Money On Tap

Hosted by Ben Brayshaw & Seth Krussman

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Hi, and welcome to "Money on Tap", your personal finance headquarters where we bring out the professionals, experience, and some fun in what we call 3 dimensional investing; utilizing insurance, brokerage, and fee-based planning. We believe all investments have merit, all investments have relevance and all investments have their time and place, depending on your goals and appetite for risk. On a weekly basis "Money on Tap" airs live in New England and is rebroadcast multiple times, as well as available on podcast. Our goal is to educate and debate the current relevant financial issues facing today's investors. As planners with Brayshaw Financial Group, LLC, we have over a century of experience among our planners, and find that many people simply cannot engage in healthy and constructive financial planning relationships due to the magnitude of the industry as a whole. As we educate and debate current topics and relate them to everyday concerns, we will help empower you to feel more confident and more aware as an investor. Mentioned on air: Our short sequence-of-returns risk video — watch it at brayshawfinancial.com .Read the companion blog: brayshawfinancial.com/blog Schedule a free consultation: app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsulta Full Money On Tap episode library: brayshawfinancial.com/money-on-tap Contact Us Phone: 855-226-8551 Email: info@yourmoneyontap.com Office: 116 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110 Web: brayshawfinancial.com

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November 4, 202656 min

The Financial Road Map, Part 2: The Distribution Phase

Last week we climbed the mountain. This week is the reason for the climb. Part 2 of the Financial Road Map series lands at the destination: the distribution phase — establishing foundational income, preserving your wealth, and leaving a legacy. Because building wealth is one challenge. Turning it into lasting financial security is an entirely different ball game. The paycheck stops, and suddenly the whole equation reverses: Which account do I draw from first? How do the taxes work? Why can I only pull 4 or 5% when I've been averaging more? We open with the exercise that clears every room — the budget — and why we only need two columns from you: core expenses and discretionary life. From there, the income gap math: if your lifestyle costs $100,000 and Social Security covers $50,000–$55,000, the missing $45,000–$50,000 per year has to come from somewhere. Foundational income is how we close that gap on purpose — a paycheck that shows up every month so the rest of your money stays invested for growth instead of being sold into down markets. That's the structural answer to sequence of returns risk, and the first five years of retirement are exactly when it matters most. Then the Social Security conversation most people never actually run the math on: why waiting to 70 is not automatically the prudent move, the 10-to-15-year break-even on delayed claiming, what those foregone checks could have been doing, survivorship strategy when one spouse's health history changes the odds — and why the Social Security Administration will tell you your options but will never advise you. Segment two walks straight into the retirement tax trap : RMDs arriving at 73 whether you need the income or not, inherited IRAs on the 10-year clock (and the year-ten explosion waiting for anyone who forgets), colliding distributions across spouses and inherited accounts, and the IRMAA surprise — the Medicare premium jump that can quietly eat an entire COLA increase. Plus the release valves: multi-year Roth conversion strategies that fill your bracket without spilling into the next one, and qualified charitable distributions — giving directly from your IRA, satisfying the RMD, and keeping it out of your taxable income entirely. Then the heavyweight risk: healthcare . A median nursing home private room now runs about $129,575 a year — more here in New England — and medical inflation outruns the CPI. We share the hard version of that story, including why long-term care planning is really about protecting the healthy spouse. And we close with the part people are surprised to enjoy: leaving a plan, not a puzzle . Why correctly named beneficiaries alone can prevent most of the damage, why the best estates happen when the inheritors understand the plan, and how charitable trusts, donor-advised funds, and QCDs turn a lifetime of work into a legacy with your story inside it. Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. Last week we planted it. This is the shade. Read the companion blog post: [FMG BLOG POST URL] Talk with us about your own road map — schedule at https://app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsulta, call 855-226-8551, or email info@yourmoneyontap.com. Money on Tap is your personal finance headquarters — three-dimensional investing with insurance, brokerage, and fee-based planning. Securities and advisory services offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Brayshaw Financial Group, LLC is independent of Osaic Wealth, Inc. Neither provides tax or legal advice. What is the distribution phase of retirement planning? It's the stage when you stop accumulating and start drawing income from what you built — and the whole equation reverses. The work centers on three jobs: establishing foundational income so your core expenses are covered by a predictable monthly paycheck (Social Security, pensions, dividends, annuity and income programs) and growth assets can stay invested through market cycles; preserving wealth against the retirement tax trap — RMDs at 73, inherited IRAs on the 10-year clock, and Medicare IRMAA tiers — with withdrawal sequencing, multi-year Roth conversions, and QCDs; and transferring a legacy deliberately, starting with correctly named beneficiaries. Leave a plan, not a puzzle: the best-executed estates are the ones the inheritors understood in advance.

