people on edge quite so much.
When the internet was new you could type someth...2023-11-0617 min
Kitchen Table Finance140: Why Don't We Just Put Everything in CDs?Join Nick and Dave as they address some questions they have received recently about interest rates and CDs.
Interest rates are looking pretty good, especially when you start driving around town and seeing billboards for 6 % twelve-month CDs. So part of the questions have been, “Why don’t we just put everything in CDs and earn 6% and be happy and go on our merry way?”
When you look at the stock market this year the S&P500 is up over 10 percent so far year to date. It can be in the eye of the beholder if you thi...2023-10-1917 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 140: 4th Quarter 2023 Economic and Market UpdateJoin Nick and Dave for their 3rd Quarter 2023 Economic and Market Update.
Watch this episode on YouTube HERE
You can read the in-depth blog article HERE
Our portfolio managers at East Bay Investment Solutions provide us every quarter with what they consider the positives and negatives of our current economic situation, as well as in-depth commentary on the past quarter’s markets. You can download their full report here, as well as watch the video of their recorded presentation.
As Mario notes in the video, he was putting the commentary together be...2023-10-1924 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 139: Our Favorite Movies about MoneyJoin Dave and Nick as they discuss a few of their favorite movies about money. Do you have any to add to the list? Drop them in the comments.
Watch on YouTube Here
Here is a list of the movies discussed in this episode
Wallstreet – this is what everybody in our generation thought being a stockbroker was all about.
Glengarry Glen Ross – the story about four days in the lives of these guys who are working for a real estate investment firm doing developments
The Big Short – this movie does a really good job of exp...2023-10-0923 min
Kitchen Table Finance4 Step Plan for Dealing with the Financial MediaJoin Dave and Nick as they walk you through how to decipher and decode all the information that comes at us in the media regarding finances.
Watch on YouTube HERE
This is something we both talk about with our clients on a regular basis. Sometimes this is good stuff to remind ourselves as well,
It’s all kinds of stuff that get you and me riled up in the market and the financial media about the markets. It’s natural.
We are here to help you take the emotions out of it i...2023-10-0219 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 136: Align Your Money With Your ValuesJoin Dave and Nick on today’s topic, which is an extension of an earlier podcast they did on the book review of The Soul of Money.
An underlying topic is how to make yourself heard with the voice of money. What we mean by that is we all make conscious or unconscious decisions on how we spend our money. Put another way, where we purchase things from and what we do with our excess discretionary money.
Watch on YouTube HERE
If your goal is to make sure that your money is going to...2023-09-1828 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 135 - How Big is Your "Too Hard" Pile?Join Nick and Dave as they discuss the interesting topic of what to do when your “Too Hard” pile gets too big.
This is inspired by the article My ‘Too Hard’ Pile Is Pretty Big by Christine Benz in the Morningstar publication about personal finances.
What is a “Too Hard Pile?”
The term “Too Hard Pile” was coined by Charlie Munger to describe investments that just aren’t worth the effort because they fall outside of the Berkshire Hathaway team’s circle of competence.
What he was getting at is when people get new invest...2023-09-0828 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 133 - MiABLE Account OverviewJoin Nick and Dave as they discuss MiAble Accounts. You may have seen the billboards around town and wondered what they are all about.
What are they? Who are they for? Should you get one?
Watch on YouTube HERE
A MiAble account can be established for an individual with disabilities where they can actually create some savings for themselves without it interfering with government benefits from social security or Medicaid.
One of the big planning issues for someone who falls into this category and is on government benefits is that they...2023-08-2220 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 132 - Book Review - Thinking Fast and SlowJoin Dave and Nick as they review the book, Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman.
Watch on YouTube HERE
Thinking, Fast and Slow concerns a few major questions: how do we make decisions? And in what ways do we make decisions poorly?
The book covers three areas of Daniel Kahneman’s research: cognitive biases, prospect theory, and happiness.
Here is the summary from the website Shortform.com
“We’re so self-confident in our rationality that we think all our decisions are well-considered. When we choose a job, decide how to...2023-08-1616 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 131 - Student Loan Repayment PlansJoin Dave and Ashley (Nick is on vacation) as they talk about Student Loan Repayment Plans, which have been in the news because they’ve just rolled out the details of a new plan.
Watch on YouTube HERE
The plan is called the SAVE Plan, which is short for Saving on a Valuable Education. It’s going to be replacing the repayment plan that currently exists.
If you are in the repay plan you will be automatically transitioned to the new save plan once that gets set in stone. They’re going to phase t...2023-08-0814 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 130 - What Should You Insure?Join Dave and Nick as they talk about different that require insurance and other things that may be an option. Learn some tips on how you may be able to save money on things you might over-insuring.
Watch on YouTube HERE
Dave got a glossy flyer in the mail recently selling appliance repair insurance that came with a whole caveat of exceptions and exclusions that probably make the offer not worth it in the end.
The guys also break down the ins and out of warranty insurance and when it might be worth...2023-07-3127 min
Kitchen Table FinanceThird Quarter 2023 Economic Updated and Market ReviewThe year is half over, and despite recession fears, banking turmoil, and a debt-ceiling standoff in Washington, the stock market continued its current roll last quarter. US stocks, as measured by the Russell benchmarks, were positive across the board for the quarter, year to date, and the last 12 months. While international returns aren’t as robust, the results have also been positive across all three-time frames except for frontier markets. Bonds were slightly negative for the quarter though still positive year to date.
