Making Margin

Making Margin Podcast Episode 67 - Pointless Predictions for the New Year 2026 Welcome to the Making Margin podcast! Greenway’s team is here to discuss common financial mistakes and to help you navigate them.  Meet the voices behind this episode of Making Margin: Nick Jeff Natalie  Allie Jen About this time every year, we make some pointless predictions to see who from the Greenway team can most accurately guess the year-end level of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (a mostly pointless, but widely used market barometer). We’re back reviewing our guesses from last year, and making new ones for the year ahead. Don’t miss it! 

Making Margin PodcastEpisode 66 - Understanding Required Minimum Distributions Welcome to the Making Margin podcast! Greenway’s team is here to discuss common financial mistakes and to help you navigate them. Meet the voices behind this episode of Making Margin:NickJenWe're continuing our series called "Ask an Advisor," featuring blog content and podcast discussions from our advisors.In this episode, Jen and Nick delve into the topic of Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). We'll give you an overview of this important financial milestone and discuss strategies to plan for and manage it when the time arrives.BackgroundDistribution optionsFrequently used approaches

Making Margin PodcastEpisode 65 - Open Enrollment Season: A Financial Advisor’s Guide to Making Smart Benefit Choices Welcome to the Making Margin podcast! Greenway’s team is here to discuss common financial mistakes and to help you navigate them. Meet the voices behind this episode of Making Margin:NickJeffWe're continuing our series called "Ask an Advisor," featuring blog content and podcast discussions from our advisors.Today's episode is a discussion with Jeff all about open enrollment season. We provide a guide to making smart benefit choices.Revisit Your Health Insurance PlanDon’t Overlook Disability and Life InsuranceTake Advantage of Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)Review Your Retirement ContributionsUpdate Your Beneficiaries and Emergency ContactsNeed an Estate Plan? Get one here…

Making Margin PodcastEpisode 64 - Home Refinancing FAQsWelcome to the Making Margin podcast! Greenway’s team is here to discuss common financial mistakes and to help you navigate them. Meet the voices behind this episode of Making Margin:NickNatalieThis month we're launching a new series called "Ask an Advisor," featuring blog content and podcast discussions from our advisors.Today's episode is a discussion with Natalie answering some frequently asked questions about home refinancing. Who might refinancing might be beneficial for?Mortgage rates are largely influenced by the 10-year Treasury yield, and anticipated rate cuts are typically already factored into current rates.Key considerations for refinancingObtain multiple mortgage quotes and compare them without "points"The decision between a 30-year fixed mortgage and an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) should be based on individual circumstancesNon-recurring refinancing fees

Making Margin PodcastEpisode 63 - Talking to your spouse/S.O. about moneyWelcome to the Making Margin podcast! Greenway’s team is here to discuss common financial mistakes and to help you navigate them. Meet the voices behind this episode of Making Margin:NickJeffAllieNatalieJenWelcome to part 3 of our series, How to talk to your _______ about money. Next up: Spouse/S.O. The number one cause of arguments for married couples? Money. This can be a sensitive topic, but having the conversation before it’s too late can save a lot of money and avoid a lot of heartaches and headaches.Topics:Pre-Marital Money QuestionsOngoing Money Conversations for Married CouplesTips for Success

Making Margin PodcastEpisode 62 - Talking to your kids about moneyWelcome to the Making Margin podcast! Greenway’s team is here to discuss common financial mistakes and to help you navigate them. Meet the voices behind this episode of Making Margin:NickJeffAllieNatalieJenWelcome to part 2 of our series, How to talk to your _______ about money. Next up: Kids. This can be a sensitive topic, but having the conversation before it’s too late can save a lot of money and avoid a lot of heartaches and headaches.When’s the best time to start? What’s a good way to open the conversation?Who should be involved?What should you say?What topics should you cover?How does complexity change over time?Resources:https://stockmarketgame.org/

Making Margin PodcastEpisode 61 - Talking To Your Parents About MoneyWelcome to the Making Margin podcast! Greenway’s team is here to discuss common financial mistakes and to help you navigate them. Meet the voices behind this episode of Making Margin:NickJeffNatalieJenAllieWelcome to part 1 of our series - How To Talk To Your _____________ About Money. Money can be a sensitive topic, but having the conversations before it’s too late can save a lot of money and avoid a lot of heartaches and headaches. We're going to talk through some tips and tricks for approaching this conversation with those important people in your life.First up: Parents.When’s the best time to start? What’s a good way to open the conversation?Who should be involved?What should you say?What topics should you cover?

