GDS Unplugged Podcast

About This Episode:  Ask someone in their 30s how they're doing financially, and the answer often comes down to one thing: income. The raise, the promotion, the bigger paycheck. But according to Glen Smith, Founder, CEO & CIO of GDS Wealth Management, and Robert Casey, Senior Vice President & Cofounder, that's exactly the wrong way to measure success — and it's the single biggest mistake t...

About This Episode:  Ask most people how much they need to retire, and you'll get some version of the same answer: a round number. A million dollars. Two million. Five million. It's the question every retirement conversation seems to start with, and according to Glen Smith, Founder, CEO & CIO of GDS Wealth Management, and Robert Casey, Senior Vice President & Cofounder, it's also the wrong...

About This Episode:  Retirement planning tends to focus almost entirely on the numbers: how much you've saved, what your withdrawal rate should be, when to claim Social Security. Those questions matter. But they don't answer a different question many retirees find themselves asking six months, or six years, into retirement:  Why doesn't this feel the way I thought it would?  In a recent episode of...

About This Episode:  Financial confidence can look different at every stage of your career. In your 30s, the focus may be on understanding workplace benefits and building wealth. In your 40s, you may be balancing peak earning years with family responsibilities and more complex compensation. As retirement approaches, the focus often shifts toward protecting what you've built and preparing for life...

About This Episode:  Choosing a wealth management firm is one of the most important financial decisions you'll make. The right advisor can help you navigate retirement, taxes, investments, estate planning, and major life transitions with confidence. But before evaluating individual advisors, many investors find themselves asking a more fundamental question:  Should I work with a large national wea...

About This Episode  In this episode of  GDS Unplugged , Glen Smith and Robert Casey address one of the financial profession’s most uncomfortable questions: Why do so many people distrust financial advisors?  They discuss product sales, commissions, unclear fees, performance expectations, and recommendations that were not always centered on the client. They also explain what a valuable advisory rel...

About This Episode  In this episode of  GDS Unplugged,  Robert sits down with Victoria Geiger, a Certified Financial Planner® with GDS Wealth Management, to talk about one of the most personal parts of financial planning: marriage and money.  Victoria walks through eight conversations couples should have before and after marriage, from combining accounts and managing spender-saver tension to secon...

About This Episode: Gina Mullen, founder of the Gina Mullen Realty Group, joins Robert Casey for a practical conversation on the seller side of today’s real estate market.  Gina brings a unique background to real estate. Before building her real estate business, she spent more than 20 years in the legal industry, including time running a high-volume litigation department. That experience shaped th...

About This Episode: Entrepreneur, EOS Implementer, business coach, and Rocket Fuel co-author Mark C. Winters joins Glen Smith for a conversation on leadership, accountability, business growth, and the challenges entrepreneurs face as their companies evolve.  Mark's path to entrepreneurship did not begin with a startup. It began at Procter & Gamble, where he was quickly moving up the corporate...

About This Episode: Former NFL player, Navy SEAL officer, entrepreneur, and leadership speaker Clint Bruce joins host Glen Smith for a wide-ranging conversation on hardship, preparation, leadership, faith, and what it means to steward the time you’ve been given.  From being a fifth-string middle school football player to earning a spot at the Naval Academy, spending time in the NFL, and later beco...

About this Episode  In this episode of  GDS Unplugged , we break down Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, including what it is, how it works, who may qualify, and why many people overlook a benefit they may have already paid into throughout their working years.  SSDI can be a complex topic because it sits at the intersection of government benefits, disability planning, taxes, and retire...

About this Episode  In this episode of  GDS Unplugged,  we take an honest look at a common question: Do you actually need a financial advisor?  The answer isn’t always, “yes”. Some people are fully capable of managing their own finances. But doing it well requires more than just picking investments. It involves managing risk, staying disciplined during market swings, understanding taxes, and build...

About this Episode  In this episode of GDS Unplugged, we break down tax strategies for high-net-worth individuals, including common pitfalls around capital gains, passive income, charitable planning, tax-loss harvesting, and Roth conversions. We also discuss why tax planning should be treated as an ongoing process, not a one-time event, especially as wealth, income, and tax laws continue to evolve...

