Curious about your retirement savings? Our How Much Do I Need To Retire? quiz gives you an idea of where you stand and a starting point to think about your long-term planning.

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Taxes tend to fade into the background until something feels off, like a larger bill than expected, a penalty you didn’t see coming or a moment where you wonder whether you handled the year correctly or just got lucky.

In this episode of Real Personal Finance, Scott and Nick talk about how the tax system actually works and why the idea of making one payment on April 15 simply won’t cut it. For example, did you know there’s a pay-as-you-go structure? Or that different types of income can change your tax reality? Scott and Nick go through salaried employees, executives with bonuses or stock compensation, small business owners, and retirees whose income has started to shift.

When you understand what the IRS is looking for and how to build a simple system around it, taxes can stop being a surprise and become something you can manage with less stress throughout the year.

Ready to learn more?

• Scott Frank on LinkedIn
• Stone Steps Financial
• Nick Covyeau on LinkedIn
• Swell Financial

Leave us a question!

Money can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial.

Curious about your retirement savings? Our How Much Do I Need To Retire? quiz gives you an idea of where you stand and a starting point to think about your long-term planning.

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There’s a moment many people reach at the start of a new year where the question shifts. It’s no longer just about saving more, earning more, or optimizing the plan, but it becomes something deeper. Is the life you’re building actually working for you?

In this episode of Real Personal Finance, Scott and Nick step back from tactics and spreadsheets to explore how money fits into a much bigger picture. They talk about time, energy, talent, and purpose, and how financial decisions tend to fall into place more naturally when you start with the life you want to live instead of the rules you’ve been handed.

You’ll hear a framework that helps clarify what matters most, especially during seasons of change, and why alignment often leads to better financial outcomes anyway. This conversation is about permission, intentionality, and designing a plan that supports the person you want to be, not just the balance you’re chasing.

Ready to learn more?

• Scott Frank on LinkedIn
• Stone Steps Financial
• Nick Covyeau on LinkedIn
• Swell Financial

Leave us a question!

Money can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial.

Curious about your retirement savings? Our How Much Do I Need To Retire? quiz gives you an idea of where you stand and a starting point to think about your long-term planning.

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Retiring early sounds simple when you only look at the balance sheet… until it doesn’t. In this episode of Real Personal Finance, Scott and Nick walk through why the real question isn’t “Is two million enough?” but “What does your life actually cost?”

They use a clear and approachable framework to cover the spending patterns, healthcare realities, tax traps, Social Security timing, and withdrawal strategies that can shape whether your plan holds up over decades or falls apart a few years into the future.

They also explore the levers you can pull if the math is close, like part-time work, test-driving lower spending, or optimizing which accounts to pull from. The goal? Invite you to think intentionally about what you're retiring to rather than just what you're retiring from.

Ready to learn more?

• Scott Frank on LinkedIn
• Stone Steps Financial
• Nick Covyeau on LinkedIn
• Swell Financial

Leave us a question!

Money can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial.