The Scholar Wealth Podcast

Episode 30: Defining Value: From Wedding Budgets to Market Wisdom to Comic Collectibles

November 10th, 2025  |  44 mins 17 secs

alternative investments, behavioral finance, collectibles market, comic book investing, efficient markets hypothesis, family values, financial literacy, index funds, inflation and interest rates, inflation planning, long-term investing, market efficiency, passion assets, passive investing, portfolio rebalancing, scarcity and value, spending decisions, tune out the noise, wedding budgets

This episode explores three distinct perspectives on how we define value — from emotional and relational, to financial and even cultural. Stephan and Dr. Deon Strickland answer two listener questions on setting a wedding budget when money isn’t the constraint, and whether the Efficient Markets Hypothesis still holds up in today’s economic environment. The episode concludes with a look inside the world of high-end comic collecting with Vincent Zurzolo of Metropolis Collectibles and ComicConnect.

Episode 29: CRUT Strategies, Contingency Fee Windfalls, and Protecting Valuable Collections

November 3rd, 2025  |  29 mins 31 secs

art insurance, asset protection, charitable giving, charitable remainder trusts, contingency attorneys, cruts, donor-advised funds, financial literacy, fine art protection, legal windfalls, liquidity event, liquidity management, real estate investing, real estate sales, risk management, tax planning, trust strategies, uneven income planning, valuable collections

This episode examines three sides of wealth protection: how to use a charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT) when selling appreciated real estate, how contingency attorneys should plan after a major payout, and how to safeguard valuable art and collectibles with Anne Rappa of Marsh McLennan Agency.

Episode 28: Historic Home Incentives, Valuation Discounts, and the Luxury Yacht Market

October 27th, 2025  |  28 mins 32 secs

construction budgeting, estate planning, estate tax efficiency, family llc planning, family office investing, family wealth transfer, financial independence, financial literacy, gifting strategies, historic property renovation, home restoration costs, independent appraisal, irs valuation scrutiny, lack of marketability discount, luxury asset management, minority interest discount, national register of historic places, preservation incentives, real estate investing, tax credits, tax planning, trust strategies, valuation discounts, virginia historic tax credit, yacht ownership

We discuss restoring historic properties, gifting family LLC interests, and the financial realities of yacht ownership. Topics include federal and state tax credits for historic renovations, how valuation discounts create tax-efficient transfers, and insights from Steve Myers of YATCO on the evolving role of family offices in the global yacht market.

Episode 27: Triple Net Leases, Trust Gifting, and Lessons from SEC Whistleblower Cases

October 20th, 2025  |  39 mins 47 secs

alternative investments, commercial real estate, concentration risk, estate planning, family wealth, fiduciary vs suitability, gifting strategies, income strategy, irrevocable trust, legacy planning, leveraged real estate strategy, lifetime gift exemption, liquidity planning, multigenerational wealth transfer, portfolio diversification, private investment fraud, real estate investing, sec whistleblower, tax planning, triple net lease, trust strategies

This week, Stephan answers two listener questions — how to evaluate triple net lease opportunities with a $5 million budget, and how high-net-worth families should begin transferring wealth to their children through irrevocable trusts. Then, in our From the Field segment, Scott Silver and David Chase share insights from their work as SEC whistleblower attorneys and discuss how investors can protect themselves from fraud in private markets.

Episode 26: Roth Conversions, Gold at Record Highs, and Elite College Admissions

October 13th, 2025  |  25 mins 20 secs

401k strategy, alternative investments, college admissions, concentration risk, diversification, education planning, estate planning, financial independence, financial literacy, gifting strategies, gold investing, inflation planning, legacy planning, market timing, retirement planning, roth conversion, tax planning, wealth preservation

This episode tackles wealth decisions across two generations: when it makes sense to convert a 401(k) to a Roth, how to think about gold at record highs, and what high-net-worth families should know about navigating elite college admissions with Lindsay Tanne Howe of LogicPrep.

Episode 25: When Spouses Disagree on Legacy Goals, Family Business Concentration Risk, and IRS Audit Insights

October 6th, 2025  |  37 mins 1 sec

concentration risk, estate planning, family business, family company, family dynamics, gifting strategies, inheritance planning, irs audits, legacy disagreements, private business risk, tax planning

This episode tackles family and financial crossroads: how couples can resolve different visions for their legacy, the risks of tying too much wealth to a relative’s business, and expert strategies for handling IRS audits with David De Jong.

