The Tech Money Podcast

Nobody enters a marriage expecting to get divorced. Yet, regardless of our best intentions, relationships can and do fall apart. While the emotional roller coaster of divorce is difficult enough, the added frustration of financial litigations can make a situation that much worse. Unfortunately, the current system of divorce in the United States does a poor job of educating clients on the alternatives to litigation. And in the event legal arbitration is the only choice left: where does one turn?Given their higher salaries and equity arrangements, tech workers are more likely than most to enter marriages with lop-sided assets or income, or both. Furthermore, as a tech worker, it is common to spend your early years building a career, resulting in a later-life marriage, and sometimes with children from a previous relationship. Because of this, some parties may stand to walk away from a marriage with much more than they came into it with. These realities of life should not be ignored when considering a marriage. Even the most rational, cool-headed individuals can be sucked into the emotional damage that is typical of divorce.On this episode, Malcolm Ethridge sits down with Andrew Hatherley, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst and founder of Wiser Divorce Solutions, to discuss his work helping divorcing couples and individuals avoid the financial and emotional hazards of divorce. Having been divorced himself, Andrew has first-hand experience with the broken and frustrating U.S. “Divorce System” and seeks to do his part to help change the way divorce is handled in this country. Andrew Hatherley discusses: The broken divorce system in the U.S.The true cost of filing for divorceWays to avoid an expensive and protracted divorce proceedingThe importance of prenuptial agreements among couples intending to marryConnect With Andrew:LinkedIn: Andrew HatherleyWiser Divorce SolutionsConnect With Malcolm Ethridge:The Tech Money Podcast LinkedIn: Malcolm EthridgeConnect with Malcolm @MalcolmOnMoneyAbout Our Guest:Andrew Hatherley is a divorce financial advisor and understands the fear and uncertainty many of you are feeling. He went through his own divorce several years ago. He knows that the extreme emotions that come with divorce can lead to damaging financial mistakes, both short and long term. Having learned the hard way, He is determined to help others avoid some of the pitfalls that can make divorce such a difficult processMentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.com

Picture this: you’re working for one of the FANG companies, in a high-paying role, with unlimited PTO, free food, and plenty of responsibility -- sounds pretty ideal right? But there’s one big problem: you can’t take it anymore. On one hand, you feel guilty because you’ve ascended to a position many of your peers could only dream of. On the other, you’re unmotivated, unproductive, and struggling to make the commute to the office--or perhaps more telling--your kitchen table. What was once a challenging and fulfilling endeavor has soured. And the pressing question isn’t if you should leave, but when? Don’t get me wrong, feeling stuck in a high-paying white collar gig is a good problem to have, but it’s not sustainable. Regardless of your annual salary and all the bells and whistles, nobody is immune to career burnout. And worst of all, the cost of staying in a role that no longer serves you can steal your time, freedom, and creativity. And after the life-altering experience of living through the COVID-19 pandemic and plenty of introspection, many workers made the tough decision to protect their peace of mind and walked away. But aside from the financial implications, many more stayed in jobs they hated due to the fear of disappointing their parents and/or their cultural expectations, possible backlash from colleagues left holding the bag, or even just the fear of being seen as ungrateful. On this episode, Malcolm Ethridge sits down with Michael Lin, Founder of All-In Engineering Consulting, to discuss why he walked away from a nearly half a million dollar a year job at Netflix. In 2022, Michael made headlines after publishing a letter titled “Why I Quit a $450k Engineering Job at Netflix.” His words illuminated the reality of career burnout from high-demand, high-paying roles. So, he and Malcolm sat down to discuss his journey and lessons learned that other tech employees can benefit from.Michael Lin Discusses:The true cost of staying in a job you hateThe importance of taking your career into your own handsAligning your professional work with your life’s purposeHow to know when you’re reaching burnout and what to do about itConnect with Michael:LinkedIn: Michael LinTwitter: Michael LinSubstack Newsletterallinengineeringconsulting.comConnect with MichaelConnect with Malcolm:The Tech Money Podcast LinkedIn: Malcolm EthridgeConnect with Malcolm @MalcolmOnMoneyAbout our guest:Michael Lin is an ex-Netflix tech lead turned entrepreneur. By day, he runs All-In Engineering Consulting, where they help VC-backed startups build MVP’s. By night, he writes a weekly newsletter about entrepreneurship, engineering, and life.Mentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.com

The most common example of social trading is when individual investors follow successful traders on social trading platforms and copy their trades. This can help investors who lack the time, experience, or confidence to invest on their own to achieve similar returns to more experienced traders. But, if you’ve ever traded stocks or crypto on Robinhood, and immediately received a prompt letting you know which of your friends also bought that stock earlier that same day, then you’ve experienced social investing. Or, if you’ve ever found yourself knee-deep in a Reddit thread debating the merits of bottom-up versus top-down company analysis, then you’ve experienced social investing as well.For better or for worse, financial influencers play a significant role in the trend of social investing because they have established a following and built a reputation for their perceived knowledge and expertise in the financial markets. They are adept at using social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, and Youtube to share their investment strategies, insights, opinions, and ideas with their followers. On this episode, Malcolm Ethridge sits down with Manning Field, CEO of Follow, a new social investment startup encouraging investors to bolster and diversify their portfolios by mirroring the trades of today’s top financial creators. The pair share their differing opinions on the rise of fin-fluencers, the so-called Reddit rebellion, and the expected long-term impact of social investing on a generation of newer, younger investors.Manning Field discusses: The role of social media in the future of investingThe importance of vetting financial advice before acting on itYounger investors’ preference for finfluencers What it means to construct portfolios of the futureConnect With Manning:LinkedIn: Manning FieldFollowConnect With Malcolm Ethridge:The Tech Money Podcast LinkedIn: Malcolm EthridgeConnect with Malcolm @MalcolmOnMoneyAbout Our Guest:Manning Field is the Chief Executive Officer at Follow. He previously worked as the Chief Operations Officer at Acorns. Prior to Acorns, he launched market-leading products and programs at JPMorgan Chase like Chase Sapphire, Chase Freedom and Chase Ultimate Rewards, and was named an Ad Age "40 Under 40." He spent four years in Beijing,China, as CMO of JPMorgan Chase's consumer team and while there, founded a local credit card business. During his 18 year tenure at Chase, Manning oversaw many departments including Branding, Advertising, Product Development, Marketing, Corporate Development, Innovation, Sales Strategy, and, lastly, as the Managing Director of Loyalty Innovation.Mentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.com

Traditionally, we are taught from a young age that anyone who fails to pay their bills on time and in full is either irresponsible, lazy, or otherwise bad with money. By the time a person reaches young adulthood, they have essentially learned rule #1 of managing your personal finances: pay every bill on time, no matter what.The reality though is that the importance of paying yourself supersedes paying anyone else. As cliché as it sounds, paying yourself first is an important financial lesson to learn and one that will serve you well in the long run.In this episode, Malcolm Ethridge discusses the concept of paying yourself first, his belief that we should work, save, pay taxes, pay bills, and then spend what’s left in that order, and some recommendations for how to set up an automatic savings plan designed to take out as much of the human element out of the equation as possible.Mentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.com

The promise and allure of passive income is undeniable. The idea of making money “while you sleep” has led to a proliferation of personalities and influencers telling us how to build income streams through dividends, real estate, online courses, e-books, and more. Unlike the day-to-day income most workers are accustomed to, passive income allows you to receive earnings, royalties, or sales in perpetuity, well after the initial investment. Passive income streams compliment one’s salary and provide stepping stones to creating a life with greater financial freedom.Historically, real estate investing has represented one of the most popular income building strategies beyond stocks, bonds, or a primary residence. However, for many busy tech workers, the idea of becoming a landlord, dealing with broken pipes, and evicting tenants can quickly quell any ideas of building a real estate portfolio. In contrast, passively investing in car washes, multi-family properties, or public storage facilities are attractive opportunities that provide cash-flow and appreciation without the active management of traditional real estate. Beginning the transition from active investing to passive real estate investing begins with finding a trusted and experienced investment team.In this episode, Malcolm Ethridge sits down with Whitney Elkins-Hutten, the Director of Investor Education at Passive Investing dot com, a national passive real estate investment firm based in the Carolinas with a portfolio valued at over 1.3 billion dollars and fueled by 2,000 investors. The pair discuss Whitney’s passion for helping busy professionals achieve financial freedom through passively investing in cash-flowing real estate in their local communities, as well as why she has a bit of a unique emphasis on self-storage units and car washes.Whitney Elkins-Hutten Discusses:How she accidentally found her passion for real estate investingThe difference between financial independence and financial freedomThe world of non-traditional real estate investingHow to find and vet real estate deals and fund managers to get a better sense of who will make a good partnerConnect with Whitney:LinkedIn: Whitney Elkins-HuttenPassiveInvesting.comAsh WealthConnect with Malcolm:The Tech Money Podcast LinkedIn: Malcolm EthridgeConnect with Malcolm @MalcolmOnMoneyAbout our Guest:Whitney Is A Real Estate Maven Who, After Purchasing Her First Rental In 2002, And Hitting A Homerun, Then Nearly Losing It All On Her Second Deal, Took Control And Figured Out How To Invest In Real Estate The Right Way. She Realized That Success Must Leave Clues. So, She Studied And Replicated The Very Personal Finance And Wealth Creation Strategies The Wealthy Use To Create Financial Freedom. Today, Whitney Is A Partner In $700M+ Of Real Estate —Including Over 5000+ Residential Units (MF, MHP, SFR, And Assisted Living) And More Than 1400+ Self-Storage Units Across 7 States—And Experience Flipping Over $3.0M In...

