Money Dates

Dan and Natalie Slagle with Equal Voices Wealth
  • 5.0 (22)
  • Business
  • Updated Biweekly

Money can be one of the most powerful tools in your household… when you know how to talk about it. Money Dates is hosted by a pair of married certified financial planners who have spent years in their professional and personal lives perfecting this very topic. Natalie and Dan Slagle, with Equal Voices Wealth, have witnessed the benefits of having open, honest conversations about money. Each episode, they share personal stories, practical financial advice, and mindset shifts that help you grow wealth and confidence together. Whether you're navigating joint finances or dreaming up big financial goals, these are the money dates that matter. Learn more at equalvoices.co

  1. 13h ago

    Our Rebrand Revealed!

    “This rebrand still embodies everything that we've built up to this point... but it's meeting us where we're at in our personal life, and where a lot of our clients are at.” Our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, spent over a year pouring heart and soul into a full rebrand of the firm they founded in their twenties. Fyooz Financial Planning is retiring. In its place comes E_____ V_____ W_____ (you’ve gotta listen to find out!) The old brand no longer matched who they had become or the couples they serve. These are high-earning dual-income households, often in their forties, many with kids, concentrated in medicine, engineering, and tech, to pinpoint a few industries. These clients want both partners engaged, respectful, and treated as equals. Traditional firms still often default to one spouse (historically the higher earner) handling the finances; Dan and Natalie want both spouses to have a voice. With this rebrand, the work’s the same, with the added bonus of clarifying their mission. That’s ongoing, relationship-driven financial planning that keeps both voices in the room as life shifts, whether it’s new jobs, children, career pivots, or inheritances. The updated website, language, and core values now make that explicit. Fyooz had a special place; the new brand simply elevates what clients already experienced and what the founders always intended! Key Topics: Announcing the Rebrand (03:49)Why the Old Brand No Longer Fit (04:25)Origin Story of “Fyooz” and Pronunciation Woes (07:02)The Problem They Set Out to Solve (10:41)Ideal Client Profile: Love, Respect, and Numbers (17:55)“Our Ideal Clients Are” (21:40)Ongoing Planning as Relationship Work (27:18)New Brand Reveal! (And what it represents) (32:25) Resources: The New Brand Website!: https://tinyurl.com/487tbxxrNYT Article Feature Mentioned in Episode: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/27/your-money/money-relationships-marriage.html Schedule a Free Consultation Here: https://www.equalvoices.co/start Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.equalvoices.co/contact Natalie Slagle, CFP®, and Dan Slagle, CFP®, are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Equal Voices Wealth https://www.equalvoices.co/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s, 40s, and 50s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together. At Equal Voices, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals. Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.equalvoices.co/legal

  2. Sep 3

    Cracking The College Funding Code with Expert Jonathan West

    “You don't want to apply to any schools without having an idea of what that school is likely to cost your family.” Our hosts, Dan and Natalie Slagle, close out their two-part college funding series with Jonathan West of College Aid Pro. He’s a financial planner who has personally guided his own four kids through four very different college paths. Jonathan recommends that parents run the numbers before falling in love with a school. Every college calculates a Student Aid Index through the FAFSA, or, at roughly 250 more selective schools, the CSS Profile, and that number (meaning not the sticker price) is what families should react to. High earners often assume they're locked out of aid entirely and skip the exercise, but need-based aid is only one lever; merit aid, tied to grades and test scores, varies wildly and unpredictably from school to school. Jonathan also discusses community college as a legitimate, underrated on-ramp; the modest payoff of most private scholarships; a shrinking pool of college-bound teenagers; and growing openness to gap years and trades. Regardless of income, Jonathan encourages all parents to keep saving, in a 529 or elsewhere, and don't let uncertainty about the future of higher education talk you out of it. Nobody, he says, has ever regretted having more! Key Topics: How College Costs Got So Complicated (02:36)Need-Based Aid vs. Merit Aid, Decoded (06:07)Merit Aid's Secret-Recipe Problem (12:30)Private Scholarships: A Nice Bonus, Not a Strategy (20:45)Community College as a Financial Strategy (24:44)Gap Years, Trades, and Alternatives to the Four-Year Path (28:45)Inside the College Aid Pro Software (36:59)When Should Parents Start? A Timeline Guide (42:30) Resources: College Aid Pro: https://collegeaidpro.com/Jonathan West Email: jonathanw@collegeaidpro.com Schedule a Free Consultation: Go to https://www.fyoozfinancial.com and click the button in the upper right-hand corner Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/signup Natalie Slagle, CFP® and Dan Slagle, CFP® are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Fyooz Financial Planning https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s and 40s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together. At Fyooz, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals. Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/

