Amy Irvine is the CEO and founder of Rooted Planning Group, a renowned financial planning firm known for its genuine and practical approach to financial advice. With years of experience as a financial advisor, Amy is dedicated to making money conversations real and relatable, firmly rooted in her clients' goals. Her expertise in financial planning spans across various topics, including retirement and long-term care planning, caregiver coordination, and more. Additionally, she is the host of the popular "Money Roots" podcast, where she shares insights and engages in meaningful discussions about financial strategies and planning.

Welcome to an insightful episode of "Money Roots" with Amy Irvine. In this episode, Amy delves into the crucial topic of long-term care planning and aging parents, addressing the concerns and questions that often emerge during the holiday season. As families gather, many realize the evolving caregiving needs of their elderly parents, and Amy offers valuable guidance on planning for these eventualities.

Amy references the book "Hidden Truths about Retirement and Long Term Care" to shed light on the misconceptions surrounding long-term care, emphasizing that it spans far beyond nursing homes. She explores alternatives like aging in place and assisted living, highlighting the importance of having a solid financial plan to cover these options. Amy also discusses how aging individuals often downplay their needs, sharing anecdotes that illustrate this tendency. Through stories and statistics, she underscores the significance of addressing both physical and mental well-being as families navigate the complexities of caring for aging loved ones.

1. Long-term care is more than nursing homes: It includes a spectrum of services, from home health care to assisted living, aimed at maintaining an individual's independence and safety.
2. Recognizing the signs of aging: Often the need for additional help becomes evident during family gatherings, making it essential to observe and address any caregiving requirements.
3. Communication is key: Having open discussions with aging parents about their needs and introducing help, sometimes with outside assistance, can facilitate smoother transitions.
4. Early planning eases future challenges: Documenting preferences and planning financially for long-term care can prevent future family disputes and emotional stress.
5. Utilizing resources: Books, experts, and structured programs are available to guide families through caregiving decisions and planning.

1. "Long term care is more than nursing home." - Amy Irvine
2. "Basically, the same age as maybe even older than some of the people that were in there, and she refers to them as the old people." - Amy Irvine
3. "We need to be thinking about their physical strength and their mental strength." - Amy Irvine
4. "She had such a great relationship with the caregiver that we ended up bringing in." - Amy Irvine
5. "We need to bring in outside influences to help them." - Amy...

The episode is hosted by Amy Irvine, a financial expert and part of the Money Roots podcast team. Amy Irvine, along with her team, is dedicated to making financial conversations real, relatable, and oriented around personal goals. Although the transcript doesn't detail Amy's professional history, her knowledge and expertise in financial planning and investment strategies are evident throughout the episode. Her commitment to helping listeners understand and manage their finances optimally is demonstrated through her thoughtful advice and insights.

In this insightful episode of the Money Roots podcast, host Amy Irvine walks listeners through essential financial actions to consider before the end of 2025. As the year draws to a close, the episode aims to equip the audience with practical advice to optimize their financial standing and prepare for future growth. Amy covers a breadth of topics, including asset management, tax planning, retirement contributions, and charitable donations, offering a wealth of information to guide listeners through pivotal year-end financial decisions.

Throughout the episode, Amy emphasizes the importance of strategically managing assets and debt. She discusses the potential benefits of realizing capital losses to offset gains and highlights how certain mutual funds could impact tax obligations. Capital gain distributions and estimated tax payments are also discussed, providing listeners with key insights on minimizing year-end tax liabilities. Moreover, the host delves into retirement planning strategies, advising on required minimum distributions (RMDs), conversions between traditional and Roth IRAs, and intra-plan conversions within 401(k) plans. Her recommendations aim to maximize retirement savings while minimizing potential tax burdens.

1. Realize capital losses to offset gains and consider potential capital gain distributions in taxable accounts.
2. Meet required minimum distributions (RMDs) for both personal and inherited IRAs before year-end to avoid penalties.
3. Evaluate opportunities for Roth conversions and strategic retirement contributions while considering future income levels.
4. Engage in tax planning by capitalizing on qualified charitable donations and understanding adjustments such as IRMAA.
5. Explore financial planning for education through 529 plans and business strategies like the QBI deduction.

