Estate planning doesn’t have to be scary or expensive to be effective. Greg sits down with attorney Tyler Gluth to demystify the essentials—what really belongs in a basic plan, how to keep your loved ones out of court, and why beneficiary designations can quietly override everything you wrote in your will. We get real about the documents every adult should have, the pitfalls that create family rifts, and the simple steps that turn confusion into clarity.

We start with the foundation: a will or a revocable living trust, plus two powers of attorney that spring into effect if you’re incapacitated. Tyler explains how financial and healthcare POAs protect your bills, benefits, and medical choices without resorting to costly guardianships. From there, we dig into titling and beneficiaries—how IRAs, life insurance, and joint property pass outside probate—and why updating those forms may be the highest‑ROI move in your entire plan.

For listeners juggling blended families or homes in multiple states, we explore trusts as a practical “hub” that keeps assets organized and avoids duplicate probates. You’ll hear the tradeoffs between naming a relative as executor versus hiring a corporate fiduciary, including typical fee structures, the value of neutrality, and the moments when paying a professional prevents years of conflict. Along the way, we cover specific bequests the right way, the true drivers of probate costs, and the hard lessons of intestacy when the state’s default rules decide for you.

If you’ve been putting this off, this conversation gives you a clear path: make a plan, work the plan, and keep it current. Subscribe for more practical money guidance, share this with someone who needs a nudge, and leave a review to tell us what step you’re taking this week.

Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC.

The opinions voiced in this podcast are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which strategies or investments may suit you, consult the appropriate qualified professional before deciding.

Housing decisions aren’t made on interest rates alone. Greg invited Valparaiso broker-owner Matt Evans to break down the real levers behind today’s market: monthly costs that hide in plain sight, the changing shape of local supply, and the life events that won’t wait for a perfect APR. From the practical “date the rate, marry the home” mindset to the math behind taxes, HOAs, and insurance, we map the budget items that determine whether a home truly fits.

We explore why new construction has become pricier—due to land, labor, and materials—and how local efforts are expanding the availability of attainable housing to rebuild equity for first-time buyers. Matt shares where inventory is tight, why luxury lots matter to a balanced ecosystem, and how updates to zoning and comprehensive plans guide future growth. We also look at the powerful pull from Illinois: better South Shore Rail service, transit-oriented development, and the Valpo Dash keep Chicago within reach while preserving Northwest Indiana’s pace and value.

For investors, we compare hands-on strategies with hands-off options. REITs offer diversified exposure and potential dividends, while local rentals benefit from sound structures such as LLCs. Flipping hasn’t vanished, but slimmer spreads and higher rehab costs mean only true value-add projects pencil out—cosmetic flips are rarely enough. Along the way, we underline the costs that most often surprise buyers and second-home owners, including rising insurance premiums and HOA assessments that can double or triple over time.

Ready to make more innovative moves with precise numbers and realistic expectations? Tap play, subscribe to new episodes, and share this conversation with someone weighing their next step. Your feedback helps us bring more grounded, valuable insights to your feed—leave a quick review and tell us what topic we should tackle next.

Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC.

The opinions voiced in this podcast are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which strategies or investments may suit you, consult the appropriate qualified professional before deciding.

Hiring shouldn’t feel like juggling chainsaws, and payroll shouldn’t require a spreadsheet rodeo. In today's episode, Greg Farrall, CEO and Owner of an independent wealth management firm, Farrall Wealth, sat down with HR consultant Mike Ramian from Paylocity to show how small and mid-sized businesses can streamline the entire employee lifecycle, save real money, and sleep better at night.

From recruiting to retirement, we connect the dots on what to centralize, automate, and cut so your team can focus on the work that grows the business. We dig into the high cost of noncompliance and why the rules shift by state and headcount. Mike explains how Illinois biometric consent differs from Indiana requirements and how missing a step can lead to fines and lawsuits. Then we move to the practical upside of modern HRIS platforms: automated compliance checkpoints, cleaner onboarding, and faster time-to-productivity. With AI built into the workflow, HR leaders can generate sharper job descriptions, screen candidates more effectively, and fill roles sooner—often cutting 25 to 50 percent off the time spent in early hiring stages.

Retirement plans get a refresh, too. Instead of clunky census pulls and back-and-forth emails, open APIs enable 180- and 360-degree integrations, so demographic changes, eligibility, and deductions sync without manual re-entry. That matters for plan sponsors, advisors, and TPAs who need accurate, real-time data. Mike shares a standout case study: a nonprofit reduced software sprawl and reclaimed up to $100,000 annually by consolidating tools and tightening integrations. The result was fewer licenses, fewer errors, and a smoother payroll process that actually pays people on time.