October 30, 2026Episode 41856 min

The Financial Road Map, Part 1: The Accumulation Phase

New series. After four hundred shows on the individual pieces — income, taxes, insurance, Social Security, estate planning — we're stepping back to the 30,000-foot view: the Financial Road Map. Part 1 covers the accumulation phase: building and protecting wealth from your first paycheck to the retirement countdown. On this week's Money On Tap, we open the map. Your financial life runs in phases — accumulation, transition, distribution, and the wealth-transfer years — and the mistake isn't being behind on the road; it's treating planning like a light switch you flip at retirement. We start with the math that should change every 25-year-old's life ($500 a month at a hypothetical 7% is $1.3 million by 65 starting at 25 — and $609,000 starting just ten years later), then walk the accumulation checklist: capturing every matched dollar, the HSA triple threat, term insurance the moment you have an obligation, disability gaps and living-benefit riders, building wealth in the right tax wrappers (including the "rich man's Roth" — and the commission warning that comes with it), the estate documents every family needs before the advanced stuff, and the 50-to-65 retirement countdown: inflation, the tax wild card, sequence of returns risk, and foundational income. Part 2 next week: the distribution phase. What you'll learn: The four phases of your financial life — and how to use this series as an index to our library $1.3M vs. $609K vs. $260K: what a ten-year head start is actually worth Feeling behind? The two rules: relax, and don't lose another decade Free money first: the employer match too many people leave on the table The HSA triple threat — deductible in, tax-deferred growth, tax-free out for medical Why an untouched HSA can become your long-term care fund Term insurance for young families — and living-benefit riders for roughly 10–15% more Why a $2 million pre-tax account isn't really $2 million The Roth decision, Roth conversions, and the "rich man's Roth" done right The estate basics: wills, trusts, directives, powers of attorney — and the Thanksgiving-table test The retirement countdown: inflation, the tax wild card, and sequence of returns risk Foundational income: the paycheck structure that lets growth assets ride out down markets Plus Money In The News: Washington floats expanding "Trump accounts" beyond newborns — and opening them to gifted stock CNBC: the $50 sports bet that's really a $750 bet by age 65 Musk floats a Tesla–SpaceX merger as both companies form special committees Want to go deeper on any stop on the map? Email us at info@yourmoneyontap.com for our white papers — the library runs deep. Read our most recent Blog Post on this topic here: https://www.fmgwebsites.com/d772de05-9833-44e4-9676-f510f85cef74/blog/the-financial-road-map-part-1-the-accumulation-phase Schedule a free consultation: https://app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsulta Browse the full Money On Tap library: https://www.brayshawfinancial.com/money-on-tap Contact Us Phone: 855-226-8551 Email: info@yourmoneyontap.com Office: 116 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110 Web: brayshawfinancial.com Securities and advisory services offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. All other services offered through Brayshaw Financial Group, LLC are independent of Osaic Wealth, Inc. Osaic Wealth, Inc. and Brayshaw Financial Group do not provide tax or legal advice. Growth figures use hypothetical returns for illustration only. Life insurance guarantees are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurer; policy loans and withdrawals reduce cash value and death benefit and may cause a policy to lapse; indexed universal life is not suitable for everyone. HSA advantages apply to qualified contributions and medical withdrawals. Roth conversions are taxable events. Annuity guarantees are backed by the issuing insurer. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. What is the distribution phase of retirement planning? It's the stage when you stop accumulating and start drawing income from what you built — and the whole equation reverses. The work centers on three jobs: establishing foundational income so your core expenses are covered by a predictable monthly paycheck (Social Security, pensions, dividends, annuity and income programs) and growth assets can stay invested through market cycles; preserving wealth against the retirement tax trap — RMDs at 73, inherited IRAs on the 10-year clock, and Medicare IRMAA tiers — with withdrawal sequencing, multi-year Roth conversions, and QCDs; and transferring a legacy deliberately, starting with correctly named beneficiaries. Leave a plan, not a puzzle: the best-executed estates are the ones the inheritors understood in advance.

