podcasts
Make Wealth Building Part of Your Daily Routine
Every episode gives you the kind of financial understanding that changes the decisions you make, the way you think about wealth, and the future you are building toward.
What Homeowners Get Wrong About Their Home Equity
Americans are sitting on nearly $36 TRILLION in home equity. That's trillion with a T! But here's my question: Is all that equity making American families financially stronger, or are we making some very expensive mistakes with it?
The Retirement Clock Is Ticking: When Is Enough, Enough?
I want to begin today's program with a question I've asked countless clients throughout my 36-year career.
What are you waiting for?
You've worked for 35 or 40 years. You've raised your family, paid your bills, put your children through college, saved your money, and invested for retirement.
Now you're 65, maybe 67, maybe even 70 years old.
You've accumulated a substantial retirement portfolio. Your house may be paid off. Social Security is available. And your financial plan tells us you have enough money to retire comfortably.
But you keep working.
Why?
Maybe I'll work another year. Maybe I'll wait until the market improves. Maybe I'll wait until I have another $200,000 saved.
And here's what I often tell people:
You can always make more money. But you cannot make more time.
Today's show isn't simply about retirement planning. It's about life planning.
Because the biggest retirement mistake might not be running out of money.
It might be running out of time before you ever get to enjoy it.
The 20% Test: Could Your Portfolio Survive A Bear Market?
The market sold off today.
Technology stocks led the decline, the Nasdaq took the brunt of the damage, and investors are once again being reminded that markets do not travel in a straight line.
But I don’t want to spend today predicting whether Monday will be green or red.
I want to ask a much more important question.
What would you do if the market fell 20%?
The Buyer Qualified-But The House Didn't
Opening Monologue
Imagine spending months preparing to buy a home.
You improve your credit.
You save the down payment.
You provide tax returns, bank statements and pay stubs.
The lender reviews everything and gives you a preapproval.
Then you find the house.
It has the right location, the right floor plan and enough room for your family. You write the offer, the seller accepts it and you begin imagining your life in the home.
Then the telephone rings.
There is a problem with the financing.
Your income hasn’t changed.
Your credit score hasn’t fallen.
You haven’t purchased a new truck or opened another credit card.
The problem isn’t you.
The problem is the house.
This is something many homebuyers do not understand. A mortgage lender does not simply approve a borrower. The lender must approve the borrower, the loan program and the property securing the loan.
A preapproval primarily tells you that your income, assets, debts and credit appear to satisfy certain requirements based upon the information reviewed at that time.
It does not guarantee that every property you select will qualify for financing.
The appraisal might come in below the purchase price.
The appraiser may identify repairs required by the loan program.
The property may have an unpermitted addition that cannot be included in the value.
An accessory dwelling unit may not be a legally permitted rental.
A solar lease may add another monthly obligation to the buyer’s qualification.
The homeowners association may have inadequate insurance, pending litigation, excessive delinquencies or a large special assessment.
The roof may be too old for an insurance company to accept.
The property may sit in a wildfire or flood-risk area where adequate insurance is unavailable or prohibitively expensive.
The buyer can be perfectly qualified—and the property can still fail.
That possibility is especially important today. Mortgage rates are approximately 7.4%, meaning many buyers are already near the limit of what they can comfortably afford. An unexpected $300 HOA payment or a homeowners-insurance premium substantially higher than estimated can change the monthly payment enough to destroy the buyer’s qualification.
Today, I am joined by Realtor Aaron Clark and mortgage professional Dwight Millard.
Aaron is going to explain how buyers and agents can investigate properties before becoming emotionally and financially committed.
Dwight will explain what the lender must know about the house, how the loan program affects property eligibility and which problems can be repaired, documented or negotiated—and which problems may kill the transaction.
We will cover appraisals, insurance, solar agreements, condominiums, homeowners associations, unpermitted additions, wells, septic systems and property condition.
Most importantly, we will give buyers a checklist they can use before submitting an offer.
Because getting preapproved is only the first approval.
The second approval belongs to the house.
If You Can't Speak For Yourself: The Documents Your Family Needs Before A Crisis
Good afternoon, Northern Nevada. Today we’re talking about a part of estate planning that too many families overlook until they’re under pressure.
“Imagine you’re in an accident, you’re unconscious, or you’re dealing with an illness that makes it hard to understand information or communicate a decision. Your spouse or children are at the hospital. Bills still need to be paid. The bank may need instructions. The doctors need to know what you want.
“Who has the authority to step in? And even if you named somebody, do they know what you want them to do?
“Today, we’re going to make this simple. We’ll talk about the financial power of attorney, the health care power of attorney, and the instructions that can help your family make decisions in line with your wishes. These documents do different jobs, and a trust by itself may not answer every question.”
The 5 Ways Rental Properties Can Make You Money
Rental real estate can create wealth in more ways than most investors realize. Cory Edge, Dwight Millard and Jon Sanchez examine the five potential profit centers of a rental property: cash flow, mortgage principal reduction, appreciation, tax benefits and future rent growth. They also analyze a hypothetical property and explain why a good wealth-building investment may still be a poor source of retirement income.
Stocks Are Celebrating-But Bonds Are Screaming
Stocks are celebrating.
Bonds are screaming.
Oil is boiling.
And the American labor market may be running out of gas.
Welcome to one of the strangest economic environments we have experienced in decades.
This week, the stock market once again approached record highs. Investors appear optimistic. Technology companies are rising. Artificial intelligence continues attracting enormous amounts of capital. Corporate earnings expectations remain strong.
If you looked only at the stock market, you might conclude that the American economy is doing beautifully.
But then you look across the street at the bond market.
The yield on the 10-year United States Treasury is approximately 5.25%—near its highest level since 2002.
That yield influences mortgage rates, business loans, government borrowing costs and the value investors place on practically every financial asset in America.
Then we have oil.
Brent crude is above $100 per barrel, threatening to push gasoline, transportation and production costs higher.
Then we have the labor market.
Last Friday, the government reported that America created only 29,000 jobs in September. That was not simply a disappointing number. Over the previous 12 months, monthly job growth averaged only 45,000.
And yet the stock market rallied.
How can all of these things be happening at the same time?
The answer begins with understanding that the stock market is not the economy.
Stocks primarily measure what investors believe publicly traded companies will earn in the future.
The bond market measures something different. It reflects expectations for inflation, interest rates, government borrowing and the value of money over time.
Stocks are voting on profits.
Bonds are voting on the cost of money.
And right now, they are delivering very different messages.
The stock market believes that large American companies—particularly technology and artificial-intelligence companies—can continue growing their profits.
The bond market is warning that inflation may remain stubborn, the government must borrow enormous amounts of money, and investors are demanding substantially more compensation to lend that money for ten or thirty years.
Both markets could be correct—at least temporarily.
Why Buyers Reject Your Home Before They Ever Walk Through The Door
The most important showing of your home may happen at 11:30 at night, on a buyer’s phone, while you are asleep.
That buyer is sitting on the couch, scrolling through listings. Your home appears on the screen for a few seconds alongside dozens of competitors.
They see the price.
They see the lead photograph.
They swipe through the first few images.
And then they make a decision: save it, share it, schedule a showing—or eliminate it.
The seller never meets that buyer. The listing agent may never hear from them. But the showing still happened—and the house may already have been rejected.
That is why selling a home today is not simply about putting a sign in the yard and uploading photographs. It is a digital product launch.
The price determines whether buyers discover the property. The first photograph determines whether they stop scrolling. The remaining photographs, video, floor plan and description determine whether they become curious enough to take the next step.
