Upbeat Wealth

06/17/2026

Mo House, Mo Problems. Spring has passed in New Orleans, which is traditionally the busiest time for home buying. Although I wouldn’t call the local market here very “busy” in recent years. When it comes to upsizing your home, there are plenty of great reasons to do so.
✅ Growing Family
✅ Schooling
✅ Higher Paying Job
✅ Closer to Free Childcare. I mean, Family.

Some of these may even result in net neutral or positive cash flow, thereby avoiding the need for lifestyle adjustments.

But if you are chasing a bigger/more expensive place as a status symbol of wealth, tread carefully. How will some of your other goals be negatively impacted? Common ones you may need to cut back on:
—> Education Funding
—> Retirement
—> Travel
—> Everyday Pleasures
—> Work-Life Balance

When you’re exploring how to increase your most likely already biggest fixed cost (housing), the best way to see how it flows through your cash flow NOW. Calculate your increased monthly payment (mortgage, property tax, insurance, and don’t forget maintenance!). Pretend like you already *live* in that home financially by saving the equivalent of that higher amount each month into a High-Yield Savings account. If you don’t miss the extra money, great! Purchasing a more expensive home might be a good financial move, and now you are saving even more money toward that goal. If you do miss that extra money, it’s time to reevaluate what’s truly important. Your home should be an asset in your life, not a liability.

06/12/2026

Section 530A "Trump" Accounts are set to go live next month on July 4th.

In his latest blog post, Eddy Jurgielewicz, CFP® answers the most important questions surrounding this new investment vehicle:

▶️ How do they work?

▶️ Should you open one for your child?

▶️ Should you add your own money to it?

No matter what, if you can get "free money", such as from the government-funded $1k pilot program or the Dell Foundation's $250 contribution, we think it's a no-brainer to open the account.

Whether or not you should add your own dollars to the account gets more nuanced. If the priority is to set money aside for your child's education or other major milestones they'll encounter before they hit retirement, there's likely a better account to use (such as a 529 or a taxable brokerage account).

But if you've fully funded those goals and are looking for a way to give their retirement plan an early boost, this presents a nice opportunity. After all, they're primarily designed to serve that purpose: to be a retirement account for your child.

Read more here 👇🏼

Learn how Trump Accounts work, contribution limits, tax rules, Roth conversion opportunities, and whether you should open one for your child.

06/03/2026

Here’s the May edition of our monthly newsletter!

Inside, you'll find:

➡️ A complete glossary for everyone with student loans 🎓
➡️ An overview of Trump accounts and whether to open one 💲
➡️ A guide to a budgeting system that actually works 😍
➡️ And, as always, the latest on the Pupbeat 🐶

👉🏼 View the web version: https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/1116006/emails/188733265138418884

Want more of our practical thoughts on everyday financial questions that impact people like you?

▶️ Subscribe here: https://subscribepage.io/eXkcnF

🔍 And for more Upbeat Insights, check out our blog: https://upbeatwealth.com/education/

I’ve told myself several times over the years that I wanted to get “serious” about running. Don’t ask me why. The more I think on it, the sillier the endeavor seems (or so my feet, knees, and back tell me). And typically, the only thing I ever really get serious about is coming up with reaso...

05/21/2026

In our work with young and growing families, life insurance is a recurring and highly necessary planning topic.

Most people have easy access to coverage through their employee benefits. And with that, we usually encounter a couple of assumptions...

➡️ My group life insurance at work is enough coverage.
➡️ My workplace life insurance is the best value.

While easy access to such important protection is a plus, we find that a lot of individuals...

✅ Are underinsured when relying on their employer coverage alone.
✅ Can save on premiums with an individual policy.

In his most recent blog post, Eddy Jurgielewicz, CFP® discusses how to evaluate group vs. individual life insurance to ensure you have the right amount at the best value.

Is your employer life insurance enough? A good value? Learn the pros, cons, costs, and how to navigate between group vs. individual coverage.

05/13/2026

There's a reason we review the tax returns for all of our households each year.

If you file yourself, it's a dizzying endeavor. If you work with a CPA, it's still on you to maintain immaculate records and accurately pass everything along.

Bottom line: there's more than enough room for something to slip through the cracks. The good news is that mistakes can be corrected, and it often pays to do so!