October 13, 2026Episode 41756 min

Protecting Your Retirement From Financial Predators

If a stranger wanted to steal $100,000 from you, how would they do it? Not by hacking your account — by fooling you about who they are. This week we open our own case files (including the scam call that nearly got one of us this summer) and hand you the FEARS test: the five levers behind nearly every fraud, and the habits that defeat them. On this week's Money On Tap, we take on both sides of the predator world. First, the scam calls: the FEARS test — Fear, Emotion, Authority, Rush, Secrecy — with the real story of the "sheriff's deputy," the missed jury duty, the official-looking DOJ paperwork, and the prepaid-bail ask that finally gave it away after more than an hour. Then the investment predators: guaranteed returns, fake websites with fake testimonials, cryptocurrency and wire-transfer demands, private deals with hidden personal guarantees — and the licensed professionals who sell legitimate products unsuitably. We close with the new wave — AI deepfakes and cloned voices — the family safety word that defeats them, and the first-hour response plan if you or someone you love gets taken. What you'll learn: Why even trained professionals nearly fall for these — and why embarrassment is the scammer's best friend The setup lines: compromised accounts, grandchildren in trouble, the IRS, and the "recovery" scam The FEARS test: Fear, Emotion, Authority, Rush, Secrecy — your card to keep by the phone The one habit that defeats almost everything: hang up and call back on a number YOU find Investment red flags: guaranteed returns, crypto payments, wire transfers, glowing testimonials The double whammy: taxes and penalties on the retirement money you were robbed of Private deals: the $50,000 investment carrying a $1.2 million personal guarantee FINRA BrokerCheck: the five-minute background check on anyone with a license When the predator has a license: unsuitable annuities and portfolios that serve the commission AI deepfakes and cloned voices — and the family safety word that beats them The first hour if it happens: stop, call the institution, change every password, identitytheft.gov Plus Money In The News: Colleges are slashing tuition as students balk at soaring costs Bill Gates says companies using AI robots should pay FICA taxes Buffett's $863 million "secret portfolio" makes a move — and the only investment he's ever actually recommended Want this week's white paper — the full FEARS test, scam red-flag lists, and the first-hour response plan? Email us at info@yourmoneyontap.com and we'll send it over. Read our most recent Blog Post on this topic here: https://www.fmgwebsites.com/d772de05-9833-44e4-9676-f510f85cef74/blog/protecting-your-retirement-from-financial-predators-the-fears-test Schedule a free consultation: https://app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsulta Browse the full Money On Tap library: https://www.brayshawfinancial.com/money-on-tap Contact Us Phone: 855-226-8551 Email: info@yourmoneyontap.com Office: 116 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110 Web: brayshawfinancial.com Securities and advisory services offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. All other services offered through Brayshaw Financial Group, LLC are independent of Osaic Wealth, Inc. Osaic Wealth, Inc. and Brayshaw Financial Group do not provide tax or legal advice. Fraud statistics are reported figures as of the air date and likely understate actual losses; anecdotes are retold with identifying details removed. No fraud-prevention practice can guarantee protection against all scams. Retirement account withdrawals may be subject to income taxes and, before age 59½, an additional 10% federal penalty. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. What is the distribution phase of retirement planning? It's the stage when you stop accumulating and start drawing income from what you built — and the whole equation reverses. The work centers on three jobs: establishing foundational income so your core expenses are covered by a predictable monthly paycheck (Social Security, pensions, dividends, annuity and income programs) and growth assets can stay invested through market cycles; preserving wealth against the retirement tax trap — RMDs at 73, inherited IRAs on the 10-year clock, and Medicare IRMAA tiers — with withdrawal sequencing, multi-year Roth conversions, and QCDs; and transferring a legacy deliberately, starting with correctly named beneficiaries. Leave a plan, not a puzzle: the best-executed estates are the ones the inheritors understood in advance.

October 2, 2026Episode 41656 min

It's Retirement: What Could Go Wrong?

Retirement should be simple: you worked, you saved, you stop working, you spend. Except the mistakes people make in this one transition can be the kind you don't recover from. This week we walk through eight of them — the ones we've actually watched happen — so you can see them coming. On this week's Money On Tap, we start with the frame that changes everything: retirement success isn't about how much you've accumulated — it's how intelligently you manage the money after the paycheck stops. We walk the eight mistakes in order: treating retirement like the accumulation years (two retirees, same million dollars, completely different outcomes), taking too much risk or too little, ignoring sequence of returns risk and the brutal math behind it, claiming Social Security without a strategy, assuming taxes will automatically be lower in retirement, using a withdrawal rule instead of an income plan, underestimating healthcare and long-term care, and helping family at the expense of your own retirement — including the $100,000 gift that really costs $321,000. The thread running through all of it: segment your money by when you'll need it, cover foundational expenses with predictable income, and let your long-term money grow without income pressure. What you'll learn: The mindset shift from accumulation to distribution — and the light switch people forget to flip Retiree A vs. Retiree B: why the same downturn ruins one and barely touches the other Foundational expenses first: the floor your income plan gets built on Too much risk, too little risk, and the over-diversified portfolio that never moves Longevity, inflation, and reinvestment risk — the three that sneak The bucket strategy: harvesting market highs instead of selling lows Sequence of returns: why a 10% loss plus a withdrawal needs a 24% recovery Social Security timing: the $1,700-a-month spread, spousal strategy, and the break-even math The retirement tax stack: RMDs, Social Security taxation, IRMAA, and the Roth conversion window Go-go, slow-go, and no-go years — why no flat rule fits all three Healthcare's real price tag — and pricing long-term care before it prices you The family gift math every generous parent should run first Plus Money In The News: The US economy grows faster than expected in Q2 — and why it doesn't change the price of milk The Wall Street Journal stress-tests the 4% rule: what finally broke it Apple's smart home hub debuts October 13 — and what all that convenience knows about you Want this week's white paper — the full list of retirement mistakes, including the ones we couldn't fit on air? Email us at info@yourmoneyontap.com and we'll send it over. Read our most recent Blog Post on this topic here: https://www.fmgwebsites.com/d772de05-9833-44e4-9676-f510f85cef74/blog/its-retirement-what-could-go-wrong-eight-mistakes-to-avoid Schedule a free consultation: https://app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsulta Browse the full Money On Tap library: https://www.brayshawfinancial.com/money-on-tap Contact Us Phone: 855-226-8551 Email: info@yourmoneyontap.com Office: 116 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110 Web: brayshawfinancial.com Securities and advisory services offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. All other services offered through Brayshaw Financial Group, LLC are independent of Osaic Wealth, Inc. Osaic Wealth, Inc. and Brayshaw Financial Group do not provide tax or legal advice. Hypothetical examples are for illustrative purposes only. Social Security, tax, and Medicare strategies depend on individual circumstances and current program rules. Annuity and insurance guarantees are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurer. Third-party figures are approximate as of the air date and subject to change. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. What is the distribution phase of retirement planning? It's the stage when you stop accumulating and start drawing income from what you built — and the whole equation reverses. The work centers on three jobs: establishing foundational income so your core expenses are covered by a predictable monthly paycheck (Social Security, pensions, dividends, annuity and income programs) and growth assets can stay invested through market cycles; preserving wealth against the retirement tax trap — RMDs at 73, inherited IRAs on the 10-year clock, and Medicare IRMAA tiers — with withdrawal sequencing, multi-year Roth conversions, and QCDs; and transferring a legacy deliberately, starting with correctly named beneficiaries. Leave a plan, not a puzzle: the best-executed estates are the ones the inheritors understood in advance.

