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On this episode of The Get Ready Money Podcast, I spoke with Eric Blake, host of The Simply Retirement Podcast and founder of Blake Wealth Management to talk about how women are redefining retirement, decision-making, and what it means to use money intentionally.

As women become the primary recipients of the great wealth transition, Eric explains why traditional financial conversations need to evolve. We explore why women often approach money through the lens of goals and family impact, how caregiving and pay gaps shape financial outcomes, and why listening, education, and partnership matter more than perfect plans.

🔑 Key Takeaways

🔹 Women tend to connect money decisions to goals, family, and life impact rather than benchmarks

🔹 Pay gaps and caregiving responsibilities impact savings

🔹 Taking an active role in money decisions builds confidence and clarity

🔹 Advisors should proactively include both partners and focus on listening first

🔹 Women will go to advisors who listen to them

🔹 Education-first conversations help people feel informed and empowered

🔹 Money works best as a tool to support goals, not a scorecard to measure success

🔹 Retirement should be a journey rather than an end point

This conversation is a reminder that retirement is a journey shaped by intention, confidence, and alignment with what matters most.

Connect with Eric Blake, CFP®:

• LinkedIn (here)
• Blake Wealth Management Website (here)
• Facebook (here)

Podcast:

• The Simply Retirement Podcast (here)(YouTube)

Resource:

• Ultimate Guide to Women’s Social Security Success (here) : www.womenssocialsecurityguide.com.

Bio:

Eric Blake, CFP® is the founder of Blake Wealth Management, specializing in helping women 55+ navigate retirement with clarity and confidence. With more than 25 years of experience, Eric provides strategies t o optimize investments, create reliable income, and minimize taxes. Inspired by his mother and grandmother's financial journeys, Eric has a personal passion for empowering women to take control of their financial future. Eric is also the host of The Simply Retirement Podcast.

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The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.

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On this episode of The Get Ready Money Podcast, I spoke with Taj Chiu, divorce coach, about navigating divorce as both a financial and emotional transition, and how clarity, communication, and planning can help people move forward with greater confidence.

Taj reframes divorce not as a failure, but as a forcing function that invites reflection, growth, and better alignment with what comes next. We explore why knowledge is one of the strongest antidotes to fear, how emotional and legal divorces differ, and why having a real plan for your money matters more than simply tracking balances.

Key Takeaways

🔹 Walking into the storm can help you move through divorce with more clarity and intention
🔹 Divorce is both a financial and emotional grief process, often with multiple stages
🔹 Knowledge and information are powerful tools for reducing fear
🔹 The emotional divorce can outlast the legal divorce, especially when there are kids.
🔹 Clear communication helps both parties get on even ground and reduces unnecessary conflict
🔹 Differences are not weaknesses and deserve acknowledgment and respect
🔹 Financial literacy alone isn’t enough, experience and application matter

This episode is a reminder that readiness during divorce comes from understanding yourself, your money, and your next chapter, not from avoiding hard conversations.

Connect with Taj Chiu:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tajchiu/
• Website: https://tajchiu.com

Resources mentioned:

• Financial Date Discussion Cards Website (here)
• Check out my conversation with BatSheva Goldstein the creator of the Financial Date Discussion cards: The Power of Money Conversations: Emotions Over Dollars (here).

Bio:

Taj Johnson Chiu is a Certified Divorce and Financial Coach. She works with parents who are trying to keep their footing during one of the hardest chapters of their lives. She helps people sort through the choices, the money questions, and the day to day realities of separating a family, especially when they want to stay out of court and keep things steady for their kids. A lot of her work is simply helping people feel less alone while they figure out what comes next.

Before she ever became a divorce coach, Taj spent more than twenty years in technical consulting and running a small business. That experience shaped the way she supports families today: practical, calm, and focused on what actually helps. She especially loves working with LGBTQ+ parents and neurodivergent families, and she cares deeply about helping people move through divorce without losing themselves or the relationships that matter most.

☕ Support the Get Ready Movement.

If these conversations help you think differently about money or prepare for life’s what-ifs, your support helps expand financial readiness education and keep this work accessible.

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The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.

