Money Making Sense

Having Financial Independence so you can Retire Early (FIRE) is achievable, if you know the right formula.  Aaron Clark, owner of The Accounting Nerd, LLC says the first thing you need to do is change your mindset.  Then invest in relatively safe, Index Funds.

Susan Speirs, the CEO of Utah Association of CPAs, says money is a very psychological and behavorial aspect to our being.  So there must be discipline in order to live a FIRE lifestyle. And do you know the difference between 'Coast FIRE and Barista FIRE?'

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The CDC says domestic violence is the number 1 public health issue in America.  Research confirms 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men are victims of abuse in their relationships.  Kim Scouller, author of How Money Works for Women, says one of the first things an abusive partner does is take control of the finances so their spouse feels like they can't leave. Start by stashing away cash -- even very small amounts will help.

National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233
Domestic Shelters -- find a shelter near you

Kim says communication is key and both partners need to step up and take responsibility for the finances in the relationship.  It can be equally dividing up who pays which bills or have a joint account where only a part of each person's income goes into the same account and pay everything from there.

You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

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 Chronic inflammation from diabetes, obesitity and other long term illnesses play a bigger role in heart disease than we realize.  Dr. Andrew Freeman, the Director of Cardiovascular Prevention and Wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver, says changing your lifestyle is much more cost effective than surviving a heart attack or dying from one. 

Dr. Freeman says a plant based diet, brisk exercise everyday, reducing stress, at least 7-hours of sleep each night and have a good support system around you.  ALL five of these tips -- along with not smoking are the best way to reduce your risk of a heart attack.  Go to CVDInflammation.com for more information. 

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Having tough conversations about how your aging family members are doing with bill paying or spending before things get out of hand is much easier than having a talk after their money is gone.  That's according to Nico Pesci, founder and CEO of Momemtum Wealth.  He says having a fiduciary advisor is an important ally in safe guarding your parents money because they have a LEGAL obligation to work for their clients best interests.

He also discusses how more family members try to take financial advantage of aging loved ones than do parents making bad decisions because of memory loss.  

You can follow this show on Instagram and Facebook.  And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

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Now that we know who our next President will be, a lower inflation rate is not a guarantee.  That's according to Senior Economist Robert Spendlove with Zions Bank.  He says ecoomic theory dictates increasing tariffs -- which President-elect Donald Trump plans to do -- means higher inflation.  He does say one of the biggest issues for next year's Congress will be taxation.

Susan Speirs, the CEO of Utah Association of CPAs, says the hope Trump has is that manufacturers will return the United States if tariffs are imposed, but right now they appear to be leaving China and going to Vietnam.

You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

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If you truly want to support veterans, buy from their business or use their services.  That's from Aikta Marcoulier, Regional Administrator for the Small Business Administration, who says veteran owned companies employee 5-Million people across the U.S.  She says show your support using small, veteran owned business along with displaying  a flag.

Veterans who are transitioning out of the military have lots of resources to help them, or family members, start a business in every state of the Union.  SBA.gov/vetbiz is a great place to start.  Here are other websites for vets or their families go from "boots to business."
Utah Veteran Business Resource Center
Veterans Business Outreach Center

You can follow this show on Instagram and Facebook.  And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

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Politicians on both sides of the aisle are raising campaign funds faster than ever before.  Boyd Matheson, political consultant, says Super Pacs are a big part of that revenue stream.  He says the pacs are where almost all the negative ads come from.

Boyd says people need to be humble about what they think they know and look outside their normal sources of information in order to find out if what they are being fed is true or not.  The first borometer is -- if it sounds 'out there' it's probably not correct.  Please remember to "Disagree Better."

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Retirement is all about your cash flow.  Jason Parker of Parker Financial and Sound Retirement Radio, has a formula to make sure you've saved enough for 'the golden years.'  But, he says money isn't the most important item to have in order to gain wealth.

Hint:  It's all about your relationships.

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Ticket Master/Live Nation makes $130 BILLION a year on fees selling tickets.  The Ticket Act would remove Junk fees from live event ticket purchases.  That's from Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League, who also says there would be 'no more jumping through hoops on websites to see the actual price of a ticket and fake ticketing websites would go away.'