And in today’s higher-rate housing market, buyers can afford to be selective. Mortgage rates are once again above 7%, and more than one out of every five active sellers recently reduced their asking price.
That means sellers cannot assume that simply being on the market will create demand.
A listing can receive thousands of online views and still fail to generate a single meaningful showing.
So, what does the technology tell us?
If buyers see the listing but do not click, is the lead photo failing?
If they click but do not save it, is the price wrong?
If they save it but never schedule a showing, is there uncertainty about the property?
And if they tour the home but do not write an offer, did the online marketing create expectations that the house could not fulfill?
Today, I am joined by Realtor Aaron Clark, one of the most technologically sophisticated agents I know.
How To Divide Your Estate Without Dividing Your Family
Welcome to The Jon Sanchez Show and Estate Planning Wednesday.
Nearly every parent who creates an estate plan tells me the same thing:
“I don’t want my children fighting after I’m gone.”
So, they make what appears to be the safest possible decision. They divide everything equally.
Three children receive one-third each. Four children receive 25% each. Nobody can accuse Mom and Dad of playing favorites because everybody receives exactly the same percentage.
But is equal always fair?
What if one daughter spent ten years caring for her parents while her siblings lived in other states?
What if one child received $200,000 during the parents’ lifetime to start a business, while the other children received nothing?
What if one son worked on the family ranch for 20 years, helped build its value and wants to continue operating it—but his siblings want their inheritance in cash?
What if one child is financially responsible while another is facing addiction, divorce, creditors or an inability to manage money?
And what happens when parents leave the family home equally to three children—but one wants to live in it, one wants to rent it and the third wants to sell it immediately?
The trust may divide everything equally, yet the result can still feel profoundly unfair.
This is how an estate plan that looks perfectly balanced on paper can fracture a family in real life.
An inheritance dispute is rarely about money alone. It is usually money mixed with grief, childhood memories, sibling rivalries, perceived favoritism and decades of unresolved family history.
The old argument about who Mom loved most suddenly becomes an argument about the house, jewelry, firearms, family photographs or who was chosen to serve as trustee.
And when parents leave no explanation, their children create one.
“She received more because Mom loved her more.”
“He was named trustee because Dad trusted him more.”
“I did everything for our parents, and they treated me exactly like the children who never showed up.”
The reading of a trust should not be the first time a child discovers how their parents viewed the family.
Today, we are going to discuss the difference between equal and equitable, how to plan for a caregiver child, what to do with a family home or business, how to select the right trustee and why sentimental possessions can create larger fights than financial assets.
We will also discuss one of the most important pieces of estate planning: communicating the plan while the family can still ask questions.
Because a successful estate plan does more than transfer property.
It should also protect the family relationships that remain after you are gone.
The final gift you leave your children should not be a lawsuit against each other.
This is The Jon Sanchez Show.
The 3% Mortgage Hiding Inside The House
When buyers tour a home, they usually evaluate the kitchen, bedrooms, neighborhood, backyard and asking price.
But today, the most valuable feature of a home may be something you cannot see.
It may be the seller’s mortgage.
The national average for a new 30-year fixed mortgage is approximately 7.5%. But millions of homeowners purchased or refinanced when rates were between 2% and 4%.
What if a buyer could purchase the house and take over that existing low-rate mortgage?
That is called a mortgage assumption.
Instead of obtaining an entirely new loan at today’s rate, a qualified buyer may be able to assume the seller’s remaining loan balance, interest rate, monthly payment and repayment term.
Not every mortgage can be assumed. Most conventional mortgages generally cannot. But FHA-insured mortgages are assumable, and certain VA and USDA loans may also be assumed, subject to their individual requirements.
At first glance, this sounds like a homebuyer’s dream.
Why borrow money at 7.5% when you may be able to borrow it at 3%?
But—as always—the details matter.
The buyer must generally qualify. The loan servicer must approve the assumption. The buyer receives only the seller’s remaining mortgage balance, not enough money to automatically purchase the entire house.
If the home is worth $600,000 and the seller owes only $350,000, the buyer must still cover the $250,000 equity gap—plus applicable closing costs.
That money may come from cash, the sale of another home, a second mortgage or some combination of those sources.
A 3% first mortgage combined with an expensive second loan may still be a good transaction—but the decision must be based upon the blended cost of the entire purchase, not simply the beautiful 3% headline.
VA assumptions introduce another important issue: the seller’s release from liability and restoration of the veteran’s entitlement. A transaction can close, yet the seller’s VA entitlement may remain connected to that mortgage if the assumption is not properly structured.
We also need to distinguish a legitimate mortgage assumption from purchasing a property “subject to” an existing mortgage.
With a formal assumption, the lender or loan servicer approves the qualified buyer and transfers responsibility under the established process.
In a subject-to transaction, the title may transfer while the mortgage remains in the seller’s name. That can leave the seller liable for the debt and potentially create serious contractual and legal problems.
Today, Cory Edge will explain how buyers and agents can identify homes with assumable loans—and how a seller can turn an existing low mortgage rate into a powerful marketing advantage.
Dwight Millard will explain the qualification process, monthly-payment savings, the equity-gap problem and the special considerations surrounding FHA and VA assumptions.
And I want to answer the ultimate financial question:
Is the buyer getting a tremendous mortgage—or using so much cash to capture that mortgage that the rest of the financial plan is placed at risk?
The next great real-estate bargain may not be hidden in the price of the house.
It may be hiding inside the mortgage.
This is The Jon Sanchez Show.
The Retirement Tax Bomb Hiding In Your IRA
Welcome to The Jon Sanchez Show.
I want you to imagine opening your retirement-account statement and seeing a balance of $1 million.
You probably think, “I have $1 million saved for retirement.”
But if that money is sitting inside a traditional IRA or 401(k), you may not really have $1 million available to spend.
You have $1 million before taxes.
The IRS has been patiently waiting for its share.
For decades, Americans have been encouraged to contribute money to tax-deferred retirement accounts. You received a tax deduction, the investments grew without annual taxation, and you postponed paying the income tax until retirement.
That can be a very powerful strategy.
But tax-deferred never meant tax-free.
Eventually, the government wants its money. Under current law, required minimum distributions generally force money out of traditional retirement accounts beginning at age 73 for many retirees—and at age 75 for younger individuals covered by the later SECURE 2.0 timetable.
Those distributions can create a chain reaction.
They can increase your taxable income. They can cause more of your Social Security benefits to become taxable. They can increase your Medicare Part B and Part D premiums. They can push investment income into a higher tax bracket, and after one spouse dies, the survivor may face many of those same income sources while filing as a single taxpayer.
That is the retirement tax bomb.
The most frustrating part is that many retirees have a window of opportunity to reduce this problem—but they fail to use it.
That window may occur after they retire and their paycheck ends, but before required minimum distributions begin. It may also occur before Social Security, pensions and other income sources are fully activated.
During those years, the retiree may have more control over taxable income than at any other point in retirement.
They may be able to take strategic IRA withdrawals, complete partial Roth conversions, realize capital gains, make qualified charitable distributions or coordinate the timing of Social Security.
But if they do nothing, the IRS may eventually begin determining how much money must leave the retirement account each year.
Today, we are going to examine the four fuses attached to the retirement tax bomb: required minimum distributions, Social Security taxation, Medicare surcharges and the surviving-spouse tax trap.
Then we will discuss strategies that may allow retirees to defuse that bomb before it explodes.
