Meet the Young Financial Advisor Helping 20-Somethings Build Wealth

Meet the Young Financial Advisor Helping 20-Somethings Build Wealth

In this episode of the FMI podcast, Marlana Lancaster sits down with associate advisor Caleb Snider to talk about his journey into financial planning, growing up in southwest Virginia, and his passion for helping people navigate their financial lives. They discuss practical advice for younger investors, including retirement savings, Roth IRAs, employer matches, investing during market downturns, and how much house people can realistically afford. Caleb also shares insights on consistency in investing, long-term financial planning, and balancing life outside the office through faith, music, golf, and fitness. 00:00 – Introduction and welcome 00:47 – Caleb’s background and career path 03:39 – Why financial planning as a career 06:34 – Who needs a financial advisor and minimums 07:19 – Working with younger vs. older clients 08:10 – How much to save (retirement contribution guidance) 09:15 – Employer match importance (401k basics) 09:41 – Additional savings beyond a 401k 10:01 – What is a Roth IRA and how it works 10:49 – Comparing growth and tax treatment across accounts 11:32 – Importance of actually investing contributions 12:01 – How aggressive young investors should be 12:21 – Home buying and affordability guidelines 13:41 – Key advice for young investors (consistency, discipline) 14:30 – Market downturns and investing mindset 15:13 – Personal interests and life outside of work 16:34 – Closing remarks

10 Years as a Woman in Finance: How She Built Her Career

In this episode of the FMI Podcast, Marlana Lancaster sits down with Senior Client Services Associate, Abby Pannell for an authentic conversation about career growth, customer service, leadership, and what it means to truly serve people well. Abby shares her unexpected path from managing at Chick-fil-A to spending the last 10 years helping FMI grow. With no prior financial experience, she reflects on the lessons she learned stepping into a completely new industry, the importance of hospitality in business, and why the smallest details can make the biggest difference in how people feel. The conversation also explores lessons from Unreasonable Hospitality, Michelin-star service experiences, company culture, leadership, and the natural growth of FMI over the years. 00:00 – Introduction to Abby Pannell 00:45 – Abby’s side hustles and flipping thrift finds 01:18 – How Abby joined FMI with zero financial experience 02:00 – Lessons learned managing at Chick-fil-A 03:07 – Why Chick-fil-A hospitality translates to finance 03:43 – Unreasonable Hospitality and serving people well 04:28 – Michelin-star restaurant experience and service details 05:43 – Making clients feel valued at FMI 06:17 – Small gestures that make clients feel special 06:55 – Growing the FMI team and building relationships 07:40 – FMI culture: glorifying God and serving people 08:18 – Abby reflects on 10 years at FMI 08:50 – From the old office to major company growth 10:05 – Leadership, technology, and adapting as a company 10:50 – How FMI combines local care with large-scale resources 11:20 – The funny “10 years apart” connection between Abby and Marlena 12:15 – Oura Rings, sleep scores, and final thoughts

Think Your Retirement Is Safe? Watch This First.

In this episode of the FMI Podcast, financial advisor Marlana Lancaster and founder David Elmore explore what it really means to retire well. They discuss why retirement requires purpose beyond work, common mistakes people make with 401(k)s, how to create sustainable income from retirement savings, and the hidden tax traps that can devastate long‑term plans. The conversation also covers Social Security taxation, withdrawal strategies, estate planning, the financial impact of helping children and grandchildren, managing fear and market volatility, and why thoughtful planning is essential as people live longer and retirement years stretch further than ever before. 0:00 – What Retirement Really Means 0:45 – The Importance of Purpose After Retirement 2:29 – Baby Boomers and the Retirement Wave 3:14 – What to Do With Your 401(k) at Retirement 3:58 – Why Cashing Out a 401(k) Is a Major Mistake 4:34 – Rolling a 401(k) Into an IRA Explained 6:14 – Creating Retirement Income Without Running Out 7:18 – The 5% Income Rule in Retirement 7:46 – Taxes and Social Security in Retirement 9:10 – Using Multiple “Buckets” of Retirement Money 10:24 – What Is Bracket Creep? 11:55 – Estate Planning and Updating Beneficiaries 13:42 – How Children and Grandchildren Can Impact Retirement 15:27 – Travel, Lifestyle Choices, and Budgeting in Retirement 16:48 – Fear, Market Volatility, and Protecting Your Money 18:18 – Inflation and the Risk of Sitting in Cash 19:41 – Why a Written Financial Plan Matters 20:25 – Living Longer and Planning for 30+ Years of Retirement

Should You Get Out of the Market? Mistakes Investors Make During Market Drops

In this episode of the FMI Podcast, financial planners Marlana Lancaster and David Elmore discuss the fundamental principles of navigating market volatility. They address why market fluctuations are a normal, expected part of the investment cycle and explain the technical definition of a "correction". The conversation focuses on the importance of maintaining a long-term perspective, even when headlines or geopolitical events cause short-term uncertainty. The hosts share practical strategies for investors to manage their emotions, including the psychological benefits of limiting news consumption and the dangers of attempting to "time" the market. David also highlights the advantages of active management, explaining how downturns can provide opportunities to buy quality companies at under valued prices to help propel future portfolio growth. 00:00 – Introduction & current market context 00:27 – Geopolitical events (Iran conflict) and market impact 01:05 – Why market declines like this are normal 02:06 – What is a market correction? 02:42 – Why downturns feel worse than they are 03:08 – How advisors guide clients during volatility 03:29 – Turning off the news & emotional investing 03:59 – What a stock actually represents (ownership explained) 05:03 – Long-term strength of companies vs short-term noise 05:22 – Examples of real companies behind the market 06:21 – Role of government policy vs business fundamentals 07:11 – Should you get out of the market? 07:24 – Why timing the market doesn’t work 08:17 – Staying invested & active management strategy 08:44 – Buying opportunities during downturns (“on sale”) 09:04 – Dollar-cost averaging during volatility 09:24 – Limiting news consumption 09:42 – How often to check your portfolio 10:46 – Active management example (oil, Exxon, profits) 12:03 – The “brick through the window” analogy 13:09 – Recap: why you can’t time the market 13:43 – Missing recovery days and impact on returns 14:06 – Final thoughts & closing

The AI Scams No One Is Prepared For (And How to Protect Yourself)

In this episode of the FMI Podcast, Marlana Lancaster and David Elmore break down the alarming rise in financial scams and how they’re impacting everyday people. From AI voice impersonation to romance and cryptocurrency scams, they share real-life stories, warning signs, and practical ways to protect yourself and your loved ones. This conversation highlights just how sophisticated scams have become—and why awareness is your best defense. (0:00) Introduction & Why Scams Are a Growing Threat (1:21) Shocking Scam Statistics ($1.3B → $30B) (2:13) AI Voice & Grandparent Scam Explained (5:12) Where Scammers Operate (Global & Organized Crime) (6:25) Romance Scams & Average Losses (7:14) Real Story: $600K Crypto Romance Scam (9:40) How Romance Scams Start (Social Media & Apps) (10:10) Red Flags in Online Relationships (11:30) Utility & Tech Support Scams (13:01) Precious Metals & “Inheritance” Scams (15:28) “No Free Lunch” Principle & Financial Wisdom (17:24) IRS & Tax Identity Theft Scams (19:50) Practical Tips to Avoid Being Scammed (21:44) How Financial Firms Protect Client Assets (23:36) Final Advice: Stay Alert & Help Others Stay Safe