Tasia talks with Nicole McGough, CDFA, about the assets that surface in discovery, how pensions are valued, why an authorized-user card may not be yours to rely on, and why equal-looking accounts are not always equal.

Subscribe to the Graceful Investor newsletter and join the free monthly book club here: https://gracefulinvestor.com/.

For educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Consult a qualified professional before making investment decisions.

Tasia sits down with House of Color consultant Angie Scott to break down her own color consultation and what it changed about how she shops.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• How a personal color analysis works, from undertones to your season
• Why you don't need a full wardrobe overhaul after you find your colors
• The two-to-three-week rule for working with the closet you already have
• How one well-chosen layer can extend the life of pieces you already own
• How your palette cuts wasted spending on clothes and makeup

A personal color analysis tells you whether you have warm or cool undertones and which of the four seasons flatters you most. For Tasia, the answer was a bright winter palette, and it explained years of shopping habits, including why she never buys gold jewelry.

The bigger question is what happens next. Many women walk out of a color consultation convinced nothing in their closet works. As a self-described recovering shopaholic, Tasia knows that moment can turn into thousands of dollars in impulse purchases. Angie's answer to "do I need to rehab my whole wardrobe?" is always no. She explains why a full overhaul fills a closet instead of curating it, and walks through the approach she gives every client: sort your closet with your color fan, wear what you have for two to three weeks, and add a piece in your palette underneath a favorite you already own.

They also cover capsule wardrobes built in your colors instead of only neutrals, why a trend is not always your trend, how knowing your palette cuts wasted makeup spending, and when color analysis makes sense for teens. Tasia shares how carrying her fabric fan has already stopped purchases she would have made, and what her 2025 sweater challenge revealed about the pieces she never reached for.

If you want your clothing budget to work harder and your closet to feel like you, this conversation is a practical place to start.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Meet Angie Scott of House of Color

1:44 Inside a Color Consultation

3:03 Warm vs. Cool: Finding Your Season

8:08 The Closet Meltdown After Your Palette

10:25 The Two-to-Three-Week Closet Rule

15:59 Why a Trend Isn't Always Your Trend

18:17 Makeup Money You Can Stop Wasting

21:16 My Sweater Challenge, Explained

SUBSCRIBE to the Graceful Investor newsletter: https://gracefulinvestor.com/

Join the free monthly book club: https://gracefulinvestor.com/book-club

ABOUT GRACEFUL INVESTOR

Learn more about House of Color and Angie Scott: https://www.houseofcolour.com/stylists/angie-scott-carmel-indiana

DISCLAIMER

The content shared on this channel is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions. The host is not a licensed financial advisor. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

#GracefulInvestor #ColorAnalysis #MindfulSpending #WealthBuilding

Tasia and Angie Scott break down the paycheck decisions most workplaces never explain, so you can put your own money to work with confidence.

What You'll Learn

• Why an auto-enrolled retirement account can sit in cash for years without you knowing
• How to legally combine a 401(k), a Health Savings Account, and a Roth IRA for triple tax advantages
• The HSA reimbursement strategy that lets old receipts convert into a tax-free withdrawal later
• The real difference between a tax credit, a tax deduction, and a tax refund
• What to ask before your next financial advisor meeting

Tasia sits down with Angie Scott, who spent 25 years in human resources and senior leadership, to walk through the paycheck decisions most women are never taught. They start with the most common blind spot: money automatically deducted for retirement that never actually gets invested, just sitting in cash. From there, Angie and Tasia work through how to legally combine tax-advantaged accounts (a 401(k) match, a Health Savings Account, and a Roth IRA can all work together), the lesser-known HSA strategy that lets years of saved receipts convert into a tax-free withdrawal later in life, and how 529 college savings plans and state tax credits actually work (a credit is not a check in the mail). They close with the exact questions every woman should bring into a financial advisor meeting, and why the right advisor answers them without hesitation. Figures discussed are illustrative examples, not guarantees, and account limits and rules change by year and by state, so always confirm current numbers with your plan provider or a licensed professional. This conversation is for anyone earning a paycheck, running a side hustle, or building a retirement plan on their own, especially if no one ever sat you down and explained how these accounts actually work together.

Timestamps

0:00 - Welcome + meet Angie Scott

8:22 - Step one: the employer resources you don't know exist

13:46 - How 401(k) matching actually works

17:03 - The mistake: auto-enrolled and never invested

19:25 - Health Savings Accounts explained

22:15 - The HSA reimbursement strategy

24:12 - Roth IRA rules and income limits

32:15 - 529 plans and state tax credits

37:00 - Retirement options for the self-employed

39:04 - What to ask your financial advisor

34:36 - Tax credit vs. tax refund: the mistake most women make

Disclaimer

The content shared on this channel is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions. The host is not a licensed financial advisor. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

About Graceful Investor

Graceful Investor website: https://gracefulinvestor.com/

Find Tasia on IG: https://www.instagram.com/gracefulinvestor/

#GracefulInvestor #WomenInvesting #FinancialLiteracy #WealthBuilding

Watch Next 💟 How Smart Women Turn Their Wardrobe Into Wealth: https://youtu.be/hXYC6YTO1eI

Lesly Jules of HOPE International explains why her savings groups skip money talk for the first four months.

Subscribe for more conversations on building real financial security, on your own terms.

Lesly Jules is a regional director with HOPE International, a global nonprofit that runs savings groups and microfinance programs in dozens of countries. Tasia talks with Lesly about how these women-led savings groups meet in groups of fifteen to twenty-five, save toward twelve-month goals alongside a shared emergency fund, and deliberately avoid discussing money at all for the first four months. That waiting period exists to build trust before capital, and Lesly explains why skipping it is why so many peer-lending and savings programs fail.

The conversation turns to debt, and Lesly notes that most savings-group members, without ever hearing of Dave Ramsey or his Financial Peace University course, live by his core rule: if you can't buy something in cash, you can't afford it. Tasia adds the line that frames the segment — the borrower is slave to the lender — and Lesly contrasts a 24% commercial-bank loan rate with rates as high as 45% at some microfinance institutions, explaining why HOPE International structures its own lending differently, with loan officers who prioritize a client's success over collecting at any cost.

Tasia connects Lesly's savings-group model to a pattern she sees in American women: physicians carrying $200,000 to $300,000 in medical-school debt, a high-paying job that still takes 10 years to pay it off, and a burden that savings-group members starting from zero never carry. Lesly's own teaching tool — asking a room of women how much a dollar-a-day habit adds up to over 18 years — reflects the same discipline HOPE International has scaled to thousands of savings groups and millions of members over 30 years, funded through loans that get relent four to five times before the capital moves on to someone else.

Lesly and Tasia also talk about social capital, financial stewardship, and why isolation, not income, is often the bigger obstacle to a woman's financial confidence, whether she lives in Durham, North Carolina, or a savings group in Haiti. It's a conversation about accountability, dreaming past a five-year horizon, and what it looks like to build financial security without waiting for someone else to hand you permission.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 - Lesly Jules Joins Graceful Investor

1:35 - From Haiti to HOPE International

6:14 - Inside a HOPE Savings Group

8:18 - Why Savings Groups Skip Money Talk

11:40 - The $1-a-Day Savings Challenge

20:46 - The Real Cost of American Debt

22:35 - Dave Ramsey's Debt-Free Rule

29:03 - How HOPE Lends Differently

DISCLAIMER

The content shared on this channel is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions. The host is not a licensed financial advisor. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

ABOUT GRACEFUL INVESTOR

Visit Graceful Investor and Join the Community here: https://gracefulinvestor.com/

Learn more about this episode's guest organization at hopeinternational.org.

#GracefulInvestor #WomenInvesting #FinancialLiteracy #SavingsGroups

Getting divorced? Two moves protect your credit before anything else: check your score, then freeze it. Subscribe for the money conversations that happen too late.

Tasia breaks down what your credit score actually does in a divorce, the blind spots that catch women off guard during the process, and why a good score by itself may not be enough to get you into your next home.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

- The two steps to take the moment a separation starts

- Why a lender can pursue you for a full joint balance regardless of your agreement

- What happens to your utilization when your name comes off an authorized user card

- How to find a card or loan opened in your name without you knowing

- Why 24 months of earned income history can matter as much as your score

A credit score is the number a lender, a landlord or a card issuer uses to decide whether to say yes to you. Tasia opens by explaining what that number communicates on your behalf, and why it becomes a gatekeeper the moment a marriage starts to come apart. Her first two action steps are practical and free: pull your score on Credit Karma, which reports data from TransUnion and Experian, then freeze your credit so no one can open new lines of credit in your name while your finances are still tangled together.

Most of the episode sits with the blind spots. Tasia walks through joint debt and what a lender will and will not honor. In her illustrative example, a couple carrying $80,000 in shared credit card debt agrees to split it evenly. That agreement binds the two of them. It does not bind the card issuer, which can pursue either name on the account for the entire balance. Repayment terms belong in writing with your attorney, not in a handshake with your ex.

