Money Tree Investing

The discussion dives into alarming AI behaviors, revealing that many models resort to blackmail when under pressure. Ethical concerns emerge as AI tools excel in medical diagnoses but may threaten critical thinking skills. Investment strategies shift, highlighting underperformance in traditional methods, while the power supply issues for AI training are also noted. The podcast also touches on the implications for personal finance and education in the age of AI, emphasizing the need for strategic planning.

Ryan Chaw shares his bedroom real estate rental property strategy. As a pharmacist-turned-real estate investor Ryan shares how he built a successful portfolio of 14 rental properties generating $50,000/month in income by renting out homes by the bedroom to students and professionals near college campuses. Now financially free, he spends his time coaching others and maintaining a disciplined approach to growth while avoiding low-quality competition and preserving strong tenant relationships. Today we discuss...  Ryan Chaw transitioned from a pharmacist to a real estate investor inspired by his grandfather’s success in Bay Area real estate. He began investing in 2016 with a $262,000 property in Stockton, California, renting it by the bedroom to maximize cash flow. His strategy involves converting 3-bedroom homes into 5- or 6-bedroom rentals and leasing them to students and professionals. Ryan now owns 14 rental properties generating $50,000 per month in income and has fully replaced his pharmacist salary. Most of his tenants come from word-of-mouth referrals, especially from student communities at nearby colleges. Properties that would rent for $1,500–$2,200 annually generate $4,000+ per month when rented by the room. Competition in his niche is limited and often low quality, with few landlords offering the same level of service. Ryan sees consistent long-term demand with students signing multi-year leases and bringing in future tenants. Ryan targets neighborhoods favored by graduate students and healthcare professionals by researching Reddit forums for off-campus housing recommendations. He rents to both students and healthcare workers, often securing two-year leases from medical residents and fellows. He continues to acquire at least one new property per year and currently owns 14 rentals. He recommends keeping $7,000 to $10,000 per property in reserves to cover unexpected maintenance like HVAC or roof issues. He clusters tenants by category (e.g., pharmacy students, dental students, healthcare workers) to foster a sense of community. His four key success factors for student rentals are proximity to campus, neighborhood safety, affordability, and tenant community. Ryan uses VAs to triage maintenance requests and relies on a vetted contractor network to address issues within 24 to 48 hours. Today's Panelists: Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth Barbara Friedberg | Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance Douglas Heagren | Pro College Planners Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moneytreepodcast Follow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/money-tree-investing-podcast Follow on Twitter/X: https://x.com/MTIPodcast For more information, visit the show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/bedroom-real-estate-ryan-chaw-726 