  3. Aug 20

    The College Money Talk: What Married Couples Need to Agree On First

    “The easiest option is to say, ‘We'll figure it out when the time comes,’ which isn't necessarily a plan. To me, it's a hope.” For most couples, the sticker price of college never gets a number attached to it out loud. At least, not until an acceptance letter forces the issue… which is exactly the wrong moment! Our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, break it down in this Money Date. Campus visits, admissions decisions, financial aid offers: these arrive stacked with emotion, and emotional timing makes for bad negotiating, whether the negotiation is with a spouse or a newly admitted teenager. Dan and Natalie offer a framework built on seven questions to prepare for college finances. It dives into such things as what resources actually exist, what your cap is, and whether your child should have skin in the game when it comes to covering expenses. Then, we’ve got harder questions. What happens to a scholarship's leftover money? Who absorbs the cost when a teenager falls for a school above budget? What actually belongs in "the bucket" beyond tuition nobody quite budgets for? And finally, when and how does a family tell a teenager any of this, in a way that reads as shared strategy rather than burden? None of it is complicated math. It's a conversation most families never have out loud… until they're forced to. Key Topics: Why the Money Conversation Gets Skipped (08:17)Question One: What Resources Do We Actually Have? (12:38)Question Two: What’s Our Cap? (14:56)Question Three: Should Our Kids Have Skin in the Game? (21:59)Question Four: Where Does the Scholarship Surplus Go? (27:46)Question Five: Who Pays When Our Child Goes Over Budget? (34:00)Question Six: What's Really in the College "Bucket"? (36:22)Question Seven: When and How Should We Tell Our Kids? (39:15)Recap and Wrap-up (42:12) Resources: Check out our blog post for an easy way to copy and paste the conversation prompts for your college money talk!: https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/moneymatters-blog/the-college-money-talk-7-questions-married-couples-need-to-answer-before-the-campus-tours-startNYT Article: Parents’ Financial Support May Not Help College Grades: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/15/education/parents-financial-support-linked-to-college-grades.html Schedule a Free Consultation: Go to https://www.fyoozfinancial.com and click the button in the upper right-hand corner Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/signup Natalie Slagle, CFP® and Dan Slagle, CFP® are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Fyooz Financial Planning https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s and 40s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together. At Fyooz, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals. Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/

  4. Aug 6

    Are We Worse Off Than Previous Generations?

    “On paper, millennials are doing better than boomers were at the same age.” Every generation insists it got the raw deal, so our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, decided to check the math instead of just complaining. Adjusted for inflation, millennials at 34 hold $1.35 for every dollar boomers had at that age, according to St. Louis Fed research, thanks largely to post-pandemic gains in stocks and home equity. But two structural gaps complicate the "we're fine" story. Homeownership sits up to nine points lower than it was for boomers and Gen X at the same age, and student loan debt, averaging $30,000-$45,000 per borrower, has outpaced wage growth as tuition nearly tripled since 1990. Layer on three major economic shocks packed into one working lifetime, the 2008 financial crisis, the pandemic, and the fastest interest-rate spike in 40 years, plus a generational shift from pensions to self-managed 401(k)s, and the "doing better on paper" claim starts to feel more fragile than it looks. Dan and Natalie land somewhere more nuanced on the spectrum of this debate. Millennials, as a whole, aren't clearly worse off than boomers were, but the generation may be more internally unequal, with tech workers, finance professionals, and pre-2021 homebuyers pulling far ahead while others carry outsized debt into a slower-growth economy. As Natalie puts it, averages hide the fact that nobody actually lives at the average. Key Topics: Are Millennials Really Worse Off? (04:13)Millennials at 34 vs. Boomers at 34 (08:50)The Great Wealth Transfer (Maybe) (11:55)Student Loan Debt Outpacing Wages (18:44)Three Economic Shocks, One Working Lifetime (27:34)Pensions vs. 401(k)s: Who Holds the Risk Now (28:15)Not Worse Off, Just More Unequal (35:15) Resources: See full resource/reference list on the blog post: www.fyoozfinancial.com/podcasts/are-we-worse-off-than-previous-generations Schedule a Free Consultation: Go to https://www.fyoozfinancial.com and click the button in the upper right-hand corner Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/signup Natalie Slagle, CFP® and Dan Slagle, CFP® are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Fyooz Financial Planning https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s and 40s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together. At Fyooz, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals. Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/

