Should politics change how you invest?

Election seasons bring plenty of headlines, predictions, polls, and strong opinions. But when politics starts influencing investment decisions, emotions can quickly take over.

In Episode 67 of The Money Alchemist Podcast, Brent Gargano, CFP® and Ben Jones, CFP® look at the relationship between elections and the stock market, including what history tells us about midterm election years, market volatility, and what tends to happen after the votes are counted.

They also discuss why investors can get into trouble trying to move in and out of the market based on political expectations, how prediction markets compare with traditional polling, and why the economic experience of Main Street can look very different from what is happening on Wall Street.

Plus, Brent and Ben cover:

• Why political bias can affect investment decisions

• What historical market returns tell us about election cycles

• Why midterm election years tend to bring more volatility

• The risk of getting too conservative when markets feel uncertain

• Why being early on a market call can be just as painful as being wrong

• Cost-of-living pressure and the squeeze on middle-class households

• The growing concentration of wealth and asset ownership

• AI, technology stocks, and market concentration

• Why prediction markets have become part of the election conversation

• How to stay focused on a long-term financial plan when politics dominates the headlines

The takeaway: elections have consequences, but your political emotions do not have to determine your investment strategy.

Have a question you’d like Brent and Ben to discuss on a future episode? Submit it through the link on our page.

Questions or Want to Learn More?

https://info.moneyalchemistshow.com/SubmitQuestion-Contact-AC?test=true

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Ben Jones, CFP® Managing Director, National Wealth Management Group Website: NWMG Advisors Newsletter: The Karat Stick X: @thekaratstick LinkedIn: Ben Jones - NWMG Email: ben@nwmgadvisors.com

Brent Gargano, CFP®

Founder & Advisor, Infinite Wealth Planning 

www.infinitewealthplanning.com

linkedin.com/in/brent-gargano-cfp®-2067b573

Join Brent's Newsletter: https://forms.infinitewealthplanning.com/join-brents-newsletter

Questions or comments? comments@moneyalchemistshow.com

Resource:

https://kalshi.com/category/elections

https://polymarket.us/midterms

https://predictionmarketspicks.com/midterms-2026

00:00 Should Politics Change How You Invest? 10:00 AI, Earnings & What’s Moving Markets 25:00 Why Fear Can Hurt Long-Term Investors 27:00 Tariffs, Politics & Trying to Time the Market 36:00 Which Presidents Had the Best and Worst Markets? 43:00 The Cost-of-Living Election & Wall Street vs. Main Street 50:00 What Midterm Elections Historically Mean for Stocks 57:00 Prediction Markets, Polls & the Midterm Outlook

Disclosure:

The information provided on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as personalized investment, financial, tax, or legal advice. The views expressed here are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of National Wealth Management Group, LLC or its affiliates.

Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. There is no guarantee that any investment strategy discussed will be successful or profitable. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Economic discussions are based on current data and opinions, which are subject to change and may not accurately predict future events. We encourage listeners to conduct their own research and seek guidance from a certified financial advisor before making any decisions.

Advisory services are offered through National Wealth Management Group, LLC. For more information about National Wealth Management Group including our Forms ADV and CRS, please visit our website www.nwmgadvisors.com or contact us directly.

Should You Rent or Buy? Rethinking the American Dream

Homeownership has been treated as part of the American Dream for generations.

But does buying a home still make sense for everyone?

In Episode 66 of The Money Alchemist Podcast, Brent Gargano and Ben Jones take a deeper look at the rent-vs.-buy decision and challenge the assumption that owning a home is automatically the better financial move.

They discuss why renting can provide valuable flexibility and cost certainty, especially earlier in your career, while homeownership can provide stability when you are ready to stay somewhere for the long term.

The conversation also gets into the costs people often leave out of the equation.

Mortgage payments are only part of homeownership.

Repairs, maintenance, closing costs, renovations, insurance, liquidity, and the opportunity cost of tying up cash can all change the math.

Brent and Ben also discuss:

- Why renting is not necessarily “throwing money away” - When buying a home starts to make more sense - Why career flexibility matters for younger adults - How long you should expect to stay in a home - The danger of putting too much money into a down payment - Why fixer-uppers can become financial money pits - The emotional side of homeownership - Renting during retirement - How home appreciation compares with investing - Why buying a house should be a lifestyle decision as much as a financial one

The takeaway is not that everyone should rent.

It is that homeownership should fit your circumstances rather than simply being treated as the next required financial milestone.

