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In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The challenges that can come with navigating a parent’s financial situation
• Why it’s important for your parents to keep some of their assets for themselves
• The stages of transition that can come with cognitive decline
• And more!

Having just celebrated her mom’s 95th birthday, Esther Szabo can appreciate what it’s like to have an aging parent and experience the inevitable challenges and transitions that come with it.

Resources:  

Gates Pass Advisors | How to Care for Aging Parents: A One-Stop Resource for All Your Medical, Financial, Housing, and Emotional Issues

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Technology has seeped into almost every corner of our everyday lives, including our financial planning. Most of us feel a bit anxious if our cell phones and connections to time saving apps are too far out of reach.   But how effective is technology in the realm of personal finance? Do you get the same value that you would with a financial professional?

Esther Szabo tested online financial planning tools, including services that provide retirement planning and investment portfolios. Today, she’s reporting back on what she found.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What financial planning and investment questions robo-tools asked
• Which questions, surprisingly, were not asked
• What information and solutions were provided
• What Esther discovered when she looked a little more closely at portfolio allocation recommendations
• What critical issues were left unaddressed
• How financial professionals collaborate with clients where online tools don’t
• The importance to personal success of treating each person uniquely
• And more!

Tune in now for an under-the-hood look at online financial planning tools and find out what to consider when using them.

Resources:  Gates Pass Advisors | Episode 13: Secrets & Strategies of Long-Term-Care Part 1 | Episode 14: Secrets & Strategies of Long-Term-Care Part 2

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Global economic conditions are weaker now compared to this time last year. As an investor, what does this mean for you?  Should you be making changes?

Today, Esther Szabo is here to help you make sense of the current economic conditions and decide how to plan accordingly. The goal is to help you make sound investment decisions, be deliberate with your financial planning, and sleep stress-free at night.

In today’s episode, you’ll learn:

• Why it’s not a surprise that the global economy is slowing
• What investors might anticipate for returns in 2019
• The best perspective to maintain about one’s investment portfolio
• Why the Federal Reserve is doing always makes news
• Esther’s recommendation for emergency reserves
• How to ease your investment concerns
• And more!

Join Esther now to discover what you need to know about the economy and your approach to investing!

Resources:  Gates Pass Advisors | FPA Planner Search

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At Gates Pass Advisors, Esther Szabo helps women in transition establish a firm financial footing so they can move forward with confidence and ease. But getting through a transition successful doesn’t just depend on the financial side — it’s a holistic process that involves several pieces, including nutrition.

In part two of her mini-series on the power of nutrition during times of stress, Esther is joined again by nutrition consultant Anasuya Basil. They continue exploring the various ways that stress can affect the body and what you can do to ease tensions and create body awareness.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why Anasuya named her firm “My Body Wisdom”
• How challenging times can affect the body
• Overcoming brain fog
• Improving sleep
• Supplements that support navigating stress successfully
• And more!

Tune in now for another engaging episode on the power of nutrition during times of transition!

Resources:  Gates Pass Advisors | My Body Wisdom

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During big life transitions, life can be stressful.

That’s why Esther Szabo is an advocate for surrounding yourself with a network of support to ease the burden of big life changes.

Today, Esther enlists the help of Anasuya Basil, a nutrition consultant with certifications in Asian Bodywork Therapy (ABT) and Advanced CranioSacral Therapy, to explore how nutrition and biochemistry can support or hinder decision-making during times of transition.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• About Anasuya’s own experience with transition
• What happens biochemically when we’re under stress and how it impacts our ability to make decisions
• Why common unhealthy habits during times of stress can exacerbate the problem
• How to introduce transitional foods into your diet during stressful times
• And more!

Join Esther and Anasuya now for an information-packed episode on the different ways you can manage stress in your life!

Resources:  Gates Pass Advisors | My Body Wisdom

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Long-term-care plans are not one-size-fits-all. But with so much to consider when choosing a plan, how can you know which options are best suited for your needs?

In part two of her life-care insurance mini-series, Esther Szabo is back with licensed life analyst, Chartered Life Underwriter®, and Chartered Financial Consultant® Kirk Dryden to dive into what long-term-care insurance looks like today, how you can put together a plan, and what you should consider when doing so.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What parts of a policy to consider
• Which policy elements you should weigh carefully before incorporating into your strategy
• How the industry has addressed and rectified its problems
• About the two main types of policies being sold today: the standalone traditional long-term-care product and the hybrid product
• And more!