Watch on YouTube HERE
As always, there are both positive signals and re...2023-07-2729 min
Kitchen Table FinanceMSU Case Study - Couple Near RetirementDave and Nick have another MSU case study for you. This one is a very common scenario that comes up often – couples who are nearing retirement and seeking help from a financial advisor. They know they want to retire and they are looking for someone to help them put all the pieces together.
They have been managing their money themselves, for the most part, with some support from the plan providers at Michigan State. But now that they’re getting close to crunch time they are really starting to think about what it means to go from full...2023-07-2636 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 127 - Stoic Philosophy and Financial PlanningJoin Dave and Nick as they discuss an amalgamation of things that Dave has read over the last year or so and has been studying.
Dave’s wife got him a book for Christmas on stoic philosophy that was a general overview. He read different parts every day with explanations of what stoic philosophy entails. He kept thinking, “Boy this is almost a manual for good financial planning attitudes.”
Stoicism as a philosophy doesn’t deny that we have human emotions. It’s more about recognizing that we have emotional reactions to things and trying not to let...2023-07-1213 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 126 - Don't Fall for These ScamsJoin Dave and Nick as they talk about cyber security and keeping yourself safe. They go over some of the steps that they take for their clients to make sure that they maintain safety.
Watch on YouTube HERE
As you age, there is a real threat of being targeted for different kinds of risks, scams, and abuses out there that are targeted toward the older population. It can be difficult to have these chats it’s important to know.
SRB goes through Cyber security training as a team every year. Our team also di...2023-07-1025 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 125: Does Your Financial Advisor Provide Value?We have a special guest back for the second week in a row. Our intern, Cade Campbell comes back to talk about the project he’s been working on this summer for us.
Cade was tasked with breaking down the tangible quantifiable return that a client receives from a financial advisor. There are quite a few good studies out there. Join us as Cade goes through his research and findings.
In a world where online portfolio tools and retirement calculators are available online at little cost, does it make sense to hire a financial advisor? Ty...2023-07-0631 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 124: Summer Intern, Cade Campbell, Joins the ShowJoin Nick as he chats with the SRB summer intern, Cade Cambell, while Dave is on vacation.
Watch it on YouTube HERE
Cade is a senior at Michigan State studying finance and minoring in insurance and risk management with a second minor in financial planning and wealth management. He grew up in a little town in the middle of Wyoming called Riverton, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Cade is a big outdoorsman who loves to hunt, fish, hike, and just about anything outside. He found himself at Michigan State through a scholarship program a...2023-07-0528 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 123: Nick's Best & Worst Personal Money MovesJoin Nick and Dave as they discuss Nick’s best and worst personal money decisions.
In case you missed our last episode where Dave discusses his personal financial best and worst, you can find it here: Ep 122: Dave’s Best and Worst Personal Money Moves
Watch on YouTube HERE
A Tough Career Decision
Nick graduated college in 2005, had a one-year-old daughter, and Michigan was already into the recession that hit the rest of the country. So jobs for finance majors in Michigan were not plentiful. He got hired about 3 months later as a...2023-07-0324 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 122: Dave's Best and Worst Personal Money MovesJoin Dave and Nick as Dave reveals one of the best and worst money decisions he’s made over the years.
Don’t worry, you will hear from Nick soon, as he reveals his own trials with money as well.
People often assume that because we are financial planners and have lots of experience we never screwed up along the way. Our clients are often surprised when we tell them about mistakes we’ve made or things we almost did.
Watch on YouTube Here
A Tough Investment Choice
One of the...2023-06-3021 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 121: Book Review: "The Soul of Money"Join Dave and Nick as they discuss the book, The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist. Lynne Twist is a global activist and founded The Soul of Money Institute and you can find many of her works on her website there, including her book.
This is a great read for people who want to examine their relationship with money and how it affects their lives. We’ve had a lot of conversations on this podcast before about behavioral economics and finance and how money really affects you.
Lynne’s overall take is that as humans, espe...2023-06-0224 min
Kitchen Table FinanceNew MSU Professor Retirement PlanningWelcome back to another episode, and another MSU case study. Last time we discussed a married couple who are both MSU professors and have two teenage children. You can find that episode here: Ep 114: Retirement Planning Case Study for an MSU Employee.
This time, we are discussing the scenario of a young professor in his late twenties with his first full-time college teaching position.
Join us as we talk about the ins and outs of financial planning and setting up a solid retirement plan for someone in a similar situation.
MSU Employee Case St...2023-05-2224 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEp 118: Update - What's going on with I Bonds Now?Twelve months ago, I bonds were the security to purchase.
As a refresher, I Bond rates get set at six-month intervals. Basically May to November and then November to the following May or April. A year ago at this time as inflation was raging, the treasury announced the rate on I bonds would be a 9.4% annualized rate of return, and of course that got everybody’s attention.
Join us as we discuss how the current interest rates and inflation is affecting I bonds and if they are a good investment or not.
We ta...2023-05-1209 min
Kitchen Table FinanceReview of First Quarter 20232nd Quarter 2023 Economic Update and Market Review
The first quarter of 2023 was largely positive for the markets, but not positive enough to make up for the frustrating previous 12 months. While inflation still appears to be slowing, there is plenty of uncertainty around interest rates and the Federal Reserve’s ability to slow the economy just enough but not too much.
As always, our partners at East Bay Investment Solutions have provided a balanced approach to the positive and negative signals out there right now:
Download th...2023-04-1726 min
Kitchen Table FinanceRetirement Planning Case Study for an MSU EmployeeIn today’s episode, Dave and Nick have an interesting case study of a couple of MSU professors. Join us as we take a look at some of the common scenarios that come up in a case like this when we’re helping people create their financial plans.
