Welcome back to Don’t Retire… Graduate! On this episode, Eric Brotman chats with financial industry veteran Troy Holt about the importance of financial literacy and shares some key strategies for managing your personal finances. Troy is passionate about financial literacy and explains how a job in finance can provide both community impact and personal satisfaction beyond merely making money. He is here to walk us through the seven money milestones he and his team have identified in the financial planning journey, starting with financial education and leading to building and protecting wealth.Listen now for tips on cutting expenses, generating income through multiple streams, and protecting wealth with proper insurance coverage and investment in income-producing assets. In this episode we’ll talk about:• The importance of financial education • The areas in our finances where most people are not protected, including life insurance and disability insurance• Rules of thumb for emergency funds and managing debt• Cash flow and how to begin building wealth• Investing in income-producing assets and creating multiple income streams• Avoiding one-size-fits-all financial advice and finding an advisor that can act as a copilot Visit dontretiregraduate.com for a full transcript of this episode.About Troy Holt:Troy Holt is a skilled sales and account executive with over 20 years of experience in business growth, development and financial planning. As a Certified Financial Educator & Registered Financial Consultant, Troy is licensed in 20 states and is an independent coach, speaker, and trainer. He is well-versed in communication, leadership, and work ethic, and has a proven track record of success in his endeavors.He is the co-author of an Amazon Best Seller book and host of the Troy Talks podcast, where he shares his expertise and personal stories to inspire others. Troy is also the CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer) of Troy Holt Consulting LLC, a growing financial consulting company focused on empowering and educating individuals and small business owners on wealth accumulation, preservation, and debt elimination.Troy is an engaging and motivating speaker, mentor, and Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with The John Maxwell Company, who has made it a personal mission to eliminate financial illiteracy, particularly in the African American community with a focus on black women.Troy is a 33-year member of the same church, serving in ministry for 29 years and as a Licensed Elder with the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World for 26 years. He currently resides in Pensacola, FL with his wife of 31 years, one adult son, and three grandchildren.Troy Holt's LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3dru6pPTroy Holt's Instagram: https://bit.ly/3YEo9OZTroy Holt's Twitter: https://bit.ly/33EMQ2W Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s Office Hours, Eric answers Colby's question: “When should somebody start investing?”The short answer is as soon as you have money available to invest, but the conversation doesn't stop there.Have a question? Tweet it to us at @BrotmanPlanning or post it on our Facebook and it may be used in a future episode of Office Hours! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Don’t Retire… Graduate! Today’s guest has used Airbnb to reach financial freedom early and is teaching others how to do the same.Zeona McIntyre is an author, realtor, investment consultant, and speaker who has been helping people house hack and build their portfolios of short and medium-term rentals for several years. She sat down with Eric to talk about how she has reached her financial goals, the lessons she has learned through experience, and how she has shaped her career to allow for her ideal lifestyle. Listen to the conversation and then reach out to Zeona and tell her what it is that would make you happy.In this episode we’ll talk about:• How Zeona started with AirBNB when $50,000 in debt• Things that can go wrong when managing rental properties• Why you should install cameras in your rental properties (and what happened before Zeona learned that lesson)• The FIRE movement and how she got involved• Suze Orman and the traditional, slow retirement ideology • How Zeona hit her retirement number within two years through real estate investing• Why real estate investing is not actually passive income • Protecting yourself from liability as a property manager• Zeona’s succession plan• Acting despite fear  Visit dontretiregraduate.com for a full transcript of this episode.About Zeona McIntyre: Zeona McIntyre is an Author, Realtor, Investment Consultant, and Speaker. She has been an Airbnb host since 2012, and she now uses her decade of experience to help her clients House Hack and build portfolios of short & medium-term rentals. She is an avid Real Estate Investor owning a double-digit portfolio of furnished rentals across five states. She is the co-author of the BiggerPockets book "30 Day Stay. A Real Estate Investor's Guide to Mastering the Medium-term Rental''.Instagram: @zeonamcintyreFacebook: zeona.mcintyreYouTube: @ZeonaMTRWebsite: https://www.zeonamcintyre.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s Office Hours, Eric answers Ava's question: “How much does money matter in a relationship?”This is a multifaceted question with different types of relationships, but in all types, it is necessary to have communication, transparency, and honesty.Have a question? Tweet it to us at @BrotmanPlanning or post it on our Facebook and it may be used in a future episode of Office Hours! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Don’t Retire… Graduate! This is an episode unlike any we’ve done before. Our guest is Rachael Schlimmer, a nomad who is traveling more often than she isn’t but is ready to start putting down roots and planning out her future. While we promised not to call this an intervention (or a séance for that matter), Rachael was at a crossroads and needed someone to interfere, if only to help her stop doubting herself. She and Eric sat down for what is almost a financial planning consultation to discuss her goals, explore opportunities for cash flow, and get her to the realization that what you think your life is supposed to look like is not necessarily what it should look like. And, like many initial financial planning conversations, there was very little talk of money and a lot of talk of what she wants to be when she grows up. Listen now to go on this self-discovery journey with us.In this episode we’ll talk about:• Turning your passions and hobbies into your career• The career paths that allow for the nomadic lifestyle that Rachael loves• Redefining the idea of “home,” and finding home in the people you meet • The skills you need (or don’t need) to make a living• Barbara Sloan’s book Tipped and the value it holds for those with less traditional incomeVisit dontretiregraduate.com for a full transcript of this episode.About Rachel Schlimmer:I've been semi-nomadic for the last 5-6 years, working for most of a year, travelling for 8-10 months. I'm working towards putting down some roots and building some stability, and part of that is upping my long-term finance game. Fortuitously met Eric over the bar top of a hotel restaurant I'm newly coffee slinging for, and here we are! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s Office Hours, Eric answers Matt's question: “How do you effectively balance among saving, retirement, and expenses?"There is no rule of thumb here, but we may be able to find a balance that works for you.Have a question? Tweet it to us at @BrotmanPlanning or post it on our Facebook and it may be used in a future episode of Office Hours! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Don’t Retire… Graduate! We have two very special guests today, Julien and Kiersten Saunders. They are the hosts of the Rich and Regular podcast and Money on the Table video series and authors of their recently published book, “Cashing Out: Win the Wealth Game by Walking Away.” The couple joins us to talk about how the finance game is rigged against minorities and how they built their wealth—and paid down mind-numbing debt—despite the challenges they faced. This is a powerful episode you won’t want to miss!In this episode we’ll talk about:• How not to start a relationship. • Julien and Kiersten’s story and why they wrote their book the way they did.• The barriers and challenges that people of color face, particularly in finance.• Wage and income gaps and how they’re still prevalent. • The history of slavery and share cropping and how they still impact us. • Choosing your boss wisely and finding one that advocates for you. • Paying yourself first and having courage to invest money. • Treating personal finance as financial hygiene. • Becoming a connector and the value of community, both virtual and in person.• Paying off debt the way you chop down a tree. About Julien and Kiersten Saunders: Julien and Kiersten are authors of Cashing Out: Win the Wealth Game By Walking Away under Portfolio Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. They are also the creative voices behind the blog richandregular.com, hosts/producers of the award-winning video series, Money on the Table, and hosts of the rich & REGULAR podcast. https://richandregular.com Visit dontretiregraduate.com for a full transcript of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s Office Hours, Eric answers Madeline's question: “Should I stop contributing to my 401(k) to pay for my daughter's college now or should I take loans and continue to invest in my retirement?” This a question many are facing, and there is no one perfect answer. However, retirement is the one thing you cannot borrow for so it's important to take care of yourself first financially before your children. Eric explains why.Have a question? Tweet it to us at @BrotmanPlanning or post it on our Facebook and it may be used in a future episode of Office Hours!Visit dontretiregraduate.com for a full transcript of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Don’t Retire… Graduate! Today’s guest is as young and scrappy as her brand. Michelle Waymire founded her financial planning practice to help the LGBTQ+ community make sense of their finances in an environment that is uniquely designed for them. Her approach to financial planning means making your money work towards building a joyful, abundant, and giving life and she is here to share more about her story and how she is changing the industry to be less male, pale, and stale. Listen to her abundance philosophy and start changing your mindset. If not, well, bless your heart.In this episode we’ll talk about:• Michelle launching a financial planning practice right before the pandemic took over the world• What it means to be a fiduciary • How young clients don’t want their parents’ financial advisor and how important it is to have a multigenerational financial planning practice• How women in finance are seen as assistants and secretaries regardless of position • A collaborative approach to financial advising • The abundance mindset vs striving for wealth• Abundance as a means to an end instead of an end goal• How financial planning for the LGBTQ+ community is different • Partnerships and collaborations that can help the LGBTQ+ community find a better financial advisor for themVisit dontretiregraduate.com for a full transcript of this episode.About Michelle Waymire: Michelle Waymire is a fiduciary financial advisor and financial coach, as well as the founder of Young & Scrappy, a specialty practice geared towards serving young professionals, artists/entrepreneurs, and LGBTQ+ folx. Michelle holds her Masters in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee, is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (tm) and has been quoted/featured in US News, Glamour, Bustle, local NPR, and many more. You can read about her work at www.youngandscrappy.com. Or check out The Young and Scrappy Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/theyoungscrappy/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s Office Hours, Eric answers Alicia's question: “Can money actually buy happiness?” Over his 30-year career, Eric has seen people with more money than they could ever need who were miserable and some who were happy. The same can be said for those with more modest wealth. So what's the answer?Have a question? Tweet it to us at @BrotmanPlanning or post it on our Facebook and it may be used in a future episode of Office Hours!Visit dontretiregraduate.com for a full transcript of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices