Episodes

What’s the secret to a happy retirement? If you want to enjoy your retirement to the fullest, you must have a sense of purpose and guaranteed income for the rest of your life. That way, you have something to look forward to every day, without the fear of running out of money! In this episode of WealthStyle, Iván Watanabe and Evan Wohl sit down with Tom Hegna, a retirement expert, best-selling author, public TV host, and international speaker! Together, they explore: Seven simple steps for a fin...

How can you help your child(ren) be responsible, humble, and respectful? What are the necessary skills required to teach life-long behaviors? In today’s episode of WealthStyle, Iván Watanabe and Evan Wohl learn a few parenting tactics that helped their fellow colleague Russ Carpentieri raise well-rounded, independent children. Listen in as Russ shares his experience as a father and highlights the following: The influence that your circle of friends can have on your level of parenting How to tea...

Buying a home may seem like the right thing to do, but is it? There are many factors to consider before you purchase a home, and the most obvious is, can you afford the mortgage payments? Then on top of that, there are annual property taxes and monthly utilities like gas and electricity. And don’t forget about the less obvious expenses like furniture and decor, and unexpected repairs or upgrades. The reality is, it requires a lot of financial planning before you put an offer on a house. In this ...

How can you maximize your vacation and travel experience before you even leave the country? In this episode, Iván Watanabe and Evan Wohl are joined by Rob Karp, founder and CEO, and Henry Kamp, head of Air Sales and Operations at MilesAhead, in sharing their knowledge of the travel industry and how to gain the most from your flight experience. Rob and Henry discuss: How the pandemic increased the cost of travel while negatively impacting the experience Why travel so important to people How to e...

Company equity grants are a tried and true way for businesses to provide investment opportunities to their employees, and as a way to incentivize and reward their loyalty. Plus, equity grants can be a cost-effective way for companies to compensate employees, and provide a sense of ownership by giving them a stake in the company’s success. In this episode of WealthStyle, Iván Watanabe and Evan Wohl talk with Alejandro Azuaje, an investment specialist with OPUS Private Client, LLC about three main...

The Secure Act was one of the most significant systemic rewrites of retirement planning in recent history. These changes created opportunities for all ages, from young adults just out of college to individuals just starting retirement. In this episode, Evan Wohl speaks with Joshua Caron, Vice President of Federal Affairs at Finseca, on the Secure Act, how it changed retirement planning, and the individual aspects of the Secure Act 1.0 and 2.0. Josh discusses: Why the shift away from pensions wa...

AI technology has started to enter the workplace as a writing tool and information chatbot. How will this technology impact future generations’ business planning and workflow? In this episode, George Papanicolaou is joined by Chris Ward, CRO at The Publishing Desk, on AI technology in the workplace, specifically tools like ChatGPT. Listen in as they discuss how AI could affect society, their experience with using AI, and how they envision the impact of artificial intelligence as it progresses. G...

Landing yourself the job of your dreams usually requires a lot more than just having the prettiest resume. In this episode, Iván Watanabe and Evan Wohl talk with John P. Davis, best selling author and Sales Director at Onestream Software, about how you can land a job in sales that will allow you to “control your own destiny”. John discusses: How he went from having no background in sales to writing a bestselling book about it Some of the biggest mistakes people make when reaching out to hiring ...

Real estate investment is a balance between finding the right financial opportunity, and a unique, desirable location. How can you build real estate investments in a rising interest rate environment? In this episode, Iván Watanabe and Evan Wohl speak with Jon Minkoff, co-founder, CFO, COO, CIO of ASH NYC, on real estate investment for individual investors, what to consider when entering the current economic market, and how investors view property from a buyer, seller or investment perspective. ...

Retirement income relies solely on the investments and savings created while you still have a paycheck. Leveraging the right tools can decrease the amount loss from market volatility, while keeping you afloat. In this episode, Iván Watanabe and Evan Wohl are joined by Dr. Wade Pfau, Ph.D, CFA, RICP, founder of Retirement Researcher, and professor at The American College of Financial Services, to discuss some of the research behind retirement planning, and how to increase security around your ret...

Remember being a kid and the joy you felt making the biggest snowman from just three small snowballs? Watching those little snowballs getting bigger and bigger with each roll… As an adult, the experience changes from creating snowmen to generating compound interest. In this episode, Iván Watanabe welcomes colleague Evan Wohl to dive deeper into compound interest, and how you can get it working for you. Iván and Evan discuss: Why Warren Buffett claims compound interest to be the eighth wonder of...

In September of 2021, the NCAA allowed a ruling that unlocked college athletes from getting compensation for the first time in history. How will this change the relationship between student athletes, sponsoring companies, and their fans? In this episode, George Papanicolaou speaks with Chris Ward, CRO of The Publisher Desk, on the NIL rule and the regulations surrounding it. Since the rule is still in its infancy, there are many questions like, who can provide sponsorships, how are sponsorships ...

Life is always changing and as a result so will your cash flow. In this episode, Iván Watanabe sits down with experienced financial planner Evan Wohl to discuss cash flow and some real-world applications you can use to keep balanced. Evan will talk more about his process, why it’s important to update and analyze your current cash flow plan and the different things he’s seeing his clients have success with. Evan discusses: What cash flow is and why it’s important to know your personal cash flow ...

If you want to donate to a charitable organization, it’s important to know your options. In this episode, Iván Watanabe is joined by Jen Mayo, the director of gift planning and advisor relations at Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF). Jen explains how with a donor-advised fund, you can give more to your charity of choice while revealing how to donate before, during, and after retirement through effective tax planning. Jen discusses: How Essex County contributes to charitable giving Ways th...

Despite many individuals experiencing disability firsthand, the topic is not talked about nearly enough by non-disabled individuals. This leads to misconceptions and uncertainty around how to start these types of conversations. In this episode, Iván Watanabe is joined by Dani Izzie, a social media manager at Spinergy Inc, disabilities advocate, and a proud mother of twins. Dani shares her insight as a person with quadriplegia and highlights the costs of basic living with specialized equipment, h...

Social media has become a tool for people of all ages and walks of life — from young children to businesses. When it comes to business, effective social media practices can provide increased outreach to potential clients. This week, Iván Watanabe is joined by Mike Manzi, sales coach and founder of MM Sales Consulting. Mike unveils the role of social media as a tool for businesses and outlines the differences between social media platforms, ways to multitask content across multiple platforms, and...

Like many Americans, Iván Watanabe is a descendant of immigrants. He was born to a Venezuelan mother and a Japanese father, with an extended family on both sides. With the majority of his maternal family forced to leave Venezuela and his father’s family still living in Japan, Iván’s family grants him a unique insight as a financial planner. In this episode, Dr. Daniel Crosby interviews Iván on financial planning and finances for immigrant families. Iván shares his personal experiences and the in...

Even if you’re one of the over 50% of Americans who doesn’t enjoy planning for their death, starting a plan today will allow your beneficiaries to avoid the challenges caused by a lack of information and preparation. In this episode, Iván Watanabe and Rob Pruett dive into one of the most important topics in financial planning: What happens to assets after death. Together, they share examples of dividing assets between spouses, the legalities of estate planning, and creating a legacy you can witn...

After severing oil trade with Russia, President Biden plans to increase U.S. oil production from 11.8 million barrels to 12.8 million. In the short-term, this will provide gas for individuals and farmers. However, the long-term outlook remains uncertain. In this episode, Iván Watanabe & George Papanicolaou join Nikolaos Kontos, head of operations at Concord Maritime. Sharing his maritime experience and knowledge of the global oil trade industry, Nikolaos reveals how countries buying and selling ...

After maintaining steady inflation of just under 2% for over a decade, America is now seeing the highest inflation rates since the late 1980s. In this episode, Iván Watanabe and Rob Pruett explore the rising interest rates and inflation faced by consumers and businesses. They dive into the state of the economy while revealing ways clients can make the most out of the market volatility. Iván and Rob discuss: The role inflation plays with consumers and businesses What the future looks like in ...

You could read every article and mommy blog and still remain unprepared for the experience of parenthood. Who better to hear from on the topic of financial planning and children than financial advisors who have kids? In this episode, Iván Watanabe and George Papanicolaou recount their personal experiences with fatherhood, diving into the difference between expectation and reality. They reveal personal changes in routine and expenses while also sharing the realizations brought by parenthood. Geor...

Real estate investment is a balance between finding the right financial opportunity, and a unique, desirable location. How can you build real estate investments in a rising interest rate environment? In this episode, Iván Watanabe and Evan Wohl speak with Jon Minkoff, co-founder, CFO, COO, CIO of ASH NYC, on real estate investment for individual investors, what to consider when entering the current economic market, and how investors view property from a buyer, seller or investment perspective. J...

Do you have a plan in place if you lose some of your key employees? What if you could no longer afford to maintain your key employees and business due to taxes? Preparing for any of these scenarios is imperative for all business owners. In this episode, Iván Watanabe is joined by Jeremy Suarez, managing partner at TOMORO and Michael Canarick, partner at Canarick & Canarick. Together, they dive into estate taxes for business owners and the cost of the potential new tax law. They also explain how ...

When reviewing your health care benefit plan options, do you have the right information to make the best choice for you? In this episode, Iván Watanabe sits down with OPUS PC’s benefits consultant, Stefan Carpentieri. Stefan explains everything you need to know about health insurance and employee benefits to help you select the optimal coverage. Listen in as Stefan provides you with valuable information you should think of before considering potential options! Stefan discusses: The importance o...