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What if learning about money felt more like running a lemonade stand than sitting in a classroom?

Can a video game improve financial literacy for kids? In this episode, Mac Gardner joins me to explore how Berryville teaches money, entrepreneurship, and real-world financial habits through hands-on experience.

Key Takeaways

🔹 Financial literacy sticks when it’s fun, practical, and interactive.

🔹 Berryville teaches money through entrepreneurship, showing how earning connects to spending and saving.

🔹 Early financial habits shape long-term outcomes, often more than income level.

🔹 Financial education starts at home and empowers parents to have better money conversations.

🔹 Games can democratize financial literacy by making it accessible and engaging.

🔹 Teaching kids to realize, recognize, and rationalize builds stronger financial judgment.

🔹 Staying curious about money builds lifelong financial confidence.

💭 Tony’s Take

Financial readiness starts earlier than we think. When we make learning about money engaging and habit-based, we give the next generation a powerful head start.

Connect with Mac Gardner, CFP®

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/macgardner/
• The Four Money Bears: https://www.thefourmoneybears.com
• Finlit Tech Website: https://finlittech.com
• MNY Fraternity Website: www.MNYFraternity.org

Books:

• Motivate Your Money!: Plan Spend Save Invest Gift (Amazon)
• The Four Money Bears - Mac Gardner (Amazon)

Berryville Books

Bio:

Mac Gardner, a Certified Financial Planner practitioner, has served in the financial services industry for more than 20 years. Mac is the author of “Motivate Your Money!” and "The Four Money Bears" which teaches children about the four basic functions of money.

Mac also serves as Founder and Chief Education Officer of FinLit Tech. The company's mission is "Building a Bridge Between Financial Literacy and Financial Technology". FinLit Tech develops Financial Education tools to start the personal finance education journey from as early as elementary school. Mac's passion to bring more young people into the Financial Services industry led him to create the first co-ed Professional Fraternity for Financial Planning degree seeking students. Mu Nu Upsilon (MNY) Fraternity, helps to bring high achieving students together with industry professionals to help them along their financial career journey.

☕ Support the Get Ready Movement.

If these conversations help you think differently about money or prepare for life’s what-ifs, your support helps expand financial readiness education and keep this work accessible.

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The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.

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On this episode of Get Ready: Before Life Happens, I spoke with Sharan Kaur Varaitch, founder of Build and Conquer Financial Literacy, about her journey growing up paycheck to paycheck, supporting her family from a young age, and discovering how saving, investing, and asking better questions helped her build stability and purpose.

🔑 Key Takeaways

🔹 Financial literacy begins with lived experience rather than formal education

🔹 Starting early, even with small steps, creates long-term impact through time and patience

🔹 Teachers and intermediaries need financial confidence before they can effectively teach others

🔹 Talking openly about money helps reduce shame and normalizes these conversations

🔹 Financial literacy strengthens resilience at both the household and community level

🔹 Money decisions are most effective when they align with personal goals and values, not comparisons with others

🔹 Money and prosperity are everyone’s birthright

Tony’s Take: Financial literacy starts with mindset, teachers play a critical role, and open conversations about money can help break generational cycles and create a more equitable future.

Connect with Sharan Kaur Varaitch:

Build & Conquer Financial Literacy Website https://www.buildconquer.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharan-kaur-v-75780928b/

Bio:

Sharan Kaur Varaitch is the Founder and Director of Build & Conquer Financial Literacy, dedicated to lifelong financial education through a whole organisation approach. With over 15 years’ experience in Organisational Development, HR, Learning & Development, and Change Management, she blends strategic insight with a passion for financial empowerment. A committed investor for over 15 years, Sharan knows how financial literacy transforms lives. Her mission is to make financial education accessible, practical and embedded in everyday learning, helping young people, educators and adults build confidence, make informed decisions and create lasting change.

☕ Support the Get Ready Movement.

If these conversations help you think differently about money or prepare for life’s what-ifs, your support helps expand financial readiness education and keep this work accessible.

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The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.

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Frances Yong, Founder of White Byte and anti-scam evangelist joined me on this episode of The Get Ready Money Podcast in collaboration with the Better Money with the MAIA’s podcast. We talked about digital financial literacy, fraud prevention, and how communities can work together to create a safer and more inclusive digital world.