If your HR stack feels bloated or brittle, this conversation offers a blueprint for change: map your tools, measure the manual handoffs, and unify where it counts. Subscribe, share with a business owner who needs it, and leave a review to tell us which HR headache you want solved next.

Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC.

The opinions voiced in this podcast are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which strategies or investments may suit you, consult the appropriate qualified professional before deciding.

Holiday shopping is a gold rush for fraudsters, and we’ve seen firsthand how fast a quiet click can turn into sleepless nights. After helping a client recover from a bank account hit, we pulled together a clear, end-of-year cyber checklist to protect your money, your identity, and your family’s peace of mind. No jargon, no scare tactics—just the high-leverage moves that actually work.

We start with the most effective layer: freeze your credit at all three bureaus for yourself, your spouse, and your kids so new-account fraud can’t start in your name. Then we lock down logins with multi-factor authentication on email, banking, and cloud accounts, using authenticator apps instead of SMS. We pair that with password managers and auto-updates on phones, laptops, and even routers to close the software doors criminals use. From there, we turn on transaction alerts for withdrawals, new payees, and new-device logins, giving you instant visibility when something’s off.

Security meets savings as we audit six months of statements to cancel forgotten subscriptions and catch sneaky $19 and $99 renewals. We scan and secure tax records, shred old files, and reduce your exposure on data-broker sites like Spokeo and BeenVerified to cut spear-phishing down to size. Finally, we build a 15-minute family breach plan: who calls the bank, where freeze PINs are stored, and which backup card and cash sit outside your wallet. Along the way, we break down the most common attacks you’ll face—phishing, business email compromise, credential stuffing, ransomware, account takeovers, malware, fake invoices, romance scams, and SIM swaps—plus how to spot them fast.

If you only do three things today, do these: freeze credit, turn on MFA, and set transaction alerts. Those steps stop or blunt most financial fraud we see. Subscribe for more Money Matters insights, share this with someone who needs a cyber tune-up, and leave a review with the first action you’re taking—what will you lock down tonight?

Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC.

The opinions voiced in this podcast are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which strategies or investments may suit you, consult the appropriate qualified professional before deciding.

A stronger-than-expected market can make us feel confident, but the real wins show up when our tax and savings decisions are just as intentional as our investments. We open with what actually moved the indexes lately—resilient earnings, AI noise, and surprising consumer strength—then translate that backdrop into a practical, year-end playbook you can act on before December 31. The goal: keep more of what you earn, compound with less friction, and enter the new year with a cleaner, calmer financial plan.

We walk through the highest-impact moves first. Max your 401(k) match and revisit whether pretax or Roth contributions fit your bracket now versus later. If household income is down, consider a partial Roth conversion and set an early-December paperwork deadline so it actually gets done. Understand the new RMD age under Secure Act 2.0 and how Roth IRAs avoid lifetime RMDs. Then layer in health and education tactics: fund an HSA for triple-tax benefits, review FSA rules so you don’t forfeit funds, and use 529 plans for tax-free education growth and potential state credits, with an eye on the updated rollover rules that reduce the risk of overfunding.

We also dig into tax-efficient investing that compounds quietly. Place high-turnover funds and taxable bonds in tax-advantaged accounts, lean on index ETFs in taxable, and consider municipal bonds if your bracket warrants it. Before year-end, request mutual fund distribution estimates to avoid surprise tax bills, and double-check if tax-loss harvesting suits your situation. For those eyeing a move, evaluate total tax burden before changing residency; low income taxes can be offset by higher sales or property taxes. Throughout, we share how we stay invested with minimal idle cash, focus on trends with real earnings, and use checklists to beat calendar risk.

If this helped you plan your next move, subscribe, share the show with a friend who needs a nudge before year-end, and send us your top question—we might feature it next week.

Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC.

The opinions voiced in this podcast are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which strategies or investments may suit you, consult the appropriate qualified professional before deciding.

Markets are hot, headlines are louder, and it’s getting harder to tell what actually moves your money. We dig into why earnings strength and stable macro drivers have kept the S&P 500 climbing, even as trade talk and shutdown noise try to steal the spotlight. You’ll hear a clear breakdown of what’s fueling recent highs, where momentum is cooling, and how to separate durable signals from fast‑fading narratives.

