Cognitive and emotional biases can have a big impact on your financial life. Each episode of Financial Decoder looks closely at one financial decision--and the biases that might cloud your judgment and cost you money. Host Mark Riepe, head of the Schwab Center for Financial Research, decodes the behavioral and psychological factors at play and shares strategies designed to improve the way you approach financial crossroads. Other experts join Mark to provide their unique perspective on behavi ...
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Mark Riepe Podcasts
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(Bonus) From On Investing: 2026 Market Outlook
1:01:42
1:01:42
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1:01:42After you listen Follow Kathy and Liz Ann on social media: Kathy Jones on X and LinkedIn. Liz Ann Sonders on X and LinkedIn. What should investors expect from the U.S. economy next year? What will happen in the equities markets and fixed income markets? On this 2026 Market Outlook episode, Liz Ann Sonders, Schwab's chief investment strategist, spea…
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1
How Can You Make the Most of Your Charitable Giving?
26:43
26:43
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26:43After you listen: Visit DAFgiving360.org to find the all the donor-advised fund resources Julie mentioned and more. Read "Estate Planning: Lessons from a Loss" to learn how you don't have wait until after death to give to charity and strengthen your legacy. Listen to the Choiceology episode "Happiness: With Guests Scott Harrison & Mike Norton" to h…
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How Should Your Goals Shape Your Portfolio?
31:16
31:16
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31:16After you listen: Check out the first episode of this two-part series, "What Makes a Financial Plan Fit Your Life?" Explore Schwab's other educational resources around financial planning. In this episode of Financial Decoder, Mark Riepe and Steph Shadel delve into the intricacies of financial planning and portfolio management. They discuss the impo…
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What Makes a Financial Plan Fit Your Life?
18:39
18:39
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18:39After you listen: Read more about the benefits of having a financial plan in the article "5 Ways Financial Planning Can Help." Explore Schwab's education and resources around financial planning. In this episode of Financial Decoder, Mark Riepe is joined by Stephanie Shadel, senior wealth advisor at Schwab, to discuss the essential elements of makin…
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What Should You Consider When Buying a New Home?
34:24
34:24
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34:24After you listen: Read more of Rob's insights in his article "How Fed Rate Cuts Can Impact Mortgage Rates." Explore Schwab's education and resources around real estate. In this episode of Financial Decoder, Mark Riepe is joined by Rob Williams, managing director and head of wealth management at the Schwab Center for Financial Research, to discuss t…
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After you listen: Read more from Chris Kawashima in his article "What is Health Insurance and Do I Need It?" Explore more of Schwab's insights on health care. Health-care costs are a major part of most households' budgets, yet many people struggle to understand what they're actually paying for. This episode breaks down how health insurance coverage…
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Do Alternative Investments Have a Role in Your Portfolio?
28:47
28:47
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28:47After you listen: Learn more about this episode's topic in "Alternative Investments: A Non-Traditional Approach to Investing." Find more resources about alternative investments at Schwab. From hedge funds to private equity, alternative investments cover a wide range of assets outside of traditional markets. In this episode, Mark is joined by Ken Pe…
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Could These 5 Strategies Help You Save on Domestic Travel?
5:00
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5:00After you listen: Find more resources from Schwab on Travel Planning. Learn more about budgeting for travel on our episode, "How Do You Save for Vacations & Travel?" In this episode of Financial Decoder, host Mark Riepe shares five practical strategies to save money on domestic travel. Learn how to book flights and hotels at the right time, travel …
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After you listen: Check out Chris's article "5 Questions to Ask Before a Big Purchase." Learn more about liquidating in "3 Mistakes to Avoid When Making a Large Portfolio Withdrawal." In this episode, host Mark Riepe walks through how to prepare for major purchases, both expected and unexpected. Senior Research Analyst Chris Kawashima joins Mark to…
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After you listen: Discover more about the findings discussed in today's episode by visiting the Charles Schwab Women Investors Survey. Learn about the financial next steps to take after losing a loved one. On this episode, Mark Riepe is joined by the head of Schwab's branch network, Jeannie Bidner, to discuss a the results of a recent survey from S…
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After you listen: Listen to the latest episode of the Choiceology podcast, "How a Single Source of Information Can Seem Like Several." To learn more about Katy Milkman and her work in behavioral economics, visit her website or check out her book How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. Financial Decoder is a…
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After you listen: Learn about the wealth and investment management solutions Schwab offers to help you pursue your goals confidently. Listen to Schwab's newest podcast, Invested in the Game, featuring true stories of people who are driving the game of golf forward. In this episode of Financial Decoder, host Mark Riepe is joined by Stephanie Shadel,…
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1
Does Your Inner Scorekeeper Skew Your Judgement?
