Common Sense Financial Podcast Podcast Por Brian Skrobonja arte de portada

Common Sense Financial Podcast

Common Sense Financial Podcast

De: Brian Skrobonja
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The Common Sense Financial Podcast is all about finances, mindset and personal growth. The goal is to help you make smart choices with your money in your home and in your business. Some of the podcasts here are historical in nature. They aired before July 1, 2022 and were previously approved by Kalos Capital. The views and statistics discussed in these shows are relevant to that time period and may not be relevant to current events. This is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the particular needs of an individual's situation. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Any references to protection, safety or lifetime income, generally refer to fixed insurance products, never securities or investments. Insurance guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims paying abilities of the issuing carrier. Our firm is not permitted to offer and no statement made during this show shall constitute tax or legal advice. Our firm is not affiliated with or endorsed by the US Government or any governmental agency. The information and opinions contained herein provided by the third parties have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed by our firm. Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC. (MAS), Member FINRA & SIPC. Advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through Skrobonja Wealth Management (SWM), a registered investment advisor. Tax services offered only through Skrobonja Tax Consulting. MAS does not offer Build Banking or tax advice. Skrobonja Financial Group, LLC, Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC, Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC, Skrobonja Tax Consulting, and Build Banking are not affiliated with MAS. Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC is a registered investment adviser. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure.All rights reserved Economía Finanzas Personales
Episodios
  • The 5 Key Performance Indicators To Help Measure The Health Of Your Retirement Plan - Replay

    The 5 Key Performance Indicators To Help Measure The Health Of Your Retirement Plan - Replay
    Nov 19 2025
    In this episode we talk about the importance of using key performance indicators beyond just investment performance to gauge the health of one's retirement plan. There are five crucial data points that form the foundation of a successful retirement strategy: passive income, effective tax rate, cash flow ratio, banking capacity, and horizontal asset allocation. By focusing on these metrics, you can adopt a comprehensive approach to retirement planning that factors in various financial variables and bridges the gaps in your financial plan. Business owners use KPIs or key performance indicators to track and understand the health of their business and marketing efforts. Those planning for retirement should consider their retirement KPIs to help measure the health of their financial situation.People often make the mistake of substituting investment performance for more meaningful key performance indicators. ROI is not the only KPI you should be paying attention to.People often view their finances in silos and tend to make standalone decisions about what to do while leaving out other important variables concerning their situation, which can result in having gaps in their overall retirement plan design.For example, the stock market can go down, but that doesn't necessarily mean your plan should change. The flipside is also true: the market may be up, but that could mean you need to make adjustments.Knowing what KPIs to use and how to use them can help measure the health of your overall financial situation, not just track portfolio performance.A KPI is simply a collection of data points that helps provide a consistent method for measuring and monitoring the health of your retirement plan.In my experience, there are five key data points needed to measure the effectiveness of a retirement plan.The first is passive income. Income is an obvious component and the central theme of a retirement plan.Income is not growth of a share or unit of a particular investment. It is the income generated from the share or unit of an investment.If there is a retirement income gap of $5,000 each month, the goal of the retirement plan is to not simply cash out investments each month or spend down savings to meet the goal. It is to create passive income sources that can consistently provide the cash flow.Missing this point can be catastrophic to the longevity of a retirement plan. The second is the effective tax rate. Tax rates in the United States of America are progressive. The more you make, the higher the marginal rate is on portions of your income. Marginal rates have their place when filing a return or making decisions about asset positioning.The effective tax rate is a single rate that's calculated using the total taxes that are paid against the gross income. This percentage gives us a better overall understanding of the impact taxes are having on retirement income.If the retirement income gap is $5,000 each month and the effective tax rate is 30%, we can determine the additional amount of income required to cover the tax liabilities.The more tax mitigation techniques you incorporate into a retirement plan, the less pressure there is on your assets to generate additional income just to pay the tax. The third is cash flow ratio. People often define cash flow too narrowly and often exclude things like taxes, retirement savings and health insurance premiums, which leaves gaps in understanding.It is also important to know the ratio of income to bank payments, taxes, savings insurance, as well as fixed and variable expenses.It's also important to know the earned income versus passive income ratio along with the number of different income sources you rely on to fund your lifestyle. The fourth is your banking capacity. When it comes to asset allocation, there is often the out-of-the-box structure where assets are divided up between investments and bank accounts. This approach oversimplifies a more complex situation and overlooks the realities of life and how people actually use and spend money.There are many factors to consider outside of just growing assets and covering emergencies, such as big ticket purchases and other family needs, that could benefit from incorporating a family bank into the financial plan.A family bank, aka Build Banking, is a specially designed life insurance contract that enables a family to have banking capabilities within their own financial ecosystem without relying on an actual bank outside of their financial situation.This piece is usually missing from most retirement plans. The fifth is horizontal asset allocation. Most people think of diversification as a vertical landscape of public market investments such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds or ETFs, but that's the wrong idea.Asset allocation is similar to gardening. It requires diversity in many different forms to help manage growth, produce income, minimize risk and mitigate taxes.Adding things such as real estate businesses, private equity, life ...
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    16 m
  • Certificates of Deposit: What to Consider and How to Use Them - Replay