Because a successful retirement plan should not merely ask, “How much money have you accumulated?”
It should ask, “How much of that money will you actually be allowed to keep?”
This is The Jon Sanchez Show.
Bad News Is Good News-Until It Isn't!
There are days when the stock market appears to have completely lost its mind—and today may be one of them.
This morning, we learned that the United States created only 29,000 jobs during September. Economists were expecting approximately 90,000.
The unemployment rate increased from 4.1% to 4.2%. Average hourly earnings increased by only one-tenth of 1% for the month.
And then we received the revisions.
July’s previously reported gain of 21,000 jobs was revised all the way down to a loss of 10,000 jobs. August was revised from 162,000 jobs to 133,000. Altogether, 60,000 previously reported jobs disappeared from the books.
This wasn’t merely one disappointing month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics now says the economy has created an average of only 45,000 jobs per month during the past year.
So, naturally, the stock market rallied.
The Nasdaq reached a record high. Technology stocks surged, Treasury yields initially fell, and investors reduced their expectations for another Federal Reserve interest-rate increase in October.
Stop Shopping For A House-Start Shopping For A Payment
Today, I want to change one question that nearly every homebuyer asks.
Most buyers begin by saying, “How much does the house cost?”
I think that is the wrong place to start.
The better question is: “What will this house cost me every single month—and can I comfortably afford that payment without sacrificing the rest of my financial life?”
The average 30-year mortgage rate just jumped from 7.03% to 7.28% in one week. That was the largest weekly increase in four years. We also have the 10-year Treasury trading above 5%, which continues to put upward pressure on mortgage rates.
So, if you are still shopping for a home the same way people did when mortgage rates were 3%, you are shopping in a market that no longer exists.
A home’s asking price is only the sticker price. The real price is the monthly payment.
That payment includes principal and interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance, possibly mortgage insurance, HOA fees, utilities, maintenance and the unexpected repairs that eventually come with owning any home.
As an example, borrowing $400,000 at approximately 7.28% produces a principal-and-interest payment of roughly $2,740 per month. At 6%, that same loan would be approximately $2,400 per month.
That is a difference of about $340 every month—and we haven’t even added taxes or insurance.
But here is where today’s conversation gets interesting.
A higher-rate market does not automatically mean there are no opportunities. It means the opportunity may have to be created.
Perhaps the seller reduces the price. Maybe the seller pays for a permanent or temporary interest-rate buydown. Maybe the buyer chooses a different loan structure, negotiates closing costs or finds a home that has been sitting on the market with a motivated seller.
The purchase price matters. The interest rate matters. The down payment matters. The seller concessions matter. But none of those numbers should be considered in isolation.
They must all work together to produce a payment the buyer can afford—not merely today, but when the furnace breaks, the insurance premium increases or life throws the family a financial curveball.
And here is my warning: never purchase a home that only works if you can refinance later. Refinancing should be a future opportunity, not the requirement that holds the entire plan together.
Today, we are going to show you how to reverse the traditional homebuying process.
Instead of finding a house, falling in love with it and then trying to force the financing to work, we are going to begin with the payment, build the financing around that payment and then find the right house.
Joining me are Realtor Aaron Clark and mortgage expert Dwight Millard.
Aaron, Dwight—let’s help our listeners stop shopping for a house and start shopping for a payment.
When Is It Time To Restate Your Estate Plan?
Welcome to Estate Planning Wednesday.
Let me begin with a statement that may surprise you:
Your trust can be perfectly legal, properly signed, and completely wrong for your family today.
That is because your estate plan was created for a particular moment in your life. It reflected the people you loved, the assets you owned, the laws in effect, and the decisions you had made at that time.
But your life did not stop changing the day you signed your trust.
Children grew up. Grandchildren were born. Parents passed away. Marriages began—and sometimes ended. You bought property, sold businesses, opened retirement accounts, accumulated more wealth, or moved to another state.
Meanwhile, your trust may still be operating under decisions you made 10, 15, or even 25 years ago.
So today, we’re answering an important question:
When is a simple amendment enough—and when is it time to restate your entire estate plan?
By the end of today’s show, I want you to be able to look at your own plan and place it into one of three categories:
- My plan is still current.
- My plan needs a limited amendment.
- My plan needs a complete restatement.
If 7% Mortgages Are The New Normal, What Happens To American Housing?
For the last several years, we've been asking the same question:
When are mortgage rates coming back down?
Well, today I want to stop asking that question.
Because right now we're looking at mortgage rates above 7%.
The 10-year Treasury has moved above 5%.
And today the 30-year Treasury reached a level we haven't seen since 2002. Reuters
So here's my question:
What if rates DON'T come back down anytime soon?
I'm not predicting that.
Nobody sitting at this table knows where rates will be two years from now.
But let's conduct an experiment.
Let's assume 6%, 7%, maybe occasionally 8% mortgages remain part of American life.
Then we have a problem.
Because we can't keep solving a 2026 affordability problem by waiting for 2021 to come back.
Something has to change.
Maybe home prices change.
Maybe the houses themselves change.
Maybe we build them smaller.
Maybe we finance them differently.
Maybe sellers have to change their expectations.
Maybe builders change what they build.
Maybe buyers change what they expect their first home to look like.
Maybe families start living together differently.
Or maybe...
ALL OF IT changes.
So today Cory, Dwight and I aren't predicting mortgage rates.
We're asking something I think is much more interesting:
How does American housing have to change if rates stay right where they are?
What Happens When Money No Longer Controls Your Life?
I want to change the way you think about retirement today.
In fact, for the next hour, I don't even want to use the word retirement.
Because I think there's a better goal:
FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE.
What's the difference?
Retirement usually means:
When can I stop working?
Financial independence asks:
When can I stop HAVING to work?
Those are two completely different questions.
Because what if you LOVE working?
Keep working.
What if you want to start a business?
Start it.
Want to work three days a week?
Work three.
Want to teach?
Teach.
Want to volunteer?
Volunteer.
Want to spend three months traveling?
Go.
Want to buy a ranch and spend Tuesday morning on a tractor?
Knock yourself out.
Financial independence doesn't tell you what to do.
It gives you the freedom to decide.
And THAT'S what I want to talk about today.
Not dying with the biggest investment account.
Not retiring at some arbitrary age because society says 65.
But reaching the point where your money can support your life...
and your life no longer has to revolve around making money.
10 Retirement Mistakes That Could Cost You $100,000 (or more)
I want you to imagine something today.
You open your retirement account tomorrow morning...
and:
$100,000 IS GONE.
You'd lose your mind.
You'd call your financial adviser.
Your CPA.
Your spouse.
Maybe the police.
You'd want to know:
WHERE THE HECK DID MY $100,000 GO?
But here's what's interesting.
What if you didn't lose $100,000 overnight?
What if you lost $10,000 here...
$7,000 there...
$15,000 somewhere else...
over five or ten years?
Would you even notice?
Because after more than 30 years in financial services, I've learned something:
The retirement mistakes that hurt people aren't always catastrophic.
Sometimes they're boring.
A bad tax decision.
Too much cash sitting around.
Helping the kids when you really can't afford it.
Buying too much car.
Selling investments because you're scared.
Carrying expensive debt.
Paying fees you don't understand.
Individually, none of them destroys your retirement.
But put ten of them together?
There goes $100,000.
Maybe $200,000.
Maybe considerably more.
So today we're going hunting.
We're looking for 10 quiet retirement mistakes that can slowly steal $100,000 from your future.
And I'm betting almost everybody listening is making at least one of them.