In his latest blog post, Mike Turi, CFP® APMA™ explains how to identify and properly account for the following missed opportunities or errors on your 2025 return:

▶️ Overtime pay deduction
▶️ Tip deduction
▶️ Car loan interest deduction
▶️ Missing mortgage interest, due to multiple 1098s
▶️ Medical expense deduction
▶️ Duplicate 1099s from custodians
▶️ Misreporting the cost basis of RSUs
▶️ Backdoor Roth mistakes
▶️ Excess HSA contributions

Think you filed correctly? You may have missed key 2025 tax deductions for overtime, tips, or car loan interest. Learn what to check before it’s too late.

05/06/2026

Here’s the April edition of our monthly newsletter!

Inside, you'll find:

➡️ Questions to ask before an advisor manages your money ❓
➡️ How to find & fix missed tax deductions on your 2025 return 🔍
➡️ How to evaluate group term life insurance vs. individual coverage 🧐
➡️ What to do with student loans now that SAVE is done 🎓
➡️ And, as always, the latest on the Pupbeat 🐶

👉🏼 Newsletter: https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/1116006/emails/186205206178957235

Want more of our practical thoughts on everyday financial questions that impact people like you?

▶️ Subscribe here: https://subscribepage.io/eXkcnF

🔍 And for more Upbeat Insights, check out our blog: https://upbeatwealth.com/education/

Periodically, at the beginning of the year, I’ll take 10 minutes to round up some of the economic and market outlooks from the big-box retail wealth management firms and download them to my computer. You have to do it this way to actually check back on their crystal ball predictions because they q...

04/27/2026

Couples who communicate openly and establish clear spending boundaries tend to experience significantly less stress on their wedding day.

But those who incur distribution penalties, accumulate high-interest debt, and *borrow* funds from other meaningful buckets (home, education, retirement) tend to have a harder time enjoying the very thing they overextended themselves for in the first place.

Of course, that seems obvious, but we realize it’s difficult in the moment. You’re facing mounting pressure on an expedited timeline to secure the *beautiful* venue, the *best* vendors, and host all the people.

Here’s the key. Don’t spend for anyone else but YOU. Your perfect day and weekend haven’t happened yet. So let go of traditions and what others have done. Focus on what is essential for your happiness.

Check out the TV segment and our corresponding post/blog for our framework on what to expect and how to do it right.

04/16/2026

Looking to get into a new car this year?

Read what Mike has to say about it first!

And if you're weighing whether to buy vs. lease, here's how we think about it...

🚗 When Buying Makes More Sense:
👉🏼 You anticipate using the car for longer than the financing period, or at least 6+ years.
👉🏼 You drive the car more than the usual 10,000 to 15,000 miles per year common in leases, which can lead to higher mileage and wear-and-tear fees.

🚗 When Leasing Makes More Sense:
👉🏼 You enjoy having a new car every 3 years.
👉🏼 You're uncertain whether you’ll want/have/need this car beyond the lease period.
👉🏼 You prefer less hassle/maintenance in your life.
👉🏼 You really just need a lower monthly payment because you have other financial priorities at the moment, or can’t afford a 20% down payment when buying a new or used car.

❓ Other questions Mike tackles in his blog post:
▶️ Hybrid vs. gas vs. electric: Which is most cost-effective?
▶️ Is the "buy used" strategy still worth it?
▶️ Can leasing actually make you money?
▶️ How much is considered a sufficient down payment?

Learn whether to buy or lease a car, how financing impacts total cost, and strategies to save money on your next vehicle.

04/10/2026

Cash feels safe.

And having the right amount set aside creates security.

But sitting on too much of it adds risk to the success of your long-term financial plan. The very thing that makes you feel comfortable could become a trap.

Eddy gets into why that's the case and how to strike a balance.

Read on here 👇🏼

When it comes to cash, it pays to make sure you don't have too much of it sitting around. We dive into why.

04/09/2026

We love passing the ball back and forth with Malik about who will retire first, so it always feels good to hit him with an unexpected pass on air. Originally aired in January, we are revisiting our conversation about financial resolutions for the year to see whether everyone focused on outcomes or inputs.

👎 Outcome → Be out of Credit Card Debt in 2026
👍 Input → Increase Credit Card payment by a few hundred dollars each period

Focus enough on sustainable inputs, and positive outcomes will follow!

Still plenty of time to leave this year better than how you found it.

So go out there and…
1️⃣ Build a Healthy Habit
2️⃣ Eliminate Something Expensive or Unnecessary
3️⃣ Save a Bit More For Your Future Self

We know Malik will be out there working on his boat long before 80-year-old Mike leaves his post. Hopefully, he leaves him a little cash and the coordinates, as Andy Dufresne did for Red!