    Certificates of Deposit: What to Consider and How to Use Them - Replay
    Nov 12 2025
    In this episode on Certificates of Deposit (CDs) as investments, we talk about the nuanced decision-making involved in purchasing CDs and whether or not CDs are good investments, particularly in a rising interest rate environment, and we explain why interest rates are the only factor you need to consider. Wealth creation isn't solely dependent on CD rates, and we need to consider the impact of inflation and interest rates to gain a comprehensive financial perspective. The episode also explores how government strategies to combat inflation by adjusting interest rates impact not only investors, but also shape the attractiveness of CDs as an investment option. In a rising interest rate environment, buying CDs may seem like a good idea but it depends on your needs and goals.Wealth isn't created by buying a CD based on a rate. It's created by understanding why the rate may not be all that important.Banks look at what is known as the federal funds rate, also known as a benchmark rate. This is the rate banks charge one another to borrow money overnight that's needed to maintain reserve requirements.Upstream in the decision making process is the Federal Open Market Committee or FOMC, who meet throughout the year to discuss and set monetary policy. Within these policies, rates are set and typically linked to inflation.When those rates are set, banks may adjust rates on loans, deposits and certificates of deposit. But just like any business, banks will adjust rates to compete in their market as they seek to cover their costs and maintain a profit.CDs specifically are an attractive tool for banks, because unlike a deposit account, CDs actually lock up customers with a maturity date, which gives banks better control of their cash flow. The higher rates draw in customers seeking to maximize their returns.Rates on CDs matter, but not as much when you factor in inflation and interest rates. If inflation is at 7% and interest rates are at 5%, the net is 2%. The same is true if inflation is at 0% and interest rates are at 2%. You have to look at both numbers to get a full picture.When you consider the gridlock within the housing market and the amount of debt our government holds, it's hard to believe rates can remain elevated over the long term. The government is desperately trying to combat inflation by raising rates.These higher rates not only impact consumers, but they also impact the government. According to the Congressional Budget Office, or CBO, in June of 2023, they projected that annual net interest costs on the federal debt would total $663 billion in 2023 and almost double over the next decade. Interest payments would total around $71 trillion over the next 30 years, taking up to 35% of all federal revenue by 2053.These numbers are impacted by interest rates and with lower rates come lower interest payments, so the government has reasons to see rates lower than they currently are.The question is: Does it make sense to lock in CD rates while rates are high? It depends. If you have money sitting in a bank account that you don't need and the CD rate is offering a higher rate than your savings, then it might be a good option.A good idea is to compare CD rates to other options like fixed annuities and money markets since they share some similarities but also have a few key differences that could make one choice better for your situation.Certificates of Deposit are offered by banks as a savings account that offers a fixed interest rate over a specified period of time, ranging from one month up to five years. They carry penalties if funds are removed before maturity, and they're FDIC insured up to $250,000.Fixed Rate annuities are issued by insurance companies and are financial products that offer a fixed interest rate over a specified period of time. Early withdrawals can incur a penalty, and interest earnings are tax deferred until you start taking distributions. The guarantees are backed by the claims paying ability of the insurance company and are insured by what is known as the State Guarantee Association.Money markets are funds issued by financial institutions that are backed by highly liquid short maturity investments. Maturities usually range from overnight to just under a year, and assets can be quickly converted to cash with minimal loss of value. They are generally considered more risky than a bank, CD or insurance company annuity, and the underlying investments include such things as treasury bills, commercial paper and CDs.While CDs offer the safety of fixed returns, they are not devoid of risks and limitations. It's essential to understand both the micro and macro economic factors that affect CD rates before diving in. Mentioned in this episode: BrianSkrobonja.com Common Sense Financial Podcast on YouTube Common Sense Financial Podcast on Spotify BrianSkrobonja.com/Resources - Free Resources To Help You Protect Your Financial Future Common Sense: YOUR Guide to Making Smart Choices with YOUR...
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    13 m
  • The Midlife Shift: How To Go from Surviving to Thriving

