233. Think Like a CFO, A Smarter Way to Plan and Pay for College
Release Date: 02/16/2026
CFO at Home
On this episode of CFO at Home, Vince·s guest is Mario Sicari, Managing Partner at BGS Capital Management, about his book The Art of Creating Wealth: A Millennial, Gen Z, and Gen X Guide to Navigating Life Struggles. Mario explains his inspiration for writing the book, and why he advocates for long-term investing, dollar-cost averaging into broad funds (e.g., S&P 500), and learning investment basics like 401(k)s, Roth options, and time value of money. For more on Mario; his book, and his business, go to bgscapitalmanage.com 04:33 Why People Fear Investing 08:14 Robinhood and Meme Stock...
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Today on CFO at Home, Vince·s guest is finance professor and former institutional investor Michael Ijeh. Michael and Vince discuss the potential impact of sensational, emotion-driven advice from the media on our investing decisions, and the advantages of leveraging our own beliefs, biases, and style as investors. They also discuss how skills and decision making processes we develop from interests ranging from playing fantasy football and Madden, to poker and engineering, can transfer to investing, and how having our own philosophy as investors helps us stay consistent through inevitable...
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On this episode of CFO at Home, Vince wraps up his conversation with Dr. Nicholas E. Michels, author of the Amazon best seller Rich by Choice, public speaker, and founder of Michels Family Financial. ere, Nick and Vince dig into some of the money management tactics that Nick details in his book, emphasizing the importance of aligning money tactics with a shared family vision, weekly money meetings, budgeting via the “latte factor,” investing in personal growth, and financial planning that reduces fear of the unknown. For more on Nick and the Rich by Choice movement, including a free gift...
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On this episode of CFO at Home, Vince·s guest is Dr. Nicholas E. Michels, Amazon bestselling author, public speaker, founder of Michels Family Financial, and creator of the ·Rich by Choice· movement. Nick shares how his parents’ divorce at age 10 shifted his family from comfort to financial struggle, inspiring him to learn about money, and helping others become rich in both finances and life. Vince and Nick then shift the discussion to his book Rich by Choice, where they discuss “choice” as daily habits and “rich” as wealth plus relationships, faith, and legacy. They also discuss...
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On this episode of CFO at Home, Vince wraps up his conversation with Elizabeth George, a Dallas-based financial strategist whose focus is guiding women through transitions such as divorce, death of a spouse, and marriage. This time around Elizabeth and Vince discuss couples balancing their individual and relationship goals, planning with uncertainty, the myth of ·wealth secrets·, and more. For more on Elizabeth and her work, go to melizabethgeorge.com 00:41 Separate Goals Explained 02:41 Planning With Uncertainty 05:26 Stress Testing Retirement 06:32 Spending Down Mindset 09:49...
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On this episode of CFO at Home, Elizabeth George, a Dallas-based financial strategist and former private banker, shares her personal journey of reaching financial independence, and using her freedom to build an advice-only consulting practice focused on guiding women through transitions such as divorce, death of a spouse, and marriage. She and Vince then dive into male-female money differences (risk-taking vs. focus on relationship and purpose), and couples balancing managing their finances together, while leaving themselves the freedom to work towards separate goals. For more on Elizabeth and...
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On this episode of CFO at Home, Vince's is Brenton Harrison, founder of the advisory firm New Money, New Problems. Brenton shares his own experience growing up with an ER-physician father and nurse mother who were high-earners but struggled to manage money. He also discusses three common paths for new high earners trying to build wealth, the importance of aligning plans to stated goals, and couples focusing on process and communication to help avoid money arguments. Their conversation also covers budgeting as a tool for cash-flow awareness, and “optimizing” debt before investing. For more...
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On this episode of CFO at Home, Vince and Paul Compeau from Bridgewise Financial Partners discuss applying a ·think like a CFO· mindset to college planning. Paul shares some of his own personal missteps throughout his college planning process, and describes how to take a CFO-style approach to the process; mapping expected costs year-by-year, identifying funding sources, lowering the bill through school selection and financial-aid strategy, and preparing for what can go wrong. They also talk about the importance of choosing the right school, private college discount rates, and what high...
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On this episode of CFO at Home, Vince wraps up his conversation with Albert Butler, CPA, MBA, and author of 'Life:, Truth, Love, Loss, Success, and Failure·. This time around Albert and Vince dive into practical budgeting tips, the value of using Net Worth as a primary measurement of financial success, student loans and education costs and more. Life:, Truth, Love, Loss, Success, and Failure is available now on Amazon. Key Topics: 00:40 Diving into Practical Budgeting Tips 01:52 Understanding Net Income and Financial Goals 03;38 The Power of Personal Financial Statements 05:32 The Importance...
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On this episode of CFO at Home, Vince's guest is Albert Butler, CPA, MBA, and author of 'Life:, Truth, Love, Loss, Success, and Failure·. Albert and Vince discuss his inspiration and journey writing the book, and explore the impact of values, purpose, and transparency on shaping family financial decisions. Life:, Truth, Love, Loss, Success, and Failure is available now on Amazon. 01:55 The Inspiration Behind the Book 02:48 The Journey of Writing the Book 05:05 The Importance of Accounting in Personal Finance 09:21 The 50-Year Mortgage Debate 17:53 Purpose and Money Management 22:43 Family...
info_outlineOn this episode of CFO at Home, Vince and Paul Compeau from Bridgewise Financial Partners discuss applying a ·think like a CFO· mindset to college planning. Paul shares some of his own personal missteps throughout his college planning process, and describes how to take a CFO-style approach to the process; mapping expected costs year-by-year, identifying funding sources, lowering the bill through school selection and financial-aid strategy, and preparing for what can go wrong. They also talk about the importance of choosing the right school, private college discount rates, and what high school counselors and college financial aid offices do and don·t bring to the table when it comes to college planning. For more on Paul and thinking like a CFO throughout the college planning process, go to .bridgewisefinancialpartners.com and click on ·College·.
01:03 Welcome + Why “Think Like a CFO” for College Planning
01:51 Paul’s Personal College Mistakes (Late Apps, Transfers, Debt)
04:25 The Real Cost of Extra Years: Tuition + Lost Income
07:03 Defining the CFO Mindset: Love for Kids vs. Clear Financial Planning
12:58 Late-Stage Planning (10th Grade): First Steps & Honest Assessment
15:54 Two-Track Strategy: Student Fit Counseling + Financial Aid Planning
17:35 Maximizing Aid: Pick the Right School + Understand the Formulas
21:27 Why Guidance Counselors & Financial Aid Offices Aren’t Your Best Advisors
27:42 Bridgewise College Planning: How They Help + Success Story
29:48 ROI, Selective Client Fit, and Final Takeaways
Key Links
Contact the Host - vince@thecfoathome.com
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