Real Money Pros

Private markets have historically been dominated by pensions, endowments and other large institutional investors. But as access expands, individual investors are increasingly encountering private equity, private credit and other investments outside the traditional public markets. This week, Jeremiah Bates and Alex Lundgren are joined by Christian McCormick, CFA, Head of Client Portfolio Management at Meketa Capital, for a three-hour deep dive into how private markets actually work. Christian explains the differences between public and private investments, why companies are staying private longer, and how private equity firms invest in and work with businesses. They also break down venture capital, growth equity and buyouts, along with the due diligence involved in evaluating private investments. Then, the conversation turns to the investor's side of the equation: liquidity, long holding periods, drawdown funds, evergreen and interval funds, portfolio allocation and the tradeoffs that come with investing in assets that can't simply be sold with the click of a button. Finally, Christian takes a closer look at private infrastructure, including power generation, transportation, pipelines, digital infrastructure and data centers. They discuss why infrastructure has attracted more investor attention, how these projects can generate income and returns, and where inflation protection and diversification can fit into the picture.   Listen, Watch, & Connect! https://www.therealmoneypros.com Christian McCormick & Meketa Capital https://meketacapital.com/profile-mccormick ————————————————————— Ataraxis PEO https://ataraxispeo.com Tree City Advisors of Apollon: https://www.treecityadvisors.com Apollon Wealth Management: https://apollonwealthmanagement.com/ —————————————————————

Treasury yields are rising, but what does that actually mean for your money? Nic dives even deeper into what a Treasury yield is, why bond prices and yields move in opposite directions, and why higher yields can affect more than just the bond market. From stock valuations and cash yields to mortgage rates and retirement income, changes in interest rates can work their way into several parts of a financial plan. The bigger question isn't whether Treasury yields are up. It's whether the change actually matters to your plan.   Listen, Watch, Subscribe, Ask! https://www.therealmoneypros.com ————————————————————— Ataraxis PEO https://ataraxispeo.com Tree City Advisors of Apollon: https://www.treecityadvisors.com Apollon Wealth Management: https://apollonwealthmanagement.com/ —————————————————————

Selling a business can be one of the biggest financial events of an owner's life, but getting a good deal takes more than simply finding a buyer. This week, Jeremiah Bates is joined by Rob Wolfe, Managing Director at Apollon Wealth Management, to discuss what makes a business attractive to potential buyers and how owners can prepare years before an exit. They cover the difference between owning a practice, a business and an enterprise, along with owner dependency, recurring revenue, customer concentration, clean financials, due diligence and the factors that can ultimately influence what someone is willing to pay. They also answer real questions from business owners approaching a sale, including how to determine what a company is actually worth, who should be involved before responding to an offer, taxes after a sale and how to turn the proceeds from a business into long-term financial independence. Then, the conversation shifts to investing beyond traditional stocks and bonds. Jeremiah and Rob break down private equity, private credit and other private-market investments, how access to these investments has expanded, where they may fit within a portfolio and one of their biggest tradeoffs: liquidity.   Listen, Watch, & Connect! https://www.therealmoneypros.com ————————————————————— Ataraxis PEO https://ataraxispeo.com Tree City Advisors of Apollon: https://www.treecityadvisors.com Apollon Wealth Management: https://apollonwealthmanagement.com/ —————————————————————

What do rising Treasury yields actually mean for your portfolio, and should market volatility change the way you're investing? This week, Nic Daniels and Alex Lundgren start with September market volatility, rising Treasury yields and the relationship between bond prices and yields, while explaining why investors should be careful about making long-term portfolio decisions based on elections, geopolitical events or short-term market swings. A listener preparing to retire after 37 years with the Postal Service asks about using a Social Security survivor benefit while delaying her own benefit, along with coordinating her pension and inherited IRA. Later, Nic and Alex cover year-end tax surprises from bonuses, vested RSUs, property sales and other windfalls, including estimated-tax penalties and why Form 2210 and Schedule AI can matter when income arrives unevenly during the year. They also share a real retirement-planning case involving a federal employee deciding how to sequence her pension, TSP and Social Security, before wrapping up with open enrollment and life insurance considerations.   Listen, Watch, & Connect! https://www.therealmoneypros.com ————————————————————— Ataraxis PEO https://ataraxispeo.com Tree City Advisors of Apollon: https://www.treecityadvisors.com Apollon Wealth Management: https://apollonwealthmanagement.com/ —————————————————————

Your retirement projection is green. The Monte Carlo analysis shows a 95% probability of success. Everything looks good. So what could still go wrong? A retirement plan is only as good as the assumptions behind it—and real life rarely follows those assumptions perfectly. In this episode, we look beyond investment returns at some of the risks that can change an otherwise strong retirement plan: long-term care, the early death of a spouse, living longer than expected, helping family, lifestyle creep, liquidity problems, market declines early in retirement, and changing tax laws. More importantly, we discuss how these risks can actually be incorporated into the planning process through stress testing, liquidity planning, appropriate investment risk, and regularly updating the assumptions behind the plan.   Listen, Watch, Subscribe, Ask! https://www.therealmoneypros.com ————————————————————— Ataraxis PEO https://ataraxispeo.com Tree City Advisors of Apollon: https://www.treecityadvisors.com Apollon Wealth Management: https://apollonwealthmanagement.com/ —————————————————————