Transcript
Speaker: Hi, everyone. Welcome back to the Future of Finance podcast. I'm your host, Marissa Wood, with Union Financial Services, and today we have a really exciting episode ahead of us.
Speaker: Football season has just begun, and today I'm sitting down with co-host and my business partner, Lisa Green, to talk about finances through the lens of fantasy football. That sounds like so much fun. yeah You know it's my favorite time of year, and to talk about finances and football, it's a great day. Yeah, anyone that is interested in football or big sports fans, I think you're really going to get a lot from this episode because we're going to be using fun analogies to compare football positions with financial vehicles. It's going to be great. You know, we're we're always talking about diversification and starting early and all the serious things about finance. This is going to add a fun twist to it.
Speaker: And I hope that people will like it. Most people love fantasy football. I almost don't know anybody that's not in a league. At least one. So we've had our family football fantasy league for years and years.
Speaker: I'm the commissioner. Then I'll brag a little bit about you you. won the championship last season. So, yeah. So, you know, we know we're talking about with football and this is going to be fun because we know what we're talking about with finances as well.
Speaker: Yeah. I mean, you've certainly taught me everything I know about football from a young age when you would force me to watch the Eagles games. And then I started loving watching them. And then,
Speaker: join the fantasy league. And then it really starts snowballing from there because then you're not just watching your team anymore. You're watching all the games to see certain players. And how fun is that? But you've also taught me a lot about the financial industry. And so it has a nice parallel there.
Speaker: That's pretty cool. Great. It's my pleasure to do that. And yes, we did force you to watch football. And aren't you glad? Yeah, thank God you did. Because what would I do every Sunday now?
Speaker: Exactly. I don't know what people do that don't watch football on Sundays. i now i know. you know. it's it's a great It's a great family time. We usually get together with family and and it just brings everybody together. And it's just a whole lot of fun. Yeah. Can't wait.
Speaker: So why are we ready for some football? Yeah. Yes, we are. So today, we're going to compare, as you said, some football positions with investment products.
Speaker: Okay. And I have a question for you to start off with. What do Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and Dan Marino have in common? I would say they've all won multiple Super Bowls.
Speaker: You would think so. Well, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes have. Dan Marino, unfortunately, did not win any. But all three of those players have incredible coaches.
Speaker: Bill Belichick, Andy Reid, Don Shula. Coaches are what makes that quarterback great. And we like to think about ourselves as financial coaches.
Speaker: ok So we put together the game plan and you as the client will take the reins and be that quarterback.
Speaker: You have to execute those plays and you can control the outcome as that quarterback. that's interesting It's your plan. So let's see how you can execute it.
Speaker: It's very interesting that the financial advisor is the coach and But the client is the quarterback. Yes. Yes. And they have to work hand in hand. They do. They do. To execute those plays that we design. And as the coach, as we as the coaches, we will change that game plan as life goes on, as the game goes on to get to that end goal. Okay. The end goal is always a championship.
Speaker: So we want our clients to be championships in retirement. Yeah, we want to build that winning portfolio. Absolutely. And so one of the positions on the fantasy team and a really important position on actual football teams is the running back. And so the financial vehicle that I'd like to compare to a running back would be a dividend paying stock.
Speaker: Now, a dividend is a payment made by a corporation to its shareholders, aka the people that own stock in that company. They're technically owners of the company. And a dividend is paid out, whether it be monthly, quarterly, annually. Let's say Coca-Cola decides to pay 5% dividend to its shareholders.
Speaker: Well, every shareholder that year is making 5% return on their money. very similar to a running back because it's all about those consistent, stable, dependable returns that we can count on. You know, a good running back Their job is to just add a couple yards every play, to slowly chip away at that first down until you get down the field. Every now and then you're going to have a running back that has a breakaway play, Saquon Barkley. But that's not the norm. The norm and what their real job is is to be that workhorse, to add a couple yards every play.
Speaker: and to eventually start bringing the ball down the field. Same thing with a dividend paying stock. They're not flashy, usually, but they're reliable for those steady returns and for some income that can help compound that growth inside of a portfolio. So it's a way to be in the market without being super aggressive. And we really like incorporating those into clients' portfolios. Sure. Sure. So we usually do draft that running back first. Yeah, exactly. And so incorporating some dividend-paying stocks, very important inside of anyone's portfolio that wants some steady returns or to be in the market without being ultra-aggressive.
