The Financial Huddle | Real Money Conversations for Financial Literacy

AI Investing With Stoyan Petev

AI is moving so fast that investors feel whiplash and that’s exactly why we wanted a grounded conversation about AI investing, portfolio strategy, and what’s actually actionable. We’re joined by Stoyan Petev, SVP of Advanced Markets at C2P Enterprises, who brings decades of market experience and a practical framework for thinking about where AI value may accrue beyond the headline stocks everyone already knows.  We walk through six AI investment themes that show up across the real economy: core AI and intelligence, power generation and energy systems, data centers, critical materials, defense and national security, and healthcare with AI-enabled diagnostics. Along the way, we connect the dots to the “gold rush picks and shovels” mindset, and we talk about why a core plus satellite portfolio can help you participate in AI without letting a single hot trend dominate your plan. If you’re investing through a 401(k) or 403(b), we also cover the basics that matter most: contribute consistently, take the employer match, keep costs low, and know what you already own before chasing more exposure.  We also get real about AI as a research tool. It can make you faster, but it doesn’t automatically make you wiser, especially when hallucinations and confident misinformation creep in. The closing takeaway is why humans still matter in financial planning: coaching through volatility, understanding family dynamics, prioritizing trade-offs, and keeping emotions from hijacking decisions. If this helps, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more investors can find the show. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2514410/fan_mail/new]   ----------------------------------------------------------------------  Disclosure: Information contained in this podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and should not be considered as financial advice. Financial Planning and Advisory Services are offered through Prosperity Capital Advisors (“PCA”), an SEC registered investment adviser.  Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Keystone Financial Group and PCA are separate, non- affiliated entities. PCA does not provide tax or legal advice.

Should I Be Doing Roth Conversions?

Everyone is talking about Roth conversions right now, but most people only hear the hype and miss the parts that actually move the needle. In this episode, we get specific about what a Roth conversion is, why it can be one of the biggest “engines” for moving wealth from the pre-tax bucket to the tax-free bucket, and why the real win is control: control over taxes, control over required minimum distributions, and control over how retirement income shows up on your tax return.  We walk through the practical reasons to consider converting, including reducing future RMDs, creating tax-free retirement income after 59½, and improving legacy planning for the people you’ll one day leave assets to. We also connect the dots on provisional income and why Roth distributions can help limit how much of your Social Security gets taxed, which can be a massive difference in a real retirement plan. If you’ve heard the phrase “rich man’s Roth,” we explain what that means and why conversions are effectively unlimited even when Roth IRA contributions are not.  Then we dig into the rules and the traps: paying the tax bill the smart way, avoiding underpayment penalties when you convert late in the year, and understanding the five-year rule so you don’t trigger a 10% penalty by grabbing converted dollars too soon. We also get into the nuance that most soundbites ignore: tax bracket strategy (including why the 22% to 24% space can be a sweet spot for many) and Medicare IRMAA surcharges that can raise Part B premiums based on your income from two years prior.  If you’re thinking about a Roth conversion, or you’re not sure whether it fits your lifestyle, tax bracket, or estate goals, this is the roadmap. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s nearing retirement, and leave a review with your biggest Roth conversion question so we can tackle it next. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2514410/fan_mail/new]   ----------------------------------------------------------------------  Disclosure: Information contained in this podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and should not be considered as financial advice. Financial Planning and Advisory Services are offered through Prosperity Capital Advisors (“PCA”), an SEC registered investment adviser.  Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Keystone Financial Group and PCA are separate, non- affiliated entities. PCA does not provide tax or legal advice.

Estate Planning w/ Dirk Winkler

Most people say estate planning is important, but the numbers tell a harsher story: a majority of US adults still have no will, no trust, and no powers of attorney. That gap creates real chaos when a family faces a death or, even more common, a sudden loss of capacity. We bring in estate planning attorney Dirk Winkler, who has nearly three decades of experience, to help us cut through the confusion and focus on what actually protects families. We start at the macro level: what estate planning covers, how it supports young families naming guardians, and why “getting your ducks in a row” is really about legal enforceability. Then we get practical and direct, walking through the four foundational documents we want almost everyone to have: a will, financial power of attorney, health care power of attorney, and a living will. Dirk explains why the powers of attorney are often the difference between a smooth transition and a stressful trip to probate court for a guardianship. From there, we unpack probate in plain English, including why a will alone may still lead to probate and why the process can take months or even years. We also discuss when a trust makes sense as a central hub for beneficiary planning, especially for minor children and grandchildren, and why retirement accounts require special caution. Finally, we touch on the tax side of legacy planning, including why estate tax rarely applies for most families while income tax and inherited IRA distribution rules can hit heirs at the worst time. If you care about protecting your family, avoiding delays, and reducing costly mistakes, listen now, subscribe for more, and share this with someone who keeps putting estate planning off. After you listen, will you review the show and tell us what topic you want us to tackle next? Sources: https://trustandwill.com/learn/estate-planning-report-2026?utm_ Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2514410/fan_mail/new]   ----------------------------------------------------------------------  Disclosure: Information contained in this podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and should not be considered as financial advice. Financial Planning and Advisory Services are offered through Prosperity Capital Advisors (“PCA”), an SEC registered investment adviser.  Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Keystone Financial Group and PCA are separate, non- affiliated entities. PCA does not provide tax or legal advice.