The Fintech sector is responsible for the rapid transformation and digitalization of financial tools that help consumers intelligently manage and understand their money. Making an incredibly positive impact, financial services companies distance consumers from the legacy banking system and provide access to historically underrepresented communities. Despite this progress, it is a well known fact that a disproportionate number of entrepreneurs and decision makers within Fintech do not adequately reflect their consumer base. In light of this, there are calls for diversifying all levels of the industry to build a more inclusive financial system.When financial service products are developed through a narrow lens of beliefs, experiences, and assumptions, underbanked or marginalized communities may be affected in unintentional ways. Alternatively, financial tools built with a broader lens adequately predict these impacts and may ultimately translate to a stronger bottom line. Techworkers of today have a unique opportunity to rewrite a stained past of discriminatory financial practices by designing and marketing the inclusive financial tools of tomorrow. The diversification of perspectives within the Fintech community will provide immense benefit to US consumers as well as increase a solution’s marketability to a global audience.In this episode, Malcolm sits down with Drew Glover, Founding Partner at Fiat Growth, a strategic marketing shop working with some of the largest fintech, insurtech & rewards brands such as Chime, Lemonade, and Motley Fool. With the vision to scale products accessible to all, Fiat Growth aligns the most impactful companies to collaborate and empower the global consumer, regardless of socioeconomic status. Drew focuses on providing growth, mentorship, and venture capital to start-ups that help streamline and diversify the FinTech acquisition funnel. He believes that everybody deserves access to financial tools that build wealth and simplify life.Drew Glover discusses:What legacy banking systems get wrong about serving underbanked communitiesWhat it means to earn the right to invest in a startupThe rise of affinity based fintechsWhat other problems fintech is close to solvingConnect With Martha:LinkedIn: Drew GloverFiat VenturesConnect With Malcolm Ethridge:The Tech Money Podcast LinkedIn: Malcolm EthridgeConnect with Malcolm @MalcolmOnMoneyAbout Our Guest:Drew is a Founding Partner of Fiat Growth and General Partner at Fiat Ventures. He is no stranger to the world of growth, technology, and marketing. From his time at Steady where he led marketplace development and growth to Namely, Fjord, and Portal A, he navigated the ins and outs of Go-to-Market strategies and user acquisition. He has helped companies like Root, JP Morgan Chase, adidas and Nike bring award-winning services and partnerships to market.Mentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.com

Equity is an important aspect of any tech worker’s overall compensation. This employee perk gives you a stake in the company and incentive to perform. Not only should it be negotiated upon hire, but also leveraged to its full-potential as your career progresses. When times are good, it’s comfortable to continue taking shares, but what happens when the market sours? The looming recession is forcing some workers to navigate falling stock prices for the first time. While it’s tempting to mitigate risk by increasing cash compensation, it often provides marginal lifestyle comfort to high-earning workers. In contrast, continuing to receive equity has advantages that are often overlooked. Whether you have stock options or restricted stocks, today’s episode provides an alternative narrative to the doom and gloom of financial downturns. We'll explore how to identify bear market opportunities, as well as strategic advice for those debating on how to manage their options. Through this lens, you’ll be well-equipped to weather recessions and make the most of your equity compensation.In this episode, Malcolm Ethridge sits down with Brooke Harley, Founder and CEO of ClassRebel, an online e-learning company that offers affordable and relevant courses on wealth-building, angel investing, and the basics of managing equity. Through her work with ClassRebel, Brooke levels the playing field by making these investing topics available to anyone that wants to learn. She believes that anyone receiving equity compensation should view bear markets as a moment of opportunity rather than a moment of panic. Prior to founding ClassRebel, Brooke worked as a corporate attorney, venture investor, and startup board member.Brooke Harley Discusses: How to get more bang for your buck when the market is downHow her own personal experience as a startup employee led her to founding Class RebelWays to be strategic with your equity following a layoffWhy it is important to negotiate for more equity when share prices are lowerConnect With Brooke:LinkedIn: Brooke HarleyClass RebelConnect With Malcolm Ethridge:The Tech Money Podcast LinkedIn: Malcolm EthridgeConnect with Malcolm @MalcolmOnMoneyAbout our Guest:Brooke Harley is the Founder and CEO of ClassRebel, an online e-learning company that offers affordable and relevant courses on wealth-building, angel investing, and the basics of managing equity. After deploying capital from her first VC fund, Brooke realized that many entrepreneurs had a distinct socio-educational advantage in raising money. Class Rebel represents her efforts to level the playing field by making these investing topics available to anyone that wants to learn them. Prior to founding ClassRebel, Brooke worked as a corporate attorney, venture investor, and startup board member.Mentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants -...

