The Podca$h Podcast

Renting v. Buying: What High Earners Should Consider, Why Successful Savers Struggle in Retirement, Building a Family Legacy You Can Enjoy — 17

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 07:00:00 -0500

A strong income gives you options. Deciding which ones fit your life takes more thought.

On Episode 17 of the Podca$h Podcast, Jason and Mike of Magnetic North Advisors walk through the rent-versus-buy decision, including the expenses beyond a mortgage payment: property taxes, insurance, maintenance and PMI. They also discuss how your location, family plans and time influence the decision.

The conversation turns to a challenge they regularly see among successful savers: getting comfortable spending the money they worked so hard to accumulate. Jason shares a retirement planning example that illustrates how someone’s financial capacity can outgrow their spending habits.

They also explore ways to build a family legacy while you’re here to enjoy it, from helping children and grandchildren to creating an annual family vacation tradition.

Plus, Mike shares a lesson from his first year of marriage that applies to money, priorities and everyday life: communicate your expectations.

Subscribe for practical conversations about money, family and making thoughtful decisions with what you’ve built.

？Questions – Contact us: https://www.magneticnorthadvisors.com/contact

↔️ Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmpriebe/ — https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-challe-cfp%C2%AE-5962a5a6/

🌐 Magnetic North Advisors (website): https://www.magneticnorthadvisors.com/

▶️ Magnetic North Advisors on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MagneticNorthAdvisors

If you or someone you care about could use the help navigating their financial future, make sure to get in touch with us—we'd love to help.

Thanks for Listening!

Why Time Moves (Feels) Faster, U.S. Debt Concerns & The Limits of DIY Financial Planning — 16

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Why does time seem to move faster as we get older? Is the growing U.S. national debt an immediate concern for investors? And when does managing your own financial plan become more work than it is worth?

In this episode of the Podca$h Podcast, Jason Priebe and Mike Challe discuss the value of being intentional with your time, put today’s national debt concerns into perspective, and examine the tradeoffs of remaining a DIY investor as your financial life becomes more complex.

Building wealth is one challenge. Coordinating taxes, healthcare, Social Security, pensions, retirement income and legacy planning is another. At some point, the issue may no longer be whether you can manage everything yourself. It may be whether you still want to, and what opportunities you could be overlooking along the way.

？Questions – Contact us: https://www.magneticnorthadvisors.com/contact

↔️ Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmpriebe/ — https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-challe-cfp%C2%AE-5962a5a6/

Thanks for Listening!

The Anti-Haul Movement, High-Earners are Broke, Spending with Intention, AI Budgeting — 15

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 08:00:00 -0500

The weirdest place to find a solid money lesson right now is TikTok, and it’s called the anti haul movement. We take that underconsumption message and translate it into something you can actually use: Buy less, own better, and spend with intention so your money supports the life you want, not the life an influencer sells. Along the way, we talk about “little luxuries” like the $7 coffee, lunch delivery, and even the quiet rise of feel-good products, plus why those small wins can feel so good when big goals like retirement feel far away.

Then we get into the question we hear constantly: "Why do high earners still feel broke?" Even when you’re responsible, avoiding debt, and maybe even maxing out a 401(k), lifestyle creep can keep your bank account from ever building. Our simple framework is “save first” instead of obsessing over a detailed budget. We walk through setting a real savings target tied to your goals, automating contributions to the right accounts (401(k), Roth, brokerage, and an often-forgotten HSA), and creating confidence that the money left over is yours to spend.

We also pivot to AI and your money. Nearly half of Gen Z is already using AI for financial recommendations, which can be great for learning basics but dangerous when nuance, taxes, and emotion show up. We close with some football predictions, a friendly wager, and where to follow Magnetic North Advisors for more practical financial planning content. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s battling lifestyle creep, and leave a review with your biggest “little luxury” you refuse to give up.

？Questions – Contact us: https://www.magneticnorthadvisors.com/contact

↔️ Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmpriebe/ — https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-challe-cfp%C2%AE-5962a5a6/

Thanks for Listening!

Should Couples Combine Finances, Money North Star, Subscription Churn — 14

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:00:00 -0500

Most money stress in marriage isn’t about dollars, it’s about uncertainty. We put one of us in the hot seat and talk candidly about what actually changes after you get married: How you set shared goals, how you choose a system for bank accounts and credit cards, and how you avoid turning “extra” savings into silent lifestyle creep.

We dig into the real-world pros and cons of combining finances.

Then we zoom out to the deeper work of values-based financial planning. If you’ve ever felt like you want to fast forward 10 years financially, we unpack how to define your “why,” figure out what “enough” looks like, and create a bucket list that pulls one meaningful win into the next six months. We also flag important planning updates for high earners, including the 2026 mandatory Roth catch-up contribution rule for 401(k) plans, plus what to know about federal estate tax changes and why state estate tax planning (including Minnesota) can still matter.

