Category Archives: Investing

Creating the Pre-Retirement Checklist (Ep.46)

March 9, 2022Finance, Financial, Investing, RetirementGreen Financial Group, Houston Texas, Jeff Green, Lauren Smith, Planning for Retirement, Plans for Retirement, Podcast, Preparing for Retirement, Retirement Checklist, Stock Brokerage Podcast, The Green Zonethegreenzone

It might feel good to just up and retire from your job without any plan. But that may not be the smartest choice.

In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith talk about the ‘pre-retirement checklist’ they have created for their clients and how it can change their entire experience of the retirement lifestyle. They also go into detail about the difference between clients that have used this plan far in advance and clients who have used this a little later in the game.

Jeff and Lauren discuss:

Their personally constructed retirement checklist
How to establish your values in retirement to help you stay fulfilled after your working years are over
Why it is important to be discussing your retirement plans, aspirations, and wants early-on with your spouse
The strategy of picking a specific date to have your goals established for retirement
And more

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Starting Your Career in Financial Services with Melanie Knight (Ep.45)

February 23, 2022Finance, Financial, Investing, RetirementFamily Finances, Financial Planning, Financial Wills, Green Financial Group, Jeff Green, Lauren Smith, Melanie Knight, Podcast, Preparing for the Future, The Green Zonethegreenzone

Everybody has their own personal experiences which helped them kick start their career in the financial industry.

In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith talk with Melanie Knight, director of operations and client services at Green Financial Group, to discuss her experience going directly from college to starting her career at Green Financial Group.

Melanie discusses:

The responsibilities of client service within Green Financial Group
The typical day working as a financial professional
The environment of graduating college during Covid and how different it is compared to pre-pandemic years
How she finds balance between work and everyday life
And more!

Connect With Green Financial Group:

Connect with Melanie Knight:

LinkedIn: Melanie Knight

About Our Guest:

Melanie Knight is one of those people who just like to get things done. As the Director of Operations and Client Services at Green Financial Group, she does just that while supporting clients and their families with important administrative and clerical tasks, directing the team’s internal operations, and serving as a friendly liaison for clients. She finds an immense amount of satisfaction in helping a client with any issue, small or large, from opening new accounts to facilitating money transfers to helping generate annual reports.

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Critical Financial Discussions To Have With Your Aging Parents & Kids (Ep.44)

February 9, 2022Finance, Financial, Investing, RetirementFamily Finances, Financial Planning, Financial Wills, Green Financial Group, Jeff Green, Lauren Smith, Podcast, Preparing for the Future, The Green Zonethegreenzone

Having conversations about family wills can be tough. How do you start that conversation from one family to another?

In this episode, Jeff and Lauren share some advice surrounding the later stages of life and what they entail in terms of finances. They also highlight how discussing these things, despite how morbid they may sound, is so important and will benefit everyone in the long run.

Jeff and Lauren discuss:

The important discussions about wills that should happen between parents and children in the parents’ later stages of life
The importance of uploading, saving, and giving access to financial wills to other family members
How medical directors can serve your best interest in the future
How they extend their relationships with clients and allow themselves to be a resource to many families
And more!

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Money Conversations Every Couple Should Be Having (Ep.43)

January 26, 2022Finance, Financial, Investing, RetirementConflict, Divorce, Green Financial, Jeff Green, Marriage, Money, Podcast, retirement, Spouses, The Green Zonethegreenzone

Spouses can oftentimes be surprised by the changing dynamic of their marriage in retirement.

In this episode, Jeff Green talks with Dr. John Vincent a psychologist and a marriage and family therapist to discuss what marriage can look like when one or more spouses have retired. They also highlight the importance of communication between each partner when outlining financial goals before and during retirement.

Dr. John Vincent discusses:

What issues can generate conflicts between a couple
How the transition from working full-time to retiring can affect a marriage
The conflicts that can arise once both spouses have retired outside of financial affairs
What possibilities open up once both spouses have entered the retirement stage
And more!

Connect with Dr. John Vincent:

jvincent@central.uh.edu

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Healthy Financial Habits To Start This Year (Ep. 42)

January 12, 2022Finance, Financial, Investing, RetirementFinancial Advice, Healthy Financial Habits, Jeff Green, Lauren Smith, New Year Habits, retirement, Retirement Plans, The Green Zonethegreenzone

What does it take to make the new year different? How do you hold yourself accountable for the changes you want to make?

In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith reflect on their past year at Green Financial, and they share their goals for the upcoming year. They also talk about the process of planning, not only for retirement but other financially-demanding times throughout the year.