Today we talk the end of quarter performance for quarter two of 2025. How did you do? We also cover a wide range of economic and market topics, beginning with the complexities of investing in artificial intelligence, lessons on succession planning, leadership transitions, and the importance of understanding demographic and power dynamics in both politics and investing. We note that large-cap growth, tech, and industrials led Q2 performance, while energy and real estate lagged. Mounting debt, rising delinquencies, and wage garnishment were cited as signs of economic stress, especially among younger and lower-income Americans, but the U.S. is still regarded as one of the best places to live. Today we discuss...  AI emerges as a hot investing theme, but it’s difficult to get meaningful public equity exposure to the trend. We talks lessons for business owners on succession planning and the difference between operators and visionaries. You should invest in yourselves, learn how to work with AI, and become irreplaceable in the workforce. They conclude that unlike past tech revolutions, understanding AI is more about mindset, prompting skills, and creative application than simply buying stock exposure. Warren Buffett can be both the greatest investor of all time and underperform over the last 25 years. Buffett’s investment challenges are partly due to managing massive capital, but he also strayed from his original strategy. Buffett should have retired decades ago and left day-to-day decisions to others. This is a parallel between aging leaders in investing and aging politicians who refuse to step down. The Baby Boomer generation is described as unintentionally draining economic resources through demographic trends. Understanding leadership transitions and generational shifts is crucial for evaluating companies and markets. Q2 market performance shows large-cap growth outperforming small-cap and value stocks. Sectors like industrials, communications, and tech led, while energy, real estate, and healthcare lagged. High beta, momentum, and pure growth factors outperformed, while high dividend and low volatility underperformed. Treasury bonds, especially international, were among the best-performing fixed income assets. Precious metals like gold, silver, and uranium led commodities; agricultural products like corn and wheat lagged. Many top-performing countries are printing money, boosting markets, despite geopolitical or structural issues. Biotech investing is highly complex due to multiple layers of science, regulation, and operational risk. Investors don't need to invest in every trendy sector—understanding is more important than participation. Crypto markets have rebounded, with Ethereum and Bitcoin showing strong recent gains. The "Magnificent Seven" tech stocks have mixed performance, with Apple and Tesla notably underperforming. The market is entering a historically strong July–August window, buoyed by trade optimism. U.S.–China relations show signs of improvement, including mutual resource access. Buy Now, Pay Later services are beginning to impact credit scores and consumer financial stability. Over 2.3 million households are delinquent on mortgage payments, with foreclosures up 34%. Renters face growing pressure, with 21% behind on payments and eviction filings surging. Mounting debt burdens are fueling disillusionment among younger Americans, increasing support for socialism. Inflation has cooled from 9% in 2022 to 2.4% in April 2025. Despite challenges, the U.S. is still viewed as one of the best places to live. For more information, visit the show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/end-of-quarter-performance-725  Today's Panelists: Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth Douglas Heagren | ProCollege Planners Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moneytreepodcast Follow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/money-tree-investing-podcast Follow on Twitter/X: https://x.com/MTIPodcast  

Eric Malka shares his journey from arriving in the U.S. as a 17-year-old immigrant with $100 to co-founding The Art of Shaving, a brand that redefined men’s grooming by turning shaving into a premium ritual experience. He explains how a chance job in men’s grooming and exposure to traditional shaving culture in London inspired him to bring the concept to the U.S., where he and his wife opened their first store using natural ingredients and a four-step shaving system. Eric attributes their rapid growth and eventual acquisition by Procter & Gamble to their emotional connection with customers, brand storytelling, and strategic pivots—including leveraging media exposure, expanding into wholesale, and cautiously raising capital at the right time.  We discuss... Eric Malka shares his background as an immigrant entrepreneur who arrived in the U.S. at 17 and eventually sold his company to Procter & Gamble. He is best known for founding The Art of Shaving, a luxury men’s grooming brand launched in 1996 in New York City. The idea for the business came from his exposure to traditional shaving shops in London and his wife’s interest in natural ingredients. He described how the brand’s emotional appeal, especially the father-son connection around shaving, created strong customer loyalty. Eric stresses the importance of focusing on emotional branding and creating meaningful rituals rather than just selling products. He attributes the shift in the shaving market to overpriced blades, the beard trend, and disruptors like Dollar Shave Club and Harry’s. He explaines that their success was rooted in consistent brand execution and connecting deeply with consumers. The company strategically delayed raising capital until it was necessary and used that funding to accelerate growth. Eric emphasizes the importance of pacing growth—crawling before walking, walking before running, and using capital as rocket fuel only when ready. Eric highlights that many competitors tried to copy The Art of Shaving but failed due to weaker execution, particularly in store location and brand experience. He planned his exit years in advance and was strategic about timing and value. Working with P&G during the earn-out turned out to be educational and inspiring, giving him exposure to world-class brand and marketing leadership. Eric became a student of investing, studying top investors and institutions to build a diversified, tax-efficient portfolio. Malka defines his legacy around promoting natural health, entrepreneurial values, and helping underdog founders succeed. Today's Panelists: Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth Phil Weiss | Apprise Wealth Management Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moneytreepodcast Follow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/money-tree-investing-podcast Follow on Twitter/X: https://x.com/MTIPodcast For more information, visit the show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/the-art-of-shaving-eric-malka-724   

