Say “I Do” To a Joint Bank Account? Sharna Burgess on Wedding Planning and Financial Planning

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Say “I Do” To a Joint Bank Account? Sharna Burgess on Wedding Planning and Financial Planning"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin
• Host/Author: Money News Network
• Episode: Say “I Do” To a Joint Bank Account? Sharna Burgess on Wedding Planning and Financial Planning
• Release Date: May 6, 2025
• Guest: Sharna Burgess and Brian Austin Green

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1. Introduction to the Episode

Nicole Lapin introduces the episode by sharing her personal routine of staying at Airbnbs during her writing process, highlighting productivity and comfort. This segues into the main discussion with Sharna Burgess and Brian Austin Green about balancing love, wedding planning, and financial management within their relationship.

Quote:

Nicole Lapin (00:00): “I love to stay at an Airbnb. When I was actually first launching this show, I was at an Airbnb in Arizona. It was so peaceful.”

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2. Wedding Planning Amid Financial Planning

Sharna and Brian discuss their approach to wedding planning, emphasizing the desire for a grand, destination wedding that accommodates family from around the world. They express the challenges of balancing their busy lives and parenthood with the complexities of organizing a large-scale wedding.

Quote:

Brian Austin Green (03:26): “I want to be able to have all the money in the world to do all the things, fly my family from Australia...”

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3. The Importance of Prenups

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around prenups. Initially hesitant, Brian shares their postponed discussions on prenups, citing advice from their business manager, Laurie. They explore the misconception that prenups signal distrust, likening them to insurance policies that provide security rather than planning for divorce.

Quote:

Brian Austin Green (24:20): “I think protecting yourself is a beautiful thing and knowing that there is security and comfort there in that...”

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4. Financial Trauma and Personal Finance Lessons

Brian opens up about his financial past, revealing how poor money management led to minimal savings despite earning substantial income. He reflects on the financial habits he inherited from his parents and how they've influenced his approach to money. This honesty sets the stage for discussing healthier financial practices.

Quote:

Brian Austin Green (09:00): “Not what you make, it's what you keep. You have no idea how much convenience costs and add up all the little things...”

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5. Strategies for Joint Financial Management

The couple explains their financial strategy, which includes separate accounts for individual expenses and a joint account for shared responsibilities. They emphasize transparency and flexibility, particularly given the fluctuating nature of incomes in the entertainment industry. Their business manager, Laurie, plays a crucial role in maintaining their financial health.

Quote:

Brian Austin Green (19:04): “We make sure that there is obviously more than enough to cover what our monthly expenses are...”

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6. Parenting and Teaching Financial Responsibility

Sharna and Brian discuss how they instill financial literacy in their children. They share anecdotes about their kids saving substantial amounts from gifts and allowances, demonstrating the importance of teaching children to manage money wisely from a young age.

Quote:

Brian Austin Green (16:22): “Our 12-year-old has a thousand dollars. And I'm like, hold on, so why wait? What a thousand is so good at saving...”

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7. Practical Financial Tips from Brian

Brian offers actionable financial advice, emphasizing the principle, “Not what you make, it's what you keep.” He advises listeners to scrutinize their spending habits, particularly on convenience items that may seem insignificant individually but add up over time. He also highlights the importance of reviewing and consolidating subscriptions to eliminate unnecessary expenses.

Quote:

Brian Austin Green (36:59): “Not what you make, it's what you keep. And then the other one is... you have no idea how much convenience costs and add up all the little things...”

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8. Interactive Segment: Never Have I Ever – Financial Edition

In a fun and engaging segment, Sharna and Brian play a financial-themed version of "Never Have I Ever." This interaction not only lightens the conversation but also provides listeners with relatable insights into their financial experiences, such as dealing with credit card debt and investing fears.

Quote:

Sharna Burgess (34:28): “Never have I ever split the check on a first date.”

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9. Final Tips and Takeaways

As the episode wraps up, Brian reiterates key financial lessons learned from past mistakes, encouraging listeners to focus on saving and mindful spending. Sharna and Brian also discuss future financial planning for their children, including custodial Roth IRAs and 529 plans, although they acknowledge the need to formalize these steps with professional guidance.

Quote:

Sharna Burgess (36:16): “Have you done that recently? Have you gone through subscriptions and where are your subscriptions?”

Brian Austin Green (36:30): “Yes, I recently... realized that we had two Hulu accounts and two Disney and then a family bundle...”

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10. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Nicole Lapin concludes the episode with a promotional segment for Bank of America, offering listeners practical resources for managing joint accounts and emphasizing the importance of making smart financial decisions together. She encourages listeners to reach out with their money questions and engage with the Money Rehab community.

Quote:

Nicole Lapin (36:59): “For today's tip, you can take straight to the bank. If you want to go the yours, mine and ours account route, you can set all of those accounts up at Bank of America...”

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Key Takeaways:

• Joint Financial Planning: Establish separate and joint accounts to manage individual and shared expenses effectively.
• Prenups as Security: View prenups as a form of financial security akin to insurance, rather than a sign of distrust.
• Mindful Spending: Regularly review and cut unnecessary expenses, particularly on convenience items that accumulate over time.
• Financial Literacy for Kids: Teach children to save and manage money from a young age to foster financial responsibility.
• Transparent Communication: Maintain open and honest conversations about finances to navigate financial challenges together.

This episode provides a comprehensive look into balancing love and finances, offering valuable insights for couples navigating similar journeys.