This is a composite of several clients we’ve met with over the last couple of years to help people get a general feel for how we look at things and how we string a plan together.
A lot of these questions come up quite often and even t...2023-04-1027 min
Kitchen Table FinanceRent or Buy - Move or StayHow to make housing decisions in a rising rate environment.
We’ve been getting a lot of questions about the housing market. We’ve seen the Fed basically increase interest rates at an accelerated pace over the last year. And they are looking to still continue to do a couple more rate increases. So what do you think about that and how do you think about the different housing choices knowing that we’re in this rising interest rate environment?
And we don’t really know how long rates are going to stay high. To make it...2023-04-0626 min
Kitchen Table FinanceWhy Ashley Sajor Became a Financial PlannerWe have a very special episode for your today. Join us as Nick interviews Ashley Sajor and discover out why she became a financial planner.
Ashley is one of the newest members of our team and started off as an intern while she was still attending MSU. Besides starring in our podcast from time to time, Ashley has also started writing blogs for our website.
Michigan First-Time Home Buyer Savings Accounts (article)
A Quick View on Student Loans
About Ashely
Ashley graduated from Michigan State University in 2022 with a...2023-03-0614 min
Kitchen Table FinanceMichigan 1st Time Homebuyers' Savings AccountDave and Nick are joined by Ashley Sajor, Associate Financial Planner here at Shotwell Rutter Baer. Ashley started her career at SRB as an intern and after graduating from MSU became a full-time employee.
Check out Ashley’s previous visit to our show in the episode titled, Helping Your College Student Budget.
Today, we are exploring the concept of a first-time home buyer savings account for the state of Michigan. Which actually was passed into law around June of 2022, so we’re a little over six months into this new home buyer savings account.
Ashl...2023-02-2021 min
Kitchen Table FinanceWhy Dave Shotwell Became a Financial Planner
Join Nick and Dave as Nick interviews Dave as to the “why” and the “how” of his journey to becoming a financial planner.
Dave, “I started basically looking for a job and did not have a true career path. I happened to meet the right people at the right time who were in the industry and needed help. They told me I was pretty much a nerd and I should be a nerd about this stuff.”
Listen as Dave reveals his love for Excel and spreadsheets and the evolution of the financial planning industry itself.
About Shotwell Rutter Baer2023-02-1317 min
Kitchen Table FinanceFinancial Predictions for 2023This is a pretty common question for our clients t ask in December and January.
We’re in an industry where everybody loves to make bold predictions and there’s not a lot of accountability around what happens. Well, we need to be careful with that. If nothing else we are at least filling that void of saying, “Hey you know we put these ideas out there a year ago so let’s see how we did. ”
We’ve also got a sampling of some of the major investment banks and sources out there and we can look at...2023-01-1923 min
Kitchen Table FinanceWhy We are Financial PlannersNick was asked recently why he liked being a financial planner. He and Dave both agree that this is an important question to ask your financial planner or anyone who is going to help you with your money.
Nick tells a story about how he first started thinking about money and saving and how that shaped the career path that he followed. Listen along and learn more about Nick and how he landed a job he really loves now.
Money is a very emotional thing for most people and the entire industry has pivoted this...2023-01-1818 min
Kitchen Table FinanceShould I Lease or Buy My Next Car?Michigan is an auto-centric state and people from the East and West coast don’t understand why we still driving the same Subaru we bought in the nineteen eighties. Nonetheless, a very popular question we get asked a lot is whether you should buy or lease a car.
A car is a major expense and a big budget item and is usually still a necessity for most of our clients. Ultimately, it’s about practicality. The difference between buying and leasing a car isn’t going to change your life. We’re not talking about thousands of extra dol...2023-01-0524 min
Kitchen Table FinanceTackling Retirement Goals from Both EndsThis is our 100th Episode! Thanks for listening over the past 2 years!
Join Nick and Dave as they talk about a topic they bring up with their clients on a regular basis. It’s never too early to start saving for retirement. Financial advisers regularly check it with clients to ensure they are saving enough for their retirement goals. This often corresponds with saving more and spending less.
The effect of doing this is that small changes or changes that may seem insignificant on the front end have a big impact twenty years out from 2022-12-1516 min
Kitchen Table FinanceFees to Watch Out For With Retirement PlanningJoin Dave and Nick as they discuss an Aol Finance article titled Hidden Fees To Watch Out for in Retirement.
As fee-only financial planners, we always operate as fiduciaries. This means that we are legally obligated to provide advice that is in your best interest. That is, we don’t profit by selling you a particular product or investment. Many people believe that all financial advisors are required to give advice that is in your best interest; unfortunately, that’s not always true if they have something to gain by steering you in one direction or another. Since...2022-12-0243 min
Kitchen Table FinanceStress Testing Your Financial PlanDave and Nick offer tips on how to check that your financial plan is on track to provide the goals you have for your future and retirement.
Your plan should include resources for things that may come up that you are not planning for. Such as:
What if I need to go into a nursing home?
What if my wife lives to be 104 years old?
What if the market does WYZ instead of what I expected?
People don’t typically come to their financial adviser when things are going great. They usually have a concern or...2022-11-1617 min
Kitchen Table FinanceBook Review: The Investment AnswerDave and Nick review the book, The Investment Answer by Daniel C. Goldie and Gordon S. Murray
This is a favorite of both of theirs for investing information, especially for those just getting into the investing game.