1. "You can even write off up to $3,000 of ordinary interest if you have a capital loss totaling of 17,000."
2. "Make sure that you take that RMD before the end of the year. RMDs from multiple IRAs can generally be aggregated."
3. "If you are over 70 and a half, you can make what's called a qualified charitable donation from your retirement IRA account."
4. "Using those qualified charitable distributions can be a big help to reduce that adjusted gross income."
5. "Consider the financial aid planning strategies such as reducing income in specific years to increase financial aid packages."

Maddy Roche - Maddy handles all marketing, growth, and prospect engagement for Childfree Trust® - the first nationwide medical and financial POA, executor and trustee representation service for the Childfree population. She understands the challenges of being Childfree as it relates to estate planning and is passionate about educating her community about ways to prepare.

Before joining Childfree Trust®, she was XYPN’s first employee and host of XYPN's podcast Behind the Advisor. In her previous roles as Vice President and Executive Business Coach, she helped build and lead the departments that deepen XYPN’s membership value.

Maddy has seen, heard, and helped thousands of financial planners throughout their entrepreneurial journeys with energy, expertise, and compassion.

In this enlightening episode of Money Roots, host Amy Irvine is joined by Maddy Roche, Chief Growth Officer at Child Free Trust, for an in-depth discussion on a timely financial planning topic: estate planning for child-free individuals. Maddy's expertise comes to the forefront as they explore the common misconceptions surrounding estate planning for those without children, emphasizing the need for a structured plan to safeguard one's legacy. This conversation is critical for the 25% of Americans who lack children, whether by choice or circumstance.

The conversation delves into the innovative solutions offered by Child Free Trust, a groundbreaking initiative poised to fill the "fiduciary void" faced by child-free adults. By January, the organization will officially provide nationwide services as medical power of attorney, financial power of attorney, executor, and trustee, uniquely catering to the 15 million Americans over 55 without children. Amy and Maddy discuss the substantial need for such services and how the digital platform will facilitate critical information sharing across all 50 states, ensuring individuals have someone to rely on in times of medical emergencies, cognitive decline, or death. This episode shines a light on the future of estate planning, presenting options for those who previously had limited solutions.

• Child Free Trust offers the first nationwide estate planning service tailored for individuals without children.
• Estate planning isn't just about preparing for death; it's also about emergency preparedness for medical situations and cognitive decline.
• The service covers all 50 states, providing comprehensive solutions that include medical and financial power of attorney, executor, and trustee roles.
• Many child-free individuals face the "fiduciary void," lacking a designated representative to act on their behalf amid emergencies.
• Maddy emphasizes the importance of removing emotional biases in decision-making, opting for professional, impartial third-party services.

1. "A lot of people say, oh, it must be so easy to plan for estate planning purposes when you don't have kids. I'm like, yeah, like, who do you leave your stuff to? It's actually a big problem." – Amy Irvine
2. "There are 25% of Americans that don't have kids either by choice or by circumstance." – Maddy Roche
3. "15 million Americans over 55 don't have children. It's a huge market; it's a huge underserved market in so many ways." – Maddy Roche
4. "We really try to neutralize some of this ahead of time, and working with a planner like you can help." – Maddy Roche
5. "This takes that out and there's continuity, so it doesn't matter if there's any health events, there's that continuity of care that continues." – Amy Irvine

• Child Free Trust – Offering estate planning services tailored for child-free individuals.

Amy Irvine is the CEO and a financial planner at Rooted Planning Group. With over 30 years of experience in the financial industry, Amy has dedicated her career to making financial planning accessible and relatable. Her approach is deeply personalized, focusing on the unique goals and values of each client, which she believes are essential to effective financial planning. Amy is committed to guiding her clients through financial literacy and helping them achieve their ideal financial futures.

In this episode of the Money Roots podcast, Amy Irvine delves into the essential purpose and process of financial planning. She addresses common questions about why financial planning is worth undertaking and how it can profoundly impact personal finance decisions. Drawing from her extensive experience, Amy emphasizes the individuality of financial planning, asserting that its purpose is rooted in each person's unique goals and desires for their life, free from financial barriers.

