Building Your Wealth Bridge- Episode 18- Value of a Personal Assistant for UHNW Families

In this episode of the “Building Your Wealth Bridge” podcast, George C. McCabe, CPA, Financial Advisor, is joined by Anita Stenner, founder of a Boutique Concierge and Personal support firm serving high-net-worth families and business owners across the United States and Canada. Together, they discuss the growing demand for personalized lifestyle and administrative support services—and how affluent families are increasingly looking for help beyond traditional financial, tax, and estate planning.

The team engages in a detailed discussion on the following topics:

• The Rise of Concierge & Lifestyle Management Services: Anita shares how her firm evolved from administrative support for entrepreneurs into a full-service personal concierge model helping clients manage homes, vendors, travel, events, bill pay, and day-to-day life logistics.
• Time, Delegation & Decision Fatigue: A conversation around the common pain points facing business owners, executives, and retirees! Including lack of time, administrative overload, and the challenge of balancing personal responsibilities with professional demands.
• Building Trust & Customizing Support: The team discusses how concierge relationships are built gradually over time, why flexibility and personalization matter, and how services are tailored differently for each family’s unique needs and lifestyle.
• Coordinating the “Personal Side” of Wealth: George and Anita explore the growing trend of affluent families building coordinated teams of professionals—including financial advisors, attorneys, accountants, and concierge specialists—to create a more seamless and organized approach to managing wealth and everyday life.

As always, please send our team any questions or topics you’d like us to cover in the future.

We hope this finds you well.

Building Your Wealth Bridge- Episode 17- Should I Make Additional Payments On My Mortgage

In the latest episode of the “Building Your Wealth Bridge” podcast, George C. McCabe, CPA, Financial Advisor, delivers a solo discussion focused on one of the most common and often debated financial questions facing homeowners today: Should you pay off your mortgage early or invest those extra funds elsewhere?

Drawing from real client conversations, personal experience, and practical case studies, George walks through the key considerations that can go into this decision, emphasizing that this topic is “more of an art than a science.” He highlights how variables like market performance, interest rates, taxes, and personal cash flow all can play a role in determining the right strategy.

Throughout the episode, George breaks down several important concepts and planning strategies, including:

• Interest Rate Comparison & Market Uncertainty: How today’s higher mortgage rates may impact the decision to either pay down debt or invest, and why predicting long-term market returns is never guaranteed.
• The Role of Taxes in Investment Returns: Why it can be critical to consider after-tax returns, especially in taxable accounts when comparing potential investment gains to your mortgage interest rate.
• How Mortgage Interest Actually Works: A look at amortization and why a large portion of interest is paid in the early years of a loan, giving insight into how and when extra payments can be most effective.
• Down Payments vs. Later Lump Sum Payments: A comparison showing that putting more money down upfront vs. making a large payment later can yield similar total interest outcomes due to how additional payments can reduce principal.
• Strategic Additional Payment Approaches: A breakdown of multiple strategies including lump sums, consistent monthly contributions, and hybrid approaches, and how each impacts total interest paid over the life of the loan.
• Timing can matters: Why making additional payments earlier in the loan term can significantly reduce total interest, helping “beat the bank” by cutting down the amount of interest paid upfront.
• Liquidity & Opportunity Cost Considerations: The trade-offs of tying up cash in home equity versus maintaining flexibility through investments, and how personal financial goals and comfort levels should guide the decision.

George ultimately emphasizes that there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Instead, the “sweet spot” for many individuals may lie in a balanced approach combining some upfront payments with ongoing contributions while maintaining healthy cash flow and flexibility.

As always, please send our team any questions or topics you’d like us to cover in the future.

We hope this finds you well.

Episode 16-Q1 Market Recap: Navigating Geopolitical Volatility

In this episode of the “Building Your Wealth Bridge” podcast, the team shifts to a quarterly market update, unpacking a volatile start to 2026 and the impact of recent geopolitical events on global markets. Financial Advisors William E. Will, CFA, and Zachary B. Morgan, CFA, CFP®, provide perspective on recent headlines, historical context, and what it means for long-term investors. The team engages in a detailed discussion on the following topics:

• Q1 2026 Market Recap: A breakdown of asset class performance, including the divergence between U.S. and international markets, and how a late-quarter selloff reshaped what had been a strong start to the year.

• Geopolitical Shocks & Market Reactions: Insights into how events like oil shocks and global conflicts have historically impacted market, and why downturns are often short-lived despite heightened uncertainty.

• Staying Invested Through Volatility: A reminder of how frequently market pullbacks occur, why timing the market is difficult, and how a long-term, diversified approach helps investors navigate periods of stress.

