Wicked Pissah Podcast

What does it really take to leave an established firm and build a financial planning practice on your own terms?

In this episode of the Wicked Pissah Podcast, Jackie Walsh, CFP®, founder of 30 Point Financial and Treasurer of FPA New England, sits down with Bridget Grimes, CFP®, President of WealthChoice and co-founder of Equita Financial Network.

Bridget shares her journey from working as an employee at a fee-only RIA to launching WealthChoice nearly a decade ago. She explains why she wanted greater control over how she served clients, how she structured her business, and ultimately, how she valued her own work.

But independence came with another realization: running your own firm can be lonely, and trying to handle financial planning, investments, compliance, technology, operations, marketing, and business development yourself can quickly become a barrier to growth.

That experience ultimately helped inspire Equita Financial Network, a community of independent, women-led financial planning firms that provides advisors with shared resources while allowing them to maintain their own brands, clients, and vision.

Jackie also shares her own experience as a newer firm founder and Equita member, including how access to a community of other women advisors has helped her navigate the early stages of building her practice.

Bridget and Jackie discuss the importance of delegation, investing in your business before you feel completely ready, finding a community of advisors willing to share their experiences, and recognizing that independence does not have to mean doing everything yourself.

They also explore the continued underrepresentation of women in financial planning and why mentorship, collaboration, and intentional succession planning could play an important role in bringing more women into the profession and helping existing women-led firms remain women-led.

For advisors considering independence, building a firm, or simply looking for a stronger professional community, this conversation offers a candid look at both the opportunity and responsibility that come with owning your own practice.

In this episode:

• Why Bridget left an established RIA to launch WealthChoice
• The realities of starting a financial planning firm with no clients
• Why community matters for independent advisors
• How Equita Financial Network grew from two advisors sharing resources
• Delegating compliance, investments, technology, and operations
• Why trying to save money by doing everything yourself can limit growth
• Supporting career changers and women entering financial planning
• Maintaining independence while gaining the advantages of scale
• The difference between being a business owner and being a W-2 advisor
• Creating succession opportunities for women-led advisory firms
• Why Bridget believes investing in yourself can change the trajectory of your firm

About Bridget Grimes, CFP®

Bridget Grimes is President of WealthChoice, a boutique financial life planning firm serving women executives, and co-founder of Equita Financial Network, a collaborative community supporting independent women-led financial planning firms. She is also a CFP Board Ambassador and author of Corner Office Choices: The Executive Woman's Guide to Financial Freedom.

Her work centers on helping women gain greater confidence and control over their financial lives while supporting women advisors who want to build successful firms on their own terms.

What can 300 conversations teach you about becoming a better financial advisor?

For the 300th episode of the Wicked Pissah Podcast, past and present hosts come together for a conversation about the ideas, people and experiences that have shaped the show and, in many cases, their own careers and practices.

Michael Connaughton and Corey Christiana are joined by former hosts Chris Boyd, Brad Wright and Kathleen Keneally to look back at how a podcast that began as a way to extend the reach of FPA New England programming grew into 300 episodes of conversations with advisors, authors, industry leaders, technology companies and subject-matter experts.

But this isn't simply a trip down memory lane.

The group talks about something every advisor can relate to: How do you keep learning while you're busy actually running a practice and serving clients?

Over the years, hosts have used questions coming directly from their own practices to find guests and topics. Those conversations have introduced them to new technology, planning strategies, marketing ideas and resources they could bring back to their firms and, sometimes, directly to their clients.

You'll also hear how participating in the financial planning community can create opportunities you don't necessarily anticipate. Kathleen shares how stepping outside her comfort zone as an introvert led to four years of conversations with people she might never otherwise have had the opportunity to sit down with. The hosts reflect on career decisions, launching firms, learning from other practitioners and the value of seeing other advisors openly share how they approach the profession.

And then there's the question of what happens next.

The group looks ahead at AI, technology, video and the increasingly human side of financial advice, including a prediction that Wicked Pissah could eventually reach 1,000 episodes.

Whether you've listened since the beginning or have never heard an episode, Episode 300 is a reminder that some of the best professional development doesn't come from having all the answers. It comes from knowing who to ask, staying curious and being willing to learn from other people in the profession.

300 episodes down. Only 700 to go.

Federal student loan planning has become increasingly complex, and for financial advisors, keeping up with changing repayment plans, forgiveness programs, eligibility rules, and deadlines can feel like a specialty all its own.

