Tag Archives: financial health

Why Financial Planning for Women is Different (Ep. 68)

Finance, Financial, Retirement, , , , ,

Financial planning is not the same for everyone, and those differences are particularly distinct between men and women. Interestingly, according to Raymond James, more than 51% of the personal wealth in this country is controlled by women – and that number is growing. But women often feel less comfortable with their financial independence and even face financial challenges their male counterparts do not. In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith bring to light some of the unique considerations women may want to take into account for their financial and retirement planning, including:

  • Women tend to live longer than men, which may impact when they take Social Security
  • Women tend to earn less in their careers over their lifetime, which needs to be factored into financial and retirement plans
  • Women tend to be the primary caregivers of children and other family members, which can impact the types of financial decisions they need to make
  • Women who are widowed or go through a divorce have unique, specific needs that should be addressed quickly within a window of time
  • How working with a financial advisor versed in the unique needs of women, like Lauren Smith, can be incredibly beneficial for tailoring financial planning for women
  • And more…

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SheSpace: A Community for Bold, Ambitious Woman (Ep. 67)

Finance, Financial, Investing, , ,

March is Women’s History Month, a time when we commemorate the social, political, economic and cultural achievements of women. And those big accomplishments have to start somewhere… perhaps it’s at SheSpace, a women’s co-working space and community located in Houston, Texas. Jeff Green and Lauren Smith recently sat down with Stephanie Tsuru, Co-Founder of SheSpace, to learn more about the humble beginnings and big plans for the women of SheSpace. In this conversation, they discuss:

  • Why SheSpace felt like a need in the Houston community
  • Why women need a dedicated place to learn, study, connect and flourish
  • How the co-founders got started – and the ways they’ve pivoted as they’ve grown
  • The ways in which SheSpace serves the women of Houston, including multiple levels of membership options
  • The intentional build out process for constructing the right atmosphere for the building and how they continue to evolve to meet the needs of their members
  • And more!

About Our Guest: Stephanie Tsuru, Co-Founder of SheSpace

Stephanie Tsuru comes from a long line of female trailblazers. Her grandmother, widowed at 55, remained on the family farm in northern Missouri to successfully run the operation through blizzards and droughts. This woman even had the audacity to wear pants! She raised Stephanie’s mother, a small-town farm girl, who at the age of 22, left rural America with her new husband and flew 24 hours to live in Marrakesh, Morocco. Her parents’ wanderlust lifestyle worked out nicely for Stephanie, who was later born on the outskirts of Paris. After working her way through college in a steel mill (hard hat and steel-toed boots included) she piled her belongings into her bluebird-colored car that she purchased with her steel mill earnings and drove 1,300 miles away. (No radio or phone but lots of singing.)

As her 60th birthday approached, Stephanie decided she had the energy, passion and commitment to see another adventure through. In homage to her mother and grandmother and to leave a legacy for her daughters, granddaughters and the deep pool of women in Houston, she decided the time was right for her to launch her first entrepreneurial venture, SheSpace.

Stephanie’s mantra believes in the power of SHE. We will provide a home away from home to build a community of bold, intrepid and fearless women. We will push and lift each other to create, learn, inspire, and grow to be better tomorrow than we are today.

Connect with SheSpace:

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Note: Raymond James is not affiliated with nor does it endorse the services of SheSpace.

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What You Can Do In The Face Of Inflation (Ep. 66)

Finance, Financial, Investing, , , ,

Inflation is here and it’s no joke. Prices are going up. Returns in the market seem to be going down. And it can be confusing to know how to set yourself up for success. In this episode of The Green Zone Podcast, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith discuss what’s going on with inflation and how each of us as individuals may want to consider approaching our finances during this time. Together they discuss:

  • Why do we have inflation?
  • The silent effects of inflation
  • What types of assets increase in cost and value during inflationary times
  • Strategies for the “average Joe” to approach financial management during a recessionary time
  • And more!

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What You Need To Know About The Secure Act 2.0 (Ep. 65)

Finance, Financial, Investing, Retirement, , , ,

Do you understand how the changes to the Secure Act will affect you? Don’t worry, we won’t ask you to read the 4,155-page document to find out. Instead, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith will discuss some of the key takeaways of the Secure Act 2.0 and how it may impact you in this episode of The Green Zone Podcast. Together they discuss:

  • What the Secure Act is and who it applies to
  • The updated age for RMDs (Required Minimum Distributions) and how to be strategic about taking yours
  • How RMD penalties have been reduced
  • The way increased catch-up provisions can benefit you
  • Why you may want to consider a larger charitable donation this year
  • And more!

 

Connect With Green Financial Group:

 

Please Note: While we are familiar with the tax provisions of the issues presented herein, as Financial Advisors of RJFS, we are not qualified to render advice on tax or legal matters. You should discuss tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional. RMD’s are generally subject to federal income tax and may be subject to state taxes. Consult your tax advisor to assess your situation. Opinions expressed those of the Jeff Green and Lauren Smith and are not necessarily those of Raymond James. All opinions are as of this date and are subject to change without notice.