The 3% Mortgage Trap: When Is It Worth Giving Up Your Low Rate?
I've got a question for homeowners today.
And I think millions of Americans are wrestling with it.
You bought or refinanced your house several years ago.
Your mortgage rate:
3%.
Maybe even 2-point-something.
You probably brag about that mortgage.
And you should.
Because today, according to Mortgage News Daily, the average top-tier 30-year fixed mortgage rate is:
7.37%.
That's more than double your rate. Mortgage News Daily
So you're sitting there thinking:
‘Jon, they'll have to pry this mortgage out of my cold dead hands.’
I get it.
But then something happens.
You find THE HOUSE.
Maybe it's the ranch you've always wanted.
Maybe it's the house with the three-car garage.
Maybe you need another bedroom.
Maybe you're tired of your neighborhood.
Maybe you're retiring and this is where you want to spend the next 20 years.
And suddenly you've got a problem.
You don't just have to buy the new house.
You have to give up one of the greatest financial assets you own:
Your 3% mortgage.
And this isn't some tiny group of people.
As of the first quarter, 19.5% of outstanding mortgages were still at 3% or below. Realtor
So today Aaron, Dwight and I are answering one question:
When does it make sense to give up a 3% mortgage?
Because eventually there's a point where protecting the mortgage may start interfering with living the life you actually want.
And today we're going to find that point.”
4% Mortgages Are Back: The New Construction Deals Buyers Need To Understand
I've got a number for you today that you're probably not going to believe.
Yesterday, according to Mortgage News Daily, the average top-tier 30-year fixed mortgage rate was:
7.19%.
Ouch.
But now let me give you another number:
3.92%.
No, I didn't travel back to 2021.
According to new research from Realtor.com, nearly one out of every seven new-construction listings advertised some type of reduced mortgage rate in August.
And the average advertised reduced rate was...
3.92%.
So immediately I'm thinking:
WAIT A MINUTE.
How in the heck can Dwight be sitting here telling me mortgages are around 7%...
while a homebuilder down the street is advertising something with a 3 or a 4 in front of it?
Somebody's lying!
Actually, nobody necessarily is.
And that's what we're going to explain today.
Because homebuilders have figured something out.
Buyers don't necessarily shop for a house based solely on the purchase price anymore.
They're shopping for the monthly payment.
And builders are increasingly spending serious money to make that payment look a whole lot better.
But there's a catch.
Sometimes that 3.92% is temporary.
Sometimes it's an adjustable-rate mortgage.
Sometimes it's a permanent buydown.
Sometimes you have to use the builder's preferred lender.
And sometimes the house itself may cost more.
So today Cory, Dwight and I are going shopping.
We're going to take:
A brand-new house with a subsidized mortgage
versus
an existing house with a conventional market-rate mortgage
and answer one question:
Which one is REALLY the better deal?
Are Your Adult Children Derailing Your Retirement?
I’m Jon Sanchez, and today we are talking about a retirement expense that almost nobody puts into their financial plan.
It isn’t healthcare.
It isn’t inflation.
It isn’t taxes.
It isn’t a stock-market correction.
It’s your adult children.
That may sound harsh, but this is not a show about criticizing young adults. Housing is expensive. Groceries are expensive. Insurance, childcare, automobiles and borrowing costs have all become more difficult for young families.
Many adult children are working hard and still struggling.
And when your child calls and says:
“Mom, I’m short on rent.”
“Dad, my car broke down.”
“We need help with a down payment.”
“We can’t afford daycare.”
What parent doesn’t want to help?
But here is the question nobody wants to ask:
At what point does helping your children begin jeopardizing your own retirement?
A recent BMO survey found that 48% of parents and 41% of grandparents planned to financially assist their adult children. Even more revealing, 27% of Americans said parents should financially support their children for as long as they are alive.
That means millions of retirement plans may contain an expense that was never included in the original calculation.
Today, we’re going to talk about how to help your family without becoming their permanent financial safety net—and how to recognize when love and guilt are making financial decisions that your retirement plan cannot afford.
9 Ways To Keep Your Family Out Of Probate Court
How do I keep my family out of probate?
Before I give you my nine steps, however, there's something Nevada residents need to understand.
Not every estate containing probate assets necessarily requires a full probate administration.
Nevada has special procedures for smaller estates.
And the numbers matter.
The 10 Year Treasury Yield Just Hit 5%-Here's Why It Matters To You
I want to talk about a number today that probably doesn't mean much to the average American:
5%.
Today, the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury crossed 5%, reaching its highest level since 2007.
At the same time, according to Mortgage News Daily, the average top-tier 30-year fixed mortgage climbed to 7.22%.
And tomorrow afternoon, the Federal Reserve concludes its two-day meeting, with financial markets overwhelmingly expecting another quarter-point increase in the federal funds rate.
Those may sound like three separate stories.
They're not.
They're all connected.
Something has changed in the bond market.
Investors are demanding more money to lend money to the United States government.
Mortgage rates are moving higher.
Borrowing costs are rising.
And the Federal Reserve is once again confronting an inflation problem.
So today I want to answer two questions:
Why are interest rates rising so quickly?
And far more importantly:
What does this mean for you?
Joining me today are Cory Edge of Edge Realty and Dwight Millard of OnQ Home Loans.
The AI Warning: Why The People Building Artificial Intelligence Want To Slow It Down
I was planning on talking about retirement today.
Then something happened over the weekend that made me change today's show.
And I'll tell you why.
I use artificial intelligence virtually every day.
I use it in my businesses.
I use it for research.
I use it to analyze ideas.
I use it to help prepare this radio show.
And I think artificial intelligence may ultimately become one of the most important technologies created during our lifetime.
But this weekend, Dario Amodei—the CEO of Anthropic, the company behind Claude—published an essay with a title that got my attention:
‘We Must Pace the Frontier.’
In plain English?
We need to slow down.
Now, if some college professor or politician who'd never used artificial intelligence said that, maybe I wouldn't think much of it.
But this is one of the guys actually BUILDING the technology.
And then something even more remarkable happened.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI...
agreed.
Elon Musk...
agreed.
These guys compete with each other.
They're spending enormous amounts of money racing to build the most capable AI systems on Earth.
And suddenly they're agreeing on something:
Maybe we're going too fast.
And Wall Street heard them.
Nvidia dropped more than 3% this morning. AMD, Intel and Marvell were hit. The semiconductor index fell about 5%.
So today we're putting retirement planning aside.
Because I want to answer a question that frankly gives me goosebumps:
What do the people building artificial intelligence know today that they didn't know six months ago?
And should the rest of us be worried?”
When Two Become One: Could Your Retirement Plan Survive The Death Of A Spouse?
I want to ask you a difficult question today.
And if you're married, it's a question I think every retirement plan should answer:
Could your retirement plan survive your spouse dying?
Nobody likes talking about this.
I certainly don't.
But one of you is probably going to die first.
And when that happens, something interesting occurs financially.
People tend to assume:
‘Well, now there's only one person, so expenses will be cut in half.’
Really?
Does the property-tax bill get cut in half?
Does homeowners insurance?
Does the roof cost half as much to replace?
Does your internet provider say, ‘We're sorry about your husband—here's 50% off?’
No.
A lot of the household expenses continue.
But some of the household income may disappear.
Your tax situation can change.
Your Social Security can change.
Your Medicare costs can potentially change.
Your investment strategy may change.
And the person who wasn't managing the finances may suddenly be responsible for all of it...
while grieving.