About this Episode: In this episode of  GDS Unplugged , we break down what asset allocation really means, how risk tolerance shapes investment decisions, and why factors like time horizon, diversification, and discipline play a far greater role than most investors realize.  Most investors focus on picking the right investments. But what actually drives long-term results is how your portfolio is st...

About This Episode: In this episode of  GDS Unplugged , we unpack one of the most misunderstood milestones in retirement planning: age 59½. For many investors, 59½ feels like a finish line. It’s the age when the 10% early withdrawal penalty on qualified retirement accounts typically disappears. And because of that, it often feels like freedom. But as Robert and Glen discuss in this episode, 59½ is...

About This Episode  Master Sommelier Ian Cauble joins GDS Unplugged to unpack what it really takes to reach the top of the wine world, and how to enjoy wine without overcomplicating it. Known for the documentary SOMM and for earning one of the most difficult titles in hospitality, Cauble shares the journey from college kitchens and international travel to passing the Master Sommelier exam. Along t...

About This Episode: Money is one of the most common sources of stress in our lives, and one of the leading causes of conflict in relationships. For many couples, financial disagreements aren’t really about numbers. They’re about values, fear, priorities, and uncertainty about the future.  In this episode of Money, Marriage, and the Meaning of Financial Success, Glen and Robert explore why personal...

About This Episode: When it comes to investing and wealth management, most mistakes aren’t about picking the wrong stock. They’re about lacking clarity, structure, and foresight. In this podcast conversation, we unpacked the most common—and costly—missteps people make with their money, and what they can do differently.  Here’s a breakdown of the key themes, along with practical takeaways you can a...

About This Episode:  When it comes to investing, there’s a simple truth most people don’t appreciate until they live it:  Some lessons are far more expensive to learn the hard way.  You can read about market cycles.  You can study risk tolerance questionnaires.  You can even understand, intellectually, that markets recover.  But it’s very different when you watch your net worth fall by 30% in real...

About This Episode:  In this episode of GDS Unplugged, we’re tackling one of the most subtle, and potentially costly behaviors in investing: Market FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). It’s that urge to chase returns when markets are going up and to pull back when markets are sliding. But as Robert and Glen discuss, reacting to headlines and social buzz can lead investors away from thoughtful, goals-based...

About This Episode  “Invest like the top 1%.”  It’s a phrase that’s everywhere right now, used by influencers, fintech platforms, and self-proclaimed wealth coaches who boldly promise access to strategies once reserved for the ultra-wealthy.  In this episode, Robert and Sebastian take a hard look at that claim. And more importantly, they revisit a far better question: Why are we investing at all? ...

About This Episode  Most people think a financial plan is a simple yes-or-no question: Can I retire?  But in this episode of GDS Unplugged, Glen and Robert talk through how a retirement plan that looks solid initially may tell a different story once you take a closer look.  This time, they walk through a real client plan (with details changed, of course) and highlight the various levers that can q...

About This Episode  In this episode, Robert and Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) professional, Sebastian Carrillo take aim at the growing wave of financial advice spreading through social media, the kind that promises quick wins, viral stock tips, or “secret” strategies the pros don’t want you to know.  From meme stocks and crypto hype to AI investing tools and private equity ads, Robert and Se...

About This Episode  Many investors default to a single broad index fund, often the S&P 500, because it’s simple and low-cost. In this episode, Glen and Robert discuss how that approach can work for certain types of investors and when it may not align with specific objectives or risk profiles.   They also dive into ETFs vs. mutual funds, explore diversification across asset classes and regions,...

About This Episode  If you’ve ever wondered “How do 401(k)s really work? Should I use the Roth option? How much should I contribute, and when?” this conversation breaks it down. Glen and Robert walk through traditional vs. Roth 401(k)s, company matches, “true-up” rules, catch-up contributions in your 50s and early 60s, required minimum distributions (RMDs), and how employee stock purchase plans (E...