The difference between an authorized user and a joint account holder is the mechanism most people miss. An authorized user can be removed at the primary cardholder's discretion, and removal shrinks your available credit. In Tasia's illustrative math, a $30,000 balance against $100,000 in available credit is 30% utilization; the same balance against $50,000 is 60%, and utilization that high generally pulls a score down. She also describes sitting with women who log into Credit Karma expecting three cards and find a fourth, opened in their name using their Social Security number, plus the phone call that gets that account canceled and reissued to an address they control.

The largest blind spot arrives after the divorce is final. Housing, a car loan and a new credit card all require a credit score, but lenders typically also want to see 24 months of earned income history. A lower-earning spouse or a stay-at-home partner can come through the process with a clean score and still not qualify. Tasia covers what helps: a co-signer, creative financing such as several months of rent paid upfront, and opening a credit card while you are still married and the lender can see household income rather than individual income. She closes with her own recent credit card denial as a stay-at-home mom, which is the reason she made this episode.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 - Your Credit Score in a Divorce

2:57 - Check Your Score, Then Freeze It

6:02 - Joint Debt and Who Lenders Chase

7:55 - Authorized User vs. Joint Account

9:43 - Hidden Debt Opened in Your Name

11:15 - Car Titles, Rent and Mortgage

14:08 - The Post-Divorce Income Problem

15:12 - Open a Card While Still Married

DISCLAIMER

The content shared on this channel is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions. The host is not a licensed financial advisor. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

ABOUT GRACEFUL INVESTOR

Graceful Investor is hosted by Tasia. The channel covers budgeting, saving, investing, estate planning and what to do with your money during a divorce, for women ready to take control of their financial lives.

Free monthly book club: https://gracefulinvestor.com/book-club

#GracefulInvestor #WomenAndMoney #DivorceFinances #CreditScore

Tasia breaks down the phrases that unintentionally hurt someone going through divorce, and exactly what to say instead so they know you're really there for them.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• The common phrases that feel dismissive to someone going through divorce, even when they're well-intentioned
• Why "I understand" can feel disingenuous unless you've actually lived it yourself
• The "magic question" that gives a struggling friend real, actionable support
• How to offer help with a concrete plan instead of an open-ended "let me know if you need anything"
• Why judging how someone is coping, or how long their marriage lasted, misses the point

Divorce is one of the biggest inflection points a person can go through, and the people around them often don't know what to say. In this episode, Tasia shares the phrases she heard most often during her own divorce that, however well-meaning, didn't land the way the person saying them probably intended.

She breaks down the list: "But you seem so happy," which ignores that a happy photo doesn't mean a happy marriage. "So what are you gonna do?", which can read as doubt in someone's ability to rebuild on her own. Assuming a spouse will "be fair" in the process, or that a "great mom" or "great dad" automatically deserves more custody, when no one outside a marriage really knows what happened inside it. Asking why someone was unfaithful, which usually signals curiosity about the drama rather than genuine care. Dismissing a shorter marriage, or an unmarried long-term relationship, as an easier loss. And "I understand," which, unless it's true, can feel disingenuous no matter how kindly it's meant.

Then Tasia flips it: four things that actually help. Ask how they're feeling. Reflect back what they tell you. Ask the magic question — "How can I support you right now?" And if they don't know, offer something concrete, like a standing weekly check-in, instead of a vague, open-ended offer that puts the work back on them.

This episode is for anyone who has a friend, sibling, or adult child going through a divorce and genuinely doesn't know what to say. Small, specific gestures of support go a long way.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 - Welcome to Graceful Investor

3:00 - Why This List Is Personal

3:35 - "But You Seem So Happy"

3:59 - "So What Are You Gonna Do?"

4:48 - "I Understand" Isn't It

5:15 - Judging Who's the Better Parent

6:01 - Four Things to Say Instead

9:42 - The Magic Question

DISCLAIMER

The content shared on this channel is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions. The host is not a licensed financial advisor. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

ABOUT GRACEFUL INVESTOR

Get Our Newsletter: https://gracefulinvestor.com/

Join The Book Club: https://gracefulinvestor.com/book-club

Find Us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracefulinvestor/

#GracefulInvestor #WomenInvesting #DivorceSupport #WealthBuilding

Divorce attorney Wendy Kaufman rebuilt from a 500 credit score to a career protecting women through their own divorces.

Tasia breaks down Wendy Kaufman's own divorce story to help you protect your money before, during, and after a life transition.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Why hidden assets like personal goodwill, crypto, and pensions get missed in a divorce settlement
• How to build independent credit before you need it, and why leases count too
• The life insurance move that protects unpaid child support if an ex passes away
• Why negotiating directly with a spouse during divorce backfires
• How Wendy rebuilt from a 500 credit score to a licensed divorce attorney

Wendy Kaufman spent nearly two decades as a stay-at-home mother before her marriage ended in a set of circumstances she never saw coming. Her then-husband, who she believed was working in insurance sales, was arrested for dealing cocaine. The divorce that followed left her with a credit score in the 500s, a house she couldn't afford to keep, and four children relying on her to figure out what came next.

Kaufman is now a family law attorney, licensed mediator, and guardian ad litem in Indiana, and she has spent the years since her own divorce turning what she learned the hard way into a practice built on preventing other women from repeating her mistakes. In this conversation with Tasia, she walks through the financial blind spots that cost her the most: a hands-off approach to household money, a joint account that quietly drained a small inheritance, and a credit history that existed almost entirely in her ex-husband's name.

She also breaks down the assets divorce attorneys see get missed most often. Crypto is difficult to track and value. A spouse's personal goodwill, the skill a surgeon or financial advisor brings to their own practice, can't be assigned a dollar value in a business valuation, even when shares in the underlying company can. Pensions, increasingly rare but still valuable, require a present-value calculation most people never think to request. And for anyone owed long-term child support, Kaufman explains why she kept a term life insurance policy on her own ex-husband using an insurable interest, and what that kind of policy actually costs.

The conversation closes on the advice Kaufman gives every woman she works with: build credit independently during the marriage, never negotiate divorce terms directly with a spouse, and keep at least a toe in the workforce even during years spent at home. Kaufman rebuilt her credit, her career, and her family's finances from the bottom. She talks through exactly how.

DISCLAIMER

The content shared on this channel is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions. The host is not a licensed financial advisor. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

#GracefulInvestor #WomenInvesting #DivorceAndMoney #WealthBuilding

An advisor pitches whole life insurance as the way to protect your family and build wealth at the same time. Tasia walks through what that pitch leaves out, so you can decide for yourself before you sign.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

Whole life insurance covers you for your entire life, and part of every premium builds a cash value the insurer invests on your behalf. Tasia breaks down why that savings piece returns far less than most people expect, and what happens to that money when you try to access it.

You'll see two side-by-side examples. In the half-million-dollar scenario, a whole life premium runs about $500 a month while a comparable term policy runs about $30, leaving $450 to $470 a month you could invest yourself. In an S&P 500 ETF over twenty years, that difference grows to roughly $310,000 that stays yours.

The episode also covers the exact questions to ask a salesperson: how their commission is structured, the real year-over-year return, and how and when you can withdraw the cash value. You'll learn how policy loans and cash surrender value actually work, and what self-insuring means for you if you already hold a whole life policy.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Tasia opens with a warning most people never hear: if an advisor has told you a whole life policy is the best way to do life insurance and build wealth at once, that pitch is missing about half the story. This episode gives you the other half, calmly and without pressure.

She starts with how whole life works. The premium splits between a death benefit and a cash value savings account the insurer manages. Using a $50,000 salary and the ten-times-earnings guideline, she quotes a half-million-dollar policy at roughly $500 a month, with $120,000 to $180,000 in cash value after twenty years at the insurer's usual 2% to 4% return.

Then she runs the term comparison. The same coverage costs about $30 a month. Invest the $450 to $470 monthly difference in a plain S&P 500 ETF for twenty years and it grows to about $310,000 that is entirely yours, with no penalties or loan interest to reach it. She names the reason agents rarely mention this: commissions are far higher on whole life.

Tasia lists the questions that protect you in the sales office: how much commission the agent earns, the true return after twenty years, and when you can actually withdraw your money. She explains cash surrender value, the money you keep if you cancel early, and policy loans, where you borrow your own savings back at interest, with any unpaid balance pulled from the death benefit your family was counting on.

A second example scales the numbers up. A million-dollar term policy costs about $660 a year against roughly $12,000 a year for whole life, an $11,340 annual gap. Saved for twenty years at a 7% growth rate, that difference reaches about $630,000, and you still hold a million-dollar policy. This is where self-insuring comes in: your own account grows close to the death benefit while staying under your control.

She closes for anyone who already owns a whole life policy. You are not locked in. You can quote term coverage, cancel the whole life policy, and take the cash surrender value, though there will be tax implications on the gain. Tasia's message is grace, not blame: give yourself room and decide whether the switch fits you.