Transcript

[Nicole Lapin]

So I have written, count them, five books now. But each time I'm in the writing process, I stay at an Airbnb. I love to stay at an Airbnb. When I was actually first launching this show, I was at an Airbnb in Arizona. It was so peaceful. It was stunning I could be productive and comfortable. The Airbnb was also surrounded by a ton of javelinas.

[Sharna Burgess]

If you know Arizona, you know they're like wild pig creatures.

[Nicole Lapin]

But honestly, I love them too. Being away for work, for fun, or both is a perfect opportunity to host your space on Airbnb. And if you think that hosting is overwhelming, I have a solve for you. With Airbnb's co host network, it's easier than ever before to host. It's also a great way to earn some extra cash, which I know we all love. Now you can hire a quality local co host to take care of your home and your guests. They can do everything from creating your listing to managing reservations, to messaging guests and even providing on site support. So if you've got a secondary property or an extended trip coming up and you need a little help hosting while you're away, you can hire a co host to do the work for you. Find a co [e-mail] host this episode is brought to you by bank of America. I'm Nicole Lapin, the only financial expert you don't need a dictionary to understand. It's time for some money rehab. I am somewhat of a romantic.

[Sharna Burgess]

I mean, I was a poetry major after all.

[Nicole Lapin]

So yes, I do love love. But what I'm obsessed with now is love and money and making sure to protect both in our relationships. What I think we all heard growing up when it came to money and relationships was what's mine is yours. But I think we've collectively grown out of that so called conventional wisdom and can graduate to a better philosophy. Today I'm talking about this with Sharna Burgess, who's a dancer and a Dancing with the Stars alum, in fact, and a podcaster. I was on her podcast, Oldish, that she co hosts with her fiance, Brian Austin green. Yes. From 90210 and life coach Randy Spelling. I honestly had so much fun on her show and I put her and Brian on the spot about whether or not they were going to get a prenup. That was about a year ago now. So today I'm checking back in and hearing about Sharna and Brian's approach to money in their relationship now and I give my favorite strategies for setting good.

[Sharna Burgess]

Financial habits As a couple foreign.

[Nicole Lapin]

Burgess.

[Sharna Burgess]

Welcome to Money Rehab.

[Brian Austin Green]

Thank you for having me.

[Sharna Burgess]

I'm so excited that you're here.

[Brian Austin Green]

I'm so excited that I'm here too. I loved when you were on Oldish. So getting to hang with you.

[Sharna Burgess]

Yeah, I loved being on Oldish that you co host with Randy and your boo, Brian.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah.

[Sharna Burgess]

You guys are on Zoom. So URL. But now we're IRL.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yes, we are. And so is Oldish too. We're IRL and now Oldish is IRL and people are seeing it on YouTube and they're loving it. It feels so good for people to be able to see the content too. I never realized how important that was. It's not just the conversation. Some people love to watch it. So yeah, it's super fun.

[Sharna Burgess]

I'm going to invite myself back.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yes, you should. We would love to actually. It's so funny when you reached out to me to be here with you, Brian was like, you're kidding. I literally thought about her this week to bring her back on Oldish because we. She was so amazing. We would love to have you back.

[Sharna Burgess]

I have some thoughts because when we were on last time, I've been dying to ask you about follow ups for what we talked about specifically around the prenup.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah, right. We haven't even gotten into that. Our wedding is so far away. We're so busy, at least for these next 12 months. And what I do know is I want to go big with it. It doesn't mean it's bring a castle, but I want to be able to have all the money in the world to do all the things fly my family from Australia and we're not in that position right now to just blow all of that money on a wedding. So I'd rather wait for us like A or 2 for all these jobs that we've got coming up and then be in a place where we go, yeah, let's do the whole thing.

[Sharna Burgess]

So how is the wedding planning going?

[Brian Austin Green]

It's just on hold because we don't haven't necessarily set a date. And we're also just incredibly happy and busy and in our parenthood era. And it's like trying to plan another thing on top of all the things we already planned feels chaotic and feels like another task. We're just not prepared for right now. But we have talked about what do we want to do. Is it a big massive thing or is it small? And I definitely keep going back and forth. But what I do know is I want to be able to bring Everyone I love from all over the world. And I want it to most likely be a destination thing. And I want it to be not just a one night, but also the week of. I grew up going to these Russian weddings and European weddings. And it's not just the wedding, you know, it's an extravaganza. And I love that. I love the parties before it because all the guests get to know each other. So by the time the wedding comes around, everyone's mates, everyone's had drinks, everyone's on a really great page with each other. And then you have the after party and then you go home. So we need a big budget for this.

[Sharna Burgess]

We do.

[Brian Austin Green]

We need a big budget for this wedding.

[Sharna Burgess]

Wedding rehab.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah, Wedding rehab. This is exactly what we need.

[Sharna Burgess]

But catch me up. So when I was on with you guys, I could just feel even. URL. You have so much chemistry. You and Brian are just so cute. I just couldn't stand it.

[Brian Austin Green]

It's wild, right? We knew there was chemistry on the very first date when we sat down and we lost time, right? We spoke for nearly four or five hours and shut down the restaurant and almost missed work. And we did that a few more times before we even kissed. And I remember thinking, God, it feels so fun being around him and talking to him is so easy. And it's just. It's amazing. And we've had so much life happen in the last four years that we've also discovered we're such a good team. So it's not just all chemistry and fun, but we are really great at keeping each other accountable and grounded, focused. We parent well together. It really does feel like an amazing match. Doesn't mean it's all peaches. You know what I mean? Yeah. Rainbows and butterflies. We certainly have our stuff.

