Most money conversations families avoid are the ones they’ll need most. The peace comes from having them before the crisis.

Right now, Emily is living the sandwich generation from both sides: a new high schooler and a college kid on one end, and a father in hospice care on the other. In 25+ years as a Chartered Financial Analyst, she’s seen it again and again: the hardest part of this season is rarely the schedule. It’s the conversations nobody wants to start.

On this episode of the Faithful Finance Podcast, Emily and Alison open up about what caring for kids and aging parents at the same time really looks like, from making hard medical decisions to taking away the car keys to caring for a parent from out of town.

Then they get practical: the documents every family needs, how to ask your parents about their will without it feeling like an interrogation, and how to get everything organized in one place before a fire drill.

What You’ll Learn:
➡️ What the sandwich generation is, and why more families are carrying both ends of the load for longer
➡️ How to make loving decisions for a parent when the choices get complicated
➡️ Why hospice is a gift, and why accepting help is part of stewarding a hard season
➡️ How to approach the car keys conversation with empathy for what driving really represents
➡️ How to ask your parents about their will in a way that honors their wishes
➡️ The difference between a medical power of attorney and a financial power of attorney, and why your 18-year-old needs one too
➡️ How transfer-on-death designations keep accounts from freezing when your family needs them most
➡️ What to do when a parent is in denial and won’t talk about it
➡️ Long-term care options, from hybrid insurance policies to reverse mortgages
➡️ How to build a “house is on fire” binder so your family knows exactly where everything is

Resources:
Read more about the sandwich generation: https://www.investmentnews.com/practice-management/sandwich-generation/267214

Listen to our estate planning episode, “How To Make An Estate Plan”: https://youtu.be/YI1J_iCKBB8?si=vnJyUvRqg_Ky_sff

Bring the Faithful Finance Workshop to your church: https://faithfulfinance.com/workshop/

Download Emily’s free budget worksheet and other practical tools at: https://faithfulfinance.com/resources

Buy Emily’s Book: Purchase Faithful Finance by Emily Stroud on her website: https://faithfulfinance.com/resources/

Support the Show:
✅ Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode
✍️ Leave a review and share your biggest takeaway
📲 Share this episode with a sibling, friend, or anyone caring for kids and parents at the same time

Connect With Emily:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilygstroud
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilygstroud
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@emilygstroud
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@faithfulfinancepodcast

Connect With Alison:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amgengelbach

Credits:
A Faithful Finance production.
Executive Producer: Emily Stroud
Produced by Griffith Media

© COPYRIGHT 2026 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Emily G. Stroud, LLC
Emily G. Stroud, MBA, CFA is a Registered Representative
Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member SIPC sipc.org

Most money fights start long before anyone mentions money. Over the course of her 25+ years as a Chartered Financial Analyst, Emily has seen it again and again: the moment she asks a couple about their finances, the emotions underneath come pouring out.

So on this episode of the Faithful Finance Podcast, Emily and Alison sit down with licensed therapist and author Jason VanRuler, who studies what happens when a conversation starts to go sideways and helps couples communicate clearly with each other. Jason unpacks why money talks go from zero to conflict so fast, the shame we carry when our identity gets tied to a number, and the simple shifts that put couples back on the same team.

What You'll Learn:

➡️ Why money conversations are some of the most emotionally loaded "master's level" conversations in any relationship

➡️ The three D's of doom (distracted, defensive, dismissive) and how each one derails a conversation

➡️ What defensiveness is really protecting, and why it wounds the person you love

➡️ How one honest admission turned a costly mistake into a moment of connection for Jason and his wife

➡️ Why your net worth is not your self-worth, and how shame says "I am a mistake" instead of "I made a mistake"

➡️ Why "enough" keeps moving when your identity is tied to a number

➡️ The five communication types from Jason's book Discovering Your Communication Type (Peacemaker, Advocate, Thinker, Harbor, Spark) and how to talk about money with each one

➡️ How to make room for the quieter spouse when one person does all the talking

➡️ The first step for couples stuck in conflict: verify the story you're telling yourself