32:52
32:52
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32:52After you listen: Find more of Daniel Stone's research on his website. Schwab's newest podcast, Invested in the Game, features true stories of people who are driving the game of golf forward. In this episode of Financial Decoder, host Mark Riepe is joined by economist Daniel Stone, Associate Professor of Economics at Bowdoin College and chair of th…
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After you listen: Learn more about the story of how May Day became National Investing Day. In this bonus episode, Mark takes a deep dive into the evolution of investing accessibility over the past century. From the barriers that once kep the public out of financial markets to key moments like May Day, he expolores the forces that gradually opened t…
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Can You Be Proactive in Times of Market Volatility?
29:50
29:50
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29:50After you listen: To learn about the news and policies from Washington that impact your portfolio, listen to the WashingtonWise podcast. For weekly insights on the market and economy, listen to the On Investing podcast. Market volatility can stir powerful emotions, making it tempting to abandon long-term financial plans in favor of short-term react…
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Which Milestone Ages Factor Into Retirement Planning?
9:28
9:28
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9:28After you listen: Listen to our episode "How Can You Build Your Pre-Retirement Checklist?" Read more on the topic in Rob Williams' article "The Most Important Ages of Retirement." Certain birthdays carry more financial weight than others. In this episode, Mark walks through the ages that matter most in retirement planning. From increased contributi…
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Are You Making One of These Car Buying Mistakes?
22:33
22:33
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22:33After you listen: Read Patrick's article, 7 Car Buying Mistakes That Could Cost You In this episode, Mark Riepe and Patrick Means explore the financial and behavioral aspects of car buying, including the biases that can cloud our judgment when making the decision. Their conversation covers practical advice on financing, maintenance, and the importa…
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After you listen: Explore more of Schwab's market commentary and education for bond investors. In this episode, Mark Riepe and Kathy Jones delve into the essentials of bond investing. They discuss the fundamentals that every investor should understand, including the nature of bonds, the significance of credit risk, the relationship between interest…
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What Steps Can You Take to Avoid Cyber Fraud?
13:41
13:41
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13:41After you listen: Explore more of Schwab’s education on fraud prevention. In this episode, Mark Riepe discusses the rising threat of cybercrime, focusing on the psychological tactics used by modern fraudsters to exploit their victims. Featured guest and Certified Fraud Examiner Lisa Lang emphasizes the importance of skepticism and awareness among o…
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How Can You Set the Right Financial Goals?
34:48
34:48
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34:48After you listen: Visit Schwab Moneywise to learn more about financial literacy. Read more insights from experts like Cindy Scott on Schwab's Money Talk. In this episode of Financial Decoder, Mark Riepe discusses the complexities of setting financial goals with Cindy Scott. They explore the emotional challenges of goal setting, the importance of sp…
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(Bonus) From On Investing: 2025 Market Outlook, Part 2
28:56
28:56
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28:56After you listen Read Cooper Howard's 2025 Municipal Bond Outlook. Read Collin Martin's 2025 Corporate Bond Outlook. Read Kathy Jones's 2025 Treasury Bonds and Fixed Income Outlook. Follow the Schwab Center for Financial Research on X @SchwabResearch. Is the bond market caught between the Federal Reserve's plans to cut interest rates and the risk o…
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(Bonus) From On Investing: 2025 Market Outlook, Part 1
34:30
34:30
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34:30After you listen Follow the hosts on social media: Kathy Jones on X and LinkedIn. Liz Ann Sonders on X and LinkedIn. After another year of the bull market, what's in store for stocks in 2025? In this year-end episode, Schwab experts look ahead to consider what investors might expect from the markets in the new year. First, Liz Ann Sonders, Schwab's…
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What Year-End Tax Strategies Should You Consider for 2024?