The Bill already passed the U.S. House of Representatives 388 to 24.  Now it goes to the Senate for a vote.  Please contact the Senators in your state to let them know how you want them to vote.

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*After this episode was recorded, the Utah Education Association sued the state of Utah over the wording of Amendment A,*
A bill to remove the state sales tax from grocery store food has been approved.  But it won't go into effect unless Amendment A passes in this year's election.

The brief from Gardner Institute states Amendment A would allow legislators to re-allocate where monies collected from your Income Tax would go.  Phil Dean, the Senior Economist at the Kem C. Gardner Institute says lawmakers want to shift some of the income tax away from education to the general state fund.  Susan Speirs, the CEO of Utah Association of CPAs says some educators are worried their peice of the tax pie will get smaller.

Phil Dean says he believes the amount of money spent per pupil will actually increase under the proposed Amendment and Companion Bill.  Also, find out what happens if the initiative doesn't pass.

You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

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Too often women are made the caregivers of not only their children, but also their elderly parents.  Lisa Peel, head of financial planning with Edward Jones, says this can greatly affect the amount of time they spend in the workforce, thus limiting their income.

Lisa says it is important to work closely with a financial planner to maximize the amount of income available both currently and for the future. She says it is extremely important to interview 2 or 3 advisors minimum, to find the right fit.

You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

Be sure to email Heather your questions and request topics you'd like her to cover here.

Does the person you voted for have a financial background?  It is critical to understand how  local treasurers and auditors keep tabs on your taxes -- and who wants the job.  Catherine Voutaz is running for Utah State Auditor and Sheila Srivastava for the Salt Lake County Treasurer positions.  Find out why Sheila says every tax dollar is hard earned.

They explain why its important to have people in those offices who have financial backgrounds and what their roles are to assist the more well-known positions of governors, mayors and city councils.  Susan Speirs, the CEO of Utah Association of CPAs, also joins the conversation to help explain why voters need to do their research on ALL the people listed on your ballot. 

You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

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Producer George David discusses how you can make money in the music industry without being a star.  Licensing songs for tv commercials and movie soundtracks, producing others, building music studios and many other way will earn you six figures each year.  Building a music studio is what led George to collaborating with the music group Train.

George says singers must now get a local following first, along with a big social media presence before record labels will sign them.  HACK:  everyone needs to learn computer programing and A.I. systems like Python to earn money.

You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

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HVAC systems must be able to make your home comfortable and be affordable at the same time.  If you want more efficient systems, you need to get a higher number SEER and HSPF rating.  It will cost a little more money up front, but save you in monthly utility bills.  
Dennis Stinson, VP of Sales for Fujitsu General America.

If you can't afford a new A/C or heat system, try putting in more insulation in your attic, getting newer energy efficient windows, and sealing up gaps around windows and doors.  Make sure the airflow to your A/C and furnace are not blocked.

You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

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Food Security expert, Kimberley Gillan, says buy nutrient dense, low cost foods such as parsley, peas, and skim milk powder in order to save money and be healthy.  Gillan details what to buy every week for a 5-week cycle and how much it will cost in her book "How Low Can You Go" to help lower your grocery bills by 60%.   
HACK:  canned fish like sardines and beans & lentils are a start.

She also discusses several causes as to why food prices continue to increase and what we can do as individuals and as a society to get prepared for even higher prices and food shortages in the future.

You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. To see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

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If the experts believe the economy is in great shape, why does the average American feel like we're in a recession?  That is what Nico Pesci, the founder and CEO of Momemtum Wealth, says is a 'vibecession.'  When everyday people have the vibe things are going badly, while Wall Street is living high off the hog -- it's time to make a money plan for the stage of life you are in. 

Nico says recessions are part of economic cycles.  Things will improve.  You just need to wait, if can, to cash out your retirement funds.  Don't panic, learn to take a deep breath and understand what is really happening in the stock market.

You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

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Higher education doesn't have to mean ONLY a 4-year expensive college.  Troy Runnels, the CFO of My529, says you can put money into a plan which will pay for a trade school educaton, internet usage, housing, internships school supplies and much more.  

