Real Talk

Real Talk
How to protect yourself against IRS scams

It’s tax season. Oh boy! That means you’ll soon be getting your W2’s and 1099’s and you might even hear from some scumbags! Every tax season fraudsters, scumbags and hackers crawl out of their holes to try to take your […]

January 28, 2021

Real Talk
SMART Goal Setting for 2021

It’s week 2 of 2021, and I bet your resolutions are still going strong. But will you be going strong on week 52? Good goal setting means they need to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic & Timely…. or SMART Here […]

January 14, 2021

Financial Literacy Test
Real Talk  ·  Uncategorized
Financial Literacy Test

Experts use these three questions to test financial literacy. Only 33% of adults choose the right answers to all three. Take the Financial Literacy Test and see how you compare. The “Big Three” Financial Literacy Test Background: these questions were […]

October 14, 2020

What is financial complexity?
Real Talk
What is Financial Complexity?

Financial complexity can sabotage your ability to protect and provide for your family. But what exactly is Financial Complexity? And how do you know if you have it? 2 things all parents want Everything we do as parents falls into […]

June 18, 2020

We Hired a Rock Star
Real Talk
We Hired a Rock Star

We want to help every young family in America conquer financial complexity. As word spread, we grew. But as we grew, we reached our capacity. Our mission hit a wall. To serve more and more young families, we had to […]

June 2, 2020

Is Your Financial Advisor a Fiduciary? Does It Matter?
Real Talk
Is Your Financial Advisor a Fiduciary?

Only 17% of financial advisors are legally required to put your interests above their own.* (In finance-ese, that’s called a fiduciary.) Is your financial advisor a fiduciary? Does it matter? Behind the curtain “To make money!” The President of the […]

May 22, 2020

The Importance of an Emergency Fund
Budgeting  ·  Real Talk
The Importance of an Emergency Fund

COVID-19 has shut down the world economy. The biggest financial lesson we can learn from the pandemic is the importance of an emergency fund.

May 8, 2020

Happy 4th Birthday to Us!
Real Talk
Happy Birthday to Us!

Happy Birthday to us! The Financial Zen Group turns 4 today! Our mission is to get financial planning into every home in America. I’m proud of how far we’ve come and freakin’ pumped about where we’re headed! How far we’ve […]

May 1, 2020

Protect yourself from COVID-19 scams
Real Talk
How to Protect Yourself From COVID-19 Scams

We’re more vulnerable when we’re in a heightened emotional state. That’s why financial scams are more prevalent during times like these. Here’s how to protect yourself from COVID-19 scams. Where financial scams begin The scams we see in the financial […]

April 24, 2020

Parents are COVID-19's Unsung Heroes
Real Talk
Parents Are COVID-19’s Unsung Heroes

We are inspired by the front-line workers risking their lives to save others. We are indebted to the essential workers helping us maintain a shred of normalcy. But there are everyday heroes who are not getting 8pm howls every night in […]

April 15, 2020

Real Talk
Don’t Mistake Chauffeur Knowledge for Planck Knowledge

With a successful career and a family comes Financial Complexity, an evil villain lurking in the shadows. Financial Complexity loves it when you mistake chauffer knowledge for Planck knowledge. Charlie Munger, Warren Buffet’s right-hand man, gave a commencement speech to […]

February 11, 2020

Real Talk
Be Cautious of “Google Knowledge”

With a successful career and a family comes Financial Complexity, an evil villain lurking in the shadows. Financial Complexity loves it when you mistake Google knowledge for Planck knowledge. Charlie Munger, Warren Buffet’s right-hand man, gave a commencement speech to the USC class of […]

February 11, 2020

Real Talk
Your 6-Month Challenge

If you’re like 83% of the rest of the population, one of your New Year’s resolutions is some form of getting your finances straight. Maybe it’s spending less. Maybe it’s saving more. Maybe it’s just understanding how it all fits […]

January 6, 2020

Real Talk
Happy New Year

Every New Year’s Eve year after an amazing dinner and a couple glasses of wine, our friends go around the table and talk about 3 things: What was your biggest accomplishment this year? What’s the most important thing you learned […]

December 30, 2019

Real Talk
3 Business Lessons from “A Charlie Brown Christmas”

The runner-up for the best Christmas show of all time is “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. It’s brimming with valuable business & life lessons. My top 3 are: Work for something bigger than yourself. Charlie Brown was working to eliminate the […]

December 23, 2019

Real Talk
3 Lessons from “A Christmas Story”

The best Christmas movie ever made (fact, not opinion) is chock full of lessons. Practically every scene contains a life lesson, big and small.   Here are my 3 favorites:  Set specific goals. The more specific our goal, the more motivated […]

December 9, 2019

Real Talk
Happy Thanksgiving!

I’m thankful to be living my dream. I’m thankful for the opportunity to help people. I’m thankful for the opportunity to change the culture. I’m thankful to live in a city where “making the world a better place” is such […]

November 23, 2019

Real Talk
Know Who You’re Working With

Insurance and investment salespeople’s business cards read “Financial Advisor”. It’s the financial industry’s most deceptive sleight-of-hand. You can thank Wall Street lobbyists and the regulators they’re in bed with for that one. While they get busy under the sheets, the […]

November 12, 2019

Real Talk
Tales from the Financial Crypt

BANG BANG BANG! They woke up with a start. He looked at his phone. 2:37 am. She watched petrified as he jumped out of bed and grabbed a bat from the closet. BANG BANG BANG! He emerged from the bedroom […]

October 28, 2019

Real Talk
The Posture of a Leader

“If you hear my idea but don’t believe it, that’s not your fault; it’s mine.  If you see my new product but don’t buy it, that’s my failure, not yours.  If you attend my presentation and you’re bored, that’s my […]

October 19, 2019

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