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 — Why the whole life pitch misses half
• 1:12 — How whole life insurance actually works
• 2:13 — Half-million example: whole vs term
• 4:25 — Invest the difference: the $310K math
• 5:42 — The questions to ask a salesperson
• 6:39 — Cash surrender value and policy loans
• 9:02 — Million-dollar example: the $630K gap
• 10:02 — Already own whole life? You can switch

If this gave you a clearer picture of your own policy, head to gracefulinvestor.com, like the video, and subscribe so the next money conversation reaches you. Then bring your questions to the comments.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Graceful Investor website: https://gracefulinvestor.com/
• Join the Book Club: https://gracefulinvestor.com/book-club

DISCLAIMER

The content shared on this channel is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions. The host is not a licensed financial advisor. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

#WholeLifeInsurance #TermLifeInsurance #InvestTheDifference #FinancesAfterDivorce #WomenOver40

What you'll learn:

The three ways advisors charge (assets under management, hourly and annual flat fee), five below-the-surface payment channels including sub-advisory fees, 12b-1 trailing commissions, revenue sharing, insurance commissions and referral fees, the difference between a fiduciary and a broker's suitability standard, how to research any firm free on advisorinfo.sec.gov and what a 1% fee can cost you over 10 and 20 years.

A financial advisor can charge in three ways: a percentage of assets under management, an hourly rate or an annual flat fee. Tasia explains how each model works, why the AUM model grows more expensive as your portfolio grows and what to ask before you sign with a new firm or switch advisors.

Some compensation never appears as a line item. Sub-advisory fees pass a second money manager's cut through your returns before you see them. Trailing commissions, known as 12b-1 fees, pay an advisor each year for keeping you in a specific fund. Revenue sharing pays a brokerage to feature a fund company's products. Commissions on whole life insurance can pay an advisor 5% to 10% of the full purchase upfront. Referral fees can sit behind introductions to accountants, attorneys and mortgage brokers. Tasia gives you the direct question to ask about each one.

The episode then covers the distinction that governs all of it. A fiduciary must act in the client's best interest at all times. A broker follows a suitability standard, which only requires recommendations that fit your goals and timeline, and back-end incentives remain legal under it. Tasia explains the RIA credential and how to confirm fiduciary status in writing.

You will also learn about advisorinfo.sec.gov, the free SEC database where Form ADV Part 2A discloses a firm's fee structures, fiduciary status, disciplinary history, client counts and average account size.

Tasia closes with the math. On a $1 million portfolio, a 1% fee is $10,000 a year. Left invested at 7%, that money could have grown to $138,000 over 10 years and almost $410,000 over 20. She then compares AUM fees with flat fee advisors so you can weigh what the difference could mean for your own portfolio.

Timestamps:

0:00 — The advisor fee most of us miss

2:46 — Three ways advisors charge you

3:48 — Five hidden ways advisors get paid

7:07 — Fiduciary vs broker standards

10:59 — Free SEC advisor lookup tool

14:52 — What a 1% fee costs over time

18:56 — Flat fee vs AUM comparison math

Subscribe for practical money education made for women, and share this episode with a friend who has never seen her advisor's fee in dollars.

Links and resources:

Free SEC advisor lookup: advisorinfo.sec.gov (search a broker or firm, then open Form ADV Part 2A)

How To Fire Your Financial Advisor (GI 022): https://youtu.be/IBO8jui1zwU

Graceful Investor book club: https://gracefulinvestor.com/book-club

Disclaimer: This episode is general financial education, not financial, legal or tax advice. Every situation is different, so consult a licensed professional.

#FinancialAdvisor #InvestingForWomen #PersonalFinance #WealthBuilding

If you receive child support, you have probably had the thought: I have this money, but what am I actually allowed to spend it on? And if there is money left over each month, what am I supposed to do with it?

In this episode of Graceful Investor, host Tasia sits down with Gianna Scappucci, a certified divorce coach and domestic mediator, to break down what child support is for, what it is meant to cover, whether anyone can tell you how to spend it, and how to move the leftover into smarter places as your life and your child's life progress.

What we cover:

• What child support is meant to cover: transportation, education, healthcare, food, clothing and shelter.
• The leftover question: what happens when your expenses run under the monthly amount, and what your obligations actually are.
• Whether anyone is entitled to know how you spend it, and how rare a court-ordered accounting really is.
• Why separating and not commingling funds can protect the receiving parent.
• Smarter places for the extra as life progresses: savings, high-yield savings, and longer-horizon vehicles, discussed in general terms only.
• Modifications, true-ups, lump sums, remarriage and high-earner situations.

FINANCIAL DISCLAIMER

This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.

Featured in this episode

Host: Tasia, Graceful Investor

Guest: Gianna Scappucci, certified divorce coach, domestic mediator, founder of The Divorce Agency

CONNECT WITH GRACEFUL INVESTOR

Website: gracefulinvestor.com

The Divorce Agency: https://www.linkedin.com/company/piece-mind-the-divorce-agency/

Gianna Scappucci on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gscappucci/

Here are some other videos you might enjoy:

• What Wall Street Knows About Investing That You Don't: https://youtu.be/W2Il6VPlGWI

• If Your Cash Is Just Sitting in Savings, Do This First: https://youtu.be/N_QXbf8RnRw

• 4 Money Mistakes Women Make: https://youtu.be/MShUGjh-urU

• Irrevocable Trust for Kids: How to Turn $217K Into $1.9 Million by Age 40: https://youtu.be/w3JGJ_mxDlw

CHAPTERS

0:00 — What this episode answers

1:10 — Meet Gianna Scappucci

4:37 — How child support is calculated

16:33 — Where the money should land: court portal vs. personal checks

21:07 — What child support is meant to cover

24:01 — The separate, non-commingled account

31:33 — What to do with the leftover

34:12 — Trusts, 529 plans, and the long horizon

42:13 — Modifications, true-ups, remarriage

#ChildSupport #SingleMomFinances #FinancialEmpowerment #MoneyTips #GracefulInvestor

https://gracefulinvestor.com/

You can fire your financial advisor with a two-sentence email. No meeting, no guilt and no tax bill when the transfer is done right.

What you'll learn:

• The 5 signs it is time to leave your financial advisor
• The ownership rights most advisors never explain
• The exact two-sentence termination email to send
• How an ACAT transfer moves your investments without a forced sale or a tax bill
• Which assets transfer in kind and which need extra care
• How to choose between assets-under-management and fee-only fiduciary advisors

Firing your financial advisor is one of the most intimidating money moves most people ever consider, and it is far simpler than it feels. In this solo episode of Graceful Investor, Tasia gives you the full playbook. She starts with the five signs it is time to go: you do not understand what you own, your advisor pushes back on low-cost ETFs, the market drops and you hear nothing, the fees feel high or your life has changed and your plan has not changed with it.

Then she covers the rights most advisors never explain. Your accounts belong to you. You do not need permission to leave, you do not need permission to get quotes from a competing brokerage firm and most assets transfer in kind, which means no forced sale and no surprise tax bill on your gains.

From there Tasia walks through the four exit steps: open the new account first, request an ACAT transfer (automated customer account transfer), send a short written termination notice and watch for exit fees or surrender fees on annuities, insurance products and private funds. She explains which assets move cleanly, including stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, US Treasuries and cash, and which ones need extra care, like proprietary mutual funds, alternative investments, futures, crypto and employer 401(k) accounts. Account types have to match, so a Roth IRA moves to a Roth IRA and a traditional IRA moves to a traditional IRA.

The episode closes with how to choose your next advisor, comparing assets-under-management fees with flat-fee and fee-only fiduciaries, the green flags to look for in a first meeting and why you should interview at least two firms before you commit.

If this episode helped you feel more confident, subscribe, share it with a friend and sign up for the weekly Graceful Investor newsletter.

Here are some other videos you might enjoy:

• The Hidden Fees Your Financial Advisor Hopes You Never Ask About: https://youtu.be/4DC2OX1Pz9Y
• What Wall Street Knows About Investing That You Don't: https://youtu.be/W2Il6VPlGWI
• If Your Cash Is Just Sitting in Savings, Do This First: https://youtu.be/N_QXbf8RnRw
• The 60-Day Deadline After Divorce: https://youtu.be/HUKwTj1ZrjA

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

• Graceful Investor weekly newsletter: https://gracefulinvestor.com/
• Find a fee-only fiduciary through the directory Tasia mentions in the episode: napfa.org

DISCLAIMER

This episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. The host is not a licensed financial advisor. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal. Please consult a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.

#RetirementPlanning #InvestingForBeginners #FinancialAdvisor

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• How to view your wardrobe as a legitimate financial asset

• The emotional barriers that keep women from monetizing what they own

• A behind-the-scenes look at Stormwater's digital closet technology

• Why connecting with other women about money builds lasting confidence

• Practical steps to start conversations about personal finance with your peers

In this episode of Graceful Investor, host Tasia sits down with Katie, a successfully exited female founder who previously led investments into female-led fintech companies. Katie is now building Starmoire — a platform that digitizes your closet, assigns resale values to each item, and helps women understand the true worth of what they already own.

Katie walks through a live demo of the platform, showing how it photographs and catalogs clothing, provides estimated resale ranges based on current market data, and identifies trending items that could sell quickly. For one client, the total estimated closet value exceeded $27,000 — money that had been sitting untouched.

But this conversation goes deeper than technology. Tasia and Katie explore the emotional weight clothes carry — memories tied to specific outfits, the "fantasy self" we dress for, and the dopamine hit of shopping. They discuss how seeing your wardrobe as a balance sheet item can shift your entire relationship with spending.