So today we're going to do something uncomfortable—but incredibly important.
And then we're going to find out:
Does the retirement plan still work when two becomes one?”
The 6 Best Assets To Inherit
I want to begin today's program by asking you a question.
If you could leave your children a million dollars, would it matter what kind of assets made up that million dollars?
Think about that for a moment.
Would you rather inherit a million dollars in cash, a million dollars in a traditional IRA, a million dollars in real estate, or a million dollars in stocks?
At first glance, you might think a million dollars is a million dollars.
But here's something I've learned during my 36 years in the financial services industry.
The type of asset you inherit can be just as important as the amount you inherit.
Why?
Because different assets have different tax consequences, different distribution requirements, different levels of liquidity, and different legal considerations.
A million dollars in a traditional IRA could create hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxable income for your beneficiaries.
A million dollars in appreciated stock might receive a significant adjustment in cost basis when you pass away.
A million-dollar home might create a wonderful inheritance—or an enormous headache when three children inherit it and can't agree on what to do with it.
And a properly structured trust may help protect an inheritance from certain creditors, lawsuits, divorces, and poor financial decisions.
So today we're going to discuss six types of assets and estate planning strategies that can make an inheritance more valuable to your family.
And more importantly, we're going to talk about how to leave your children not just more money, but fewer problems.
Let's get started!
Mortgage Rates Hit 7% Today: 8 Strategies Homebuyers Can Use Right Now
Well, if you're shopping for a house today...
The bond market just punched you in the mouth.
😂
The 10-year Treasury yield surged today, closing around 4.94%.
And according to Mortgage News Daily, the national average 30-year fixed mortgage jumped another 10 basis points today to:
7.07%.
Yesterday it was 6.97%.
Tuesday it was 6.89%.
So in roughly two days we've gone from 6.89% to 7.07%.
And immediately somebody listening is thinking:
‘Well, that's it, Jon. I'm not buying a house.’
Hold on.
Because today's show isn't about telling you whether you should buy a house.
It's about answering a much better question:
If you WANT to buy a house in a 7% mortgage-rate environment, how do you play the game differently?
Do you negotiate the price?
Ask the seller to buy down your rate?
Take an ARM?
Put more money down?
Buy a cheaper house?
Ask for closing costs?
Lock the rate?
Or sit on your hands and wait?
Aaron, Dwight and I are going to build the 7% Mortgage Playbook today.
Because you can't control interest rates.
But you can control how you respond to them.
Woman's Guide To Estate Planning: 10 Things Every Woman Should Know
If your husband died tonight, would you know what to do tomorrow morning?
Where are the investment accounts?
What does he have in his 401(k)?
How is your house titled?
Who is named on the life insurance?
What bills are on autopay?
Where are the passwords?
Who is your successor trustee?
Who do you call first?
And maybe you're sitting there saying:
‘Jon, my husband handles all of that.’
Okay.
That's exactly why we're having today's conversation.
And gentlemen, listen closely.
Because if you're the one who handles all the finances in your marriage, one of the greatest gifts you can give your wife is making sure she doesn't have to become a financial detective while she's grieving.
Estate planning isn't simply deciding who gets your money when you die.
It's making sure the people you love can actually function when you're no longer there to help them.
The Bank Of Mom & Dad: Smart Ways To Help Your Kids Buy A Home
I've got a question today for every parent listening who has adult children.
Your son or daughter calls you tonight.
They've found the house.
They love it.
They've got good jobs.
They can handle the monthly payment.
There's just one problem.
They don't have enough money to get into it.
And then come the six words every parent loves to hear:
‘Mom...Dad...can you help us?’
Welcome to the Bank of Mom and Dad.
And apparently, business is booming.
Nearly one-quarter of first-time homebuyers used either a gift or loan from family toward their down payment in 2025.
So this isn't some obscure financial-planning question anymore.
Families all over America are facing it.
And I think the first instinct for most parents is pretty simple:
Of course I want to help my kid.
But that's not really the question.
The question is:
What's the smartest way to help them?
Give them the down payment?
Loan them the money?
Buy the house?
Buy it together?
Help with the monthly payment?
Or tell Junior:
‘I love you very much. Keep saving.’
Because helping your child buy a house can be an incredible gift.
But if it's done incorrectly, you can create tax issues, financing problems, family problems—and potentially damage your own retirement.
So Cory, Dwight and I are opening the Bank of Mom and Dad today.
And before we close at four o'clock...
The Retirement Checklist: Have You Planned For More Than Just Money?
Most people spend decades preparing financially for retirement—but very few prepare for retirement itself. Today we'll walk through the ultimate retirement planning checklist, covering income, taxes, Social Security, Medicare, healthcare, estate planning, and the costly mistakes many retirees make.
10 Home Problems: Would You Buy It, Negotiate It Or Walk Away From It?
Buying a house is funny.
You walk through the front door and immediately start imagining your life there.
You love the kitchen.
Megan loves the backyard.
You're already figuring out where the furniture goes.
And then the home inspector says...
‘Can I show you something?’
Those may be the five scariest words in real estate.
Because virtually every house has problems.
The question isn't whether the house is perfect.
The question is:
Which problems should you accept?
Which ones should you use to negotiate?
And which ones should make you grab your checkbook, get back in the car and say:
NOPE.
So I've got Aaron and Dwight here today, and I'm putting them on the spot.
I've got ten houses.
Each has a problem.
And they only get three choices:
BUY IT.
NEGOTIATE.
WALK AWAY.
Gentlemen...
Let's buy some houses.
Why California Homeowners Should Think Twice About Joint Tenancy
I want everybody listening today to answer what sounds like an incredibly simple question:
Who owns your house?
You're probably thinking:
‘Jon, that's easy. I do.’
Okay.
Pull out your deed.
Because I'm not asking who lives there.
I'm not asking who's making the mortgage payment.
I'm asking:
How is title actually held?
Joint tenants?
Community property?
Community property with right of survivorship?
Your individual name?
Your revocable living trust?
Maybe you're sitting there thinking:
‘I have absolutely no idea.’
And that's exactly why we're talking about it today.
Because those few words on your deed can have consequences when somebody dies, when somebody becomes incapacitated, when the property is sold, and when your family ultimately tries to settle your estate.
So today we're going to talk about something incredibly boring...
**that could potentially be incredibly expensive.
Reno Home Prices Are Up 6.5%, But Where Are The Sellers?
I've got the August Reno-Sparks real-estate numbers sitting in front of me today, and I'm going to warn you:
They're weird.
If you've been waiting for the Northern Nevada housing market to collapse so you can finally pick up that $800,000 house for $500,000...
I've got some bad news.
The median sales price in August was $625,000.
That's actually 6.8% HIGHER than a year ago.
But here's where it gets interesting.
Closed sales were down 6.7%.
New listings were down 7.4%.
And active inventory was down almost 24% from a year ago.
So fewer homes are selling...
Fewer homeowners are putting their houses on the market...
There are substantially fewer homes available...
And prices went UP.
So today I've got Cory and Dwight here, and we're going to figure out what the heck is going on.
Because if you're thinking about buying or selling a house in Northern Nevada, the headline number doesn't tell you nearly enough about this market.”
Divorcing After 50? The 7 Financial Steps You Need To Take First
There's a type of retirement risk we don't talk about very often.
It's not a stock-market crash.
It's not inflation.
It's not running out of money.
It's divorce.
More specifically—divorce later in life.
There's even a name for it now: gray divorce, generally referring to couples divorcing after age 50.