2026 Halftime Report: First Half of the Year Update

Gas close to $10 a gallon will do that thing where it resets your sense of “normal” in about five seconds. After Ed got back from Lisbon, where gas was almost $10 a gallon, we wanted to zoom out and give a clear 2026 market update at the halfway point, because the mood out there feels anxious even while the major indexes are still trending up.  We walk through the first half performance of the S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow, and Russell 2000 and talk about what those returns can mean if you’re investing through a 401(k), IRA, or simple index fund strategy. Then we shift to the jobs market, where the headline unemployment rate doesn’t tell the whole story. Hiring has cooled in a lot of white collar entry-level paths, and that’s creating one of the toughest job markets for college grads we’ve seen in years. We also touch the growing question behind so many career conversations right now: how AI and automation might reshape job types, not just replace roles. From there, we dig into inflation, CPI versus core CPI, and why “sticky inflation” keeps the Federal Reserve cautious on interest rate cuts. We lay out the real tradeoff the Fed is managing: cut too fast and risk re-igniting inflation, or hold rates higher and keep borrowing costs painful. Finally, we add perspective on geopolitical risk and oil disruption, using history to show how markets have often recovered even when energy headlines look scary, while still acknowledging how gas prices change everyday behavior. If you like practical market context, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show. Sources: https://visit.lfg.com/FMM-CHART-BRC003 [https://visit.lfg.com/FMM-CHART-BRC003]  Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2514410/fan_mail/new]   ----------------------------------------------------------------------  Disclosure: Information contained in this podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and should not be considered as financial advice. Financial Planning and Advisory Services are offered through Prosperity Capital Advisors (“PCA”), an SEC registered investment adviser.  Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Keystone Financial Group and PCA are separate, non- affiliated entities. PCA does not provide tax or legal advice.

Understanding Annuities - Part 2: How Annuities Actually Work

Bobby Bonilla Day is funny until you realize it’s also a masterclass in cash flow. Decades after he stopped playing, he still gets a check because the deal was built around deferred payments and a guaranteed income stream. We use that story to strip away the noise and explain what an annuity really is, how annuitization works, and why predictable paychecks can be more valuable than a big account balance you’re scared to spend.  We also dig into why annuity sales keep climbing even while many “talking heads” call annuities a dirty word. With pensions disappearing and Social Security designed to cover only part of retirement, more families are looking for tools that reduce sequence of returns risk and longevity risk. We talk through the big categories people hear about, including fixed index annuities and single premium immediate annuities, and we explain the key idea we care about most: using the right tool for the right job inside a holistic financial plan.  Then we bring it down to street level with a real retirement income planning case. A couple wants about $120,000 after tax per year. After pensions and Social Security, they still face a roughly $78,000 annual gap. Instead of betting their entire portfolio on a 3% to 4% withdrawal rule, we show how carving out a portion of assets to create guaranteed lifetime income can lock in the paycheck and leave the rest of the money available for liquidity, growth, and inflation hedging.  If you want clearer thinking about retirement paychecks, guaranteed income, and where annuities can fit without taking unnecessary risk, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s nearing retirement, and leave us a review with your biggest question about annuities and income planning. Sources: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/40430232/bobby-bonilla-day-2024-new-york-mets-pay-119-million-every-july-1-ohtani-contract-deferred-money https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/reinsurance/news/breaking-news/record-annuity-sales-mask-growing-capital-concerns-for-us-life-insurers-567317.aspx https://rethinking65.com/retail-annuity-sales-top-460b-in-2025-limra-estimates/ Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2514410/fan_mail/new]   ----------------------------------------------------------------------  Disclosure: Information contained in this podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and should not be considered as financial advice. Financial Planning and Advisory Services are offered through Prosperity Capital Advisors (“PCA”), an SEC registered investment adviser.  Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Keystone Financial Group and PCA are separate, non- affiliated entities. PCA does not provide tax or legal advice.