[Sharna Burgess]

Everybody does.

[Brian Austin Green]

Everybody does. But we work through it together, which is great.

[Sharna Burgess]

Did somebody introduce you guys?

[Brian Austin Green]

Yes, we have. It's the weirdest thing. Our mutual business manager. He's been with Laurie for 20 plus years. I've been with her since just before I was 30, so almost 10 years. And she said to me one day, she said, I've got a client that I really think you should meet. He's ready to date. And every time I'm with him, I think of you. And every time I'm with you, I think of him. And it's the weirdest thing. And she's a businessman. She does my taxes and makes sure I don't spend too much money. Help me buy a house. Yeah, she's your kind of lady. She's not a Cupid. And so it was the weirdest request that it was like, how can I not say yes to this? I've totally got to say yes. Because I was also trying the dating apps and trying the things and it was just horrendous. Dating in LA is the worst. And so we went on this date and she said to me, she said, it's Brian Austin Green. I was like, okay, cool. Who's that? I had absolutely no idea. Looked him up. Oh, I know that face. And on paper, dating Brian Austin Green could have been very complicated. Everything he was going through, he's already got kids. I knew I was probably going to be with someone that already had kids.

[Sharna Burgess]

Why?

[Brian Austin Green]

Because of age. At that point, I knew I wanted someone grown that had experienced life. I didn't want someone younger than me necessarily. And at that point, some people have kids already, so I was already open to it. But on paper, there was already four kids and an ex wife that was currently going through divorce at the time. So you would think on paper, oh, that's a lot of red flags. That's a lot of stuff. Maybe not. But it was the easiest thing I'd ever done. And there's. I don't know what kind of magic that is other than it was just the right energy, the right frequency and something about it just meant to be because it still feels like the easiest thing I've ever done.

[Sharna Burgess]

I love that. Also some financial magic. Okay, Lori.

[Brian Austin Green]

I know. Laurie, right? Wild.

[Sharna Burgess]

Don't underestimate your financial advisor.

[Brian Austin Green]

She reminds me of it every week when we catch up about that business things she'll be in in the wedding party for sure. She has to be. She introduced us.

[Sharna Burgess]

Do you guys. So you use her now?

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah, she's still our business manager, so she works with both of us.

[Sharna Burgess]

Has it changed how you guys work with her?

[Brian Austin Green]

It's interesting. She works with us individually, both the same way. And we have our own stuff and things, but we also have our home accounts and our things that are for the both of us that we put into every month and she puts the same in for us or she lets us know where we're at if things need to be adjusted because someone hasn't worked as much or whatever. Life is life. She's helped me understand taxes and money and being better at being accountable for it. Because before her. Nicole, let me tell you, when I came to Los Angeles and started earning TV money, I spent every dollar of that TV money not understanding or not realizing. Had a bad business manager before that. That didn't keep me accountable for anything, didn't help me build credit. I was in the worst of ways before Laurie came along, and she's taught me a lot since then.

[Sharna Burgess]

You spent every dollar. What would you say to younger Sharna, who was doing that?

[Brian Austin Green]

Stop. And you. Well, you know what? It's wild. I didn't realize I was doing that because I wasn't going and buying Louis Vuitton handbags. I was spending it on convenience. I was always. I was buying extra stuff at the airport that I didn't really need on the plane, always valeting, always this. It's all the little things that would add up.5,000 cuts. I could have cut all of that back, bought two Louis Vuitton handbags that year and still had money left over. If I had just paid attention to the way that I was spending. Spending. It was overspending on convenience and. And just the abundance of things that I didn't need. Overspending on, having more than I needed just cause or I don't know if I feel like eating that or that. So I'll get both. Terrible.

[Sharna Burgess]

But there is, like, mindful eating. There's mindfulness in so many other aspects. Now. I like to talk about mindful spending, too, because you can do it or you can online shop without even realizing. Just paying attention to what you're paying attention to. When it comes to finances goes a long way.

[Brian Austin Green]

It really goes a long way.

[Sharna Burgess]

And so when you guys have your own account, it's yours, mine and ours. Is that how you guys split the finances?

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah. And I don't know what he has personally. Like, I will. I know ish, but I don't look at it. Do you know what I mean? That's his business. I have my business. We're very transparent with each other. If anyone's having a month or two where it's like, things are a little tighter this month or whatever, we'll be open with each other, but I'm not on top of his finances and he's not on top of mine. We have Lori for that, but I don't want to be either. I think for me, I have trauma with it because I watched it destroy my mum and dad. My dad had a business. My mom tried to help because she was an accountant, and it just. It didn't work. The money conversations in the house were really rough. So I also have an aversion to knowing too much about what's going on with him. I just need to know we're solid or if we're on rocky ground and, like, where we're at. But I don't want to know. I don't want him to feel like he has to tell me. And I don't want to feel like I have to check in on it all the time, because I feel like it's one of those things. Once you unlock your boyfriend's phone and you start going through his stuff, you'll unlock it every week to go through his stuff.

[Sharna Burgess]

Yeah.

[Brian Austin Green]

And I don't want to do that to someone's personal business. I just want transparency if you're having a hard time and let me know what you need from me to assist with that and vice versa.

[Sharna Burgess]

But it's amazing that you know where that comes from. Like, you have some clear financial trauma.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah.