Amy outlines the seven-step financial planning process as defined by the CFP Board, highlighting the importance of understanding personal and financial circumstances as a key component. The episode provides a deep dive into each step—gathering information, identifying goals, analyzing current actions, developing recommendations, and continuous monitoring. By doing so, Amy aims to demystify financial planning and encourages flexibility, acknowledging that goals can evolve and adapt over time. This adaptability represents the true purpose of financial planning: to provide a framework that flexes with life changes and helps individuals navigate their financial paths more confidently.

• Financial planning should be personalized to align with individual goals and values, ensuring it addresses what truly matters to the client.
• The seven-step financial planning process serves as a guide to gain clarity on financial decisions and adapt to life changes.
• Financial goals are not static; it's normal for them to evolve, and planners are there to help clients navigate these changes.
• Discussing and analyzing different financial scenarios enables clients to choose optimal paths that resonate with their values, even if the optimal numerical solution is different.
• Continuous monitoring and updating of the financial plan are crucial, as they accommodate life's changes and ensure the plan remains relevant and effective.

1. "Understanding the person is the key component to financial planning."
2. "The purpose of financial planning is the ability to actually be flexible if things change."
3. "Identifying and selecting goals doesn’t mean they’re written in stone."
4. "The most optimal recommendation isn't necessarily what you'll want to choose, and that's okay."
5. "The pivoting and the shifting, to me, is the true purpose of financial planning."

• CFP Board's Guide to the Seven Steps of Financial Planning Process

Encouraged by Amy Irvine's expert insights, listeners are invited to explore the full podcast episode to gain a complete understanding of the robust financial planning process. Stay tuned for further episodes of the Money Roots podcast, designed to keep your finances grounded and your future flourishing.

Paula M. Jones has been practicing law for almost 25 years. After a decade at large international law firms, she opened her own practice in 2016.

LinkedIn - Paula M Jones, Esq

Her domestic estate work includes wills, trusts, powers of attorney, living wills and beneficiary designations. She employs marital, residuary, disclaimer, dynasty, asset protection, grantor-retained annuity and intentionally defective grantor trusts, as well as family corporations to protect and preserve assets for many generations. She represents trustees and beneficiaries of trusts in trust-related matters. Her Orphans’ Court practice includes trust reformations, trust mergers and divisions, terminations, accountings and audits. She represents parties in negotiations to avoid fiduciary litigation.

Her work with international clients includes efficient planning in regard to U.S. estate and gift taxation, qualified domestic trusts, residency determinations, tax treaty applications, pre-immigration planning for non-resident aliens coming to the United States, expatriation tax planning for residents and citizens leaving the United States, administration of estates of foreign individuals with U.S. property and other related matters. She has represented many individuals in regard to foreign account and asset compliance issues.

Paula is currently an adjunct professor at Western New England University School of Law where she teaches International Estate Planning. She has guest lectured at Columbia University, Temple University School of Law’s Masters of Laws Program and Rutgers University School of Law. She lectures frequently for organizations such as the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Society for Human Resource Management and the American Bar Association, as well as local estate planning councils.

Paula has authored several articles in respected industry journals such as Trusts and Estates, AICPA’s Tax Advisor and the ABA’s Practical Tax Lawyer. In addition, she developed a workshop on estate planning basics, titled “Will Power: Wealthy or Not, Your Estate Matters.” The companion book was published by The Graduate Group.

Paula is admitted to practice in the State of New York, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the State of New Jersey, the U.S. Tax Court and the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

In this episode of the Money Roots podcast, host Amy Irvine engages in an enlightening discussion with Paula Jones, the esteemed owner of Jones Estate Group. With a robust background in international and domestic estate law, Paula delves into the intricacies of cross-border estate planning. She offers valuable insights into the roles her firm plays in estate planning, particularly emphasizing the importance of having a qualified team comprising estate attorneys, financial planners, and immigration lawyers when considering dual citizenship or cross-border living.

