Really Simple Investing Podcast

In this podcast episode, I talk with Matt Paradise, author of "Financially Capable: A Friendly Guide to Building Whole Health Wealth" about the most important things you need to know about building a mindset for wealth.

Paradise shares his background and work in financial literacy education, emphasizing the importance of budgeting and financial accessibility. He has earned multiple licenses and certifications in the financial education field, including the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE©) Accredited Credit Counselor, Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF©), and Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist (CITRMS©).

Matt helped establish credit counseling and financial education departments with American Consumer Credit Counseling, which grew to support approximately 140 employees with an annual revenue in excess of $14 million. He is now an active board member leading the organization to greater growth.

A man of great faith, Matt has volunteered with multiple nonprofit boards.

Are you tired of living paycheck to paycheck and feeling financially stressed? Then listening in on this interview with Matt Paradise, author of "Financially Capable: A Friendly Guide to Building Whole Health Wealth" and an expert in financial literacy education may help. According to Matt, “73% of the people in the country feel an incredible amount of stress, right. Primarily because of their finances.”

As Matt says, "Personal finance is a personal matter." Let's take control of our finances and live a rich life in all aspects.”

Matt shares his personal story of how he got into the field of financial education and his passion for helping people get out of credit card debt and build a solid financial future. He also discusses the importance of budgeting and financial accessibility, especially in underserved communities.

Matt shared his non-linear journey into the field, helping people get out of credit card debt and bring financial literacy to underserved communities. He was instrumental in establishing the Massachusetts Financial Education Collaborative, which created standards for financial literacy education in K-12 schools.
In the interview he discusses the psychology of money, the importance of knowledge and education when building wealth, and the role of credit and debt management. Paradise's book provides strategies for building wealth and living a whole health wealth life, and he offers free resources on his website to promote accessible financial literacy.

Matt emphasized the importance of budgeting and financial accessibility, acknowledging that personal finance is not accessible to everyone, especially when considering race breakdowns in the United States.

Matt defines a rich life as one that includes physical, spiritual, and mental well-being, in addition to financial stability.

Matt also provided strategies for building wealth emphasizing the importance of knowledge and education.

📚His book, "Financially Capable", is available on Amazon in e-book, paperback, and hardcover formats, and he offers free resources on his website. Let's celebrate financial literacy and building a better financial future for ourselves!

We dive into the psychology of money and why some individuals may struggle with managing their finances while others do not. Matt emphasizes the importance of knowledge and education when it comes to building wealth and living a whole health wealth life.

We also touch on the topic of credit and debt management, with Matt providing valuable insights on how to build a good credit score and avoid debt.

When it comes to investing, Matt has some key points from behavioral finance to make:

“And investing being part of that is

Learn how to make investing simple for anyone and get on a path toward wealth.

Are you struggling with managing your finances while working in the service industry? Look no further than Barbara Sloan's book, "Tipped: The Life Change Guide to Financial Freedom for the Service Industry Employees."

This episode features an interview with Barbara Sloan. Barbara joins us with a background in the service industry, construction and working for a Wall Street Investing firm.

The conversation covers topics such as Barbara's background, her transition into the construction industry, and her advice for managing fluctuating income in the service industry. Barbara shares that she wrote a book to help people in the tipped industry manage their finances better. The book covers topics such as tracking income and expenses, emergency funds, retirement planning, and mindset. Floyd and Barbara also discuss the importance of financial literacy and simplifying investing for people.

In this episode of the Really Simple Investing podcast, Barbara shares her experiences working in the service industry and the lack of financial education available to workers. She emphasizes the importance of tracking income and expenses, and suggests looking to how businesses manage their finances for guidance.

But it's not just about managing day-to-day finances. Barbara also covers retirement planning and the benefits of tax-advantaged accounts like IRAs and brokerage accounts. She encourages people to prioritize their own financial well-being and shift their mindset to that of a saver or investor.

Beyond finances, Barbara's book covers topics like boundaries, environment, and mindset. She believes that it's possible to have a great life while doing what you love and retiring early.

