When markets surge to new highs, emotions surge right along with them. Should you cash out and protect gains or stay invested and risk the next dip?
In this episode, Mark Taylan unpacks the psychology of investing, including the fear of missing out, loss aversion, and the myth of perfect timing. Drawing on decades of experience, Mark shares how stress-testing portfolios and focusing on discipline, not headlines, helps families build lasting wealth and peace of mind.
What to expect:
Why timing the market rarely works and what to do instead
How emotions influence investment decisions
The value of stress-testing your portfolio before the next downturn
When we think about retirement income, most people imagine 401(k)s, pensions, or downsizing, but what if the most powerful income stream was already sitting in your backyard?
In this eye-opening episode, Mark Taylan explores Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) as a strategic financial planning tool. From boosting retirement income to supporting multigenerational living, ADUs offer creative, values-aligned solutions for families navigating aging, housing shortages, and rising care costs.
What to expect:
How retirees are using ADUs to unlock $4,000+ in monthly income
Cost breakdowns and permit incentives you need to know
Multigenerational living strategies that support aging parents
How ADUs can help adult children during job transitions
What if your home could be more than just a place to live, and instead, a powerful part of your retirement strategy?
In this episode, Mark Taylan dives into how home equity can serve as a dynamic tool in retirement planning. From home equity lines of credit to reverse mortgages, Mark shares how your house can provide flexibility, bridge unexpected expenses, and even support long-term care needs.
Mark discusses:
Why establishing a home equity line of credit before retirement can make future planning easier
How downsizing or right-sizing your home creates freedom and liquidity
The role of real estate in legacy planning for your family
Creative strategies like rentals and ADUs for generating income
Money is never just about numbers. It is about emotions, values, and the stories that shape our financial choices.
In this episode of Beyond the Dollar Signs: Financial Clarity, Mark Taylan explores why understanding the emotional side of money is essential to building clarity and confidence in financial decisions. He explains how emotions influence everything from risk tolerance to spending habits, often more than numbers or charts ever could. Tune in to hear practical tools, real client stories, and strategies that align money with what truly matters most.
Mark discusses:
How childhood experiences and family backgrounds influence financial behavior
Ways couples uncover hidden differences in their views on risk and money
Practical tools, like risk questionnaires, to create alignment and reduce conflict
The importance of designing layered strategies that balance emotions with long-term goals
Real client stories about market timing and overspending in retirement
You’ve worked hard, built wealth, and saved diligently, so why does retirement suddenly feel like a tax trap?
In this episode of Beyond the Dollar Signs, host Mark Taylan breaks down one of the most misunderstood parts of retirement planning for high-income earners: the surprising tax implications of success. From pensions and Social Security stacking up in your highest tax bracket to strategies that can help reduce unnecessary taxes, Mark offers a clear-eyed look at how to keep more of what you’ve built.
Key takeaways include:
Why many retirees are not in a lower tax bracket and what to do about it
Direct indexing: what it is, how it works, and who it’s best for
How Roth conversions may reduce lifetime tax burdens
Why IRMAA and Medicare surcharges catch so many retirees off guard
When it comes to retirement, many homeowners feel stuck—either emotionally tied to their homes or financially strapped with limited options. In this powerful Part Two of the reverse mortgage conversation, Mark Taylan sits down again with reverse mortgage specialist Mike Brouse to go beyond the mechanics and into the impact.
From the heartfelt story of Bonnie, who used a reverse mortgage to stop working, repair her home, and reconnect with family before passing, to strategic conversations about right-sizing homes and preserving equity, this episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating retirement planning.
Here’s what you can expect from part II of this episode:
How reverse mortgages help retirees live, not just survive
The emotional and financial power of staying in your home
Why right-sizing is better than downsizing
What happens to your reverse mortgage when you pass away
With 24 years of experience in the mortgage industry, including senior leadership roles, Mike has dedicated the past five years to specializing in reverse mortgages. His passion lies in helping retirees and older homeowners unlock financial stability and security through strategic home equity solutions.
Throughout his career, he has led teams, driven growth, and navigated the evolving mortgage landscape with a commitment to integrity and client-focused solutions. He believes in educating homeowners, financial professionals, and industry partners about the benefits of reverse mortgages, ensuring they have the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions.
If you’re looking for a trusted resource in the reverse mortgage space—whether as a client, financial advisor, or industry peer—Mike welcomes the opportunity to connect and explore how he can help.
Reverse mortgages carry a lot of baggage, misconceptions, fear, and outdated assumptions.
But what if they could actually be a powerful financial tool to help you stay in your home, fund your lifestyle, or protect your retirement income?