Questions or Want to Learn More?

https://info.moneyalchemistshow.com/SubmitQuestion-Contact-AC?test=true

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Ben Jones, CFP® Managing Director, National Wealth Management Group Website: NWMG Advisors Newsletter: The Karat Stick X: @thekaratstick LinkedIn: Ben Jones - NWMG Email: ben@nwmgadvisors.com

Brent Gargano, CFP®

Founder & Advisor, Infinite Wealth Planning 

www.infinitewealthplanning.com

linkedin.com/in/brent-gargano-cfp®-2067b573

Join Brent's Newsletter: https://forms.infinitewealthplanning.com/join-brents-newsletter

Questions or comments? comments@moneyalchemistshow.com

Disclosure:

The information provided on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as personalized investment, financial, tax, or legal advice. The views expressed here are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of National Wealth Management Group, LLC or its affiliates.

Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. There is no guarantee that any investment strategy discussed will be successful or profitable. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Economic discussions are based on current data and opinions, which are subject to change and may not accurately predict future events. We encourage listeners to conduct their own research and seek guidance from a certified financial advisor before making any decisions.

Advisory services are offered through National Wealth Management Group, LLC. For more information about National Wealth Management Group including our Forms ADV and CRS, please visit our website www.nwmgadvisors.com or contact us directly.

Should you pay off your mortgage early or invest the extra money instead?

That is one of the biggest financial decisions people get wrong because compounding is much harder to understand over 20, 30, or 40 years than it looks on paper.

In Episode 65 of The Money Alchemist Podcast, Brent Gargano, CFP®, and Ben Jones, CFP®, break down how compounding affects investing, home equity, cash, inflation, retirement planning, and long-term wealth.

They start with simple examples of compounding over time, including Disney tickets, home prices, and long-term stock market returns.

The bigger point is that small differences in annual returns can create huge differences over 20, 30, or 40 years.

Brent and Ben then compare paying extra toward a mortgage versus investing the difference. In one example, an extra $1,000 per month toward the mortgage could save about $400,000 in interest, while historically investing that same amount over 30 years would have grown to about $2.36 million.

They also cover common mistakes like keeping too much cash in checking, taking too little appropriate risk when young, and prioritizing a paid-off mortgage over liquidity and long-term investing.

Later, the conversation shifts to financial independence and a different problem: what happens when your wealth keeps growing beyond what you actually need?

That leads to a bigger question:

What is your money actually for?

Brent and Ben discuss why good financial planning is not just about building the biggest possible portfolio. It is also about deciding how your money should support your life, your goals, and the people or causes that matter to you.

About Your Hosts

Ben Jones, CFP®

Managing Director, National Wealth Management Group

www.nwmgadvisors.com 

Sign up for Ben’s newsletter at www.karatstick.com 

Follow him on X @thekaratstick

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-nwmg/

Brent Gargano, CFP®

Founder & Advisor, Infinite Wealth Planning 

www.infinitewealthplanning.com

linkedin.com/in/brent-gargano-cfp®-2067b573

Join Brent's Newsletter: https://forms.infinitewealthplanning.com/join-brents-newsletter

They also cover:

Why the 10-year Treasury matters for mortgage rates

Why Fed rate changes do not directly control long-term mortgage rates

How inflation and higher energy costs affect markets

Why financial assets can compound differently than everyday goods

How to automate investing instead of relying on budgeting discipline

Why young investors may underestimate the value of taking appropriate risk

How financially independent people can give their wealth a purpose

Have a question you’d like Brent and Ben to discuss on the show? Submit it through the link on our page.

Chapters

00:00 - Market Update: Fed, Inflation, Bonds & AI

19:00 - Why Compounding Is So Powerful Over Time

36:30 - Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage Early or Invest?

48:00 - 3 Common Money Mistakes That Hurt Long-Term Wealth

53:30 - What Happens When Your Money Outgrows Your Needs?

Disclosure:

The information provided on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as personalized investment, financial, tax, or legal advice. The views expressed here are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of National Wealth Management Group, LLC or its affiliates.

Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. There is no guarantee that any investment strategy discussed will be successful or profitable. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Economic discussions are based on current data and opinions, which are subject to change and may not accurately predict future events. We encourage listeners to conduct their own research and seek guidance from a certified financial advisor before making any decisions.

Advisory services are offered through National Wealth Management Group, LLC. For more information about National Wealth Management Group including our Forms ADV and CRS, please visit our website www.nwmgadvisors.com or contact us directly.

#CompoundInterest #Investing #FinancialPlanning #Mortgage #RetirementPlanning #WealthBuilding #MoneyAlchemist