Speaker: Great. Yeah. Now, on the other side of things, you know, we're still sticking to offense, but let's talk about the wide receiver position. Super important in every football team.
Speaker: And the financial product I'd like to compare the wide receiver to would be a growth stock. Such as Tesla? Yeah. Okay. That's going to be your Apple, Google, Microsoft, the companies that really do drive the stock market. Their returns can be explosive, but they're also risky, just like a wide receiver. We can have those fast breakaway plays that can change a game.
Speaker: But sometimes a wide receiver can also cost a game. they Sometimes they drop the ball. Sometimes they drop the ball. you know It's not always going to be a yeah yeah a touchdown pass in the end zone. Sometimes it will be, but not always. And so those growth stocks are going to be volatile.
Speaker: You're going to have years where you can make a lot. You can also suffer some steep losses in the market with those growth stocks. But... They're what's needed when you want to see some really amazing growth inside of your portfolio. Same with a wide receiver. Wide receiver. You know, when when a wide receiver does drop a ball, a good coach will make sure that that quarterback throws the ball to that wide receiver again. Okay. So we need to stay with the program, with the game plan. Yeah, and that's kind of similar to when we're having a downturn in the market and instinctively we look at those growth stocks that we're holding inside of our portfolio and we say, oh my gosh, you know, it's down 20%. I better sell.
Speaker: Well, no, let's stick the course, aka throwing them the ball again, or holding on to that stock because eventually it will turn back around. Love that. Yeah. um Now, the other position on offense that we wanted to touch on, and this is going to be a unique one, is the tight end.
Speaker: Because I know we don't always draft them first or second in fantasy football, but we need to have a tight end on our team. there There's a few really good ones that put up a lot of points. Yeah.
Speaker: We can all think of a couple standout players. The financial vehicle we would compare a tight end to would be a balanced mutual fund or an ETF fund, which stands for exchange-traded fund.
Speaker: Works pretty much just like a mutual fund, except it's a little bit more tax efficient. Seems to be the new and improved mutual fund. And the reason we'd compare that to a tight end is because the tight end's job is really versatile.
Speaker: They're diversified. They need to block. They also might be the one receiving the ball. They need to adapt throughout the plays to be useful wherever the team needs them on that specific play. Sometimes it might be catching touchdowns. Sometimes it might be just blocking for that quarterback or running back. So you feel as though a mutual fund would be a good comparison to a tight end. It's something that your portfolio or your team needs
Speaker: But they're not going to be the flashy, long long play type of a play type of a vehicle. They're going to be the slower and steady, more reliable, and more consistent with the mutual funds. I would say I mean, so a mutual fund – has, we like to call it little slices of all different companies inside of it or all different industries. And sometimes, depending on what's going on in the market, we might be heavier in the tech industry inside of a mutual fund, or we might be heavier in industrials.
Speaker: And that's going to change. That blend is going to change inside of that one mutual fund based on where the market is. And that's a good comparison to the way that position of the tight end is going to change throughout games or even season quarters inside of a game. Sure. You know, a lot of people hear...
Speaker: the term mutual fund, and they just think that they are supposed to know what it is. yeah And you just explained that it is a lot of different stocks inside of that pie. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: So those funds all together make up the one player. Exactly. Okay. Exactly. Okay. That was good. That was great. so that kind of rounds out some of our offense. You know, we've got the quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end. Now, we all know offense is important, but man, so is defense.
Speaker: A good defense is extremely important. Yeah. We know through our team's experience and our team's performance, that it can win games. It can win the big game. So I like to think about a good defense and compare it to fixed indexed annuity.
Speaker: Now, a fixed indexed annuity we talk about quite often. Well, they're designed to protect the principal. You're never going to lose any money due to market downturns.
Speaker: And they offer steady, big, long-term benefits. There's a lot of different benefits. There's a lot of different features to a defense.