From Amazon:
“The good news is that people today expect to live longer, healthier lives. The bad news is that many of us will not have enough money to retire comfortably. The solution to this problem is a wise investment of the wealth we accumulate during our working lives, but the unfortunate truth is that when it co...2022-11-0420 min
Kitchen Table FinanceHow Much Money You Need to Retire?Dave and Nick discuss current headlines and guidelines on how much the average American “needs” for retirement. Find out if they agree. Are the numbers accurate? How can you calculate what you actually need?
Listen to the full episode to learn the Kitchen Table Finance philosophy on retirement.
CNBC Article: Americans think you need $1.7 million to retire comfortably
About Shotwell Rutter Baer
Shotwell Rutter Baer is proud to be an independent, fee-only registered investment advisory firm. This means that we are only compensated by our clients for our knowledge and guidance — not fro...2022-11-0417 min
Kitchen Table FinanceA Positive Way to Look at the Current MarketJoin Nick and Dave as they discuss some positive things going on in the markets and what you can do with your investments to keep some peace of mind.
Things they cover in this episode include:
Fixed income yields are the highest they have been in years
CPI headline inflation in September (8.2%) has fallen since June highs (9.1%)
Equity and fixed-income valuations are much more attractive than they were at the start of the year
A 3.5% unemployment rate is not consistent with economic downturns
You can download their full commentary, outlining how these concerns may play...2022-11-0422 min
Kitchen Table Finance5 Things You Can Do During a Down MarketJoin Nick and Dave as they talk about what investors can do during a down market, like the one we are experiencing now.
The best thing to do is to do nothing, but here are a couple of things that you could consider:
Increase savings if possible
Swap investments to capture losses.
Use captured losses to offset gains on investments you want to replace
Do a Roth conversion
Rebalance
We talked pretty extensively on our last episode about why we don’t like market timing. It might help to check that episode out before listening to...2022-10-1922 min
Kitchen Table FinanceMarketing Timing (podcast)What is a marketing timing strategy for investing and does it work?
Join Nick and Dave as they talk about marketing timing and their thoughts on it.
People often ask us if they should sell their stock investments and “wait until the market is better.” Market timing as a strategy does not work.
You can read more about Market Timing in our longer blog post article HERE.
About Shotwell Rutter Baer
Shotwell Rutter Baer is proud to be an independent, fee-only registered investment advisory firm. This means that we are...2022-10-1129 min
Kitchen Table FinanceSpecial Guest: Khadijah H. Mutakabbir , Owner of Step By Step Financial WellnessJoin Dave and Nick as they chat with Khadijah H. Mutakabbir, a Certified Financial Counselor and the owner of Step By Step Financial Wellness.
Step By Step Financial Wellness (SBS) is a financial counseling company that specializes in credit improvement, money management, & saving. They strive to help Michigan Millennials establish a solid foundation so they can achieve financial wellness & success.
Listen as they discuss how to build credit as a young person, what to look for when you get your first credit card, and pitfalls that young people often encounter when learning how to manage...2022-09-1231 min
Kitchen Table FinanceAsk A Financial Advisor Anything - Part 4The guys are back! Get ready for Part 4 of Ask Ask A Financial Advisor Anything – Part 4a Financial Advisor Anything! Check out our listener questions below and listen to the episode to hear the answers.
Got a question? Send it to info@SRBadvisors.com and they will get back to you and possibly feature your question in a future episode.
Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for videos and clips of our podcasts.
Financial Questions Answered in this Episode
Should I pull money out of my retirement acco...2022-09-0924 min
Kitchen Table FinanceAsk A Financial Advisor Anything - Part 3Join Nick and Dave for another round of listener questions. Our listeners have submitted some very compelling questions that are probably things you are also wondering about. Check it out!
Here are the questions:
#1. I lost almost half of my retirement in the stock market and I have stopped making buys. Is that the wrong strategy?
#2. How do I get good health insurance if I don’t work somewhere that provides it?
#3. What are some safe retirement investment options for someone who does not want to lose their principal?
Chec...2022-08-2927 min
Kitchen Table FinanceSecond Quarter 2022 Market Review and Economic OutlookWe’re halfway through the year and inflation and interest rates continue to drive the markets and the headlines. Our friends at East Bay Investment Solutions recently published their Quarterly Investment Commentary for the second quarter of 2022 outlining where we are now and where markets may be headed.
East Bay likes to summarize the economic outlook in terms of both the bad and the good:
You can read their full report here follow the link below for their recorded webinar.
https://youtu.be/mjD5f2qGlRo
About Shotwell Rutter Bae...2022-07-2619 min
Kitchen Table FinanceFinancial Documents an 18 Year Old NeedsJoin us for Part Two of discussing financial concerns for an 18-year-old, including important financial documents.
We have a special guest, Molly Petitjean, a Lansing area attorney, who joins us to answer questions about preparing an 18-year-old for their financial future.
This episode sparked from the fact that Nick’s daughter, Cameron who is almost 18, and what she needs to have.
Typically, when we think of estate planning and wills, we think of people much older than 18. We are not planning for our 18-year-old to pass away. So what do they need?
2022-07-1843 min
Kitchen Table FinanceWhat to do When Your Child Turns 18We have a special guest today, Camryn Nauta. She is Nick’s daughter who is a recent high school grad and is seventeen. She graduated with very high honors and will be attending Michigan State University in the Fall.
Camryn is our special guest and is about to turn 18 there are many things an 18-year-old should consider with respect to finances, budgeting, and savings.
