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10/16/2026

Big dreams need more than motivation.

They need a way to be funded.

American Dream Sticker Shock frames it simply:

A plan.
A vehicle.
Payments.

Not loan payments.

Effort.

The plan is deciding what you are actually trying to build.

The vehicle is something capable of producing the income required to support that vision.

The payments are the consistent actions taken over time.

For some people, the gap between their current income and their desired life may be addressed through saving and investing.

For others, the report introduces another possibility:

Entrepreneurship.

Solve a problem people need solved.
Build something around that solution.
Create the possibility of income beyond a traditional salary structure.

That’s where the report moves from describing the problem to discussing opportunity.

And perhaps that’s the most important question it leaves us with:

If your current path cannot financially produce the future you want, are you willing to consider another path?

The numbers are only the beginning of the conversation.

Read more here:
https://wealthwave.com/jorick/sticker-shock

10/14/2026

What do Americans actually mean when they say “the American Dream”?

Surprisingly, it isn’t primarily about becoming wealthy.

Research highlighted in American Dream Sticker Shock found that Americans most often associate the Dream with:

Freedom.
Financial security.
Homeownership.
Opportunity.
A good family life.

One survey cited in the report found that 80% considered freedom of choice in how to live essential to the Dream.

76% said a good family life.

Only 17% identified becoming wealthy as essential.

That distinction matters.

For most people, the goal isn’t necessarily extravagance.

It’s having enough control over your finances that you can make choices for yourself and your family.

The problem?

Even that version of the American Dream has become increasingly expensive.

The new report asks a question every family should consider:

What does your version of the American Dream actually require financially?

And are you building toward it intentionally?

Read more here:
https://wealthwave.com/jorick/sticker-shock

10/12/2026

Here’s what makes financial planning difficult:

The target doesn’t stay still.

The first edition of American Dream Sticker Shock calculated the annual price tag at:

$130,357.

The new edition calculates:

$174,529.

That’s an increase of $44,172 per year over roughly a decade.

Some of the biggest increases identified in the report came from areas families cannot easily ignore:

Homeownership.
Healthcare.
Retirement.
Groceries.

And while wages increased too, the report argues that they did not keep pace with some of the expenses that matter most.

That should make all of us think.

A financial strategy that worked 10 years ago may not automatically work 10 years from now.

Your income needs can change
Your retirement target can change.
Your family responsibilities can change.

The question isn’t simply:

“Am I okay today?”

It’s also:

“Is my financial strategy capable of keeping up?”

That’s why financial education matters.

Read more here:
https://wealthwave.com/jorick/sticker-shock

10/08/2026

One of the most powerful ideas in American Dream Sticker Shock has very little to do with spreadsheets.

It’s what people do when the numbers stop working.

They hit the brakes on their dreams.

Quietly.

The vacation becomes “someday.”
The business becomes “maybe later.”
The educational opportunity becomes “we can’t afford it.”
Retirement gets pushed back.

The life someone imagined slowly gets resized until it fits the paycheck.
Nobody announces it.
It just happens.

But the report makes an important observation:

We don’t normally pay for the biggest things in life all at once.

A house requires a plan.
College requires a plan.
Retirement requires a plan.

Big goals are usually accomplished through a combination of time, strategy and consistent action.

So perhaps seeing a big number shouldn’t automatically cause us to reduce the goal.

Perhaps it should cause us to build a better plan.

Your paycheck shouldn’t automatically determine the size of your dream.

Read the report and decide for yourself.

Read it here:
https://wealthwave.com/jorick/sticker-shock

10/06/2026

This comparison from American Dream Sticker Shock stopped me.

The report gives a simple example:

At 0.38%, money takes roughly 190 years to double.
At 24%, debt can double roughly every 3 years.

Think about that.

Money growing incredibly slowly.
Debt compounding incredibly quickly.

That’s why financial literacy isn’t just about knowing how to create a budget.

It’s about understanding the forces working for you and against you.

Interest rates.
Debt.
Compounding.
Savings.
Retirement accounts.
Credit cards.

The report argues that America has a financial education problem because millions of families are making major money decisions without ever having been taught the fundamentals.