And financially, divorcing at 55, 60 or 65 is very different from divorcing at 30.
At 30, you may have another three decades to rebuild.
At 60?
Retirement might be five years away.
Or you may already be retired.
Suddenly, one household becomes two.
One retirement portfolio becomes two.
One house may have to support two future housing needs.
Healthcare changes.
Social Security matters.
Taxes matter.
Beneficiaries matter.
And perhaps the biggest mistake somebody can make is beginning the legal process before they truly understand their financial position.
So today we're going to walk through seven financial steps to consider before filing for a gray divorce.
And whether you're contemplating divorce, already going through one, or simply know somebody who is—this is one show where getting the financial decisions right can affect the rest of your life.”
10 Things Nobody Tells You About Retirement Until You Get There
Most retirement advice focuses on getting you to retirement.
Save enough.
Max out the 401(k).
Pay down debt.
Decide when to take Social Security.
Build an income plan.
All important.
But then one day something happens that we've spent almost no time preparing you for:
You actually retire.
Monday morning comes.
There's no alarm.
Nobody needs you at the office.
No meetings.
No commute.
No deadlines.
And for the first couple of weeks you think:
THIS IS AWESOME!
Then it's Tuesday morning three months later.
You've already cleaned the garage twice.
You've watched every show on Netflix.
Your spouse is wondering why you're following them around the house.
And you start thinking...
Is this retirement?
15 Minutes To Evacuate: What The Hawk Fire Taught Northern Nevada Homeowners
Normally when Aaron Clark joins me, we talk about buying houses, selling houses, interest rates, home values and the Northern Nevada real-estate market.
Today is going to be different.
This weekend, the Hawk Fire exploded outside Reno. Tens of thousands of our neighbors were affected by evacuation orders and warnings, homes were destroyed, and entire communities suddenly faced something most of us never expect to experience.
And Aaron wasn't watching this unfold on television.
He was one of the people who had to evacuate.
Think about that for a moment.
You're sitting in the home you've worked for, filled with everything you've accumulated over your lifetime, and suddenly you're faced with one instruction:
Get out.
What do you take?
What do you leave?
Where do you go?
And what goes through your mind when you close that door not knowing what you'll find when you come back?
So today we're going to talk about houses—but we're going to talk about them from a completely different perspective.
We're going to hear Aaron's story, and then we're going to ask:
If this happened to you tonight, would you be ready?”
Should You Tell Your Kids What's In Your Estate Plan?
“Here's a question for every parent listening today:
Do your children know what's in your estate plan?
Not whether you have a trust.
Do they know who you've put in charge?
Do they know what happens when you're gone?
Do they know where your documents are?
Do they know who to call?
And here's the uncomfortable one:
Do they know what they're going to inherit?
Some of you are probably thinking, ‘Absolutely. My kids know everything.’
Others are thinking:
‘None of their darn business. It's my money.’
And you know what?
There are reasonable arguments on both sides.”
That's today's show.
How much should your children know about your estate plan before you're gone?
From One Rental To Ten: How Real Estate Investors Build Wealth
“Jon, I've got one rental property. It's doing well. I'd like to buy another one—but where do I get the money?”
I get some version of that question all the time.
And I think people sometimes assume that investors who own 10 or 20 properties started with millions of dollars.
Many didn't.
They started with one.
One property generated rent.
The tenant helped pay down debt.
The property potentially appreciated.
The investor accumulated additional savings.
And eventually that first property helped create an opportunity for the second.
Then the second helped create the third.
That's what Cory and I are going to unpack today: how do you go from owning a rental property to actually building a real estate portfolio?”
Your Retirement Plan Needs a Plan B
Does your retirement plan have a Plan B?
Most retirement plans are built around assumptions.
You're going to retire at 65. The market is going to provide a reasonable return. Social Security will start at a certain age. You're going to spend a certain amount every month. Your health will remain relatively good. Your spouse will be there alongside you.
And hopefully, that's exactly what happens.
But after doing this for as long as I have, I can tell you something: life rarely follows the spreadsheet perfectly.
Markets fall. Inflation happens. People get sick. Spouses die. Kids run into trouble. Houses need repairs. People retire earlier than expected—and sometimes they end up living a lot longer than they ever imagined.
None of that necessarily destroys a good retirement plan.
What can create a problem is having a retirement plan that's so rigid that it only works if everything goes exactly as expected.
So today I want to talk about building flexibility into retirement.
Not because we're expecting something bad to happen.
But because if you've spent 30 or 40 years building your retirement, your financial future shouldn't depend upon everything going
Same Marriage, Different Retirement: Are You And Your Spouse On The Same Retirement Page?
Imagine you've been married for 30 years.
You've raised the kids. Built careers. Paid the mortgage. Saved in your 401(k)s.
And for decades you've both said the same thing:
‘Someday we'll retire.’
Great.
But here's my question:
Have you ever actually asked each other what retirement means?”
“Maybe his retirement is a 40-foot motorhome and six months traveling around the country.
Her retirement is grandchildren, gardening and never sleeping anywhere that doesn't have room service.
He thinks they're moving to Florida.
She's already told the kids they'll have to carry her out of the current house.
She wants three international trips a year.
He's excited that he'll finally have enough time to reorganize the garage.
Financially, they're completely prepared for retirement.
There's just one problem:
They've prepared for two completely different retirements.”
What Is your House REALLY Worth?
I want to conduct an experiment today.
Let's take one house.
The homeowner thinks it's worth $850,000.
An online estimate says $810,000.
Aaron looks at the comps and says $790,000.
Dwight says he'd list it at $799,000.
Then we get an appraisal and it comes back at $775,000.
So I have one house—and five different opinions of value.
Who's right?
That's what we're going to figure out today.”
Then introduce the guys and hit Aaron immediately:
“Aaron, I call you this morning and say, ‘I want to sell my house. What's it worth?’ Walk me through exactly what you do.”
Your Trust Says What? 7 Estate Planning Surprises Your Family Doesn't Want To Find
Imagine Mom passes away.
The kids are grieving, but Mom always told them, ‘Don't worry. I have a trust. Everything is taken care of.’
So they open the trust documents.
And that's when the surprises begin.
The successor trustee Mom named 20 years ago is no longer in her life.
The house she bought eight years ago was never transferred into the trust.
One account has a beneficiary designation nobody expected.
And the trust distributes the inheritance completely differently from what the kids remember Mom telling them.
There's just one problem.
Mom isn't here anymore to explain it—or fix it.”
Then set up today's premise:
The worst time to discover a problem in an estate plan is after the person who created it is gone.
Today we're counting down seven surprises families discover when an estate plan hasn't kept up with real life.
Everything Is Negotiable: How To Get A Better Deal On Your Next Home
“When most people see a house listed for $600,000, they immediately think the negotiation is pretty simple:
Do I offer $600,000?
$590,000?
Maybe $575,000?
But the purchase price is only one part of the negotiation.
Depending on the property, seller and market conditions, there may be a whole list of other things on the table.
Closing costs. Repairs. Mortgage-rate buydowns. Appliances. Inspection items. Closing dates. Contingencies.
And sometimes a buyer may actually be better off paying a little more for the house and negotiating something else.”
Then:
“So today I'm putting Cory and Dwight to work. I want to know what's REALLY negotiable in a real-estate transaction.”
Behind On Retirement? What To Do Now
“I came across a statistic that really caught my attention. In a Bankrate survey, 56% of American workers said they felt behind on their retirement savings.
Think about that.
More than half.