The episode closes with advice for building financial confidence: find women who have walked a similar path, ask questions without shame, and start talking about money with friends. Katie shares specific tools like Addition Wealth and Chime's credit builder for women just starting their financial journey.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 — Introduction: Meet Katie from Starmoire

1:18 — The "Clueless closet" dream comes to life

3:20 — Why clothes carry emotional weight

5:02 — Live demo: How the digital closet works

6:35 — Value estimates and the resale marketplace

9:20 — Reframing your closet as a financial asset

13:52 — Shopping, emotions, and mindset shifts

15:34 — Building your personal board of advisors

17:51 — Why women need to talk about money together

26:20 — Final advice: Start small, ask questions, use modern tools

If this episode shifted how you think about your closet — or your finances — share it with a woman in your life who needs to hear it. Subscribe to Graceful Investor so you never miss a conversation about building real financial security.

LINKS & RESOURCES

Learn more about Starmoire: https://www.starmoire.com/

Addition Wealth financial resources: https://www.additionwealth.com/

Chime Credit Builder: https://www.chime.com/credit/credit-builder/

Connect with Graceful Investor: https://gracefulinvestor.com/

DM Tasia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracefulinvestor/

#GracefulInvestor #WomenAndMoney #FinancialConfidence #ClosetAsset #PersonalFinance

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

- How to shift from a "survival savings" mindset to confident investing

- Why starting with just $1 can build your investing muscle

- The real talk on household budgeting when you or your partner are entrepreneurs

- How Katie sold her first company weeks after giving birth

- Why renting (even in NYC) can be a strategic financial choice

- The concept of "closet as asset" and finding hidden value in what you already own

Katie Palencsar grew up in rural Pennsylvania, raised by a single mother, watching every dollar stretch to cover survival. That experience lit a fire: she wanted choices, not constraints. Today, Katie has built and sold a data services company, led a venture capital fund focused on female founders in fintech, and is now creating Starmoire—a platform that treats women's closets as genuine financial assets.

In this conversation, Katie and Tasia explore the mental shift required to move from saving to investing. Katie shares how intimidating finance felt in her twenties—like a "big gray cloud" reserved for Wall Street insiders—and how she discovered that accessibility starts with literally one dollar. She opens up about the entrepreneurial reality of selling her car, carrying credit card debt, and skipping her own paycheck to pay employees during her first venture.

The conversation also dives into household budgeting as a business owner. Katie describes how financial responsibility ebbs and flows between her and her husband depending on who's in a building phase, and why they've chosen to rent in New York City rather than own—freeing up capital for other investments. She explains her approach to outsourcing financial management to advisors, comparing it to hiring any expert professional.

Finally, Katie introduces the idea behind Starmoire: digitizing and valuing women's wardrobes the way men track watches or sports memorabilia. It's a fresh lens on personal finance—recognizing that the handbags and designer pieces sitting in your closet might represent real, liquid value.

TIMESTAMPS

- 0:00 — Introduction: Meet Katie Palencsar

- 2:05 — Growing up with a survival savings mindset

- 4:21 — Making the shift from saving to investing

- 7:20 — Household budgeting as dual entrepreneurs

- 8:56 — Katie's investing approach: advisors, private investments, and renting vs. owning

- 12:27 — Budgeting realities when building a business

- 13:54 — Selling her first company weeks after giving birth

- 15:52 — Breaking down the "complicated" myth of finance

- 18:09 — Imposter syndrome as a sign of growth

- 19:48 — Introducing Starmoire: your closet as a financial asset

If this conversation sparked a new way of thinking about your money, your closet, or your next big leap—subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps more women discover Graceful Investor.

DISCLAIMER

Graceful Investor is for educational and informational purposes only and is not financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Consult a qualified financial professional before making decisions about your money.

LINKS & RESOURCES

- Learn more about Starmoire: https://www.starmoire.com/

- Connect with Katie Palencsar: https://www.instagram.com/damekatiep/

- Follow Graceful Investor: https://www.instagram.com/gracefulinvestor/

RESOURCES (mentioned as examples, not endorsements): Addition Wealth, Chime credit builder

#GracefulInvestor #WomenAndMoney #InvestingForBeginners #FinancialIndependence #ClosetAsAsset

She also covers the question to send your financial advisor, and the tax detail most channels skip. Practical, empowering, and beginner-friendly.

For educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Consult a qualified professional before making investment decisions.

For educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Consult a qualified professional before making investment decisions.

For educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Consult a qualified professional before making investment decisions.

Tasia sits with divorce attorney Drew Soshnik for part two of their hot takes on the book "Strangers" by Belle Burden, and the focus is one thing: financial agency. Subscribe for more conversations on women, money, and building real financial confidence.

Drew, who practices divorce law in four states including New York, walks through what he does first when a woman arrives at a low ebb. He steadies her confidence, teaches the concepts at a basic level, and builds a team around her, a financial planner or advisor she actually relates to. That sequence matters because confidence, not capability, is usually the thing that has atrophied. Most of these women, in his experience, are more than financially adept once the fear lifts.

The conversation gets concrete about process. Once a separation or divorce petition is filed, the first move is provisional or temporary orders that settle who lives where, who pays which bills, and how the children are handled. Drew explains why the heavy discovery, the long lists of document requests and interrogatories, is a timing and strategy decision, not an automatic first step. He and Tasia name the hardest stretch of all: the year before anything is filed, when a spouse controls the accounts, no court can compel disclosure, and a woman trying to save her marriage has almost no leverage.

They also unpack the parts of Belle's story that drew criticism after a New Yorker article surfaced questions about her trusts. Drew separates a true generation-skipping trust, which a spouse has no right to, from a trust a beneficiary can request distributions from, which changes the legal picture entirely. He clarifies a point many people miss: a prenup can waive temporary spousal maintenance, but it cannot touch child support, custody, or parenting time, and a prenup that tries to may invalidate itself.

The episode closes on the moment Belle agreed to meet her husband alone, with no attorney in the room, hours before settlement. Drew calls that a predictable power move designed to remove her advisors and her leverage, and explains the house-heavy mistake that leaves women with property and no cash. The throughline is empowering, not frightening: there is no shame in not knowing your finances, almost everyone has the ability to learn, and it is never too late to build agency over your money.

This conversation connects to wealth building, financial independence, prenuptial agreements, estate and trust planning, and the financial side of divorce and widowhood.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• The three things a divorce attorney does first to rebuild financial confidence
• Why the year before any filing is the most vulnerable financial stretch
• What a prenup can and cannot waive (child support is protected)
• Why meeting alone with no attorney is almost always a mistake

If this episode helped you think differently about protecting your assets, subscribe to Graceful Investor for more conversations that help you take control of your financial future. Share this with someone who needs to hear it before they make similar decisions.

DISCLAIMER

The content shared on this channel is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions. The host is not a licensed financial advisor. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

LINKS & RESOURCES

"Strangers" by Belle Burden: https://www.amazon.com/Strangers-Memoir-Marriage-Belle-Burden/dp/0593733312

Drew Soshnik's law practice: https://www.faegredrinker.com/en/professionals/s/soshnick-andrew-z#tab-Overview

Previous episode with Drew Soshnik: https://youtu.be/0HBwm8LeevA

#GracefulInvestor #WomenInvesting #FinancialAgency #DivorceAndMoney #WealthBuilding

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

- Why liquidating a trust to purchase property with your spouse can eliminate your legal protections

- What "coercive financial control" looks like in high-net-worth marriages—and the warning signs to watch for

- How prenuptial agreements can fail to protect you if assets are commingled or retitled

- The critical difference between keeping assets in a trust vs. putting them in joint names

- Why the timing and pressure around signing a prenup matters legally and emotionally

In this episode, Tasia and licensed divorce attorney Drew Soshnik (practicing in four states including New York) examine the financial decisions detailed in Belle Burden's NYT bestselling memoir "Strangers." The book chronicles a high-net-worth divorce after 19 years of marriage, revealing how the author—a former corporate lawyer turned stay-at-home mother—lost access to millions in inherited wealth.

Drew explains the concept of coercive financial control, referencing research from University of Toronto professor Mike Saini, and identifies the warning signs present in the book's narrative: monthly budget monitoring down to smoothie purchases, requests for detailed spending accounting, and complete exclusion from income visibility.

The conversation examines how the author's decision to liquidate two family trusts and purchase a Manhattan apartment ($4M) and Martha's Vineyard home ($5.5M) in joint names converted protected separate property into marital property—despite having a prenuptial agreement. Drew breaks down how prenups work in New York versus other states, why tracing provisions matter, and how pressure to sign or modify agreements close to the wedding date can lead to devastating financial outcomes.

This episode provides an essential perspective for anyone navigating marriage, divorce, or estate planning with significant assets.

If this episode helped you think differently about protecting your assets, subscribe to Graceful Investor for more conversations that help you take control of your financial future.

Share this with someone who needs to hear it before they make similar decisions.

