In this episode of The Liquidity Event, AJ and Shane reflect on their first-ever company retreat where AJ admits to being a sore loser, break down the surprising connection between Toys R Us and crypto, and explain why you should give your parents a secret code word to avoid AI scams. Plus, the latest on UK tax loopholes, how many streaming apps are too many, Iceland’s new four-day work week, and a few surprising lessons about monetizing unused flights and hotel rooms.

(00:00) Introductions

(01:09) Certified pre-owned food

(02:48) Are home renovations ever finished in their projected time window?

(03:42) BKFi client event and classic, corporate forced fun work retreat

(04:35) Give your parents a code word, don't let them get scammed by AI

(10:06) Will you buy the new Apple flip phone?

(14:10) AJ is a sore loser at the first company retreat

(16:35) How are Toys R Us and Crypto related?

(22:44) Be real, how many streaming apps does your household use?

(24:40) Shane doesn't know the difference between Gossip Girl and Gilmore Girls

(25:38) Lifesyles of the rich and the famous, they're always complaining, always complaining - How the infamous Good Charlotte song applies to the new closed tax loophole in the UK

(31:41) Iceland approved a new four-day work week

(35:07) Monitizing your own unused flights and hotel rooms

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🌐 Learn more about Brooklyn FI financial planning: brooklynfi.com

✍️ Leave us a voicemail question for a future episode: memo.fm/theliquidityevent

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LinkedIn: / brooklyn-fi

Instagram: / brooklyn_f.i

On this episode of The Liquidity Event, AJ and Shane are finally reunited, and they cover everything from Missouri’s wild proposal to eliminate capital gains tax to why the return-to-office push might be hurting women more than expected. Plus, Greece’s crumbling infrastructure, sky-high babysitting rates, revoked science grants, and how to track down your long-lost 401(k). Oh… and of course, a little pasta talk.

Key Timestamps:

(00:00) Introductions

(02:37) Where in the world has Shane been?

(05:21) Greece's crumbling infrastructure and economy

(09:51) AJ's childhood neighbor has a fascinating way of cooking chicken

(11:00) A new bill in Missouri could eliminate capital gains altogether

(16:00) Why women are struggling with returning to work in the office (hint, they're not)

(20:37) Babysitters make HOW much money in 2025?

(21:13) Is New York the place for you? (Go read AJ's Substack, Money Changes Everything, to get the low down)

(24:10) Capitol Hill Science fair - Grants get revoked

(29:05) Check the lost and found for your old 401(k)

Want to know more about the One Big Beautiful BillTax and how it will affect you, register here for our webinar on July 23. We’ll explain everything you need to know.

🔔 Subscribe to The Liquidity Event on YouTube: YouTube Channel

🌐 Learn more about Brooklyn FI financial planning: brooklynfi.com

✍️ Leave us a voicemail question for a future episode: memo.fm/theliquidityevent

📱 Follow Brooklyn FI:

LinkedIn: / brooklyn-fi

Instagram: / brooklyn_f.i

What’s in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — and how does it impact your taxes, family, equity comp, and retirement? In this episode of The Liquidity Event, AJ Ayers and John Owens break down the OBBB and what it means for high earners, tech professionals, parents, retirees, and everyone in between. We also chat micro-retirements, the new NYC mayor, charitable gifting changes, and yes, beavers with zoning issues.

Key Timestamps:

(00:00) Introductions

(03:09) Zohran Mamdani the new mayor of NYC

(07:30) Gen Z discovers micro-retirement and taking vacations

(11:01) Beavers build a local dam in the Czech Republic while authorities await permit

(12:54) One Big Beautiful Bill: What does this mean for Brooklyn Fi clients?

(14:49) OBBB and QSBS

(18:23) What does the OBBB have to do with parents of young children?

(22:34) BKFi Boomers: What can the OBBB do for senior citizens

(26:01) How to give back to those negatively affected by OBBB

(28:03)Charitable Gifting Changes and the OBBB

(31:09) Listener Question: How do I find the right accountant?

If you’re still curious about the One Big Beautiful Bill and how it will affect you, register here for our webinar on July 23. We’ll explain everything you need to know.

🔔 Subscribe to The Liquidity Event on YouTube: YouTube Channel

🌐 Learn more about Brooklyn FI financial planning: brooklynfi.com

✍️ Leave us a voicemail question for a future episode: memo.fm/theliquidityevent

📱 Follow Brooklyn FI:

LinkedIn: / brooklyn-fi

Instagram: / brooklyn_f.i

John Owens CFP®, EA, ECA, CPWA® and Ed Zolotarev CPA, MST, CFP® fill in for AJ and Shane on this milestone 150th episode of The Liquidity Event.

FICO (Fair Isaac Corporation) is finally figuring out what to do about your outstanding Klarna loans. We discuss how “buy now, pay later” services might soon impact your credit score.

TLDR: It probably isn’t the best idea to finance your DoorDash order over 4 months.

Plus, alternative investments are getting a lot of attention right now. Why are private equity firms suddenly sliding into your DMs? We examine the dry IPO market as one of the root causes.

Then a Reddit question: how many kids should you have from a financial perspective?

