The Ascent With Crestmont Private Wealth

In this episode of The Ascent, hosts Sam McGee and Alec Walker of Crestmont Private Wealth go beyond services and products to define who they serve best. They break down the five characteristics of their ideal client — multi-generational, purpose-driven, generous, collaborative, and open-minded — and explain how these traits create fruitful, long-term financial planning relationships.

 

They also explore the flip side: what happens when a client isn't a fit, and why identifying red flags early protects both the advisor and the client. Alec shares Crestmont's "Bayesian" investment philosophy ("strong beliefs, weakly held"), discusses the #1 concern of Gen X and Boomer clients ("Are my kids gonna be okay?"), and offers practical advice for any business owner listening: stop selling your services and start defining who you want to work with.

 

Whether you're a current client, a prospective one, or just a business owner refining your own ideal customer profile, this episode is packed with insights.

 

 

0:00     Intro: Welcome to The Ascent

0:42     Why Define an Ideal Client Persona

2:14     Not Just a Commercial — A Lesson for Business Owners

2:42     Characteristic #1: Multi-Generational

4:18     Characteristic #2: Purpose-Driven

5:13     The #1 Concern: "Are My Kids Gonna Be Okay?"

6:02     Characteristics #3–5: Collaborative, Generous, Open-Minded

6:20     Generous: Charitable Giving & Tax Planning

7:36     Open-Minded: "Strong Beliefs, Weakly Held"

9:09     Collaborative: Trust & The "Floor General" Mindset

9:49     Recap: The Five Characteristics

10:09  When a Client ISN'T a Fit

11:59  Why Publishing Your Ideal Client Persona Matters

12:24  Are You an Ideal Client? Reach Out

13:19  Buzzwords to Listen For in Friends & Colleagues

14:11  Final Recap: Built for Families, Focused on Generations

15:04  Contact Info & Sign-Off

Original Air Date: October 24, 2026 at 8:30am as heard on Boerne Radio 103.9FM

Contact:  www.crestmontpw.com 

Alec Walker in Houston:  831-280-5288 

Sam McGee in Boerne: 830-368-2898

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alec Walker (EVP of Financial Planning at Crestmont Private Wealth) introduces new team member Cade Seymour, a CFP and associate advisor. Cade shares his background and personal motivation for entering financial planning—his grandparents' unfulfilling retirement inspired him to help families avoid the same outcome. The episode then dives deep into Roth conversions: what they are, the four key benefits, who makes an ideal candidate, common mistakes to avoid, real-world client examples, and the firm's step-by-step process for evaluating and executing conversions.

 

0:00     Intro — Alec welcomes new associate advisor Cade Seymour

0:42     Cade's background (Walker, LA → LSU → financial planning career)

1:24     Personal motivation — grandparents' retirement story

2:06     Cade's CFP credential; topic intro: What is a Roth conversion?

2:20     Definition — moving money from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA and paying taxes now

3:25     Why pay taxes voluntarily? — zooming out to the lifetime tax picture

3:55     Benefit 1 — potentially paying less in lifetime taxes ($50K–$200K savings)

4:24     Benefit 2 — potentially more total assets at end of life

4:50     Benefit 3 — estate planning advantage under SECURE Act 2.0

5:36     Benefit 4 — hedging against historically low tax rates

6:17     Ideal candidates — recently retired clients, pre-RMD, expected higher future income

7:24     Job transitions as conversion opportunities

7:30     Is it only for wealthy families? (No — it depends on the situation)

8:20     Mistake 1 — converting too much (bumping into a higher tax bracket)

8:40     Mistake 2 — not considering Medicare premium increases (IRMAA at age 63)

9:25     Mistake 3 — not considering the income tax liability (withholding vs. paying from outside assets)

10:20  Real-world example 1 — retired couple, early 60s, ~$0 taxable income, converting up to $200K

11:48  Real-world example 2 — a year with high spending where conversion was skipped