？Questions – Contact us: https://www.magneticnorthadvisors.com/contact

↔️ Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmpriebe/ — https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-challe-cfp%C2%AE-5962a5a6/

Thanks for Listening!

Will Marriage Actually Supercharge Your Savings? — 13

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:00:00 -0500

Money gets weird when it stops being solely yours. One day you’re managing your own paycheck and habits, and the next you’re building a shared life where every purchase can feel like a statement about trust, freedom, or fairness.

We’re a few months into a real-world marriage timeline and we use it as a springboard to talk about personal finance for couples: How to combine finances, when a joint account makes life easier, and why some partners keep things separate. We also get honest about the adjustment of seeing someone else’s choices in the same bank balance, especially when spending styles differ, like prioritizing travel and experiences versus clothing and everyday treats.

From there, we zoom out into practical financial planning: Why there’s no single “right” way to set up banking, what common hybrid systems look like (joint bills plus individual spending money), and how clear shared goals can make budgeting feel less restrictive. We also touch on a powerful upside that doesn’t get enough airtime: marriage can reduce duplicate household costs and supercharge savings when you’re aligned.

？Questions – Contact us: https://www.magneticnorthadvisors.com/contact

↔️ Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmpriebe/ — https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-challe-cfp%C2%AE-5962a5a6/

Thanks for Listening!

Rent Before You Buy, Sandwich Generation, Too Big Tax Return, Money Choices - What Drives Yours? — 12

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:00:00 -0500

A big tax refund can feel like a financial win, but is it? It’s often an interest-free loan you gave the government. Jason Priebe, CFP® and Mike Challe, CFP® dig into why refunds are up, how to think about W-4 withholding, and why simple, proactive tax planning can reduce stress for high earners, retirees, and small business owners who deal with uneven income.

We also get practical about big purchases and lifestyle upgrades. Jason shares what he learned renting a Porsche and why “rent it first” is one of the best filters for deciding whether a dream car, boat, or other expensive hobby is truly worth it. That same approach carries into retirement planning: before buying a second home or picking a dot on the map for snowbird season, try renting for a few months and see what daily life really feels like.

Then we zoom out to the bigger theme underneath everything: Spending with intention. We talk about utility versus passion, how to avoid keeping up with the Joneses, and why consumer sentiment can feel terrible even when markets and portfolios are up. If you want clearer thinking around financial planning, retirement readiness, and smarter choices with your money, this conversation will hit home.

Subscribe for more, share this with someone who’s making a big money decision, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What topic do you want us to tackle next?

？Questions – Contact us: https://www.magneticnorthadvisors.com/contact

↔️ Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmpriebe/ — https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-challe-cfp%C2%AE-5962a5a6/

Thanks for Listening!

Ignore The Noise, Metrics That Actually Matter, Political Headlines, Distraction Risk – 11

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 07:00:00 -0500

Jason Pribie, CFP® and Mike Challe, CFP® are back on the Podca$h Podcast for episode 11.

The news can feel like a nonstop alarm bell, especially when politics gets chaotic, but markets usually respond to something far less dramatic: real economic behavior. We sit down and talk through how we filter the noise, why political volatility doesn’t automatically mean economic volatility, and what long-term investors should actually pay attention to when the headlines are trying to scare you out of a plan.

We keep it practical and data-driven. Consumer spending makes up the bulk of economic output, so we focus on what supports it: the job market for households living paycheck to paycheck, and the wealth effect for households with meaningful assets and portfolios. We also pull lessons from a list of famous forecasts that never came true, because nothing wrecks disciplined investing faster than reacting to confident predictions that were built to go viral, not to be right.

Then we shift to a theme we’re genuinely excited about: artificial intelligence and productivity. From the obvious inefficiency of multiple delivery trucks hitting the same street, to the AI note-taking tools we use in client meetings, we explore how AI can drive efficiency, reduce errors, and improve profitability across industries, including financial advice. We also address the worry about jobs, why we see AI as a major economic shift like the internet, and how the next decade could create roles we can’t even name yet.

We wrap with takeaways from a recent advisor conference, including simple ideas around intentional living, reducing distractions, and building better daily focus, plus a quick detour into hockey. If you like thoughtful market commentary, investing perspective, and real-world tech insights, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave us a review. What headline or tech change do you want us to unpack next?

？Questions – Contact us: https://www.magneticnorthadvisors.com/contact

↔️ Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmpriebe/ — https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-challe-cfp%C2%AE-5962a5a6/

Thanks for Listening!