[Sharna Burgess]

Did your parents get divorced?

[Brian Austin Green]

Oh, yeah. Over this, over finances, over many things. They honestly weren't the greatest match in the world. They stayed together for me, and so all the things went wrong with them. And it was a pretty tumultuous household. But one of the big things was money. My dad was terrible with it, terrible with spending on convenience and some of the little habits that I had picked up. But he also had this idea of wanting to appear that he had more money than he did. So it was the house that we rented. It was the cars that we drove. It was all the things that he'd spend money on, luxury things to appear more wealthy than he was. But the crazy thing was that I did pick up from him was he earned so much money, he just spent it all and didn't live within his means. And so therefore, he had nothing at the end of his life. And there is a whole lot of money trauma and financial trauma there. I lent him money so much as an adult, he blew it on all sorts of crazy things until it got to a point where I had to cut it off and say, no, I had to stop enabling him that way. So I'm always constantly aware of a fear of being like him. Now that I've learned about money more when I first got here, because I don't want to end up like him, you know?

[Sharna Burgess]

Wow. It sounds like you recognized early on some of the patterns, though, that you were seeing in yourself that you picked up from him. Is there anything you have to stop yourself with? If you're. If you're noticing that you're trying to keep up? This is probably keep up with the Joneses, keep up the Kardashians, keep up with whoever. That idea that you might have inherited from him. Like, do you notice him in some of your financial habits now?

[Brian Austin Green]

Not so much that keeping up with the Joneses, but I certainly love nice things. But it would be more the convenience spending. If it makes it easier, then, yeah. If it saves five minutes, then, yeah. Valet all the time, sure. I love that. It's just something that's built in me and I have to be a bit more aware of that, which I am now. And certainly having kids puts those priorities above your convenience and comfort. I'd rather save for things for them than spend on convenience things for me. So that's also changed my spending a lot. But I reckon I will never forget the first time I sat down and got a statement of what was left in my account. And I think that year I had earned $480,000. Right. That's a very decent amount of money. And there was, after paying taxes at the end of the year, absolutely nothing left. Like, we're talking less than five grand that was going to be left in my account. And I did not understand. I thought there was fraud. I thought there was something going. Someone's taking my money, like, all of this. And I got moved over to a new business manager and she took me through all my spending. She's like, no, Shawna, look, here's where it's all going. And I was flawed, absolutely flawed that all those little things ended up costing so much money. And that's where I made my adjustment.

[Sharna Burgess]

Because it's not ultimately what you make.

[Brian Austin Green]

It'S what you keep what you keep. You said that. And I was never left. It's never left me. It stuck with me. And honestly, chatting with you, it stuck with me. And that very simple line of, not what you make, it's what you keep. I. I get and have been so focused on make more, make more, make more money driven. Make more instead of keep more, keep more, keep more.

[Nicole Lapin]

Yeah.

[Sharna Burgess]

Or invest more. And it's not even below your means. The adage is live within your means.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah.

[Sharna Burgess]

If you live within your means, you're spending all of it. You have to actually live below your means.

[Brian Austin Green]

It was Bri that said. What was it? Who was it that said. I think he said it was. He was listening to something about Kevin Hart or whatever and how he spends his money whenever some other celebrity with hell of a lot more money than us, but he would cut it into three sections, half of it gone. Don't even consider it money, which I absolutely do. He said, and then what you've got left, have it again. Put half of that away. And then what you've got left is what you can spend on your life, on your expenses, on your luxuries. It made so much sense to Brian. It made so much sense to me. And so we really do try and do that a lot of the time. Every now and then when you're looking at your account, you're like, oh, but we could spend it all on this one thing or we could go big or we could refurnish the whole house. It's like, let me think about that for a second. So we try and be as sensible as we can. Save some, live within to under our means.

[Sharna Burgess]

It's hard, it's so hard. Especially with kids. It's actually funny because that's advice that you give kids as they're learning about money. You have a share, spend, save account. So those three buckets compared to like.

[Brian Austin Green]

So this is kid advice that we took. Excellent. So it's the basics 101 of money saving.

[Sharna Burgess]

But it's true as you're thinking about kids like they're watching you.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yes.

[Sharna Burgess]

Everything you do. Yeah, they, whether you spend, whether you save. I mean, look, you saw it with your dad.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yes. And it imprinted on me and I don't want that to happen to them. And they're also very good at saving their money. They've been given the gift cards and the cash from the grandparents and whatever. Our 12 year old has a thousand dollars. And I'm like, hold on, so why wait? What a thousand is so good at saving our younger journey. He's even got probably like $600. They've all just saved up over the years of Christmas money and gift cards. And admittedly some of the sums that they get given for the tooth fairy are well beyond what the tooth fairy delivered for me.

[Sharna Burgess]

Going right for the tooth fairy girl.

[Brian Austin Green]

I don't even know. Listen, I got a two dollar coin when it was the tooth fairy for me in Australia with those little gold coins. But when they lost their first tooth, I wasn't present for this. It was $100 note, $100 note.

[Sharna Burgess]

And then my teeth out right now.

[Brian Austin Green]

Come over all of them, let's go do it. We'll get veneers afterwards. Like it was. But. And I, we had a conversation about that. I was like, baby cannot be this, this is crazy, the expectation on that. And he was like, no, it's just the first one because it's such a magical thing. And then it's $5 a tooth after that.

[Sharna Burgess]

I'm like, oh, it's hard to, it's hard to go From a hundred to.

