Upticks: A Financial Planning & Investment Podcast

The Fed Raised Rates. Should You Change Your Financial Plan?

What should someone approaching retirement do after the Federal Reserve raises interest rates? Jake and Cory agree that a single Fed decision should not automatically c

529 Plans, Trump Accounts, and Why the Financial System Feels Rigged

How can parents and grandparents give the next generation a stronger financial starting point? Is the financial system truly rigged—or does it simply reward people who al

Socialism, the Fed, and the Hidden Costs of Real Estate Investing

Can the economics of socialism be discussed without becoming partisan? Should the Federal Reserve hold interest rates steady? And does residential real estate offer the r

401(k) Rollovers, Private Equity, and Roth Conversions

What should you do with a 401(k) after leaving an employer? Should private equity be included in workplace retirement plans? And when does a Roth conversion deserve consi

Leverage, Concentrated Stock, and Is Early Retirement Overrated?

What happens when leverage, confidence, and speculation collide? Jake and Cory begin this episode by discussing a highly leveraged hedge fund and the risks of investing w

20 Years of Retirement Planning Taught Me These 5 Things

What separates a successful retirement plan from one that's simply invested? In this solo episode of Upticks, Jake shares five practical lessons he's learned from more

When Money Stops Changing Your Life

In this episode, Jake and Cory begin by revisiting the growing conversation around private investments inside 401(k) plans and why they remain skeptical of the trend. The

What Can Really Put Retirement at Risk?

In this episode, Jake and Cory react to a listener-submitted article about proposed 401(k) changes that could make private equity and other alternative investments more a

Smart People Can Make Terrible Investment Decisions

In this episode, Jake and Cory dig into reasons smart, successful people still make bad investment decisions. Pointing to recency bias, overconfidence, and financial medi

Reasons People Can Go Broke Trying to Look Rich

What does financial freedom really look like? Are we chasing wealth or just the appearance of it? In this episode, Jake and Cory dive into the psychology behind money d

Does Spending Drop in Retirement? Here's What We Found

Are Roth conversions a smart tax strategy or one of the most overhyped ideas in retirement planning? Should retirees stay invested aggressively? Do most people really nee

SpaceX, OpenAI, Anthropic: Will They Crash the Market?

In this milestone 400th episode of Upticks, Jake and Cory celebrate how far the show has come and dive straight into what matters most: answering listener-driven question

Teach a Man to Fish

Teach a man to fish… or give him everything? In this episode of Upticks, Jake and Cory tackle one of the most misunderstood truths in financial planning: there's no one

7 Popular Investment Strategies Put to the Test

Most people follow "common sense" financial advice… But what if some of those rules are actually costing you money? In this episode of Upticks, Jake and Cory break do

Retirement Planning Myths Some Smart People Still Believe

Are smart, successful professionals unknowingly making retirement planning mistakes? In this episode of Upticks, Jake and Cory break down some of the most common retire

The $2M Retirement Gap for Corporate Executives

Are you a corporate executive or high earner wondering if your nest egg is truly enough for retirement? In this episode of Upticks, Jake and Cory dive deep into the "$2 M

Caring for Aging Parents with Don and Elaine Minter

Caring for aging parents can be overwhelming—especially when families are forced to make big decisions during moments of crisis. In this episode of Upticks, Jake and Cory

Our Biggest Money Mistakes

What if learning to build wealth didn't start with perfect decisions—but with real mistakes? In this episode of Upticks, Jake and Cory pull back the curtain and share t

Could a $10M Net Worth Leave You Broke in Retirement?

Most people chase net worth—but few stop to ask whether it might actually pay them in retirement. In this episode of Upticks, Jake and Cory break down a mistake they se

Reasons Financially Secure People May Be Afraid to Retire Anyway

Many people assume that once you're financially secure, retirement should feel easy. In reality, some of the most financially prepared people struggle the most with the