Your Best Financial Life

When making major life transitions, it’s natural to have questions and uncertainties. When preparing for college, many parents and students are unsure of where to start, what to prioritize, and how to prepare. In today’s interview Ben Malbasa, teacher and coach, discusses how to prepare for transitioning to college, what to think about before applying, and how to think about prepping for college sports. While college can be a hyper competitive environment, there are three areas in which you...

When making huge life transitions, we often have many questions left unanswered. If nearing retirement or newly retired, it’s likely you’re wondering what to do with your time, what benefits are available to you, and how you can stay connected. In this interview, Ben Manny and Annette Bachmeier, from the Intel Retiree Organization, share their experiences transitioning from Intel to a member of the board of directors on the retiree committee. They discuss the variety of benefits that the...

As the market is changing, many of us may feel compelled to take risks and make shifts along with it. There are many factors to consider when deciding whether or not to act on that impulse. In this episode, Scott Malbasa, your host and financial advisor, shares the top questions to ask yourself when taking risks in a volatile market. He also shares a personal client story and the strategic approach he used to manage this client’s risky financial decision. Join Scott to learn how you can get...

When hit with unexpected market shifts, there’s no need to panic. There is an array of action steps you can take to be prepared for economical downturns. With the global impacts of coronavirus emerging, there are a variety of different strategies to pay attention to and put into place in order to protect your finances. Today’s guest, Isaac Presley, is the CEO and Director of Investments for Cordant Wealth. Isaac shares how to put a financial blueprint into place and the benefits of...

When great career opportunities arise, we often overlook the difficulties that accompany the transition. Today’s guest, Kristie Mann is currently the Senior Director of Products for Intel, a position she uprooted her family across the country for. After 20 years at HP and much contemplation, Kristie transitioned into a new position with Intel. In this interview, Kristie shares what her experience settling into a new career was like and the emotional impact it had on her family. If you’re...

Everything comes and goes in seasons, yet we’re often not prepared or equipped with the right tools to embrace those major unexpected shifts. Today’s guest, Howard Rachinski, is the founder of Christian Copyright Licensing International, which regulates churches with a copy license in order to ensure their compliance with proper compensation for usage of music. He recently underwent a major life shift when he sold his business, which led him to write his new book Perpetual, The Secret to...

Often times, it goes unnoticed that leaders need leadership too. There will always be transitions, issues, and situations that individuals need guidance through, whether they’re a natural follower or leader. Jeff Spahn recognized the need and importance for this, which led him to establish his educational firm, Leaders Leading Leaders. Jeff assists leaders through major career shifts, exploring the process of self-observation, achieving higher performance, and so much more. In this episode,...

Get to know the CEO and Director of Investments of Cordant Wealth Partners! Scott sits down with Isaac Presley to discuss managing the level of risk to take in order to achieve the goals that are trying to be achieved, the common mistakes they see customers making, and much more. Listen in and see if you recognize any of these scenarios! Show Highlights: Links & Resources: Scott’s Email Scott’s Website SUBSCRIBE & SHARE! Scott’s Podcast Suggested Book: The Geometry of...

Sarala Paliwal is today’s guest. She is Senior Engineering Director at Mentor Graphics, A Siemens Business, and manages a worldwide group of software engineers and a worldwide group of quality software engineers. Sarala also volunteers with Girls, Inc., and is on the Advisory Board that helps with their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) program for young girls. Join us as we cover technology education for young women, the gaps in education and what needs to be changed,...

Today’s guest is actually a co-worker of mine at Cordant Wealth, Financial Advisor Scott Gerlach. I’m really happy to be introducing him to you today, and we will be covering the topic of fiduciaries. I get a lot of questions about this, such as: What does it mean to be a fiduciary? Is Cordant Wealth a fiduciary? What is the importance of a fiduciary? Scott grew up in Visalia, CA, which is a big agricultural area in Central California, attended school at the University of Oregon, where he...