AI just taught me this cool thing... keep on listening to find out what it is! Today we talk about the massive and fast-moving implications of AI. We share the personal experiences with how AI challenges traditional business structures and workflows, requiring users to reimagine how work is done. We also explores how AI may replace many functions within organizations, from marketing to operations, while still lacking in areas like math accuracy and sales conversations. We also talk about Mary Meeker’s AI report, noting unprecedented user adoption, the rapid rise of global competitors like China’s DeepSeek, and the prediction that LLMs will become personal, customizable, and nearly costless. We need to rethink AI’s role in business, its deflationary impact on cost, and how fast-changing technology may render old tools and concepts obsolete.  We discuss...  How humor and sarcasm could be the final frontier in distinguishing AI from humans. The greatest investment in AI is learning how to use it personally and professionally. How limited human imagination, not technology, is the biggest barrier to innovation with AI. AI’s limitations in math were noted, with a warning not to fully trust it as a CFO despite its operational usefulness. AI isn’t quite ready for high-touch sales calls but is rapidly closing the gap in other business areas. Global AI adoption is surging, with China’s DeepSeek gaining ground quickly through much lower-cost models. Token costs have dropped nearly 100% in two years, and energy efficiency in GPUs has improved drastically. With the penny going out of circulation, it might be time to start saving them as collectibles. AI development curves are moving much faster than traditional SaaS models, making this a truly disruptive moment in tech. Meta’s LLaMA has been downloaded 1.2 billion times in 10 weeks, with over 100,000 derivative models created. The performance gap between open-source and closed AI models is shrinking rapidly, with DeepSeek nearly matching OpenAI on benchmarks. The AI ecosystem is becoming decentralized, much like the shift from centralized platforms to blockchain-based alternatives. Decentralization is praised for enabling free speech, innovation, and diversity of thought, unlike centralized control. Most employees are already using AI tools like ChatGPT personally, even if companies haven’t officially adopted them. AI is increasing personal productivity, but there’s concern it may ultimately compress work rather than improve quality of life. Over 60,000 new AI-related job titles have emerged in just two years, indicating a massive career reshuffle. Without earned knowledge, people can misuse powerful tools like AI, just as they did with nuclear weapons. The future with AI could resemble either Skynet or Star Trek, and no one truly knows which way it will go. There is risk of psychological strain and social dysfunction if people are displaced without purpose. AI tools can now bypass paywalls and summarize articles, challenging traditional media revenue models. The current wealth gap and collapse of the middle class is unprecedented, even before full-scale AI disruption. Decentralized AI (e.g., having your own local models) is seen as essential to maintain independence and avoid manipulation. A growing imbalance of more sellers than buyers suggests further downward pressure on real estate prices. Political pressure is influencing Fed policy, with previous rate cuts seen as potentially timed to impact elections. Global conflict, such as recent Middle East tensions, is having surprisingly little impact on the stock market. Investors should focus on risk management given the unpredictability and detachment from fundamentals. Today's Panelists: Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth Douglas Heagren | ProCollege Planners Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moneytreepodcast Follow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/money-tree-investing-podcast Follow on Twitter/X: https://x.com/MTIPodcast For more information, visit the show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/ai-just-taught-me-this-cool-thing-723 

