Money Ripples Podcast

This episode of the Money Ripples Podcast is different than anything I normally release. There's no guest, no strategy breakdown, and no investing deep dive. Instead, this is a personal message straight from my heart as we close out the year and head into a new one. Recently, my father passed away just before Christmas. Many of you have heard me talk about him on this podcast and even in my book, The Work Optional Blueprint. Losing him has forced me to slow down, reflect, and really think about what actually matters in life. Because of that, I wanted to take a moment to speak directly to you not as your cashflow expert, but as another human being navigating loss, gratitude, and perspective. In this short episode, I share why we're pausing new podcast episodes until the new year and why that decision matters to me. But more importantly, I ask you a powerful question: if this were your last Christmas or your final New Year, how would you treat it differently? How would you spend your time? Who would you be with? What would truly matter? As I've gone through my dad's belongings and reflected on his life, one thing has become incredibly clear, the best things in life are not things. They're people. Moments. Conversations. Time spent with the people we love while we still can. This message is a reminder to live intentionally. To stop running on autopilot. To stop delaying joy, connection, and meaning for "someday." All we really have is today, and I believe we owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to live our lives now not tomorrow. I also want to personally thank you. Because of you, this community has grown to over 5,000 subscribers on YouTube and thousands more on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Many of you have been following me for years, some for over a decade, and I don't take that lightly. I know you're here because you want more than just surviving, paying bills, and waiting for retirement. You want a meaningful life. A purposeful life. A life that creates ripples for others. This episode is my holiday message to you, to slow down, be present, cherish your loved ones, and live fully right now. We'll be back with new episodes in the new year, but until then, I hope this message encourages you to make this holiday season truly count. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being part of the Money Ripples community

Start making passive income here: https://bit.ly/48Sh5nS If you were to die today, would you honestly be happy with the life you've lived? That's not a hypothetical question for today's guest. In this powerful and emotional episode, I sit down with Derek Carlson, CEO of Realty ONE Group MVP, to unpack how a near-death experience forced him to radically change his life, his health, and the way he leads one of the fastest-growing real estate organizations in the country. Derek didn't just face adversity, he was hit from every direction. At the peak of his success, running a top-100 real estate brokerage nationwide and closing over $2 billion in annual sales volume, Derek suffered multiple heart attacks while on vacation in Europe. What makes this story even more shocking is that he didn't realize what was happening until he returned to the United States and collapsed into urgent care, where a doctor told him he was actively having a heart attack. That moment became the turning point of Derek's life. In this episode, Derek shares how sitting alone in a hospital room forced him to redefine what success actually means. He introduces the MVP Framework, which now stands for Mindset, Vision, and Purpose, and explains how this shift saved his life and reshaped his company culture from the inside out. But the challenges didn't stop there. Just months later, Derek's business was targeted during the National Association of Realtors class-action lawsuit, putting his company and livelihood at risk. Instead of collapsing under pressure, Derek doubled down on discipline, surrounded himself with elite mentors and mastermind groups, and made a bold strategic pivot by aligning with Realty ONE Group, ultimately becoming CEO of 10 franchises across Florida. We dive deep into what it really takes to lead through adversity, why health is often the missing piece for entrepreneurs, and how surrounding yourself with the right tribe can compress decades of growth into months. Derek also shares how his transformation sparked a ripple effect across thousands of agents helping them lose weight, get off medication, invest in real estate, and rediscover purpose beyond commission checks. This episode isn't just about business success. It's about what happens when life forces you to slow down and ask harder questions. If you're an entrepreneur, business owner, or high performer who feels burned out, stuck, or disconnected from your why, this conversation may be exactly what you need to hear. Derek's links: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekcarlson/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/derekcarlsonmvp/?hl=en - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/275638393296257/user/100004702208963/