A question that often comes up when talking to people that are approaching retirement is “What do I do next, and how do I evaluate the opportunities that become available to me upon retirement or the transitioning out of a role in a big corporation”? Today’s guest, John Tortorici, is going to help field these questions, and more. We’re going to learn how he evaluates opportunities and how he would recommend selecting a non-profit that meshes with your experience and the type of work you...

This week’s episode is an extension of a recent interview with Beth Giles, a professional organizer. Today’s guest, Stephanie Malbasa is an estate planning attorney with special insight on what it looks like behind the scenes of downsizing, having recently gone through the process herself. She shares her approach to dealing with the difficulties of letting go of keepsakes, traditions, and memories that are intertwined with your current home and how to embrace a new mindset on life. Along...

Chances are, you or somebody you know, have been offered a separation package from an employer. Today, Scott shares with us “Rob’s” story. Rob was around age 60 and planned to retire at age 65 when his long-term employer offered him an attractive separation package that would equate to about 2 and 1/2 years salary, a bonus, plus a year of paid health care. Some of Rob’s concerns were getting his children through college without acquiring debt and maintaining his and his wife’s current...

Nurturing a small business to maximize its potential while dodging the risks, plus preparing a business for an exit when a business founder wants out are the topics on today’s podcast. You will meet Jeff Kadlic, who started his career in commercial lending, then moved into institutional investing. During his time in the investment sector, he was exposed to private equity funds. He kept seeing smaller successful companies that didn’t have access to capital but were overlooked by the larger...

It’s human nature to desire stability in our lives, but we often have to overcome that drive for security to achieve our goals. Today’s guest, Bob Paskins, is a successful speaker and sales consultant, but it wasn’t always that way. Over the past year, Bob found the courage to transition from being a commercial insurance salesman to follow his passion. Bob talks about the fears he had to overcome in order to make this leap and the perspective shifts that he had to adopt. To hear more about...

Incorporating philanthropy into your finances isn’t a requirement, but it is fulfilling and easily achievable if you happen to be charitably inclined. Today's guest, Bill Hawke, has been a financial planner for over 38 years and actively encourages practicing philanthropy. Bill shares his top strategies to get involved in giving and how to incorporate philanthropy into your family practices. To learn more about how you can charitably give and still live according to your goals, tune into...

Real estate is a diverse market that is much more complex than commonly perceived. In today’s interview with John Swagerty, Senior Vice President at Acadia Realty Trust, Scott and John dissect what goes into evaluating a property and a potential real estate investment. John covers different dynamics of the industry and uncovers focal points of the behind-the-scenes mechanics. To learn more about real estate investments and the perspective shift that’s occurred in the market tune into this...

A home is one of the biggest purchases you’ll make in your lifetime, so why do people know so little about it? Todays’ guest, Kim Bean, has been a mortgage loan officer for decades and has seen the ups, downs, and behind the scenes of the industry. Today, Kim shares tips on things like how to improve your credit score, analyzes options to consider when looking at your mortgage, and offers advice on how to go about your own process. To learn how you can apply these insightful tricks to your...

Retirement doesn’t have to mean stagnation or mark the end of pursuing dreams. In fact, many people aspire and start up their own personal businesses after retirement. One notable person who successfully began her own business after retirement is Kim Netting. Kim Netting noticed a lack of products that targeted people with allergens, specifically gluten intolerance, and started up a company producing ice cream sandwiches to satisfy those customers. In today’s conversation, Kim talks about...

Everyone wants to be more organized in life, and most need to downsize their belongings along the journey. Today’s guest will help you with these goals. Beth Giles is the Professional Organizer/Senior Move Manager at NW Organizing Solutions, LLC. Beth works with people and their possessions and their systems of life - helping them to flow more smoothly. Often people wait too long to organize their lives and they become overwhelmed. Join us and learn how we can keep our lives organized and...