Find out what her biggest financial concern is at this time in her life and how she is planning for them.
Student loans, budgeting, learning how to save money, an...2022-07-1822 min
Kitchen Table FinanceIs the 60 - 40 Portfolio Dead?Join Dave and Nick as they discuss the 60-40 portfolio.
To clarify for people wondering what a 60-40 portfolio is, it is an industry-standard portfolio that contains 60% stocks and 40% bonds. This was considered the Goldilocks portfolio. This is approximately the allocation we use for many of our clients because it fits a lot of different scenarios. The idea is that it’s enough stock exposure and enough risk that you do well in most environments.
Bonds in the portfolio provide some cushion when things aren’t going well in the stock market. This ratio has been...2022-07-1815 min
Kitchen Table FinanceDealing with High InflationJoin Nick and Dave as they discuss the increasingly high inflation rate.
Here are some other resources for you:
Worsening Inflation, Consumer Sentiment, and the Markets
Bull and Bear Market Cycles
About Shotwell Rutter Baer
Shotwell Rutter Baer is proud to be an independent, fee-only registered investment advisory firm. This means that we are only compensated by our clients for our knowledge and guidance — not from commissions by selling financial products. Our only motivation is to help you achieve financial freedom and peace of...2022-06-2825 min
Kitchen Table FinanceAsk A Financial Advisor Anything - Part TwoPart Two of answering financial questions from our listeners. More of your burning questions are answered here.
Click HERE for Part One.
In Part Two of Ask A Financial Advisor Anything, these questions are answered:
Can you set up a retirement fund for a child and if so how?
Can you pull money out of a SEP and invest in real estate?
Why don’t financial planners speak of gold or silver as an investment for a balanced portfolio?
What is a good retirement or savings investment opt...2022-06-0925 min
Kitchen Table FinanceAsk A Financial Advisor Anything - Part OneDava and Nick asked people in their network to throw their burning questions about money and finances at them. There were so many great questions and answers, we broke it into two podcast episodes.
In Part One of Ask A Financial Advisor Anything, these questions are answered:
What is the bare minimum I should be putting into savings from each paycheck?
What is the best way to improve your credit score?
Do you think the market will crash soon?
Which is better, an IRA or 401K, for a new person...2022-06-0826 min
Kitchen Table FinanceTik Tok Money ChallengeJoin Dave and Nick as they explore the world of Tik Tok and the recent money challenges that have been going around the popular social media platform. The Wall Street Journal published an article on May 26, 2022 titled, How Hoarding Cash Became a TikTok Meme, and it is now all the rage.
David admits he’s never logged into Tik Tok and doesn’t really plan to. Nick reveals he only watches Tik Tok videos his daughter sends him. However, the new money challenge – where people challenge each other to save money in different ways – is a positive way to u...2022-06-0214 min
Kitchen Table FinanceBook Review: The New Retirementality by Mitch AnthonyJoin Dave and Nick as they review another helpful book about financial planning. The New Retirementality by Mitch Anthony.
You can save yourself the time of reading the book by listening to this episode instead – or it may spark your interest enough to pick up your own copy.
Main Theme: Americans need to re-think retirement, focusing on creating a rewarding, phased-in retirement on their own terms rather than one dictated by outdated workplace norms and government-created age milestones.
Audience: Middle–class Americans who are unsure about the psychological meaning of retirement and who want...2022-05-2619 min
Kitchen Table FinanceWhat is an I Bond?An I Bond is a savings bond issued by the US Treasury much like EE Savings bonds, but the interest paid by an I Bond is linked to current inflation. They grabbed headlines at the beginning of May when it was announced that the rate on new I Bonds would be a whopping 9.62%. That is an astoundingly high return for a vehicle backed by the government with no principle risk. However, that rate is a bit misleading: The 9.62% is an annualized rate, while the rate advertised is only effective for the next six months. I Bond rates reset every...2022-05-2319 min
Kitchen Table FinanceGuest Ian Richardson - Reviewing CybersecurityJoin us as we talk with guest Ian Richardson, who is a partner at Richardson and Richardson Consulting and the CEO of Doberman Technologies. We talk about emerging technologies and things to be aware of with worldwide information. Ian has been on our show before talking about cybersecurity. Ian is our first repeat guest and we were excited to talk to him.
In this episode we cover things like:
What is going on in Russia and Ukraine and how can it affect cyber security in the US?
Organized crime hackers who are trying to get your...2022-05-0242 min
Kitchen Table FinanceReviewing the 1st Quarter of 2022It’s hard to believe we are already a quarter of the way through 2022 and what a quarter it has been.
Last week our friends at East Bay Investment Solutions published their investment commentary for the first quarter of 2022. They note that the global economy is being impacted by several items including the continuation of Covid – 19, geopolitical fallout from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the Federal Reserve tightening monetary policy to stave off inflation. These issues have made for tough markets, but volatility is normal and should be expected.
Taking a balanced approach, there are...2022-04-2727 min
Kitchen Table FinanceWhat is a Fee-Only Financial Planner?We don’t love the term either, because it is hard to figure out what it means. But we do stand by being fee-only advisors.
Simply put, our clients pay us a fee for financial planning and investment advice. We do not make any commission from the investments that our clients make.
Here is a bit of a longer explanation from our website:
As fee-only financial planners, we always operate as fiduciaries. This means that we are legally obligated to provide advice that is in your best interest. That is, we don’t prof...2022-04-2521 min
Kitchen Table FinanceThe Psychology of Money RecapHave you read The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel?