Making Margin PodcastEpisode 60 - Greenway Profiles - NickWelcome to the Making Margin podcast! Greenway’s team is here to discuss common financial mistakes and to help you navigate them.Meet the voices behind this episode of Making Margin:Nick This month we’re ending our series, Greenway Profiles, where we’ve introduced you to our team and found out more about how they got to where they are. Last up is Nick, our founder. Tell me about your background. Where are you from? Where did you go to school?What was your first job?Talk about your transition from working with institutional dollars to working with individuals and families. Why did you decide to do that?What are some consistent challenges you find that people have with their finances when you first meet with them?Who is your role model for retirement?

About this time last year, we made some pointless predictions to see who from the Greenway team could most accurately guess the year-end level of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (a mostly pointless, but widely used market barometer).This year, we’re back reviewing our guesses from last year, and making new ones for the year ahead. Don’t miss it! 

Making Margin PodcastEpisode 58 - Greenway Profiles - JenWelcome to the Making Margin podcast! Greenway’s team is here to discuss common financial mistakes and to help you navigate them. Meet the voices behind this episode of Making Margin:NickJenWelcome to part 4 of our series, Greenway Profiles, where we’ll introduce you to our team and find out more about how they got to where they are. Next up is Jen Hill. Jen joined Greenway in October 2023 and serves as an associate advisor with our firm. Tell me about your background. Where are you from? Where did you go to school? What was your first job?Consistent challenges among people who walk into our officeWho is your role model for retirement?

Making Margin PodcastEpisode 57 - Greenway Profiles - AllieWelcome to the Making Margin podcast! Greenway’s team is here to discuss common financial mistakes and to help you navigate them. Meet the voices behind this episode of Making Margin:NickAllieWelcome to part 3 of our series, Greenway Profiles, where we’ll introduce you to our team and find out more about how they got to where they are. Next up is Allie, who serves as our director of client experience.Tell me about your background. Where are you from? Where did you go to school? What was your first job?Consistent challenges among people who walk into our officeWho is your role model for retirement?

Making Margin PodcastEpisode 56 - Greenway Profiles - JeffWelcome to the Making Margin podcast! Greenway’s team is here to discuss common financial mistakes and to help you navigate them. Meet the voices behind this episode of Making Margin:NickJeffWelcome to part 2 of our series, Greenway Profiles, where we’ll introduce you to our team and find out more about how they got to where they are. Next up is Jeff, who serves as a senior advisor at our firm.Tell me about your background. Where are you from? Where did you go to school? What was your first job?What are some consistent challenges you find that people have with their finances when you first meet with them?Who is your role model for retirement?

Making Margin PodcastEpisode 55 - Greenway Profiles - NatalieWelcome to the Making Margin podcast! Greenway’s team is here to discuss common financial mistakes and to help you navigate them. Meet the voices behind this episode of Making Margin:NickNatalieThis month we’re starting a new series, Greenway Profiles, where we’ll introduce you to our team and find out more about how they got to where they are. First up is Natalie, who serves as our firm CFO and a senior advisor.Tell me about your background. Where are you from? Where did you go to school? What was your first job?Talk about your transition from working with institutional dollars to working with individuals and families. Why did you decide to do that?What are some consistent challenges you find that people have with their finances when you first meet with them?Who is your role model for retirement?

Making Margin PodcastEpisode 54 - Tax Tips from Tax AmateursWelcome to the Making Margin podcast! Greenway’s team is here to discuss common financial mistakes and to help you navigate them. Meet the voices behind this episode of Making Margin:NickNatalie JeffJenIn this episode, we're sharing some of our favorite tax tips! While we're not tax professionals, we've gathered some valuable insights that could benefit you. Keep in mind that these suggestions might not fit every situation, but we're optimistic that there's something useful here for everyone.QuestionsNick: Donating assets instead of cashNatalie: Tracking cost basis on your houseJeff: don’t sleep on your FSA optionsJen: Staying organized