Susan Speirs, the CEO of Utah Association of CPAs, says the funds you put into a MY529 plan qualify for a Credit on your taxes; and you can roll over any unused funds into a Roth IRA.  Also, there are many opportunities available to help pay for your child's education.

You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

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Typically, going into business for yourself reduces your tax-burden.  That's from Liz Steblay the author of "Succeeding as a Solopreneur" who says you will probably need to pull in about  $110k as your own boss to break even on taxes from working for someone else.

Liz is also the CEO of PICA (Professional Independent Contractors of America). She says empowerment is a great benefit to going out on your own.  But it will also be the hardest you ever do in your life as Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (the FUD monster) can take you down at any time.  HACK -- be confident and charge what you are worth.

You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

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Not having a financial strategy can stress you out even more than without a plan.  James Alexander, CFP with Edge Financial Advisors, says imagine driving somewhere unknown without a GPS or a road map or knowing anything about your car.  When you draw a map for your money, you will feel much safer financially.  What stage of your life should you hire a financial advisor?

James says taking control, even in small ways, of what you do with your money takes weight of your mind and is emotionally uplifting.  You can hear more of his philosophy on Ed's Edge Podcast, where he is a co-host.  

You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

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You could be limiting your ability for interviews by the language used on your resume.  
Cassie Whitlock, the Chief People Officer at Diversify, says companies are shifting toward skill based hiring vs pedigree educations.  Both employers and employees need to be aware of their brand, and what are you trying to accomplish in your job search / job description.

Susan Speirs, the CEO of Utah Association of CPAs, says it's important to understand what DEI really means:
Diversity = skills & background, gender identity, age, race, culture, etc.
Equity = everyone has the tools they need to complete the same job, no matter the impediments (too short, too tall, scocio-economic, etc).
Inclusion = you are part of the team, your input matters.

You can use free websites to run job description postings and resumes through in order to edit out some potientionally off-putting language.

After several years of not having to pay student loans - or no interest added to them - everyone is back to paying their full payments.  Brian Walsh, the head of advice and planning with SoFi, says a SAVE student loan program may be the way forward.  But there have been changes.

1. Currently, if you missed a student loan payment during the first year, it wouldn't be reported to a credit bureau.  That is now going away.
2.  The percentage of your discretionary income used to calculate your monthly payments is changing -- but currently is facing a court fight.

 You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

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How do you know if something "sounds too good to be real?"  That's the question Nico Pesci, the founder and CEO of Momemtum Wealth, details in this episode.  He says seniors are targeted in all sorts of scams because they typically have more money to lose than younger generations. 

Nico also explains what signs you should look for if your loved ones are getting scammed. And who is doing the scamming?   HACK:  Do your homework on what the average 'return on investment' is  and verify investment people through FINRA or Broker Check.

You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

Be sure to email Heather your questions and request topics you'd like her to cover here.

Over half of all Americans say they don't have enough money to either retire, or survive, in retirement.  Indira Venkat, Senior Vice-President at with AARP says "its never too early and never too late to start saving."  She says 57-Million workers don't have any type of retirement programs through their place of employment.

You can find help at:  aarp.org/tools  or  thisispretirement.org

You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

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The war zones may be far away from the United States but many accountants are in the center of action.  Valerie Bushell, corporate controller for BlueWind Medical, and Susan Speirs the CEO of Utah Association of CPAs say accountants may be deployed as part of the Armed Forces or work for companies who are based in war-torn countries.

They also discuss how they help refugees who come to the U.S. for political asylum or to escape the ravages of war.  

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If you are an entrepreneur, you need to have this skill. Chris Harding, Salt Lake County Auditor, and Susan Speirs, the CEO of UACPA, discuss accounting and the changing world of the tax field.  It's not just for old, white men without a sense of humor anymore.

What role does A.I. hold in the world of accounting? And -- have you ever thought of Money Camp for your high school kids?  Get more info from Susan Speirs HERE.

You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal X (Twitter) page.

Be sure to email Heather your questions and request topics you'd like her to cover here.