‍In this episode, I talk about red flags to look for in investments that are too good to be true, including three real life examples I've seen in my financial planning practice.

Key Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Announcements

01:20 Core Principles of Sound Investing

02:20 Identifying Red Flags in Investment Opportunities

04:34 Real-World Examples of Investment Scams

09:02 Protecting Yourself from Investment Scams

09:50 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Resources Mentioned:

Bernie Madoff FBI Case

Paul Regan Fraud Scheme 2024

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More of Baskin Financial Planning:

Think you might need some financial help? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book an intro call⁠⁠ with me to see if we would be a mutual fit.

Questions or comments, drop me a note at: ⁠⁠erik@baskinfp.com⁠⁠

⁠⁠www.baskinfp.com/post/77

‍In this episode, I go through the three tax-efficient strategies for maximizing the value of your charitable giving.

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Key Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro
01:25 – Standard deduction explained
04:40 – Strategy 1: Bunching
05:46 – Strategy 2: Donor-Advised Funds
07:04 – Strategy 3: QCDs
08:41 – Recap & final thoughts

Resources Mentioned:

Episode 37 on Donor Advised Funds (DAFs)

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More of Baskin Financial Planning:

⁠⁠Download the Ultimate Military Finance Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, with 7 pages of critical things to be thinking about to clarify your journey to financial freedom.

Think you might need some financial help? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book an intro call⁠⁠ with me to see if we would be a mutual fit.

Questions or comments, drop me a note at: ⁠⁠erik@baskinfp.com⁠⁠

⁠⁠www.baskinfp.com/post/76

In this episode, I go through the three things that need to be true for it to make sense to keep your house as a rental property.

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Key Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction
00:49 – 1. The Math
03:31 – 2. Qualitative Fit
05:21 – 3. Long-Term Fit
09:06 – Recap & Final Thoughts

More of Baskin Financial Planning:

⁠⁠Download the Ultimate Military Finance Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, with 7 pages of critical things to be thinking about to clarify your journey to financial freedom.

Think you might need some financial help? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book an intro call⁠⁠ with me to see if we would be a mutual fit.

Questions or comments, drop me a note at: ⁠⁠erik@baskinfp.com⁠⁠

⁠⁠www.baskinfp.com/post/75

‍In this episode, I discuss the basic principles of term insurance and why for most families it is the preferred method of life insurance over permanent insurance, SBP, and VGLI.

Key Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction & why term life insurance

01:10 Principles of Term Insurance

03:35 How much term insurance do you need?

05:35 Calculating your coverage

07:10 Comparing Term vs. Permanent, VGLI, and SBP

12:09 Final thoughts & summary

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Resources Mentioned:

• Episode 22: Whole vs. Term Life Insurance
• VGLI Costs

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More of Baskin Financial Planning:

⁠⁠Download the Ultimate Military Finance Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, with 7 pages of critical things to be thinking about to clarify your journey to financial freedom.

Think you might need some financial help? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book an intro call⁠⁠ with me to see if we would be a mutual fit.

Questions or comments, drop me a note at: ⁠⁠erik@baskinfp.com⁠⁠

⁠⁠www.baskinfp.com/post/74

In this episode, I discuss the art of the backdoor Roth IRA for high income earners. We walk through what it is, how to do it, and key mistakes to look out for.

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Key Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Backdoor Roth IRA

02:21 Step-by-Step Guide to Backdoor Roth IRA

04:51 Key Caveats and Pro-Rata Rule

07:26 Fixing Past Contribution Mistakes

10:06 Conclusion and Final Tips

10:47 Additional Resources and Disclaimer

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More of Baskin Financial Planning:

⁠⁠Download the Ultimate Military Finance Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, with 7 pages of critical things to be thinking about to clarify your journey to financial freedom.

Think you might need some financial help? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book an intro call⁠⁠ with me to see if we would be a mutual fit.

Questions or comments, drop me a note at: ⁠⁠erik@baskinfp.com⁠⁠

⁠⁠www.baskinfp.com/post/73

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In this episode, I dive into when it makes sense and does not make sense to refinance your mortgage when rates are falling.

Key Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction: Is Now a Good Time to Refinance?00:55 Understanding Refinancing Basics02:03 VA Loan Refinancing: Uncle Earl Explained03:12 When Refinancing Makes Sense06:06 When Refinancing Doesn't Make Sense08:02 Veteran-Specific Provisions for Refinancing09:50 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Resources Mentioned:

Episode 16: VA Loans with Evan Kaufman

Episode 50: Refinancing VA Loans with Evan Kaufman

More of Baskin Financial Planning:

⁠Download the Ultimate Military Finance Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, with 7 pages of critical things to be thinking about to clarify your journey to financial freedom.

Think you might need some financial help? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book an intro call⁠ with me to see if we would be a mutual fit.

Questions or comments, drop me a note at: ⁠erik@baskinfp.com⁠

⁠www.baskinfp.com/post/72

In this episode, I dive into the provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) passed on July 4, 2025 and how it is likely to impact your tax bill this year and for the years to come.

Key Timestamps:

00:00-Introduction to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

01:22- Understanding the Tax Rate Extensions and Standard Deductions

02:43- Charitable Giving and Itemized Deductions

04:53- State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction Changes

06:45- Child Tax Credit and Senior Deduction

08:55- Tax Exemptions on Tips, Overtime, and Business Provisions

11:16- Estate and Lifetime Gift Tax Exemptions

12:55- Vehicle-Related Tax Provisions1

5:40- Education and Trump Accounts

17:31- Actionable Takeaways and Conclusion

More of Baskin Financial Planning:

Download the Ultimate Military Finance Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, with 7 pages of critical things to be thinking about to clarify your journey to financial freedom.

Think you might need some financial help? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book an intro call with me to see if we would be a mutual fit.

Questions or comments, drop me a note at: erik@baskinfp.com

www.baskinfp.com/post/71

In this episode, I dive into the essentials of college savings, focusing on 529 plans and how to decide the best approach for your family. I cover the pros and cons, recent rule changes, and practical tips for making smart education funding decisions.

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Key Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction and Personal Update
01:56 - Philosophy of Education Savings
04:12 - 529 Accounts Overview
06:48 - What 529 Plans Cover
08:27 - Pros of 529 Plans
11:54 - Cons of 529 Plans
14:09 - Making the Right Decision
16:41 - Outro and Resources

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More of Baskin Financial Planning:

Download the Ultimate Military Finance Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, with 7 pages of critical things to be thinking about to clarify your journey to financial freedom.

Think you might need some financial help? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book an intro call with me to see if we would be a mutual fit.

Questions or comments, drop me a note at: erik@baskinfp.com

www.baskinfp.com/post/70