Finally, our biggest takeaways from the first half of 2025.

Key Timestamps:

• (6:25) FICO's buy now, pay later integration rollout

• (9:30) Why financing experiences is financial quicksand

• (12:20) Ed's Affirm baby monitor financing experiment

• (15:56) Alternative investments moving down market

• (19:20) Why the IPO drought is forcing PE firms to get creative

• (24:10) Reddit question: How many kids should you have?

• (29:25) First half of 2025 takeaways

🔔 Subscribe to The Liquidity Event on YouTube: YouTube Channel
🌐 Learn more about Brooklyn FI financial planning: brooklynfi.com
✍️ Leave us a voicemail question for a future episode: memo.fm/theliquidityevent
📱 Follow Brooklyn FI:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brooklyn-fi/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brooklyn_f.i/

Hear your Liquidity Event host, Ally Jane Ayers, share expert insights on budgeting, investing, and managing money on the Hello Prenup Podcast with Julia Rodgers, Esq.

AJ discusses how to take control of your personal finances, talking money in a relationship, and why a prenup is an important part of financial wellness.

For the video recording, check out the Hello Prenup podcast on YouTube.

Key Moments:

• 01:51 Critiquing Traditional Finance
• 06:51 Importance of Prenups
• 09:33 Starting Money Conversations w/ Partner
• 12:52 Quarterly Money Dates & Goal Planning
• 16:47 Student Debt Conversation
• 20:25 Prenups in Practice
• 30:29 Budgeting & 50/30/20 Rule
• 37:22 Inheritance Conversations
• 44:10 Teaching Kids about Money

While our team is on a quick break, tune in as our co-founder Shane Mason joins the always entertaining Accounting High podcast to talk about the journey of building BKFi.

Shane shares insights on BKFi’s team structure and remote work and how we have built a company culture that’s ALWAYS focused on how to best serve our clients. He also discusses his and AJ Ayers’ new Gemifi software for equity compensation and how they have leveraged marketing partnerships to drive growth.

Check out the Accounting High podcast on YouTube.

Key Moments:

00:28 Welcome Back Shane and BrooklynFI

09:59 Team Structure and Remote Work

13:04 Client Services and Financial Planning

22:28 The Liquidity Event Podcast

25:36 New Ventures: Gemify Software

34:50 BrooklynFI's Continued Success

35:30 Marketing Strategies and Partnerships

40:26 Investment Strategies and Market Insights

46:41 Final Thoughts and Advice

In this episode, AJ and Shane break down why every VC-backed IPO in the past 12 months has been a “down round” and what that means for your equity. Then they tackle a juicy Reddit question from a 32-year-old tech worker vesting $400,000 per month (!) who's considering walking away from $5 million in future equity.

Key Timestamps:

(0:00) Introductions and summer traipsing vs. gallivanting exploration

(4:40) IPO “down rounds” explained

(8:45) The economics behind down rounds: cheap COVID money meets high interest rates

(12:30) Circle and Chime IPO examples - companies going public at lower valuations

(15:45) Why tender offers might be your best bet in this market

(17:45) Reddit question: "Is $10 million enough to retire on?"

(21:00) The $400K per month dilemma - stay for more money or quit while ahead?

(26:30) Team Quit vs. Team Stay - Opposing views on leaving $5 million on the table

(29:30) What being really rich buys you (spoiler: private jets)

The Debate: AJ argues for quitting: Take the money, buy the house, live the good life before kids arrive. Shane argues for staying: You're making $3,000 per hour. Don't walk away from generational wealth.

Who's right? Let us know in the comments.

🔔 Subscribe to The Liquidity Event on YouTube: YouTube Channel

🌐 Learn more about Brooklyn FI financial planning: brooklynfi.com

✍️ Leave us a voicemail question for a future episode: memo.fm/theliquidityevent

📱 Follow Brooklyn FI:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brooklyn-fi/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brooklyn_f.i/

In this episode of The Liquidity Event, hosts Shane Mason (reporting from Ireland! ) and AJ Ayers discuss the showdown between President Trump and Harvard and some of the current cash challenges felt by universities, even those with massive endowments.

They also talk through the IPO market ecosystem and which factors may be keeping it frozen.

Key Takeaways:

(0:00) Introductions and AJ's Broadway theater review

(4:18) Shane reports from Ireland, scotch eggs & shoutout to Rubin

(6:07) Trump vs Harvard - theories on the real motivation

(12:17) College endowments cash crunch - Harvard's $86B problem

(14:28) Endowment size reality check and college reunion prep

(18:33) Should we tax endowments like billionaires?

(21:05) Meet the portfolio pruner - VCs' new cleanup crew

(26:28) The valuation baggage problem and down rounds

(28:26) Secondary sales surge as IPO market stays frozen

(31:00) Sequoia's "patient capital" and wealth inequality connection

🔔 Subscribe to The Liquidity Event on YouTube: YouTube Channel

🌐 Learn more about Brooklyn FI financial planning: www.brooklynfi.com

✍️ Leave us a voicemail question for a future episode: memo.fm/theliquidityevent

📱 Follow Brooklyn FI:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brooklyn-fi/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brooklyn_f.i/