  5. Jul 23

    Can You Afford a Pay Cut? Here's How to Calculate It

    “Can my finances support the life I want to live going forward?” In recent years, many high earners have been walking away from lucrative jobs in search of more fulfilling careers. Are you in the same boat? If so, it’s important to have a strategy before making the leap! Our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, break it down in this episode of Money Dates! USA Today found that 64% of job switchers between 2022 and 2024 also changed careers, not chasing a bigger paycheck, but chasing remote work, better balance, or work that finally feels meaningful. The dilemma, as Dan frames it, is that flexibility and money often pull in opposite directions, and you may not get to choose both. So before running any numbers, he and Natalie walk through questions meant to separate what someone is actually after: a new career, a sabbatical, less stress, more presence at home. Then comes the math. Using a hypothetical couple, they model a household earning $430,000 down to the dollar, including what they spend, what they save, what they can trim, and which tax bracket they fall into (among other details). The exercise finds $16,500 in painless annual cuts and a savings rate that can drop from 22% to 18% without derailing long-term goals. Natalie's hypothetical salary floor lands at $188,000, a real but survivable step down from $250,000. Beyond the spreadsheet, Dan and Natalie remind listeners that salary is only one line item. As Dan puts it, financial planning isn't only about building wealth; it's about buying yourself the freedom to choose how you spend this one, precious life. Key Topics: Can You Afford a Pay Cut? (02:17)From Job-Hopping to Full Career Pivots (04:21)Remote Work, Balance, and Meaning (07:35)Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Jump (11:18)Step One: Building the Budget (13:16)Case Study: A $430K Household Asks What the Floor Is (16:14)Cutting $16,500, Lowering the Savings Rate, and Landing on $188K (21:15)Beyond Salary: Benefits, PTO, and the Tax Upside of Earning Less (28:39) Resources: BLOG FOR THIS EPISODE: https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/moneymatters-blog Schedule a Free Consultation: Go to https://www.fyoozfinancial.com and click the button in the upper right-hand corner Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/signup Natalie Slagle, CFP® and Dan Slagle, CFP® are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Fyooz Financial Planning https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s and 40s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together. At Fyooz, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals. Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/

  6. Jul 9

    Too Much of a Good Thing: Diversifying Out of a Single Stock Without a Massive Tax Bill

    “It really scares me when clients have done really well with a certain stock, and they tell me, ‘There's no way this isn't going to keep doing well.’ That, to me, is a red flag.” For high earners at tech and growth companies, wealth often arrives not as salary but as equity. It accumulates quietly until a single position dominates the portfolio. Our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, call this the concentration trap, and with SpaceX going public, a new wave of employees may soon find themselves exactly here. Enormously wealthy on paper, enormously exposed in practice. The mechanics are one thing. The psychology is another. Tax fear is the most common reason people don't sell. The capital gains bill feels like a certain loss, while the stock's future feels like a potential win. But as Natalie puts it, don't let the tax tail wag the investment dog. A BlackRock study of the Russell 3000 over 38 years found that two-thirds of individual company stocks underperformed the index itself, and a third actually lost money. What Dan and Natalie advocate is a plan built on systematic selling. Not price targets, but agreed-upon share amounts or dollar intervals. Charitable contributions through donor-advised funds can absorb some of the tax drag. Natalie and Dan remind listeners to always return to their actual goals. If an 8 to 10% return in a diversified portfolio provides you with the life you want, the concentration and the risk tied to it may not be necessary. Key Topics: A Client Story: Millions in One Stock, a Couple at Odds (04:34)RSUs, ESPPs, and Stock Options (08:43)When the IPO Creates the Trap (15:33)Why People Don't Sell (18:47)BlackRock's 38-Year Study: The Math Against Single Stocks (21:52)Overconfidence and the "There's No Way This Fails" Mindset (24:57)RSUs and the Price Anchoring Problem (30:27)Building the Plan: Systematic Selling and the Tax Conversation (32:28)Three Reframes: Jimmy's Stock, the Fresh Start, and Your Goals (36:03) Resources: The Hidden Cost of Holding A Concentrated Stock Position - Baird Private Wealth Management Research. https://www.bairdwealth.com/siteassets/pdfs/hidden-cost-holding-concentrated-position.pdfBoom or Bust; the surprising danger of Concentrated Stock – BlackRock https://www.blackrock.com/us/financial-professionals/literature/brochure/boom-or-bust-one-pager.pdf Schedule a Free Consultation: Go to https://www.fyoozfinancial.com and click the button in the upper right-hand corner Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/signup Natalie Slagle, CFP® and Dan Slagle, CFP® are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Fyooz Financial Planning https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s and 40s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together. At Fyooz, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals. Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/

  7. Jun 25

    Trump Accounts: Help or Headache?