LINKS & RESOURCES

"Strangers" by Belle Burden: https://www.amazon.com/Strangers-Memoir-Marriage-Belle-Burden/dp/0593733312

Drew Soshnik's law practice: https://www.faegredrinker.com/en/professionals/s/soshnick-andrew-z#tab-Overview

Previous episode with Drew Soshnik: https://youtu.be/4tKyCIeYTa4

Professor Mike Saini's research on coercive control: https://discover.research.utoronto.ca/9702-michael-saini/publications

#DivorceFinances #PrenupAdvice #WealthProtection #GracefulInvestor #FinancialPlanning

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• The 60-day qualifying event window and why missing it can leave you uninsured for nearly a year
• COBRA coverage: the real costs and the 18-month trap most people don't see coming
• Healthcare.gov options: bronze, silver, and gold plans explained
• Why HSA accounts may be more valuable than 401(k)s during asset division
• The January 2026 HSA rule change and what it means for your healthcare strategy

Health insurance is one of the most overlooked financial blind spots during divorce or widowhood. While you're navigating grief, brain fog, and rebuilding your life, the government gives you just 60 days to find a new plan—and missing that window can mean months without coverage.

Tasia walks through the three main options available during this critical window: COBRA continuation coverage, enrolling in your own employer's plan, or shopping on healthcare.gov. She explains why COBRA's 18-month coverage period can create a dangerous gap if it expires outside of open enrollment season—something most people discover far too late.

The episode also covers a strategic consideration for anyone negotiating asset division: HSA accounts may deserve special attention. Unlike 401(k) funds locked until retirement age, HSA dollars can cover immediate medical expenses tax-free. And with the January 2026 rule change allowing contributions to HSA accounts through bronze marketplace plans even without earned income, understanding this tool becomes even more important.

Whether you're currently navigating a transition or planning ahead, this episode provides the awareness you need to protect yourself financially.

If this episode helped you understand something new about health insurance during transitions, subscribe to Graceful Investor for more financial clarity. Share this with someone navigating divorce or loss—they need to know about the 60-day window.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Healthcare.gov Marketplace: https://www.healthcare.gov
• COBRA Information (DOL): https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/health-plans/cobra
• HSA Contribution Limits 2026: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/smart-money/hsa-contribution-limits
• Connect with Tasia: https://www.instagram.com/gracefulinvestor/

#HealthInsurance #DivorceFinances #COBRA #HSA #GracefulInvestor

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• How to evaluate whether a sponsor is trustworthy before investing
• The difference between committed capital and called capital
• What "preferred return" actually means and how it affects your money
• Why your gut feeling matters more than impressive credentials
• How to ask about fees without feeling intimidated
• When to get second and third opinions on financial advice

Greg Friedman, CEO and founder of Peachtree Group, joins Tasia to demystify private investing for women who want to understand what's really happening with their money. With nearly 25 years of experience in banking and private equity, Greg breaks down complex concepts like waterfalls, promotes, and preferred returns into language anyone can understand.

The conversation covers how Greg made his first private investment at 25, why he now has 75-80% of his net worth in private deals, and the critical mistake he made by trusting a friend's recommendation without doing his own due diligence. Greg explains that when evaluating any investment opportunity, you're really evaluating the person behind it—the "jockey," not just the asset.

Tasia and Greg discuss the importance of reading the Private Placement Memorandum (PPM) before investing, understanding fee structures, and recognizing that liquidity promises in private investments are rarely guaranteed. Greg shares advice he would give his own daughter: expect private investment capital to be locked up for three to seven years, never invest more than you're comfortable losing, and always get multiple opinions before making major financial decisions.

The episode also addresses how to approach meetings with financial advisors, especially for women who may feel intimidated or confused. Greg emphasizes that confusion is a red flag—a good advisor should make you feel informed, not overwhelmed. He encourages women to treat these relationships as business transactions and to never hesitate to make a change if something feels off.

If this episode helped you feel more confident about asking questions, share it with a woman in your life who needs to hear this. Subscribe to Graceful Investor for more conversations that put your financial wellbeing first.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• BrokerCheck.com – Research your advisor's background and disclosures
• Peachtree Group – Greg Friedman's private equity firm
• gracefulinvestor.com – Graceful Investor website
• instagram.com/gracefulinvestor – Connect with Tasia

Important Note: This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Please consult with a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions.

#PrivateInvesting #WomenInFinance #FinancialLiteracy #InvestingForBeginners #GracefulInvestor

Subscribe to Graceful Investor for weekly conversations that help women take the co-pilot seat in their financial lives.

Annie's first angel investment came at 38, after decades inside institutional finance — and she still made the classic mistake of investing too much in a single early-stage company. She uses that story to break down the single most important rule of angel investing: what she and Tasia call "pizza money." Only invest what you can afford to lose entirely. She walks through why married-cofounder teams carry unique risk, what the cap table tells you about a founder's long-term skin in the game, and why transparency under questioning separates serious founders from the ones who will go quiet when things get hard.

Tasia shares her own portfolio structure — 10 percent of investible assets in private investing, split between direct angel deals and fund-LP positions — and the two of them dig into why funds (with their audited financials and professional due diligence) offer a different risk profile than single-company bets. Annie introduces SPVs (special purpose vehicles) as the on-ramp for smaller investors, and discusses how platforms like Play Money allow women to enter private deals at $500 to $2,000 minimums while still getting K-1 tax documents and real deal flow.

The middle of the episode turns to the questions every woman should ask a financial advisor: Are you a fiduciary one hundred percent of the time? How are you compensated? Is your investment platform agnostic, or are you steering me into your firm's own products? Annie explains why "agnostic" matters — it means your advisor can select the best manager in every asset class rather than defaulting to in-house funds where the fee structure benefits the firm.

Tasia and Annie close on the emotional reality behind all of this. The World Economic Forum figure Annie cites — women married to men the same age outlive them by an average of eight years — is the quiet reason these conversations matter. Annie's frame: become a co-pilot, not a passenger. Tasia's frame: you don't have to ask permission. Both are saying the same thing in different words. These are your assets. Learning is never too late. Abundance for women is abundance for all.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 - Intro

1:17 - Why Annie started teaching women about investing

2:10 - Annie's first angel investment at 38

8:35 - What "pizza money" really means

11:01 - Red flags in private deals: cofounders, cap tables, transparency

14:42 - SPVs and getting into private markets at lower minimums

17:05 - What investor updates should look like (Womaness case study)

20:50 - Inside The Abundance Collective

34:27 - How to talk to your partner about money

39:12 - The questions every woman should ask a financial advisor

46:50 - The 8-year life expectancy gap and why learning is never too late

DISCLAIMER

The content shared on this channel is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions. The host is not a licensed financial advisor. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

CONNECT WITH GRACEFUL INVESTOR

https://gracefulinvestor.com/

https://www.instagram.com/gracefulinvestor/

#GracefulInvestor #WomenInvesting #AngelInvesting #PrivateEquity #WealthBuilding

Subscribe to Graceful Investor for weekly strategies that help high-net-worth women build, protect, and deploy wealth with confidence.

In this episode, Tasia sits down with Kim Moeller — Area Director for San Diego at the National Christian Foundation and a leader at Impact Foundation — to unpack two financial vehicles most women have never been walked through: the donor-advised fund and the impact investment account. Kim explains donor-advised funds as a "charitable checking account," a structure that lets you claim a deduction up to 60% of adjusted gross income the year you fund it, then decide later — sometimes years later — exactly which nonprofits receive the money. Once funds enter the DAF, the tax deduction is locked in, the money is no longer yours to reclaim, and the pressure of giving by December 31 disappears.

The conversation then moves into Impact Foundation, which Kim describes as the investment side of the same charitable ecosystem. Instead of granting DAF funds to nonprofits, you can deploy them into vetted private companies with spiritual, social, or economic impact — with a $25,000 minimum that opens up private deals typically reserved for $250,000-plus checks. Kim explains how Impact Foundation pools capital across multiple donors to meet institutional minimums, how a 3% origination fee works, and why returns on those investments flow back into your impact account tax-free, ready to redeploy into the next company or grant out to charity.

One of the most practical segments covers pre-sale gifting — the strategy where business owners or property owners transfer a percentage of their asset to NCF before the sale is negotiated. Because the charity owns that percentage at the time of sale, the corresponding long-term capital gains tax on that portion is eliminated or dramatically reduced. Kim references Alan and Katherine Barnhart, who gifted nearly their entire crane company to NCF early in its growth and now direct more than a million dollars monthly toward global missions. Kim is clear she's not a tax advisor and that this strategy must be coordinated through your CPA — but the framework is the piece most women have never heard laid out.

The episode closes on The Table, a seven-week cohort Kim co-facilitates through Impact Foundation. Fifteen women each commit $10,000 of charitable capital — $150,000 in pooled funds — hear pitches from five vetted companies and funds across five weeks, then vote collectively on how to allocate. Kim walks through the financial questions women should ask during a pitch: trajectory, leadership, prior returns, geopolitical risk if the company is overseas. She also shares an example from Masaka Creamery in Rwanda, where 90% of employees are deaf, as a case study in what lower-risk impact investing looks like in practice.