Tune in now to learn more about preparing your own protective long-term-care plan and strategy!

Resources:   Gates Pass Advisors | KDryden@JohnsonDugan.com | Johnson & Dugan | (650)-238-3214 |

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Understanding your long-term-care insurance can be confusing and hard to keep up with when you consider the industry’s ever-changing structure, bad reputation, and rising rates.

Today, Esther Szabo joins licensed life analyst, Chartered Life Underwriter®, and Chartered Financial Consultant® Kirk Dryden to cover what you need to know about long-term-care insurance.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How long-term insurance has evolved over the years
• Where the long-term-care industry has missed the mark
• What happens to your policy when a long-term-care company goes out of business
• Why it’s important to periodically check on your policy
• And more!

Join Esther and Kirk now as they explore the history and genesis of long-term-care insurance and its bad reputation.

Resources:  Gates Pass Advisors | KDryden@JohnsonDugan.com | Johnson & Dugan | (650)-238-3214 |

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You’ve just reached a divorce settlement. Now what?

In times like these, many people don’t consider reaching out to a financial advisor—but professionals like Esther Szabo can be of tremendous help to women who’ve experienced big life transitions, like divorce.

Today, Esther outlines the top five ways she helps women navigate life after divorce according to their unique needs and circumstances.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why Esther recommends working with a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst
• Why divorce is such a significant life transition
• About the importance of having a team of support, personally and financially
• What typically needs to be addressed “in the now” versus later
• Why Esther believes it’s not actually urgent for women to invest settlement money
• And more!

Join Esther today and learn five keys to transitioning after a divorce!

Resources:  Gates Pass Advisors | 650-797-0280 | The Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts

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Susan Bradley, founder of the Sudden Money Institute says, “When life changes, money changes. And when money changes, life changes.”

Having experienced significant life changes herself, Esther Szabo knows firsthand how life changes affect not only your everyday life, but also your finances. Today, Esther explores the link between life changes caused by transitions and finances, and how emotions can affect our decisions.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How money is linked to your emotions
• How Esther serves as a support network for her clients—and why she has her own support network as well
• How being a Certified Financial Transitionist® sets Esther apart from traditional financial advisors
• Why clients’ abilities to define and navigate what is most important to them is pivotal to the planning process
• And more!

Tune in now to learn how emotions can affect our financial decisions, and how we can better navigate these decisions during times of transition.

Resources: Gates Pass Advisors | 650-797-0280  

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The idea of being self-employed can be tempting for many. Having flexibility and freedom while being your own boss—what could be better?

But starting your own business isn’t always easy, and there is a lot you must consider.

Having been self-employed for almost 20 years, Esther Szabo is here to share the valuable insights she’s learned, from both a business and financial perspective, when it comes to being your own boss.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The importance of creating a business plan
• Why you should always have insurance—even if you don’t want the extra expense
• The professionals you should hire to help guide and protect you, including attorneys and tax professionals
• Why you should start looking for staff sooner rather than later
• And more!

Join Esther now as she guides you through which considerations to make on your journey to becoming self-employed!

Resources:  Gates Pass Advisors | 650-797-0280  

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The word “budget” may feel like a six-letter dirty word to many, but not to Esther Szabo.

Today, Esther explores the benefits of a budget in today’s economy and how it can be beneficial to have one, even if someone else manages it for you.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why budgeting is a crucial part of maintaining your finances
• How budgeting can help you stay focused during periods of uncertainty
• The different types of budgeting tools and resources available
• The challenges you may face when budgeting and tracking expenses individually
• And more!

Tune in now to learn how you can take control of your money through budgeting!

Resources: Gates Pass Advisors | 650-797-0280
Daily Money Manager | NAPO | Quicken | Microsoft Excel | Pear Budget | Mint

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Recent market volatility has been a source of concern for many. Today, Esther Szabo continues to explore these feelings of concern in part 2 of her mini-series on navigating uncertainty.

In this episode, Esther sheds a light on the factors creating feelings of uncertainty, along with:

• The effects the 2008 recession continues to have on people today
• Factors currently influencing market volatility
• Actions both advisors and clients should take during financially uncertain times
• What individuals without advisors can do when feeling uncertain about their finances
• And more!

Tune in now to learn more about what you can do to break through your financial uncertainty!

Resources: Gates Pass Advisors | 650-797-0280 | How to Navigate Uncertainty: Part 1

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Since 2009, we’ve had a good run with the stock market. But chances are, this strong streak won’t last much longer.

