I recently completed Shaping Wealth's "Building the Behavioral Advisor" program and it was one of the most transformative experiences of my career. My goal today is to talk with you about a few things I've learned and how they APPLY to our personal financial lives. I can't wait to share more of what I've learned and exercises to help you help yourself.   Questions? Email me: Mike@ngpfp.com ..read more

Of course it does. But not being able to pay your bills during an economic expansion feels a lot worse than being able to pay your bills during an economic recession. This week, we talk about recessions, the effect on US stocks, and hot dogs.    Questions? Email me: Mike@ngpfp.com  ..read more

This week I read the Declaration of Independence. This is not a political statement. I believe it's important to know how The United States of America began. We'll get back to personal finance next week.    Questions? Email me: Mike@ngpfp.com  ..read more

I'd prefer frozen in this case, but I found myself faced with a decision to liquidate hundreds of thousands of dollars of investments or borrow money. I chose the borrowing route, and while I think it was the right decision FOR ME, it doesn't come without risks and without me losing control of money.    Questions? Email me: Mike@ngpfp.com  ..read more

If you're scared of the market, or thinking about it gives you anxiety because you're uncertain about what might happen in the future, you are human. That's a normal, natural reaction to what is happening in the market. It's okay. You're okay.  Questions? Email me: Mike@ngpfp.com  ..read more

This week's conversation is a quick one. Like a lot of people, from the comfort of our homes in the USA, we're watching in horror the war in Ukraine. Thanks to the folks at LPL Research, we quickly explore how US stocks have fared during times of conflict and major world events.    Questions? Email me: Mike@ngpfp.com ..read more

Hope is not a strategy. You can certainly hope that things go your way. And you should have hope for a better future, especially if you're an investor. But hope by itself is not a strategy. This week we call on three famous innovators to illustrate the point.    Questions? Email me: Mike@ngpfp.com ..read more

To get 1% better every day means you'd improve by 37x every year. It might be doable in some areas for a little while, but probably not a sustained period of time. What I think is better is to focus on incremental improvement. You get really far by taking small steps.    Questions? Email me: Mike@ngpfp.com ..read more

As Americans, we spent a lot of time thinking about money last year. More specifically, OUR money. That was evident based on the top 10 trending internet searches of 2021. We discuss those, and the difference between knowledge and wisdom as it pertains to investors.   Questions? Email me: Mike@ngpfp.com ..read more

This episode was inspired by a tweet that I responded to last week, and an investment concept that I've talked about in the past. I think it can be very helpful to view your investments as "units" rather than dollars. The dollar value will change with the whim of the markets. The number of shares you have will not.    Questions? Email me: mike@ngpfp.com ..read more