Resources:

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1UgG69-7G-M

Take Jason's free PATHS communication type assessment: https://www.jasonvr.com/paths

Buy Jason's Book: Discovering Your Communication Type: The 5 Paths to Deeper Connections and Stronger Relationships by Jason VanRuler: https://a.co/d/675JOCl

Connect with Jason VanRuler:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason.vanruler/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Jasonvrcounselor
Website: https://jasonvr.com

Download Emily's free budget worksheet and other practical tools at: https://faithfulfinance.com/resources

Buy Emily's Book: Purchase Faithful Finance by Emily Stroud on her website: https://faithfulfinance.com/resources/

Support the Show:

✅ Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode
✍️ Leave a review and share your biggest takeaway
📲 Share this episode with someone who's ready to stop fighting about money and start working on the same team

Connect With Emily:
Website: https://faithfulfinance.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilygstroud
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilygstroud
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@emilygstroud
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@faithfulfinancepodcast

Connect With Alison:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amgengelbach

Credits:
A Faithful Finance production.
Executive Producer: Emily Stroud
Produced by Griffith Media | https://www.griffith.media
© COPYRIGHT 2026 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Emily G. Stroud, LLC
Emily G. Stroud, MBA, CFA is a Registered Representative
Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member SIPC sipc.org

A Tuesday morning, a heart attack, and a wife who didn't have to worry about money in the middle of it. That's where this episode starts.

This episode of the Faithful Finance podcast was recorded live at the Faithful Finance Workshop at Christ Chapel Bible Church in Fort Worth, Texas.

Emily and Alison walk through her 10 practical steps to financial freedom — the meaty, implementable framework from her best-selling book, condensed into one live session. From finding the right financial counsel to building your cash reserve to getting your final affairs in order, this episode covers the full roadmap, all through the lens of preparation, not perfection.

Emily pulls from 25+ years as a Chartered Financial Analyst to walk through real numbers, real benchmarks, and real talk — including the full story behind that Tuesday morning, and why being prepared meant she never had to worry about the financial side while focusing on what mattered most.

What You'll Learn:

➡️ How to find a financial advisor you can actually trust — and the free tool to check their credentials
➡️ Why your budget isn't a noose — it's the roadmap that gives you freedom
➡️ How much you actually need in your cash reserve (the simple math behind it)
➡️ Why automating your savings is the single best practice you can adopt
➡️ How to build an investment plan for retirement, college, and the big dreams
➡️ Why not all debt is bad — and the simple rule of thumb for telling good debt from bad
➡️ What it really means to be properly insured (and the difference between disability and long-term care coverage)
➡️ Why giving generously is one of the best antidotes to financial anxiety
➡️ The most common reason people put off getting a will — and how to finally get it done
➡️ Why every family needs a "house is on fire" binder — and what to put in it

Resources:

Download Emily's free budget worksheet and life insurance needs worksheet at: https://faithfulfinance.com/resources

Buy Emily's Book:

Purchase Faithful Finance by Emily Stroud on her website: https://faithfulfinance.com/resources/

Support the Show:

✅ Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode
✍️ Leave a review and share your biggest takeaway
📲 Share this episode with someone who needs a shame-free place to start their financial journey

Connect With Emily:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmilyGStroud
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilygstroud
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@emilygstroud
YouTube: /@faithfulfinancepodcast

Connect With Alison:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amgengelbach/

Credits:
A Faithful Finance production.
Executive Producer: Emily Stroud
Produced by Greatlight Creative: https://www.greatlightcreative.com

Emily G. Stroud, MBA, CFA is a Registered Representative. Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC to residents of: TX, UT, WV, NY, OK, PA, SC, TN, AR, AZ, GA, ID, IL, KY, MT, and NC. Investment Advisor Representative Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Cambridge and Stroud Financial Management, Inc. are not affiliated. Cambridge and Emily G. Stroud, LLC are also not affiliated. Check the background of this financial professional on FINRA's BrokerCheck: BrokerCheck.FINRA.org | www.FINRA.org | www.SIPC.org | Form CRS