Throughout the podcast, Paula addresses key issues associated with holding assets across different countries and the complex scenarios faced by individuals with multinational ties. Her discussion includes an exploration of residency determinations, tax treaty applications, and the vital significance of qualified domestic trusts in safeguarding assets. Paula’s practical advice caters to a growing audience interested in international living, offering concrete steps to ensure seamless estate planning while navigating diverse legal systems.

• Having a qualified team of advisors, including an estate attorney, financial planner, and immigration lawyer, is crucial for...

Amy Irvine is the CEO and founder of Rooted Planning Group, a financial planning firm dedicated to fostering authentic money conversations that align with clients' personal goals. Amy has built a career around helping individuals define and achieve their concept of "true wealth," emphasizing financial literacy, personal insight, and strategic planning tailored uniquely to each client. Her collaboration with Money Quotient has further solidified her expertise in creating meaningful financial strategies.

In this enlightening episode of Money Roots, Amy Irvine delves into the concept of "true wealth" and challenges the common perception of wealth being synonymous with material riches. Through her experiences, particularly a personal revelation during a hiking trip in the Adirondacks, Amy illustrates how determining what "enough" means is crucial for financial and personal well-being. She emphasizes the importance of identifying one's own tree line, the point where personal satisfaction equates to true wealth beyond the accumulation of material possessions.

Amy further explores the obstacles to financial freedom, citing incorrect money messages and lack of financial literacy as major hindrances. The episode underscores the significance of understanding personal money beliefs—often rooted in childhood experiences and societal influences—and encourages listeners to seek proper financial education. Amy suggests practical exercises and resources that can help listeners gain deeper personal insights and improve financial literacy. The episode also touches on the role of financial security in offering life options, stressing that real wealth is in aligning financial resources with personal values and life goals.

• Defining True Wealth: True wealth is about recognizing and appreciating when you have enough, not merely the accumulation of more.
• Money Quotient Partnership: Rooted Planning Group uses tools from Money Quotient to help clients align financial strategies with personal values.
• Financial Freedom Obstacles: Identifying and overcoming common roadblocks such as misleading money beliefs and a lack of financial education is essential.
• Influences on Money Beliefs: Personal financial values are heavily influenced by childhood experiences and societal norms.
• Financial Literacy Exercises: Engaging in thought-provoking exercises can provide valuable personal insights and enhance financial knowledge.

• "Everybody has that moment that they're like, yeah, this is enough. I don't need any more."
• "Our culture has it at its core, the idea that more is better. Yet the underlying qualities that truly affect happiness are not advanced one wit by having more material things."
• "True wealth is you've realized when your time is where you want it to be, your energy is where you want it to be, and the money that is needed towards reaching those goals is enough for you."
• "Listening to the wrong money messages and lack of financial literacy are the two main obstacles to financial freedom."
• "Money can buy options, and that's something that's really important."

• Rooted Planning Group
• Money Quotient
• "Everything You Know About Money is Wrong" by Karen Ramsey

Listeners are encouraged to dive into the full episode for more in-depth discussions and insights...

Jaelyn Vickery is the founder of Dimensional Wealth, and the host of the F3 podcast, which stands for Financial Fitness Finesse. She is a licensed clinical therapist as well as a renowned financial therapist. Jaelyn has excelled in connecting the sometimes-complicated dots between food and finance, with a particular focus on consumer psychology. With a background as a collegiate athlete, Jaelyn combines her experiences in mental health and financial management to help clients explore their consumption patterns and emotional relationships with money. Her passion includes guiding people through the ‘C3 Cycle’—compulsion, consumption, and control—a method she developed to help individuals navigate their financial and emotional landscapes.

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Dive into an enriching conversation on Money Roots with Amy Irvine as she talks with Jaelyn Vickery, a multi-faceted expert in the field of financial therapy and mental health. As a founder of Dimensional Wealth, Jaelyn enlightens listeners on the intriguing intersection between food and finance, and how consumer psychology plays a crucial role in daily decision-making. With insights into both individual and collective financial behaviors, this episode will spark revelations on how listeners perceive and interact with money in their lives.