In this episode of the Wicked Pissah Podcast, Jackie Walsh, CPA, CFP®, sits down with Emma Crawford, CFP®, CSLP®, founder of October Loan Strategies, a firm dedicated exclusively to helping borrowers navigate federal student loan repayment and forgiveness.

Emma has consulted on more than $200 million in student loan debt and helped clients secure more than $10 million in forgiveness. Much of her work is done in collaboration with financial advisors who bring her in as a student loan specialist for their clients.

Emma and Jackie discuss when an advisor may be able to handle student loan planning internally and when it makes sense to bring in specialized expertise. Six-figure loan balances, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, changing income-driven repayment options, uncertain forgiveness credit, and clients transitioning from the SAVE forbearance can all create planning questions that extend well beyond simply determining a monthly payment.

They also challenge one of the most common assumptions about debt: that paying it off as quickly as possible is always the best financial decision. Emma explains why some borrowers may be better served pursuing forgiveness and directing available cash toward other financial priorities. For advisors, that means evaluating student loans within the context of the client's entire financial plan rather than treating the debt as an isolated problem.

The conversation also explores the Certified Student Loan Professional designation, resources advisors can use to stay current, and how student loan specialists and financial planners can collaborate to provide more comprehensive advice.

In this episode:

• When advisors should consider bringing in a student loan specialist
• How student loan planning fits into comprehensive financial planning
• Navigating income-driven repayment and forgiveness strategies
• Why paying student loans off faster isn't always the best answer
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness and forgiveness credit
• How repayment changes can affect a client's cash flow
• Evaluating student loans alongside other financial goals
• Resources advisors can use to stay current
• What the CSLP® designation involves
• How advisors can outsource student loan planning while remaining involved in the client relationship

For advisors working with clients carrying federal student loan debt, this episode is a reminder that the right strategy isn't necessarily about eliminating debt as quickly as possible. It's about understanding the rules, evaluating the tradeoffs, and finding the strategy that best supports the client's bigger financial picture.

K. Dane Snowden, CEO of CFP Board Show Notes

On this episode of the Wicked Pissah Podcast, Kevin Williams is joined by K Dane Snowden, Chief Executive Officer of the CFP Board to discuss the organization's priorities and the future of the financial planning profession.

Dane shares his vision for CFP Board, emphasizing the importance of raising public awareness of CFP professionals and increasing their value proposition. He highlights key priorities such as strengthening the value for current certificants, diversifying and growing the pipeline of new professionals, and improving the culture of the profession to be more inclusive.

Our conversation also covers the impact of AI on the profession, the need for financial literacy education, and the importance of partnerships with organizations like the FPA.

Dane expresses his goal of making financial planning accessible to everyone at every stage of life and discusses potential bold initiatives, such as aligning with the College Football Playoff's use of "CFP."

Get ready to learn what lies ahead for both CFP Board and our profession on this episode of the Wicked Pissah Podcast.

https://www.cfp.net/about-cfp-board/leadership-and-staff/k-dane-snowden

https://www.linkedin.com/in/danesnowden/

#CFPBoard #FinancialPlanning #CFP #WickedPissahPodcast #FinServ

Host Chris Boyd is joined by Russ Ball and Luke Bagley for a conversation about one of the biggest financial risks facing retirees: the rising cost of long-term care.

Long-term care can have a significant impact on retirement savings, but deciding how to prepare for those expenses is not always straightforward. Chris, Russ, and Luke break down the options families should understand and the financial considerations that can help shape a long-term care strategy.

They discuss:

· The growing cost of long-term care and its potential impact on retirement.

· How traditional long-term care insurance works, including qualification requirements, benefit triggers, elimination periods, premium increases, and inflation protection.

· The pros and cons of hybrid life insurance and annuity-based long-term care solutions.

· When self-funding long-term care expenses may make sense.

· How long-term care planning can help protect retirement assets and preserve a financial legacy.

And much more.

Whether you are preparing for retirement, already retired, or helping aging parents make financial decisions, this conversation highlights why long-term care deserves a place in the retirement planning process.

#LongTermCare #RetirementPlanning #FinancialPlanning #WealthManagement #EstatePlanning #RiskManagement #RetirementStrategy #LegacyPlanning

Paul Gaudio

Host Michael Connaughton is joined by Paul Gaudio.

Paul is a CFP® and Wealth Planner at Crestwood Advisors with 9 years of experience helping individuals and families make smart choices with their money. Paul is passionate about guiding clients through life's financial complexities with clarity and care. He also serves as the President of NexGen for FPA New England, where he supports the growth and development of emerging professionals in the financial planning community, and works to expand the efforts of the Financial Planning Association through networking events and webinars.

