Last week, we talked about the first pillar of the Plan First Financial Path, Clarify your goals and priorities. Because once you know where you want to go, the next question becomes practical. Do your day to day money habits actually support those goals?

In this episode, I break down Pillar Two of the Plan First Financial Path, Build a foundation. This pillar is all about understanding where your money goes, knowing your true living expenses, and creating awareness around cash flow and debt.

We talk about simple ways to track spending using tools many people already have, how to identify where dollars are quietly leaking, and why awareness is not about restriction but control. I also walk through common approaches to debt reduction, including the snowball and avalanche methods, and how to choose the approach that actually keeps you consistent.

Without a clear foundation, it becomes very difficult to intentionally allocate your dollars, no matter how strong your goals or investment strategy may be. This episode explains why building a foundation is critical before moving on to investing with purpose.

Helping you to be wise with your money!
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Most people think financial planning starts with numbers. In reality, it starts with clarity.

In this episode, I break down the first pillar of the Plan First Financial Path, Clarify your goals and priorities. Before any investment, tax, or retirement strategy makes sense, you have to know what your money is actually for.

I explain why vague goals lead to reactive financial decisions, how priorities create meaningful tradeoffs, and why this first pillar sets the direction for every other part of your plan. We talk about the difference between dreaming and deciding, and how clarity helps align spending, saving, investing, and risk with what matters most to you.

This episode kicks off a seven-week series exploring each pillar of the Plan First Financial Path and explains why the plan always comes first, before trying to manipulate investments to reach a goal.

Helping you to be wise with your money!
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Most people think financial planning starts with picking investments. In reality, it starts with a plan.

In this episode, I introduce the Plan First Financial Path, a holistic framework built to help people make smarter financial decisions with intention, not reaction. The Path is made up of seven interconnected pillars that work together to support your specific goals, not a one size fits all checklist.

Those seven pillars are Clarify your goals and priorities, Build a foundation, Invest with purpose, Pay less taxes over time, Protect what you are building, Turn savings into income, and Live, adjust, repeat.

These are not steps to complete once and move on from. They are a flexible, evolving approach to financial planning where the plan always comes first and the investments serve the plan, not the other way around.

This episode sets the foundation for a seven week series where we will break down each pillar in detail and show how they work together to guide real life financial decisions across every stage of life.

Helping you to be wise with your money!
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In this year in review episode of That Financial Guy Show, Keith Wilson looks back at what actually happened in the markets in 2025 and why it mattered for investors. From the early year market correction known as the Tariff Tantrum to a strong recovery that pushed markets to new highs, Keith breaks down the lessons learned. He also covers the One Big Beautiful Bill, changes to tax planning, the government shutdown, interest rate cuts, the surge in artificial intelligence stocks, and why a solid financial plan should guide decisions instead of emotions.

Helping you to be wise with your money!
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Most people don’t fail financially because they lack information. They fail because behavior breaks down when life gets emotional, unpredictable, or uncertain.

In this episode, I explain why a written financial plan changes behavior in a way advice alone never can. A real plan isn’t about predicting the future perfectly. It’s about being prepared when life changes, because life always does.

I walk through real client stories, including how one client’s commission-based income led to a larger emergency fund that later protected them after a job loss, how another client stopped emotionally reacting to market downturns once volatility was accounted for in their plan, and why even unexpected events like divorce are easier to navigate when a plan already exists.

You’ll also hear why it’s better to be approximately right than one hundred percent wrong, why gathering documents and completing questionnaires actually matters, how modern digital financial plans act as living, breathing tools, and why reviewing your plan annually is essential to staying aligned with real life.

It’s about clarity, confidence, and having a steady framework to return to when things change.

Helping you to be wise with your money!
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In this episode I walk through one of the most confusing areas in retirement planning today, the rules for inherited IRA and inherited Roth IRA accounts. I start with the simplest scenario, when a spouse inherits an IRA, and then work step by step into increasingly complex situations including non spouse beneficiaries, the ten year rule, Required Beginning Date considerations, eligible designated beneficiaries, stretch IRA rules for pre 2020 deaths, and how to determine whether the deceased had reached their RMD age. I also break down one of the most misunderstood topics in this area, what happens when someone inherits an IRA that was already inherited once before. I explain how the rules differ depending on whether the original owner died before or after the Secure Act, and when the stretch rule continues versus when the ten year clock applies. The episode also covers trust beneficiaries, see through trust requirements, five year rules, complications with multiple trust beneficiaries, and why a poorly drafted trust can unintentionally accelerate distributions. This episode provides a clear, detailed roadmap to understanding the rules and avoiding costly mistakes.

Helping you to be wise with your money!
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In this episode of That Financial Guy Show, Keith Wilson welcomes a special guest — his son, Jack Wilson — for a candid and entertaining conversation about how different generations think about money. From patience vs, impatience to lifestyle creep, adaptability, communication, and the classic “start early” lesson, Keith and Jack break down what younger and older investors can learn from each other.

Jack shares the real financial mindset of today’s 20 somethings, including the pressures of higher costs, student loans, and the desire for flexibility over traditional retirement timelines. Keith offers the perspective of investors who grew up prioritizing stability, consistency, and long term planning. Together, they reveal how these different money lenses can complement each other rather than clash.

The two tackle the myths each generation carries, the habits that hold people back, and the opportunities that open up when families talk honestly about money. You’ll hear about adapting to new financial tools, avoiding lifestyle creep, building patience, and using early habits to your advantage no matter your age.

If you want a fun, relatable look at money through two different generational perspectives — with plenty of father son banter mixed in — this episode delivers real insights anyone can use.

Helping you to be wise with your money!
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The first decade of retirement isn’t just another phase — it’s the most important chapter of your entire retirement journey.

In this episode of That Financial Guy Show, Keith Wilson breaks down why the first 10 years set the trajectory for everything that comes after. From spending patterns and taxes to Social Security timing, sequence of returns risk, identity shifts, and health — this episode shows why your early retirement decisions matter more than you think.

You’ll learn:
• Why the “Go-Go Years” (your 60s and early 70s) set the pace for spending
• How sequence of returns can make or break a portfolio in the early years
• Why your first decade is a tax-planning goldmine
• How Social Security timing shapes long-term income
• The emotional side of retirement that people don’t talk about
• Common mistakes retirees make early — and how to avoid them
• How to build habits that make the next 20 years smoother and more secure

Retirement isn’t something that happens to you — it’s something you design.
And the first decade is where the blueprint comes together.

🎧 Tune in to learn how to make the early years of retirement intentional, flexible, and financially confident.

Helping you to be wise with your money!
To see more videos discussing personal finance Subscribe:
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For more resources: 👉 https://wfa-nc.com/insights

📝 Get your Free Retirement Plan checkup
https://wfa-nc.com/retirement-plan-ch...

To schedule a complimentary consultation with me: 👉...