If your child has a free ride to multiple universities, how would you help them decide which school and major?

Two financial advisors try to separate the value of higher education from all the ancillary benefits of college. If every course lecture is available online for free, should college cost so much? Are the fuzzier benefits worth the tuition and room and board? Would you be better going to NotCornell for half the cost?

Episode References

MMS #131. We don't need no education.
MMS #87. What's the smart way to fund a college education these days?
MMS #28. Is a million dollar higher education worth it? Your kids may not think so.
Accepted (movie)

Aaron Agte and Trishul Patel go beyond traditional finance questions to help you explore how to use your money to achieve the freedom you want in life. Aaron is a Bay Area Financial Planner with GraystoneAdvisor.com, and Trishul is an East Coast Wealth Manager (InvestingForever.com). MindMoneySpectrum.com and YouTube.

What recommendations would you give a high schooler to prepare them for their working career?

Aaron starts with the question of what college major would you recommend to a high schooler to prepare them for their working career? Trishul immediately questions whether college is even worth it. If both agree that entrepreneurship makes the most sense, how do you encourage teenagers to develop the necessary skills and ambition. Is work experience more valuable than education and networking?

Episode References
MMS #142. Wages will never increase again. Here's why.
MMS #132. Why would you ever want to be a W-2 employee anymore?
MMS #123. I, for one, welcome our new AI robot overlords.
MMS #122. The robots are here! Seriously, now what!?
MMS #28. Is a million dollar higher education worth it? Your kids may not think so.

Aaron Agte and Trishul Patel go beyond traditional finance questions to help you explore how to use your money to achieve the freedom you want in life. Aaron is a Bay Area Financial Planner with GraystoneAdvisor.com, and Trishul is an East Coast Wealth Manager (InvestingForever.com). MindMoneySpectrum.com and YouTube.

Financial planners use the seasons to guide which annual topics to focus on.

Managing all your financial tasks can feel daunting and overwhelming. Good financial planning helps identify the priorities that need to be taken care of first. It also uses the seasons and various deadlines as themes for deciding which topics to work on. By taking one step at a time, it’s not long until your entire financial picture is running like a well-oiled machine.

Episode References
MMS #130. Manage expectations to cultivate your ideal year.
MMS #103. Don't miss out on big savings during Open Enrollment Season.
MMS #107. It's a new year! So now what?
MMS #100. ISO University: Your guide to navigating ISOs in a pre-IPO company.
MMS #120. Planning for downtime during the holiday season
MMS #117. Aaron teaches Trishul how to play fantasy football.
MMS #111. The math behind March Madness and Buffett's Billions.
Carl Richards, Next Smallest Action

Aaron Agte and Trishul Patel go beyond traditional finance questions to help you explore how to use your money to achieve the freedom you want in life. Aaron is a Bay Area Financial Planner with GraystoneAdvisor.com, and Trishul is an East Coast Wealth Manager (InvestingForever.com). MindMoneySpectrum.com and YouTube.

Aaron shares the story of how his family stretched their vacation just a little too much. They added a few days to fit in Padres games or save money on flights. But there came a point they just wanted to sleep in their own bed and walk the dog. Using the life planning exercise of your ideal day, week, and year can help design a routine that you enjoy and make better intentional decisions for your time.

Episode References

MMS #129. Ideal day, week...and societal expectations?
MMS #130. Manage expectations to cultivate your ideal year.
MMS #147. After FIRE: Why this Wealth Manager won’t retire.
The Berenstain Bears - Too Much Vacation

Aaron Agte and Trishul Patel go beyond traditional finance questions to help you explore how to use your money to achieve the freedom you want in life. Aaron is a Bay Area Financial Planner with GraystoneAdvisor.com, and Trishul is an East Coast Wealth Manager (InvestingForever.com). MindMoneySpectrum.com and YouTube.

What can you set up today that if you forget about it, you are better off a year later?

Maxing out your 401k contribution and investing in stocks has the largest impact on your life for minimal effort. Aaron and Trishul go through other ways that setting up automation can provide significant benefits for your future self. From bill payments to investment contributions, automating your finances removes stress and builds long-term wealth on autopilot. Learn how small setup steps today can lead to massive gains tomorrow.