11:55  Real-world example 3 — ACA marketplace income limits forcing a no-conversion decision

12:23  The process — Step 1: gather tax return, use HolistiPlan software, run recommendations

12:58  Step 2 — build recommendations back into the overall financial plan

13:36  Step 3 — decide & execute; white-glove implementation

14:02  Call to action — contact [email protected] or cresmontpw.com; closing

 

Original Air Date: October 17, 2026 at 8:30am as heard on Boerne Radio 103.9FM

Contact:  www.crestmontpw.com 

Alec Walker in Houston:  831-280-5288 

Sam McGee in Boerne: 830-368-2898

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam McGee and Alec Walker (CFP, Managing Director of the Houston office) from Crestmont Private Wealth discuss the growing concentration risk in the S&P 500, where the top 10 companies now account for 41% of the index — more than double the 18% they represented just a decade ago. They explain why a fiduciary approach favors diversification across asset classes and geographies rather than piling into a handful of mega-cap tech names. Using a football salary-cap analogy and historical data from the "lost decade" (2000–2009), they illustrate the dangers of over-concentration and advocate for a smoother, diversified portfolio designed to keep investors disciplined through all market conditions.

 

0:00     Intro — Sam McGee welcomes viewers to The Ascent; Crestmont Private Wealth serves high-net-worth, philanthropic families across Houston and Boerne, TX

0:23     Alec Walker shares a recent client meeting about multi-generational gifting (cash, securities, 529s)

1:14     Today's topic: takeaways from their monthly investment committee meeting — concentration risk in the S&P 500

1:34     Historical look at the S&P 500 top 10 (1985 vs. today): IBM, Exxon, Kodak, DuPont dominated then; none remain in the top 10 today

2:26     The top 10 now represent 41% of the S&P 500, up from 21% in 1985 and 18% in 2015

3:20     Why investors may not realize the index isn't equally weighted — most just track it on their phone

3:58     Historical parallels: energy dominance, the dot-com bubble — markets are dynamic, what's true today won't be tomorrow

5:10     Football salary-cap analogy: overpaying one star quarterback leaves less for the rest of the roster

6:15     Don't overcorrect — those are still quality companies, but diversification is essential

6:33     Crestmont's fiduciary lens: diversify across fixed income, developed markets, and emerging markets; geopolitical risk is always present but companies operate globally

7:50     Under the hood: S&P 500 vs. Crestmont's ultra-aggressive model — top 10 exposure drops from ~41% to ~22–23%

8:54     $100K example: $40K in top 10 via S&P 500 ETF vs. ~$22–23K in a diversified equity sleeve

9:17     Diversification can underperform when mega-caps surge, but protects on the downside and keeps clients invested

9:36     Market at/near all-time highs — nobody can predict corrections; what you can control is your level of risk

10:12  The real danger: an untimely market drop when over-concentrated, especially for retirees living off the portfolio

11:16  Texas A&M football analogy — one underperforming quarterback can sink the whole season

12:03  The "lost decade" (2000–2009): S&P 500 was negative annualized over 10 years; even excluding the financial crisis (2000–2007), it returned only 2.76% vs. bonds (6.5%), small caps (9%), international (8%), emerging markets (19%)

13:22  Closing — compressing two hours of investment committee into ~16 minutes; call to action for high-net-worth families ($1M–$20M+ liquidity) to reach out at crestmontpw.com

 

Original Air Date: October 10, 2026 at 8:30am as heard on Boerne Radio 103.9FM

Contact:  www.crestmontpw.com 

Alec Walker in Houston:  831-280-5288 

Sam McGee in Boerne: 830-368-2898

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Mcgee and Alec Walker of Crestmont Private Wealth define the five characteristics of their ideal client persona—going beyond financial demographics to focus on who clients are as people. They discuss why these traits matter, how they apply to multi-generational wealth planning, what happens when a client isn't a good fit, and why business owners everywhere should take time to define their own ideal client.