We also take a hard look at the rare earth rush. With China controlling most production and refining capacity, every hint of new U.S. supply can spike stocks. Sound familiar? It’s the AI playbook all over again. We share a simple framework to evaluate minerals stories: project stage, refining access, offtake agreements, realistic throughput, and balance sheet strength. If the thesis rests on buzz, size it like optionality. If the unit economics pencil out, consider a measured position or diversified exposure. The goal isn’t to chase the pop, but to participate in value creation with guardrails.

Shutdown concerns are everywhere, yet history shows markets usually shrug. We explain why most shutdown effects are temporary, how they differ from debt ceiling risks, and what that means for your allocation. The takeaway is steady: stick to your plan, rebalance with intent, and favor quality over hype. On a lighter note, we’re headed to Washington for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses summit to meet with Indiana’s lawmakers and advocate for small business growth. Got a question you want raised on your behalf?

Listen now, send us your question for DC, and if you found value, subscribe, share the show, and leave a quick review so more investors can find it.

Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC.

The opinions voiced in this podcast are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which strategies or investments may suit you, consult the appropriate qualified professional before deciding.

Markets are flirting with all-time highs while official data stalls—a strange mix that demands sharper signals and steadier conviction. We walk through the flat open, the week’s global moves, and why investor patience might outpace the Fed’s projections as minutes hint at more easing this year. From Nvidia’s export greenlight and early reads from Pepsi and Delta to a steadier dollar and softer Treasuries, we connect the dots on how chips, consumer demand, and currency are shaping third-quarter positioning.

Our focus turns to earnings: why Q3 may be light on drama yet strong on delivery, how AI capital spending continues to power the Magnificent Seven, and where margin resilience meets tariff reality. We break down the effective tariff rate, the legal uncertainties ahead, and the practical reasons the macro hit has been smaller than feared—services insulation, supply-chain rewiring, and AI-led productivity gains. With global benchmarks firming, Europe shrugging off auto weakness, and Asia rebounding post-holiday, we outline the setup for a broader advance if policy and profits keep working.

We also zoom out to what matters when government data goes dark: management guidance, order books, lead times, and market internals like credit spreads and the dollar. Expect a constructive path for earnings into year-end, potential breadth beyond mega-cap tech, and ongoing EPS support from buybacks. Whether you’re leaning growth for AI leverage or eyeing cyclicals for a catch-up, this conversation offers a clear map of risks and catalysts to watch.

Enjoyed the breakdown? Follow and subscribe for more real-time market context, share this episode with a friend who trades the headlines, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC.

The opinions voiced in this podcast are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which strategies or investments may suit you, consult the appropriate qualified professional before deciding.

Confused about trusts? You're not alone. In this enlightening episode, we demystify the complex world of trust planning and explain how these powerful tools can safeguard your legacy and protect your loved ones.

We begin by sharing insights from Opportunity Enterprises' Legacy Luncheon, where charitable giving takes center stage in estate planning conversations. The intersection of philanthropy and wealth transfer presents fascinating opportunities for those seeking to make a lasting impact on causes they care about, while potentially gaining tax advantages.

The Federal Reserve's recent decision to cut interest rates to 4.25% marks a significant shift in monetary policy. Unlike previous cutting cycles, today's market shows remarkable stability with high probabilities of additional cuts in October and December. This measured response contrasts sharply with the counterintuitive market reactions we saw in 2024, offering a more predictable environment for investors planning.

The heart of our discussion focuses on trust fundamentals: what they are, how they work, and whether you actually need one. We explore the critical differences between revocable and irrevocable trusts, the protection they offer from probate and public scrutiny, and the common pitfall of failing to fund them adequately after creation. For those with charitable intentions, specialized vehicles like Charitable Lead Trusts and Charitable Remainder Trusts deserve serious consideration, particularly for highly appreciated assets.

Whether your estate is modest or substantial, understanding the various trust options—from Special Needs Trusts to Generation-Skipping Trusts—can help you make informed decisions about protecting your family's future. Before establishing any trust, consider consulting with qualified professionals who can ensure your strategy aligns with your unique circumstances and objectives.

Ready to explore how trusts might fit into your financial picture? Contact us at greg@farrallwealth.com or 219-246-2516 to continue the conversation about securing your legacy and protecting what matters most.

Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC.

The opinions voiced in this podcast are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which strategies or investments may suit you, consult the appropriate qualified professional before deciding.