The process of assets changing hands from one generation to the next within a family is what we mean when we use the term "generational wealth." But in actuality, the next generation may not be equipped to manage the money they inherit. However, it is also true that family wealth can be diluted as it is divided amongst children and other heirs, especially if each has a different stance on how to invest or manage their individual finances. And to make matters worse, if the proper legal documentation and instructions are not in place, it can be difficult for families to protect what they've worked so hard for.That’s why estate planning is so important. It provides a mechanism for transferring assets from one generation to another without costly tax implications or legal complications. By establishing an estate plan, individuals can provide clear instructions of how to divide their assets and ensure that their wishes are carried out in the end. This can help ease both the emotional and the financial burden, and create much-needed peace of mind for all parties involved.In this episode, Malcolm Ethridge sits down with Martha Underwood, co-founder and CEO of Prismm, a company leveraging technology to ensure wealth transfers appropriately at the end of a life. They discuss the ways in which Martha is leveraging her 25 years of experience in technology to develop products and services that help people manage the tedious administrative tasks that require attention when a loved one passes away.Martha Underwood discusses: Why estate planning is such a difficult conversation for families to haveHow to develop your own estate planning checklist and how often you should update itWays that technology is helping to facilitate difficult conversations among family membersWhy it is vital to have life’s most important documents available right at the moment when you need them mostConnect With Martha:LinkedIn: Martha UnderwoodGet PrismmConnect With Malcolm Ethridge:The Tech Money Podcast LinkedIn: Malcolm EthridgeConnect with Malcolm @MalcolmOnMoneyAbout Our Guest:From IBM in Florida to Silicon Valley and now Birmingham, Alabama, Martha has built a storied career in the software technology industry. Her accomplishments include building enterprise solutions for insurance carriers, working on the earliest iterations of healthcare patient portals, and positioning startups for acquisition by designing business models and optimizing product offerings.Martha currently serves as the CEO of Prismm, a company dedicated to leveraging technology to ensure wealth transfer at the end of life. Her focus is on taking a creative and innovative approach to handling documents and assets using best-in-class digital practices. With more than 25 years of experience, Martha is putting her enthusiastic passion for technology to work developing products and services to help people manage the often daunting affairs and tedious administrative tasks that require attention when a loved one transitions this...

It’s widely believed that work is something that is supposed to happen between the hours of 9 to 5, 40 hours per week, 5 days per week, 50 weeks per year, for 40 years, until age 65 or later. Then, and only then, are you allowed to think about and prioritize the people and things that matter to you the most. Or at least that’s how it seems. But in reality, you should also be spending your younger years enjoying time together with friends and family, exploring and traveling, and dedicating your time to the causes that you care about - not just when you're older.In order to enjoy that level of time freedom, it will require you to reach some semblance of financial independence earlier in life. But these days, when people hear the term financial independence, their minds automatically envision the super-rich tech entrepreneur who founded a company from their dorm room and the next day, sold it for billions of dollars. Or they think of the extreme case of winning a multi-million-dollar lottery prize or some other sort of life altering windfall. But this doesn’t have to be the case.In this episode, Malcolm Ethridge shares his thoughts on financial independence; what it is, what it’s not, and what it will take to reach it in this lifetime. As a millennial on his own financial independence journey, Malcolm [take this from the back jacket text]Malcolm Ethridge Discusses: What financial independence is and is notHow to determine your own “enough” point and what do do when you get thereThe importance of developing passive streams of income Why it is not necessary to take a vow of poverty to reach financial independenceConnect With Malcolm Ethridge:The Tech Money Podcast LinkedIn: Malcolm EthridgeConnect with Malcolm @MalcolmOnMoneyMentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.com