In this episode, Mark Taylan is joined by reverse mortgage specialist Mike Brouse, who brings two decades of experience and a deeply personal story to the conversation. From working with his own in-laws to helping families across California, Mike breaks down what reverse mortgages are (and what they’re not) with clarity, humor, and heart.
You’ll learn why reverse mortgages are no longer a “last resort,” how they fit into a broader retirement strategy, and the truths behind the biggest myths, including who really owns the home, what happens when you move or pass away, and how the loan balance grows over time.
What to expect:
A breakdown of common reverse mortgage myths
How the product actually works, month-to-month
Why financial advisors are rethinking this strategy
The risks of ignoring home equity in retirement planning
With 24 years of experience in the mortgage industry, including senior leadership roles, Mike has dedicated the past five years to specializing in reverse mortgages. His passion lies in helping retirees and older homeowners unlock financial stability and security through strategic home equity solutions.
Throughout his career, he has led teams, driven growth, and navigated the evolving mortgage landscape with a commitment to integrity and client-focused solutions. He believes in educating homeowners, financial professionals, and industry partners about the benefits of reverse mortgages, ensuring they have the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions.
If you’re looking for a trusted resource in the reverse mortgage space—whether as a client, financial advisor, or industry peer—Mike welcomes the opportunity to connect and explore how he can help.
Bringing up a prenup doesn’t have to kill the romance. It can actually create a stronger foundation.
In this episode, Mark Taylan welcomes back Yau Lee, a family attorney based in San Francisco, to talk about the emotional, legal, and financial aspects of premarital agreements. They discuss how to approach the prenup conversation with compassion, what to avoid, and how planning ahead can strengthen, not hinder, a couple’s relationship.
Yau debunks common myths (like “prenups are only for the wealthy”), offers real client stories, and explains the importance of legal consultation for both parties, especially in second marriages or blended family situations. The episode highlights how early and honest communication about finances and legacy planning can be a sign of trust and commitment, not conflict.
Yau discusses:
How to bring up a prenup in a way that builds trust instead of breaking it
What changes when couples bring unequal assets, children, or prior marriages into the equation
Why each partner needs their own legal counsel and what mistakes to avoid
How estate planning and divorce protection differ (and why both matter)
What a successful, respectful prenup process actually looks like from first conversation to signed agreement
Yau Lee is a Partner and Mediator at Nachlis | Cohade | Lopez-Whitaker, LLP. She practices all aspects of Family Law. Though she is a fierce litigator, she finds that it is always a defining moment when she can settle cases without going to trial because she truly believes that it is in the best interest of her client in terms of cost and efficiency. Her dedication to this result has yielded 95 percent of her cases to be settled out of court. Her advocacy happens in the pleadings and negotiations with the opposing counsel. Laying out a thoughtful argument in writing is one of the strongest negotiating tools that she can use to convince the opposing counsel that it is more of a risk to take the case to court.
Yau understands that Family law matters are inherently emotionally charged, and it is important in her approach to not fire up more drama or tension. Emotions won’t get a case heard any better or keep it out of court. Instead, she focuses on how the case aligns with the law and crafts a creative agreement that jointly meets the needs of her clients and the opposing party. Although difficult, she is always honest with her clients about the strategic need to work with the opposing side. Her clients appreciate her strong interpersonal communication skills, responsiveness, and ability to actively listen.
Yau is also an endurance athlete, having participated in more than 10 marathons and six half Ironman distance triathlons. Training for and racing these events has given her the fortitude to remain calm in stressful situations, think on her feet, make predictions, trust the process, and plan for success. Swimming in the open ocean with 14-foot swells or gunning down a hill on your bike at more than 40 miles per hour will give you nerves of steel.
Losing a spouse isn’t just an emotional blow; it’s a shift in everything you’ve known and planned for.
In this episode of Beyond the Dollar Signs, Mark Taylan shares insights from his years of sitting across the table from couples, families, and individuals navigating the complexities of grief.
It’s about allowing yourself to grieve, not rushing into decisions, and understanding that if you’ve planned, you can find some peace of mind. Mark walks through the key steps you need to take, both emotionally and financially, when a spouse passes: from understanding income changes and revisiting estate plans to knowing who your support system is.
He shares why it’s critical to have these conversations before loss strikes, because when it does, it’s hard to think clearly. And for those stepping into his office for the first time after a loss, Mark offers steady guidance: take care of what’s immediate, breathe, and know there’s no rush.
What to expect from this episode:
How to prepare for loss before it happens—practically and emotionally
What to focus on right now after losing a spouse
The importance of family conversations and identifying a support system
Why having a financial plan in place brings peace of mind