Join Nick and Dave as they recap a book they both have read and resonated with both of them. The book covers a lot of practical advice when it comes to managing your personal finances. So, it is easy to see why the Kitchen Table Finance Podcast likes it.
Listen as the guys cover some key points of the book and discuss their own philosophies about money management. You can get a copy of the book here.
If you have read this book...2022-04-1830 min
Kitchen Table FinanceReviewing Your 2021 Tax ReturnsJoin Dave and Nick as they review the important things you should consider when reviewing your 2021 Tax Returns. They conveniently break the information down for those who are working and those who are retired. So, this information applies to everyone with a tax return.
As a tip, it might be helpful to have your tax return in front of you as you listen to this episode.
The following charts will help you follow along. While Shotwell Rutter Baer financial planners are not accountants and tax professionals, they can help with questions regarding investing and financial...2022-04-1031 min
Kitchen Table FinanceStarting A New Job - Rolling Over a 401KAre you starting a new job? Do you have a 401K to roll over? This is the podcast episode for you.
About Shotwell Rutter Baer
Shotwell Rutter Baer is proud to be an independent, fee-only registered investment advisory firm. This means that we are only compensated by our clients for our knowledge and guidance — not from commissions by selling financial products. Our only motivation is to help you achieve financial freedom and peace of mind. By structuring our business this way we believe that many of the conflicts of in...2022-03-2420 min
Kitchen Table FinanceInvestment Philosophy and East Bay IntroductionDave and Nick talk about Shotwell Rutter Baer’s investment philosophy. They also introduce their new partnership with East Bay Investment Solutions.
East Bay is an investment consulting firm providing services such as portfolio oversight, investment due diligence, and wealth management guidance tailored to meet the needs of Shotwell Rutter Baer clients. In addition, East Bay provides model portfolios that subscribe to the investment philosophy shared by Shotwell Rutter Baer that the market is reasonably efficient, that low-cost, time-tested, and liquid investments in a diversified portfolio yield financial success over time.
Link to SRB Investment Ph...2022-02-1425 min
Kitchen Table FinanceWhat is the marketing doing right now?Join Dave and Nick as they talk about what the market did overall for 2021, what is going on right now, and what is predicted for 2022.
The world is becoming more vaccinated; even with the omicron variant, the rate of death is down
Equity markets were generally pretty strong during 2021
The 3-year return for the S&P 500 is an astounding 26.1%
Unemployment fell to 3.9% as of 12/31/21
Peak stimulus (both monetary and fiscal) appears to be behind us, a possible drag on growth
The Fed is ramping up the speed of tapering in preparation for raising rates in 2022
Higher rates may be needed to ...2022-01-2719 min
Kitchen Table FinanceFinancial Goals for 2022 - Things to Consider NOWHave you set your financial goals for 2022?
Dave and Nick go over many things that you should be thinking about this month to set yourself up for a great financial year in 2022. Even if you do have goals, you might find some gems in this episode that you didn’t think of. Saving money, investment strategies, tax considerations, and more.
Please share this episode with someone you know who could benefit from this advice! They will thank you.
Look at 2021 Goals
How much did you accomplish last year? Give yourself a pa...2022-01-1830 min
Kitchen Table Finance2022 Financial PredictionsHappy New Year! Season Two is starting!
Join us, Dave and Nick, as we talk about our 2022 Financial Predictions, and other market predictions to try and make sense of it all.
What is going to happen this year in the finance world? Should you be optimistic? Should you be concerned?
Since we are in this industry, our inboxes get bombarded with predictions from other financial and market experts as well. Some are optimistic and some are more pessimistic. If we took the average of them all they would just cancel each other out...2022-01-1022 min
Kitchen Table FinanceKey Elements of Financial PlanningJoin Dave and Nick as they recap the SRB financial planning process and list out the key elements they look at with each client as they walk them through their personalized financial planning goals.
Some of the nitty-gritty decision-making things that make a successful financial plan and lifelong terms to create the life that you want.
Retirement – Existing savings like 401k, Roth IRA, etc. What are the contributions, and are the savings adequate to meet your needs?
Tax Planning – This often feeds into current retirement planning regarding pre or post-tax contributions.
Inve...2021-12-1536 min
Kitchen Table FinanceUpgrading Your iPhone Really Costs $17KA recent article in the New York Times, The True Cost of Upgrading Your iPhone, discusses the opportunity cost of spending money on things versus investing that money.
Join Nick and Dave as they discuss this way of looking at spending and purchases. They both reveal some of their own personal spending habits that fall into this category.
Dave’s Sports Streaming
Dave has a monthly TV streaming service to watch a couple of sporting events a week. It costs him $60/month = $720 for the year. Using the same assumption as the iPhone scenario, if h...2021-12-0918 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEconomic Update November 2021It’s that time again – let’s take a look at where our economy is at the end of the year and what we can expect for next quarter.
The stock market is up 24.8% (S&P) from last year. A bull market climbs a wall of worry and there are many things in the media to make us worry – but the market keeps chugging along.
Interest rates are also really low, so there has been a boom in home buying and refinancing. Technology has advanced faster due to the Covid shutdown. Some experts are saying we are a...2021-11-2133 min
Kitchen Table FinanceWhat Issues Should I Consider Before the End of the Year?The end of the year is 6 weeks away. When it comes to your financials, there are some important things to consider this time of year.
Take stock now and be sure you don’t miss any important deadlines. Listen to the entire episode for tips and instructions on what you should be doing to set yourself up for 2022 and beyond.
