The Wealth Development Studio

Did a five-minute questionnaire decide how your life savings are invested? For most people, the answer is yes. A few thoughts about market swings become a label like conservative or aggressive, and that label shapes the entire portfolio. But the one question that rarely gets asked is when the money will be used. Today’s guest is Gary Preisser, co-founder of Stonebriar Wealth Advisors, who built hi...

If you couldn't make your own decisions tomorrow, would your family know what to do? Many adults are caring for aging parents while raising kids, and their own estate plan keeps getting pushed aside. Stephanie Rapp , a trusts and estates partner at Day Pitney , joins the show today to explain the estate planning documents that matter most.  Listen in as she covers how a power of attorney, hea...

Are you holding onto a 3% mortgage and wondering if moving will ever make sense again?  With rates in the 6% range and home prices well above where they were a few years ago, many homeowners are staying put, and buyers have fewer homes to choose from. Todd Sheppard , founder and owner of Inspired Mortgage Brokers and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst , explains how he builds a preapproval arou...

How much is one skipped negotiation actually costing you? A missed $10,000 raise does not stay a $10,000 problem. It resets the base that every future increase is calculated from, shrinks the employer match, and removes years of compounding from the retirement number. Compensation decisions are financial planning decisions, even when they feel like career decisions. Stacy Jackson , executive coach...

How do you make the biggest decisions of your life when nothing around you feels stable? Major life transitions strip away the routines that make people feel capable, and they tend to arrive right when the most consequential decisions need to be made. The instinct is to wait until the dust settles. But waiting is its own decision, and it usually costs more than people expect. Marisa Messana , form...

What happens when you have done everything right and you are clearly talented… but you’re still stuck? Today I’m joined by Jackie Roby , Executive Leadership Advisor and founder of Inspired Journey Consulting , who spent two decades inside performance-driven organizations watching this play out. In this episode, Jackie breaks down how “palatability culture” turns being easy to work with into a car...

What if the reason your financial plan isn't sticking has nothing to do with your investments? Building wealth gets most of the attention in financial planning, but everyday decisions are where plans quietly succeed or fall apart. When daily spending isn't aligned with long-term goals, even a strong investment strategy ends up working uphill. Kai Dickens, CEO and Money Coach at Dr. Budge...

What are you really giving away every time you tap "accept," download an app, or hand your information to AI? Technology runs on our personal data, and every app, loyalty program, and AI tool asks for something in return for convenience. Those small exchanges add up to detailed profiles that quietly shape pricing, insurance rates, and financial decisions most people never think twice abo...

What if the secret to great financial advice isn't more data, but more trust? For years, the industry treated every client the same: a spreadsheet, a return rate, and a handshake. Melissa Montalvo, Partner and Senior Wealth Advisor at Atticus Wealth Management, breaks that mold. In this episode, she explains how blending technical expertise with real human connection changes the way families...

What happens when the most educated people in the room have no idea what's in their own retirement accounts? Retirement planning for educators looks nothing like it does for everyone else. Between layered 403(b) contracts, fixed annuities with strict liquidity rules, and pensions that interact with Social Security in unexpected ways, the complexity is real… and largely underserved. Kevin Roch...

Does every money conversation in your house end in a fight? Do you leave financial meetings feeling good, then go home and do nothing? The problem might not be your finances. It might be your relationship with them. Erika Wasserman, founder of Your Financial Therapist and one of a small number of certified financial therapists in the country, breaks down what financial therapy actually is and why...

What happens to the family home when a loved one passes or transitions into care? Real estate is often the largest and most emotionally loaded asset a family holds, and when the time comes to act, it rarely transfers cleanly. It comes with logistical complexity, financial decisions, and family dynamics that can stretch for months or years. Chris Losquadro , founder of Quantum Realty Advisors , has...

What do the latest tax law changes actually mean for your money, and are you making the most of the opportunities available right now? The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was enacted and made effective in 2025, creating an unusually compressed window for planning that caught many professionals off guard. It touched nearly every corner of personal finance: standard deductions, SALT caps, estate tax exem...

If something happened to you tomorrow, do you know exactly how your special needs child would be cared for—and by whom? Planning for the future often means preparing for scenarios no one wants to face. For families caring for a loved one with special needs, the financial and legal decisions made today can directly impact long-term stability, access to benefits, and quality of life. As government p...

What if the problem isn’t how much money you make, but what your money is doing once you earn it? Money decisions don’t usually fall apart because of bad math. More often, they break down because life gets busy, habits take over, and financial choices lose connection to what actually matters. In a world built for convenience and constant consumption, managing money with intention has never been mo...

How prepared is your family to handle more than just your money? Major life transitions often come with more than paperwork and financial decisions. They also come with homes, storage units, closets, and inherited belongings full of items that carry emotional weight, practical questions, and sometimes real financial value. As wealth and possessions are passed between generations, families are incr...

What actually happens after the first call to a divorce attorney? Once the decision has been made and legal proceedings begin, individuals enter a structured process that can involve filings, financial disclosures, mediation, and sometimes, a trial. For many people, the uncertainty surrounding timelines, legal requirements, and financial decisions can make an already difficult transition feel even...

Is owning a rental property really the smartest way to build wealth—or just the most familiar one? For many investors, the first instinct is to buy a rental property and become a landlord, but owning one property can bring concentration risk, unexpected expenses, and more hands-on responsibility than expected. As markets shift, it is essential to understand how real estate fits within a diversifie...

A financial gift can feel generous, timely, and full of opportunity. But without the right guidance, even well-intentioned decisions can create unexpected tax consequences. In this episode, Joyce Ruggeri , CPA at Reynolds Bone & Griesbeck, shares a client story involving a gifted property that resulted in a $120,000 tax bill. With two decades of experience in tax compliance and strategic plann...

Divorce doesn't start when you file the paperwork. It starts the moment you realize your marriage might end, and what you do in that space between realization and action can determine if you move through the process with clarity or chaos. In this episode, Linda Weiksnar , a seasoned family law attorney, walks through exactly what someone should be doing before they ever schedule that first co...

Estate planning rarely feels urgent… until life forces it to be. Too often, families postpone these decisions because they’re uncomfortable, complicated, or easy to ignore. But when illness, loss, or sudden responsibility arrives, the absence of a clear plan can turn grief into chaos, leaving loved ones to make impossible decisions at the worst possible time. In this episode, Dana Gliniecki shares...

Estate planning is often treated as a box to check: documents signed, files stored away, and the assumption that everything will work as intended. But when plans aren’t communicated, updated, or properly executed, families are left facing confusion, conflict, and costly consequences during moments that are already emotionally overwhelming. In this episode, David Darby, CFA , managing director of t...

Homeowners across the country are hitting pause on moving, holding tight to low-interest mortgages while still craving updated, functional spaces. With renovation demand rising and project costs climbing, understanding the legal side of home improvement has never mattered more. In this episode, construction attorney Jared Gillman breaks down the legal risks most homeowners overlook. He explains ho...

The world of college athletics has entered a new era. With Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) now in play, student athletes are gaining access to real income opportunities earlier than ever, often before they even step onto a college campus. But with these new possibilities come major responsibilities around money, contracts, and long-term planning. In this episode, Domenick Macri, NIL consultant and...

The hardest step in taking control of your money isn’t mastering investments or choosing the perfect strategy—it’s being willing to look at your numbers without fear or shame. In this inaugural episode of The Wealth Development Studio , Senior Financial Advisor Genevieve George invites listeners to do exactly that: take a brave breath, lift their head out of the sand, and see their financial life...