September 25, 2026Episode 41556 min

Family Generosity: Help Without the Hurt

One of the hardest financial decisions you'll ever face isn't how to make your money grow — it's what to do when someone you love needs it. This week we take on the show that's long overdue: helping family with money without hurting them, your relationships, or your own retirement. On this week's Money On Tap, we combine the two things people are most emotional about — loved ones and money — and walk through how to help from strength instead of hope. It starts with the oxygen mask principle: secure your own financial stability first, because two people going downhill financially is not a rescue. From there we get practical: the questions to ask before any check gets written (emergency or recurring problem? give, lend, or pay directly?), why where the money comes from can double the cost of the same act of love, and a college approach that teaches kids to swim instead of holding them up forever. We cover the sandwich generation and why a parent's ask for time carries real financial cost, the special needs planning traps that can accidentally cost a loved one their benefits, and the gift-versus-loan playbook — documentation, matching, the enforcement question, and the case for sometimes just saying "forget about it." What you'll learn: The first questions: give it, lend it, or pay the expense directly? Emergency or recurring problem — and why the answer changes everything The oxygen mask principle: protecting your retirement isn't selfish Your real number: income need and genuine surplus, not net worth Why retirement account withdrawals can double the cost of helping College help that teaches: hard dollar amounts, real responsibility "You can't take a loan out to retire on — but a kid can for tuition" Treating children fairly when circumstances won't cooperate The sandwich generation: when they ask for time, not money Special needs planning: ABLE accounts, trusts, and the beneficiary-form trap Gift, loan, match, or direct payment — and the loan-as-gift mindset Using your planner as the excuse — and when to just forgive the loan Plus Money In The News: Medicare's projected 2027 changes — why this enrollment season demands real homework Warren Buffett steps down as Berkshire chairman at 96 — the lessons and quotes he leaves behind Retirees are fleeing to no-tax states in search of financial heaven — and don't always find it Want this week's white paper — the Family Financial Assistance Stress Test? Email us at info@yourmoneyontap.com and we'll send it over. Read our most recent Blog Post on this topic here: https://www.fmgwebsites.com/d772de05-9833-44e4-9676-f510f85cef74/blog/family-generosity-help-without-the-hurt-the-oxygen-mask-principle Schedule a free consultation: https://app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsulta Browse the full Money On Tap library: https://www.brayshawfinancial.com/money-on-tap Contact Us Phone: 855-226-8551 Email: info@yourmoneyontap.com Office: 116 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110 Web: brayshawfinancial.com Securities and advisory services offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. All other services offered through Brayshaw Financial Group, LLC are independent of Osaic Wealth, Inc. Osaic Wealth, Inc. and Brayshaw Financial Group do not provide tax or legal advice. Retirement account withdrawals may be subject to income taxes and, before age 59½, an additional 10% federal penalty. ABLE accounts, trusts, and public benefit programs are subject to federal and state eligibility rules that vary and change — coordinate with qualified legal and tax professionals. Medicare figures referenced are projections as of the air date and subject to change. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. What is the distribution phase of retirement planning? It's the stage when you stop accumulating and start drawing income from what you built — and the whole equation reverses. The work centers on three jobs: establishing foundational income so your core expenses are covered by a predictable monthly paycheck (Social Security, pensions, dividends, annuity and income programs) and growth assets can stay invested through market cycles; preserving wealth against the retirement tax trap — RMDs at 73, inherited IRAs on the 10-year clock, and Medicare IRMAA tiers — with withdrawal sequencing, multi-year Roth conversions, and QCDs; and transferring a legacy deliberately, starting with correctly named beneficiaries. Leave a plan, not a puzzle: the best-executed estates are the ones the inheritors understood in advance.