RMD Calculator
Need Help?
The financial advisors at Shotwell Rutter Baer work with many clients to maximize their retirement plan benefits and abilities. If you would like to...2021-11-1823 min
Kitchen Table FinanceStep Seven - BuildThis is the truly exciting step in your financial plan – You start to build your processes and portfolio to support your dreams and overcome your obstacles. This is when the action starts to happen.
Join Dave and Nick as they discuss Step Six of the Strategic Reliable Blueprint for your financial success. The build – the action – to make it all happen.
If you are just joining us for the first time, or haven’t listened to the previous episodes in this series on our entire Strategic Reliable Blueprint process, please go back and listen to those ep...2021-11-0818 min
Kitchen Table FinanceStep Six - StrategyJoin Dave and Nick as they explain the Strategy step of the Strategic Reliable Blueprint process for your financial success
This is the step where we actually start to build solutions and recommendations for the client.
This isn’t us making recommendations from on high, this is really about a give and take with the client and working through the obstacles that they identified.
If you are just joining us for the first time, or haven’t listened to the previous episodes in this series on our entire Strategic Reliable Blueprint process, please go b...2021-11-0820 min
Kitchen Table FinanceStep Five - OrganizationAmy Gauden joins Nick and Dave to review the Organization step in our Stratetic Reliable Blueprint process.
Watch on YouTube HERE
If you are just joining us now, please go back and listen to the first 4 steps so you are all caught up.
Our FIT Meeting Process
Step Two – The Foundation Meeting
Step Three – Vision
Step Four – Discovering Obstacles
Amy has been working in the financial field for over 21 years. She has vast experience and recently took on a new role in para-planning. She aids in dat...2021-10-2724 min
Kitchen Table FinanceStep Four - ObstaclesJoin Nick and Dave as they continue their podcast series on each step of the Strategic Reliable Blueprint.
If you are just joining us now, please go back and listen to the first 3 steps so you are all caught up.
Our FIT Meeting Process
Step Two – The Foundation Meeting
Step Three – Vision
Discovering Obstacles
This step is usually where most people want to start. But, if you just focus on the problems it is hard to get motivated to make the changes that will help you reach your...2021-10-2224 min
Kitchen Table FinanceESG Investing + WebinarWe are very excited about this quarter’s client webinar: ESG Investing 101 featuring Professor Apollo D. Lupescu from Dimensional Fund Advisors. Dr. Lupescu explains how to design and implement portfolios that take into account environmental, social, and corporate governance factors. He is a great speaker and you will really enjoy what he has to say.
What is ESG Investing?
This is an approach to investing that focuses on companies that are socially and environmentally responsible.
Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance is an evaluation of a firm’s collective conscientiousness for social and environmental facto...2021-10-1421 min
Kitchen Table FinanceStep Three - VisionVISION is the third step in our Strategic Reliable Blueprint process we walk every one of our clients through.
If you’d prefer to watch the video, check it out here.
If you missed our previous episodes on Step 1- The FIT meeting or Step 2 – Foundation, please review them first.
In this step of the process, we really dig deep into the goals and dreams that our clients have.
What are the things they want to do in their life?
What do they want to leave behind?
What do they want their reti...2021-10-0618 min
Kitchen Table FinanceStep Two - The Foundation MeetingThe Foundations meeting is the second step in our Strategic Reliable Blueprint process we walk all of our clients through.
If you missed our previous episode on step 1- The FIT meeting, please review that first.
If you’d rather watch this episode, you can find the video here.
This is Nick’s favorite phase of the process and he refers to it as a jigsaw puzzle. The most important part of a puzzle is the picture on the box. For a financial plan, the most important piece is what is important to you...2021-09-3018 min
Kitchen Table FinanceOur FIT Meeting ProcessJoin Dave and Nick as they discuss the first step in the Shotwell Rutter Baer Stratetic Reliable Blueprint process.
If you prefer to watch this episode click here for the video.
We walk every client through our process and it starts with a FIT meeting. This is to see if we are a good fit for each other. You must be very comfortable with your financial advisor as you are trusting us with personal information, your goals, and your dreams for the future.
As fiduciaries, we want to make sure we can deliver...2021-09-3020 min
Kitchen Table FinanceHow Financial Planners Handle Their Own FinancesIn a rare look under the hood, Nick interviews Dave on how he manages his own finances and investing. Listen to the entire episode for all the nitty-gritty on how certified financial planners use all that knowledge about money in their own lives.
If you prefer to watch this episode click here for the video.
Here are the highlights:
Dave’s secret to success is, “Make a conscious effort to live within your means.”
Dave’s overall philosophy is Flexibility. Realizing you aren’t going to get everything perfect and just doing the...2021-09-0335 min
Kitchen Table FinanceHelping Your College Student BudgetEach summer we look forward to working with new interns through our teaching program. Today we interview Ashley, a senior at Michigan State University in the Wealth Management Program.
Nick goes on the record saying she our favorite female internet of all time!
We have a lot of clients that have children and grandchildren heading off to college. It is often hard to wrap your head around all the expenses associated with college life.
Not just the hard costs of tuition and room and board, but all the required expenses of living away...2021-09-0319 min
Kitchen Table FinanceTraveling Post Pandemic with Kim BarberJoin Dave and Nick as they chat with Kim Barber, owner of Globetrotter Travel, about traveling during a Pandemic.