Episode 24: Family Gifting Expectations, Tech IPO Decisions, and the Capital Call Dilemma

September 29th, 2025  |  22 mins 20 secs

10b5-1 trading plan, adult children financial expectations, capital call dilemma, concentrated stock risk, concentration risk, de-risking at 65, equity allocation in retirement, experience vs cash gifts, family gifting dynamics, financial literacy, gifting strategies, investment dilution, ipo planning, ipo stock concentration, liquidity event, longevity and investing, mortgage and private school planning, multigenerational wealth communication, private deal due diligence, real estate investing, real estate syndication risks, retirement planning, retirement portfolio strategy, rsu liquidity planning, stock option exercise, wedding gift fairness

This episode tackles three wealth questions you won’t find in a textbook. We discuss how families can approach fairness in gifting when children make very different choices around major life events, how tech executives should think about concentration risk and cash flow ahead of an IPO, and what to do when a real estate syndication deal issues a capital call. Plus, in Myth or Money, we ask whether turning 65 really means it’s time to cut back on equities.

Episode 23: SLAT Adjustments, Family Philanthropy, and Spotting Ponzi Schemes

September 22nd, 2025  |  33 mins 57 secs

alternative investment risks, asset protection, balancing family giving priorities, charitable giving, cost-of-living trust adjustments, donor-advised fund strategy, due diligence for private investments, estate planning, family foundation governance, financial literacy, gifting strategies, heirs financial literacy, hems trust provisions, inflation planning, irrevocable trust modification, legacy planning strategies, next-gen philanthropy, ponzi scheme red flags, ponzi schemes, real estate syndication fraud, slat distribution flexibility, spotting investment fraud, trust strategies

Two complex questions for high-net-worth families: 1) How much flexibility should couples build into SLAT distributions as living costs rise? 2) How can families balance decades-long charitable commitments with next-generation priorities? Plus, a From the Field interview with attorney Daniel Gielchinsky, who shares the red flags he’s seen in Ponzi schemes and fraudulent investment pitches.

Episode 22: Trusts vs Wills, Senior Living REITs, and a Physician Bonus Playbook

September 15th, 2025  |  22 mins 38 secs

backdoor roth, donor-advised fund considerations, emergency fund strategy, estate complexity, estate planning, fee transparency, financial literacy, inheritance planning, liquidity constraints, manager quality assessment, physician finance, physician taxable account, private reit due diligence, probate avoidance, real estate investing, senior living investment, signing bonus allocation, tax planning, taxable investing, trust strategies, will vs trust

A $5 million estate. A private senior living REIT. A physician’s $75,000 signing bonus. In this Q&A episode, Stephan unpacks three listener questions with clear, practical guidance for high-net-worth families.

Episode 21: All in One Bank, Deferred Comp Timing, and a $20-to-Success Journey

September 8th, 2025  |  36 mins 43 secs

asset protection, company solvency risk, compounding interest, concentration risk, deferred compensation, executive compensation, fdic insurance, financial independence, financial literacy, lump sum vs installment payments, sipc insurance, tax bracket management, tax planning

Two practical questions for high-net-worth families: 1) Is keeping all your cash and investments at one institution a smart simplifier or a hidden risk? We unpack FDIC vs. SIPC, custodial risk, and why splitting liquidity across banks and custodians can protect access. 2) How to choose a deferred compensation distribution schedule when the future is uncertain. We walk through the tradeoffs among company solvency, tax brackets, and your real cash needs. Plus, a Money Masters story who arrived in the US with $20 and built wealth through discipline, compounding, and clear values he now passes to his kids.

Episode 20: Learning Capital for Kids, Tax Loss Harvesting with Direct Indexing, and Hiring a Private Chef

September 1st, 2025  |  22 mins 44 secs

charitable giving, concentration risk, crypto investing, dafs, direct indexing, estate planning, financial independence, financial literacy, gifting strategies, inheritance planning, learning capital, market timing, portfolio rebalancing, qsbs, tax planning, trust strategies

In this episode, we answer listener questions about setting boundaries around “learning capital” when a child wants to invest trust assets in crypto, weighing the benefits of direct indexing for tax loss harvesting in a $6 million taxable portfolio, and handling the financial logistics of hiring a private chef for a family-owned summer residence. Plus, our Term of the Day segment breaks down QSBS — Qualified Small Business Stock — and why it can be such a powerful tax planning opportunity for entrepreneurs.

Episode 19: Helping Family, Law Firm Partnership Buy-In, and Using NUA: High-Stakes Money Decisions

August 25th, 2025  |  24 mins 1 sec

advisor red flags, asset protection, career transitions, family finance, financial literacy, high-net-worth strategy, partnership buy-in, retirement decisions, retirement planning, tax efficiency, tax planning

Big financial decisions often carry more risk than they first appear. In this episode of the Scholar Wealth Podcast, Stephan answers three listener questions on high-stakes money moves: helping family with a major purchase, evaluating a $500,000 law firm partnership buy-in, and deciding whether to use the Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) tax strategy in retirement.

Plus, in our Advisor Red Flags segment, we spotlight why “exclusive” alternative investment opportunities aren’t always as good as they sound.