[Brian Austin Green]

One hundred to five. I know, but yeah. So they actually are very good at saving money and not spending theirs and getting us to spend ours.

[Sharna Burgess]

How did that happen?

[Brian Austin Green]

I think because the lesson has not been taught yet. Of all right, if you want this, then you get to spend your own money for it. And I don't think either of us actually realized how much money they had saved up. So it would just.

[Sharna Burgess]

They took it seriously.

[Brian Austin Green]

So now we do inflate. If we go to Target, we go to anywhere. If anyone wants anything special that is outside the realm of what you need, then that has to come out of their money. And it changes very, very quickly when they realize how much it was. We were in a store with one of my kids the other day. They picked up like three to four things, got to the counter, and when the bill came through for $200, they were like, huh? And they're like, not. We'll just put three of those things away. Yeah. So they only spent like $50.

[Sharna Burgess]

It's crazy to ask kids how much things cost or like start teaching them just directionally, like how much a house is or a car.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah.

[Sharna Burgess]

Or little things at the grocery store.

[Brian Austin Green]

Like a thousand dollars. You're like, yeah, sort of.

[Sharna Burgess]

Also asking kids how old you are is pretty depressing.

[Brian Austin Green]

I would avoid that at all costs.

[Sharna Burgess]

Yeah.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah.

[Sharna Burgess]

So when you guys have Lori look at your joint account, do you do it as a set amount or do you do it as a weighted amount.

[Brian Austin Green]

Awaited based on what we're earning that month? We make sure that there is obviously more than enough to cover what our monthly expenses are. Between house expenses, kid expenses, insurances, and cars, life expenses like that.

[Sharna Burgess]

You share all of it, actually.

[Brian Austin Green]

Cars is individual, but like home bills and also kids stuff is all in there. We share that. And so we just make sure there's enough in there. Certainly if someone hasn't brought in enough that month, she scales it down if the other one can pick up the slack on it. But it's a case by case basis because of the way that we work and the industry that we're in. One minute it's flowing and it's massive and it's amazing. And the next minute you're like, I gotta buckle down for six months and it's a little bit tighter. So it's really not a set thing every month in the way that it works. We have a conversation if we need to and adjust from there.

[Sharna Burgess]

Yeah. Because if you have something more consistent, one way to think about it is to do like Yours, mine, and hours. And then if you put a percentage in and it's 50%, like, it feels more weighted. If somebody makes a million dollars, 50% is 500 grand and the other person makes 100 grand, 50% is 50 grand. But it feels like the same sort of weight versus a set dollar amount.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah, I agree with.

[Sharna Burgess]

Sometimes can feel unfair if somebody is bringing in different amounts of money, of course. But as you guys are, it feels fickle. Or like jobs come, projects come and go. Have you had to psychologically come to terms with the idea that it could be feast or famine, but not that extreme?

[Brian Austin Green]

We're thankfully not in that position and thankfully we've had amazing careers that have set us up pretty well. But certainly when in the way the industry has been recently, when you go for long enough without those massive checks coming in, you think, oh, how long is this going to last for? Let me look at what we've got. Let me see how long until we start freaking out. And I've certainly had those moments like when I first said no to Dancing with the Stars and then that second year came around where they didn't bring me back. I was like, wait, that's now two years in a row without the TV money. Let me, let me just look because I'm thinking, oh, we're sweet. Like, going to get to the end of the year, going to make that money, we'll be fine. And so I absolutely had to sit with Lori and look and be like, am I good? Do I need anything? Am I in freak out mode? No, you're fine. But obviously don't go buy another house or don't go buy three Louis Vuitton handbags. Like you don't know when the next job is coming in.

[Sharna Burgess]

I feel like even since we last talked, you have started thinking more about not getting squirmish about money. Because when I was on your show, you guys were a little weird about was.

[Brian Austin Green]

You got to think we. What was that? A little over a year ago?

[Sharna Burgess]

It was pre babies.

[Brian Austin Green]

He's pre baby, so let's say a little over a year ago. So much life has happened in those four years. So it's. We're still catching up on all those things and conversation. We had a baby a lot quicker than we thought we were going to. I was on birth control at the time and Zayn was just meant to be here. It was divine timing and I'm grateful and he's perfect, but we were like, oh, my God. And so I think because life was just in, in like A tunnel at full speed. For a second there, there were some conversations that just got missed, and we never had to worry about those things because we'd always been fine. But then, of course, you bring up money, and you're like, we've never actually spoken about all of this with each other. Was dance over the subjects with each other. And it did. It opened it up much more.

[Sharna Burgess]

Good at dancing.

[Brian Austin Green]

I'm so good at dancing, Nicole, that I could just dance right by it and no one would know that we just didn't even think about talking about it. But now it is a conversation because it's accountability and it's transparency. And like I said, I don't want to know everything that he has, but I do want transparency to know what state we're in if I need to help. If you're not good, if you're having a freak out about it, let's talk about it. Let's figure out how we can bring more in together, like, whatever that is. But I don't want to be over his books because I feel like I'm not your mom, and that's not my job, and I feel like that takes away some of the romance in some way for me because of my parent trauma. But we do have better conversations now, and I do think a lot of that opened up because we did the podcast with you. Absolutely. Like, when we left it, Brian got all of your books. We have all of them in the house. He was so into it. We constantly send each other all the things, like some of the stuff you share on Instagram or money conversations and tips and ideas. So it is. We're growing and we're learning.