If you're looking for a comprehensive guide to managing your finances and career in the service industry, be sure to check out Barbara's book, available in paperback, Kindle, and hardcover on Amazon. And you can learn all about it in the podcast.

Writing a book to help tipped industry workers [00:03:49] Barbara discusses what inspired her to write a book to help people in the tipped industry manage their finances better.

Barbara Sloan, 00:06:59, "you can't budget your way out of poverty".

Paid Time Off and Emergency Fund [00:09:07] Barbara talks about the lack of paid time off in the service industry and the importance of setting up an emergency fund.

Retirement Planning [00:12:07] Barbara emphasizes the need for retirement planning in the service industry and discusses the different types of retirement accounts available, including brokerage accounts and IRAs.

Barbara Sloan, 00:13:58 "I think a lot of people lose out on hope when they think about retirement and the way that I try to remind people to have hope that you can achieve a retirement on a low and middle income is the fact that you don't have to invest what somebody who earns six figures has to invest in order to maintain your lifestyle."

Creating a Common Language for Investing [00:18:00] Barbara discusses how financial services use jargon to intimidate people and how she uses analogies to make investing accessible.

Investing in Index Funds [00:20:02] Floyd and Barbara discuss the benefits of passive index funds, including Warren Buffet's recommendation to invest in the S&P stock fund.

Barbara's Book as a Career and Financial Guide [00:25:10] Floyd and Barbara discuss how her book is more than just a financial guide, but also a career guide and a roadmap to lifestyle design.

Planning for a Great Life Doing What You Love [00:26:11] Barbara talks about how her book can help people plan for a great life while doing what they love, even if it means staying in the service

Learn how to make investing simple for anyone and get on a path toward wealth.

Thanks for joining the Really Simple Investing podcast. This is our first season and in this episode we introduce many of the guests that are coming up in the future interviews.
But first be sure and subscribe, like, and follow the podcast so you don’t miss any of the episodes because we have several great interviews coming up.

At Really Simple Investing we have several basic concepts about investing that we think works really well for anyone who would like to invest and are unsure how to start.

In my book, Five Paths to Wealth, I discuss passive index funds and offer several suggestions for getting started using Exchange Traded Funds.

We have some great interviews coming up in season one of the podcast. I invite you to sign up for our newsletter at reallysimpleinvesting.com and subscribe so you don’t miss any of our great interviews.

Season One Guests include the following authors and money experts:

Marissa Greco-Reale is the author of How Real People Can Build Real Wealth In the interview we talk about using her 6-Step Prosperity Plan.

Daniel Sugar is the author of Trends, Trend Following & Trendlines a resource for those who are looking to take their investment portfolios to the next level and increase their earnings exponentially.
Marci Grossman is the Author of MoneyMarci’s Guide to Financial Literacy Which was created so Marci could help educate people how to take control of common money related decisions in their lives.

Mariah Hudler is a Certified Financial Therapist-I and holds both a Masters in Social Work, and an MBA and. Her self-published E-guide - You, Me & Money: A couple's quick start guide to building financial rhythm is the subject of our interview.

Author Dave Gretta the author of Night Trading. Dave and I will talk about how learning how to invest in the stock market is relevant and useful for years to come.

Barbara Sloan is the author of the book Tipped The guide to financial freedom for service industry professionals. We will talk about her book and her experiences as a waitress, bartender and now a financial coach.

Don Gleason is a Ramsey Financial Peace Coach, and uses those tools to help people get out of debt and investing for their future. We talk about his experiences helping people budget, save and invest for a better future.

Kathy Daoura is the publisher of the Biweekly Crypto Club Newsletter and a mom of 4 who started investing in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency and now her focus is on helping women who are worried they won’t have enough for retirement and their kids’ college savings, build wealth faster by investing with a bitcoin plan so they can provide better opportunities for their children and retire early.

Learn how to make investing simple for anyone and get on a path toward wealth.