Long gone are the days of investing solely for the bottom line. A growing percentage of investors want to put their hard-earned money behind organizations that align with their personal values. Some want to move away from a one-size fits all basket of blue-chip stocks, for one that supports initiatives that actually matter to them. While some may strictly invest in this manner as an outward expression of their values, others believe this is a winning formula for people and the planet.Are the supply chains ethically developed? Do the employees receive fair compensation? What is the background of C-Suite executives and the board of directors? When investors base financial decisions on these factors, it is known as ESG investing. ESG Investing is a strategy that takes into account the Environmental, Social, and Governance factors of an organization. How a company affects the environment, how it treats its employees and communities, and how leadership governs the organization all contribute to a company’s ESG profile. But from a financial standpoint, are these initiatives really worth the hype?In this episode, Malcolm Ethridge sits down with Daniel Naim, founder and CEO of Fennel, an ESG investing platform created to empower retail investors with the knowledge required to advance the “engaged shareholder movement”. Daniel shares how after beginning his own personal investing journey, he observed the ways in which traditional investment platform models fail to encourage the alignment of customer and company values. Daniel shares the key ESG metrics he believes investors should pay attention to, as well his personal mission to promote shareholder activism across the industry.Daniel Naim discusses: The importance of voting your shares as an investorHow to look underneath the hood and find a company’s true social and environmental impactWays that retail investors can come together to help force companies to become more environmentally consciousThe lesser known dangers of payment for order flow and securities lendingConnect With Daniel:LinkedIn: Daniel NaimGet FennelConnect With Malcolm Ethridge:The Tech Money Podcast LinkedIn: Malcolm EthridgeConnect with Malcolm @MalcolmOnMoneyAbout Our Guest:Daniel Naim is a physics PhD who grew up in Beirut Lebanon and went to university at Berkeley. He is intent on making the world a better place.He also developed an anti-neutrino detector that could be used to measure the plutonium production of nuclear reactors from over 100 miles away. This detector simultaneously pushed the frontier of dark matter detection in the WIMP candidate space by over 3 orders of magnitude.Mentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.com

In this episode, Malcolm Ethridge sits down with friend of the show, Chris Hill, to discuss ways to identify and develop your own investor personality. Chris reflects on some of his best and worst investing decisions over the years. And the pair share some of their own rules for determining which stocks to buy and when.Chris Hill discusses: The difference between being a value or growth investorHow to determine when it’s time to buy or sell a stockThe importance of dividends and whether you consider a stock that doesn’t offer oneHow his investing preferences have changed as he has gotten older and become a more experienced investorResources: Quartr Insights Connect With Chris Hill:LinkedIn: Chris HillTwitter: Chris HillMotley Fool Money PodcastConnect With Malcolm Ethridge:The Tech Money Podcast LinkedIn: Malcolm EthridgeConnect with Malcolm @MalcolmOnMoneyAbout Our Guest:Chris Hill hosts "Motley Fool Money", a daily podcast. He also oversees The Motley Fool's growing network of podcasts and audio programming. A graduate of Boston College and The American University, Chris lives and works in Alexandria, Virginia.Mentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.com

According to a recent survey conducted by Bankrate dot com, Americans’ biggest financial regret is not saving enough for emergencies. In fact, 20% of respondents gave this answer - even topping the reigning top response related to saving too little for retirement. And when broken down further, older millennials (36 percent) were more than twice as likely than baby boomers (14 percent) to say they regret not having a strong enough emergency fund. And when asked what they intend to do with their money going forward, 26% of respondents said they will save more for emergencies, while another 21% said they will spend less.Of course, this poll was administered in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic and all of the financial disruption that has come along with it. But it got my attention that when asked about financial regrets, the answer had nothing to do with saving for the long term. It was about the here and now.In this episode, Malcolm sits down with Aja Evans, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who specializes in financial therapy, to discuss the concept of financial regret, how to recognize it when you feel it, and how to move past it once you do. Aja and Malcolm share some of their own personal stories, and Aja remembers the very moment she realized she wanted to work with people to take control of their emotions around money.Aja Evans discusses:Why it is so difficult for us to talk about money in an open and honest setting with friends and familyThe importance of focusing on your own financial situation rather than comparing yourself to othersHow to go a few layers deep and identify the true reason for the feelings we have about our moneySome exercises she recommends to clients to help them identify them moments when they feel anxious about money Connect with Aja Evans:Aja Evans CounselingLinkedIn: Aja Evansaevans@ajaevanscounseling.com About the Guest:Aja Evans is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who specializes in financial therapy. She likes to say that she is on a mission to get more individuals engaged in living their best life, while attuning to their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors around money. In January 2015, she launched Aja Evans Counseling, a New York-based financial therapy practice where she supports clients to begin working towards a better version of themselves. In addition to her work as a financial therapist, Aja is a speaker, writer, and fintech consultant, focusing on the intersection of mental health and money. She believes that whether you are struggling with anxiety, self-esteem, relationships, or regret, gaining control of your finances will help you live the life you want.Mentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.com