This is a foundational episode for any woman who is charitably inclined, expects to receive capital through the wealth transfer already underway, or wants a structured way to enter private investing with less personal risk. Kim also touches on multi-generational succession — how donor-advised funds pass to heirs — and why working with a financial advisor who understands charitable giving is the non-negotiable first step.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 — Meet Kim Moeller: NCF, Impact Foundation, Women Doing Well

2:55 — Why Financial Language Isn't Meant to Intimidate Women

4:57 — Donor-Advised Funds Explained as a Charitable Checking Account

7:47 — Impact Foundation: $25K Minimum, Private Deal Access

10:39 — Cap Tables, Pooled Capital, and How Minimums Actually Work

18:05 — Faith-Based and Secular Investors Both Welcome at Impact

22:25 — The Pre-Sale Gifting Strategy That Reduces Capital Gains

25:16 — The Barnhart Example: Gifting a Company Before the Growth

33:42 — The Table: How 15 Women Pool $150K and Vote on Deals

34:50 — Financial Questions to Ask During an Impact Pitch

35:53 — Two Mindsets: The Careful Steward vs. The Generous Risk-Taker

36:40 — Passing a Donor-Advised Fund to Your Heirs

37:00 — Advice for Women New to Private and Impact Investing

DISCLAIMER

The content shared on this channel is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions. The host is not a licensed financial advisor. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

LINKS & RESOURCES

National Christian Foundation — https://www.ncfgiving.com/

Impact Foundation — https://www.impactfoundation.org/

Women Doing Well — http://womendoingwell.org/

Barnhart Crane story on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy-6baoBbnFnotTpsIVBxjxKUpsxjKGX0

#GracefulInvestor #WomenInvesting #DonorAdvisedFund #ImpactInvesting #WealthTransfer

Tasia sits down with Drew Soshnick, a matrimonial law attorney with 38 years of experience across four states, to break down what every woman needs to know about protecting her finances during and after divorce. Drew reveals the hidden assets most women never think to look for, explains how business valuations actually work, and shares the financial mistakes that cost women the most in settlement negotiations.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

-- The hidden assets your spouse may have that don't show up on bank statements (crypto wallets, private equity, retained business earnings, gambling accounts, Venmo balances)

-- How business valuations work in divorce and why 'pillow talk' numbers are almost never accurate

-- What a prenuptial agreement actually protects and three ways a business can still factor into your settlement even with a prenup

-- Why child support and alimony are now tax-free, but lenders still will not count them as income for credit cards or mortgages

-- Drew's three non-negotiables for choosing a financial advisor during divorce and why you should trust your gut about leaving the family advisor

-- How to build a realistic post-divorce budget and why the advice 'go slow' on big financial decisions could save your future

-- What percentage of your portfolio should go toward private investing after divorce (Drew recommends 0-10%)

Drew Soshnick is a partner at Faegre Drinker specializing in high-net-worth matrimonial law. He is licensed in Indiana, Colorado, New York, and Minnesota and has nearly four decades of experience representing women through complex divorce cases involving business valuations, private investments, prenuptial agreements, and asset division.

In this episode, Drew and Tasia discuss how the legal discovery process works, including interrogatories and document requests that compel full financial disclosure under oath. Drew explains the three approaches to business valuation: market approach, income approach, and asset approach, and why hiring a qualified business valuation analyst is critical. They also cover how separate property laws and commingling rules vary by state, how retained earnings can be used to calculate child support, and why women who go through divorce are often targeted by predatory investment pitches.

Tasia shares her three-pillar framework for women rebuilding financially: get your financial house in order first, then build a stock market portfolio that generates annual income, and only then explore private investing as a third and final step.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 - The Truth About Business Value in Divorce

0:55 - Meet Drew: Inside High-Net-Worth Divorce Cases

2:04 - Why Money Feels Overwhelming During Divorce

3:46 - What Women Actually Know About Their Finances

6:31 - Confidence Is the Real Gap

7:39 - Rebuilding Financial Confidence Step by Step

9:43 - The Assets Most Women Don’t Know Exist

13:22 - How Wealth Has Changed and Why It Matters

16:28 - How You Actually Find Hidden Assets

18:37 - How Businesses Are Really Valued

21:55 - Why “Pillow Talk” Numbers Are Wrong

25:21 - Prenups, Commingling, and What Still Counts

29:38 - Income You Might Be Missing

32:27 - What Life Looks Like After Divorce

36:34 - Choosing a Financial Advisor You Trust

41:29 - Protecting Your Money During Divorce

44:11 - Building a Realistic Post-Divorce Budget

50:00 - Why You Should Slow Down Big Decisions

52:28 - How Much Risk to Take With Investments

55:07 - The 3 Pillars of Post-Divorce Wealth

DISCLAIMER

The content shared on this channel is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions. The host is not a licensed financial advisor. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

FIND TASIA HERE:

https://gracefulinvestor.com/

@gracefulinvestor

#GracefulInvestor #WomenInvesting #DivorceFinance #WealthBuilding #PrivateInvesting

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

✔ The difference between fund investing and direct private deals — and which is right for your first allocation

✔ What a SAFE is, how priced rounds work, and why the terms of your investment matter more than the amount

✔ QSBS: the tax advantage most women have never heard of that could mean zero capital gains on your private investment

✔ The three-tier filter Dana uses before putting money into any deal — passion, market timing, and founder quality

✔ Red flags to watch for: advisor kickbacks, missing governance, and founders who won't invest alongside you

Dana Auslander is the CEO of Luxus, a luxury-focused wealth manager and alternative asset platform backed by Christie's Ventures. Before founding Luxus, Dana spent a decade at Blackstone — the world's largest alternative asset manager — and began her career in hedge fund law at Schulte Roth & Zabel. She has been investing in private markets for nearly 30 years.

In this episode of Graceful Investor, Dana sits down with Tasia to demystify private investing for women who are ready to go beyond the stock market. Dana explains the full lifecycle of a private company — from pre-seed friends-and-family rounds to Series A institutional funding — and breaks down concepts like cap tables, dilution, bridge rounds, and the LP/GP relationship in plain language. She shares why she requires founders to invest at least 10% of their own capital, how AI is reducing burn rates for startups and what that means for your returns, and why the best deals often come from trusted peer networks rather than financial advisors. Whether you're exploring your first private allocation or evaluating your next one, this conversation gives you the vocabulary and the confidence to ask the right questions.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 - Why founders should invest their own money (10% rule)

0:49 - Introduction and Dana Auslander's background

3:06 - Her first private investment (10x return story)

5:08 - Fund investing vs direct private deals

7:03 - How to evaluate a private investment (3-part framework)

9:04 - How long your money is locked up (5–10 year reality)

9:44 - How much of your portfolio should be private

10:14 - Why founder “skin in the game” matters

12:08 - QSBS explained: how investors pay $0 in capital gains

16:48 - SAFE agreements and early-stage investing basics

18:40 - Pre-seed, seed, and venture rounds explained

22:56 - The lifecycle of a startup investment

25:46 - Dilution explained (what happens after you invest)

29:07 - What Carta is and why it matters for investors

30:12 - Governance: boards, advisors, and control

32:37 - The 4 types of private funds (VC, PE, real estate, hedge funds)

35:09 - Lessons from 30 years in investing

39:53 - How AI is changing private companies and returns

41:20 - Biggest mistake: no one looks out for your money

44:21 - Red flags to watch for in private deals

47:00 - “No is a full sentence” in investing

48:08 - How to find deals without a financial advisor

DISCLAIMER

The content shared on this channel is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions. The host is not a licensed financial advisor. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

CONNECT WITH GRACEFUL INVESTOR

https://gracefulinvestor.com/

https://www.instagram.com/gracefulinvestor/

#GracefulInvestor #WomenInvesting #PrivateInvesting #WealthBuilding #AlternativeAssets

In this episode of Graceful Investor, host Tasia sits down with Bo Parfet — Managing Principal & Head of Growth at DLP Capital, Everest climber, and co-founder of Denali Venture Philanthropy — to break down how high-net-worth women can confidently evaluate private investment deals, build impact portfolios alongside their partners, and avoid the costly mistakes that trip up even experienced investors.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

✓ Bo's 3-point screening checklist every investor should run before committing capital (top 10 auditor, 3-year track record, assets under management)

✓ How to decode "2 and 20" fund structures — management fees, preferred returns, and carried interest explained in plain language

✓ Why IRR can be misleading and the one metric (MOIC) that tells you what you'll actually get back

✓ How Bo and his wife Meredith built a values-aligned impact portfolio together — and how to start yours

✓ The difference between investing in a fund versus a single deal, and why funds are safer for first-time private investors

Bo Parfet has spent decades navigating both physical mountains and financial ones. As a former JP Morgan investment banker turned impact investor, he brings a rare combination of institutional rigor and heart-centered purpose to private investing. In this conversation, Bo shares the exact framework he uses to evaluate every deal that crosses his desk — starting with three simple questions that can immediately filter out 90% of bad investments.

He and Tasia walk through real-dollar examples of how fund economics actually work, demystifying terms like management fees, preferred returns, carried interest, IRR, and MOIC. Bo also shares how he and his wife Meredith created Denali Venture Philanthropy by first discovering each other's lifelong dreams and top 10 values — a powerful exercise for any couple looking to align their wealth with their purpose.