Start making passive income here: https://bit.ly/4j657Mi Where is the future of real estate going from here? Is real estate doomed, or are we staring at one of the best opportunity windows we've seen in years? That's exactly what I dig into today with my friend Tim Bratz (Legacy Wealth), a real estate investor and operator who's owned and managed thousands of units and has bought over 6,000+ doors over his career. If you've been watching the last few years unfold rising rates, shrinking cash flow, insurance spikes, expense inflation, and multifamily values getting hammered you're not alone. The question is: what happens next, and where should smart investors be looking now? Tim and I cut straight to what matters: supply and demand. He explains why the 2008 crash had a very different setup (too much supply), and why today's environment has a different problem a housing shortage that keeps getting worse. He breaks down what he's watching as new construction slows, builders hesitate, and the pipeline for new units starts drying up. If the next several years bring fewer deliveries while demand keeps building, that creates pressure in rents, pricing, and demand for the right kind of housing. We also talk about what "the right kind" actually means. Tim's conviction is clear: the opportunity isn't in giant luxury homes or chasing whatever looks sexy on social media. The opportunity is in workforce housing the older, well-located homes and apartments that real people can afford. We discuss why properties priced under typical "new build" replacement cost can get more attention, why older multifamily with larger unit layouts may become more valuable, and why families may increasingly need more bedrooms as affordability stays tight. Then we pivot into a topic I'm hearing more investors obsess over: management and efficiency. Tim shares why he believes bad property management has destroyed more value than most investors want to admit and how weak systems, fragmented tools, and poor data lead to missed income, wasted expenses, and operational chaos. That's why he built Smart Management, an all-in-one, AI-enhanced property management software designed to consolidate operations and automate decision-making from spotting utility bill anomalies to streamlining maintenance workflows and tenant communication. He's used tools like AppFolio, Yardi, RealPage, Rent Manager, Buildium, DoorLoop, Entrada, and more and he explains what's been missing and why efficiency is the real advantage going forward. If you've been afraid of real estate lately, I'll say what I always say: fear can be a signal… especially when fundamentals still point to demand. The key is positioning buying the right assets, with the right strategy, and refusing to make permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances. Tim's links: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timbratz/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timbratz/?hl=en - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tlbratz/ - Website: https://legacywealthholdings.com/

Start making passive income here: https://bit.ly/3Y1kgoq Do you remember those old Spike Lee Nike commercials where he kept saying, "It's gotta be the shoes"? Everybody wanted to believe Michael Jordan's greatness came from Air Jordans. But we all know the truth: it wasn't the shoes, it was the player. And in money, it's not the investment that makes you wealthy… it's the investor. In this episode, I'm breaking down a trap I see all the time: people chasing the "hot" investment like it's a magic bullet. Real estate. The stock market. The perfect policy. The newest strategy. Everyone's looking for the shortcut, and I get why. I've been on countless podcasts where people ask me, "Chris, what's the best investment right now?" But the real question should be: "How do I become the kind of investor who wins in any market?" I share why your results aren't determined by the vehicle, but by the person behind the wheel. That's exactly why some people gamble in the stock market and lose their shirt while a small group consistently wins. It's why some people buy rental properties that never appreciate, or end up with "cheap" houses that come with headaches, vacancies, and regret. And it's why people can invest in multifamily syndications and still lose money when they don't know what questions to ask, what risks to identify, or how to verify what's actually happening behind the curtain. I'm also adding context to the popular line from Rich Dad Poor Dad: "There are no risky investments, only risky investors." I agree with the principle, but I'm also going to be blunt: there are investments that are just plain stupid. I've watched investors chase hype, speculation, and "get rich quick" plays… and the market eventually exposes all of it. I walk through the key perspectives that separate investors from gamblers, including why the belief that "high risk creates high returns" is backwards. Risk is the chance of loss. A higher chance of loss does not magically increase your odds of winning. That idea often benefits the people collecting fees while you take the volatility. Then I shift into one of the biggest lessons I learned from downturns: liquidity matters. Markets can change fast, and long time horizons can magnify risk if you're not protected. We saw it in the last recession, and we saw it again when interest rates spiked and valuations dropped in commercial real estate, retail, self-storage, and multifamily. I explain why short-term strategies can reduce market-timing exposure, and what you should be looking for when evaluating operators, audits, financial transparency, and cash reserves. Finally, I pull back the curtain on infinite banking and why people misunderstand it. I explain why it's not enough to pick a "good" carrier like Penn Mutual, MassMutual, or Guardian. Not all agents are created equal. I walk through a real example from a neurosurgeon who was put into a poorly designed whole life policy where her first-year cash value was zero after paying $60,000. Then I contrast it with how we design it, where the first-year cash value is about $50,000 same company, same health rating, totally different outcome because the levers matter. This is what I teach my VIP clients and inside the Work Optional Blueprint and Wealth Accelerator Academy: become an investor first, and the investments take care of themselves. Stop chasing the shoes. Start becoming the player.

