Tag: Josh Leonard

Are Behavioral Biases Affecting Your Retirement Planning & Investment Decisions? (Ep. 42)
Are Behavioral Biases Affecting Your Retirement Planning & Investment Decisions? (Ep. 42)

Are Behavioral Biases Affecting Your Retirement Planning & Investment Decisions? (Ep. 42)

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Have you ever found yourself making financial decisions based on instinct rather than informed choices? 

In this episode, Josh Leonard talks about five common behavioral biases that can influence financial decision-making. He addresses loss aversion, confirmation bias, herd mentality, overconfidence, and anchoring bias, illustrating each with real-world examples. He also discusses the influence of laziness and habit on decision-making and suggests a four-step approach to counteract biases: recognition, education, professional advice, and informed decision-making.

Josh discusses: 

  • Loss aversion and its impact on investment decisions
  • Confirmation bias and its influence on perceptions and decision-making
  • Herd mentality and the potential financial risks associated with following the crowd
  • Overconfidence and its role in guiding risky financial decisions
  • Anchoring bias and its impact on decision-making and perceptions of value
  • Four steps to outsmarting behavioral biases
  • And more

Resources:

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Retirement Success Through Discipline and Goal-Setting with Pete Belcastro, CFP® (Ep. 41)
Retirement Success Through Discipline and Goal-Setting with Pete Belcastro, CFP® (Ep. 41)

Retirement Success Through Discipline and Goal-Setting with Pete Belcastro, CFP® (Ep. 41)

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In a world filled with distractions and temptations, discipline stands as a beacon of consistency and success, guiding us toward our goals and aspirations. Whether in financial planning, health routines, or personal growth, discipline forms the foundation for long-term achievement and fulfillment.

Today on Relax, It’s Retirement, Josh and Pete Belcastro, CFP®, talk about discipline in various aspects of life, drawing parallels between maintaining financial discipline and personal habits. Using personal anecdotes, they emphasize the importance of setting realistic goals, committing to long-term strategies, and seeking professional guidance to achieve financial success in retirement. They discuss the three-bucket approach to retirement planning, emphasizing the significance of consistent contributions and staying invested for long-term growth. 

The conversation touches on the value of discipline in navigating market fluctuations and resisting short-term impulses. The episode concludes with insights on the positive impact of discipline in achieving financial goals and the benefit of seeking professional advice for retirement planning.

Key topics include: 

  • The concept of discipline in various aspects of life, including health decisions and financial planning for retirement.
  • Why setting realistic expectations, consistent behavior, and long-term goals to achieve success is important.
  • Discipline’s role in investing, and the need for a disciplined approach to navigate market volatility and achieve financial goals.
  • How discipline can help achieve financial security for retirement.
  • Negative connotations associated with discipline and how it can actually lead to positive outcomes and personal growth.
  • The challenges of maintaining discipline and the benefits of setting disciplined goals
  • And more

Resources:

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Connect with Pete Belcastro: 

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How to Maximize Your Tax Savings with Pete Belcastro, CFP®
Don’t Let Taxes Crash Your Party – How to Maximize Your Tax Savings with Pete Belcastro, CFP® (Ep. 40)

Don’t Let Taxes Crash Your Party – How to Maximize Your Tax Savings with Pete Belcastro, CFP® (Ep. 40)

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Tax time is near. Nobody wants to pay taxes, but we have to, so let’s talk about how we can maximize our tax savings.

In this episode, Josh Leonard and Pete Belcastro, Financial Planner at Leonard Advisory Group, talk about tax planning. They share tips for filing taxes this year and some ways to help reduce taxation in the future and be more tax-efficient. Josh and Pete cover the importance of reporting interest from savings accounts, accurately reporting capital gains from stock sales, and the benefits of qualified charitable distributions. 

Their conversation also includes strategies for making HSA and IRA contributions to reduce taxable income and the significance of conducting a thorough tax analysis for future savings. Additionally, Josh and Pete explore the pros and cons of traditional versus Roth 401(k)s, tax diversification, Roth conversions, and managing capital gains and charitable giving. They also discuss handling sudden income increases and the use of donor-advised funds for tax-efficient charitable contributions.