• Long-Term Opportunities & Market Trends: A look at broader themes supporting future growth, including market broadening beyond mega-cap stocks, international momentum, AI investment, and evolving monetary policy.

As always, please send our team any questions or topics you’d like us to cover in the future.

We hope this finds you well.

The views stated in this letter are not necessarily the opinion of Cetera Wealth Services, LLC and should not be construed directly or indirectly as an offer to buy or sell any securities mentioned herein. Due to volatility within the markets mentioned, opinions are subject to change without notice. Information is based on sources believed to be reliable; however, their accuracy or completeness cannot be guaranteed. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Registered Representatives offering securities through Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory offered through AdvisorNet Wealth Partners. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity. 9480 Enterprise Drive, Suite 1, Mokena, IL 60448-8321

Episode 15- P&C Insurance: The Missing Link in Wealthy Family Financial Plans

In this episode of the “Building Your Wealth Bridge” podcast, George C McCabe, C.P.A, welcomes Kate and Charlie for an in-depth discussion on McCabe’s new property & casualty insurance partnership and why personal risk management has become an increasingly important part of protecting family wealth.

George shares the origin story behind the partnership, explaining how growing client concerns around rising insurance costs, natural disasters, inadequate coverage, and evolving liability risks led the firm to explore this area more deeply. Kate then walks listeners through the behind-the-scenes process McCabe undertook to identify the right partner. One that is capable of serving clients across a broad range of wealth levels while delivering the high-touch service McCabe values. The conversation also explores how Charlie and his team approach personal insurance planning, why independent brokerage matters, and how proper policy design can help families protect against the catastrophic risks that can threaten an otherwise strong financial plan. From umbrella coverage and trust titling to multi-state properties and emerging lifestyle risks, the episode highlights why personal insurance can no longer be treated as a “set it and forget it” decision.

The conversation includes a detailed discussion on the following topics:

• Why McCabe Added a Property & Casualty Resource: How client questions around rising premiums, natural disasters, broker responsiveness, and liability exposure led McCabe to seek a specialized insurance partner.

• The Partner Selection Process: Kate explains how McCabe evaluated whether to handle this work in-house, why outsourcing made more sense, and how a detailed RFP and interview process led to the selection of Charlie’s firm.

• Independent vs. Captive Insurance Models: A discussion of the differences between brokers who represent one carrier versus independent advisers who can evaluate multiple companies and advocate for the client in both pricing and claims situations.

• Why Insurance Needs Change as Wealth Grows: How increases in net worth can create new liability concerns, why many families may be underinsured, and why umbrella coverage often becomes more important over time.

• The Importance of Annual Reviews: Why insurance should evolve as life changes—whether that means buying a home, adding trusts or LLCs, relocating to another state, renovating a property, or taking on new risks like home businesses or short-term rentals.

• Today’s Personal Insurance Challenges: Charlie explains how inflation, severe weather, rebuilding costs, social inflation, and litigation trends have made personal insurance more nuanced and more important to review proactively.

• Real-Life Planning Examples: George shares his own experience going through Charlie’s review process, including evaluating multiple coverage options, bundling policies, properly titling a homeowners policy in the name of a trust, and addressing insurance issues that otherwise may have gone unnoticed.

• The Value of Professional Guidance During a Claim: Why having the right team in place matters not just when purchasing coverage, but also when navigating a claim, reviewing entities and properties, and making sure there are no costly gaps in protection.

George is a Registered Representative of and securities offered through Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory Services offered through AdvisorNet Wealth Partners, a Registered Investment Adviser. Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, AdvisorNet, and McCabe & Associates are not affiliated companies. Cetera Wealth Services LLC, exclusively provides investment products and services through its representatives. Although Cetera does not provide tax or legal advice, or supervise tax, accounting or legal services, Cetera representative may offer these services through their independent outside business.

This information is not intended as tax or legal advice. Kate Norris and Charlie Phillips are not affiliated or registered with Cetera Wealth Services, LLC. Any information provided by Kate and Charlie is in no way related to Cetera Wealth Services, LLC or its registered representatives.

Episode 14- The Science of Investing with Dimensional Fund Advisors

In this episode of the “Building Your Wealth Bridge” podcast, Zachary B. Morgan, CFA, CFP, welcomes Scott Bosworth, Head of the Speakers Bureau at Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), for a behind-the-scenes look at Dimensional’s investment philosophy and history. Scott shares his nearly 30-year journey at Dimensional and explains why the firm has historically focused on working through professional advisors rather than direct-to-consumer marketing.