Explore the shortcomings of traditional retirement advice and why many retirees feel unprepared. Examine Suze Orman's take on guaranteed income and discover why typical pensions and Social Security may fall short. Analyze Dave Ramsey's budgeting principles against today's economic realities. Delve into the rising costs of housing, healthcare, and education that challenge savings efforts. Learn about innovative private investing strategies that can offer better returns and cash flow for a more secure financial future.

Start making passive income here: https://bit.ly/4ixiEfx You keep hearing it in the news: "The real estate market is done. Prices can't go any higher. It's not worth investing anymore." But is that actually true everywhere? Are there still pockets of the U.S. real estate market where you can find solid deals, strong cash flow, and real opportunity, especially in affordable housing? In this episode, I sit down with Ohio real estate investor and educator Tiffany High to answer that question head on. Tiffany runs a high-volume, systematized real estate flipping business and wholesale operation based in Columbus and Toledo, Ohio, and her story is powerful. She walked away from a corporate career in oil trading and building materials, jumped into flipping houses by maxing out a credit card for education, and did around 40 flips in her first year just by hand-writing lists at the courthouse and door knocking. From there she scaled into wholesaling, doing over 160+ contracts in a year. But it wasn't all up and to the right. Tiffany shares how putting the wrong people in the wrong seats nearly destroyed her company, led to deep burnout, and even a suicide attempt. She's incredibly open about ending up in a mental institute for a week, what that did to her perspective, and how a pivotal conversation with her father convinced her not to walk away. Instead, she rebuilt everything from the ground up with a one-on-one mentor from the corporate world who helped her install true infrastructure: recruiting, onboarding, training, scorecards, leadership, and real KPIs. Today, Tiffany runs a streamlined operation that's obsessed with data-driven comps, days on market trends, and staying within the median home price and affordable housing range in each zip code. We talk about why she loves markets like Toledo, Ohio, where renovated homes in the $150,000–$185,000 range are still accessible to blue-collar families, and why investors from California and other high-cost markets are flooding in to buy these properties as cash-flowing rentals. We also get into how she's shifting more into private lending and wealth preservation, turning two into four and four into eight instead of holding every rental forever. Tiffany explains how she works with private lenders on her flips, why she pays 12% annualized interest, and the protections she gives lenders personal guarantees, conservative ARVs, strong reserves, and the ability to come walk her operation in person. If you've been feeling nervous about the headlines but still want your money working hard in real estate, this conversation is for you. We cover mindset, market selection, leadership, and how to build a business that doesn't own your life. Whether you want to be hands-on or passive, you'll see how Ohio real estate investing done right can still be a powerful path to cash flow, equity, and long-term wealth. Tiffany High's links: - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffanyhighofficial?igsh=dnFnMjF0dzlxam5u - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-high-66535118/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialtiffanyhigh/ - Website: https://resultsdrivenrei.com/

Waiting for perfect conditions before investing often leads to inaction. Using a shaky boat metaphor, fear keeps people from taking necessary steps. Real confidence comes from practice, not just positive thinking, as demonstrated by Bill Belichick's coaching philosophy. Chris Miles emphasizes the importance of acting now and shares insights on making informed, calculated decisions. He encourages starting small and learning from experience, illustrating that even a modest investment can lead to greater success.

