The Healthy Advisor: The Toll of Caregiving with Melissa Caro

The Healthy Advisor: Viewing Cancer as an Opportunity, Not a Fight with RJ Moore

Throughout his career, RJ Moore has led some of the largest wealth management firms in the industry through challenging times. He’s held CEO positions at Cetera Financial Group, Legal & General Investment Management America, and ABN AMRO La Salle Bank. He’s also the former president of LPL Financial. But perhaps his biggest challenge came during the summer 2023, when he was diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma. His doctor called, saying the skin cancer had spread to much of his body, including his brain, heart, lungs, the lymphatic system and liver. When he got the news, RJ made a conscious decision not to view the cancer as something he had to fight or battle. What if the adversity could become a turning point for gratitude, perspective and a deeper connection with others? In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton speaks with RJ Moore, partner at Private Advisor Group, about his unexpected journey with melanoma. He shares how the diagnosis reshaped his view of life, leadership, and daily priorities.  He discusses: *     The moment RJ learned his melanoma had spread rapidly throughout his body and vital organs *     How meditation and breathing practices helped him stay calm after hearing he had months to live *     Why RJ replaced the idea of “fighting cancer” with a mindset centered on grace and gratitude *     The impact of support from family, friends and the advisory community during treatment *     Practical ways advisors can stay present and appreciate everyday moments in busy lives Resources: * Listen to The Healthy Advisor on Wealth Management [https://www.wealthmanagement.com/program/the-healthy-advisor] * Subscribe and listen to The Healthy Advisor on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/healthy-advisor/id1486636079] * Subscribe and listen to The Healthy Advisor on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4alur1jkJX7RsPCVVMDdEP] Connect With RJ Moore: * LinkedIn: RJ Moore [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rj-moore-b4ab9b1bb/] * Website: Private Advisor Group [https://www.privateadvisorgroup.com/] * rj.moore@pagria.com [rj.moore@pagria.com]  Connect with Wealth Management: * Wealth Management [https://www.wealthmanagement.com/] * LinkedIn: Diana Britton [https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-britton-8826b53/] * diana.britton@informa.com [diana.britton@informa.com] * LinkedIn: Informa [https://www.linkedin.com/company/informa/] * LinkedIn: Wealth Management [https://bit.ly/WealthManagementLI] About Our Guest: RJ Moore is a Partner at Private Advisor Group and helps lead the overall governance of the firm. He brings over 30 years of experience in financial services to the team. Prior to joining Private Advisor Group, RJ has held CEO positions at Cetera Financial Group, Legal & General Investment Management America, and of ABN AMRO La Salle Bank. He was also President of LPL Financial. RJ earned a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Financial Management Services from Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts of Business Administration from the University of Texas. He is the former chair of Invest in Others and has also served on the boards of The Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago Historical Society, and Jane Addams Hull House. In addition, he is an ardent supporter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Navy Seal NSW Family Foundation. In 2024, RJ was honored at the AIM Steps Against Melanoma Foundation walk. RJ lives in San Diego with his wife, Sarah. Outside of work, he enjoys visiting family and friends across the U.S., spending time in Palm Springs, and reading Historical Biographies. RJ Moore is solely an investment advisor representative of Private Advisor Group, and not affiliated with LPL Financial.

The Healthy Advisor: Turning Loss into Purpose with Jamie Hopkins

This month, Jamie Hopkins’ new book, “Your Retirement Sketchbook,” co-written by Bonnie Treichel, hits bookstores, and a lot of advisors know Hopkins as a retirement planning expert. Less known is his own personal story, which includes the passing of his father in a job-site accident when he was 8 years old. “This has impacted so many things in my life—my desire to be a dad, a sense I would die early, a fear of heights and a scarcity mindset for years around money,” he writes in the book. In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton chats with Jamie Hopkins, CEO of Bryn Mawr Trust and co-author of “Your Retirement Sketchbook,” about those fears and how childhood loss shaped his approach to retirement planning and life. He also explains the importance of financial advice access for underserved workers, the career decision that helped him be more present with his children, and why protecting health and relationships should matter as much as building wealth. Jamie discusses: * The childhood tragedy that shaped his perspective on money, planning and family priorities * Why many workers in trades and small businesses lack access to retirement guidance and financial advice * How one comment from his son reshaped his approach to work and travel * How scarcity around money can influence lifelong habits and emotional relationships with finances * How Jamie invests in his own health Resources: * Listen to The Healthy Advisor on Wealth Management [https://www.wealthmanagement.com/program/the-healthy-advisor] * Subscribe and listen to The Healthy Advisor on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/healthy-advisor/id1486636079] * Subscribe and listen to The Healthy Advisor on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4alur1jkJX7RsPCVVMDdEP] * Book: Your Retirement Sketchbook by Jamie Hopkins and Bonnie Treichel [https://yourretirementsketchbook.com/] Connect With Jamie Hopkins: * LinkedIn: Jamie Hopkins [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiehopkinsfinancialservices/] * Website: Bryn Mawr Trust [https://www.bmt.com/] * jhopkins@bmt.com [jhopkins@bmt.com]  Connect with Wealth Management: * Wealth Management [https://www.wealthmanagement.com/] * LinkedIn: Diana Britton [https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-britton-8826b53/] * diana.britton@informa.com [diana.britton@informa.com] * LinkedIn: Informa [https://www.linkedin.com/company/informa/] * LinkedIn: Wealth Management [https://bit.ly/WealthManagementLI] About Our Guest: Jamie P. Hopkins is CEO of Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors and CWO of WSFS. A Wall Street Journal best-selling author, educator, and executive speaker, Jamie has previously served on numerous advisory boards around the financial services industry, such as Wing.app, Wealth.com, C2P, IncomeLab, and was a national trustee member of NAIFA. He currently sits on the advisory board of Focal, an AI startup. Jamie is also the founder and president of the 501(c)(3) non-profit, FinServ Foundation, and was recognized as the 2021 RIA Thought Leader of the Year by WealthManagement.com and Top 10 Investopedia 100 Top Financial Advisor for 2023. Jamie has also taught financial planning courses and created course content at Creighton University and American College of Financial Services since 2012.