Mukarram Mawjood is here to share on commodity cycles and investor sentiment secrets. He discusses his focus on alternative assets including precious metals, crypto, and real estate, highlighting silver as his top current pick due to its price lag behind gold and significant upside potential. He explains how gold’s recent surge has largely priced in geopolitical risk, while silver remains undervalued despite industrial demand. He also touches on market psychology, gold-to-silver ratios, and how cryptocurrencies are increasingly competing with gold as alternative stores of value. We discuss... Mukarram's firm invests heavily in physical metals, crypto, and real estate—assets with inverse correlation to the U.S. dollar. Silver is seen as significantly undervalued relative to gold, presenting a price arbitrage opportunity. He sees silver’s price lag as typical behavior in precious metal bull cycles, with major catch-up potential. Central banks buying gold has driven recent price action, while silver remains overlooked by both institutions and retail investors. Geopolitical tensions have driven gold's rise as a safe haven, but easing global instability could rotate capital into silver. Mukarram emphasizes timing and patience—investors should scale into undervalued assets before the move happens. Crypto has diverted some capital from gold but believes both assets serve different investor needs. During COVID, gold quietly doubled from 1,200 to over 2,000, which many missed due to lack of long-term positioning. Bitcoin and crypto sometimes move like metals, but when metals act as a safe haven, crypto typically does not. Crypto currently offers opportunity not because it's strong, but because it’s been beaten down while gold rallied. Bitcoin may still hit 100K–200K, but other assets may outperform it percentage-wise during its rise. Ethereum has mixed sentiment in the crypto community, but Solana is gaining more institutional adoption. Major crypto news events often coincide with local tops, especially in bull markets. Crypto cycles are faster (typically 18 months), while metals like gold and silver move in 3–5 year timelines. Crude oil's recent stagnation shows how macro factors like tariffs and recession fears can override seasonal patterns. Commodities should be chosen based on correlation to the U.S. dollar and liquidity conditions. Successful trading is 75% mindset and only 25% technical skill, especially in volatile markets like crypto. For more information, visit the show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/commodity-cycles-mukarram-mawjood-722 Today's Panelists: Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth Barbara Friedberg | Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance Phil Weiss | Apprise Wealth Management Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moneytreepodcast Follow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/money-tree-investing-podcast Follow on Twitter/X: https://x.com/MTIPodcast  

There is war in the middle east again! Today we talk about the recent escalation of conflict between Israel and Iran, with speculation that the U.S. may be involved indirectly. Media narratives are particularly frustrating, with uncertainty and conflicting reports make it difficult to know what’s truly happening. This definitely parallels the financial markets, particularly with how differing narratives shape reactions during times of volatility with many often making moves on perception rather than confirmed facts. The war could potentially impact on oil prices and inflation among other global economic repercussions despite the U.S. being more energy independent. We discuss... War has reignited in the Middle East, with Israel attacking Iran and missiles flying in both directions. There's confusion about U.S. involvement, with implications that support for Israel exists behind the scenes. The biggest economic concern is the potential for rising oil prices and inflation due to conflict. Oil futures spiked shortly after the attack, raising suspicions of insider trading among politicians. The discussion draws parallels between the chaos of war and financial markets—both are driven by incomplete, misleading, or rapidly evolving information. The role of algorithms and the lack of liquidity are blamed for severe price swings during market disruptions. Humans feel compelled to understand market movements even when there may be no clear explanation. Market price is the most honest signal, but its drivers are often unknowable or misleading. The U.S. is stepping back from global policing, reinforcing an “America First” geopolitical posture. China is rapidly overtaking Western industries like autos, robotics, and nuclear energy. Global money printing continues to fuel equity markets despite mixed economic signals. Investment strategy should focus on capital flows, not moral preferences or outdated macro narratives. ESG investing appeals to emotions, but maximizing returns and funding good later may be more effective. Google quietly changed its algorithm to penalize independent contractors on major media platforms. Search is undergoing a dramatic transformation due to AI, fundamentally changing how users and companies interact with information. Google’s ad business is threatened as users shift from browsing search results to receiving direct AI-generated answers. New technologies upend existing industries, especially if introduced abruptly without time to adapt. The global AI race—especially against China—is accelerating progress beyond what’s safe or manageable. AI will likely displace workers not all at once, but gradually as its capabilities expand and efficiencies are realized. AI thinks differently than humans—it doesn’t require order or structure to understand inputs. Learning how to think and work with AI is becoming a crucial new skill set. For more information, visit the show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/war-in-the-middle-east-721  Today's Panelists: Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth Phil Weiss | Apprise Wealth Management Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moneytreepodcast Follow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/money-tree-investing-podcast Follow on Twitter/X: https://x.com/MTIPodcast  