They discuss:

· Paul's background and career journey.

· Tips for those entering or early in the financial planning career path.

· His work in the NexGen Committee and upcoming events.

And much more.

Contact Paul:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-gaudio-cfp%C2%AE-a5787aa6/

Email: [email protected]

Host Michael Connaughton is joined by Robert Michaud, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer of New Frontier.

Robert Michaud is co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of New Frontier Advisors, LLC. He brings over 25 years of financial innovations and investment management experience to serve the needs of financial advisors and institutional clients for optimal financial outcomes with four U.S. patents in portfolio optimization and rebalancing technology.

We discuss:

• Origins & Optimization: Robert shares his journey in quant finance and explains how Monte Carlo resampling fixes classical Markowitz theory's reliance on "perfect foresight".

• ETFs, Taxes, & Direct Indexing: Covers New Frontier's early ETF strategist models, comparing ETF efficiency to direct indexing while emphasizing risk management over short-term tax alpha.

• Crypto, Active Management, & Goals: Highlights targeted active strategies in fixed income, evaluating crypto and gold strictly for diversification, and aligning portfolios with personal client goals.

More on Robert and New Frontier

https://www.newfrontieradvisors.com/

Jeffrey Megar, CFA

Client Portfolio Solutions | New Frontier Advisors, LLC

P (617) 648-3906 | M (617) 939-4526

E [email protected]

How will financial advisors grow their businesses in a digital-first world? In this episode of the Wicked Pissah Podcast, Chris Boyd is joined by Ian Karnell, co-founder of Vast Advisor, to break down how AI is transforming advisor marketing and client acquisition. This conversation goes beyond productivity tools and dives into how advisors can build scalable growth systems that align with how today's clients actually search for advice. If you've ever wondered whether referrals alone are enough—or how to adapt your strategy for the next generation of investors—this episode offers a fresh perspective. In this episode, we discuss:

• Why traditional referral-based growth may not scale
• The growing influence of digital-first client behavior
• How AI can help advisors define and target ideal clients
• The concept of a repeatable "growth engine" for advisory firms
• Balancing innovation with compliance in a regulated industry
• What the next generation of advisors is doing differently

Whether you're an independent advisor or part of a growing firm, this conversation will help you rethink how you approach growth in a rapidly evolving landscape. Subscribe for more conversations on financial planning, markets, and the future of advice.

• Vast Advisor website: VastAdvisor | AI Client Acquisition for Wealth Managers & RIAs
• Vast Advisor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vastadvisor
• Ian's LinkedIn: Ian J. Karnell | LinkedIn
• Chris's LinkedIn: J. Christopher Boyd | LinkedIn

#FinancialAdvisors #WealthManagement #RIA #AdvisorGrowth #PracticeManagement #AIinBusiness #FinancialPlanning #Leadership

In this episode of Something More with Chris Boyd, Chris Boyd and Russ Ball are joined by Social Security expert Marcia Mantell to unpack the latest Trustees Report and its implications. With projections pointing to a potential shortfall by 2032, they explore what's driving the change—and what it could mean for your future benefits. Marcia shares insights from decades of experience helping retirees navigate Social Security decisions and explains why some of the most common reactions—like claiming early—may do more harm than good. Learn more about Marcia Mantell and her work: Marcia's website: https://mantellretirementconsulting.com/ Marcia's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marciamantell/ Explore policy insights and planning tools: Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: https://www.crfb.org/ Connect with the hosts: Chris's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-christopher-boyd-b932169/ Russ's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russ-ball-3058b5160/ In this episode, we discuss:

• What the 2026 Social Security Trustees Report actually says
• Why the projected shortfall timeline has moved closer
• Common misconceptions about claiming benefits early
• Potential policy solutions on the table
• How to plan for uncertainty in retirement income

If you found this helpful, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with someone who's thinking about retirement. #RetirementPlanning #SocialSecurity #FinancialAdvising #WealthManagement #FinancialPlanning #PolicyInsights #AdvisorPerspective

Our guest on today's episode is Jeff Juracka, Senior Account Executive at YCharts. Jeff has been building and leading his team at YCharts for the past six years. He's a graduate of Loyola University of Chicago and is a former rugby player, who also studied

- YCharts was founded in 2009 to democratize investment research. They are an all-in-one platform for investment research and client communication, with tools that are easy to use, and data that is reliable and timely.

They discuss: -The current state of FinTech -Why visual presentations matter -Charts advisors gravitate towards

Contact YCharts: https://ycharts.com/