Let's Talk with Dan Sugar the author of Trends, Trend Following & Trendlines. Do you think trading stocks, options, futures, currencies, commodities or even U.S. Treasuries are risky, complicated and not for you? Learn from Dan Sugar, a third generation trader and educator how to use four specific strategies to be a more successful trader. We cover a lot of topics in this interview, even how you can (and should) be both a long-term investor and a trader. We are talking day trading, swing trading, watching what the Federal Reserve is doing and how to make technical analysis for trading a lot easier.
Daniel Sugar, an experienced investor and trading mentor, is proud to announce the release of his new eBook “Trends, Trend Following & Trendlines.” This eBook will serve as a resource for those who are looking to take their investment portfolios to the next level and increase their earnings exponentially.
Dan covers what you need to know for for short-term traders and long-term investors and applies to all asset classes, including stocks, ETFs, futures, options, forex, and cryptocurrencies. Dan boils it down to four specific strategies: two for bull markets and up-trends, and two for bear markets and down-trends. The Book also covers how to identify macro-trends easily and draw trendlines accurately just like hedge funds, with specific entries, stops, and targets.
If you have a fear of trading, because it is just another language to learn and worry about losing money, Dan's approach is to start small with just small positions in stocks, ETFs, Futures, Options, Forex, even Cyptocurrencies. Once you can identify micro trends and how to draw a trendline you can start learning how to add profits to investments with just a few simple trading strategies. It's all hear in this interview. A great place to start, then you learn more from his easy to read book. Need more help, Dan has training programs available and you can even signup for one of his webinairs.

Learn how to make investing simple for anyone and get on a path toward wealth.

In this podcast we talk with Scott Smith, a real estate investor and asset protection attorney. Scott shares his journey into the legal field and how he got involved in real estate investing. He explains how he started investing in real estate while working as an attorney and eventually transitioned to full-time investing.

Scott Smith, with his background in law, realized the importance of asset protection while practicing as an attorney. He started investing in real estate to pay off his law school debts and found success in commercial properties. His goal wasn't just to become wealthy, but to achieve financial freedom that would allow him to pursue his passions, like mountain climbing and traveling.

Scott’s investment strategy, includes investing in commercial properties and syndications. Scott advises investors to focus on mastering one investment strategy before diversifying and to be cautious during market cycles.
Scott explains his initial focus on commercial properties and 1-to-4 rental unit buildings, and how his strategy evolved over time to primarily investing in syndication properties. He emphasizes the need to find experts in specific asset classes and diversify one's portfolio.

As Scott progressed, he shifted towards investing in syndication properties. He emphasizes the need to stay focused and master one lane of investing before branching out. Instead of syndicating his own deals, he works with syndication attorneys in his firm to help others structure their deals. By investing as a limited partner in specific asset like self-storage or gas stations, Scott diversifies his portfolio without the need for hands-on management.

One key takeaway from the episode is the importance of finding experts to invest in and the criteria for selecting them. Scott compares it to making a good hire as a business owner, highlighting the need for experience and a proven track record. Avoiding incorrect choices in investments not only prevents financial losses but also reduces high attrition rates.

When it comes to investing in syndication deals, Scott sheds light on the minimum cash amounts required. While he has seen syndications with minimum buy-ins around $50,000, he cautions against operators who are willing to accept less. Accepting lower amounts may indicate desperation on the operator's part, potentially leading to complications and challenges down the road.

Why Asset Protection Is Important
Asset protection, is a crucial aspect of maintaining and safeguarding wealth. Scott shares a personal story about a friend who lost $3 million in a lawsuit despite having insurance. This experience opened his eyes to the need for asset protection. He emphasizes that asset protection isn't limited to real estate deals but extends to partnerships, brokerage accounts, cash, and other assets.

Scott provides insights into retirement plans like IRAs and 401(k)s, explaining that while they offer some protection, they can still be vulnerable to lawsuits related to specific assets held within them. Scott also highlights the importance of estate planning and passing on wealth to future generations.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-royal-smith/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/royal_legal_law
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScottRoyalSmithRLS
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/royal.legal.solutions/
Website: https://royallegalsolutions.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RoyalLegalSolutions

Learn how to make investing simple for anyone and get on a path toward wealth.