Michael R. Acosta, Genesis Wealth Planning, LLC

I love reflecting on The Angelus, painted by French artist Jean-François Millet in the 1850s.

At first glance, it’s a simple scene.
A man and woman.
Working the land.
Side by side.

But what I love most is that they’ve stopped working.

The church bells are ringing the Angelus in the distance, so they put down their tools, bow their heads, and pray.
Work. Prayer. Gratitude. Then back to work.

It reminds me how easily we can take for granted the freedom and physical ability to work, provide for our families, take risks, and pursue opportunity in this great country.

There is dignity in work. There is purpose in providing. And Scripture is pretty clear about it:
"If anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat." — 2 Thessalonians 3:10

I also think about the Parable of the Talents.

The servants who put what had been entrusted to them to work were rewarded.
The servant who buried his talent out of fear was not.
Because stewardship requires something from us.

Effort. Discipline. And sometimes, risk.

The farmer plants without knowing the harvest.
The business owner invests without knowing the return.
The family sacrifices today believing it can create something better tomorrow.
There are no guarantees. But avoiding all risk carries a cost, too.

God gives each of us different talents, abilities, resources, and opportunities. The question is: What am I doing with what has been entrusted to me?

Am I burying it out of fear?
Or am I working, building, providing, serving, and trusting God with the harvest?
"Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others." — Colossians 3:23

Perhaps The Angelus offers the best reminder of all: Work hard. Take risks. Provide. Build.
But when the bells ring, put down the tools and remember Who gave you the ability to do it in the first place.

Ora et labora. Pray and work.

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend my first AssetMark Platinum Summit in Nashville, TN.

The theme was “Go Beyond the Noise” and I walked away with a lot to think about when it comes to how we communicate with clients, simplify complexity, and ultimately help people make better financial decisions.

A big thank you to Scarlet Keys, Diane Warren, and the many other speakers who shared their perspectives throughout the 3 days.

A few of my biggest takeaways:

Financial planning has more in common with songwriting than you might think.

A great song often starts with tension, works toward a resolution, and ultimately creates clarity. Financial planning isn't all that different.

Clients often come to us with tension, competing priorities, unanswered questions, uncertainty about the future. Our job is to help organize those pieces into a plan that provides direction and clarity.

Don't wait to write the chorus of your life.

The chorus is the part of a song we remember. I think life works the same way.

Take the trip. Make the memory. Spend intentional time with the people you love.

There may never be a "perfect" time financially. Part of good financial planning is making sure we're not so focused on funding our future that we forget to fund our life today.

The best advisors won't be robotic. They'll be BIONIC.

When I entered this industry, robo-advisors were going to disrupt financial advice.

A decade later, human advisors are still here and now AI has entered the conversation. I don't believe the future is human OR technology.

It's human + technology. The best advisors will leverage AI for research, efficiency, scalability, and analysis while continuing to provide something technology can't replicate: context, judgment, empathy, accountability, and a human heart.

How we communicate matters just as much as what we communicate.

Melody. Repetition. Harmony. Sensory language. Metaphors.

These aren't just tools for songwriters. They're tools for anyone trying to communicate complex ideas more effectively.

In financial planning, complexity doesn't necessarily create value. Being able to take something complicated and explain it in a way someone can actually understand can create tremendous clarity and confidence.

And finally, political noise is still noise.

Midterm elections naturally bring uncertainty, predictions, and plenty of headlines. One reminder that stuck with me was not to assume that the outcome of one election cycle automatically tells us what comes next.

Markets, politics, and economies are complex. Our job is to acknowledge what's happening without allowing every headline to derail a long-term financial strategy.

I’m grateful for strategic partners like AssetMark that continue investing in education and resources that help us sharpen our craft.

Because at the end of the day, continuing to get better at what we do means continuing to get better at serving the people who trust us with their financial lives.

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“I’m just bad at budgeting.”

I hear some version of this all the time. But I don’t think most people are actually bad at budgeting. I think they’re trying to force their financial life into a system that doesn’t fit how real life actually works.

Track every transaction.
Categorize every dollar.
Set rigid spending limits.
Feel guilty when you blow the budget.
Start over next month.

Sound familiar?

In our latest episode of the Financial Fortitude Podcast, Brady Hemmerle, CFP® and I unpack why traditional budgeting often fails, and how we think about building a cash flow system that requires less willpower and more automation.

We get into:

--Why budgeting can feel like going on a financial diet—and why that often leads to burnout.
--Why tracking every expense isn't necessarily the same thing as making financial progress.
--How we use a Wealth Coordination Account to separate saving from lifestyle spending.
--Why we believe in paying yourself first instead of hoping there's money left over at the end of the month.
--How your cash flow system should evolve as you move from young professional → growing family → peak earning years → retirement.
--How to think about emergency reserves and the amount of cash sitting in your checking account.
--How to automatically capture raises, bonuses, and increasing income before lifestyle creep absorbs them.

But maybe the most important point:

A good budget isn't designed to tell you what you can't spend money on.

It should help you intentionally spend money on the things you actually value, while still making progress toward the future you're trying to build.

You shouldn't have to think about your budget every single day.

Build the system.
Automate the important pieces.
Then go live your life.

Listen Here:

Why "Just Make a Budget" Is Terrible Advice - E52 Podcast Episode · Financial Fortitude: Tax, Wealth & Investment Strategies for High Income Earners · August 13 · 1h

For years, we've been told there's one ultimate financial goal:
Pay off your mortgage as fast as possible.
It's become almost a badge of honor.

But here's the question...

What if becoming debt-free actually delayed your ability to build wealth?

That statement usually makes people uncomfortable.
Not because it's wrong, but because we've been conditioned to believe that all debt is bad debt.

The reality is more nuanced.
A 2.75% mortgage and a 9% credit card are not the same thing.

Every extra dollar you send to your mortgage has an opportunity cost.

Could that money have:

• Built an emergency fund?
• Been invested for long-term growth?
• Funded retirement accounts with tax advantages?
• Created liquidity for life's unexpected opportunities?

Sometimes paying off your mortgage early is absolutely the right decision.
Sometimes it's one of the most expensive financial decisions you'll ever make.

The key isn't asking:
"How quickly can I become debt-free?"

It's asking:
"What's the highest and best use of my next dollar?"

That's exactly what Brady Hemmerle, CFP® and I unpack in our most recent episode of Financial Fortitude.

🎙️ In this episode we discuss:

• Why paying off your mortgage early isn't always the fastest path to financial freedom.
• The difference between good debt and bad debt.
• How opportunity cost can quietly cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime.
• Why liquidity is one of the most overlooked pillars of financial planning.
• A practical framework for deciding whether extra dollars belong in your mortgage, investments, retirement accounts, or emergency savings.

Financial planning isn't about following blanket rules.

It's about making intentional decisions that maximize flexibility, reduce unnecessary risk, and help every dollar accomplish the greatest purpose.

I'd love to hear your perspective:

If you had an extra $1,000 today, would you put it toward your mortgage or invest it? Why?

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-costly-mortgage-mistake-most-homeowners-never-see-e51/id1763282785?i=1000779052495

💡 Have a financial question you'd like us to answer on a future episode?

Submit it at www.genesiswealthplanning.com/ama and we may feature it on an upcoming Ask Me Anything episode of Financial Fortitude.

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