The Healthy Advisor: The Toll of Caregiving with Melissa Caro

In 2018, Melissa Caro’s perfectly healthy 72-year-old mother was suddenly diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, and within 24 hours she became her sole caregiver, her financial planner, her life coach and her healthcare advocate. At the same time, her 87-year-old stepdad was falling apart and spiraling into dementia, and her husband was in the hospital with severe back problems. As a Type A personality, she struggled significantly during this time. During one doctor’s visit for her mother, a nurse reminded her to take care of herself. In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton speaks with Caro, founder of My Retirement Network, a financial education resource for clients and the advisors who serve them, on how she navigated caregiving while managing her career and other responsibilities. She discusses the emotional complexity of caregiving, the gap in financial literacy for those without advisors, and how her experience shaped her mission to help people understand their finances during life’s most challenging moments. She discusses: * Her journey into financial services * The sudden shift from professional routine to full-time caregiving * The financial, physical and emotional toll caregiving can have on a person * The things that helped her cope and get through the struggling times * How financial fear intensifies during illnesses * How her caregiving experience shaped the work she does today with My Retirement Network * How personal loss can help advisors listen, communicate and frame their role with clients Resources: * Listen to The Healthy Advisor on Wealth Management [https://www.wealthmanagement.com/program/the-healthy-advisor] * Subscribe and listen to The Healthy Advisor on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/healthy-advisor/id1486636079] * Subscribe and listen to The Healthy Advisor on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4alur1jkJX7RsPCVVMDdEP] Connect With Melissa Caro: * LinkedIn: Melissa Caro [https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-caro/] * LinkedIn: My Retirement Network [https://www.linkedin.com/company/my-retirement-network/] * Website: My Retirement Network [https://myretirementnetwork.com/] * mcaro@myretirementnetwork.com Connect with Wealth Management: * Wealth Management [https://www.wealthmanagement.com/] * LinkedIn: Diana Britton [https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-britton-8826b53/] * diana.britton@informa.com * LinkedIn: Informa [https://www.linkedin.com/company/informa/] * LinkedIn: Wealth Management [https://bit.ly/WealthManagementLI] About Our Guest: Melissa Caro is a Certified Financial Education Instructor, CFP, and the founder of My Retirement Network, a digital media platform dedicated to promoting financial literacy. With a mission rooted in the belief that knowledge empowers people to create the future they envision, Melissa brings decades of experience in finance and education to her work. She has witnessed firsthand the positive impact that understanding finances can have on people’s lives, far beyond just numbers. Melissa’s goal is to make financial literacy accessible and meaningful for everyone. My Retirement Network was created to bridge the gap between complex financial concepts and the everyday decisions that shape financial futures. The platform empowers individuals at every stage, whether they’re planning for retirement, starting a career, or teaching their children about money, to understand and take control of their financial well-being. Through education and awareness, Melissa supports people on their journey to building a stronger, more informed financial foundation.