And I guarantee there are people listening to me right now thinking, ‘Jon, I'm one of them.’
Maybe you're 55.
Maybe you're 60.
Maybe you're 65 and retirement isn't some distant concept anymore.
And you're looking at your 401(k), your IRA, your Social Security statement and thinking:
I haven't saved enough. Now what?
That's exactly what we're going to talk about today.”
Then I'd immediately reassure them without sugarcoating it:
DON'T START WITH PANIC. START WITH MATH.
Because here's the first thing we need to determine:
Are you actually behind?
Or do you just feel behind?
The 5 Year Retirement Countdown
“I meet people all the time who tell me, ‘Jon, I'm retiring in five years.’
And my next question is usually: ‘Great. What are you doing differently today because you're retiring in five years?’
That's when I often get the blank stare.
Because knowing when you want to retire and actually being prepared to retire are two completely different things.”
Then set up today's show:
We're going to work backward.
You're retiring exactly five years from today.
What should you be doing now?
When Does A Rental Property Stop Being A Good Investment?
Most real estate investors can tell you what they paid for their rental. They can tell you what it's worth today. They can tell you the monthly rent. But ask them what their return on their current equity is—and many have absolutely no idea.”
A rental could have been a fantastic investment when you bought it and be a mediocre investment today.
Who's Really In Charge When You Can't Be?
Estate planning isn't only about what happens when you die.
For many families, the more immediate risk is:
What happens if you're still alive—but you can't manage your own affairs?
A stroke. An accident. Dementia. A serious illness. Even temporary incapacity.
Today we're going to walk listeners through who steps in, what authority they have, and which estate planning documents actually give them that authority.
Northern Nevada Real Estate: Is The Market Finally Finding Its Balance?
The conversation covers a range of topics, from market anxieties, stock market recap, real estate market challenges, family business announcements, and the impact of stubborn interest rates. It also delves into the ripple effects of UWM's situation and the potential impact on the mortgage industry. The conversation delves into the financial market volatility, real estate market analysis, and market dynamics and pricing strategy. The discussion highlights the impact of market dynamics on investment decisions and the importance of analyzing real estate market data for informed decision-making.
Takeaways
- Anxiously awaiting inflationary data
- Challenges of information overload Market dynamics influence investment decisions
- Real estate pricing strategy is based on specific neighborhood analysis
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction and Technical Difficulties
- 00:45 Anxiously Awaiting Inflationary Data
- 01:13 Stock Market Recap and Market Fate
- 02:04 Northern Nevada Real Estate Report
- 02:13 Surviving in the Real Estate Market
- 02:43 Challenges of Information Overload
- 03:36 Big Announcement and Family Business
- 07:45 Transition to Stock Market Side of Things
- 08:39 Interest Rates and Mortgage Rates
- 13:26 Impact of Stubborn Interest Rates
- 17:25 Ripple Effects of UWM's Situation
- 20:30 Financial Market Volatility
- 29:42 Real Estate Market Analysis
- 42:40 Market Dynamics and Pricing Strategy
Retirement Decisions You Only Get To Make Once
One of the things I always tell people about retirement planning is that not every financial decision carries the same weight.
If you're 45 and you make a bad investment decision, you probably have time to recover.
If you're spending a little too much, you can cut back.
If your portfolio isn't allocated properly, you can change it.
But retirement introduces a different category of decisions.
Decisions that may be difficult—or sometimes impossible—to reverse.
And some of these decisions can affect your income for the next 20 or 30 years.
So today, I want to walk through some of the biggest retirement decisions you may only get one shot at getting right.
How To Build A Retirement Paycheck
Let me ask you a question.
You've worked for 30, 40, maybe 45 years.
Every couple of weeks, a paycheck shows up.
You know approximately how much you're going to receive. You know when it's coming. And you've built your entire financial life around that paycheck.
Then one day you retire.
And the paycheck stops.
Now what?
You've got Social Security. Maybe you've got a pension. You've got a 401(k), an IRA, brokerage accounts, savings, maybe an annuity.
But having assets and having income are two very different things.
So today I want to show you how to take everything you've accumulated during your working years and turn it into something I call your retirement paycheck.
And more importantly, we're going to talk about how to make that paycheck last for potentially 20, 25 or 30 years.
How An HOA Can Foreclose On Your Home
When most people hear the word "foreclosure"...
They immediately think...
Someone stopped making their mortgage payments.
But what if I told you...
You could be current on your mortgage...
And still lose your home?
A recent report highlighted a growing trend of homeowners associations becoming much more aggressive in collecting unpaid dues. HOA-related foreclosure filings reached 6,376 properties in the first quarter of this year, nearly 40% higher than two years ago, as associations face rising insurance, maintenance, and operating costs.
Today, Dwight Millard of On Q Home Loans, Aaron Clark of Edge Realty and I are going to discuss what every homeowner should know.
Why You Don't Have To Be Wealthy To Need An Estate Plan
One of the most common things I hear is...
"Jon...
I'm not wealthy enough to need a trust."
My response is always the same...
Estate planning isn't about protecting wealth.
It's about protecting people.
Your spouse.
Your children.
Your grandchildren.
Your home.
Your wishes.
Today, we're going to discuss why estate planning is one of the most important things a family can do—regardless of the size of their bank account.
Could You Lose Your Home...Even If You're Making Your Mortgage Payments?
When most people hear the word "foreclosure"...
They immediately think...
Someone stopped making their mortgage payments.
But what if I told you...
You could be current on your mortgage...
And still lose your home?
A recent report highlighted a growing trend of homeowners associations becoming much more aggressive in collecting unpaid dues. HOA-related foreclosure filings reached 6,376 properties in the first quarter of this year, nearly 40% higher than two years ago, as associations face rising insurance, maintenance, and operating costs.
Today, Aaron Clark and I are going to discuss what every homeowner should know.
Why The First 5 Years Of Retirement May Be The Most Important
Most people think retirement planning ends the day they retire.
In reality...
Retirement planning is just beginning.
You spend thirty or forty years accumulating money.
Now you have to make that money last another thirty years.
The decisions you make during those first few years can affect the rest of your retirement.
Today we're going to discuss what actually happens during those first five years.
What Caused The Market Selloff Today?
Dow Jones Industrial has its worst day of 2026. What caused it and should you be concerned?
Are You Asking The Right Questions Before Buying A Home?
Buying a home is exciting.
You start looking at pictures online...
You visit open houses...
You imagine where the furniture will go...
But before you fall in love with a house...
There are some very important financial questions you should ask yourself.
Today, Cory Edge of Edge Realty, Dwight Millard of On Q Home Loands and I are going to walk you through those questions—because buying the right home starts long before you sign the contract.
Beyond Stocks & Bonds: 10 Investments You May Not Realize That Can Be Held In Your IRA
When I ask someone...
"What does your IRA own?"
The answer is almost always...
"Mutual funds."
"Stocks."
"Maybe a few ETFs."
And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
But today...
I want to expand your thinking.
Because for the right investor...
A properly structured Self-Directed IRA may allow investments that many people never knew were possible.
Now...
Just because you CAN...
Doesn't mean you SHOULD.
Every investment carries risk.
But today isn't about telling you what to buy.
It's about helping you understand what's possible.
10 Financial Myths That Cost People Thousands Of Dollars
We're surrounded by financial advice.
Some of it is excellent.
Some of it...well...not so much.
Unfortunately, believing the wrong financial advice can cost you thousands—or even hundreds of thousands—of dollars over your lifetime.
