Investing in Your Ideal Future Self - Replay
Common Sense Financial Podcast
Release Date: 07/30/2025
Common Sense Financial Podcast
Brian Skrobonja closes out the year with a milestone episode that marks the final episode of 2025 and the conclusion of this version of the show. He shares the gratitude he feels for the listeners who have supported the mission, the team whose work brought each idea to life, and the recognition the podcast received from Forbes as one of the top shows by financial advisors. Tune in to hear Brian reflect on why he started this podcast, how the mission has been accomplished, and why this moment isn’t an ending but the beginning of a bigger vision that will unfold in 2026. He also shares the...
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In this milestone 100th episode of the Common Sense Financial Podcast, host Brian Skrobonja delves into the critical topic of managing taxes in retirement. The episode focuses on strategies for minimizing tax liabilities, especially for retirees with tax-deferred accounts facing potential hefty tax bills. Brian emphasizes the importance of sustainable income creation during retirement and the role of tax optimization in this process. Most people envision their retirement to be built from predominantly tax-free income, but after many years of deferring taxes, retirees are facing a sizable tax...
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Brian Skrobonja sits down with Phon Vilayoune to unpack buffered ETFs and income notes. Phon is the Founder and CEO of VETA Investment Partners, where they currently oversee over $5.5 billion in assets. They discuss the benefits of positioning your portfolio for growth and safety, how to protect your nest egg in volatile markets, and practical strategies for optimizing gains while limiting downside risk. Tune in to hear professional insights on ETFs, income notes, and actionable frameworks for navigating today’s complex market cycles. Phon explains how he entered the investing world and now...
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In this podcast episode, Brian shares his remarkable journey from his parents' middle-class immigrant background to achieving financial freedom through decades of learning and building businesses. He recounts his early aspiration for an opulent lifestyle and the pivotal moment when he realized the importance of creating income-producing assets. Through content creation, including three books and the Common Sense Financial Podcast, Brian's financial wisdom and expertise have garnered recognition and awards, providing valuable insights into wealth, financial freedom, and the pursuit of life's...
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Brian Skrobonja talks about the hidden trap of survival mode: that quiet, familiar mindset that keeps you safe but small. He explains why so many people in midlife mistake control for security, and how shifting from a scarcity mindset to a mentality of abundance changes everything about how you earn, spend, and live. Tune in to hear what it really takes to move from survival to strategy, from managing scarcity to creating abundance, and why your next level of wealth starts in your mind, not your bank account. Brian starts by explaining how time sneaks up on us. One day you’re in your 20s,...
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In this episode, Brian Skrobonja explains what alternative investments are and why they are the fastest route to growing your assets or retirement savings. He sheds light on how the most successful investors in the world keep getting wealthier and how to use an endowment like strategy to position your retirement assets. Brian explores alternative investments opportunities. He goes over what larger investors are doing to diversify away from the public market in an effort to help clients protect downside risks. The shift in investment philosophy amongst the largest investors is something...
info_outlineThe concept of investing is often associated only with money and the pursuit of wealth, but this fails to capture the true essence of investing.
An ideal future isn’t encapsulated by a stack of $100 bills.
The true essence of investing is not about building wealth, but about building the atmospheric conditions that align with your ideal future self.
Listen to the latest episode of the podcast to learn why a relentless focus on accumulating wealth will end up costing you what you’re actually working for, and why you need to have a more encompassing vision for what your retirement can be beyond your portfolio.
- Your quality of life isn’t determined just by the number in your bank account. Those dollars are merely the resources you use to create the ideal life.
- Wealth extends beyond the mere accumulation of money. It’s about the life you can construct around it and the atmospheric conditions you can create for yourself.
- You can possess all the wealth in the world, but without the cornerstones of a healthy life like thriving relationships, health, purpose and meaning, the value of that wealth diminishes.
- We need to exercise caution in our perception of wealth and the significance we ascribe to money. Investing shouldn’t only mean contributing to your financial future but should be considered building towards your ideal future.
- Having a vision for your retirement that involves activities and people requires a keen understanding of what’s important.
- Brian had a client who embodied the rags to riches narrative that people in the West admire so much, but after years of diligently working toward accumulating his wealth, this client ended up sacrificing his health. Instead of traveling the world and enjoying the fruits of his labor, this client spent his golden years visiting doctors and hospitals.
- “Man sacrifices his health to make money, then he sacrifices his money to recuperate his health.” -Dalai Lama
- A healthy lifestyle lays the foundation for our capacity to live fully and pursue our ambitions actively. The importance of investing in health can not be overstated.
- Along with health, investing into your relationships is paramount. Relationships form an integral part of our support system. The rewards are not always monetary, but they are no less important, and investing time into relationships is crucial.
- Investing into a steady flow of income beyond just building a portfolio is another key component to enjoying your retirement.
- Growth is not income generating and growth is not the same as income. Retirement needs to be a time of shifting from a diversification of growth assets into a diversification of income producing assets.
- The true essence of investing is not about building wealth, but about building the atmospheric conditions that aligns with your ideal future self. That includes nurturing your health, cultivating meaningful relationships, ensuring a steady income, and fostering cognitive ability.
- Money is a tool to reach those goals, and not the goal itself.
- Retirement should be seen as a chapter in your life that is ripe with potential.
- True wealth is not just the abundance of money, but the presence of all the components that make life fulfilling.
Mentioned in this episode:
Previous episode - Make Health Planning Part of Your Retirement Planning, with Regan Archibald
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