Posts by Rachel Marshall
Roth Conversion Strategy: When It Makes Sense, What to Watch For, and How It Affects Your Heirs
“I’m Not Paying for Oil—I’m Protecting the Engine” There’s a moment in our house where Lucas will look at me—calm as can be—and say, “Rachel… I’m not paying for oil. I’m protecting the engine.” And every time he says it, it reminds me of how people think about taxes. Because an oil change feels annoying.…
Read MoreWhat Is Reduced Paid-Up (RPU) Insurance?
What Is Reduced Paid-Up (RPU) Insurance? Somewhere buried in your whole life insurance policy, there’s a provision called the reduced paid-up option. Most people never think about it until they need to. And by then, they’re usually Googling it in a mild panic. So let’s get ahead of that. Reduced paid-up insurance is a nonforfeiture…
Read MoreHow to Turn Savings Into Wealth: The System Most People Miss
The $15 Lunch That Quietly Steals the Future Bruce and I were talking recently about something that looks harmless on the surface—and yet it explains why so many people feel stuck. Bruce went to lunch and noticed groups of high school kids spending $15–$20 a day at a sit-down restaurant. Every day. And it hit…
Read MoreInvesting vs Owning Assets: The Unseen Wealth Gap Most Families Never See
Investing” Is Not the Same as “Owning” A client said something to Bruce recently that stuck with me: “I despise the idea of a 401(k)… but I also know I’ll spend the money if it hits my checking account.” That single sentence captures the tension so many families feel. On one hand, you want control.…
Read MoreNelson Nash Think Tank 2026 Recap: What Serious Practitioners Want Families to Understand
The “Real Show” Reminder (and why that matters) We kicked off this episode the way we often do—by being real. A quick tech hiccup, a laugh, and the reminder that this is not a polished production pretending to be perfect. It’s a real show, with real people, talking about real money decisions. And that imperfect…
Read MoreMarshall 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…
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