Have you ever been curious what a basketball star does once they have left the game? In this episode, Malcolm Ethridge is joined by WNBA champion Alana Beard. Listen in as they discuss Alana’s journey to professional basketball and her recent pivot into Venture Capital. Alana shares which parts of her own personal journey have … Continue reading10. From Basketball Superstar to Venture Capital Rookie with Alana Beard→Mentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.com

As a founder, it can be challenging to know when to make the shift from pouring every dollar you have into getting your startup off the ground to taking a few chips off the table to eventually paying yourself first. However, every business owner should begin to separate their own personal finances from the business as soon as possible for a few different reasons.In this episode, Malcolm Ethridge sits down to discuss best financial practices for founders and how to know when it is time to begin to allocate your revenue to more personal goals. Malcolm runs through tools and tricks to grow your business and build sustainable financial habits for you and your business. Malcolm discusses: How to invest in your own business and build funds for your long-term goalsCounterbalancing your business’s high burn rate with low personal expensesReinvesting extra cash flow into retirement and diverse investments Protecting what you have built and your loved ones through insurance Connect With Malcolm Ethridge:The Tech Money Podcast LinkedIn: Malcolm EthridgeConnect with Malcolm @MalcolmOnMoneyMentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.com

For startups, investors often put a lot of emphasis on cap tables. They want to see a diluted picture of equity ownership among you as a founder, any co-founders or partners, early investors, and key employees before they’ll seriously consider handing over a check to invest themselves in your company. That’s because a healthy cap table illustrates not only your business’s potential for growth in the future, but also communicates to your investors just how solid your judgment is as a CEO.In this episode, Malcolm Ethridge speaks with Jason Ray about how to tell a compelling story to potential investors. Jason shares why investing in what matters to you as a business owner and to your business doesn’t always sacrifice an investment return, and how it can help attract investors who are interested in your cause. He also dives into why it’s important to know your key performance indicators from the very beginning, why some businesses are hesitant to take loans and how that can prevent them from growing, and what goes into good financial modeling and forecasting.Jason discusses: Why investing in ESG doesn’t necessarily mean sacrificing investment returnsWhy it’s important to get yourself in gear from the very beginning as a business owner and be prepared for a potential investorHow a lack of experience with taking out loans and knowing how much they need creates hesitancy, and how that hesitancy can become a hurdle for business growthWhat goes into good financial modeling and forecastingResources: Survival of the City by Edward Glaeser and David CutlerConnect With Jason Ray:Zenith Wealth Partners@NetWorthZenithLinkedIn: Jason RayConnect With Malcolm Ethridge:The Tech Money Podcast LinkedIn: Malcolm EthridgeConnect with Malcolm @MalcolmOnMoneyDownload the Tech Money Guide to RSUs About Our Guest:Jason founded Zenith Solutions to deliver accessible, high-quality financial education and advice to individuals and institutions. His work is inspired by racial and age wealth inequality that exists in society.Prior to founding Zenith, Jason helped renovate a longstanding independent wealth advisory firm, Carnegie Wealth Management, by building new technology, private placement structures, and research capabilities. He delivered investment advice and financial plans to families with a net worth upwards of $10M. Earlier in his career, Jason also gained extensive experience evaluating and creating solutions for financial advisors at Lincoln Financial and FS Investments. Mentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.com