12:52
12:52
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12:52After you listen: Check out the 2024 tax rates and brackets. Learn more about donor-advised funds. Explore more tax-planning content. Mark Riepe breaks down important 2024 tax updates, covering changes to income tax brackets, standard deductions, and retirement contribution limits. He shares actionable year-end tax strategies to help you maximize s…
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(Bonus) How Can Gratitude Improve Your Life?
21:51
21:51
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21:51After you listen: Listen to the Choiceology podcast, hosted by Katy Milkman. Read the article "Charitable Donations: The Basics of Giving." Read the article "12 Tax-Smart Charitable Giving Tips for 2024." In this special episode of Financial Decoder, the team explores the theme of gratitude through personal stories, scientific insights, and reflect…
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A Holistic Approach: Do You Need a Wealth Advisor?
26:40
26:40
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26:40After you listen: Watch the video version of this episode on the Charles Schwab YouTube Channel. Visit the Schwab Wealth Advisory site to learn more about Schwab's approach to wealth management. Discover helpful educational resources about personal finance at Schwab Moneywise. In this special episode, host Mark Riepe is joined in-studio by Stephani…
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1
How Do You Gauge the Impact of Washington on Your Finances?
35:48
35:48
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35:48Mark Riepe is joined by Michael Townsend, managing director of legislative and regulatory affairs at Schwab, to discuss the cognitive and emotional biases that influence political decision-making, the gap between campaign promises and legislative realities, and the complexities surrounding federal debt and entitlement programs like Social Security …
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How Do You Plan for the Succession of a Business?
37:10
37:10
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37:10In this episode of Financial Decoder, host Mark Riepe delves into the key aspects of succession planning for business owners, including how our behavioral tendencies may influence the decisions we make around a business's future. He's joined by Austin Jarvis, a director of estate, trust, and high-net-worth tax at the Schwab Center for Financial Res…
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In this episode of Financial Decoder, host Mark Riepe and Susan Hirshman discuss the financial aspects of owning a pet. Susan highlights the responsibilities, costs, and emotional attachment that come with pet ownership, emphasizing the importance of financial planning. Mark asks her about the role of pet insurance in covering unexpected expenses a…
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1
How Can You Preserve Your Assets for Your Heirs?
35:04
35:04
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35:04Taxes are just one part of estate planning. People are also asked to consider custody arrangements, medical decisions, and legal issues. But it comes as no surprise that people who have worked their whole lives to build an estate are wary of letting taxes and fees eat away at their hard-earned assets. Further complicating the current environment is…
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Summary Mark Riepe is joined by Rob Williams and Susan Hirshman to examine one of the most critical retirement decisions: When should you take Social Security? After you listen: Check out the helpful resources Susan mentions on the Social Security Administration's website. Listen to Mike Townsend's WashingtonWise podcast to stay abreast of the poli…
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1
Can the Olympics Teach Us About Our Own Behavior?
17:42
17:42
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17:42After you listen: Reach out to Mark on X @MarkRiepe with your thoughts on the show. Follow Financial Decoder on Spotify to comment on episodes. Listen to the Schwab podcast Choiceology with Katy Milkman. Starting July 26th, athletes from around the world will compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Decision-making biases affect many aspects o…
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The conversation around financial planning is often dominated by long-term goals like retirement or saving to buy a home. But what about saving for short-term goals that are still important to you, like travel and vacations? On this episode of Financial Decoder, Cindy Scott, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional at Charles Schwab with 25 year…
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Annuities are an interesting instrument in financial services. They're both simple and complicated, and that combination often means they're frequently misunderstood. To kick off Season 17 of Financial Decoder, Mark is joined again by guest Rob Williams, who heads the Financial Planning, Retirement Income, and Wealth Management team at the Schwab C…
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(Bonus) From On Investing: Mid-Year Outlook
48:42
48:42
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48:42All eyes were on the Fed in the first half of 2024, but with core PCE holding steady and no rate cuts, how did the other parts of the economy and the markets fare? In this midyear episode, Schwab experts look ahead to the second half of 2024 to consider what investors might expect from the U.S. stock market, the global markets, and policy and polit…
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(Bonus) Does Your Portfolio Need Decluttering?