We teach algebra.
We teach history.
We teach science.

But how many people graduate knowing how compound interest really affects their financial life?

Financial education shouldn’t be optional knowledge.
It’s life knowledge.

Learn the rules before the rules become expensive.

Read more here:
https://wealthwave.com/jorick/sticker-shock

Understanding life insurance starts with one question: What do you need it to do?➡️ Term life insurance provides coverag...
09/30/2026

Understanding life insurance starts with one question: What do you need it to do?

➡️ Term life insurance provides coverage for a specific period. It generally offers a lower initial premium, making it an option for years when responsibilities like raising children or paying a mortgage are greatest.

➡️ Permanent life insurance is designed to provide lifelong coverage, provided policy requirements are met. It can also build cash value, with costs and features that vary by policy.

Before choosing, ask:
• How long will I need protection?
• What can I comfortably afford?
• Can I renew or convert the policy, and at what cost?
• What happens if my needs change?

You don’t have to know every insurance term. Start by understanding your options.

At first glance, the question might seem silly. Of course they all matter. But if you had to rank them by importance, wo...
09/28/2026

At first glance, the question might seem silly. Of course they all matter. But if you had to rank them by importance, would your priorities match what you’ve chosen to protect?

In 2026, only 52% of American adults report having life insurance. Yet 38%, representing approximately 92 million adults, say they need coverage or need more of it.*

Cost, competing priorities, and uncertainty about what to buy can all get in the way.

Start by checking what you already have. How much would it pay? How long would it last? What would your family need it to cover?

Financial education helps turn “I think we’re covered” into a clearer understanding of where you stand.

*Source: 2026 Insurance Barometer Study, LIMRA and Life Happens.

Love is what you do while you’re here.You provide. You show up. You make the mortgage payment. You buy the groceries. Yo...
09/24/2026

Love is what you do while you’re here.

You provide.
You show up.
You make the mortgage payment.
You buy the groceries.
You drive them to school.
You make plans for a future you expect to share.

But love can also mean preparing for a future you hope never comes.

Life insurance can’t replace a parent, a spouse, a laugh around the dinner table, or the person everyone turns to when life gets hard.

What it can do is help protect the life that continues.

It can help give a family time. Options. Stability. The ability to keep moving forward while everything else feels like it has stopped.

Because the greatest promise we make to the people we love isn’t simply:

“I’ll take care of you.”

It’s:

“I’ve done what I can to make sure you’re cared for, even if I can’t be there.”

Everybody wants a good price.They should.But when it comes to protecting a family, price is only one part of the decisio...
09/21/2026

Everybody wants a good price.

They should.

But when it comes to protecting a family, price is only one part of the decision.

Two policies can show the same coverage amount and still have very different:

Terms.

Features.

Conversion options.

Guarantees.

Underwriting.

Company strength.

And long-term implications.

Saving money is valuable.

Saving money by giving up something your family actually needs isn’t.

That’s why comparison should never stop at:

“Which one costs less?”

Ask:

What am I getting?

What am I giving up?

How long does it last?

What happens later?

And does this actually solve the problem my family needs solved?

Financial education helps turn a price comparison into an informed decision.

Compare carefully, not casually.

Think about who you were when you first bought life insurance.Now think about your life today.Maybe you got married.Had ...
09/17/2026

Think about who you were when you first bought life insurance.

Now think about your life today.

Maybe you got married.

Had children.

Bought a house.

Changed careers.

Earn significantly more.

Started a business.

Took responsibility for an aging parent.

Or maybe some responsibilities disappeared and your financial position became stronger.

Your life didn’t stand still.

But your policy may have.

Owning life insurance answers one question.

Whether it still fits your life is another.

A review doesn’t automatically mean buying something new.

It might confirm that everything is exactly where it should be.

It might reveal an outdated beneficiary.

A gap in coverage.

A workplace benefit you misunderstood.

Or simply a question you’ve never asked.

The goal isn’t more insurance.

The goal is understanding whether the protection you have still matches the people, responsibilities and future you have today.

Address

3550 Stevens Creek Boulevard Ste 305
San Jose, CA
95117

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 8am - 12pm

Telephone

+15104211429

Website

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