[Nicole Lapin]

You are.

[Sharna Burgess]

That's all you can do.

[Brian Austin Green]

That's all you can do.

[Sharna Burgess]

It sounds like you've opened up these conversations not only about your current finances, but your future finances and what that looks like and goals have price tags and planning for that. Did you revisit the prenup conversation?

[Brian Austin Green]

We haven't. We have not. I think we blacked it out.

[Nicole Lapin]

Hold on to your wallets. Money rehab will be right back. And now for some more money rehab.

[Sharna Burgess]

Did you revisit the prenup conversation?

[Brian Austin Green]

We haven't. We have not. I think we blacked it out, but it's definitely a conversation that we need to have. And I honestly think that even Laurie would take us down that road once we get to planning this wedding and truly setting a date, because I know that she's got a lot of clients that have obviously been through divorce and all sorts of Things and has seen the horror stories of it when there's not a prenup. But yeah, it's a great idea, but we have not done it yet.

[Sharna Burgess]

I'm happy to help too.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yes. You mean Lori Bryan was definitely not.

[Sharna Burgess]

Doing podcast party for sure.

[Brian Austin Green]

Totally.

[Sharna Burgess]

You said when I was on the show that something about it gave you a vibe of distrust.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah. It's like this. Oh, no, not anymore. I think that it's. There was this belief of, oh, but you're preparing for it to fail. But I. I don't see that now. I don't think of it that way. At least I think protecting yourself is a beautiful thing and knowing that there is security and comfort there in that and that everything is fair and you've made the decisions. I think it's incredibly smart.

[Sharna Burgess]

Because you have health insurance, right?

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah.

[Sharna Burgess]

You know, think of it as like sick planning.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah.

[Sharna Burgess]

Car insurance.

[Brian Austin Green]

I don't want to get sick, but just in case it happens. Yeah. I need to have something in place. Exactly.

[Sharna Burgess]

Yeah. We shouldn't think about prenups as divorce planning either, because we don't think crash insurance for car insurance.

[Brian Austin Green]

Right.

[Sharna Burgess]

It's just protecting yourself. I think they just get a bad rap. It can feel really awkward, but if you take back the power and the ownership of that conversation, it takes away some of that awkwardness.

[Brian Austin Green]

I think I agree.

[Sharna Burgess]

Or start the conversation if somebody is feeling weird about it. Once you open up about something vulnerable, it gives another person license to do the same thing.

[Brian Austin Green]

Agree.

[Sharna Burgess]

But somebody has to go first.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yes.

[Sharna Burgess]

Be like, listen, baby, this is our big, beautiful life. You, me, Zane, all the kids, the whole clan. All of our hopes and dreams. This is about planning and a vision. You can vision board around what that looks like for you. And then, oh, my gosh, I love you so much. We've been in our money rehab era and prenups and are just a part of that discussion.

[Brian Austin Green]

I think it needs to be for sure.

[Sharna Burgess]

It doesn't sound super bad when you think of it that way because I think you just reframe it around really what your hopes and your dreams are versus what the scary death destruction outcome could be. Because it's not really about that.

[Brian Austin Green]

No, I don't think it is. It's like you said, you have health insurance, you have car insurance, and you.

[Sharna Burgess]

Have a prenup anyway with the state. The state decides.

[Brian Austin Green]

Oh, right. And you don't want the state to decide.

[Sharna Burgess]

You can if you want to, but ultimately California gives you a prenup whether you want it or not.

[Brian Austin Green]

Do they?

[Sharna Burgess]

I mean, it dictates the terms.

[Brian Austin Green]

Oh.

[Sharna Burgess]

Of a community property state or if you lived somewhere else, it would dictate any terms. And so it's. I think it's nice to just be able to take control back from the state and say, okay, whatever, this is how I want it. There have been some interesting guests that we've had who put some crazy clauses in their prenups too.

[Brian Austin Green]

Oh, really?

[Sharna Burgess]

Yeah.

[Brian Austin Green]

Like what? Tell me.

[Sharna Burgess]

Rebecca Minkoff came on the show, the fashion designer, and she said that she put a floozy clause in her prenup so that if she dies and her husband remarries, then the new woman doesn't get any of the money.

[Brian Austin Green]

It's a floozy. That's amazing. Okay.

[Sharna Burgess]

Yeah. Some people have been rumored to have date night clauses in their prenups. Not a lot of this is able to be upheld. And I am no lawyer for sure. We had Laura Walser on, who's an amazing divorce attorney who's talked through some of these crazy clauses. But it's almost like agreements between couples. Like, we have to go on date night. If we don't go on date night every two weeks, then this is null and void. A lot of it. It's not enforceable date night clauses.

[Brian Austin Green]

Who'd have thug. I love that for people.

[Sharna Burgess]

So I'm clearly pregnant.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah, you are. It's amazing. Look at you.

[Sharna Burgess]

Zayn is two now, right?

[Brian Austin Green]

Zayn is two and months now.

[Sharna Burgess]

Yeah. And so what do you think I should be thinking about? What advice would you have?

[Brian Austin Green]

That it is the greatest, best, most enjoyable, beautiful, and also the most excruciating period of your life. It will change you to your core in ways you could never possibly imagine. Suddenly that little one's going to come out of you and you've unlocked a whole world of information that you didn't know you knew. It's like a whole other part of you opens up that always existed. It was just waiting like a video game for the next level. Unlocked. And there you are. And trust your instincts. Because of all of that, trust your instincts, even the parent, the mothers in laws, and the whoever that comes around, you know that baby, on a cellular level, you are connected. You just know. Even as a new moment where you feel like you are just fumbling the ball all the time, you don't know what's going on. You know, and usually that first instinct that you have is it, act on it. Just trust yourself because you're born for it. And you created that little life and you know Better than anyone, what it needs.

