Wills, Women & Wealth Podcast with Attorney Elsa W. Smith | Empowering Women Through Estate Planning

Ep. 13: Highlights In today's episode, we will cover four (4) Estate Planning Horror Stories And How To Avoid Them Scenarios discussed will touch on these pain points: *Unmarried couples with children and one partner dies *Waiting until you are seriously ill to create an estate plan *Second marriages, blended families and no estate plan to reflect the changes *and more Sadly, the four scenario...

Ep. 12 Highlights: In today's episode, we will cover seven (7) Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Beneficiaries: 1) Failing to update beneficiaries 2) Naming minors as beneficiaries 3) Not considering contingencies 4) Overlooking tax implications 5) Ignoring the impact of debts 6) Failing to Communicate 7) Not seeking professional advice We will also discuss real-life scenarios to provide context...

Ep. 11 Highlights In this episode, we are chatting with Robert Carter MS, CPA/CFF, CVA, CFE, CEPA Director, Vallit Advisors. Topic: Valuation Insights: A Conversation with a Business Valuation Expert We'll discuss: The benefits of obtaining a valuation for one's business How business valuations are relevant during probate proceedings Why valuations are crucial during divorce How a business...

Ep. 10 Highlights Have you ever asked your female friends if they have an estate plan? Do they even have a will? Are you a woman without an estate plan? If you are, have you ever asked yourself why that is? Have you stopped to think that there could be societal and generational factors at play? In this episode, we are dealing with the topic, Unveiling Gender Bias In Estate Planning: Why Fewer Wome...

Ep. 9 Highlights In this episode, we are chatting with Birth Injury Attorney and Founding Partner of Boston Law Group, LLC, Renee Boston. Topic: "Black Women & High-Risk Pregnancies: How to Go From Reactive to Proactive" We'll discuss: Why the area of medical malpractice resonates so deeply with Renee, The socioeconomic challenges of pregnancy for Black women, Difficult conversat...

Ep. 8 Highlights What's the difference between an heir and a legatee? What are administration expenses? What do I need to open an estate in Maryland? We'll answer these questions and more in this episode. (Reminder: This episode applies to the State of Maryland only.) SUBSCRIBE We’d appreciate you following this podcast and leaving a review. SUBSCRIBE on ⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠⁠s, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠...

Ep. 7 Highlights This is a special podcast episode during which I will share personal birthday reflections and lessons learned over the last year as an estate planning attorney and entrepreneur. Why should you listen? You'll get to get to know your podcast host a little better. You may be inspired to examine your own life each year...just as you would with your estate plan. You'll take act...

Ep. 6 SHOW HIGHLIGHTS In this episode, we are chatting with Peter Gordon, Founder of New York Financial Organizers, Inc. (NYFO) / Organizing Life's Daily Demands We discussed: •His fearless journey of beginning again while caring for aging parents, •Examples of fraud and abuse against the elderly and how NYFO helped turn things around, •"Scareware" and how anyone can be a victim, •Ho...

Ep. 5 SHOW HIGHLIGHTS In this episode, we are chatting with Maureen Zappala, Impostor Syndrome Expert, Keynote Speaker and Former NASA Engineer. We discussed: •How she coped with impostor syndrome while working at NASA, •How to identify and manage impostor syndrome, •Her efforts to encourage more women into STEM careers, •How addressing impostor syndrome can leash your team’s productivity, explode...

Ep. 4: SHOW HIGHLIGHTS In this episode, we are honored to chat with Dr. Carl V. Hill, Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer for the Alzheimer's Association:    We discussed: •What the warning signs of Alzheimer's disease and dementia are, •What caregivers can do to advocate for parents with signs of cognitive decline, •How the Alzheimer's Association's outreach efforts inc...

Ep. 3: SHOW HIGHLIGHTS In this episode, we chat with Martha Underwood, Founder and CEO of PRISMM - a company that provides a digital vault for your most important documents.    We discussed: •Challenges she faced as a Black woman navigating a predominantly white tech space, •How her technology background distinguishes Martha from competitors in the digital vault space, •What PRISMM...

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS In this episode, we chat with Michelle Gordon CETF® , Founder and CEO of Investably, LLC. Investably, LLC is one of the few minority-women-owned registered investment advisory boutique firms in the country.   We discussed: Why she launched Investably, LLC, What a fiduciary is, Her experience as an Afro-Latina in a white-dominated financial services industry,  and more! SU...

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS In this first episode, we have a discussion with Shawanda T. Robinson, REALTOR®  with Village Premier Collection Maryland, about a path that led her from a career at NASA to launching into real estate, and: mistakes she made as an entrepreneur how the pandemic was a catalyst to increasing efficiencies in her business how a growth mindset was the key to her continued success ho...