Key Takeaways

🔹 Reporting fraud quickly increases the chances of recovery
🔹 Digital financial literacy includes the ability to communicate and transact safely using technology
🔹 Scams can happen to anyone, regardless of age, background, or education
🔹 Seniors often engage with technology differently, which requires patience and understanding
🔹 Simple family check-ins can help spot red flags like unknown numbers or unfamiliar apps
🔹 Open, respectful conversations with parents and loved ones build awareness and trust
🔹 A safer digital ecosystem is a shared responsibility across families and communities
🔹 Digital literacy expands access to financial services and opportunities for marginalized groups

This conversation is a reminder that readiness today includes digital awareness, community support, and ongoing conversations that help everyone feel safer and more confident online.

Connect with Frances Yong:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frances-yong-074703a8/
• Whitebyte Website: https://www.whitebyte.org
• White Byte's LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/white-byte/?viewAsMember=true

Resources mentioned:

• The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Scammers on the Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast (watch or listen)

Bio:

Frances Yong was a Fraud Risk and Cybercrime Risk professional, globally responsible for the learning strategy and frameworks for a Fortune500 multi-national bank. When her mother was scammed off her pension in 2021, she left her banking job and founded White Byte.

Through White Byte, Frances promotes cyber integrity and digital inclusion; sharing her professional knowledge with a wider audience and in a customised manner to make it relatable to less savvy communities. Her vision is a cyber space that is ethical and inclusive for all users to interact and transact safely in.

Frances won the Anti-Scam category in the 2025 Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards (MAIA). She is named one of Singapore's 100 Women in Tech, and honoured as MAIA’s 50 Changemakers to watch.

The Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards (the MAIAs) celebrate the increasingly important work being done to help people understand money better. Learn more: https://www.maiawards.org.

☕ Support the Get Ready Movement.
If these conversations help you think differently about money or prepare for life’s what-ifs, your support helps expand financial readiness education and keep this work accessible.
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The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.

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On this episode of the Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast, I spoke with Michael Ervolini, author and active management thought leader, about how behavior and emotions shape financial decision-making and why having a simple, intentional process matters more than chasing perfect outcomes.

We explore how the unconscious mind influences choices, why emotions are not the enemy of good decisions, and how slowing down helps align actions with long-term intentions.

Key Takeaways:

🔹 Slowing down creates space to understand why you want to take action

🔹 Emotions play a central role in every financial decision, they cannot be separated from logic

🔹 The unconscious mind strongly influences choices, often before we realize it

🔹 Awareness helps identify when emotions are supporting or undermining good decisions

🔹 A simple, repeatable process helps counter behavioral tendencies

🔹 Clear processes create consistency and a platform for learning and improvement

🔹 Not every money decision needs to maximize wealth to align with your intentions

Connect with Michael Ervolini:

• Website (here)
• LinkedIn (here)

Books:

• Managing Equity Portfolios: A Behavioral Approach to Improving Skills and Investment Processes (Amazon)
• Skill Versus Luck: Taking the Guessing Out of Equity Fund Selection (Amazon)

Bio:

Michael Ervolini is a seasoned professional who now spends his time as a writer and thought leader on the topics of active fund management, behavioral finance, and decision making. Mike founded and was CEO of two fintech companies supporting institutional investors. His latest company, Cabot Investment Technology, Inc., was purchased by Factset Information Systems. His previous company, Charter Research LLC, was purchased by Standard And Poor’s/McGraw Hill, Inc.

Early in his career he held the positions of financial analyst, portfolio manager, and chief information officer (AEW Capital Management, L.P. and Latimer & Buck, Inc. (now a part of Franklin Templeton).

☕ Support the Get Ready Movement.

If these conversations help you think differently about money or prepare for life’s what-ifs, your support helps expand financial readiness education and keep this work accessible.

👉 Support (here)

The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.

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On this episode of The Get Ready Money Podcast, I spoke with Dr. Lalua Rahsiad, the Money Queen, author and podcast host, about digital financial literacy, inclusion, and building financial peace in a modern world.

