đź Open Enrollment: The Annual Game of âGuess What These Benefits Actually Meanâ
Every fall, HR drops that mysterious email: âItâs time for open enrollment!â And suddenly, youâre scrolling through options that sound like they were written by a committee of lawyers and robots.
â ď¸ âHigh-Deductible Health Planâ sounds scary. đ° âHealth Savings Accountâ sounds like a trap. đĄ And âFlexible Spending Accountâ? Not flexible enough when you forget to use it by December. Thatâs where planning actually pays off. In this weekâs video, I break down how to make smart benefit elections that fit your financial plan, not just your employerâs brochure. Because open enrollment shouldnât feel like a pop quiz you didnât study for.
The Parent 529 Playbook: How to Pull Money the Right Way (and What to Do with Leftovers)
If youâre paying college bills with a 529, this is your 4-minute, no-nonsense guide. Youâll learn exactly when to take distributions, what actually qualifies, how to keep an audit-proof paper trail, and smart moves for leftover funds (yes, including the Roth IRA path). No fluff. No âmy kid needed the laptop for Netflix.â
What youâll learn
Timing rules: Match the 529 distribution to the expense in the same calendar year
Retirement Red Zone: The 20-Year Game Plan (From the 20 to the Goal Line) đ
You canât âcramâ for retirement. Thatâs not a planâthatâs a Hail Mary with a flat football. In this video, I (Nick St. George, CFPÂŽ) lay out a clear, yard-by-yard blueprint from 20 years out to 24 months before retirementâso youâre not guessing at the goal line.
What youâll learn
How to set your savings rate, kill high-interest debt, and build smart tax buckets (pre-tax, Roth, brokerage)
When to use Roth strategies, avoid concentration risk, and optimize benefits (HSA, ESPP, deferred comp)
How to defend against sequence-of-returns risk and start income design early (pensions, RSUs, options)
Why Social Security timing (62 vs. FRA vs. 70) is a math problem, not a vibe
đŽââď¸ In the Retirement Unit, financially-motivated crimes against common sense are considered especially heinousâŚ
These are their stories. DUN DUN.
Hi, Iâm Nick St. George, CFPÂŽ, and in todayâs episode of Retirement & Order, we meet Rob and Jen Langston. (Not their real names, of courseâthe names and some details have been changed to protect the financially innocent.)
Theyâre retired. Living the good life. Then BOOM đĽâcurveball. One of their adult kids hits a financial snag.
Rather than torch their retirement plan with capital gains or mortgage stress, we got creative. No, not “hide your money in a coffee can” creativeâstrategic creative.
We used an asset-backed loan against their taxable investment account. â No closing costs â No tax returns or underwriting drama â No capital gains â No disruption to their portfolio
Just fast, flexible helpâwith structure, boundaries, and peace of mind.
đŻ Moral of the story: You can be generous without going broke.
If you’re in the same boat, donât play financial detective solo. Book a quick callâletâs protect your retirement and your sanity.
Then you might be playing a dangerous game of financial Jenga â and Uncle Sam is just waiting to topple your tower.
In my latest video, I break down two real-life families navigating college costs, RSUs, and the ever-persistent tax goblin that shows up uninvited (and never brings snacks).
đ¨âđŠâđŚ The Daltons? College bills are now. đś The Simmons? Planning way ahead. Different stages. Different strategies. One simple truth: planning always wins.
And yes â in the spirit of Law & Order â the stories are real, but the names have been changed to protect the innocent (and the occasionally tax-confused).
If youâve got RSUs vesting and arenât sure whether to sell, hold, or hide⌠Watch this before you let the tax tail wag your financial dog.
đŚ Bonus: I explain RSUs in plain English â no CPA required.
đĽ Watch the full video or catch the podcast version â your future self (and your accountant) will thank you.
Weâve all been there: đš Debating if your adult kids need another “loan” or just a reality check. đš Arguing about who inherits grandmaâs prized casserole dish. đš Rolling your eyes at yet another Amazon box mysteriously appearing at your doorstep.
Money fights happen. But they donât have to turn your relationship into a Netflix drama.
Here are 5 common money battles couples faceâand how to fix them:
1ď¸âŁ Supporting Adult Kids: They’re adults, but somehow your payroll keeps growing. Time to draw some boundaries before your home turns into a wildlife preserve (you know, “Donât feed the animals,” right?).
