The Money Alchemist Podcast

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Are you spending too much time trying to optimize the wrong parts of your financial life?

In this episode of The Money Alchemist Podcast, Brent Gargano and Ben Jones discuss one of the biggest mistakes they see investors make: obsessing over financial decisions that have very li...

Millions of Americans dream about building wealth, but what do wealthy families actually do differently?

In this episode, Brent Gargano and Ben Jones break down a recent survey of more than 1,400 Americans with over $3 million in invested assets. They explore the habits, decisions, and long-term mindset that consistently separate wealthy households from everyone else—and, more importantly, which of those habits anyone can beg...

The 4% Rule has guided retirement planning for decades, but does it still make sense in today's market?

In Episode 60, Ben Jones and Brent Gargano break down the origins of the 4% Rule, Bill Bengen's original research, the Trinity Study, and how retirees can think about safe withdrawal rates and spending guardrails throughout retirement.

The conversation also covers recent developments in the markets, including inflation concerns, ...

In Episode 59 of The Money Alchemist Podcast, Brent Gargano and Ben Jones discuss one of the largest IPOs in history as SpaceX officially goes public, raising billions and pushing Elon Musk's net worth to unprecedented levels.

The conversation explores how IPOs work, why companies go public, what investors should know about IPO volatility, and whether participating in high-profile public offerings is actually a good investment stra...

Have you ever bought something and immediately wondered, "Why did I spend money on that?"

In Episode 58 of The Money Alchemist Podcast, Brent sits down with Dr. Bryan Buechner, marketing professor at Xavier University and expert in consumer psychology, to explore the hidden forces that influence our financial decisions every day.

Together they discuss how marketing shapes behavior, why self-control is more complicated than simply "...

Is AI about to replace financial advisors?

In this episode of The Money Alchemist Podcast, we explore how AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok are beginning to influence investing, financial planning, and the way people search for financial advice online.

We compare how AI responds to both simple and complex financial questions and discuss where these tools may be useful — and where they can still fall short compared to ex...

What accounts do you actually need to build wealth?

In this episode of The Money Alchemist Podcast, Ben and Brent break down the idea that simplicity often beats complexity when it comes to financial planning and investing.

They discuss why many investors end up chasing gimmicks, opening too many accounts, and overcomplicating their finances....when in reality, only a handful of account types tend to do most of the heavy lifting ov...

What does TV get right… and wrong… about financial planning?

In this episode of The Money Alchemist Podcast, Ben and Brent break down popular wealth strategies featured in Beef (Season 2) and separate what’s realistic from what’s not.

They walk through concepts like buy, borrow, die, 1031 exchanges, and the use of entities, explaining how these strategies actually work in real life and where they’re ...

Topic of the Day

CFP® Meets Reddit

What can real questions from Reddit teach us about personal finance?

In this episode of The Money Alchemist Podcast, Ben and Brent review real posts from r/personalfinance and walk through how a CFP® professional would approach them. From navigating a major increase in income to thinking about long-term wealth, they break down practical decision-making in real-world scenarios.

They also cover cur...

How much do financial advisors actually make?

In this episode of Money Alchemist, Ben and Brent break down how advisors are compensated, how many clients they can realistically serve, and what their day-to-day work actually looks like. They also cover current market conditions, including recent S&P 500 movement, rising gas prices, and shifting expectations around interest rates.

The conversation touches on broader economic them...

In Episode 52 of The Money Alchemist, Ben and Brent walk through the latest market developments, including inflation trends, labor data, and shifts in private credit.

They also discuss the market implications of recent geopolitical events, including Operation Epic Fury, and how these dynamics are influencing oil, global trade, and investor sentiment.

The episode closes with a practical tip of the week and a broader perspective on h...

Money Alchemist EP 51: What’s Next for U.S. Tariff Policy

In Episode 51 of Money Alchemist, Ben and Brent dive into the shifting landscape of U.S. trade policy following a landmark Supreme Court decision. They break down the legalities of tariffs, analyze the real-world impact on consumer goods like the iPhone, and discuss why international markets are seeing a 2026 surge.

About your Hosts

Ben...

In Episode 50 of Money Alchemist, Ben and Brent cover market updates, a story about Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway, and break down the most common tax myths that continue to confuse and stress investors.

About your Hosts 

Ben Jones, CFP® 

Managing Director, National Wealth Management Group 

www.nwmgadvisors.com  

Sign up for Ben’s newsletter at www.karatstick.com  

Follow him on X @thekaratst...

In this episode of Money Alchemist, Ben and Brent take a step back to examine the current American mood and what shifting consumer sentiment may signal for the broader economic landscape.

They begin with a look at recent market activity, including a strong start to the month for stocks, evolving global trade conversations, and continued movement in precious metals. The discussion also touches on brand perception, geopolitical devel...

In this episode, we break down the "pretext" behind the legal pressure on Jerome Powell and analyze a surprise GDP beat. Then, we shift gears to our Topic de Jour: Goal Setting. If you want 2026 to be your best financial year yet, you need a framework that goes beyond simple resolutions.

In this episode, we cover:

• The Holiday Recap: Catching up with Ben and Brent after the break.

• Geopolitical Shockwaves: The capture of Vene...

What does 2026 hold for your wallet? In this episode, Brent and Ben conduct a "Topic de Jour" deep dive into their 2026 Financial Predictions. Following their successful 2025 forecast—where they correctly predicted the AI counter-revolution and the crypto bear market—the guys are looking ahead at the next big shifts in the global economy.

From the Supreme Court tariff ruling to the AI trade fracturing, we break down why...

This Week's Agenda:

• What’s happening in 10 min 
  • Record Black Friday Sales
    • 11.8B up 9.1% from 10.8B in 2024 (Adobe Analytics)
    • Higher in-store component (1.7% up since last year)
  • Alphabet surpasses Microsoft as 3rd most valuable company in the world

This Week's Agenda:

• What’s happening 10 min 
  • 50 year mortgage idea announced to unpopular fanfare 
  • Bitcoin down 35% from highs, down 5% on the year.  Crypto markets erase over $1.1T in market cap. 
  • Government shutdown hits 43 days, ended when House of Reps passed a continuing resolu...

Agenda

• What’s happening 10 min 
  • Gov’t shutdown - no BLS employment data 
  • Bitcoin now in bear market collapsing to below $100k 
  • Michael’s Burry’s new big short 
  • Healthcare premium inflation 
  • Jester &ldqu...