Posts by Rachel Marshall
Marshall Family Banking System Case Study: In-Force vs Original Illustration (Part 6)
The moment we realized “liquidity” isn’t a theory Thirteen years ago, Lucas and I thought we were being responsible by storing a lot of our capital in gold and silver. It felt safe. It felt timeless. It felt like the kind of move people make when they’re thinking long-term. And then we needed cash. Not…
Read MoreFinancial Strategy for Families in 2026 and Beyond: A Framework for Uncertain Markets
The “Clean Slate” That Changes Your Decisions Every January, Bruce and I have this running joke: as a society, we collectively decide that January 1 magically flips a switch—life will be calmer, more organized, more intentional. Bruce thinks it’s strange. (He’s not wrong.)I love it. I love a clean slate. A fresh start. A targeted…
Read MorePreserving Generational Wealth With Josh Kanter of Leaf Planner: The Missing Piece Isn’t Paperwork
The Questions No One Can Answer After Dad Dies A man spends his life building a sophisticated estate plan—brilliant strategies, impeccable legal work, a network of trusted advisors, and layers upon layers of entities. His son is a lawyer. He even gets 18 months to prepare before his father passes. And yet, within days of…
Read MoreWill AI Replace Financial Advisors? Why Wisdom Still Wins in Real Life Money Decisions
The Moment “Confident” Sounds Like “Certain” A few weeks ago, we found ourselves talking about how quickly AI is moving. It’s not just that it can answer questions fast—it’s that it can sound certain while doing it. And when you’re staring at a big money decision—debt, investing, taxes, retirement—certainty feels like relief. It feels like…
Read MoreHow to Avoid Estate Tax Legally: The Planning Moves That Protect Your Family’s Legacy
The “Billion-Dollar Asset” That Still Had to Be Sold A story Bruce shares in our retirement class teaching always stops people in their tracks. A family inherited an NFL team worth just under a billion dollars. The asset was valuable. The legacy was real. But the planning wasn’t there. When estate taxes came due, the…
Read MoreFinancial Planning Mistakes: The Most Risky Moves Aren’t What You Think
Bruce said something on the show that stuck with me because it’s so honest: Everyone thinks they’re an aggressive investor… until they lose money. And it’s true. Most people don’t even realize the biggest financial planning mistakes they’re making until the moment something “unexpected” happens: a market drop, a job change, a medical curveball, an…
Read MoreCash Flow vs Accumulation: How to Build Multigenerational Wealth
A Hospital Room Reminder About What Really Matters When Bruce recorded this episode, I was in the hospital. He carried the podcast solo while I was headed into yet another surgery connected to pregnancy complications—a storyline some of you know has been part of our family’s journey for years. That day was a harsh reminder:…
Read MoreHow Much Do I Need to Retire? Rethinking the Number, the Risk, and the Cash Flow
The Couple With $8.5 Million… and One Salad “Bruce, I’m afraid we’re going to run out of money.” He had over $8.5 million across different accounts. They were in their early 70s. On paper, they were far ahead of where most people ever get. But his fear was so real that when they went out…
Read MoreHow to Teach Kids About Money: Habits, Mindsets, and Conversations That Last a Lifetime
The Day a Cookie Business Changed How My Daughter Saw Money After watching a kid biz launch challenge our eight-year-old decided she wanted to start a cookie business. She figured out recipes, canvased the neighborhood, and delivered her first batch of cookie dough. By the end of the day, she had a stack of cash…
Read MoreEmergency Fund Alternatives: Liquidity That Protects Your Family—Without Sacrificing Growth
The Day the “Emergency Fund” Met Real Life Rachel here. Many tell us the same story: “I saved the emergency fund, but I’m worried I’m losing ground to inflation and missed opportunities.” Because for most people, the “emergency fund” is a lonely pile of cash—stuck in a corner doing next to nothing. It feels safe,…
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