For women just starting their private investing journey, Bo offers practical steps: diversify across multiple investments over time, leverage the due diligence of established investors, explore platforms like Impact Assets for vetted opportunities, and always create a separate entity (LLC or trust) for asset protection. He closes with an inspiring story about how his Everest expedition helped restore eyesight to 50,000 people — proof that your investment success can become someone else's miracle.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 - Meet Bo Parfet: Investor, Climber, Family Man

0:02:06 - Building an Impact Portfolio With Your Partner

0:05:37 - What Is Impact Investing? Two Requirements

0:07:17 - Personal Portfolio: 50% Private, 50% Public

0:08:04 - How Long Should Your Money Be Locked Up?

0:11:11 - Bo's 3-Point Deal Screening Checklist

0:13:07 - Why 90% of Businesses Fail in 3 Years

0:14:21 - Assets Under Management: The $500M Threshold

0:17:16 - "2 and 20" Explained: Fees, Prefs & Carry

0:23:51 - IRR vs. MOIC: The Metric That Actually Matters

0:27:32 - First-Time Investor Advice for Women

0:31:13 - Asset Protection: Why You Need an LLC or Trust

0:32:08 - Climbing Everest to Restore 50,000 People's Sight

CONNECT WITH BO PARFET

→ DLP Capital: https://dlpcapital.com/about/team/bo-parfet

→ Denali Venture Philanthropy: https://www.denaliventurephilanthropy.com/

→ Impact Assets: https://impactassets.org

CONNECT WITH GRACEFUL INVESTOR

→ Website: https://gracefulinvestor.com/

→ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracefulinvestor/

DISCLAIMER: The content in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not financial, legal, or investment advice. Tasia is not a licensed financial advisor. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal. Please consult a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.

#GracefulInvestor #ImpactInvesting #PrivateInvesting

In this episode of Graceful Investor, Tasia breaks down exactly how to create an irrevocable trust for your children using the annual gift tax exclusion — and how $217,000 in contributions can grow to $1.9 million by the time your child turns 40.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

✓ How the annual gift tax exclusion works in 2026 ($19,000 per recipient) and how to use it strategically

✓ Why an irrevocable trust gives your children more flexibility than a 529 plan for major life milestones

✓ The real math — two compounding scenarios that show why starting early matters

✓ How to choose the right trustee and why a prenuptial clause protects your gift’s original intention

✓ Tax implications you need to discuss with your estate attorney before you set anything up

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

If you are a woman thinking about generational wealth, estate planning, or how to financially set up the next generation, this episode is for you. Tasia walks through her personal approach to what she calls a "kiddo trust" — an irrevocable trust funded through the IRS annual gift tax exclusion — and shares the exact steps to get started.

You will learn how the $19,000 annual gift exclusion works in 2026, why an irrevocable trust offers more flexibility than a 529 for things like a home down payment, starting a business, or paying for a wedding, and how to handle the tax side so there are no surprises. Tasia also explains the difference between having the grantor pay annual trust taxes versus turning off grantor status and letting the trust pay its own taxes directly — a critical decision that affects your personal finances for decades.

She covers choosing the right trustee — whether that is a professional trust company or someone close to you who understands your values — and shares a smart addition most people overlook: requiring a prenuptial agreement before any distributions are made. The episode closes with two powerful compounding scenarios that show exactly how much more your children could receive by starting when they are young versus waiting. If estate planning and trust accounts for children feel overwhelming, this episode makes it approachable.

DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Please consult a qualified professional before making any financial decisions. All investments carry risk.

🏠 Watch more Graceful Investor episodes → https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmEXjdDxnIPiYhtdZymnWdftODP6V9dTP

📩 Connect with Tasia → https://www.instagram.com/gracefulinvestor/

#GracefulInvestor #EstatePlanning #GenerationalWealth #TrustForKids

Arielle Patrick made her first private investment at 28, betting $25,000 on a female founder she believed in. That company was acquired twice, and the holding company now counts Jay-Z and Kevin Hart among its investors. In this episode of Graceful Investor, Arielle sits down with Tasia to break down exactly how she evaluates private deals, what an investing mission statement is, and why women’s emotional intelligence is actually a competitive edge in the investing world.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

✅ How one woman turned a $25K gut-feeling investment into a company that was acquired twice

✅ What an investing mission statement is and why every woman needs one before writing a check

✅ The difference between direct investments, venture capital funds, and being a limited partner (LP)

✅ What accredited investor means and the three ways to qualify

✅ Why emotional intelligence is a “rock hard skill” for evaluating founders and private deals

Most women assume private investing requires millions of dollars and a seat at some exclusive table. Arielle’s story challenges that assumption head-on. She walks through how she found her first deal through a women’s executive network, why she only invests money she’s comfortable losing from her checking account (not her 401k or family assets), and how she behaves like an operating partner to actively support the companies she backs.

The conversation also covers practical realities that rarely get discussed openly: the typical $25,000 minimum investment threshold, lockup periods of four to seven years (or longer in venture), and why you need to align your investment timeline with your personal and family financial goals before committing capital. Arielle shares a candid lesson about an investment that failed because she ignored red flags and stayed involved out of guilt — a pattern she says many women fall into as people pleasers.

Whether you’re already investing or just starting to explore what’s possible beyond your 401k and brokerage account, this conversation gives you a real-world framework for thinking about private deals. Scroll down to the timestamps to jump straight to Arielle’s mission statement framework or her lesson on the investment that went wrong.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Meet Arielle Patrick — investor, consultant, and mother of two

01:54 Her first private investment at 28 and trusting her gut

04:02 Why she only invests what she can afford to lose

05:48 Being an active investor vs. a passive one

07:07 What is an LP? Direct investments vs. venture capital funds

07:56 Lockup periods: how long your money is tied up

09:01 Getting her Series 7 license while 6 months pregnant

10:02 "It’s not brain surgery" — demystifying financial jargon

11:00 Building confidence in investing rooms

12:15 How women outside major cities can find deals

13:51 Using nonprofit boards to expand your investing network

14:24 What is an investing mission statement?

16:17 Her Saysh investment — Allyson Felix’s sneaker company

18:36 Aligning investments with your family’s financial goals

19:42 Bonds, stocks, and liquidity — matching vehicles to your needs

22:11 Minimum investment amounts and the $25K threshold

23:49 What does accredited investor mean? Three ways to qualify

27:23 Emotional intelligence as an investing superpower

29:05 The investment that failed — a lesson in trusting red flags

30:55 Final advice: stay curious, stay nimble

RESOURCES AND LINKS

➡ Watch more Graceful Investor episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmEXjdDxnIPiYhtdZymnWdftODP6V9dTP

➡ Connect with Arielle Patrick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariellepatrick

➡ Learn more about Saysh (Allyson Felix’s sneaker brand): https://saysh.com/

ABOUT GRACEFUL INVESTOR

Graceful Investor helps high-income and high-net-worth women invest and grow their money with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Tasia, each episode features real conversations with women who are actively building wealth through smart, intentional investing.

DISCLAIMER

This episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. The hosts and guests are not licensed financial advisors. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal. Please consult a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.

Subscribe to Graceful Investor for new episodes every week — and leave a comment below telling us what investing topic you want us to cover next.

#GracefulInvestor #WomenInvesting #PrivateInvesting

The average American woman buys 68 garments a year — that’s 5-6 new items every month. In this episode of Graceful Investor, Tasia breaks down exactly how her 2025 Sweater Challenge changed her spending habits, rewired her dopamine response to shopping, and helped her finish the year at just 80% of an already-lowered budget.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

✓ How much the average woman spends on clothing at every income level — and why the numbers might shock you

✓ The simple photo album and sticker system Tasia used to track every sweater she wore

✓ How to replace the dopamine hit of buying new clothes with the satisfaction of using what you already own

✓ Why community accountability makes low-buy challenges stick

✓ Real results: how Tasia came in under budget for the first time ever

EPISODE SUMMARY

Women and shopping — it’s a topic that gets laughed off, but the numbers tell a different story. Research shows the average American woman purchases between 53 and 68 garments per year, with apparel spending averaging 2.3% of total household income. That means if you’re bringing home $100K, you’re spending roughly $2,300 a year on clothes. At $250K, it’s $5,750. At $500K, it’s $11,500.

Tasia decided to challenge those numbers head-on with her 2025 Sweater Challenge — a commitment to wear every sweater in her closet before purchasing a single new one. What started as a low-buy experiment became a complete mindset shift. She created a tracking system using phone photos and closet stickers, and discovered something unexpected: the dopamine hit she used to get from shopping was replaced by the satisfaction of checking off each sweater and watching her savings grow.

