3596: More Money Means More Responsibility by Jessica Jokisch with Christine Luken on Wealth Management

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[00:00:56] This is Optimal Finance Daily. More money means more responsibility by Jessica Jokish with christinelukin.com. If you want more income, you better think about the flip side. More money means more responsibility, not just more fun. If you want to grow and keep your wealth, it comes with more responsibility. They're a package deal. There are some things you're going to have to be a part of your life.

[00:01:22] There are some things you're going to have to stop doing and some things you're going to have to start doing at the next level of wealth. Responsibility isn't a bad thing, even though it might not always feel fun. It's essentially taking leadership over yourself, your life, and yes, your money. If you fail to take responsibility as your income increases, it's likely you'll self-sabotage and your wealth won't last. More money means more responsibility. Say goodbye to DIY.

[00:01:51] As your wealth increases, you're going to have to say goodbye to DIYing everything with your finances. Unless you're a CPA or a financial planner, Robinhood and TurboTax probably aren't going to cut it for you anymore. As your income and investments move into multiple six figures, you need the personalized advice of seasoned tax and investment pros. The same holds true in your business if you're an entrepreneur.

[00:02:17] As your income increases, it's usually a better use of your time and talents to serve your clients, not do your own bookkeeping, unless that is your business. As you're going to say, I'm going to be a better person. Delegating what others can do faster and better than you is a smart way to leverage your time and money so you can focus on what you do best. Continuing to DIY your personal and business finances can hold you back from your full potential and possibly lead to costly mistakes like over or underpaying your taxes.

[00:02:46] Stop being cheap. When you're broke and money is tight, you shop around for the cheapest option because you have to. The cheapest accountant, the cheapest website designer, the cheapest hair salon, and so on. It can be challenging to break the super frugal habit, even when you can loosen up a little on the purse strings. Maybe you're not DIYing your investments, accounting, web design, and personal grooming, but it might be time to upgrade your service providers.

[00:03:14] This can be hard because we're creatures of habit and we might really love some of these lower cost businesses. Good old Fred has been doing your taxes out of his basement office for the last 10 years. But as your wealth grows, you don't want to be anyone's richest or most complicated client, especially when it comes to legal, tax, and financial services. My household income is going to be at least three to four times what it was in 2020, which is amazing.

[00:03:40] This also means I need to upgrade to a different tax accountant who understands the complication that comes with the income. I love my former accountant, and she was a great fit for me when my business and finances were simpler. Yes, I'm probably going to pay two to three times more for my tax prep and consultation services this year. However, I'm confident this accounting firm has lots of clients just like me.

[00:04:05] I'm definitely not their richest or most complicated client, and that's a good thing. New and different challenges When you move into a net worth in the millions and income in the multiple six figures, there are more new and different challenges to address. You'll likely need to add more protection for yourself in the form of increased personal and business liability insurance, trusts, life insurance, and detailed estate planning.

[00:04:32] No one really likes to buy insurance or do estate planning. However, if they're not in place and the worst case scenario happens, you could risk losing all the wealth you've worked so hard to build for your family. As your side hustle turns into a full-blown business, you're probably going to graduate a sole proprietor structure to a C-corp or an S-corp, making you more tax efficient. You might need to hire employees, buy them health insurance, and start a 401k plan.

[00:05:02] That can be scary too, since now you're not just responsible for yourself. Money mindset 2.0 Money mindset upgrades are necessary when you have increased wealth and responsibility. The mistake most people make is stopping their mindset work when they become rich, thinking it's no longer necessary, because they've arrived. Every time we ascend to new levels of success, income, or net worth, we're faced with new fears and money blocks.

[00:05:31] As the saying goes, new level, new devil. I hate to be the bearer of bad news. The fear never goes away. It just changes. Previously, your fears might have been, I'll never have enough money. What if I'm never out of debt? How am I going to make ends meet? Now, it's replaced with, what if I lose my money? What if people think I'm one of those evil rich people? Is he just being friends with me because I have money now? Do I really belong here at the country club?

[00:06:01] When I pulled up in my Hyundai Sonata to the Alfa Romeo dealership parking lot to buy my new Giulia last week, my inner critic popped its head up to spew some trash I didn't even know was in my brain. Who do you think you are? You don't drive luxury cars. You don't belong here. I teach money mindset for a living, so I knew what was going on. I didn't give in to the fear that screamed at me to get back in my car and go home.

[00:06:29] We have as much head trash about being rich and wealthy as we do about being broke and poor. We need to take the garbage out and replace it with healthier money thoughts. Otherwise, we could still be plagued with the anxiety and fear we thought we'd be free of. If only we made more money. Embrace responsibility. Yes, more money means more responsibility. But if you don't take these things seriously, one of two things will happen.

[00:06:57] You'll either stay stuck at your lower, comfortable income, or you'll quickly squander your extra income without building lasting wealth. With great power and wealth comes great responsibility. Those who embrace it will build an empire and create a legacy. You just listened to the post titled, More Money Means More Responsibility, by Jessica Jokish with christinelukin.com.

[00:07:25] My philosophy with money? It's a tool for freedom, not a source of anxiety. Wealthfront helps you tune out the noise and earn more on every dollar with a high-yield cash account and sophisticated, easy-to-use investing products. The Wealthfront Cash Account offers an industry-leading APY, no monthly fees, and easy transfers to Wealthfront's expert-built investing products. Right now, you can earn up to 4.3% variable APY on your uninvested cash in the Wealthfront Cash Account.

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[00:08:23] Join the million-plus people trusting Wealthfront. Visit wealthfront.com slash OFD. Terms and conditions apply. This is a paid endorsement of Wealthfront. Client experiences will vary. Wealthfront brokerage is not a bank. The base APY is as of January 30th, 2026, and subject to change. For more information, please see the episode description. Marvel Television's Wonder Man, an eight-episode series, now streaming on Disney+.

[00:08:50] A superhero remake, not exactly what we'd expect from an Oscar-winning director. Action! Simon Williams, audition for Wonder Man. I'm going to need you to sign this. Assuming you don't have superpowers. I'll never work again if anyone found out. My lips are sealed. Marvel Television's Wonder Man. All eight episodes now streaming, only on Disney+. I think the advice to outsource when your situation becomes more complex intuitively makes sense.

[00:09:20] But what I don't see acknowledged enough is how incredibly difficult it can be to hire the right people. I have spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to outsource different things for my business. And it's incredibly frustrating to spend that money for an inadequate result. So my take is to tread lightly here. Be slow to hire and quick to fire when things aren't going well. I completely agree with hiring a great CPA though.

[00:09:50] Not only does mine help me with the filing of my taxes, but he's instrumental on my overall tax planning and strategy. If you've been listening to this show for a while, you know that I don't use a financial advisor or planner. I choose to manage my own investments and do my own financial planning. So why don't I manage my taxes the same way? I certainly used to when I only had W-2 income. But as my situation became more complex due to owning more assets and starting my business,

[00:10:19] it was clear that I could benefit from a CPA. Plus, financial advisors, especially ones that charge a percentage of assets under management, end up really expensive and can eat away at your wealth. But my CPA, he charges me $150 per hour for two planning meetings a year and $400 to do my filing. We're talking a $700 yearly expense, which has resulted in many thousands of dollars of savings due to minimizing my tax burden.

[00:10:48] And that doesn't even consider how much time he saved me or the value of peace of mind. And that's a wrap for another Monday show. Have a great rest of your day and start to your week. And I'll be back tomorrow as usual, where optimal life awaits.