Speaker: You know, a defense can score. A defense can protect. A defense can attack. you know But the defense is strong. And fixed indexed annuities are very strong investments. They're built that way. They are built to withstand any type of loss. They don't they don't have the client suffer a loss. They are very, very dependable. And they are a very important part of Anybody's portfolio and a defense is a super important part of anyone's team.
Speaker: Absolutely. i mean, the way a fixed index annuity works is when the market falls, your principal, a.k.a. your investment amount, stays in level. You have that safety net or that floor built in so that you will never suffer a loss. But then when the stock market or indexes that it's tracking start going on the upswing, you participate in a portion of those earnings as well. And so, no, it's not the type of investment vehicle that you're going to see 30% returns on in a given year,
Speaker: but You have the ability to have those slow and steady gains while protecting you from any loss, and that's huge. it's a big It's a big part. It's a big part of anyone's portfolio just as the defense is a super important part of a team.
Speaker: So – We're hoping that that those of you that are listening, you know, hey, maybe you find finances, you know, you you it glazes over your brain and you just don't want to be bothered with it. Well, this is kind of fun to let's compare it to something that's, you know, relevant at this time of year. And maybe it'll give you an initiative to say, okay, I do need a strong defense. I need something like that for my future.
Speaker: Especially when you're approaching or in retirement. Absolutely. That defense really needs to be strong. Those people that are five, 10 years out of retirement, let's have that conversation and see how how strong your defense is. Now, who would you say the kicker would be in terms of financial vehicles? Absolutely. Well, you know, in any every one of our teams, we have to pick a kicker.
Speaker: It's usually one of the last positions we draft at fantasy. isy it is You know, and those people that pick kickers in the beginning are like, okay, okay, this is going to be fun. So you want a kicker, of course, that's stable and dependable, hopefully very predictable. Yeah.
Speaker: So the types of investments that remind us of a kicker are CDs and MYGAs. Now MYGA is a multi-year guaranteed annuity. It works very similar to a CD where when you sign up for that investment, you have a very predictable end result.
Speaker: Whether it's 4%, 5%, 6%, you know exactly what you should get at the very end of that term. Now that's what we want our kickers to do, right?
Speaker: Yes. Sometimes they're they're not very stable. Yeah. but Sometimes that one extra point right missed. Yeah. Yeah. But it's a game but the CDs and mygas, they are stable and predictable. And just like we want our kicker to be. um Kickers, now you see they can kick a 65-yard field goal. you know they They can really do some amazing things. Just what like we've seen in the past, CD rates went through the roof a couple years ago. They're starting to come down a little bit, back down to reality. But those are the investments that are very, very predictable and also...
Speaker: a good part of anyone's portfolio. You want to have a little stability in that future. So so we like the kicker. you know kickers or Kickers are great. you know CDs are great. Migas are great.
Speaker: They're not glamorous, but no they do play a big part in the game. yeah A lot of our clients we've seen like to ladder MIGAs or CDs. so that they Explain that. So when you ladder one or two or three or four, or however many CDs or MIGAs, let's say you have some money in a one-year MIGA, some in a two-year MIGA, some in a three-year MIGA. This way you have income or assets coming due every single year that you can draw from.
Speaker: and They call it a ladder because you're just staggering them so that you always have money coming in. And when you know exactly what you're earning interest rate wise, takes all of the guesswork out. It's pretty smart. I know some of our clients love that strategy. They love And it's smart for a portion of your portfolio.
Speaker: You know, that dependability is nothing to be ignored. Mm-hmm. When you know what you can have in year 2030, 2031, it makes a big difference.
Speaker: Absolutely. CDs are issued by banks. They are taxable on interest. MIGAs are issued by insurance companies. And that money is tax deferred. Tax deferred. Which allows you to build up that account more and have more control over what you're paying taxes on. all Right. So we like a MIGA. We do like a MIGA. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Speaker: Okay, so now do we have the backups or the return specialists? Let's talk about the return specialist because I know this is not a position we draft on fantasy football, but it is sometimes an interesting position on the team and it can be an interesting financial vehicle as well. And so what I would...
Speaker: categorized the return specialist as in terms of finances would be alternative investments such as REITs, which are real estate investment trusts.