Jaelyn Vickery delves into key aspects of her methodologies such as the ‘5 Reps to Wealth’ to help achieve total well-being. Her approach incorporates the various dimensions of wellness, using them as tools to manage both financial and emotional challenges efficiently. From the importance of pausing to assess personal goals to understanding how emotions translate into financial decisions, this episode is packed with insights. Learn how the principles of financial therapy can support healthier money habits and emotional stability in culturally driven consumer societies.

• Connection Between Food and Finance: Jaelyn draws parallels between food and finance, shedding light on how both aid in hitting pleasure points and are deeply embedded in survival instincts.
• 5 Reps to Wealth Framework: This model incorporates eight dimensions of wellness, helping to create balance and abundance in one's personal and professional life.
• C3 Cycle: Understand the compulsion, consumption, and control cycle, which aids individuals in recognizing and transforming unhelpful consumption habits.
• Enoughism: Addresses the perpetual chase for more, illustrating the importance of defining ‘enough’ in personal and professional contexts.
• Therapeutic Collaboration: Discusses the synergy between financial therapists and advisors in addressing emotional and financial health.

1. "Money is just emotions disguised as numbers."
2. "Too often, we achieve so much on paper, but realize so many aspects of our lives have diminished."
3. "Life is not basic... the human experience is abundant and beautiful."
4. "What is right is actually within your own control of design."
5. "Working with me, you'll learn how to find those moments of pause very quickly."

• Jaelyn Vickery's Website: JVIC.com - Find services, resources, and contact information.
• F3 Podcast - Hosted by Jaelyn,...

Carl Richards started The Sketch Guy column in The New York Times from the hills of Utah, crafting clear, relatable insights about money with just cardstock and a Sharpie. The column ran weekly for a decade. This journey began when Carl applied for what he thought was a job as a “security guard,” only to find out the ad actually said “securities.” That slight misstep sparked a lifelong dedication to reshaping how we think about money.

Since then, Carl has become a Certified Financial Planner™, built and sold a successful investment firm, and spoken at financial and investment events worldwide—from Australia to South Africa, the UK, and major economic centers across Europe, Canada, and the United States. His bestsellers, The Behavior Gap and The One-Page Financial Plan, have been translated into over ten languages and continue to resonate globally.

Through his daily podcast, Behavior Gap Radio, which now has over 1,000 episodes and over one million downloads, Carl shares new perspectives on aligning our resources with what truly matters. His latest audio project, 50 Fires, backed by executive producers Chip and Joanna Gaines, explores the intersections of money and meaning with guests like Pete Holmes, David Whyte, Krista Tippett, and his favorite guest by far, his wife, Cori.

Carl founded The Society of Advice, a community of financial planners dedicated to the craft of advice. They gather for a monthly online workshop and frequent retreats in Park City, Utah.

In 2025, Carl will release a new book that, true to form, will be unlike anything seen in the personal finance section—and you better believe there will be sketches (101 of them, to be exact).

Pre-Order: Your Money: Reimagining Wealth in Simple Sketches

When he’s not exploring ideas about money, Carl, a Wilderness First Responder, can be found navigating Utah’s high mountain ridges on foot, skis, or bike. Married to Cori since 1995, they have four kids, whom they consider their best friends.

For information about Carl Richards speaking to your organization or appearing on your podcast, click here.

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In this special episode of Money Roots, host Amy Irvine welcomes Carl Richards, also known as the Sketch Guy of the New York Times. The discussion centers around Carl's innovative new book, which serves as both a financial guide and conversation starter, featuring 101 insightful sketches and essays about personal finance. Through this medium, Carl aims to encourage meaningful dialogue about money—a subject often avoided yet deeply impactful in our personal lives. From his unconventional start in finance to becoming an influential voice in financial planning, Carl’s journey is a testament to reshaping how people perceive and engage with money.

Throughout the conversation, Carl emphasizes the critical role of conversations in financial planning, advocating that understanding and clarity arise from dialogue. Amy and Carl delve into the book’s thematic sections, exploring how each segment—from...