The Healthy Advisor: Taking Control of Your Finances with Bridget Venus Grimes

After facing divorce, financial hardship and even losing her home in a wildfire, Bridget Venus Grimes rebuilt her life and career around helping other women do the same, taking control of their finances, finding community and redefining success on their own terms. In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton sits down with Grimes, president of WealthChoice and co-founder of Equita Financial Network, to explore her journey from Wall Street trader to pastry chef to financial planner for breadwinner women. From personal struggle to powerful purpose, Grimes reveals how she built a network to uplift female advisors and how coaching, balance, and connection helped her thrive through life’s toughest seasons. She discusses: * The unconventional path that led Bridget from trading floors to Paris kitchens and back to finance * How divorce, debt and disaster shaped her passion for empowering women through financial planning * Why pay inequity and lack of flexibility persist for women in financial services * What inspired her to create Equita Financial Network * How coaching, community, and boundaries can protect advisors from burnout Resources: * Listen to The Healthy Advisor on Wealth Management [https://www.wealthmanagement.com/program/the-healthy-advisor] * Subscribe and listen to The Healthy Advisor on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/healthy-advisor/id1486636079] * Subscribe and listen to The Healthy Advisor on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4alur1jkJX7RsPCVVMDdEP] * The Healthy Advisor: Overcoming Insecurities and Self-Doubt With Stephanie Bogan [https://www.wealthmanagement.com/ria-news/the-healthy-advisor-overcoming-insecurities-and-self-doubt-with-stephanie-bogan] * Focused on the Future: Breadwinner Women, Gen Z, and Succession with Bridget Venus Grimes [https://bit.ly/3XdRbFJ] Connect with Wealth Management: * Wealth Management [https://www.wealthmanagement.com/] * LinkedIn: Diana Britton [https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-britton-8826b53/] * diana.britton@informa.com [diana.britton@informa.com] * LinkedIn: Informa [https://www.linkedin.com/company/informa/] * LinkedIn: Wealth Management [https://bit.ly/WealthManagementLI] Connect With Bridget Venus Grimes: * LinkedIn: Bridget Venus Grimes [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-venus-grimes-cfp/] * bridget.grimes@wealthchoice.com * Equita Financial Network [https://www.equitafn.com/] * LinkedIn: Equita Financial Network [https://www.linkedin.com/company/equita-financial-network/] * WealthChoice LLC [https://wealthchoice.com/] * LinkedIn: WealthChoice LLC [https://www.linkedin.com/company/wealthchoice-llc/] About Our Guest: Bridget Venus Grimes, CFP, is President of WealthChoice, a wealth management firm for women executives, and Co-founder of the SEC-registered investment advisor Equita Financial Network, a community of women-led financial planning firms. Bridget began her career in 1987, trading stocks for private hedge funds in New York City, before pursuing her passion for financial planning for women. Bridget believes in empowering women to take confident steps toward a better life. She authored the best-selling book Corner Office Choices: The Executive Woman’s Guide to Financial Freedom and has written countless articles for major US media channels. Her commitment to women’s financial education extends not only to women professionals but also to fellow financial planners. She has spoken at major industry conferences and co-hosted the Financial Planning Association’s Women’s Knowledge Circle. Bridget splits her time between Arizona and California and enjoys boating, golf, entertaining, anything French, and, most of all, cooking. She holds a B.A degree in German language and literature and a minor in Art History from Mount Holyoke College.

The Healthy Advisor: An Unexpected Stroke and the Way Forward With Mark Singer

For 35 years, Mark Singer owned an independent financial planning firm, Safe Harbor Retirement Planning, in the Boston area, a Commonwealth Financial Network affiliate. During that time, he was living life at full speed—running three businesses, exercising, playing golf, boating, spending time with grandchildren—until he had a life-changing stroke in October 2022. He lost his ability to speak, swallow, eat and perform the most basic functions. His recovery forced him to slow down and retire from the business earlier than he expected. In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton talks with Mark Singer, a retired financial advisor, about how the stroke reshaped his view of success and identity. His story points to the strength of resilience, perspective and compassion, both in business and in life. Diana and Mark discuss: * Mark’s journey from textile manufacturing to founding Safe Harbor Retirement Planning in Boston * The moment the stroke upended his life, and how he figured out a way forward * Mark’s mantra of “focus on the what is, not the what if.” * How things played out with his financial planning business * The role of friendships, community and client relationships in his recovery * Lessons learned from 35 years as an advisor Resources: * Listen to The Healthy Advisor on WealthManagement.com [https://www.wealthmanagement.com/program/the-healthy-advisor] * Subscribe and listen to The Healthy Advisor on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/healthy-advisor/id1486636079] * Subscribe and listen to The Healthy Advisor on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4alur1jkJX7RsPCVVMDdEP] Connect With Mark Singer: * LinkedIn: Mark Singer [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marksingercfp/] * mark55retire@gmail.com  Connect with WealthManagement.com: * WealthManagement.com [https://www.wealthmanagement.com/] * LinkedIn: Diana Britton [https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-britton-8826b53/] * diana.britton@informa.com * LinkedIn: Informa [https://www.linkedin.com/company/informa/] * LinkedIn: WealthManagement [https://bit.ly/WealthManagementLI] About Our Guest: Author Mark Singer has been recognized for his vision and creativity within the world of financial planning. He is the author of two books, and the most recent, The Six Secrets to a Happy Retirement, is available on Amazon.com. Drawing upon his over three decades as a founder of one of the leading retirement firms in Boston, the book profiles the financial, emotional, and physical issues associated with the transition into retirement. He retired from his role as president of Safe Harbor Retirement Planning in 2022, and had served as the Retirement Guide to thousands of investors since 1986. Mark’s approach was to focus on each individual client and ask the questions that other advisors and investors often overlook. Mark is a frequent speaker and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, ABCNews.com, FoxNews.com, and Bloomberg Radio, as well as locally (Boston) on NECN and WRKO.  Mark is also a multiyear recipient of Boston Magazine’s 5 Star Wealth Manager Award.