Speaker: We'll have to get into that on a personal basis because it can get a little complicated or crypto. And, you know, everyone wants to talk about crypto these days. It can be a great investment to incorporate into your portfolio, but it's very risky.
Speaker: just like that return specialist has the potential to see some really great plays, you know, a bit of that boom or bust type of analogy there, they could sometimes return the ball all the way to a touchdown. Sometimes that ball can get popped out. Or they can fumble it, yeah, on the 20-yard line, you know. and And really, that can change a game pretty good. That can. Yeah.
Speaker: Crypto is very similar. It's considered one of the most aggressive investment vehicles, but it can have the potential to yield really high rates of return. Last couple of years, crypto has done well.
Speaker: And if you don't want to be in actual crypto through Coinbase or any of those trading platforms, or you can't afford to buy a whole Bitcoin, There are ETFs, once again, that mutual fund ETF, that can give you exposure to some crypto, Ethereum, Bitcoin, XRP, that can give you some exposure without being ultra, ultra aggressive and having your money really tied up. So that's a way that we are incorporating it into our client's portfolio, but once again, with a really small percentage.
Speaker: That's smart. I mean, I would say probably no more than 5% of someone's net worth because it is ultra aggressive and unpredictable. we do get We do get phone calls about that quite often because whatever people are listening to on, whether it's the news or TikTok or any, you know that sparks an interest. And then that interest has to be explained.
Speaker: Pretty risky. Yeah. It is, but good part of the team and also could be a good part of your portfolio. Okay. That's that's good. yeah So talk to me about backups.
Speaker: after we've built our team and we're happy, we have to put some backups in place. Build that bench. We do. You know, they're needed in emergency situations, which unfortunately throughout the season,
Speaker: That happens. And we need to put those backups in and we need to help the the team move forward. So in my opinion, an important backup for our clients to have is life insurance.
Speaker: Life insurance is there in an emergency. It can help out with not only yeah the most catastrophic crisis of a death, but it can also help out with health care expenses. Some life insurance policies can be used for...
Speaker: Living benefits. Yes. Yes. For tragedy, you know, if tragedy strikes and that person is is not able to work, is incapacitated to a a pretty strong degree, life insurance can step in just like the backups on a football team.
Speaker: We hope that we don't have to use them, but if we don't have them, our team is not complete. Mm-hmm. If we don't have them in life, our portfolio is lacking.
Speaker: We need to have some sort of plan in place in the event of tragedy, crisis, you know, severe. Losing job even. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Mm-hmm. Yeah, there's a lot of, you know, life insurance is... is There are so many different types of life insurance, and I know that you've you've talked about this in the past, but you know we have the life insurance that we'll just cover in in the event of a death.
Speaker: And then we have the life insurance that can step in and pay for health care needs. And then we have life insurance that can be used for retirement and and used for whatever life insurance.
Speaker: issues in life throws at you. Life insurance is an amazing backup plan, if not you know a necessary part of your portfolio, because it's not what you think of just, oh my gosh, in case if I die, you know what do I care?
Speaker: I'm dead. yeah We hear that a lot too. I know, which is an interesting mentality. know, we do have a family. yeah but But the life insurance that we know now is a wonderful backup plan. And it is so important. It is it is part of that team building, know, retirement. It is it is part of, you know, if you're the if you're the quarterback and this is your plan, well, let's cover all those positions and let's make sure we have backups in place.
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, at the very least, have some kind of life insurance for a death benefit and for a terminal illness catastrophic event. But then also, yeah explore some that have cash value.
Speaker: And, you know, the fixed index universal life insurance policies can offer benefits throughout life's phases and can be a really winning strategy. I would almost compare that to Nick Foles. Yeah. Yes. You know, FIUL is the Nick Foles of backups ah because.
Speaker: Who knew that he was going to step in when we thought our season was over and then win us a championship? We're going back a few years and we're being homers, but that's okay. We are. Yes, can't help it. It's okay. But FIUL can be that. It can be the backup that we hope to not need, but then if we do need it, well, it can maybe win us that championship. That's right.
Speaker: That is a great analogy. yeah He was an amazing backup. I know. he will always hold a special place in all of our hearts. Loved, loved. And so a lot of our listeners might be wondering, what does your team look like right now?