[Sharna Burgess]

Thanks, Sharna. It sounds like you could want to go through this again.

[Brian Austin Green]

Oh, I do totally want to go through this again. This year is crazy, but I'm going to put out there. We've talked about it, that hopefully maybe the end of next year we're looking at getting pregnant because I'll also be 40. And even though my eggs are fine and whatever, medicine's wonderful, but it's still. I want to be as young as I possibly can be. So I'm hoping somewhere near the end of next year, we're looking at getting pregnant. And that's also why the wedding's on. On hold, too, because I don't want to be pregnant and I don't really want to be in the first probably six to nine months postpartum because my body is still stitching itself back together. And hormonally I'm still. Still trying to find my balance. So the wedding is probably about two years away, but hopefully there's another little one.

[Sharna Burgess]

Have you guys thought about any financial planning for Zayn or like custodial Roth IRA or 529 or any of those types of plans?

[Brian Austin Green]

We've started talking about that stuff, but no, we haven't put anything into action. We also want to pay our own kids. Like the most recent one I sent to Briar, I was like, we absolutely need to make them a part of our companies because then we can go on family vacations and call them retreats. Like, all these bits of information you get to learn now on Instagram. It's amazing. But we haven't done that yet. And I think there is that. What is it up to 12,000 a year. You can pay each kid that becomes tax free. Right. Am I on the right track?

[Sharna Burgess]

You can contribute to custodial Roth area up to 6, $7,000, which would be the retirement account for them that could grow by the time they retire. I wish we had one for when we were kids. I know that would be amazing. But yeah, Beyonce, I think in Jay Z put Blue Ivy, they sampled her cry.

[Brian Austin Green]

I think I know one of the tracks.

[Sharna Burgess]

And Drake used his kids artwork or something like that. And so there are a lot of. For you guys especially, there's a ton of ways that you can use your work to pay them.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah.

[Sharna Burgess]

Out of your business. And then from there, like the custodial Roth IRA part, you have to. They have to be making their own money to contribute. So of the 12,000 or whatever you give them, 7,000 can go right into that account. And what's cool about the Roth part is that it comes out tax free.

[Brian Austin Green]

That's amazing. Yeah, we've talked about all of that. We honestly just have not made time to sit with both Lori and us together.

[Sharna Burgess]

Because I'm coming to you, I think.

[Brian Austin Green]

Or maybe we invite you into this one. Just come hang, you know what I mean? We have the best house, the key. Your little one will love it. Yeah, Come hang and we'll set these things.

[Sharna Burgess]

You guys are all boys, right?

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah.

[Sharna Burgess]

Okay.

[Brian Austin Green]

We need some estrogen up in this home. Yeah. We need some girl power for sure. Which is also what I would be hoping for this next time around, honestly. I think we'll do gender selection and do IVF, because he's 5 for 5 on boys, and he's really. Who's gonna take a chance on that?

[Sharna Burgess]

They're not diversified.

[Brian Austin Green]

You know what I mean? There's a portfolio I even with. I don't know how much you believe in this stuff. I spoke to a psychic medium, and it was the most amazing reading that I had. She's very legit. Some I've had. I'm like, yeah, but she was very legit. And I asked her about a second biological baby, and she's like, yeah. I said, girl. She said, there's a girl there, but there are boys, as in plural boys. She said, so if you want the girl, you're going to need to go and get her. And I was like, that is what I thought. Yeah, he just makes boys.

[Sharna Burgess]

He just, like, comes from the guy.

[Brian Austin Green]

The starting line of a football team. You know what I mean? It's great.

[Sharna Burgess]

When you guys found out it was a boy, were you not surprised?

[Brian Austin Green]

But there was. We did not have gender disappointment at all because I was just so excited to be pregnant and bring little life into this world. But we were gonna do. We do a reveal party, a gender reveal. And I was like, why?

[Sharna Burgess]

We know the betting market.

[Brian Austin Green]

We know what this is. So we just got the email sent, and we opened it up near the Christmas tree in our home. And as soon as we opened up, we were like, yeah, cool. It just went on with that day. Yeah. But, I mean, he's the most perfect little boy in the world. And Brian has made some very beautiful kids. I would be super excited to see what a little girl would come out.

[Sharna Burgess]

Like, so sweet. Before we let you go, I'd love.

[Brian Austin Green]

How is it? Almost over.

[Sharna Burgess]

This is too fun. We have a financial theme round of Never have I Ever.

[Brian Austin Green]

Oh, God, I'll fail all of this. Here we go.

[Sharna Burgess]

You're already winning.

[Brian Austin Green]

Let's go. I'm already winning.

[Sharna Burgess]

So have you played the drinking game? Never have I ever.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yes.

[Sharna Burgess]

Okay. I'm not drinking right now, but. So put up five fingers and then if you have done something, put a finger down.

[Brian Austin Green]

Okay.

[Sharna Burgess]

Ready?

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah.

[Sharna Burgess]

Never have I ever split the check on a first date.

[Brian Austin Green]

No, no.

[Sharna Burgess]

Never have I ever maxed out a credit card.