Josh and Pete discuss:

  • Importance of reporting interest earned on savings accounts and capital gains from stock sales for tax purposes
  • Qualified charitable distributions as a tax-efficient way to donate to charities
  • Tax implications of qualified accounts and making direct contributions to charities from these accounts
  • Opportunity to make HSA and IRA contributions before the tax filing deadline to lower taxable income
  • Benefits of traditional 401(k) versus Roth 401(k) contributions
  • Strategies for managing capital gains and charitable giving as part of comprehensive tax planning
  • Importance of proactive tax planning and practical advice for optimizing tax strategies
  • And more

Resources:

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Navigating Life’s Twists and Turns: A Candid Conversation with Yana Leonard | Family, Finance, and More (Ep. 39)

Navigating Life’s Twists and Turns: A Candid Conversation with Yana Leonard | Family, Finance, and More (Ep. 39)

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Have you ever wondered how successful couples navigate the challenges of marriage, parenthood, and career?

Meet Yana Leonard, CIA, MBA, a key member of the team at Josh Leonard Advisory Group, as she steps into the spotlight in this episode of Relax, It’s Retirement.

Today, Josh introduces his wife, Yana Leonard, CIA, MBA, Director of Finance, to listeners. They dive into the evolution of their relationship from their college days to marriage. Josh and Yana candidly discuss the hurdles they’ve overcome, including the birth of their children and the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic on their family life. 

Knowing the team at Leonard Advisory Group is very important to them. The episode aims to give listeners the opportunity to get to know Yana.

Josh and Yana talk about: 

  • The story of their relationship from college to marriage
  • Challenges faced as a couple, including the birth of their children and the impact of COVID-19
  • Importance of communication, balancing priorities, and finding time for each other
  • Challenges of finding a balance between individual interests, work, and family commitments
  • And more

Resources:

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Connect with Yana Leonard:

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The Three-Bucket Strategy for Retirement Planning with Pete Belcastro
The Three-Bucket Strategy for Retirement Planning with Pete Belcastro (Ep. 37)

The Three-Bucket Strategy for Retirement Planning with Pete Belcastro (Ep. 37)

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Is your financial plan secure enough to last until retirement? How could dividing your income into separate groups help ensure your retirement income will last?

Check out this episode as Josh Leonard and Pete Belcastro from the Leonard Advisory team explore the essential elements of retirement preparation. They delve into the “three baskets” strategy, which includes the cash, income, and growth categories. Emphasizing the necessity of an emergency reserve, they discuss allocating funds for predictable costs through secure investments and the importance of long-term growth strategies to manage significant future expenses such as healthcare.

Josh and Pete discuss: 

  • Why is comprehensive retirement planning important
  • What are the three baskets in retirement planning
  • How do stable investments ensure a steady income stream during retirement
  • What role do different financial buckets play in providing insulation and protection for retirement savings
  • And more

Resources:

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How Can You Prepare for the Rising Cost of College? with Dan Cieniewicz (Ep. 23)

How Can You Prepare for the Rising Cost of College? with Dan Cieniewicz (Ep. 23)

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As your children get closer and closer to graduation, that education cheque is slowly becoming your reality. 

In this episode, Josh Leonard is joined by Dan Cieniewicz aka The College Dude, to discuss all things saving for college. They emphasize the need for parents to come up with a budget and consider sources of funding for college including the FAFSA process and recent changes to it. 

Dan and Josh discuss: 

  • Retirement benefits grandparents can receive through paying for their grandchildren’s education 
  • The challenge of integrating grandparents into the conversation about college funding
  • The importance of scholarships, grants, and choosing the right school for each student
  • The FAFSA Simplification Act and its implications for grandparent-owned 529 plans
  • The four fits and factors you need to consider before choosing a college 
  • And more

Resources:

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About our Guest: 

Dan Cieniewicz works with parents of teenage children as they find themselves in a position to strategize to pay for college while also staying on track for retirement. Dan’s goal when working with clients is to explain the complexities of the financial aid & college application process and to strategize to make sure that both parents and children are set up for long-term success. 

Dan was born & raised in Berks County. He attended Albright College, majoring in Economics & Political Science and played on the football team.  Dan has obtained the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. 

Dan is the head girls basketball coach at Warwick High School in Lititz, PA and loves working out and playing basketball. He resides in Lititz with his wife, Carly.  He also became a father in March of 2022, to a beautiful daughter, Stella.

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Transitioning into Retirement with Jerome Myers (Ep. 17)

Transitioning into Retirement with Jerome Myers (Ep. 17)

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Getting stuck doing the things that you’ve always done just because you’ve always done them is one of the biggest atrocities of life. We have an opportunity each day to make something new and you should make the most of it.