0:00     Intro & Welcome — Sam Magee & Alec Walker

0:42     Rethinking the Ideal Client Beyond Industry & Demographics

1:34     Why Defining Your Ideal Client Matters (for any business)

2:41     #1: Multi-Generational — Wealth as a tool across generations

4:18     #2: Purpose-Driven — Intentional with time & energy

5:13     "Are my kids gonna be okay?" — The #1 concern of Gen X & Boomers

6:02     #3: Collaborative

6:20     Deep dive: Generous — Charitable giving & tax planning strategies

7:51     Deep dive: Open-Minded — "Strong beliefs, weakly held"

9:13     The value of collaboration & building trust over time

9:49     Recap: The 5 Characteristics of Crestmont's Ideal Client

10:09  What Happens When a Client Isn't a Fit

11:59  Why the Ideal Client Persona Matters to You

12:56  Are You an Ideal Client? — Who should reach out

13:16  How to Contact Crestmont Private Wealth

14:31  Closing Summary & Sign-off

Original Air Date: October 10, 2026 at 8:30am as heard on Boerne Radio 103.9FM

Contact:  www.crestmontpw.com 

Alec Walker in Houston:  831-280-5288 

Sam McGee in Boerne: 830-368-2898

 

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam McGee (Crestmont Private Wealth) and Alec Walker (EVP of Financial Planning, Houston office) break down the key market themes heading into Q4 — from the 10-year Treasury breaking 5% to what rising bond yields mean for savers, retirees, and equity investors. They discuss the risk-adjusted case for bonds right now, their Cash Management Plus strategy outperforming the bond index by ~5% YTD, the dangers of recency bias and financial media clickbait, and why market corrections — like wildfires — can be healthy. Alec closes with a Steinbeck quote from East of Eden on how people forget both the lean years and the fat years.

0:00     Intro — Sam McGee & Alec Walker welcome; today's themes preview

0:23     Q4 market overview — S&P up ~13% YTD, bond yields stealing headlines

0:52     10-year Treasury breaks 5% — impact on mortgages & equities

1:19     "This isn't new" — Fall 2022 saw the same 5%+ Treasury spike

1:45     Recency bias — pain & fear dominate short-term thinking

2:56     Rising rates aren't all bad — the case for savers

3:24     Barclays Bond Index down 2.5% YTD, but forward yield ~5%

4:23     Bonds averaged 5%+ annualized returns since the 2022 peak

4:48     This year's full deck: Iran, inflation, Fed reversal, AI/tech trade

5:06     Risk-adjusted bond returns — the "favorite chart"

5:53     If rates stay flat: ~5.5% forward bond return

6:15     If rates rise 1% more: floor is roughly flat (–0.3%)

6:40     If rates fall 1%: upside of ~11.3% total return

7:06     Diversification — bonds & cash buffer equity uncertainty

7:36     The business cycle — contractions & corrections are natural, like wildfires

8:38     Don't let clickbait drive your decisions

9:44     Cash Management Plus strategy — up 2.7% YTD vs. bonds –2.5%

10:13  Yield curve snapshot — 1-yr Treasury ~4.7%, 2-yr ~4.9%

10:51  Bank deposit rates vs. Treasury yields — the hidden spread

11:45  Equity market driven by AI/tech — NVIDIA buyback example

12:40  Stay diversified; don't chase the theme of the day

13:01  Closing: Steinbeck's East of Eden — "during the dry years, they forgot about the rich years"

14:21  Cash accounts as ballast for the dry years

14:43  Contact info & sign-off

Original Air Date: October 3, 2026 at 8:30am as heard on Boerne Radio 103.9FM

Contact:  www.crestmontpw.com 

Alec Walker in Houston:  831-280-5288 

Sam McGee in Boerne: 830-368-2898

 

 

 

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Building Your Dream Home (Part 3 of 3) — Sam McGee of Crestmont Private Wealth delivers the final installment of a three-part series on designing and building a custom dream home from a wealth management perspective. This episode covers the financial rationale for high-net-worth individuals building larger homes (Texas homestead creditor protection and deductible mortgage interest), then walks through a practical 8-step timeline — from defining your vision and budget through selecting a builder and holding a contingency reserve. Sam closes with why a wealth advisor should be part of the dream-home conversation and invites qualified prospective clients to reach out.

