In this episode of Real Money, Real Experts, co-hosts Rachael DeLeon and Dr. Brandy Baxter are joined by Whitney Ramirez, founder of Diapers to Deposits and Financial Field Trips, to discuss innovative approaches to financial education that move beyond traditional instruction.

Whitney shares how her experiential learning model—“financial field trips”—helps learners apply financial concepts in real-world settings, from visiting banks and apartment complexes to exploring car dealerships. By meeting individuals where they are and building on their existing knowledge, her approach fosters deeper understanding, confidence, and long-term behavior change.

We explore key concepts including the financial literacy vortex, the importance of application-based learning, and how educators, counselors, and financial professionals can better engage both youth and adult learners.

This conversation offers practical insights for anyone looking to make financial education more impactful, relevant, and sustainable.

Show Notes:

03:19 The Story Behind the LED Backpack & Standing Out

04:20 How Financial Field Trips Began

05:28 The FAST Framework Explained

07:01 Applying Financial Education in Real Life

11:13 How Behavior Change Happens

13:24 Why Financial Field Trips Work

15:25 Applying These Strategies with Adult Clients

18:03 Teaching Through Storytelling: The “Loan Shark” Lesson

20:23 Planting Seeds Early in Financial Education

21:08 Whitney’s 2 Cents

Show Note Links:

Learn more about D2D Youth Money Hub!

Connect with Whitney!

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Hosts Dr. Brandy Baxter and Rachael DeLeon welcome longtime AFCPE member Dr. Barbara O’Neill to discuss changes in financial planning over 40 years, including increased automation and the uncertain readiness of AI, alongside AFCPE’s growing membership diversity.

O’Neill defines tax-smart charitable giving as aligning donations with income-tax benefits and highlights additional psychological benefits of philanthropy.

She shares strategies including qualified charitable distributions from traditional IRAs, bunching deductions to exceed the standard deduction, donor-advised funds, and new 2026 charitable deductions for non-itemizers, while noting shifting tax rules for itemizers.

The conversation also covers older adults’ needs—lower risk, lower taxes, simplicity, reliable income, and “fun money”—popular later-life class topics, solopreneur advice, and the importance of making financial education simple and actionable.

Show Notes:

00:00 Meet our guest, Barbara O'Neill

02:16 How Finance Has Changed

03:08 AI and the Human Touch

05:48 Tax Smart Giving Basics

14:41 Keeping Up With Tax Law

15:37 Giving Tips for Young Adults

17:57 Older Adults Money Needs

27:10 Late Life Entrepreneurship

33:01 Barbara's Two Cents

Show Note Links:

Check out MoneyTalk!

Connect with MoneyTalk on Twitter!

Explore the MoneyTalk blog!

Grab your copy of Barbara's book!

Want to get involved with AFCPE®?
Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today!

Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.

In this episode of Real Money, Real Experts, Dr. Brandy Baxter sits down with financial counselors Alicia Lawrence and Jayne Larson to explore why real financial change goes beyond the numbers.

They discuss the power of motivational interviewing, empathy, and curiosity in helping clients uncover the “why” behind their money habits. From overcoming the fear of opening bills to negotiating more than 20 credit card accounts, this conversation highlights how mindset shifts—not just budgets—drive lasting progress.

For financial professionals ready to focus less on spreadsheets and more on behavior, this episode offers practical insight into creating meaningful, sustainable change.

Show Notes:

02:00 – Meet the guests: Alicia Lawrence & Jayne Larson

03:00 – Shifting from “what to do” to understanding the why behind money behaviors

05:00 – Motivational interviewing and the stages of change

08:00 – Emotional triggers, stress spending, and building client trust

09:30 – Measuring progress beyond the numbers (confidence, opening mail, mindset shifts)

11:00 – Client story: From avoiding bills to negotiating 20+ credit cards

14:00 – What sparked the mindset shift?