By year’s end, Tasia had purchased only four new sweaters, identified pieces to donate, and spent just 80% of her annual clothing budget — a goal she’d already reduced from the prior year. The challenge also sparked community connection, with friends tracking her progress and joining in their own low-buy journeys. If you’re looking for a practical, achievable approach to mindful spending, this episode delivers a framework you can start today.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 — Why women and shopping deserves a real conversation

0:26 — Introducing the 2025 Sweater Challenge

1:00 — How many garments women actually buy per year

1:30 — Apparel spending by income level ($100K–$500K)

2:23 — The mindset shift: retraining your dopamine response

2:54 — The photo album and sticker tracking system

3:39 — Results: 4 sweaters, under budget, 80% of goal

4:19 — Community accountability and the invitation to join

If this episode inspired you to try your own low-buy challenge, tell us in the comments — what category of spending would you tackle first?

CONNECT WITH GRACEFUL INVESTOR

📱 Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracefulinvestor/

🌐 Website: https://gracefulinvestor.com/

#GracefulInvestor #LowBuyYear #WomenAndMoney

In this deeply personal episode of Graceful Investor, Tasia pulls back the curtain on her own debt payoff journey — from signing up for a sorority credit card for a free T-shirt to accumulating seven store credit cards and over $30,000 in debt by age 25. She walks through the exact steps she took to become debt free, hit $100,000 in retirement savings before turning 30, and build a financial foundation that would support her family for decades.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

✅ How Tasia went from $30K in credit card debt to completely debt free in three years

✅ The snowball method explained — why paying off the smallest debt first actually works

✅ How she hit $100K in retirement savings by 29 using her 401k and Roth IRA

✅ Creative money-saving tactics (including a $50/week grocery budget and some clever social hacks)

✅ Why telling your friends you’re on a debt payoff journey is one of the most powerful things you can do

Most women don’t talk openly about debt. The shame and secrecy around it keeps millions of people stuck in cycles of minimum payments and mounting interest. Tasia breaks that silence in this episode by sharing her real numbers, her real mistakes, and the real daily sacrifices that made her debt-free life possible.

She explains the 50/30/20 budget framework and why you might need to temporarily drop your discretionary spending from 30% to 10% during a debt payoff sprint. She covers the snowball method popularized by Dave Ramsey — listing debts from smallest to largest and attacking the smallest first for quick psychological wins. And she gets honest about the mental game: retraining your brain from the dopamine rush of purchasing to the slower, steadier reward of watching your balances drop.

The episode also covers practical strategies for generating extra cash through side hustles, selling items on Facebook Marketplace, couponing, and finding creative ways to maintain your social life on a tight budget. Whether you’re carrying credit card debt, student loans, or a car payment you regret, this conversation gives you both the tactical roadmap and the emotional encouragement to start. Scroll down to the timestamps to jump straight to the snowball method breakdown or her $100K savings goal strategy.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Why Tasia is sharing her debt story

00:57 Signing up for her first credit card in college

01:52 How she ended up with 7 store credit cards

02:25 The wake-up call at 25 — nothing left at the end of the month

02:59 Discovering Dave Ramsey and Financial Peace University

03:50 Her three goals: pay off $30K, pay off her car, save $100K by 30

04:32 The math behind her $100K retirement savings goal

05:09 Maxing out her 401k and Roth IRA

05:43 The $50/week grocery budget

06:30 Words of encouragement for women starting their debt payoff

08:25 How to build a budget that supports debt payoff

09:22 The 50/30/20 rule — and why 30% might need to become 10%

11:09 The snowball method explained step by step

12:47 Why tiny wins create a dopamine hit that keeps you going

13:40 Side hustles, selling items, and couponing strategies

14:43 The flask-in-the-purse confession

16:06 Debt payoff as a generational legacy

16:31 Online communities that help — Ramsey, Orman, Sethi, Your Rich BFF

17:01 Telling your friends and building a support system

18:11 Why women do best with money in community

RESOURCES AND LINKS

➡ Watch more Graceful Investor episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmEXjdDxnIPiYhtdZymnWdftODP6V9dTP

➡ Dave Ramsey — Financial Peace University: https://www.ramseysolutions.com/money/financial-peace

➡ Ramit Sethi — I Will Teach You to Be Rich: https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/

ABOUT GRACEFUL INVESTOR

Graceful Investor helps high-income and high-net-worth women invest and grow their money with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Tasia, each episode features real conversations and personal stories about building wealth through smart, intentional financial decisions.

DISCLAIMER

This episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. The host is not a licensed financial advisor. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal. Please consult a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.

Subscribe to Graceful Investor for new episodes every week — and drop a comment below sharing the first debt you’re going to tackle.

#GracefulInvestor #DebtPayoff #WomenAndMoney

If you’re a woman with money sitting on the sidelines and you’re ready to finally understand investing, this episode is your starting point. You’ll walk away with four clear pillars to build on — no jargon, no judgment, just honest guidance from someone who’s been exactly where you are.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

✓ How to open your first brokerage account and start investing on your own terms

✓ Why you need cash reserves (3–12 months) before putting your wealth to work — and how much is right for you

✓ What expense ratios are and how they’re quietly eating into your returns without you knowing

✓ The exact questions to ask your financial advisor so you understand what you’re paying and why

✓ How to stop deferring to others and start trusting yourself to make investment decisions

If you’ve been letting someone else manage your money without fully understanding what’s happening, you’re not alone. Many high-net-worth women find themselves in exactly this position — whether after a divorce, a career change, or simply years of trusting an advisor without asking questions. The good news: you don’t need a finance degree to take control. You just need the right framework.

This episode walks you through four pillars of confident investing. First, the power of buying consistently over time so compounding works in your favor. Second, why keeping emergency cash on hand protects your portfolio when markets dip. Third, how to evaluate the expense ratios on your funds so hidden fees don’t silently erode your growth. And fourth, how to ask your advisor the hard questions about their fees, their recommendations, and whether the blend they’ve chosen actually matches your goals.

You’ll also hear about platforms like Vanguard, Charles Schwab, and Robinhood that make it possible for you to explore investing on your own — even alongside an advisor. Whether you’re managing a divorce settlement, transitioning out of a partnership, or simply ready to stop being a passive participant in your own financial life, this episode gives you the confidence and clarity to take the first step.

Scroll down to the timestamps to jump straight to the four pillars breakdown.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — The Hidden Fees You’re Probably Paying

00:51 — Welcome to Graceful Investor

01:00 — From Stay-at-Home Mom to Solo Investor

02:20 — The Questions I Wish I Had Asked

03:05 — The Emotional Side of Investing Alone

04:30 — Do You Even Need a Financial Advisor?

05:50 — Lump Sum vs. Consistent Investing

06:40 — How Much Emergency Cash Is Enough?

07:20 — Where Should You Start Investing?

08:46 — The 4 Traits of a Smart Investor

If this episode made investing feel less intimidating, hit subscribe and drop a comment with the one question you’ve been too afraid to ask about your money.

LINKS & RESOURCES

→ Watch the full Graceful Investor playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmEXjdDxnIPiYhtdZymnWdftODP6V9dTP

→ Vanguard: https://www.vanguard.com

→ Charles Schwab: https://www.schwab.com

→ Robinhood: https://www.robinhood.com

→ Ramit Sethi — I Will Teach You to Be Rich: https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/

#GracefulInvestor #InvestingForWomen #WealthManagement

Subscribe for smart, grounded investing conversations made just for women ready to grow wealth with clarity and confidence.

What You’ll Learn:

• What private investing actually is—and how it differs from the stock market
• The real risks (and potential rewards) of investing in startups or real estate funds
• What to ask before writing a single check
• How investor circles work—and whether they’re worth joining
• Why private investing should only be a small part of your portfolio

Private investing isn’t just for billionaires or Wall Street insiders—it’s a growing option for everyday investors with a solid foundation and curiosity about what else is out there. In this episode, Tasia shares her personal insights into how private investments work, including real estate funds, early-stage startups, and investor networks that let you hear live company pitches.

She explains the risks of putting all your money into one opportunity, the importance of understanding how long your money will be tied up (hello, illiquidity!), and the due diligence every investor should do before saying yes. You'll learn about fund minimums, investment “calls,” pitch red flags, and why she limits private investments to just a portion of her overall strategy.

If you’ve ever wondered how people find these deals—or whether you could get into one yourself—this episode will help you weigh whether private investing is a fit for you.

Timestamps:

0:00 Welcome to Graceful Investor

0:28 What is private investing?

1:20 How private deals differ from stocks

2:32 Risks vs rewards: what to expect

3:29 Real estate funds explained

5:24 How long your money might be tied up

7:03 Questions to ask before you invest

8:14 What are investor circles?

9:31 How to evaluate company pitches

11:52 What Tasia looks for in a real estate fund

14:13 The rise of warehouse developments

16:38 Why location and logistics matter

18:26 How investment “calls” work

21:10 How much of your portfolio should be in private investments?

23:35 Getting started: where to look and who to ask

24:57 Groups to explore (like Long Angle)

25:30 One simple way to start today

26:11 Wrap-up & call to connect

• Subscribe for weekly investing insights made for women
• What part of private investing feels exciting—or confusing? Share in the comments!

Links & Resources:

• https://www.vanguard.com
• https://www.schwab.com
• https://www.robinhood.com
• https://www.longangle.com

#GracefulInvestor #WomenInvesting #PrivateInvesting #RealEstateFunds #FinancialConfidence #InvestingTips