Though it may seem like a very distant and high-class problem that only the super-wealthy among us will ever have to contend with, for many tech workers who have accumulated a significant sized stake in their employer, it is not unlikely that estate taxes are something they will have to consider as a part of their overall financial plan. In fact, with the number of bills currently floating around the halls of Congress with the intention to increase tax revenue by lowering the estate and gift tax thresholds, there could be significantly more Americans who will be impacted by this “problem” soon enough.In this episode, Malcolm Ethridge speaks with Aaron Rubin, a partner at Werba Papier, about some of the lesser-known estate planning challenges facing those with concentrated equity positions. Aaron also shares some of the more common mistakes he sees clients make prior to and immediately following an IPO that could be avoided with proper planning.Aaron discusses: How to design a plan that keeps more of your money in your pocket and out of the hands of the IRS The interesting and unique things he has seen people do following an IPO Who should be concerned about qualified small business stock What an intentionally defective trust is and how to apply it And moreResources: Financial Adulting: Take Control of Your Financial Future by Aaron Rubin 50. Creating A Plan For Your Restricted Stock UnitsConnect With Aaron Rubin:LinkedIn: Aaron RubinConnect With Malcolm Ethridge:The Tech Money Podcast  LinkedIn: Malcolm Ethridge Connect with Malcolm  @MalcolmOnMoney Download the Tech Money Guide to RSUs About Our Guest:Aaron Rubin is a partner at Werba Papier, a wealth management firm that caters to pre-IPO executives and early employees. Prior to his current firm, Aaron spent time at Deloitte where he worked on trust and estates and honed his skills in their private client advisory. He also received his JD from the University of Illinois. In 2019, he published Financial Adulting, a guide to help young professionals navigate the challenges of taxes and investments in estate planning.Mentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.com

As anyone who has ever bought and sold any sort of digital asset in the last couple years can attest, the rules and regulations around reporting those transactions to the IRS can be very fuzzy. Coupled with the lack of information made available by the IRS itself, and the lack of general knowledge and adoption of crypto by the accounting community, it can be very tough for investors to make heads or tails of it all. At best, you manage to stumble across a couple of really helpful twitter posts or youtube explainer videos offering solid tidbits of information that may or may not be directly applicable to your individual circumstances. But at worst, you make a mistake in reporting your transactions in one year, that ultimately opens up your returns from previous years to scrutiny, and you find yourself in the middle of a full-blown audit with no idea how you got there.In this episode, Malcolm Ethridge speaks with Micah Fraim, CPA and crypto enthusiast, about the taxation of crypto. Micah shares his knowledge about how crypto and NFTs are taxed, how to save money on taxes when investing in crypto, why you should stay up to date on the ever-changing IRS taxation policies about crypto, and how to track activity across multiple digital wallets without using a platform like Coinbase.Micah discusses: How crypto and NFT trades are taxed today How to take advantage of the current crypto winter to save on taxes Why he is such a fan of cryptos and their future long-term Some recommendations for how to tack crypto activity and keep good records across multiple digital wallets And moreResources: Decrypting Crypto Taxes by Micah Fraim Decrypting Crypto Taxes by Micah Fraim – Free Download Law360.com Koinly.io CoinTracker.io CoinTracking.infoConnect With Micah Fraim:CryptoTaxCPA.com MicahFraim.com FraimCPA.com LinkedIn: Micah FraimConnect With Malcolm Ethridge:The Tech Money Podcast  LinkedIn: Malcolm Ethridge Connect with Malcolm  @MalcolmOnMoney Download the Tech Money Guide to RSUs About Our Guest:Micah Fraim is the founder of Fraim Cawley & Company. Micah is a certified public accountant who works with small business owners on preparing tax returns and offers more advanced tax planning. In addition, he is also a self-proclaimed crypto enthusiast and has recently published the book, Decryptifying Crypto Taxes. Mentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.com

A stock option is the right to buy a specific number of shares of either a stock or an index at a preset price. These options allow traders to speculate on the directional performance of a stock or index without owning the shares outright. For better or worse, options trading has now been democratized and made available to just about anyone, regardless of their individual risk tolerance, risk capacity, and overall understanding of the inner workings of options contracts.In this episode, Malcolm Ethridge speaks with Todd Rampe, author of “Get Paid, Learn To Trade” and founder of the Wealth Builders Institute. Todd is a trading educator who teaches individuals how to trade options using the software he built. He shares the advantages of trading options, what dollar amount makes trading options worth the benefit, why he chooses to teach people instead of selling his software, and what his 3 golden rules of options trading are.Todd discusses: The advantages to trading options rather than owning the underlying stock outrightThe point where someone can afford to trade options, and what amount won’t result in enough of a benefitWhy he chooses to teach people how to trade options instead of selling his software to themWhat his 3 golden rules of options trading areAnd moreResources: Get Paid Learn To Trade by Todd Rampe – ebookConnect With Todd Rampe:Wealth Builders InstituteWBI TradingLinkedIn: Todd RampeConnect With Malcolm Ethridge:The Tech Money Podcast LinkedIn: Malcolm EthridgeConnect with Malcolm @MalcolmOnMoneyDownload the Tech Money Guide to RSUs About Our Guest:Todd Rampe is the founder of the Wealth Builders Institute in Las Vegas, NV. Todd Rampe is one of the very few trading educators that actually trades his own account using the exact method he teaches both new and experienced traders. The secret to his success lies in his proprietary software, Triple Sync Logic. Using this unique software allows Todd and his students to spot Market Reversals, which are widely considered to be the single best time to enter a trade, because, at that stage, you will get in the trade right before the price changes direction.Todd was very fortunate to learn how to trade in 1998, from someone he calls his “7-Figure Mentor,” because of how successful his mentor was, and of course, the amount of money he made. So, after well over 2 decades of trading, developing software and the methods that go with them, Todd is able to teach virtually anyone how to use his incredibly dependable Triple Sync Software, regardless of their experience. Todd Rampe built the Wealth Builders Institute to ensure that anyone that wants to learn to trade effectively, will have the best possible tools and knowledge at their fingertips, to accomplish that goal, in a very short period of time.Mentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.com

