When the market feels unpredictable, your plan shouldn’t be. If you’re worried about the volatility and how you’re invested, now might be the time to step back and reassess your strategies to ensure we are adequately prepared for whatever the market throws our way.

In this episode, Michael shares a structured, three-bucket approach to help investors navigate volatility and prepare for retirement with confidence. Drawing on lessons from the 2008 financial crisis and current market headwinds, we’ll explain how to allocate your assets across growth, guaranteed income, and liquidity to create a foundation that balances opportunity and protection.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

📉 Lessons from 2008 and today's volatile markets

🧠 Why emotional decisions can wreck your retirement

📊 How real diversification works — and what it’s not

🎯 Why financial success starts with a personalized plan

Learn more: https://caffeinecashflow.com/

Get in touch with Michael-

Web: https://www.westpacwealth.com/team/michael-schulte

Email: michael.schulte@westpacwealth.com

Phone: 702-767-4897

Tariffs are back in the headlines—and so is market volatility. But is this a reason to panic or just another chapter in a long financial story?

In this episode of Caffeine & Cash Flow, Michael Schulte walks through five historical periods of U.S. tariffs—from the Smoot-Hawley Act of the 1930s to recent measures under Presidents Trump and Biden—and reveals how markets performed during each era.

The good news: it’s not all doom and gloom.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

📉 What happened during the 1930s Smoot-Hawley tariffs

📈 How the market reacted under Nixon, Reagan, Trump, and Biden

📊 Real performance data across five tariff periods

🔍 Why diversification and time horizon matter more than headlines

🧠 The case for ignoring market panic and sticking to your plan

The data pulled in this episode is sourced from InteractFA.

Learn more: https://caffeinecashflow.com/

Get in touch with Michael-

Web: https://www.westpacwealth.com/team/michael-schulte

Email: michael.schulte@westpacwealth.com

Phone: 702-767-4897

You’ve heard the term “diversification” countless times—but are you actually doing it right? As the financial landscape continues to evolve, understanding how to properly diversify your investment portfolio is more crucial than ever. In this episode, we’re going to get into the investing fundamentals we consistently stick to in order to help achieve the highest probability of success.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

📊 Diversification ≠ Just owning a few different stocks

📉 Most portfolios are too heavily tilted toward large-cap tech

🏦 Own the full asset class—don’t try to pick winners

🔄 Rebalance regularly to reduce risk & stay disciplined

Learn more: https://caffeinecashflow.com/

Get in touch with Michael-

Web: https://www.westpacwealth.com/team/michael-schulte

Email: michael.schulte@westpacwealth.com

Phone: 702-767-4897