[Brian Austin Green]

As in can't pay it or just used all the limit.

[Sharna Burgess]

Used all the limit?

[Brian Austin Green]

No.

[Sharna Burgess]

Been in credit card debt for what.

[Brian Austin Green]

Period of time are you talking? Couldn't pay it off all that month, or we're talking like more than one month? Oh, no, I like. Yeah, I've been in credit card debt for sure.

[Sharna Burgess]

Never have I ever been fired from job.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah, no, I've been jump. For sure. I mean, I would consider not being called back for Dancing with the Stars being fired from a job, but. Yeah. Because they don't bring you back even though it's all love. We're fine. There's no drama there. But certainly when I was younger, hosting the whole thing. Hosting? No, I'm judging the one in Australia. Not fired from that. Still doing that. But as a pro dancer here. But I. When I was living in London, did I like temp office work? I am not built for this. And I would, like, fall asleep because I'm used to being active and moving around, and I didn't keep those jobs for very long, so I was fine.

[Sharna Burgess]

Dance around the office.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah. I should have.

[Sharna Burgess]

Never have I ever fallen for a scam. Oh, I actually have.

[Brian Austin Green]

No, I haven't. I've fallen ish and then caught it before I actually go for it.

[Sharna Burgess]

Nice. Never have I ever invested in the stock market.

[Brian Austin Green]

I have not. I know, I know. Oh, that's a fail on my part. And I'm. I don't know. I'm scared of it. We should hang.

[Sharna Burgess]

We're gonna hang.

[Brian Austin Green]

We need to hang. And you can help me with that, because I've really wanted to. And Laurie's amazing, but she's not necessarily. She has investment people at the firm. But I'd rather sit with you and do it.

[Sharna Burgess]

I got you. Never have I ever had buyers remember remorse.

[Brian Austin Green]

Oh, yeah, I've had buyers remorse, like, a lot.

[Sharna Burgess]

I. I put all my fingers down.

[Brian Austin Green]

Oh, yeah, you're done.

[Sharna Burgess]

Never have I ever negotiated a contract. Have you negotiated for yourself?

[Brian Austin Green]

No, not solely on my own, but I've certainly been the one calling things out and making choices. But I've always had a lawyer negotiate for me.

[Sharna Burgess]

Okay. All right. Never have I ever hired a business manager.

[Nicole Lapin]

Sl Matchmaker.

[Sharna Burgess]

You. Hey.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yay.

[Sharna Burgess]

We end all of our episodes as you know with a tip that listeners can take straight to the bank. Something. In your new found money rehab era, what have you learned that's a tip that other people can learn from you? Whether it's about investing, saving, raising financially literate, responsible kiddos, anything.

[Brian Austin Green]

It's your advice though. But I love not what you make, it's what you keep. And then the other one is from my own life lessons is you have no idea how much convenience costs and add up all the little things and just see and you'll be surprised. And there's so much more you can cut out than you think.

[Sharna Burgess]

Have you done that recently? Have you gone through subscriptions and where are your subscriptions?

[Brian Austin Green]

Yes, I recently, recently within like the last 12 months did that and realized that because we're also now merged, we had two Hulu accounts and two Disney and then a family bundle over here. It's like we have like three different sign ups to so many stupid money being spent. But also knowing the things I spend convenience on, like I, I do and being like, I'm gonna just not do that for a while. But I've often gone through, my credit cards have been like, yeah, I was not paying attention that month because just looking at it, like, why is it so high? Even grocery stores, the food that I end up going to waste because I think I'm gonna cook it and then I don't cook it. Like that is a waste of money. Buy it when we need it type of thing.

[Sharna Burgess]

Yeah, no, I had to do a consolidation of the Netflix accounts and stuff with my husband.

[Brian Austin Green]

Yeah, you must.

[Nicole Lapin]

For today's tip, you can take straight to the bank. If you want to go the yours, mine and ours account route, you can set all of those accounts up at bank of America. If you need help with any of this stuff, you can schedule an appointment at your local branch. You can even turn it into a date night. Because making smart money decisions together is an investment in your relationship. And honestly, what is more romantic than that? And if you're single, well, I can't promise that your banker will play matchmaker like what happened with Sharna and Brian. But I'll also never say never. Bank of America is the one stop shop where you can get guidance, tools, solutions and view your bank of America banking and manage your Merrell investing accounts online in one place. To learn more, go to BofA.com FinancialNextSteps Brokerage services are provided by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith Incorporated, a registered broker dealer, registered investment advisor member SIPIC and wholly owned subsidiary of bank of America Corporation member fdic. The views and advice expressed by Money News Network are independent and not endorsed by bank of America Corp. Investing involves risk. Opinions are subject to change. This is not meant to recommend any product or service and listeners should consult their personal professionals. Merrill does not provide tax or estate planning advice. Money Rehab is a production of Money News Network. I'm your host Nicole Lapin. Money Rehab's Executive producer is Morgan Lavoy. Our researcher is Emily Holmes. Do you need some Money Rehab? And let's be honest, we all do. So email us your money questions moneyrehaboneynewsnetwork.com to potentially have your questions answered on the show or even have a one on one intervention with me. And follow us on Instagramoneynews and TikTokoneyNewsnetwork for exclusive video content.

[Sharna Burgess]

And lastly, thank you.

[Nicole Lapin]

No, seriously, thank you. Thank you for listening and for investing in yourself, which is the most important.

[Sharna Burgess]

Investment you can make.