Castles and Moats: Insurance, Investment, and Life Planning Simply Explained

by Brian Carden

Overview

In Castles and Moats, Brian Carden simply explains insurance and investing, unpacks all the different options, and helps us chart a course to the financial future we’ve always dreamed of and worked so hard to obtain.

Americans are confused about managing their finances, insurance needs, and overall life planning. In the past, money wasn’t the do-it-yourself project it has become today. Instead, consumers had insurance and financial professionals to help them make prudent decisions. The point-and-click, self-serve nature of the Information Age has robbed us of the personalized face-to-face relationships that once led us into good financial decisions. Today, we’re drowning in information . . . but we’re starving for unbiased education without a sales pitch attached. We need a “professional explainer” to come alongside us, unpack all the different options, and help us chart a course to the financial future we’ve always dreamed of and worked so hard to obtain.

In Castles and Moats, Brian Carden is that “explainer.” He helps you understand, prioritize, organize, strategize, and stress-test each financial product or strategy to help you create a more favorable outcome. You’ll learn how to avoid buying products or strategies that might seem good when you buy them, only to find out about the pitfalls later in your life. By recapturing those lost dollars and redeploying them towards other, more tailored solutions, you’ll increase your chance of financial independence with more predictable outcomes.

Unpacking all the ins and outs of insurance, planning, and investment strategies, Brian provides an unbiased, practical, and easy-to-understand guide for you to make better, more informed decisions. In Castles and Moats, he equips you to build your glimmering castle of wealth and surround it with a moat of protection.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781637630457
Publisher:	Forefront Books
Publication date:	03/08/2022
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.38(w) x 8.38(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Brian Carden is a thirty-nine-year veteran of an ever-changing insurance and investment industry. He represents his clients through an exclusive alliance with Elite Insurance Solutions and with his affiliation with Stewardship Private Wealth Management. Brian began his career in the industry in 1983, after responding to a flyer placed on his apartment door by a recruiter. Over time, his new job slowly but systematically morphed into an occupation, one which led him through many changes in the insurance and investment industry.

He’s seen the economy and the investment markets rise and fall and has guided clients through the good times of a bull market and the challenging times of a bear market. Where most of his peers focus on either insurance or investments, Brian’s approach involving both domains differentiate him as a true, comprehensive advisor and planner.
Today, Brian views his career as a calling to serve and views himself as a “professional explainer,” particularly as it relates to separating fact from fiction surrounding all things insurance and investment planning.

Brian has been published in the Nashville Business Journal, Denver Business Journal, Boston Business Journal, and on Horsesmouth.com. He also writes a regular blog for several thousand subscribers on “all things insurance and investment.”

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 11

Introduction 13

Part 1 Building Your Moat of Protection

Chapter 1 A Crash Course on Auto Insurance 25

Chapter 2 Oh, Hail No: Understanding Additional Auto Coverages 33

Chapter 3 Personal Liability Policies: An Umbrella for the Storms of Life 43

Chapter 4 Home Sweet Homeowner's Insurance 53

Chapter 5 Landlord Policies: Protecting Homes You Don't Live In 69

Chapter 6 Flood Insurance: Don't Let Your Money Float Away 75

Chapter 7 A Quick Word on Deductibles 81

Chapter 8 You Bet Your Life (Insurance) 83

Chapter 9 Expect the Unexpected: Disability Income Plans 103

Chapter 10 Should You Care about Long-Term Care? 111

Chapter 11 Health Insurance: Enough Instability to Make You Sick 117

Chapter 12 Wills, Wills, Wills 119

Part 2 Creating Your Castle of Wealth

Chapter 13 Your Castle Blueprint 129

Chapter 14 Nothing Happens without a Budget 133

Chapter 15 New Job Paperwork: Choosing Benefit Plans at Work 141

Chapter 16 Cash (and Cash Equivalents) Are King! 145

Chapter 17 Where Do You Find This "Saved" Money? 157

Chapter 18 Timelining Your Savings 161

Chapter 19 Mortgages: Funding the Castle You Live In 171

Chapter 20 Take the Money and Run: Utilizing Retirement Accounts and Employer Matching 177

Chapter 21 Chasing Investment Returns and Modern Portfolio Theory 191

Chapter 22 Embracing Your Inner Nerd: Understanding Investment Concepts, Products, and How They Work 201

Chapter 23 Advisors, Agents, and Salespeople 219

Chapter 24 How the Media Affects Your Emotions … and Your Money 223

Chapter 25 The Four Quadrants of Investor Behavior 231

Chapter 26 Social Security and How It Factors into Your Lifetime Income Planning 237

Chapter 27 The Different Types of Risks and How They Affect You 243

Chapter 28 Planning for Your Income in Retirement 249

Chapter 29 Alternative Investment Strategies, a.k.a. Nonqualified Plans 257

Chapter 30 Living a Life of Significance and Leaving a Legacy of Love 261

Chapter 31 Conclusion 269

Appendix

What to Do If You're Just Getting Started … Or Starting Over 272

What to Do When You Move to a New City or Relocate with a Job 274

What to Do When You Get Married 275

What to Do If You Are Self-Employed 277

What to Do If You Get Divorced 279

What to Do If You Are 50+ and Aren't as Prepared for Retirement as You Hoped 280

What to Do If You're In Retirement 281

Notes 285