Episode 41: Choosing Charitable Impact, Wash Sale Rules, and Business Valuation in Practice

January 26th, 2026  |  38 mins 36 secs

business exit strategy, business valuation, charitable giving, charitable impact, estate planning, family business, nonprofit evaluation, portfolio rebalancing, tax loss harvesting, tax planning, wash sale rules

In this episode, we explore how financial decisions can still feel complicated even when the numbers clearly work. The conversation covers how to choose impactful charitable giving without an existing connection, how wash sale rules show up in real-world portfolios, and a practical discussion with Mike Blake on how business valuations actually work in practice.

Episode 40: Solar Tax Write-Offs, Franchise Investment Decisions, and the Scholar Big Picture

January 19th, 2026  |  38 mins 1 sec

commercial solar investing, concentration risk, financial literacy, franchise investing, inflation planning, investment due diligence, market timing, passive investment myths, private equity investment, real estate investing, tax driven investments, tax planning

In this episode of the Scholar Wealth Podcast, Stephan answers two listener questions focused on evaluating investments that look attractive on paper but require deeper analysis. We start with commercial solar investments and large tax write-offs, then turn to franchising and what investors should consider before committing meaningful capital. The episode closes with the Scholar Big Picture, a quarterly conversation with Dr. Deon Strickland on market behavior, economic uncertainty, and what to watch right now.

Episode 39: 529 Planning in an AI World, Raising Grounded Kids, and Understanding REITs

January 12th, 2026  |  28 mins 51 secs

529 plans, financial literacy, higher education, inheritance planning, lifestyle inflation, raising grounded kids, real estate investing, reits, tax planning

In this episode of the Scholar Wealth Podcast, we start with two listener questions facing many high-income families today. First, we discuss how to think about funding a 529 plan when AI is rapidly changing education, careers, and credentialing, and how to plan for college without overcommitting to a single path. We then turn to a lifestyle question about enjoying financial success while raising kids who stay grounded and understand the value of money. In the second half of the episode, we’re joined by Dr. Stace Sirmans, Professor of Finance at Auburn University, for a clear, academic explanation of how REITs work and how they’re structured.

Episode 38: Social Security Timing, Home Sale Capital Gains, and Educational Travel with Road Scholar

January 5th, 2026  |  31 mins 12 secs

capital gains tax, estate planning, financial independence, inflation planning, inheritance planning, longevity planning, multigenerational travel planning, primary residence sale, real estate investing, retirement planning, social security timing, tax planning

In this episode, we answer two listener questions that highlight common retirement planning tradeoffs. We discuss Social Security timing for high earners, capital gains considerations when selling a long-held primary residence, and how families think about prioritizing meaningful experiences through educational travel with Road Scholar.

Episode 37: Qualified Opportunity Zones, IDGTs, and Modern Estate Management

December 29th, 2025  |  38 mins 25 secs

business exit strategy, business sale planning, estate management, estate planning, family business, high-net-worth home management, inheritance planning, intentionally defective grantor trust, liquidity event, qualified opportunity zones, real estate investing, tax planning, trust strategies

Evaluating Qualified Opportunity Zone investments after a large business sale requires balancing tax incentives with risk and liquidity.

IDGTs can help transfer future business growth, but they introduce meaningful cash flow and complexity considerations.

In our From the Field conversation, Peter Hansen explains what modern estate management looks like and how staffing and systems help homes run smoothly.

Holiday Special: Working Asset Tax Rules, Equipment Depreciation, and Employee Benefits Planning

December 22nd, 2025  |  7 mins 56 secs

bonus depreciation rules, business owner tax planning, corporate cash strategy, employee benefits design, family business, financial literacy, retirement planning, section 179 depreciation, tax planning, working asset depreciation

In this episode, three year-end planning questions from a business owner covering the tax treatment of working assets, depreciation of specialized equipment, and long-term employee benefits planning. The conversation explores how business owners should think about asset classification, Section 179 and bonus depreciation, and designing sustainable benefits for a long-tenured workforce.

Episode 35: AI IPO Scenarios, IRA and Roth Timing, and Digital Legacy Preservation

December 15th, 2025  |  26 mins 2 secs

concentration risk, digital legacy planning, estate planning, financial literacy, ipo planning, ira contribution deadlines, iso amt planning, liquidity event, photo and story preservation, roth conversion rules, rsu taxation, stock option exercise, tax planning, trust strategies

This week:
How to approach RSUs, ISOs, and tax planning when your AI startup hints at an IPO.
Why IRA contributions follow one deadline while Roth conversions follow another.
Practical steps for building and preserving a meaningful digital legacy with guest Robyn Sechler.

Episode 34: Buying a €450K Home Abroad, Planning Around Carried Interest, and Building a Wine Collection That Lasts

December 8th, 2025  |  34 mins 34 secs

carried interest, concentration risk, cross-border real estate, deferred compensation, estate planning, inheritance planning, legacy assets, private equity compensation, private equity investment, real estate investing, tax planning, vacation rental, wine collecting

Buying a €450K family home in Portugal often involves emotion, complex tax rules, and long-term management considerations.

Carried interest can be valuable, but payouts are uncertain. Planning should assume a base case of no carry and treat future distributions as upside.

Wine expert Walker Strangis explains how families can build and maintain collections with both personal meaning and financial value.

Episode 33: Exchange Funds, IRMAA Surprises, and the Modern Watch Market

December 1st, 2025  |  37 mins 17 secs

collectible timepieces, concentrated stock, concentration risk, diversification strategies, exchange funds, financial literacy, income smoothing, irmaa, magi, medicare premiums, retirement planning, tax planning, watch market, watch valuation

In this episode,we break down how exchange funds help investors manage concentrated stock positions, explains how IRMAA surcharges work when income fluctuates, and talks with Perri Dash about what truly drives value in the modern luxury watch market.

Episode 32: Irish-Domiciled ETFs, 2026 IPS Refresh, and Luxury Holiday Design

November 24th, 2025  |  25 mins 34 secs

charitable giving, donor-advised funds, estate planning, expat investing, family business, family governance, financial independence, financial literacy, ips updates, irish etfs, luxury holiday décor, seasonal planning, tax planning

This episode explores three sides of global wealth management and seasonal lifestyle planning. Stephan Shipe, Ph.D., CFA, CFP®, explains how non-U.S. residents can access index-fund diversification through Irish-domiciled ETFs, then breaks down what modern family offices should include in a 2026 Investment Policy Statement refresh. In our From the Field segment, holiday designer Christine Mango shares how luxury families create festive, elegant spaces for the season.

Episode 31: Bridge Loan Tradeoffs, Private Market 401(k)s, and 1031 Exchange Strategies

November 17th, 2025  |  29 mins 27 secs

estate planning, executive compensation, financial independence, financial literacy, liquidity event, portfolio rebalancing, real estate investing, tax planning, trust strategies

This week, we break down when it makes sense to sell investments versus borrow for a new home, what to know about private market options in 401(k)s, and how 1031 exchanges can reshape long-term real estate planning with guest Julie Baird of First American Exchange Company.

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.