The conversation also explores how Dimensional’s roots in academic research and evidence-based investing shaped its approach. An approach that differs from both traditional indexing and stock-picking active management.

The conversation includes a detailed discussion on the following topics:

• Who is Dimensional Fund Advisors? : Why do many clients see DFA on their statements but may not recognize the name, and how DFA’s advisor-focused model fits into a broader evolution toward holistic financial advice.

• Dimensional’s Origins & the Indexing Story: A discussion of early index investing work (including the Wells Fargo era), the “Tune Out the Noise” documentary, and how Dimensional’s approach evolved beyond traditional index replication.

• Indexing vs. Active vs. Dimensional’s Approach: How Scott frames the differences using a “prices, premiums, process” lens, and why Dimensional seeks to embrace market prices rather than ignore or disagree with them.

• Implementation Matters: Why index reconstitutions can create trading challenges, and how Dimensional’s flexible and patient trading approach aims to improve execution and reduce costs.

• The Role of Academic Research: Dimensional’s deep ties to University of Chicago finance research and how ongoing academic collaboration helps inform portfolio design and refinement.

As always, please send our team any questions or topics you’d like us to cover in a future episode.

We hope this finds you well.

Scott Bosworth is not affiliated or registered with Cetera Wealth Services, LLC. Any information provided by Scott Bosworth is in no way related to Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, or its registered representatives. Zachary B. Morgan, CFA, CFP, 9480 Enterprise Drive, Suite 1 Mokena, IL 60448-8321, 708.479.7755. Securities offered through Cetera Wealth Service, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. 

Episode 13- What Does A Cybersecurity Firm Do For Me?

In the latest episode of the “Building Your Wealth Bridge” podcast, George C. McCabe, CPA, Financial Advisor, is joined by Tim McCabe (Founder of McCabe & Associates) and Karlee Garcia (Private Client Relationship Manager at Black Cloak) for a practical, real world look at modern cybersecurity planning—especially for retirees and families navigating changing devices, routines, and risk.

Tim shares his firsthand onboarding experience with Black Cloak, and Karlee breaks down the key defensive tools & strategies and ongoing support members receive, including:

• Privacy & Exposure Review: How Black Cloak helps identify where personal data is circulating (data broker sites and dark web monitoring) and assists in reducing your digital footprint to help cut down risk—and even spam calls.

• Home & Travel Security: A walkthrough of home Wi-Fi scanning for vulnerabilities, device risk defense, and using tools like a VPN to stay more secure on public networks (airports, hotels, and beyond).

• Everyday Threat Prevention Tools: Simple safeguards for modern habits, including QR code scanning to detect malicious links and guidance on spam call blockers and device settings.

• Action Items + White-Glove Concierge Support: Key defensive moves like freezing credit and ChexSystems, setting up an IRS Identity PIN, using password managers, and upgrading MFA beyond text messages—plus 24/7 concierge help for incidents, suspicious messages, and proactive monitoring. As always, please send our team any questions or topics you’d like us to cover in the future.

Karlee Garcia and Black Cloak are not affiliated or registered with Cetera Wealth Services, LLC. Any information provided by Karlee Garcia and Black cloak is in no way related to Cetera Wealth Services, LLC or its registered representatives. George and Tim McCabe are registered Representatives of Cetera Wealth Services LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC.

Episode 12 – What Are My Medicare Options?

In the latest episode of the “Building Your Wealth Bridge” podcast, Ryan C. Gandurski, Financial Advisor, has a discussion with Lauren Bigham-Steele from Boomer Benefits. Boomer Benefits is a firm that has been in business for over 20 years supporting clients across the country who are navigating the world of Medicare. The firm’s client service team offers assistance with all avenues of Medicare including going over different plan options, enrollment, claims and ensuring that clients are given accurate and resourceful information.

Lauren explains how the Boomer Benefits team is able to provide a personalized experience for every client to ensure that his or her unique situation is carefully considered.

Ryan and Lauren also dive into the differences between Medicare, Medigap and Medicaid plans. They discuss what each plan is and some of the different services that are covered and not covered under each plan.

Episode 11 – Mortgage Considerations

In the latest episode of the “Building Your Wealth Bridge” podcast, George C. McCabe, CPA, Financial Advisor, sits down with Jonathan Tink, a loan officer at an independent mortgage bank, Compass Mortgage. Jonathan explains the role of independent mortgage banks and joins George in a discussion on the following topics:

• Factors loan officers look at to determine loan amounts, interest rates and what type of loan may be best suited for an investor
• First-time home buyers
• Different strategies to consider when purchasing a home including down payment percentage, mortgage insurance and monthly mortgage payments

George and Jonathan also discuss how debt can be viewed differently from person to person and how this may impact one’s approach to paying off a home.