Speaker: Do you have all of your positions? Or is all of your money in your company 401k plan? If that's the case, I hate to break it to you, but you have a team of all tight ends. Wow. Wow.
Speaker: That's strong. Because company 401k plans typically only offer mutual funds to choose from. And so if that's 90% of your net worth, you're just looking at a bunch of tight ends, which I mean...
Speaker: not a great Not a great team. You're probably not going to win. I think you have a lot of people right now scratching their heads and saying, wait, do I only have a four or one k Yeah.
Speaker: Do I want all tight ends? Absolutely not. No. No. You don't. And you can talk to us about football. We can we can do this on one-on-one. But if you have any kind of question about what your team looks like, what your game plan looks like,
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, we're limited on options with an active 401k plan, but maybe with that one that you no longer work at that employer, we can roll that into something that we can put dividend stocks in, growth stocks, maybe some crypto. And now we're filling those positions. Or if you're close to retirement,
Speaker: looking at a fixed index annuity, adding that defense. And then, of course, the backups are a no-brainer. But yeah, I would definitely encourage everyone to look at where their money is. And if you're heavier on one position or totally lacking exposure to others, we can help with that. We can. So all of our listeners that are going to be drafting their fantasy football team or maybe already have, when you take a look at that on your phone one day, i think this will resonate with you. i think that you'll you'll be thinking, well, okay, do I have good backups? Do I do i have a complete team?
Speaker: Or do I just have tight ends and a running back? Mm-hmm. We need to fill that entire team with with players that make sense.
Speaker: And we need to fill an entire portfolio with strategies that make sense. Yeah. And I mean, if you're someone that's doing it yourself, maybe this can be your sign that you need a coach.
Speaker: As we said, all the best players of any sport have a good coach and we have to hone in on your skills and we can help you do that with your portfolio and be that guiding coach. But ultimately it's still your plan to execute, but I think everyone needs a good coach.
Speaker: and That's great. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, That's kind of a wrap on this episode. We could sit here and talk football and financial products all day long, but we wanted to just scratch the surface. um Lisa, you know, thanks for joining us. You're always welcome to blast. I mean, you know, football and finance is my two favorite things. And then family, you know, and we talked about how football brings family together. And and I can't wait for the season to really get in full swing. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you so much. And I did just want to bring one thing up.
Speaker: When you're looking at this, if you're watching this podcast, we we are going to have a play here. ah ah yeah. And for those of you that know what this play is, email us.
Speaker: And if you're one of the first, second or third, to get this answer right, we will send you a gift card. So look at this play. For anyone that's listening on Spotify or Apple, head to our YouTube channel here you go to watch this video and have a chance to win that gift card because, yeah, you might know what the play is. You might. It was a great idea, Lisa. yeah And so for everyone watching, thank you for tuning in to another episode of the Future of Finance podcast.
Speaker: I'm your host, Marissa Wood, and we look forward to helping you live a better financial future.
Speaker: Investment advisory services offered through Brookstone Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor. BCM and union financial services are independent of each other. Insurance products and services are not offered through BCM, but are offered and sold through individually licensed and appointed agents. The opinions expressed by Marissa Wood and guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of this radio station. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable, although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice. Investments involved risk and otherwise stated are not guaranteed. Past performance cannot be used as an indicator to determine future results. Any strategies mentioned and may not be suitable for everyone. Information expressed does not take into account your specific situation or objectives and is not intended as recommendations appropriate for you. Before acting on any information mentioned, please consult with a qualified tax or investment advisor to determine if it's suitable for your specific situation. This program is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information nation with regard to subject covered. Indexed or fixed index annuities are not designed for short-term investments and may be subject to caps, restrictions, fees, and surrender charge as described in the annuity contract. Guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims paying ability of the insurer. Please refer to our firm brochure, the ADV 2A, item 4, for additional information. Any comments regarding safe and secure products and guaranteed income streams refer only to fixed insurance products. They do not refer in any way to securities or investment advisory products. Fixed insurance and annuity product guarantees are subject to the claims paying ability of the issuing company and are not offered by Brookstone.