2ď¸âŁ Inheritance Drama: Decide together who gets what before your kids decide with lawyers. (Spoiler alert: No one enjoys a family feud sequel).
3ď¸âŁ Opposite Spending Styles: Whether you’re the “budget wizard” or the “flash sale aficionado,” create space for BOTH styles. A little compromise = fewer glares at dinner.
4ď¸âŁ Hidden Spending: If youâre hiding packages or credit card statements, you’re not hiding moneyâyouâre hiding trust issues. Pour some bourbon, and have the talk regularly. No judgment, just honesty.
5ď¸âŁ Conflicting Goals: Camper vs. 401(k)? Retirement vs. adventure? Itâs not “either/or,” itâs “yes, and.” Dream together, plan together, thrive together.
đŹ If you believe retirement is just about having enough money, then you’re missing the bigger picture.
Sure, money matters, but retirement isnât just numbers on a spreadsheetâit’s about experiences. It’s trading your morning commute for sunrise tee times, swapping endless meetings for endless adventures, and replacing your daily grind with checking off your bucket list. đď¸ââď¸đ´âľ
Retirement is the freedom to choose how you spend your daysâmaking memories, traveling, and finally taking the time to truly enjoy what you’ve earned.
I’d love to hear what’s at the top of YOUR retirement bucket list. Skydiving? A month in Italy? Finally beating your personal best on the golf course?
đ Share your dream retirement experience below! đ
3 Creative Ways to Teach Your Kids About Money (Without Putting Them to Sleep)
Letâs be honest: most kids think money just comes out of the wall. Or worseââCanât you just use the card?â
If youâve ever watched your child blow through their birthday cash like itâs Monopoly money, this post (and video đ) is for you.
We want to raise Game Changers and Wealth Buildersânot future adults who learn the hard way that â0% interest for 12 monthsâ is not free money.
1. Gamify the Basics
Kids love games. So make saving and budgeting one.
Set up a âfamily bankâ where they earn interest on savings.
Match their savings like a 401(k) for chores.
Let them âinvestâ in snack stocksâbuy Goldfish at 10 cents today, sell at 15 cents next week.
Suddenly, compound interest is cooler than Roblox coins.
2. Use Real-Life Scenarios (a.k.a. Donât Be Boring)
Skip the PowerPoint presentation. Teach money in the wild:
Grocery shopping? Show them unit pricing.
Eating out? Let them help calculate the tip.
Road trip? Hand them a gas budget and let them play CFO.
Theyâll absorb way more from hands-on money moments than any lecture.
3. Give Them ControlâAnd Let Them Mess Up
Yep, you read that right. Let. Them. Blow. It.
Nothing drives home the value of money like watching $20 vanish in a flash on the worst claw machine in America. It’s a lesson in budgeting, buyerâs remorse, and decision-making all in one go.
Youâre not raising perfection. Youâre raising confidence. And confidence comes from experienceâeven the oops kind.
đĽ Watch the full video for more tips and a few laughs along the way. Iâll show you how to plant the seeds for financial literacy that actually stick.
Because letâs face itâyour kid knows 84 YouTubers by name. Itâs time they learn who Warren Buffett is, too.
Ready to raise a money-smart kid (and maybe brush up on your own skills too)? Letâs un-eff the next generationâs finances, one piggy bank at a time. đŞđˇđ¸
đ¸ Your kid can explain Minecraft strategy in painstaking detailâŚ
But ask them what a Roth IRA is, and itâs đŚđŚđŚ.
đ Itâs time we taught our kids more than just how to swipe a debit card.
In this episode of Un Eff Your Finances, I break down how to get your kids started with real-world money smartsâwithout boring them to tears (or making it feel like detention).
đ Letâs raise the first generation that actually understands compound interest before they sign for student loans.
What can market pullbacks teach us about investing?
Tune into this round of Un Eff Your Finances, Nicholas St. George dives into the intricacies of market pullbacks. Buckle up as Nick unravels the chaos and gets to the heart of why these pullbacks aren’t just unavoidable but can actually work in your favor!
Nick discusses:
(00:03:00) The normalcy of market pullbacks and how history shows they’re nothing to fear
(00:06:04) Strategies to use pullbacks to your advantage through smart planning
(00:08:16). Keeping emotions in check during volatile times and sticking to your plan
(00:14:3) The impact of inflation on spending power and why long-term growth is vital
(00:25:20) The importance of having a solid and adaptable financial plan in place