Today we're going to separate financial fact from financial fiction by discussing ten myths I hear all the time.
Before You Buy Your Next Home Ask Yourself These 9 Questions
Buying a home is exciting.
But excitement can sometimes cause us to overlook important financial decisions.
Today, we're slowing the process down and asking ten simple—but incredibly important—questions every homebuyer should answer before signing on the dotted line.
Whether you're buying your first home, your forever home, or your retirement home, these questions could save you thousands of dollars—and a lot of stress.
The 10 Common Mistakes People Make With An Existing Trust
One of the biggest misconceptions in estate planning is this...
"I have a trust...so I'm done."
The truth is...
Creating your trust is just the beginning.
Over the years...
Families change.
Assets change.
Laws change.
Life changes.
Today we're going to discuss the ten most common mistakes I see when reviewing existing trusts—and why having a trust doesn't necessarily mean your estate plan is up to date.
The Homeowner's Mid-Year Check Up
Most of us schedule annual physicals.
We take our cars in for service.
We review our investment portfolios.
But what about our homes?
For most families...
Their home is their single largest asset.
Yet many homeowners haven't reviewed it in years.
Today we're going to conduct a Mid-Year Homeowner's Financial Checkup to make sure your largest investment is still working for you—not against you.
How Do You Know When It Is Time To Retire?
For most people...
Retirement isn't simply a financial decision.
It's one of life's biggest emotional decisions.
For decades...
You've had a routine.
A purpose.
Co-workers.
A paycheck.
An identity.
Then one day...
It all changes.
Today I want to ask a different question.
Not...
"Can you afford to retire?"
But...
"Are you truly ready to retire?"
Because retirement isn't just about having enough money.
It's about having something meaningful to retire to.
The Financial Decisions You Wish You Made 10 Years Ago
Every one of us has looked back at some point and thought...
"I wish I would have..."
I wish I had started investing sooner.
I wish I had bought that rental property.
I wish I had paid off that debt.
I wish I had created a trust.
The good news?
Today is the day your future self is looking back on.
The financial decisions you make this year may determine how you live ten years from now.
Let's build today's Playbook.
Helping Your Kids Buy Their First Home
For many parents...
One of life's greatest joys is watching their children buy their first home.
But today's housing market is very different from the one many of us experienced.
Higher home prices.
Higher down payments.
Higher closing costs.
It's causing many parents to ask an important question...
Should we help our children buy their first home?
The answer may be yes...
But how you help may be just as important as whether you help.
Today we're discussing the options every family should consider before writing that first check.
How To Make One Of The Most Important Decisions Of Your Life...Choosing Your Trustee
When people create a trust...
They usually spend most of their time talking about...
Their house.
Their investments.
Their beneficiaries.
But today...
I want to talk about something I believe is just as important.
The person who will carry out your wishes. Your Trustee.
Choosing the wrong trustee can create confusion...
Family conflict...
Delays...
And unnecessary stress.
Choosing the right trustee may be one of the greatest gifts you can give your family.
Today we're going to discuss what qualities every family should consider before making this very important decision.
What Happens To Your Home If It Goes To Probate?
For most families...Their home represents far more than four walls and a roof. It's where children were raised. Where birthdays were celebrated. Where holidays were spent. It's often the largest financial asset a family owns. But today I want to ask a question that very few homeowners have ever considered. What happens to your home if it goes to probate? Who takes care of it? Who pays the mortgage? Can someone sell it? How long does the process take? And perhaps the biggest question of all... Could probate have been avoided? Today we're going to walk through what actually happens to a home after its owner passes away.
10 Ways To Make Your Money Work For You
For most Americans...
If they stop working...
The paycheck stops too.
But financially successful people often think differently.
They ask one simple question...
"How can I make money while I sleep?"
That's the idea behind passive income.
Now let's be honest...
Very little income is completely passive in the beginning.
Most passive income requires work.
Planning.
Investment.
Patience.
But over time...
It can create something incredibly valuable.
Freedom.
The Millionaire Playbook: 10 Financial Decisions That Build Lasting Wealth
People often ask me...
"Jon, what's the secret to becoming financially successful?"
After more than 35 years helping families build, protect, and transfer wealth...
I've learned there isn't one secret.
There are dozens of small decisions that, over time, produce extraordinary results.
Most millionaires don't become wealthy because they made one brilliant investment.
They become wealthy because they repeatedly made good financial decisions.
Today I'd like to share what I call...
The Millionaire Playbook.
Should You Sell Your Rental Property Or Keep It?
For many Americans, a rental property represents years—even decades—of hard work.
Maybe you purchased it as your first investment.
Maybe you've watched it steadily appreciate over time.
Then one day...
Your tenant moves out.
Or passes away.
And suddenly you're asking yourself...
Should I sell?
Should I keep it?
Should I exchange it?
Today we're going to walk through exactly how to make that decision.
Because selling an investment property isn't simply a real estate decision...
It's a financial planning decision.
What If? The Estate Planning Questions Every Family Should Ask
Life can change in an instant.
A distracted driver.
A sudden illness.
A phone call no family ever wants to receive.
None of us likes to think about those possibilities.
But avoiding the conversation doesn't eliminate the risk.
Today, I don't want to talk about legal documents.
I want to ask you a series of simple questions.
Two words...
What if?
Because sometimes the most important financial and legal planning begins with asking the right questions.
The Top 9 Things To Look For When Buying Your First Rental Property
For generations, real estate has been one of the most powerful tools for building wealth.
Rental properties can generate monthly income, provide tax advantages, build equity, and potentially appreciate over time.
But not every property makes a good investment.
The difference between a successful rental and a financial headache often comes down to what you know before you buy.
Today we're discussing the top nine things every investor should look for before purchasing their first rental property.
Fix It & Flip It
Flipping homes can be one of the fastest ways to build wealth—or one of the quickest ways to lose money. Today Cory Edge of Edge Realty, Dwight Millard of On Q Home Loans and I discuss the best market conditions for flipping homes, how to finance a flip, the biggest mistakes investors make, and whether today's housing market presents opportunity or danger. That's today on The Jon Sanchez Show.
Is Your Estate Plan Helping Or Hurting Your Family?
More than half of American adults still don't have an estate plan, and many who do have one may be making costly mistakes they don't even realize. Today I'll discuss 12 of the most common estate planning mistakes I see, from outdated trusts and missing documents to beneficiary errors and choosing the wrong trustee. Plus, I'll invite you to a free educational webinar tonight where we'll take a deeper dive into protecting your family and everything you've built.
Northern Nevada's June Housing Report
The conversation covers a range of topics including the hosts' attire, the upcoming holiday, the real estate market, stock market performance, mortgage rates, and the impact of high-end sales on the housing market. The hosts discuss the demographic shift affecting homebuyers and the impact of immigration on the housing market. The conversation delves into the local real estate market, highlighting record-setting median prices, cash purchases, mortgage rates, and inventory challenges. It also explores the impact of high prices on investors and the demographic shift in housing preferences.
Takeaways
- Real estate market influenced by high-end sales
- Impact of demographic shift on homebuyers Record-setting median prices
- Impact of high prices on investors
- Demographic shift in housing preferences
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction and Attire
- 09:45 Stock Market Performance
- 15:04 Impact of Immigration on Housing Market
- 22:27 Record-Setting Median Prices
- 32:43 Impact of High Prices on Investors
- 44:00 Demographic Shift in Housing Preferences
Never miss an episode
Every episode of The Jon Sanchez Show is available on demand through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Start from the beginning or pick up wherever you left off.