Making Margin PodcastEpisode 53 - Spending with IntentWelcome to the Making Margin podcast! Greenway’s team is here to discuss common financial mistakes and to help you navigate them. Meet the voices behind this episode of Making Margin:NickJeffNatalie AllieJenIn this episode, we continue our conversation on using your finances to live your values, focusing on spending with intent. The discussion is inspired by Morgan Housel's blog post titled ‘A Few Thoughts on Spending Money,’ sharing our own ideas and tweaks to his advice. Join us as we chat about getting intentional with our spending!Questions:“There are two ways to use money. One is as a tool to live a better life. The other is as a yardstick of status to measure yourself against others. Many people aspire for the former but get caught up chasing the latter.” Is that true? Are there only two ways to use money? “Money is a tool you can use. But if you’re not careful, it will use you. Sometimes the stuff you spend money on has so much influence over your autonomy and sanity that it’s not clear whether you own things or the things own you.” Where do we see this happening? “How you spend money can be a reflection of what you’ve experienced in life. To someone who grew up snubbed by poverty, owning a fancy car might be the ultimate symbol of what you’ve overcome. To an old-money family, it might be the ultimate symbol of ego and insecurity. People don’t just spend money on things they find fun or useful. Their decisions often reflect the psychological wounds of their life experiences.”Does this explain a lot of what we see? “The more money you have, the harder it becomes to know how to spend it in a way that will make you happy. And that confusion sets in at fairly low levels of income. Luke Burgis writes: ‘After meeting our basic needs as creatures, we enter into the human universe of desire. And knowing what to want is much harder than knowing what to need.’”

Making Margin PodcastEpisode 52 - Defining Your Destination Welcome to the Making Margin podcast! Greenway’s team is here to discuss common financial mistakes and to help you navigate them. Meet the voices behind this episode of Making Margin:NickJeffJenNatalie In this episode we talk about applying your values to your finances. We think it’s important to create a structure that allows you to live out what’s most important to you, and to view money in a way that provides you the opportunity to do that. Every spending (or giving, or saving) decision can then be viewed through this lens.

What happens when you fail at market timing?: https://www.dimensional.com/us-en/insights/what-happens-when-you-fail-at-market-timing The Periodic Table of Investment Returns: https://www.callan.com/research/2022-classic-periodic-table/ Dave guessing his Mom's Thanksgiving Pies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xa_ICrQHCM

So this is the New Year! In Episode 50(!) of the Making Margin podcast, we offer our ideas for New Year's Financial Resolutions; easy things that anyone can do to put themselves in a better position financially.

Welcome to the Making Margin podcast! Greenway’s team is here to discuss common financial mistakes and to help you navigate them. Meet the voices behind this episode of Making Margin:NickNatalie JeffAllieSince its inception, the 529 has been a popular education savings vehicle. Over the years, it has received a few enhancements, but none better than the most recent one thanks to the Secure Act 2.0. We’ll talk about the 529, the changes, and how it might fit into a financial plan.In 1996, U.S. Senator Bob Graham of Florida, where a prepaid plan was well established, and U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, which had a savings trust, led a bipartisan effort to provide federal tax relief for all plans, resulting in the creation of Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC).QuestionsWhat have been the changes to 529 plans, previously and in 2023?How should a plan most appropriately be utilized? Who does it make sense for?Resources:https://www.collegesavings.org/history-of-529-plans#:~:text=In%201996%2C%20U.S.%20Senator%20Bob,Internal%20Revenue%20Code%20(IRC).https://finaid.org/savings/state529deductions/

Making Margin PodcastEpisode 48 - The Psychology of SpendingWelcome to the Making Margin podcast! Greenway’s team is here to discuss common financial mistakes and to help you navigate them. Meet the voices behind this episode of Making Margin:NickJeffNatalie Allie“A subtle problem with money is that assets are easy to measure but liabilities can be hidden.”-Morgan HouselToday we’re talking about the psychology of spending, and why setting arbitrary limits that are well below what you can currently “afford” can make it easier to build wealth.QuestionsDo you set arbitrary spending limits on certain things, even those things that you enjoy and can afford?What influences cause people to overspend, either relative to what they can spend or what they should spend? Resources:https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/06/psychology-of-spendinghttps://collabfund.com/blog/rich-and-anonymous/https://spectrum.mit.edu/winter-1999/the-psychology-of-spending/