15:20 – Advice for financial professionals: leading with curiosity and empathy

19:00 – Reflection questions that spark behavior change

20:50 – Two Cents segment: Discomfort, flexibility, and sustainable planning

22:30 – How to connect + episode wrap-up

Show Note Links:

Learn more here!

Learn more about the wages & inflation here!

Learn more about the US Inflation Rates!

Learn more about Jayne & Alicia's work here!

Check out this resource!

Connect with Alicia!

Connect with Your Money Line on Instagram!

Connect with Your Money Line on Linkedin!

Want to get involved with AFCPE®?
Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today!

Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.

In this episode of Real Money, Real Experts, we welcome back fan favorite Ryan Law, award-winning educator, author, and financial counselor, to share something a little different: his groundbreaking ReWired Framework.

Ryan walks us through his seven-step process for identifying and transforming limiting beliefs—the inner work that often determines whether we achieve lasting success. From recognizing the beliefs that hold us back to experimenting with small, actionable steps, Ryan shows how rewiring our mindset can create real, sustainable change—not just in finances, but in all areas of life.

Whether you’re a financial professional helping clients reach their goals or someone striving to make positive changes in your own life, this episode provides practical insights and strategies to start rewiring your brain for success.

Show Notes:

02:09 Introduction to the ReWired Framework

04:59 Why knowledge and motivation alone aren’t enough for lasting chang

08:20 How beliefs drive behavior and why focusing on inner work is key

10:51 Step-by-step breakdown of the ReWired Framework (R–E–W–I–R–E–D)

18:25 The power of small, consistent steps to reinforce new beliefs

21:09 Documenting and reflecting for sustainable growth

24:03 How rewiring your brain applies to clients and your own life

25:26 Ryan’s 2 Cents

Show Note Links:

Connect with Ryan on Linkedin!

Learn more about Sarah Newcomb!

Check out Erika Wasserman!

Learn more about Money Habitudes!

Check out Klontz Money Script Inventory (KMSI)!

Read Atomic Habits!

Read Tiny Habits!

Want to get involved with AFCPE®?
Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today!

Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.

Money conversations are emotional for any family—but in blended families, they often come with added layers of loss, loyalty, and complexity.

In this episode of Real Money, Real Experts, Dr. Brandy Baxter and Rachael DeLeon are joined by Mikel Van Cleve, CFP®, PhD candidate at Texas Tech University and U.S. Coast Guard veteran, to unpack the unique financial and emotional dynamics of blended families.

Drawing from both research and lived experience—what Michael calls “me-search”—the conversation explores why traditional financial advice doesn’t always work for blended families, common emotional landmines around money, and how assumptions about “joint finances” can unintentionally create conflict. Mikel shares practical tools financial professionals can use, including the three-bucket money approach, genograms, money dates, and role-playing exercises, to foster communication, transparency, and trust.

Whether you’re a financial practitioner working with blended families or someone navigating one yourself, this episode offers actionable insights, empathy-driven strategies, and a powerful reminder: blended families aren’t broken or abnormal—they’re simply different, and they deserve planning approaches that reflect that reality.

Show Notes:

01:26 – Meet Mikel Van Cleve, CFP®

03:05 – How Mikel’s lived experience shaped his research

05:18 – Why blended families are often overlooked in financial planning

07:52 – Emotional and financial landmines blended families face

11:48 – Rethinking joint finances in blended families

13:02 – The three-bucket money approach explained

18:44 – Why practitioner bias matters when working with blended families

23:36 – Tools for navigating emotionally charged money conversations

26:08 – Mikel’s 2 Cents

Show Note Links:

Learn more about Mikel's work

Read Mikel's work!

Connect with Mikel!

Want to get involved with AFCPE®?
Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today!

Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.

Is artificial intelligence here to help financial professionals—or replace them?

