Money Mindset with Brian

This is something a lot of us grew up hearing.

“You need more money first.”
“Financial planning is for rich people.”
“I’ll start when I earn more.”

So naturally, many people delay it. Not because they don’t care about their finances… But because they feel like they’re “not there yet.”

But in reality, financial planning isn’t something you do *after* you become wealthy. It’s often the reason people become financially stable in the first place. Because planning isn’t about how much money you have.

It’s about how you manage what you already earn. Even with a modest income, things like:

- understanding where your money goes
- building consistent habits
- setting simple financial priorities
- starting small with saving or investing

— these are already part of financial planning and the truth is, waiting to feel “ready” is usually what delays progress. Because there’s always going to be a reason to wait.

More income. Less expenses. Better timing. But most people don’t start when everything is perfect.

They start small and adjust along the way. Financial planning isn’t about being rich. It’s about being intentional with what you have now.

Was this something you used to believe too?

This is something I see quite often.

People reach their 30s, start earning more… and naturally, life starts to upgrade too.

Better lifestyle, more expenses, more responsibilities.

And there’s nothing wrong with that.

But what I’ve noticed is, income increases, but the financial position doesn’t really change.

Because as income goes up, spending quietly goes up with it.

So instead of building wealth, they just maintain a more expensive version of the same situation.

That’s why your 30s matter so much. Not just because you’re earning more…

But because this is usually the phase where your financial habits become long-term patterns.

Because the decisions you make in your 30s don’t just affect today.

They shape how your 40s and 50s will look.

This is the phase to become intentional on your spending habits.

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That’s the mistake I usually see some people make, and as a financial professional, why don’t I recommend giving up your Roth IRA?

Because in reality, they’re built for very different purposes.

A Roth IRA is one of the most straightforward ways to build tax-free retirement income over time.
It’s simple, consistent, and designed for long-term growth.

On the other hand, an IUL is often used for flexibility and access.
It allows you to access cash through policy loans, without the same restrictions you’d typically see in retirement accounts.

That’s why I don’t usually see it as a replacement.
It’s more of a complement.

Roth IRA → structured, long-term growth
IUL → flexible access and additional options

Both can play a role depending on your situation.

The mistake I see is when people try to pick “the better one” instead of understanding what each one is actually designed for.

There’s no single strategy that works for everyone.

But when you understand how each tool works, it becomes easier to build something that actually fits your life.

If you want to understand how this could apply to your situation, let’s chat!

The biggest mistake?

👉 Projecting retirement using today’s dollars and forgetting inflation.

Here’s what that looks like in real life:

- You plan to retire on $70,000 a year
- You assume your expenses will stay the same
- You forget that inflation quietly increases costs every single year

At an average 3% inflation, your expenses can double in about 24 years.

That means:

- Healthcare costs rise
- Groceries, housing, and utilities cost more
- Your savings buy less, not more

So the issue isn’t that people don’t save. It’s that they’re saving toward the wrong target.

Retirement planning isn’t about picking a number that feels comfortable.

It’s about making sure your income can keep up with inflation for decades.

Because running out of money isn’t usually caused by bad luck. It’s caused by wrong money projections.

Most people I speak to don’t delay financial planning because they don’t care.

They delay because life’s busy and money feels overwhelming.

So they say, “I’ll look at this later.” Later turns into years.

It costs time, the one thing money can’t buy back.

It costs growth that could’ve happened quietly in the background.

It costs options, because starting later usually means fewer choices and more pressure.

When I sit down with people, the story is often the same:

Nothing went wrong. They just wish they’d started earlier.

Not because they missed out on some magic trick but because time would’ve done a lot of the work for them.

And that’s the part no one talks about.

Waiting feels safe, but it slowly makes the road ahead steeper.

If this sounds like you, let’s chat! ☕️