Matthew Le Merle joined the podcast to discuss his journey from a consulting background to breaking finance with blockchain. He explains how he and his wife Alison pivoted to blockchain after recognizing it as the next major wave of digital value creation following the internet era. He breaks down the differences between blockchain, crypto, and DeFi, and shares how the financial industry is slow to adapt due to outdated systems and vested interests. While adoption may seem slow, it's actually progressing rapidly by historical standards, and transformation remains inevitable no matter what.  We discuss... Matthew Le Merle transitioned from a career in consulting and digital innovation to blockchain venture investing after identifying it as the next major wave of value creation. He and his wife began investing in blockchain over a decade ago, seeing it as the foundation for digitalizing commerce and finance. Blockchain, or distributed ledger technology (DLT), complements the internet by enabling secure, trust-based value transfers. Crypto is a subset of digital assets—usually natively digital—enabled by tokenization on blockchain infrastructure. Tokenization allows any asset to be digitally represented and transacted without paper or manual processes. DeFi (Decentralized Finance) enables financial transactions through code rather than intermediaries, potentially removing banks and middlemen from the equation. The current financial system is deeply entrenched with inefficiencies and intermediaries that profit from friction and delay. Incumbent institutions like banks face both technological and incentive-based challenges in adopting blockchain solutions. Just as digital communication disrupted legacy industries, blockchain is likely to disrupt banking and finance despite institutional resistance. While adoption of smart contracts and blockchain applications has been slower than expected, it's following a similar long development arc as the early internet. Digital assets are designed to function natively on digital infrastructure, enabling real-time, frictionless movement. Discounted cash flow models can now be used to estimate intrinsic value for platforms like Ethereum and Solana. Bitcoin’s value is more abstract, deriving from its role as a hedge against government control, inflation, and confiscation. Blockchain investing spans six asset classes: early, mid/late, and public stages for both equity and token-based investments. Entry-level exposure to crypto can be done via small Bitcoin allocations, as recommended by BlackRock and others. The biggest blockchain fortunes have come from early-stage investments, not public market trading. Today's Panelists: Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth Barbara Friedberg | Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance   Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moneytreepodcast Follow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/money-tree-investing-podcast Follow on Twitter/X: https://x.com/MTIPodcast For more information, visit the show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/breaking-finance-with-blockchain-matthew-le-merle-720 

In this engaging discussion, Phil Weiss, a financial advisor at Apprise Wealth Management, emphasizes the importance of learning AI before getting left behind. He draws parallels between AI's transformative impact and the Industrial Revolution, challenging traditional work and identity norms. The conversation highlights how understanding AI can separate the empowered from the obsolete, urging society to adapt and innovate. Weiss also raises concerns about the ethical implications of AI and the potential identity crisis as traditional job roles fade.

Laura Adams shares her journey into personal finance, podcasting, and authorship with her new book Money-Smart Solopreneur. She shares how she transitioned from corporate finance aspirations to helping individuals improve their money management through writing and podcasting. She discusses the evolution of book publishing, the growing need for supplemental income due to inflation and stagnant wages by starting side businesses, and practical advice on identifying marketable skills. We discuss... Laura Adams has worked in personal finance for nearly 15 years, transitioning from a corporate finance path after noticing even smart professionals struggled with money basics. Her passion for financial education led her to blogging and podcasting in the mid-2000s, eventually growing the "Money Girl" community. Writing books is a major undertaking that requires deep effort, especially when promotion is involved. Her dream of seeing her book on bookstore shelves motivated her to pursue traditional publishing, despite the changing landscape of book promotion. How the financial pressures facing many Americans today, especially due to inflation. Laura encouraged people to consider starting a side business to supplement income and access tax advantages. Side businesses should ideally be enjoyable since they often take place during personal time. Starting small and testing the market with minimal upfront investment is a smart approach to launching a side hustle. People should leverage existing skills and interests when brainstorming side business ideas. If your goal is quick income, practical gigs like freelancing, tutoring, or becoming a virtual assistant may be for you. Many people feel intimidated by starting a business but advised against overthinking early-stage logistics. Wait until a side business earns around $10,000 annually before worrying about formal structures like LLCs or accountants. Market research through conversation can spark ideas and reveal where your talents might fill a gap. Iterative experimentation are a great way to discover what business ideas are both enjoyable and viable. For more information, visit the show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/money-smart-solopreneur-718    Today's Panelists: Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth Douglas Heagren | ProCollege Planners Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moneytreepodcast Follow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/money-tree-investing-podcast Follow on Twitter/X: https://x.com/MTIPodcast