• What Do Financial Advisors Actually Do?
    Nov 7 2024

    Ever wonder what exactly a financial advisor does? In our latest episode, we’re going beyond investments and insurance to look at the big picture of everything we do as advisors.

    Join us as we pull back the curtain on what we do, how we think about it, and how we help our clients.

    Ready to learn more?

    • Scott Frank on LinkedIn
    • Stone Steps Financial
    • Meg Bartelt on LinkedIn
    • Flow Financial Planning

    Leave us a question!

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial or Flow Financial Planning.

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    31 mins
  • How to Leverage Tax Projections to Minimize Your Tax Burden
    Oct 24 2024

    Sitting down to do a tax projection can make a huge impact on the amount of taxes you pay – but you have to do it before December 31!

    Whether you’re expecting next year to be a high- or low-income year, join us as we discuss how a tax projection can help minimize your tax burden.

    Ready to learn more?

    • Scott Frank on LinkedIn
    • Stone Steps Financial
    • Meg Bartelt on LinkedIn
    • Flow Financial Planning

    Leave us a question!

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial or Flow Financial Planning.

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    30 mins
  • Making Moves During Open Enrollment? Learn More About Life Insurance, Disability Coverage, 401(k), and More
    Oct 10 2024

    We’re back with another look at open enrollment decisions! This time, we’re talking life insurance, disability coverage, 401(k)s and more.

    Join us as we discuss which options make sense, and which you could probably ignore.

    Ready to learn more?

    • Scott Frank on LinkedIn
    • Stone Steps Financial
    • Meg Bartelt on LinkedIn
    • Flow Financial Planning

    Leave us a question!

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial or Flow Financial Planning.

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    31 mins
  • Weighing the Benefits: How to Make a Decision on Employer-Provided Health Insurance
    Sep 26 2024

    Open enrollment season is almost here! Do you know what you’ll need for health insurance next year?

    Join us as we look at the most important factors to consider when choosing your plan.

    Ready to learn more?

    • Scott Frank on LinkedIn
    • Stone Steps Financial
    • Meg Bartelt on LinkedIn
    • Flow Financial Planning

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial or Flow Financial Planning.

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    23 mins
  • Embracing the Mess: How to Improve Financial Outcomes When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned
    Sep 12 2024

    If your financial goals always feel like they’re just out of reach, you’re not alone! In this episode, we talk about the dissonance between your financial plan and real life – and how to put your advisor’s best advice into action more consistently.

    Join us as we discuss the stories and strategies that make financial planning such a dynamic and important journey.

    Ready to learn more?

    • Scott Frank on LinkedIn
    • Stone Steps Financial
    • Meg Bartelt on LinkedIn
    • Flow Financial Planning

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial or Flow Financial Planning.

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    28 mins
  • What is an Exchange Fund (and Should You Ever Join One)?
    Aug 29 2024

    Should you join an exchange fund? Can they really minimize taxes? What are the potential downsides? What are your other options? Do we recommend them?

    Join us as we talk through the pros and cons of exchange funds, plus a few alternatives that could provide added protection without all the complexity.

    Ready to learn more?

    • Scott Frank on LinkedIn
    • Stone Steps Financial
    • Meg Bartelt on LinkedIn
    • Flow Financial Planning

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial or Flow Financial Planning.

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    27 mins
  • Politics and Personal Finance: Strategies for Stability During a Wild Election Season
    Aug 15 2024

    It’s election time again and right on cue, everything feels a little out of control. But should it? What does history have to say about market behavior around elections? Join us as we consider the influence of Democrats vs. Republicans, presidents vs. senators, the Fed vs. the DOJ, and more as we seek to find where politics and economics overlap (and where they don’t).

    Plus, we’ll zoom in to see how you can seek to maintain financial stability, even when the news seems hell-bent on trying to make you panic. Whether you're a retiree needing balanced asset allocation or someone in your prime earning years looking to capitalize on market dips, you’ll find relevant, actionable steps to guide you through uncertainty and help you focus on your goals.

    Election Stats Mentioned

    Ready to learn more?

    • Scott Frank on LinkedIn
    • Stone Steps Financial
    • Meg Bartelt on LinkedIn
    • Flow Financial Planning

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial or Flow Financial Planning.

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    24 mins
  • Balancing Stocks, Bonds, Cash, and Your Financial Goals
    Aug 1 2024

    How do financial advisors mix stocks, bonds, and cash to achieve the best returns to meet each person’s financial needs? In today’s episode, Scott Frank and Meg Bartelt discuss the unique risks and potential returns each one offers; focusing on these primary asset classes can lead to a more stable and profitable investment strategy. They dive into the various types of bonds—government, municipal, and corporate—and their role in your portfolio, while delving into the importance of credit ratings, bond maturity, and global currency risks, offering you insights on how to navigate these complexities.

    Scott and Meg provide tailored investment strategies for different financial goals and timeframes, whether you're saving for a short-term goal like a home down payment or a long-term objective like retirement. Learn the pitfalls of short-term stock market investments and the benefits of safer options like high-yield savings accounts for immediate needs. For long-term goals, they discuss leveraging the historical growth of the stock market while balancing intermediate-term objectives with a well-thought-out plan.

    Ready to learn more?

    • Scott Frank on LinkedIn
    • Meg Bartelt on LinkedIn
    • Stone Steps Financial

    Money can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Are you ready to align your money with your ideal life? Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial.

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    30 mins