We unpack why most portfolios don’t need frequent changes and how a clear purpose, time horizon, and risk preference do the heavy lifting. We trade “performance reviews” for plan reviews, walk through rebalancing and tax tactics, and explain how to ignore scary headlines and shiny objects.

• setting allocation by purpose, time horizon, and risk
• why daily market moves rarely justify changes
• when not to act at all-time highs or during drops
• the trap of performance chasing and survivorship bias
• practical rebalancing cadence and thresholds
• rebalancing with contributions and withdrawals
• tax loss harvesting limits and wash sale rules
• direct indexing complexity and future tax overhang
• donating appreciated stock to boost tax efficiency
• plan reviews over portfolio performance check-ins

Clicking “same as last year” might be the most expensive choice you make all fall. We break down open enrollment with a practical, no-fluff framework: protect against the big risks, pay cash for the small ones, and route every eligible dollar through the most tax-efficient account. From health insurance trade-offs to the truth about dental and vision, you’ll get clear guidance you can act on today.

We discuss:

• what open enrollment includes across employer plans, Medicare and ACA
• how to compare health plans using usage, networks and drug coverage
• when HDHPs plus HSAs beat rich PPOs on total cost
• why out-of-pocket maximums change worst-case math
• dental and vision as prepaid maintenance, not true insurance
• group life as a baseline, private term for portability and price
• disability insurance trade-offs, taxation and own-occupation definitions
• which add-ons to skip and when FSAs are a clear win
• coordinating benefits and costs across two employers
• quick notes on Medicare Advantage and Part D review

While it may seem obvious, having kids drastically changes your financial plan. This episode will cover some of the obvious and less obvious changes and give you practical ways to think about making the tradeoffs you will have to make. Topics covered include:

• Budgeting for kids before having them
• The Kindergarten myth
• If childcare eats one salary, should someone step back?
• Putting your own oxygen mask on first (balancing retirement vs education savings)
• The most important estate planning decisions you need to make sooner rather than later
• How the tax code typically helps parents out
• And much more!