In this episode, Josh Leonard brings on Jerome Myers to talk about one of the biggest lifetime transitions, transitioning into retirement. Jerome goes over the key areas of finding your next chapter in life and explains the significance of an “and” instead of an “or” lifestyle, the importance of prioritizing authenticity, how you can find your next mission in life, and how silence can help you find clarity.

Jerome discusses: 

  • Why he started to help people with exit planning and transitioning into retirement
  • The key areas of finding your next chapter 
  • The significance of an “and” lifestyle instead of an “or” lifestyle
  • Why it’s important to prioritize being your true, authentic self in all aspects of your life
  • How he helps people discover their next mission in life
  • How finding silence and peace can help you find clarity
  • And more

Resources:

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About our Guest: 

Jerome Myers is an award-winning engineer, investor, mentor, and business strategist who helps founders navigate their Exit Paradox through his masterminds and coaching programs.  

Prior to leaving his corporate leadership position, Jerome built a $20 million, 175-person division of a Fortune 550 company from scratch.  He now uses his project management, engineering, and business expertise to advise business leaders on key areas such as leadership strategy, process improvement, sales and data analytics in real estate, financial services, business services, and health care to help his clients double their revenue, time off and charitable giving.

Jerome is also a general partner in a multifamily real estate portfolio and serves on the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Entrepreneurship Advisory Board. 

In 2022, Jerome won the prestigious alumni achievement award for the North Carolina A and T State University College of Engineering where a fully endowed scholarship has been created in his family’s name.  A noted media expert, Jerome has been featured in Business Insider, Black Enterprise, Entrepreneur, Biznow, CBS, ABC, and Fox.

Jerome has interviewed numerous newly exited operators (NEOs) on his top-ranked Dreamcatchers podcast which provides inspiration, education, and direction to his audience of founders who are building companies to sell after they exit the “Matrix”.

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Protecting Yourself from a Bank Collapse: Silicon Valley Case (Ep. 15)

Protecting Yourself from a Bank Collapse: Silicon Valley Case (Ep. 15)

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After the Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse, a lot of people panicked and started doubting the stability of their own banks where they hold accounts.

What is the difference between investing in a bank and depositing in it? Are my deposits insured? What can I do if I fear that my bank will collapse?

In this episode, Josh Leonard addresses the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, what happened, and how it affected their clients and investors. He talks about how FDIC insurance works for our deposits, and what we can do to protect ourselves if our bank fails. Additionally, Josh explains high-yield savings accounts and how they give us good returns with our unused funds.

Josh discusses: 

  • The collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank and the factors leading to their failure
  • The difference between investing and depositing in a bank
  • How FDIC insurance can help protect your deposits
  • The importance of finding a diversified bank
  • High-yield savings accounts and some options for earning more interest on our unused money
  • And more!

Resources:

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Your Recession Survival Guide (Ep. 13)

Your Recession Survival Guide (Ep. 13)

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Have you been in a sticky situation where you needed to pay a large amount of money but did not have liquid assets on hand? With price increases on basic necessary items, it is time to start thinking smarter, not harder. 

In this episode, Josh Leonard outlines a number of saving strategies you can start incorporating into your daily life now, to combat the stressors that come with surviving the current recession. 

Josh discusses: 

  • Some key tips for saving your money while prices hike up
  • Rising along with interest rates – locking in higher retirement rates
  • The 10% rule you can use as a guide for all of your investments in your portfolio
  • And more

Resources:

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5 Hidden Year-End Tax Saving Strategies (Ep. 7)

5 Hidden Year-End Tax Saving Strategies (Ep. 7)

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2022 has been a challenging year, to say the least. From the war in Ukraine, inflation and elections to the downward shift in the market, there are a number of factors coming together, causing us to stress about our finances. Thankfully, the year is not over yet and we have a few effective strategies that might save you tax-free money. 

In this episode, Josh Leonard discusses five hidden tax-saving opportunities you may want to take advantage of before year-end.  

Josh dives into: 

  • How to get more tax-free money
  • Making savvy retirement planning moves
  • Being charitable, skipping your RMD, or getting rid of some qualified money
  • Bundling up the deductions as you make big money moves
  • Maximizing the current tax discounts
  • And more

Resources:

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