    The Midlife Shift: How To Go from Surviving to Thriving
    Nov 5 2025
    Brian Skrobonja talks about the hidden trap of survival mode: that quiet, familiar mindset that keeps you safe but small. He explains why so many people in midlife mistake control for security, and how shifting from a scarcity mindset to a mentality of abundance changes everything about how you earn, spend, and live. Tune in to hear what it really takes to move from survival to strategy, from managing scarcity to creating abundance, and why your next level of wealth starts in your mind, not your bank account. Brian starts by explaining how time sneaks up on us. One day you're in your 20s, and before you know it, decades have passed and you're in your 40s and 50s.Brian reveals that survival mode can feel safe because it's familiar. It got you through the student loans, the mortgage, the chaos of raising kids. But staying there too long turns what once protected you into what now holds you back.Learn why survival mode isn't a wealth strategy, it's a coping mechanism. It helps you survive the storm, but it won't help you build the life you're meant for.Brian explains what survival mode sounds like — phrases like "let's just get through this month," or "I'll do it myself, why pay someone else." It's the mindset of always managing crisis instead of creating space. And over time, that mindset becomes a ceiling you can't see but always feel.According to Brian, the midlife shift begins when you realize your greatest assets aren't money or status. They're your time, your energy, and your ability to think beyond what used to be possible. Brian reveals that in survival mode, every dollar has a job: pay bills, pay debt, save a little, repeat. But in strategy mode, every dollar has a mission: grow, create margin, and buy back time.How to see money differently: not as control, but as freedom. Brian shares that when couples view money as a tool to create experiences and peace of mind, their entire relationship with it changes. Suddenly, money becomes connection, not conflict.Learn how to shift from scarcity to abundance thinking. From "there's never enough" to "I can create more."Brian reveals that scarcity doesn't always look like struggle. Sometimes it looks like the person who's debt-free but afraid to invest or try something new. It's protection disguised as prudence, and it keeps your potential locked away.Brian explains the danger of carrying your old survival habits into midlife. You might think you're being smart, but what you're really doing is protecting what you have instead of growing what's possible. You end up loyal to your limitations instead of your evolution.For Brian, abundance isn't fantasy thinking. It's confidence in your ability to generate value, attract opportunity, and recover from mistakes. Learn how abundance thinking changes the questions you ask. Instead of "how do I save more," you begin asking, "how can I multiply this?" Instead of "what will this cost me," you start asking, "what could this create for me?"Brian explains that money is energy, it flows both ways. When you spend it to buy back time or peace of mind, that's not waste, it's wisdom. Your return isn't just financial, it's emotional, mental, and deeply human.Why buying back your time matters: it's not indulgent, it's stewardship. The moment you start using money to free your schedule, your mind expands. You make room for strategy, creativity, and joy — the real sources of wealth.Brian reveals that money doesn't change who you are, it amplifies you. If you lead with fear, more money only multiplies that fear. But if you lead with purpose, money becomes fuel for everything that truly matters.Brian explains that wealthy people don't do it all themselves. They hire experts, delegate complexity, and buy back focus. They understand that leverage isn't loss of control, it's how they multiply their capability.Why community matters: scarcity breeds more scarcity when you stay around people who think small. Brian urges you to surround yourself with those who think in terms of growth, possibility, and opportunity.Brian closes with a challenge: stop asking, "What will this cost me?" and start asking, "What can this create for me?" That one question can open the door to your next chapter — a life that's not just about surviving, but thriving in full alignment with who you're becoming. Mentioned in this episode: BrianSkrobonja.com SkrobonjaFinancial.com SkrobonjaWealth.com BUILDbanking.com Common Sense Financial Podcast on YouTube Common Sense Financial Podcast on Spotify Alternative investments may be subject to less regulation than other types of pooled investment vehicles. Alternative Investments may impose significant fees, including incentive fees that are based upon a percentage of the realized and unrealized gains and an individual's net returns may differ significantly from actual returns. Such fees may offset all or a significant portion of such Alternative Investment's trading profits. Incorporating ...
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    28 m
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