In this special episode of Real Money, Real Experts, hosts Dr. Brandy Baxter and Rachael DeLeon kick off the new season with their very first video podcast recording and welcome back fan-favorite guest Dr. Jessica Limbrick, professor, researcher, AFCPE Board Member, and 2026 Treasurer.

Fresh off her highly rated AFCPE Symposium session, “Will AI Take My Job?”, Dr. Limbrick joins the show to unpack what AI really means for financial counselors, coaches, planners, and educators. Together, they explore how AI can be used as a powerful assistant—from budgeting and lesson planning to brainstorming client strategies—while also discussing its limitations, risks, and ethical considerations.

This episode dives into:

1. How financial professionals can use AI without over-relying on it
2. Why fact-checking and asking better questions matters more than ever
3. Equity, bias, and access concerns in AI-driven financial advice
4. Environmental and ethical implications of emerging technologies
5. Whether AI will actually replace financial counselors—or simply reshape the profession

Whether you’re AI-curious, AI-cautious, or already experimenting with new tools, this conversation offers a grounded, human-centered perspective on how technology and financial counseling can—and should—coexist.

Now available on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

Show Notes:

01:30 – Introducing Dr. Jessica Limbrick

03:00 – How Jessica Got Interested in AI

06:00 – Using AI as an Assistant, Not an Authority

09:30 – AI in Financial Counseling: Opportunities & Risks

13:30 – Ethical Considerations & Bias in AI

17:30 – The Future of the Financial Profession

20:45 – Will AI Take My Job?

22:45 – Jessica's 2 Cents

Show Note Links:

Connect with Jessica on Instagram!

Connect with Jessica on Linkedin!

Want to get involved with AFCPE®?
Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today!

Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.

2025 was full of insightful conversations, and in this special episode, Rachael DeLeon and Dr. Brandy Baxter revisit some of the most impactful moments from the year. From defining true wealth to building trust with clients, our guests share nuggets of wisdom that inspire both financial professionals and everyday money managers alike.

Join us as we highlight key takeaways from Justin Chastain, John Ackerman, Ericka Young, Joanne Danganan, and Colleen Salchow. You'll hear about building self-worth, the power of journaling, military family money lessons, and the importance of compound interest.

This is a celebration of learning, growth, and actionable advice to help you and your clients thrive in 2026.

Tune in to leave with your own “two cents” for the year ahead!

Shownotes:

00:04 Welcome to our 2025 round up

01:09 Justin Chastain: Wealth vs. Brand

04:57 Jon Ackerman: Helping the Underserved

08:31 Ericka Young: Financial Coaching & Building Trust

11:42 Joanne Danganan: Journaling & Money Conversations

15:47Colleen Salchow: Military Family Money Lessons

Want to get involved with AFCPE®?
Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today!

Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Ann Lentell, CFA, AFC®️, CFP®️ — a financial professional whose career bridges equity research, nonprofit leadership, and deeply human financial coaching.

Ann shares how a childhood curiosity about markets led to a lifelong passion for personal finance, and how a transformative college class sparked her commitment to helping families build savings and stability.

We dive into her decade at Compass Working Capital, where she scaled financial coaching programs for families in federally subsidized housing, and explore how culturally competent, client-centered coaching can shift lives.

Ann also reflects on her journey to the AFC®️, what drew her to AFCPE’s mission, and how raising the bar for financial education brings greater access and equity to communities nationwide. Plus, she gives us a look ahead at her vision as AFCPE’s incoming Board President.

This episode is filled with heart, strategy, and a powerful reminder that every financial story deserves dignity and high-quality guidance.

Show Notes:

03:31 – Get to know AFCPE's 2026 Board President, Ann Lentell

07:26 – What drew Ann to AFCPE

12:39 – Brandy reflects on Ann’s impact on the AFCPE board

12:58 – How nonprofits can raise financial education standards

13:37 – The role of credentials and combating misinformation online

17:11 – Why the AFC pathway matters

17:58 – Ann's 2 Cents

Want to get involved with AFCPE®?
Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today!

Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.