0:00     Intro & Series Overview — Welcome, Sam Magee, Crestmont Private Wealth; part 3 of 3 on building your dream home

1:26     Why High-Net-Worth Individuals Build Larger Homes — Texas homestead creditor protection

2:27     Tax Deductibility of Mortgage Interest — Qualified home acquisition interest up to $750K; worked example with $1.2M mortgage at 5.5%

4:15     Step 1: Define the Vision & Your Constraints — Square footage, style, formality, light, garage, pool; think 10–20 years ahead

4:59     Step 2: Establish an All-In Budget — Land, architecture, construction, site work, landscaping, furnishing, AV, security, contingency

5:54     Step 3: Choose the Property Carefully — Topography, drainage, setbacks, easements, neighboring lots; wildlife & ag exemptions (Kendall County)

8:13     Step 4: Hire the Architect/Designer First — Bring in a builder alongside the designer; ensure feasibility before blueprints

9:16     Step 5: Design the Site & House Together — Driveway, garage, sun exposure, wind, prevailing views; avoid surprises after breaking ground

10:01  Step 6: Develop the Floor Plan from Daily Routines — Drop zone, kitchen flow, pantry, circulation that actually works

10:24  Step 7: Get the Exterior Right First — Roof lines and structure before obsessing over finishes

10:41  Step 8: Price the House During Design — Bring in an estimator early; avoid finding out you're 60% over budget at the end

11:06  Select Your Builder Carefully & Negotiate the Contract — Check references, compare final vs. contract costs, review cost-plus vs. fixed-price terms

11:48  Hold a 10% Contingency — Budget for overruns; nobody's perfect

12:31  Why This Belongs on a Wealth Management Show — Crestmont works with affluent families ($1M+ liquidity); comprehensive advice beyond investments

14:21  Outro & Contact — [email protected]; crestmontpw.com; close of series

Original Air Date: September 26, 2026 at 8:30am as heard on Boerne Radio 103.9FM

Contact:  www.crestmontpw.com 

Alec Walker in Houston:  831-280-5288 

Sam McGee in Boerne: 830-368-2898

 

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode of The Ascent with Crestmont Private Wealth covers the financial side of custom home construction: securing a construction loan, how draw schedules work, budgeting for cost overruns, and how to fund a build without over-leveraging your finances. Hosts Alec Walker and Sam McGee discuss working with local/community banks, one-time-close construction loans, pre-bidding to avoid budget overruns (especially on finish-out selections), and strategies for bridging cash flow — including selling investments, taking distributions, or using a pledged asset line — until an existing home sells. They close with the importance of budgeting for post-move-in costs (furniture, landscaping, taxes, insurance) and preserving liquidity/flexibility rather than tying up all net worth in the new home.

0:00 – Intro / recap of part one (land, build team, values)

0:42 – Getting a construction loan, working with a bank

3:04 – The draw process and payment schedule

4:45 – Interest-only payments and one-time-close loans

5:59 – Typical budget overruns (10–20%) and why they happen

6:58 – Pre-bidding contractors and finish-out selections

8:42 – Funding the build: cash flow, portfolio leverage, pledged asset lines

10:16 – Debt aversion, liquidity, and using smart leverage

11:18 – Overlooked costs (furniture, moving, time investment)