September 17, 2026Episode 41456 min

When a Great Company Is a Bad Buy

A wonderful company can still be a terrible investment if you pay too much for it. This week is a notepad show: we hand you the value investor's vocabulary — economic moats, dividend aristocrats and kings, fair value, free cash flow, payout ratios — in plain English, so the next research note you read actually makes sense. On this week's Money On Tap, we start with the advice everybody's grandfather gave — "if you like the product, buy the stock" — and complete it, because the price you pay matters just as much as the business you buy. We walk through the four questions behind every great investment, then build the toolkit: the economic moat and its five sources (network effects, intangible assets, switching costs, cost advantage, efficient scale), why a wide moat can still come with an overpriced stock, and what a fair value estimate does — and doesn't — promise. Then dividend royalty — aristocrats and kings — and why dividend history is evidence, not insurance. Then the number behind every dividend — free cash flow per share — and the payout ratio test that tells you whether a dividend is funded or borrowed. We close with the reason all of this matters right now: at just 3% inflation, an $80,000 lifestyle needs about $145,000 in twenty years, and value and dividend investing is one of the strongest tools for fighting that math. What you'll learn: The four questions behind every great investment The economic moat — and the 20-year bar behind a "wide moat" rating Five moat sources: network effects, intangibles, switching costs, cost advantage, efficient scale Why a wide moat and an overpriced stock can be the same company Fair value vs. stock price — and why the gap is not a promised gain A live case study: a beaten-down household name and the homework that decides it Dividend aristocrats and kings — and why history is evidence, not insurance Free cash flow per share: the test that shows whether a dividend is real Payout ratios, buybacks, and debt paydown — how good allocation rewards you twice The inflation math that makes value and dividend investing matter right now Plus Money In The News: A new Fed chair signals the first rate hike since 2023 as the 10-year tops 5% Costco's Kirkland motor oil jumps from the low $30s to $58 — with a purchase limit BlackRock's plan to make your 401(k) feel like a pension Want this week's white paper — the Value Investor's Checklist? Email us at info@yourmoneyontap.com and we'll send it over. Read our most recent Blog Post on this topic here: https://www.fmgwebsites.com/d772de05-9833-44e4-9676-f510f85cef74/blog/when-a-great-company-is-a-bad-buy-the-value-investors-vocabulary Schedule a free consultation: https://app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsulta Browse the full Money On Tap library: https://www.brayshawfinancial.com/money-on-tap Contact Us Phone: 855-226-8551 Email: info@yourmoneyontap.com Office: 116 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110 Web: brayshawfinancial.com Securities and advisory services offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. All other services offered through Brayshaw Financial Group, LLC are independent of Osaic Wealth, Inc. Osaic Wealth, Inc. and Brayshaw Financial Group do not provide tax or legal advice. Companies referenced are for illustrative and educational purposes only and are not recommendations to buy or sell any security; Brayshaw Financial Group and/or its clients may hold positions in securities discussed on the show. Dividend payments are not guaranteed and may be reduced or eliminated at any time. Moat ratings and fair value figures are third-party analyst estimates, subject to change, and are not predictions of performance. Figures cited are approximate as of the air date and subject to change. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. What is the distribution phase of retirement planning? It's the stage when you stop accumulating and start drawing income from what you built — and the whole equation reverses. The work centers on three jobs: establishing foundational income so your core expenses are covered by a predictable monthly paycheck (Social Security, pensions, dividends, annuity and income programs) and growth assets can stay invested through market cycles; preserving wealth against the retirement tax trap — RMDs at 73, inherited IRAs on the 10-year clock, and Medicare IRMAA tiers — with withdrawal sequencing, multi-year Roth conversions, and QCDs; and transferring a legacy deliberately, starting with correctly named beneficiaries. Leave a plan, not a puzzle: the best-executed estates are the ones the inheritors understood in advance.

September 12, 2026Episode 41356 min

Inflation Isn't Dead... But Where Is It Coming From?