What does travel look like now? What to prepare for. Learn from a world traveler.
https://youtu.be/JBpjX-qQ9EU
Today’s Guest: Kim Barber, world traveler, and owner of Globetrotter Travel.
Kim is a travel enthusiast, recovering over-packer, and owner of Globetrotter Travel. She’s always loved exploring new destinations, but was a bit HARD by the travel bug after her first international trip to Europe and has bee...2021-07-3126 min
Kitchen Table FinanceShould I sell my house?Join Nick and Dave as they interview John Douglas, a realtor and head 0f The Mitten Team at Keller Williams.
They discuss the big questions surrounding real estate today and selling a house in the Lansing area. There can be a lot of emotions wrapped up in the decisions surrounding buying and selling a home. Experienced realtors can help homeowners navigate the entire process.
“Should I sell my house?”
“How do I sell my house?”
John says, “There couldn’t be a crazier time in real estate right now!”
The market is h...2021-07-2644 min
Kitchen Table FinanceUnderstanding Stock Market InformationStock market data is everywhere we turn these days. The evening news will tell us whether the market was up, or the market was down. Most major news websites portray the market with a series of numbers in green for good days and red for bad days. But what are these numbers really measure? And what does it all mean for the average investor?
Common Measures of Stock Market Performance
There are a few common measures of market performance, and each one is unique in what it measures and how to apply it to your...2021-06-1718 min
Kitchen Table FinanceIs Bitcoin an Investment?Cryptocurrency, and Bitcoin, in particular, have been a hot topic of conversation in the world of finance. Since we get a lot of questions on the topic, we thought we should address them in this week’s podcast.
It’s important to understand what a cryptocurrency is – and is not – before you consider buying one. As this handout from Vanguard explains, a cryptocurrency is a digital means to facilitate peer-to-peer transactions. They are based on blockchain technology, which is a complex, multi-computer network.
Are cryptocurrencies truly a currency?
Not really, or at least not yet...2021-05-1418 min
Kitchen Table FinanceHow to Financially Help Adult ChildrenMy adult child needs financial help. Can I afford it? Should I help?
We get questions about how to financially help adult children all the time from our clients. This is a true kitchen table conversation about real life and real decisions.
Oftentimes parents feel they do not have a choice and should help their adult child financially. But it is important to understand how that will impact your own financial stability and retirement.
Would You Do It?
David and Nick tackle some common scenarios and offer their opinions on whether...2021-04-1230 min
Kitchen Table FinanceEstate Planning Basics with Molly PetitjeanOn this week’s edition of the Kitchen Table Podcast, Nick and I interviewed Molly Petitjean, an estate planning attorney with the law office of Buhl, Little, Lynwood, and Harris, PLC in East Lansing, Michigan.
On April 21, Molly will be presenting a webinar with us on estate planning basics.
Today’s conversation is a preview of that presentation. Estate planning is a complex topic that is often fraught with emotion and topics we don’t like to think about. However, Molly puts these things in terms that we can understand and act upon.
Listen...2021-03-3140 min
Kitchen Table FinanceInvesting in New IndustriesHow do you make educated guesses on investing in new industries and which ones are going to pay off?
In the early fall of 2019, I got an email from a client asking whether Beyond Meat, a young company in the new “meat alternative industry,” was a good investment opportunity for her. The stock was all over the news. The company just inked a deal with McDonald’s’ to feature their product in some new menu items. Beyond Meat stock, at the time of the article she forwarded to me, was up 11% on the news. Since then, the stock has...2021-02-2323 min
Kitchen Table FinanceChanging for Good Book ClubFor our book club, Amy, Jeff, Nick, and I have been reading Changing for Good by James Proshaska, John Norcross, and Carlo DiClemente. This book was first brought to my attention by one of my instructors at Kansas State, Dr. Megan Lurtz, who wrote an article about how to apply the book’s teachings to the financial planning process.
Our team found the book extremely useful. Not just for financial planning but because it provides a great framework for how to change habits and make progress in life.
Whether you are trying to change financial ha...2021-02-2328 min
Kitchen Table FinanceWhat to do with Stimulus MoneyLately, we’ve had a few discussions with clients centered around their stimulus money and what they should do with it. While most people expect a pretty cut and dry answer from financial planners, these conversations have led to some interesting philosophical discussions around why the stimulus checks were necessary, whether they were deserved or needed, and different ways the funds can be used for their intended purpose.
Why do we get stimulus money?
The government had two main goals in issuing direct stimulus checks. First, many families are truly struggling right now as the Co...2021-02-0122 min
Kitchen Table FinancePrediction Season!It’s that time of year: Prediction Season!
Along with new year’s resolutions, it’s time for economists and money managers to make market predictions.
Some will be gloom and doom, constructing elaborate arguments about how the market is greatly overvalued and about to crash. Others will be optimistic, explaining why there’s still opportunity in the markets and room for stocks to move higher. Some are merely trying to justify what they did or did not do last year or sell you on the strategy they plan to employ for the coming year. All of t...2020-12-2321 min
Kitchen Table FinanceLearning About Financial Planning with our Intern JoelHere at Shotwell Rutter Baer, we have a genuine bright spot to brag about in 2020. We launched a Financial Planning internship program this year and were lucky enough to hire Joel. He is currently a senior in Michigan State’s International Business program. Last week, Nick and I sat down and interviewed Joel for our podcast. We talked about the whole experience and what he learned about the world of personal financial planning.
Of course, this year it couldn’t be a “normal” internship. Joel was not able to come to the office all summer and shadow us as we...2020-12-0420 min