12:00 – Final advice: budgeting for post-move-in expenses

12:43 – Wrap-up and contact info

Original Air Date: September 19, 2026 at 8:30am as heard on Boerne Radio 103.9FM

Contact:  www.crestmontpw.com 

Alec Walker in Houston:  831-280-5288 

Sam McGee in Boerne: 830-368-2898

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode of The Ascent with Crestmont Private Wealth (hosts Alec Walker and Sam McGee) covers the practical — not financial — side of planning to build a custom or dream home. Sam draws on his background in private banking/lending to high-net-worth families building homes, plus his own recent build experience. Key topics: choosing the right lot (city ordinances, setbacks, HOA covenants, soil/engineering due diligence), fitting the home to its neighborhood, assembling a team (real estate pro, builder, architect vs. in-house designer), staying flexible since plans always change during construction, and designing around family values and life stage (e.g., multi-generational needs, hobbies) rather than just budget. They close by previewing a follow-up episode on the financial/cost side and point listeners to Crestmont's website/email for questions.

 

0:00 – Intro: today's topic is practical planning for building a dream/second home

0:30 – Sam shares his background in private banking/lending for home construction

2:34 – Do's and don'ts of picking where to build (ordinances, setbacks, HOA/CCRs, neighborhood fit)

4:30 – Assembling your team: real estate pro, soil/engineering testing, architect vs. builder

6:01 – Architect route vs. in-house designer route — trade-offs explained

8:22 – Recap/bridge: staying flexible, teaser for the financial episode; multi-generational home planning

9:35 – Final practical points before financing: values-based design decisions, life-stage priorities

12:10 – Closing: how Crestmont can help, contact info (crestmontpw.com / [email protected])

Original Air Date: September 12, 2026 at 8:30am as heard on Boerne Radio 103.9FM

Contact:  www.crestmontpw.com 

Alec Walker in Houston:  831-280-5288 

Sam McGee in Boerne: 830-368-2898

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Judge Kirsten Cahoon on The Ascent is a conversation between host Sam McGee and Judge Kirsten Cahoon of the 451st Judicial District in Kendall County, Texas.

 

Summary:

Judge Cahoon shares her path from practicing corporate law in Houston to becoming a district judge in Boerne, discusses how Kendall County's court system has grown and split into two courts, warns listeners about a rise in sophisticated scams (including a personal story about a friend who was defrauded of $20,000), and closes with a heartfelt reflection on presiding over adoptions.

 

Timeline:

 

0:00 — Introduction

1:50 — Judge Cahoon's Background & Path to the Bench

5:11 — Kendall County Court System

4:49 — Scams in Kendall County

7:42 — A Real Scam Story

12:08 — Adoption & Family Law

I

Original Air Date: September 5, 2026 at 8:30am as heard on Boerne Radio 103.9FM

Contact:  www.crestmontpw.com 

Alec Walker in Houston:  831-280-5288 

Sam McGee in Boerne: 830-368-2898

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Ascent features Sam McGee interviewing Hannah Perry, COO and equity partner at Crestmont Private Wealth, about the behind-the-scenes operations that support client service. Hannah explains her role overseeing trading, billing, onboarding, and internal operations, using the "pit crew" analogy to describe how her team executes on financial plans set by advisors. She details the digital workflow that has replaced paper applications, how the firm handles mistakes and process improvement, and the extensive checks involved in servicing multi-generational family accounts — including beneficiary reviews and required minimum distribution (RMD) audits with multiple safeguards. The conversation closes on relationship-building from an operations perspective, client communication preferences, and Crestmont's focus on financial literacy and personalized service for high-net-worth families.

 

Timeline

Time     Topic

0:00     Intro & welcome back Hannah Perry

1:02     Hannah's role as COO at Crestmont

2:11     The "pit crew" analogy for operations

3:19     How the team executes advisor decisions

4:15     Evolution from paper to digital workflows

5:24     Handling and learning from mistakes

6:19     Servicing multi-generational family accounts

6:57     Beneficiary reviews & touch points

8:11     Required minimum distributions (RMDs) deep dive

9:46     10 years of relationships & client trust

10:35  Building relationships from an operations seat

11:56  Client communication preferences

13:10  Financial literacy & who Crestmont serves

14:11  Closing & contact info

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.