The Fed says inflation is running 2 to 3 percent. The checkout counter says otherwise. This week we close the gap between the number they report and the number you live — where inflation is actually coming from, why prices are never going back down, and the four levers retirees can pull to fight the affordability squeeze. On this week's Money On Tap, we start with the distinction that changes everything: inflation is the rate at which prices rise, but affordability is the level of prices you have to live with — and when $100 becomes $125, a "cooling" inflation rate just means the new price grows slower. We follow the money to where the pressure really comes from: oil, the one commodity in every leg of the delivery chain (with diesel up roughly 24%); shelter costs that stack rent, insurance, property taxes, maintenance, and utilities; shrinkflation's not-quite-a-gallon gallon; tariffs that raised prices which never came back down; and healthcare — the retirement inflation almost nobody prices, from Medicare premiums to long-term care that can run five figures a month after Medicare steps away. Then we get practical: what inflation rate to actually stress-test your plan against, and the four ways to fight back — the right equities, bonds honestly reconsidered, annuities for the problem they truly solve, and the most powerful lever of all, tax mitigation. What you'll learn: Inflation vs. affordability — why "rates are cooling" never means prices are coming down Watch the barrel: why oil is the truest inflation gauge in your life What retirees actually buy — and how much of it the CPI undercounts Shrinkflation: the quiet second tax at the same sticker price How tariffs raised prices that stayed raised Healthcare as retirement inflation: premiums, prescriptions, and the long-term care cliff What inflation rate to stress-test your plan against (hint: not 2–3%) Lever 1 — the right equities: pricing power, free cash flow, low debt, real dividends Lever 2 — bonds reconsidered: the 4–5% risk-free window, and what rate cuts would do Lever 3 — annuities and longevity risk: guaranteed income pays the bills, the portfolio fights inflation Lever 4 — tax mitigation: keeping more of every distribution at century-low rates Plus Money In The News: 401(k) savers set records — balances up 10.5% in Q2, but a fifth of participants carry loans Inside Apple's first launch event under its new CEO: the $1,999 foldable iPhone and "personal intelligence" The AI boom and tariff uncertainty push copper to record highs Want this week's white paper — seven things retirees can actually do about inflation? Email us at info@yourmoneyontap.com and we'll send it over. Read our most recent Blog Post on this topic here: https://www.fmgwebsites.com/d772de05-9833-44e4-9676-f510f85cef74/blog/inflation-isnt-dead-where-its-coming-from-and-how-retirees-fight-back Schedule a free consultation: https://app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsulta Browse the full Money On Tap library: https://www.brayshawfinancial.com/money-on-tap Contact Us Phone: 855-226-8551 Email: info@yourmoneyontap.com Office: 116 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110 Web: brayshawfinancial.com Securities and advisory services offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. All other services offered through Brayshaw Financial Group, LLC are independent of Osaic Wealth, Inc. Osaic Wealth, Inc. and Brayshaw Financial Group do not provide tax or legal advice. Annuity guarantees are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurer. Figures cited are approximate as of the air date, drawn from sources believed reliable, and subject to change; alternative inflation measures are unofficial. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. What is the distribution phase of retirement planning? It's the stage when you stop accumulating and start drawing income from what you built — and the whole equation reverses. The work centers on three jobs: establishing foundational income so your core expenses are covered by a predictable monthly paycheck (Social Security, pensions, dividends, annuity and income programs) and growth assets can stay invested through market cycles; preserving wealth against the retirement tax trap — RMDs at 73, inherited IRAs on the 10-year clock, and Medicare IRMAA tiers — with withdrawal sequencing, multi-year Roth conversions, and QCDs; and transferring a legacy deliberately, starting with correctly named beneficiaries. Leave a plan, not a puzzle: the best-executed estates are the ones the inheritors understood in advance.