Jeff and Lauren discuss:

Healthy financial habits for all income scenarios
How to continue your good habits throughout the whole year
Planning for more than just retirement
Why you shouldn’t wait until you’re retired to tackle your bucket list
And more!

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The Financial Concerns of the Pandemic (Ep. 41)

December 29, 2021Finance, Financial, Investing, RetirementGreen Financial Group, Inflation, Investing Podcast, Jeff Green, Pandemic Effects, Stock Exchange, Stock Market, The Green Team, The Green Zonethegreenzone

There is no doubt that the pandemic made an impact on everyone’s lives in some way, shape, or form. This becomes increasingly clear when you look at the state of the market, inflation rates and national spending practices.

In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith evaluate the concerns that the people of America have been having regarding government spending throughout the pandemic, the effects of inflation, and how the stock market has been more unpredictable than ever.

Jeff and Lauren discuss:

The trends of the stock market throughout the various stages of the pandemic
Whether or not the market is under or overvalued at this current moment in time
The effects of inflation on the everyday investor
And more!

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The Green Team Holiday Traditions (Ep. 40)

December 15, 2021Finance, Financial, Investing, RetirementChristmas, family, Friends, Holidays, Jeff Green, Lauren Smith, Memories, Thanksgiving, The Green Zone, Traditionsthegreenzone

Holiday traditions are very important to keep us close with our loved ones and to create memories that will last a lifetime.

In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith speak with some of the team members at Green Financial Group—Hillary, Claire, and Melanie. They discuss some of their favorite holiday family traditions and some of the fun memories they have made over the years.

The Green Team discuss:

The fun tradition of elf on the shelf
The relaxing tradition of having an adult christmas
The creative tradition of finding new recipes for baked goods
The enjoyable family gatherings with family karaoke
The tradition of watching the thanksgiving day parade
And more

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Sharing Your Financial Documentation with Family (Ep. 39)

December 1, 2021Finance, Financial, Investing, RetirementCybersecurity, Estate Planning, financial, Financial Advisor, Jeff Green, Lauren Smith, The Green Zone, Vaultthegreenzone

You may have a pretty good handle on your finances. But have you shared that information with your family?

In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith talk about suggestions for documenting the details of your finances so your family can access this information in case of an emergency. They share tips for ways to share this information, and explain why you should be having this conversation before it’s too late.

Jeff and Lauren discuss:

The purpose of the ‘family phone call’
The helpful resource of a cloud-based vault and the ability to designate trusted contacts
The importance of writing down contact information to your; financial advisor, estate attorney etc.
Why you should be having the estate planning conversation with family
And more

Resources:

The Green Zone: 35. Your Cyber Security Mindset

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Insights on Researching Before You Give: Charitable Giving, Part Two With Kendall Monroe (Ep. 38)

November 10, 2021Finance, Financial, Investing, Retirement, UncategorizedCancer, Charitable Giving, Green Financial Group, Jeff Green, Kendall Monroe, Kidney Cancer Association, Lauren Smith, Nonprofit, The Way Home Adoptionthegreenzone

Giving comes in many forms—it can be time, talent, or treasure, but most importantly, giving should come from the heart.

In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith speak with Kendall Monroe, chief advancement officer at the Kidney Cancer Association and co-founder and director of development of The Way Home Adoption. Kendall discusses her role in each of the organizations, and how the organizations give back to help people in the global community.

Kendall discusses:

How each of the organizations help the Houston community and around the world
How to evaluate your options for charitable gifting
Her job as a certified charitable financial planner
The most important things to look for when it comes to charitable giving
And more

Resources:

Connect With Kendall Monroe:

LinkedIn: Kendall Monroe

Connect With Green Financial Group:

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Changing Young Children’s Lives through Education: Charitable Giving, Part One With Rebecca Roberts and Glenn Okuma (Ep. 37)

October 27, 2021Finance, Financial, Investing, Retirement, UncategorizedAcademics, Bicycles, CYCLE, Glenn Okuma, Jeff Green, Lauren Smith, Nonprofit Charity, Rebecca Roberts, The Green Zonethegreenzone

CYCLE Houston is a nonprofit charity organization that uses bicycles to motivate kids to reach defined academic goals.

Their goal for 2021 is to build 10,000 bicycles—and you can help.

In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith talk with Rebecca Roberts, executive director and Glenn Okuma, webmaster at CYCLE Houston. They share how their charity began, it’s mission, and how it is growing to help Houston children and students.

Rebecca and Glenn discuss:

How CYCLE began and the overall mission of the organization
How this organization helps children reach their defined academic goals and how many bicycles they make in a year
How supply chain distributions have affected the organization
And more

Resources:

Connect With Rebecca Roberts and Glenn Okuma:

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