Matthew Gray, a certified financial planner, interviews Scott Yamamura—author of Financial Epiphany, financial coach, and TEDx speaker—about helping the next generation talk about money and build financial literacy. Scott shares his “Power of 16” rule of thumb: assuming money doubles about every 10 years, investing early can multiply initial contributions up to 16x over a roughly 40-year career, and this multiplying power effectively halves every decade as you age.

He frames this as a motivating, loss-aversion-friendly “money athlete” analogy to prompt action, curb overspending, and avoid debt, with examples including retirement saving, opportunity cost for purchases, and a 529 plan that doubled over time. Scott points listeners to financialepiphany.com, his book, a forthcoming TEDx talk, and a free “Money Moves Guide,” and encourages starting with tools like a Roth IRA and seeking a financial professional as a coach.

00:38 Meet Scott Yamamura
02:56 Why Money Feels Taboo
05:35 Power of 16 Explained
10:50 Teaching Kids the Concept
15:45 Beating Overspending and Debt
21:24 From Wealth to Purpose
28:04 Books Tools and Free Guide
29:39 Roth IRA and Getting a Coach
33:12 Final Challenge and Wrap Up
34:26 Disclosures and Credits

Resources

Scott Yamamura

Financial Epiphany Website

Financial Epiphany Book

Free Money Moves Guide

Scott's TEDx Talk

Matthew Gray

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-gray-cfp%C2%AE-5a2144134/

https://schrockfin.com/

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

Host Matthew Gray interviews college admissions consultant Shellee Howard of CollegeReady about preparing children for college amid AI-driven change. Howard shares her origin story helping her son earn full-ride offers (USC Presidential Scholarship; Harvard match) and argues AI will shift and expand jobs, making communication, leadership, and strategic thinking essential; she notes computer science is currently the most unemployed major due to AI replacing entry-level roles and advises evaluating whether colleges are truly pivoting (e.g., Vanderbilt using verbal exams). She emphasizes building intellectual curiosity early through reading, hands-on play, and limiting device dependence, and starting service as soon as kids can participate.

Howard outlines a timeline: eighth-grade promotion starts the “college clock,” summers are critical for exploration (shadowing, internships, service), and high school course choices are hard to change. She stresses early financial literacy, candid cost conversations, and FAFSA timing, and describes CollegeReady’s student-centric process for clarifying goals, building a standout strategy, selecting balanced school lists, and managing application timelines, plus resources at collegereadyplan.com and her books.

00:38 Meet Shellee Howard
01:46 CollegeReady Origin Story
04:03 College Value in the AI Era
10:17 Choosing AI Ready Colleges
10:51 Curiosity Over Screens
13:31 Is College the Right Path
18:00 Middle School to High School Timeline
24:01 Picking Majors and Schools
30:43 Talking College Costs
36:42 How College Ready Helps
44:19 Resources and Final Advice
46:35 Wrap Up and Disclosures

Resources

Shellee Howard

CollegeReady

How to Send Your Student to College Without Losing Your Mind or Your Money book

The College Admissions Plan Simplified Book

Matthew Gray

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-gray-cfp%C2%AE-5a2144134/

https://schrockfin.com/

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

Host Matthew Gray interviews Batsheva Goldstein, an Israel-based member of a multigenerational “financial family,” about why couples’ money conversations often break down and how to improve them. They discuss how financial decisions reflect deeper values, identity, and past experiences, illustrated by personal stories about buying a new car and spending on a sports jersey.

Goldstein explains that couples must revisit money talks as life changes and that alignment between two people—each with different goals and risk tolerances—should come before technical planning. She introduces Financial Date Discussion Cards, designed to create a structured, phone-free, team-based way to practice neutral, curiosity-driven questions and build communication “reps,” even during disagreements. Listeners can purchase at financialdate.com/financiallyfit and connect with Goldstein on LinkedIn.

00:37 Meet the Guest
02:53 Why Money Talks Matter
04:21 Hidden Subtext and Values
06:34 A Car Story Example
09:16 Starting the Conversation
09:38 Financial Date Cards
15:03 Practice Like the Gym
21:13 Aligning Goals as a Couple
22:48 How to Use the Cards
28:19 Where to Get Them
29:07 Final Thoughts and Wrap Up
30:12 Listener Thanks and Disclosures

Resources

BatSheva Goldstein

Link to purchase Financial Date Discussion Cards

Batsheva's LinkedIn

Matthew Gray

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-gray-cfp%C2%AE-5a2144134/

https://schrockfin.com/

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