Women who are experiencing financial transitions in addition to a precarious stock market often endure feelings of uncertainty. Today, Esther Szabo shares how she helps clients cope with these challenging feelings.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why rumination is a common response to anxiety—and why that can be a problem
• How financial planning helps women respond to feelings of uncertainty
• Examples of how Esther has walked clients through the decision-making process
• How to determine if a financial advisor will be objective
• And more!

Tune in now to learn about Esther’s approach to helping women navigate their feelings of uncertainty!

Resources: Gates Pass Advisors | 650-797-0280

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As we approach the end of 2018, now is the perfect time to start thinking about some important year-end financial planning decisions and to begin looking ahead at what’s to come in 2019.

In today’s episode, Esther Szabo shares her top 5 things you should consider before the end of the year to keep your finances on track.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How the new tax laws may significantly affect your 2018 deductions
• The benefits of using a donor-advised fund and how to set one up
• Why it’s essential to check how much capital gains income your mutual funds are estimated to distribute in your taxable portfolio
• What to consider when looking ahead to 2019
• How Esther honored her need to be alone and grieve without becoming isolated
• And more!

Tune in now to learn about Esther’s five year-end planning tips so you can head into 2019 with confidence!

Resources: Gates Pass Advisors | 650-797-0280

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In part two of her mini-series on financial termites, Esther Szabo explores a specific area that financial termites could damage—your investment experience. While no one can control the stock market, Esther believes you can control your choices and make moves to eliminate the termites that could be threatening your investments.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Esther and her team determine a client’s level of risk tolerance
• How investors can break out of a cycle of relying on past experiences and advice from friends and family
• Why fear is a go-to emotional state for investors
• The most common phrase that Esther hears from clients
• And more!

Tune in now and learn how to kick financial termites to the curb and improve your investment experience!

Resources: Gates Pass Advisors | 650-797-0280 | Episode 4 – Don’t Let These Financial Termites Near Your Portfolio: Part 1 

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What are financial termites?

Like their namesake, financial termites are easy to miss and are issues that chew away at your financial foundation. These termites chew little by little, until the day their destruction becomes obvious.

Today, Esther Szabo explains how you can stop these financial termites in their tracks.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Four commonly overlooked financial issues
• How to have a kind, straightforward conversation about money-gifts with your adult children
• Reasons why people avoid talking about money with family
• Why the conventional wisdom that during retirement you’ll spend 70% of what you spent while working is wrong
• And more!

Tune in now to learn how you can maintain a strong financial foundation and protect yourself from financial termites!

Resources: Gates Pass Advisors | How Much Money Will You Really Spend in Retirement? Probably a Lot More Than You Think

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As Esther Szabo likes to say, proper prior planning prevents poor performance.

In today’s episode, Esther and Aric Johnson discuss the basis of Esther’s financial planning services at Gates Pass Advisors and how she helps clients build a solid financial foundation to ensure future success.

Esther explains why she digs deeper than just the numbers when creating financial plans, finding out what really matters to clients and what their personal goals are so she can make a unique plan that is just right for them.

Listen now to find out how asking yourself questions that aren’t only about your finances can help you build your financial plan on a solid foundation.

Links: Gates Pass Advisors

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When Esther Szabo was in her early 20s, she earned an associate degree in social services. She hoped to become a counselor.  

At the time, Esther never imagined that she’d use her counseling skills every day to help women create financial plans.  

In this episode, Esther shares how her experience as a student, teacher, and counselor has enhanced the level of service she offers her clients. Esther also explains why educating clients is a significant part of her practice.

Join Esther today to learn how you could benefit from working with an education-focused financial planner.  

Resources: Gates Pass Advisors | esther@gatespassadvisors.com  

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In this inaugural episode of the Women and Wealth podcast, you’ll learn all about Esther, founder of Gates Pass Advisors. After enduring several challenges in her life, she has found her passion in helping others, specifically women who are going through transitions.

In this episode, Esther draws connections from childhood and recent experiences to explain why she focuses on serving women in transition. Esther also defines different types of transitions, lists the questions she asks new clients, and explains what her next steps are as their financial planner.

Esther additionally discusses more of who she is personally, talking about her love for the outdoors, music, and paper crafting.

Tune in now to learn more about Esther Szabo, her specialization, and how she helps women face the future with confidence.

Resources: Gates Pass Advisors | esther@gatespassadvisors.com