Curious about your retirement savings? Our How Much Do I Need To Retire? quiz gives you an idea of where you stand and a starting point to think about your long-term planning.

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There’s a specific kind of excitement that takes over the markets when a company promises to change the world. It starts with an article shared between colleagues, moves to a text message to your financial advisor, and ends with a very simple question: "How many shares can I buy?" Because when a company is talking about colonizing Mars, building out next-generation AI, and dominating satellite internet, it feels like an opportunity you can't afford to miss.

In this episode, Scott and Nick peel back the exciting story of the SpaceX IPO to run a foundational financial "smell test" on the numbers. They explain why focusing entirely on a brilliant vision can force retail investors to buy in the wrong order, substituting hype for true valuation.

They walk through the stark reality hidden in the newly opened private books: a business where Starlink is highly profitable, but everything else is aggressively burning cash, leading to a reported $5 billion net loss.

They break down what it actually means when a company tries to go public at an unprecedented 94 times revenue and explain why buying into a company that requires 40% year-over-year growth for a decade just to break even transforms an investment into a very expensive lottery ticket.

If you've been tempted by the buzz of a high-profile market debut, or if you want a reliable framework to cut through the noise of the next major tech listing, this episode is for you. Scott and Nick cover the exact questions you need to ask to separate exceptional companies from exceptional investments.

Hype isn't a problem if you check the math first!

Ready to learn more?

• Scott Frank on LinkedIn
• Stone Steps Financial
• Nick Covyeau on LinkedIn
• Swell Financial

Money can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial

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Curious about your retirement savings? Our How Much Do I Need To Retire? quiz gives you an idea of where you stand and a starting point to think about your long-term planning.

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A layoff often feels like a sudden explosion, leaving a wake of disorientation and immediate worry about how to sustain your household. While the initial shock can feel paralyzing, the path to regaining control starts by allowing yourself to process the change before diving into the mechanics of your severance package.

In this episode of Real Personal Finance, Scott and Nick walk through a live framework for navigating a sudden job loss, specifically within the evolving tech landscape. They discuss the critical first steps of decoding complex severance agreements and explore how to translate a static balance sheet into a tangible runway of months or years, effectively turning a forced exit into a deliberate summer sabbatical.

If you are currently seeing restructuring at your company or simply want to bulletproof your financial plan while you still have W-2 income, this conversation is essential. It’s a grounded look at how to audit your "war chest" and turn a moment of career friction as a mechanism to find work that actually aligns with your mission.

Ready to learn more?

• Scott Frank on LinkedIn
• Stone Steps Financial
• Nick Covyeau on LinkedIn
• Swell Financial

Leave us a question!

Money can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial.

Curious about your retirement savings? Our How Much Do I Need To Retire? quiz gives you an idea of where you stand and a starting point to think about your long-term planning.

—

Most people nearing retirement have heard of the famous "4% rule," but few actually understand how to apply it to a shifting financial landscape. It’s easy to look at a static portfolio balance and assume you're set, only to close your eyes to the real-world friction of pre-tax calculations, health insurance gaps, and compounding inflation.

In this episode, Scott and Nick break down the framework for mapping out a realistic 10-year retirement runway. They break down a case study of a client balancing a multi-million-dollar portfolio and walk through the math of safe withdrawal rates without draining your security. They discuss the "smile" of retirement spending, the operational hazard of drawing entirely from pre-tax IRAs, and why setting flexible guardrails is the key to tuning out day-to-day market volatility.

You don’t just want to focus on hitting a random number you read in an article. You want to understand what that number has to support and where the cash flow actually comes from.

If you’ve been wondering how to prepare for shifts in retirement spending over time, you’ll want to tune in! The episode focuses on building a dynamic strategy that lets you live a fulfilled life today, without running into the danger zone tomorrow.

Ready to learn more?

• Scott Frank on LinkedIn
• Stone Steps Financial
• Nick Covyeau on LinkedIn
• Swell Financial

Leave us a question!

Money can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re able to understand the complexities, you can make better decisions to improve your daily life. Connect with us at Stone Steps Financial.