 

 

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Should I Pay Off My House Before I Retire? With Jim Chaplin (Ep. 28)

Finance, Financial, Investing, Retirement, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

We all have those burning questions about planning for retirement. One of the most commonly asked questions that people want to know is, “Should I pay my house off before I retire?”

In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith talk with Jim Chaplin, vice president/senior mortgage loan originator at Elite Lending Group to get his perspective on the topic.

Jim Chaplin discusses: 

  • The items to take into consideration before deciding to pay off your mortgage before retirement
  • The backseat figures of making the decision
  • The state of the real estate market right now and how this may impact your decision
  • And more

Connect With Jim Chaplin:

Connect With Green Financial Group:

About Our Guest:

Jim Chaplin: Jim Chaplin has a total of 30 plus years of real estate related experience. Licensed Texas Real Estate Broker since 1974 which makes him very familiar with promulgated contract documents. Specialties include, lot loans, and construction loans as well as a wide range of mortgage products.

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How to Protect Your Aging Relative with a Caregiving Plan (Ep. 27)

Finance, Financial, Investing, Retirement, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , ,

How will you step up when the time comes to fully support an aging relative? This is a question that will face more and more people as science and medicine continue to extend human life expectancy.

In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith hit a few of the hot points to help you begin having these tough conversations with family members about their wishes and plans. 

We discuss:

  • How to start thinking about the recipient’s needs
  • Why it’s important to make decisions and have documents in place before cognitive impairments become overwhelming
  • How to prioritize your mental and physical health as a caregiver
  • And more!

Tune in as Jeff and Lauren help you to start thinking about a caregiving plan for your aging relatives!

Resources: Green Financial Group: (713) 244-3030 | Jeff Green | Lauren Smith

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Spring Cleaning – with guests Carroll Cartwright, Paige Ebanks and Rudy Vierra (Ep. 26)

Finance, Financial, Investing, Retirement, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , ,

Spring is finally here! And do you know what that means?

It’s spring cleaning time!

In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith are joined by Carroll Cartwright and Paige Ebanks of Neatly Houston to discuss how they put a fresh perspective on organizing, styling and moving to clean and tidy your home. Rudy Vierra of SteaMyCar joins in on the conversation to share how your car can get the best wash and interior clean it has ever had.

We discuss:

  • The process for having Neatly come clean your home
  • Tips to help get you into the spring cleaning mindset
  • The eco-friendly car wash process service by SteaMyCar
  • The types of services offered by SteaMyCar
  • And more!

Tune in to learn how you can outsource to save time and avoid the spring cleaning most of us dread! 

Resources: Green Financial Group: (713) 244-3030 | Jeff Green | Lauren Smith | Neatly | SteaMyCar: (832) 308-8400

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Tech Tools to Make Your Life Easier (Ep. 25)

Finance, Financial, Investing, Retirement, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , ,

In a world full of technology, there are many tools and apps that can help make your life easier and more entertaining.

In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith take a little break from finance and explore the world of technology. In this fun-packed episode, they discuss many different types of apps they find useful and explain the functionality of each one of the apps. 

We discuss:

  • Two business-related tools to help you at work
  • Two travel-related tools to use when you’re planning your next trip
  • Two cybersecurity tools to keep you protected
  • Four health and wellness tools to stay mentally and physically healthy
  • And more!

Join Jeff and Lauren as they share the specifics of each tool, how they work and why they love them!

Resources: Resources:  Green Financial Group: (713) 244-3030 | Jeff Green | Lauren Smith | Raymond James | Blinkist | TripIt | Timeshifter | noMorobo | LastPass | WaterMinder | PillBoxie | Peloton | Calm | Vivino | RunPee | Furbo |

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Transition into Retirement with a Coach as Your Guide — With Cindy Wylie (Ep. 24)

Finance, Financial, Investing, Retirement, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , ,

Change can be a good thing. However, the uncertainty of moving forward can spark fear and create stress.

This is especially true with major transitions, like retirement. 

In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith sit down with Cindy Wylie, a career and life transition coach, to explore how coaches can make this transition easier for you as a new retiree. They reveal how a coach can help you identify your values early on and ways they can help ease you into retirement.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • A coach’s role around the transition from work to retirement
  • The importance of identifying your personal values
  • How someone like Cindy can help you through transition into retirement
  • And more!

Join Jeff, Lauren, and Cindy to learn how you can benefit from hiring a coach for your retirement!

Resources: Green Financial Group: (713) 244-3030 | Jeff Green | Lauren Smith |(713) 562-5566 | Contact Cindy

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Your 2021 Tax Planning Guide (Ep. 23)

Finance, Financial, Investing, Retirement, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , ,

Tax season has rolled around once again!

Get ready to kick-off your tax season with this information-packed episode with Jeff Green and Lauren Smith. They discuss some of the recent tax changes you might want to be mindful of this year while breaking down the tax strategies clients are asking about most these days.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • The new IRA contribution age limit
  • Why you need to know about spousal IRAs
  • Updates to IRA contribution limits this year
  • Qualified charitable distributions
  • And more!

Join Jeff Green and Lauren Smith now to learn about the latest considerations that will help you file your taxes this year! 

Resources: Green Financial Group: (713) 244-3030 | Jeff Green | Lauren Smith 

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