Start making passive income here: https://bit.ly/49EJjEX If you've ever waited until the end of the year and then panicked about taxes, this episode is for you. I'm sitting down with CPA and founder of Better Books Accounting, Chris McCormack, to walk through last-minute, real, practical year-end tax planning moves you can still make before December 31. These aren't abstract theory ideas; these are tax strategies that can literally change how much you owe the IRS in a few weeks from now. Chris came out of the Big Four world at PwC, where he worked with some of the largest corporations, financial service companies, insurance firms, and real estate investment companies in the world. He saw firsthand how big players use the tax code to reduce taxes, preserve wealth, and reinvest more efficiently. Now he brings that same level of strategy down to real estate investors, entrepreneurs, and small business owners who are chasing financial freedom, not just a refund. We talk about why December 31 is such a critical cutoff date and how just buying a rental property a few weeks earlier can unlock powerful depreciation and write-offs that disappear if you wait until January. We also discuss how accelerating expenses you already know you're going to incur in the new year can give you an immediate tax discount and more control over your cash flow. One of the biggest topics we unpack is the Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction. Chris explains how this 20 percent deduction on business profit really works, who qualifies, why entity structure matters, and why so many business owners are missing out simply because their CPA isn't being proactive. If you're anywhere near the QBI income thresholds, a single smart decision before year-end could mean tens of thousands of dollars in tax savings. We also hit some of the most overlooked areas: choosing between S corp and C corp status, understanding when a C corporation's flat 21 percent rate might actually help high earners, using employee benefits the right way, and documenting meals, travel, and other business expenses so they don't get thrown out in an audit. Chris explains why sloppy bookkeeping can completely undermine even the best tax strategy and why getting your books right is step one if you want to pay less in tax and build real wealth. On top of that, we touch on charitable giving as both a powerful tax deduction and a way to expand your impact when your tax bill shrinks. Chris shares how his faith motivates the way he serves clients and how saving people money in taxes often leads directly to more generosity, more peace, and more margin to live life on purpose. If you're serious about keeping more of what you make, creating passive income, and using the tax code the way the wealthy do, you don't have time to procrastinate. Listen in, take notes, and then take action before the clock strikes midnight on December 31. Chris' Links: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismccormackcpa/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrismccormackcpa/ - Wesbite: https://www.betterbooksaccounting.co/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrismccormackcpa?igsh=YzJoM3R4OGZid29r

In this engaging discussion with Marc Gertz, a seasoned mortgage broker and founder of Reverse Your Thinking Mortgage, we delve into the world of reverse mortgages. Marc debunks common myths, clarifying that these do not require giving up home ownership. He explains the historical context of the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program and outlines who qualifies. Listeners learn about cash access options and the tax advantages, plus strategies for setting it up proactively to safeguard retirement. This is a game-changing conversation for anyone looking to maximize their retirement income!

Start making passive income here: https://bit.ly/4a5w0NL Can AI actually give you better financial advice than a real human who's been in the trenches? In this episode, I put that to the test. I sit down with ChatGPT and ask it to build a full retirement plan for me as if I were a typical disciplined saver: 35 years old, earning $150,000 a year, with $150,000 in a 401(k), a mortgage, a car payment, and a goal to retire at 62 with at least $100,000 a year in today's dollars. Then I start pressing the AI with the same tough questions I ask Wall Street–trained financial advisors. What you'll hear is how quickly AI financial advice starts sounding like the same old traditional playbook: max out your 401(k), open a Roth IRA, throw extra money into a taxable brokerage account, buy index funds and bonds, rebalance, hope the 4% rule works, and cross your fingers that inflation stays low and the markets cooperate. On the surface, it seems logical. But when I start pushing on the assumptions higher inflation, lower safe withdrawal rates, realistic market returns the numbers explode. Suddenly, you "need" $10–12 million saved and you're supposed to be putting away 25–30% of your income for decades. I walk you through how those tiny tweaks moving from 3% inflation to 4.5%, or from a 4% withdrawal rate down to 3–3.5% completely change the math and expose how fragile traditional retirement planning really is. I show how even advanced AI financial planning tools are still drinking from the same well as Google and mainstream financial media: they're optimizing the wrong game. Then I shift the conversation to what actually works in the real world. I press AI to talk about alternatives: real estate, private lending notes, cash-flowing businesses, syndications, and infinite banking using high cash value life insurance. I highlight where AI finally starts pointing to multiple streams of passive income, tax-efficient strategies, and becoming work optional in 10–15 years instead of waiting until your 60s. But even then, it can't tell you who to follow, how to vet deals, or how to integrate strategies like max ROI infinite banking the way I do with my clients. I also share why tools like ChatGPT are great for speed and research, but dangerous when you blindly trust them with your financial future. Algorithms haven't retired early. Algorithms don't invest their own money. Algorithms can't sit down with you, look at your situation, and design a custom game plan that gets you to freedom faster and with less risk. If your goal is to become work optional, retire earlier, and create real financial independence; not just hope your 401(k) lasts this episode will help you see the difference between theory and results. I explain how I've used passive real estate investments, private lending, and infinite banking together to create a more predictable path to financial freedom, and why my mission is to help 1,000 families become financially independent by 2030. If you're ready to stop getting the same old advice dressed up in AI clothing, and you want a plan that actually works in the real world, this episode is for you. And when you are serious about becoming one of those 1,000 families, you can connect with me at MoneyRipples.com and start building your own work optional blueprint.