Episode 10 – Should I Gift Anonymously?

In episode 10 of the “Building Your Wealth Bridge” podcast, George C. McCabe, CPA, Financial Advisor, sits down with Tim Sanders, the owner and proprietor of Silent Donor. Silent Donor is an anonymous and user-friendly donation platform geared towards individuals who are interested in donating to charity in an anonymous way that maintains their privacy.

Episode 9 – Social Security Filing Strategies

In episode 9 of the “Building Your Wealth Bridge” podcast, George C. McCabe, CPA, Financial Advisor, discusses filing for social security.

In the episode, he goes over three real life case studies he encountered in the last year which led to the recommendation of three different filing strategies.

Episode 8 – A Newer, Faster, Less Expensive Way to Your Estate Plan

In episode 8 of the “Building Your Wealth Bridge” podcast, George C. McCabe, CPA, Financial Advisor, sits down with Becky Thompson and David Haughton from Wealth.com to discuss the importance of estate planning, the Wealth.com platform, and the technology solutions they offer to help clients navigate the process and feel confident in their estate plan.

Below are a few of the topics they dive into:

• Common reasons why people may not have an official estate plan in place
• The advantages of having your financial advisor involved in your estate planning
• How Wealth.com strives to make estate planning more accessible, comprehensible and less of a burden

Episode 7 – Recapping This Year So Far in the Markets and Looking Ahead

In episode 7 of the “Building Your Wealth Bridge” podcast, Zachary B. Morgan, CFA, CFP®, Financial Advisor, and William E. Will, CFA, Financial Advisor, sit down to recap the first half of the year in the markets and go over what can be expected during the second half of the year.

Below are a few of the topics discussed:

• Performance of the U.S. and international stock markets during the first half of the year
• The benefits of diversification within your portfolioHow the new
• Big Beautiful Bill may impact the markets going forward

Episode 6 – Cybersecurity Planning for HNW Families and Executives

In episode 6 of the “Building Your Wealth Bridge” podcast, George C. McCabe, CPA, Financial Advisor, sits down with BlackCloak, a third-party company that specializes in cybersecurity. Below are a few of the topics discussed:

• Simple and effective measures individuals can put in place right away to help protect themselves against cybersecurity threats and become less of a target
• The definition of cyber crime and examples of what information can be used to trick us, our devices, and third-party companies that we use
• Red flags to look out for on our devices and next steps to take when necessary
• Cybersecurity planning for high-net-worth families and executives

Episode 5 – Tariffs and Handling Uncertainty

William E. Will, CFA, Financial Advisor, speaks on the recent tariffs making headlines and offers some historical perspective on news events of the past and how they have impacted the stock market.

Also, Zachary B. Morgan, CFA, CFP, Financial Advisor, dives a little deeper into market corrections, the importance of diversification and where the U.S. and international markets stand today as we enter the second quarter of 2025.

Episode 4 – New Year Planning, Global Investing, and Retiree Psychology

George McCabe, Zac Morgan, and Ryan Gandurski explore five essential financial planning priorities for the New Year, covering investment strategies, tax planning, estate planning, cybersecurity, and insurance considerations. The team provides practical insights on timing investment contributions and managing retirement distributions.

Also, they discuss global investment diversification, examining how U.S. markets fit into the broader world economy. Ryan Gandurski shares valuable perspectives on the psychological aspects of transitioning from saving to spending in retirement, drawing from his experience guiding clients through this life change.

Episode 3 – Tech Talk: Managing Risk in Your Portfolio

George McCabe sits down with Chris Quandt from Nitrogen (formerly Riskalyze) to explore how we use advanced technology to help our clients better understand and manage their investment risk through personalized risk assessment, dynamic stress testing, and ongoing portfolio monitoring.

We also talk about how this innovative approach helps create more confident, informed investors who can stay focused on their long-term financial goals.

Episode 2 – Markets During Elections & Gifting Strategies

In this episode, featuring Zac Morgan and William Will, we explore investing during election years, examining historical market performance data and discussing key strategies for maintaining a long-term, diversified approach regardless of political outcomes.

Our conversation also covers important wealth transfer considerations, including annual gifting limits and strategic planning opportunities for families looking to support the next generation.

Episode 1 – Diversification & Beneficiary Planning

Join us for our debut podcast series as we explore how we analyze and consider market trends, risk management, and portfolio diversification.

From in-depth investment discussions to practical financial planning considerations, we pull back the curtain to share the important conversations happening at McCabe & Associates that help inform how we serve our clients.