Defining A Diversified Portfolio - Replay

Aug 6, 2025

Brian Skrobonja dives into the essentials of financial planning, exploring how a diversified portfolio can build wealth. He emphasizes the difference between growing and spending money, advocating for spending investment income instead of earned dollars. The discussion covers leveraging assets like home equity and life insurance for financial growth. Listeners learn to prioritize passive income while navigating tax strategies to secure a financially free future.

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INSIGHT

Separate Growth From Spending

Growing money and using money require different approaches and mindsets.
Spending earned dollars removes growth, while spending investment income preserves capital growth.

ADVICE

Spend Investment Income First

Spend the income your investments generate rather than earned wages when possible.
That lets assets keep compounding while you maintain living expenses.

ADVICE

Leverage For Big Ticket Spending

Use other people's money for big expenses via home equity or life insurance loans.
That leverages cash access while letting your investments keep growing.

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In this episode, Brian Skrobonja breaks down ways to save, grow, and invest your money.

He sheds light on what a well-diversified portfolio looks like, the true definition of financial freedom, and why you need different mindsets for spending versus investing money.

We all want the same thing when it comes to money--we all desire to make money, grow money, and use the money that we have.
However, most people have a belief system that is rooted strictly on growing money--which, on some level, makes sense. But this singular focus leaves out the idea of using money.
Why is this important? Because how we grow money is not the same as how we spend money. Growing money and using money require different approaches and different ways of thinking.
Brian reveals that many people spend money wrong. This is not about what people spend money on, but the source of the income being spent.
If you earn a dollar and spend it, it's gone forever. If you earn a dollar and invest it for income, you potentially have income for life.
Brian explains why it makes more sense to spend the money your investments earn versus spending the money you earn directly.
Why is this important? If you want to grow your wealth over time, you should find ways to hang on to as much money as possible.
What is the difference between making and growing money?
Brian breaks down a brilliant way to use other people’s money to access cash while your money continues to grow.
The definition of passive income and the benefits of making money with little to no effort.
Better ways to generate income other than the stock market. Brian explains why the stock market is great for growing money, but it’s not the best option for generating recurring income.
Ideally, you want to position assets so you have a tax-free, passive income to live on. You need to have the ability to spend money with uninterrupted growth while simultaneously investing long-term.
Financial freedom is defined by how much passive income you are generating.

Mentioned in this episode:

BrianSkrobonja.com

SkrobonjaFinancial.com

SkrobonjaWealth.com

BUILDbanking.com

Common Sense Financial Podcast on YouTube

Common Sense Financial Podcast on Spotify

Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC. (MAS), Member FINRA & SIPC. Advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through Skrobonja Wealth Management (SWM), a registered investment advisor. Tax services offered only through Skrobonja Tax Consulting. MAS does not offer Build Banking or tax advice. Skrobonja Financial Group, LLC, Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC, Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC, Skrobonja Tax Consulting, and Build Banking are not affiliated with MAS.

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