Episode References

MMS #65. The most important financial advice for someone in their 20's.
MMS #17. How to take advantage of your lazy brain.
Investing Forever - Passive Is the New Aggressive
Graystone Advisor: Advice for friends and family
Nudge by Thaler and Sunstein
The Opt-Out Solution
The Impact of Legislation on Organ Donation

Aaron Agte and Trishul Patel go beyond traditional finance questions to help you explore how to use your money to achieve the freedom you want in life. Aaron is a Bay Area Financial Planner with GraystoneAdvisor.com, and Trishul is an East Coast Wealth Manager (InvestingForever.com). MindMoneySpectrum.com and YouTube.

In 2024, tech stocks were up, while layoffs were also up, leading to a general concern among tech employees.

Tech employees saw their incomes rise dramatically from their equity compensation, but the specter of layoffs meant most people were still concerned. Aaron and Trishul discuss some of the potential reasons behind this dichotomy and how to help people deal with the fear. A healthy cash reserve can help mitigate the concerns of job loss and market downturns as well.

Episode References

MMS #148. Why Smart Advisors Don’t Care About Market Drops.
MMS #150. Wealth Manager shares his secret FIRE recipe
MMS #34. How do RSUs work?
Warren Buffett quote

Aaron Agte and Trishul Patel go beyond traditional finance questions to help you explore how to use your money to achieve the freedom you want in life. Aaron is a Bay Area Financial Planner with GraystoneAdvisor.com, and Trishul is an East Coast Wealth Manager (InvestingForever.com). MindMoneySpectrum.com and YouTube.

The math behind how quickly savings and investments can achieve financial independence.

Trishul re-creates the spreadsheet he used to calculate his pursuit of FIRE twenty years ago. He begins with simple time value of money calculations and walks through how increasing savings rates and different investment returns dramatically impact your path to financial freedom. Aaron brings the math to life with a real-world example: a couple maxing out their 401(k)s over two decades. Together, they show just how attainable it is to build a multi-million dollar nest egg with disciplined investing and long-term planning.

Episode References

MMS #147. After FIRE: Why this Wealth Manager won’t retire.
MMS #144. What Financial Independence in Your 40's Really Looks Like
MMS #143. FIRE with Kids? Here's How to Make It Work!
MMS #65. The most important financial advice for someone in their 20's.
MMS #56 The most important rule in finance.
MMS #5. The 4% rule is a good start, but betting your life on it can burn you.
MMS #1. What's the big deal about FIRE?
Trishul's Super Secret FIRE Calculator
Rule of 72
Einstein Quote
Financial Independence Retire Early Website
Trinity Study
Determining Withdrawal Rates Using Historical Data
The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement

Aaron Agte and Trishul Patel go beyond traditional finance questions to help you explore how to use your money to achieve the freedom you want in life. Aaron is a Bay Area Financial Planner with GraystoneAdvisor.com, and Trishul is an East Coast Wealth Manager (InvestingForever.com). MindMoneySpectrum.com and YouTube.

Safe withdrawal rates often lead to having more money than you need. What then?

Trishul achieved FIRE and then built a business that now sustains his lifestyle. He knows he's on track to have more money than he needs. Aaron and Trishul discuss how it feels to be in this position and what to do next. Adjusting to this new phase can take years—and maybe it’s okay if spending doesn’t increase.

Episode References

MMS #146. A Financial Planner's Journey.
MMS #147. After FIRE: Why this Wealth Manager won’t retire.
MMS #112. Here's why you need to spend more.
MMS #65. The most important financial advice for someone in their 20's.
MMS #56 The most important rule in finance.
MMS #15. George Kinder: Three life questions that will change everything.
MMS #7. The impact of friends, family, and communities on happiness is larger than you might think. Listen through the end to find out why.
MMS #5. The 4% rule is a good start, but betting your life on it can burn you.
MMS #3. Does money buy happiness? Sometimes yes, but not in the way you think.
Die with Zero book
Kitces: Upside of Sequence of Returns Risk

Aaron Agte and Trishul Patel go beyond traditional finance questions to help you explore how to use your money to achieve the freedom you want in life. Aaron is a Bay Area Financial Planner with GraystoneAdvisor.com, and Trishul is an East Coast Wealth Manager (InvestingForever.com). MindMoneySpectrum.com and YouTube.