September 9, 2026Episode 41256 min

Uncle Sam's IOU...and Your Retirement

America just officially crossed $40 trillion in national debt. Everyone's talking about the number — almost nobody's talking about what it means for your taxes, your income, and your ability to retire. This week we dig into Uncle Sam's IOU and how to build a retirement that can withstand it. The debt isn't a reason to panic. It's a reason to prepare. On this week's Money On Tap, we break down how we got here — structural deficits across every administration, roughly $100 trillion more in unfunded liabilities, and debt service now among the largest line items in the federal budget — and why the fallout runs straight through your retirement plan. We make the case that taxes are already rising in plain sight (today's rates are among the lowest in 100 years, and bracket creep is a quiet raise nobody voted on), walk through the inflation math that can leave a retiree needing nearly twice as much money over 20 years, and then get practical: the stocks that win in a high-debt world, the dividend traps to avoid, bonds versus bond funds, when an annuity is a foundation instead of a product pitch, cash that actually earns near 4%, and the debt-resistant retirement portfolio, layer by layer. What you'll learn: How we got to $40 trillion — and why the blame is thoroughly bipartisan The numbers that matter: debt past 100% of GDP, deficits near 6% of GDP, and ~$1.9 trillion in debt service Why taxes are historically low today — and how bracket creep raises them without a vote The retiree math: 2% vs. 4% inflation over 20 years, and why it's about income, not a number Sequence of returns risk — the reason a 9% average doesn't mean an 8% withdrawal Stocks for a high-debt world: low debt, strong free cash flow, moats, and sustainable dividends Dividend traps: when a high yield is a warning sign, not an opportunity Bonds vs. bond funds — and why owning to maturity changes the math Winners and losers if rates stay high, from banks and insurers to non-traded REITs Annuities done right: guaranteed income for core expenses so the rest can ride The debt-resistant portfolio: guaranteed income, safety, quality dividends, growth, inflation protection, and working cash Plus Money In The News: Meta reaches an $18 billion settlement with 48 states over child-safety claims — default screen-time limits included Five smart ways to use high-yield savings accounts paying near 4% while banks average 0.38% Why the bond market may be resetting expectations about U.S. debt Want a white paper on this week's topic? Email us at info@yourmoneyontap.com and we'll send it over. Read our most recent Blog Post on this topic here: https://www.fmgwebsites.com/d772de05-9833-44e4-9676-f510f85cef74/blog/uncle-sams-iou-and-your-retirement-building-a-debt-resistant-portfolio Schedule a free consultation: https://app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsulta Browse the full Money On Tap library: https://www.brayshawfinancial.com/money-on-tap Contact Us Phone: 855-226-8551 Email: info@yourmoneyontap.com Office: 116 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110 Web: brayshawfinancial.com Securities and advisory services offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. All other services offered through Brayshaw Financial Group, LLC are independent of Osaic Wealth, Inc. Osaic Wealth, Inc. and Brayshaw Financial Group do not provide tax or legal advice. Annuity guarantees are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurer. Figures cited are approximate as of the air date, drawn from sources believed reliable, and subject to change. Hypothetical examples are for illustrative purposes only. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. What is the distribution phase of retirement planning? It's the stage when you stop accumulating and start drawing income from what you built — and the whole equation reverses. The work centers on three jobs: establishing foundational income so your core expenses are covered by a predictable monthly paycheck (Social Security, pensions, dividends, annuity and income programs) and growth assets can stay invested through market cycles; preserving wealth against the retirement tax trap — RMDs at 73, inherited IRAs on the 10-year clock, and Medicare IRMAA tiers — with withdrawal sequencing, multi-year Roth conversions, and QCDs; and transferring a legacy deliberately, starting with correctly named beneficiaries. Leave a plan, not a puzzle: the best-executed estates are the ones the inheritors understood in advance.

September 4, 2026Episode 41156 min

Be Estate Ready

"I have a will. I think it's good." This week we explain why that sentence almost always means "I don't really know" — and walk through exactly what it takes to be estate ready, so the wealth you leave behind improves the next generation instead of tearing it apart. On this week's Money On Tap, we get into the uncomfortable truth of estate planning: the beneficiary form on an account supersedes your will, and the company holding the asset will pay whoever is named on it — period. We break down the four buckets every asset passes through (will-controlled assets, beneficiary designations, joint ownership, and trusts), the dollars-vs-percentages trap that quietly rewrites your intentions when an estate shrinks, per stirpes vs. per capita in plain English, and the beneficiary mistakes we see over and over — the ex-spouse still listed, the missing contingents, the minor named directly, the fifteen-year-old trust nobody reread. Then we get practical: the life-event red flags that should trigger a review, the master file your family needs (including your digital assets and passwords), the documents beyond the money — power of attorney, healthcare proxy, advance directive — and why preparing your heirs matters as much as preparing the paperwork. We close with the 10 questions to answer before you ever say "my estate plan is done." What you'll learn: Why the beneficiary designation beats the will — and what custodians actually do when there's a dispute The four buckets of estate planning: will, beneficiary designations, ownership, and trusts The joint-account trap: why the surviving owner gets 100%, no matter what you intended Dollars vs. percentages: how a shrinking estate rewrites your legacy math Per stirpes vs. per capita — and why the company's default, not your intent, is what executes The mistakes we see constantly: ex-spouses still listed, deceased beneficiaries, no contingents, minors named directly The life-event red flags that demand a beneficiary review The master file: what your family needs to find, from account lists to digital passwords Beyond the money: power of attorney, healthcare proxy, and advance directives Preparing heirs emotionally and financially — why a $1M 401(k) inheritance can feel like a tax bill The 10 questions to answer before you say "I'm done" Plus Money In The News: Moderna shares double on a successful mRNA cancer vaccine — a personalized melanoma breakthrough with Merck The hidden Roth conversion window through 2028: the senior deduction, the brackets, and the IRMAA trap National debt nears $40 trillion — and Bank of America's warning for bond investors Want a white paper on this week's topic? Email us at info@yourmoneyontap.com and we'll send it over. Read our most recent Blog Post on this topic here: https://www.fmgwebsites.com/d772de05-9833-44e4-9676-f510f85cef74/blog/be-estate-ready-the-four-buckets-your-will-doesnt-control Schedule a free consultation: https://app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsulta Browse the full Money On Tap library: https://www.brayshawfinancial.com/money-on-tap Contact Us Phone: 855-226-8551 Email: info@yourmoneyontap.com Office: 116 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110 Web: brayshawfinancial.com Securities and advisory services offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. All other services offered through Brayshaw Financial Group, LLC are independent of Osaic Wealth, Inc. Osaic Wealth, Inc. and Brayshaw Financial Group do not provide tax or legal advice. Estate planning involves legal and tax considerations that vary by state and individual situation — coordinate with your attorney and CPA. Examples are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. What is the distribution phase of retirement planning? It's the stage when you stop accumulating and start drawing income from what you built — and the whole equation reverses. The work centers on three jobs: establishing foundational income so your core expenses are covered by a predictable monthly paycheck (Social Security, pensions, dividends, annuity and income programs) and growth assets can stay invested through market cycles; preserving wealth against the retirement tax trap — RMDs at 73, inherited IRAs on the 10-year clock, and Medicare IRMAA tiers — with withdrawal sequencing, multi-year Roth conversions, and QCDs; and transferring a legacy deliberately, starting with correctly named beneficiaries. Leave a plan, not a puzzle: the best-executed estates are the ones the inheritors understood in advance.

August 7, 2026Episode 41056 min

The Return of Value Investing

Value investing spent fifteen years out of fashion. This year, it's beating the index almost everywhere you look — energy up roughly 20%, industrials 17%, healthcare 15%, utilities 14%, financials 12% — while the S&P 500 sits near 8–9%. This week we dig into the return of value investing and what the greatest investors of all time can teach us right now. On this week's Money On Tap, we go deep on the tradition that runs from Benjamin Graham through Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger: buying good businesses at sensible prices, collecting the dividends they pay you, and letting compounding do the heavy lifting. We explain why value went dark from roughly 2009 to 2025 — cheap money was rocket fuel for growth stocks — and why higher interest rates have flipped the script: growth borrows, value pays you. We connect the rotation to worn-out tech traders taking gains, the 401(k) flywheel, and the demographic engine underneath it all — roughly 10,000 baby boomers reaching retirement age every day, all needing present-day income. Plus Pepsi's 53-year dividend streak and a candid conversation about when mutual funds and ETFs stop making sense and direct stock ownership starts. What you'll learn: The sector scoreboard: energy ~20%, industrials ~17%, healthcare ~15%, utilities ~14%, financials ~12%, staples ~9% — vs. the S&P 500 near 8–9% Graham vs. Buffett: buy cheap and sell at fair value, or buy outstanding businesses and hold for decades Munger's rule: "The big money is not in the buying or the selling, but in the waiting" Why low interest rates buried value for fifteen years — and why higher rates brought it back Margin of safety: the idea that protects you when you're wrong Why money is rotating into companies that pay you to own them — dividends over promises The demographic engine: 10,000 boomers a day retiring and the demand for present-day income The compounding story: Buffett's American Express dividends now exceed his entire original investment — every year When funds stop making sense: the case for direct stock ownership at higher net worth Plus Money In The News: SpaceX says it's coming for AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile customers — but does satellite cell service actually work? The Treasury has refunded $100 billion in invalidated tariff revenue to companies — and none of it is coming back to you A tale of two housing markets: luxury demand surges while starter-home buyers finally see inventory Want a white paper on this week's topic? Email us at info@yourmoneyontap.com and we'll send it over. Read our most recent Blog Post on this topic here: https://www.fmgwebsites.com/d772de05-9833-44e4-9676-f510f85cef74/blog/the-return-of-value-investing-why-boring-profitable-companies-are-winnin Schedule a free consultation: https://app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsulta Browse the full Money On Tap library: https://www.brayshawfinancial.com/money-on-tap Contact Us Phone: 855-226-8551 Email: info@yourmoneyontap.com Office: 116 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110 Web: brayshawfinancial.com Securities and advisory services offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. All other services offered through Brayshaw Financial Group, LLC are independent of Osaic Wealth, Inc. Osaic Wealth, Inc. and Brayshaw Financial Group do not provide tax or legal advice. Index and sector figures cited are approximate year-to-date values as of the air date, drawn from sources believed reliable, and subject to change. Dividend payments are not guaranteed and may be reduced or eliminated at any time. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. What is the distribution phase of retirement planning? It's the stage when you stop accumulating and start drawing income from what you built — and the whole equation reverses. The work centers on three jobs: establishing foundational income so your core expenses are covered by a predictable monthly paycheck (Social Security, pensions, dividends, annuity and income programs) and growth assets can stay invested through market cycles; preserving wealth against the retirement tax trap — RMDs at 73, inherited IRAs on the 10-year clock, and Medicare IRMAA tiers — with withdrawal sequencing, multi-year Roth conversions, and QCDs; and transferring a legacy deliberately, starting with correctly named beneficiaries. Leave a plan, not a puzzle: the best-executed estates are the ones the inheritors understood in advance.