Everyday Money Habits · Scripts
What do I actually say?
You already know some of the right money moves — open the Roth, capture the match, refuse the bad annuity. What stalls people is the first sentence: the call to a stranger, the question to a boss, the polite “no” to a good salesperson. Here are the exact words for five of them. Read the one you need before the moment; then use your own voice if you like — the point is to walk in unfrozen.
Walk into five money conversations with the first sentence already written, so the move you know is right doesn’t stall at "what do I even say?"
You know the move to make but freeze at the first sentence — a call to a custodian, a question to HR, or saying no to a pitch.
1 · Opening your first Roth IRA
You have earned income and you are ready to start. Opening the account is free and takes about fifteen minutes — the words are the easy part.
I’d like to open a Roth IRA.
Can you set up an automatic monthly contribution from my bank account?
They will ask for your Social Security number, a bank account to link, and a beneficiary. Have those ready and the account is usually open within a day.
Based on the guide to IRA plans.
2 · Asking HR about the 401(k) match
The match is part of your pay — but only if you contribute enough to collect it. A few questions to whoever runs benefits settle exactly how it works.
Does the company match my 401(k) contributions — and how much do I need to put in to get the full match?
When do those employer contributions vest — when are they fully mine?
How do I change my contribution rate, and when does the change take effect?
Once you know the formula, set your contribution at least high enough to capture all of the match — the closest thing to free money you will be offered. Vesting just tells you how long you have to stay for the matched dollars to be fully yours.
Based on the lesson on the employer match.
Work it out with the match calculator.
3 · Asking for a raise
Asking is a normal part of work, not a favor you are begging for. Ask for a short, dedicated meeting — not a hallway aside — and come with what you have taken on, not what you need at home.
I’d like to talk about my pay. Over the past year I’ve taken on [what you’ve taken on or delivered]. Based on that, I’d like to discuss moving my salary to [a specific number].
I understand if now isn’t the moment. What would you need to see from me to revisit this in a few months?
Whatever the answer, you have put a real number on the table and shown your work. That is the whole job of the ask — the rest is their call, not a verdict on you.
4 · Turning down a sales pitch
A polished pitch for whole life or an annuity is built to make “no” feel rude. It isn’t. These products aren’t scams — they fit a narrow set of situations — but you never have to decide inside the room. You can name the mismatch, or just buy time to compare it against what you already have.
I think we have different needs than this policy is solving for.
I want to compare this against the other options in my plan before I decide anything.
Either line ends the pitch without a fight — one names a mismatch, the other buys time to check. You don’t have to win the argument; you just have to not sign today.
Don’t sign to be polite, don’t agree to “just start it and cancel later,” and don’t let a today-only discount rush you — a genuinely good financial move is still good next week. These products do make sense for a few people, for a specific lifelong need or certain estate situations, but that is a decision to make cold, not under a pitch.
Based on the whole-life-pitch Moment, the annuity-pitch Moment, and the insurance guide.
5 · Moving an inherited account the safe way
When you inherit a retirement account, one wrong move — taking a check — can turn a tax-deferred account into a fully-taxed payout. The safe path is a transfer that never touches your hands.
I’d like to initiate a custodian-to-custodian transfer into an inherited IRA in my name. Please don’t send me a check — what do you need from me?
Before we move anything, can you tell me exactly what kind of account this is — Traditional, Roth, or taxable?
The firm sends the money straight into a new inherited IRA and nothing is taxed in the move. A non-spouse heir can’t undo a cashed check, so keeping it a transfer is the one step you can’t get wrong. A surviving spouse has more room — you can often roll the account into your own IRA; the linked lesson covers it.
Based on the inherited-portfolio lesson.
One last thing
None of these have to be word-perfect. A script is a starting line, not one you’re graded on — it gets you past the hardest part, which is opening your mouth. The move you already know is right shouldn’t stall on a sentence.
Based on the ten-week course.
michaelwestfinancials.com · © 2026 Michael West Financials · Education, not financial advice · Last reviewed July 2026