We explore how technology can empower underserved communities, why financial literacy must meet people where they are, and how redefining our relationship with money can lead to greater confidence and well-being.

Key Takeaways

🔹 Financial peace starts with making peace with what you have
🔹 Focusing on what you can control reduces money anxiety
🔹 When problems stay hidden, you won’t get help
🔹 Strong financial communities are built by including everyone
🔹 Money influences nearly every part of our lives
🔹 Your money journey is personal, you don’t need validation from others
🔹 Prioritizing your own stability helps you better support others
🔹 Financial literacy efforts are stronger when advocates work together
🔹 Saving and investing are for everyone, not just the wealthy
🔹 Digital tools can expand access, especially since most people have a smartphone

Connect with Dr. Lalua Rahsiad:

• LinkedIn
• Website
• MyCelik Network website

Books:

• Money Moves At Work
• Money Minds for Teens, (releasing 2/2026)

Podcast:

• Money Talk Podcast (YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@DrLaluaRahsiad ) (Spotify: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6BVBzG3IbCjTYyJKbDhHOZ?si=6d1b6454006448eb)

Resources mentioned:

• The M.O.N.E.Y Q.U.E.E.N Movement: Dr Lalua Rahsiad’s Journey to Financial Literacy at Work

Bio:

Dr. Lalua Rahsiad, affectionately known as the “Money Queen” is a distinguished advocate for financial literacy, sustainable finance and digital inclusion, with over 25 years of experience across academia and corporate sectors in Malaysia and the United Kingdom. Her expertise covers financial analysis, investment portfolio, behavioral finance, entrepreneurship and corporate leadership.

A passionate philanthropist, she dedicates her efforts to advancing sustainable investment, financial wellness and social finance. She co-founded and leads Sustainable & Inclusive Finance (SIFU), a think tank driving financial inclusion and SDGs transformation through collaborations with universities, corporations and non-profit organizations.

☕ Support the Get Ready Movement.

If these conversations help you think differently about money or prepare for life’s what-ifs, your support helps expand financial readiness education and keep this work accessible.

👉 Support (here)

The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.

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On this episode of Get Ready Before Life Happens, Tony sits down with Linda Grizely, creator of the MeMoney™ method and host of the Real Money, Real Life podcast, to explore how women can build a healthier, more empowered relationship with money.

Linda shares why putting yourself last creates long-term stress, how fear around spending can actually be protective, and why reconnecting with your personal money patterns is the key to confidence. This conversation reframes money as a tool for self-trust, choice, and readiness rather than guilt or restriction.

🔑 Key Takeaways

🔹 Create a “me-money” bucket that gives you permission to spend on yourself.
🔹 Think about each choice you make when you spending money
🔹 Women should stop putting themselves last when it comes to money decisions.
🔹 Talking openly about money builds confidence and reduces shame.
🔹 Feeling fear around spending is normal and can be a healthy signal.
🔹 Let go of guilt so money supports your life instead of controlling it.
🔹 Have the courage to start over when your current approach no longer serves you.
🔹 Reconnect with your power by understanding how you personally relate to money.

Tony’s Take

When women give themselves permission to engage with money without guilt or shame, confidence grows and choices become clearer. Money works best when it supports who you are and the life you want to live.

Connect with Linda Grizely:

• Website: https://www.LindaGriz.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindagrizely
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelindagrizely
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-grizely
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/lindagrizely
• X : https://x.com/LindaGrizely

Podcast:

• The Real Money, Real Life Podcast (Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-money-real-life/id1831822405) (YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LindaGrizely)

Resources:

• What’s Your Money Personality Quiz: https://bit.ly/MonPersQuiz

Bio:

Linda Grizely 🐻, CFP®, MSFS, CAP® turned Financial Educator and Speaker. Linda created the MeMoney™ Method, a mindset-first approach to personal finance that helps women trade guilt and shame for clarity and confidence, and stop putting themselves last. Linda is the host of the Real Money, Real Life Podcast.

Support the Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast at www.buymeacoffee.com/tonysteuer
If these conversations help you think differently about money or prepare for life’s financial what-ifs, please support the Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast. Your support helps expand financial readiness education and resources.

The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.