23:21
23:21
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23:21Your financial life can accumulate disorder and inefficiency over time. Lots of accounts, lots of holdings, and lots of priorities without a clear organizational structure. If this sounds like your portfolio, a good spring cleaning or decluttering could be in order. On this episode of Financial Decoder, Susan Hirshman, a director of wealth manageme…
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Do Investing Pros Make Smart Buy and Sell Decisions?
19:31
19:31
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19:31Successful investors know that choosing what to sell is just as important as choosing what to buy. However, findings from a recent study suggest that even professional portfolio managers are subject to psychological forces while making buying and selling decisions. On this episode, Mark Riepe discusses these recent findings with Alex Imas, professo…
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Figuring out how to cover college expenses often means navigating a bewildering range of options, programs, and plans. As the financial burden of higher education grows, so does the decision-making complexity for those pursuing a degree. Some even wonder whether college is still a worthwhile investment. On this episode of Financial Decoder, Mark Ri…
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1
What Should You Do with Your Employee Stock?
27:39
27:39
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27:39Not all compensation takes the form of a cash salary or bonus. Today, many startups and most of the companies on the Fortune 500 list allow their employees to take ownership in the company through stock awards, employee stock purchase plans, stock options, or some other form of equity compensation. Despite this boom of employee ownership offerings,…
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(Bonus) Do Super Bowl Wins Diminish in Value?
6:46
6:46
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6:46The Kansas City Chiefs won last year's Super Bowl (LVII) and another just a few years before in 2020. The San Francisco 49ers last won a championship in 1995. In this short bonus episode, Mark Riepe shares his insights on how a concept from 18th-century mathematician Daniel Bernoulli might speak to our perceptions of utility, or emotional benefit, …
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Should You Trust Popular Trading Proverbs?
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39:04Sometimes an oft-repeated axiom, maxim, or cliché has at least a small piece of truth to it. Others make sense and are true in some situations, but not others. The world of finance and investing is no exception to the coining of popular axioms and the misconceptions that can go along with them—especially when it comes to trading stocks. Traders are…
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Should You Roll Over Your Retirement Account?
29:11
29:11
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29:11A job change is a big change, and it's one of those changes happening to people with greater frequency for a variety of reasons. For many of these job seekers and switchers, past and future employers offer some kind of retirement savings plan, meaning these job transitions come with decisions to make around retirement planning for those investing i…
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(Bonus) From On Investing: Market Outlook: What's in Store for 2024?
1:05:07
1:05:07
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1:05:07After a tumultuous year for the markets, what's in store for 2024? In this year-end episode, Schwab experts look ahead to consider what investors might expect from the markets in the new year. First, Liz Ann Sonders, Schwab's chief investment strategist, speaks with Senior Investment Strategist Kevin Gordon. Liz Ann offers her perspective on the di…
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How Does Retirement Planning Differ for Freelancers?
33:34
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33:34With over 70 million freelancers in the U.S., freelancing obviously appeals to a lot of workers and offers a lot of benefits to those who wish to work for themselves. However, it doesn't offer a 401(k) program, and that means saving for retirement is not as easy as filling out a form and giving it to HR. In fact, freelancers are essentially their o…
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How Can You Build Your Pre-Retirement Checklist?
32:45
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32:45Most people look forward to retirement—after all, most of us save money during our working lives to fund our golden years when we'll have more time to do what we enjoy. However, it's hard to do detailed planning if you haven't pinpointed, at least approximately, what you want to achieve in retirement. In other words, the first step for retirement p…
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Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage Before You Retire?
31:59
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31:59Recent interest rate increases have inflated the cost of debt, which can have a profound effect on individuals carrying a mortgage on their home but also approaching retirement. Is it beneficial to pay off the mortgage prior to retirement or to continue to make your normal payments of interest and principal each month? Are there other forms of debt…
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How Did Chuck Schwab Disrupt an Industry? (Rebroadcast)
23:46
23:46
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23:46Charles Schwab & Co. founder and Chairman of the Board Chuck Schwab discusses the decisions that led him to create a revolutionary business model for the brokerage industry. Chuck talks about his decision to start a business, his difficulties raising capital, and even how he convinced his wife to mortgage the house to support his upstart company. H…
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