In the simplest terms, a mentor is anyone who possesses more experience and knowledge than you in a given industry. They have skills you want to master in order to thrive. And you’d rather lean on their experience and expertise and learn from their mistakes, rather than having to go and make those same mistakes on your own.Entrepreneurs need mentors especially, and perhaps more than other professionals, simply because it is nearly impossible to formally teach entrepreneurship in any controlled setting. There are just too many variables that will inevitably change from entrepreneur to entrepreneur and business to business.In this episode, Malcolm Ethridge speaks with Ron Bauer, a venture capitalist and the founder of Theseus Capital, about the role mentorship plays in the success of a startup founder. Ron shares his roadmap to success for entrepreneurs, talks about mentoring entrepreneurs, and how founders can find the right mentor for the right moment.Ron discusses: How he applies a hands-on, academic methodology to the way he invests, and his hands-on approach to mentoring his entrepreneursHis roadmap to success for startup foundersHow to be proactive in the current market and how long he anticipates it lastingHow to find the right mentor for what you need at the momentWhy you should do something you enjoy and not focus solely on doing something to make moneyConnect With Ron Bauer:Theseus CapitalLinkedIn: Ron BauerInstagram: Ron BauerTwitter: Ron BauerConnect With Malcolm Ethridge:The Tech Money Podcast LinkedIn: Malcolm EthridgeConnect with Malcolm @MalcolmOnMoneyDownload the Tech Money Guide to RSUs About Our Guest:Ron Bauer is a venture capitalist and entrepreneur with over 20 years of financing businesses. He is focused on the Life Sciences, Technology, EdTech, and Natural Resources sectors, where he has created a number of exciting ventures side by side with some of the world’s leading entrepreneurs and scientists, as well as world-class academic institutions that include Oxford, Cambridge, Stanford, Cornell, and Hebrew University to name a few. He is the Founder of Theseus Capital Ltd, the family office investment vehicle for his portfolio companies.Mentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.com

We’ve all heard the popular saying “it’s not what you know, but who you know.” But when you hear the word “networking,” how many of the feelings that start to bubble up are negative ones, such as anxiety, discomfort, and maybe even fear? And that word can be especially triggering for those who consider themselves introverts.And while there have been several social media platforms and other tech tools built over the last couple decades designed to help make networking and building relationships easier for both introverts and extroverts alike, there will never be any true substitute for the authentic human connection felt by sharing a meal together face-to-face. In this episode, Malcolm Ethridge speaks with Nick Gray, the author of The Two Hour Cocktail Party, about how to build big relationships by hosting small gatherings. Nick shares his secret formula for becoming the best host, how to become a natural conversationalist, why networking in person is better than online, and some advice on how and when to host.Nick discusses: How to become a natural conversationalist Why it’s important to lead conversations with authentic excitement and energy about your passions and interests Why networking in person leads to better relationships than online Why you should host a small gathering instead of meeting for drinks And moreResources: The Two Hour Cocktail Party by Nick Gray Join Nick’s Friends Newsletter Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi 50. Creating A Plan For Your Restricted Stock UnitsConnect With Nick Gray:NickGray.net LinkedIn: Nick GrayConnect With Malcolm Ethridge:The Tech Money Podcast  LinkedIn: Malcolm Ethridge Connect with Malcolm  @MalcolmOnMoney Download the Tech Money Guide to RSUs About Our Guest:Nick Gray is the founder and owner of Museum Hack. After growing it into a multi-million dollar business and being featured in a TEDx talk, he sold Museum Hack. Nick published The Two Hour Cocktail Party, sharing his formula for growing big relationships by hosting small gatherings. He also writes a popular newsletter for business owners and entrepreneurs called “Friends Newsletter,” because he originally wrote it just for his friends.Mentioned in this episode:Capital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.comCapital Area Tax Consultants - www.capgllc.com