    “Regardless of where you stand politically, it is right for everyone to assess all of their options.” Our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, spend this episode demystifying the newest entrant in kids' savings vehicles: the Trump Account, the tax-advantaged investment account for American children that begins accepting contributions on July 4, 2026. Structurally, the account behaves like a hybrid between a children's savings program and a traditional IRA. Contributions go in post-tax, growth is tax-deferred, and withdrawals are mostly locked up until 59 and a half, with penalty-free exceptions for education and a first home. Dan and Natalie walk through how the account stacks up against a 529 plan, a custodial brokerage account, and a Roth IRA, each suited to a different family's goals and risk tolerance. They cover the mechanics that make this account distinctive, such as a one-time $1,000 federal seed deposit for children born 2025 through 2028. There’s also a $5,000 annual contribution cap shared among parents, employers, and grandparents, and mandatory investment in low-cost U.S. index funds. Withdrawals end up being a mix of tax-free and taxable money. There are real tax perks for families who want them, but as Natalie puts it, no parent should feel shame for sitting this one out. Key Topics: What a Trump Account Is: Part Kids' Savings, Part IRA (3:49)Trump Account vs. the 529 Plan (7:15)Qualifying for the $1,000 Seed Deposit (14:11)How to Open a Trump Account (17:01)Contribution Limits (21:06)Tax Treatment (28:37)Should You Even Open One? (34:59) Resources: Trump Accounts Explained: Everything Parents Need to Know Before July 2026 Blog Post: https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/moneymatters-blog/trump-accounts-explained-everything-parents-need-to-know-before-july-2026Open a Trump Account here: https://TrumpAccounts.govSee if your zip code will qualify for the Dell $250 contribution: https://investamerica.org/dell/ Schedule a Free Consultation: Go to https://www.fyoozfinancial.com and click the button in the upper right-hand corner Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/signup Natalie Slagle, CFP® and Dan Slagle, CFP® are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Fyooz Financial Planning https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s and 40s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together. At Fyooz, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals. Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/

  8. Jun 11

    Is It Time to Upsize? Realtor Tracey Henkels Weighs In

    "Where the magic really happens is when you can marry your head and your heart." Many people assume upsizing is about wanting a bigger house. Our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, talk to real estate broker and former architect Tracey Henkels, who says it’s actually usually about adapting to a new stage of life. Growing families, aging parents, remote work, changing school needs, and even grandchildren can all make a home feel too small. In these situations, the question becomes whether to renovate the existing home or move to one that better fits a family's needs. While remodeling can seem like the obvious solution, Tracey explains that homeowners often underestimate the stress involved. Construction projects can drag on, exceed budgets, require constant decisions, and place strain on relationships. A renovation may solve one problem while creating several new ones. Then there’s the financial angle. Many homeowners remain attached to the historically low mortgage rates they secured in recent years. Giving up a 2.75% loan can feel painful, but Tracey argues that comparing today's opportunities to yesterday's rates often keeps people stuck. Markets change, and decisions should be based on current realities rather than past conditions. Ultimately, buying or selling a home isn't purely a financial exercise. A house is both an investment and the setting for daily life. The best decisions balance practical considerations with personal priorities, ensuring that financial goals support, rather than dictate, how a family wants to live. As Tracey puts it, the goal is to bring both your head and your heart into the decision! Key Topics: Why Families Decide to Upsize (02:08)The Renovation Trap vs. Moving (08:09)The Reality of Managing Contractors (09:11)Why Today's Interest Rates May Be the New Normal (14:54)Creating a Shared Vision Before Buying (21:36)Conversations That Couples Should Have Before Approaching a Realtor (27:10)Realtor Fees (34:22)How to Find the Right Realtor (47:07) Resources: Tracey's Website: https://www.rootedrealtypdx.com/Tracey's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traceyhenkels/ Schedule a Free Consultation: Go to https://www.fyoozfinancial.com and click the button in the upper right-hand corner Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/signup Natalie Slagle, CFP® and Dan Slagle, CFP® are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Fyooz Financial Planning https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s and 40s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together. At Fyooz, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals. Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/

See All (40)

Trailer

5
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

Money can be one of the most powerful tools in your household… when you know how to talk about it. Money Dates is hosted by a pair of married certified financial planners who have spent years in their professional and personal lives perfecting this very topic. Natalie and Dan Slagle, with Equal Voices Wealth, have witnessed the benefits of having open, honest conversations about money. Each episode, they share personal stories, practical financial advice, and mindset shifts that help you grow wealth and confidence together. Whether you're navigating joint finances or dreaming up big financial goals, these are the money dates that matter. Learn more at equalvoices.co

Information

  • Creator
    Dan and Natalie Slagle with Equal Voices Wealth
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Equal Voices Wealth
  • Show Website
    Money Dates

You Might Also Like