Between Sips

Marriage + Money: What Women Need to Know

Nearly 40% of women in heterosexual marriages now bring home the larger paycheck — yet a surprising number still hand off the financial decision-making to their spouse. Not because they lack the knowledge or confidence, but because life gets busy and the path of least resistance takes over. In this episode, Emily and Jessica dig into the "breadwinner mindset" — and why so many women don't claim it even when the numbers say they should. They explore what it really means to have your own financial identity inside a marriage: not as a backup plan or hedge against divorce, but as the foundation of a genuinely equal partnership. The conversation covers the practical side of that independence — keeping pre-marital assets in your own name, why prenups are actually one of the most honest conversations you can have with a spouse (you're agreeing on the rules while you still like each other), and why Emily and Jessica themselves handle their finances differently — and both approaches work. You'll also walk away with one concrete next step: how to have a "money date" with your spouse that's actually an honest conversation about where you are and where you're going — not just a bill-paying session. It's the kind of thing smart couples do, and it makes everything else easier. ☕ Today's sip: The Poppy blend from Yellow Coffee and Lost Sock Roasters — a bold espresso blend from local DC roasters. Please see important podcast disclosure information at https://monumentwealthmanagement.com/disclosures 0:00 — What We're Sippin' On Today 0:24 — Financial Independence Within Marriage 3:15 — Breadwinner Mindset And Passport Metaphor 11:36 — Joint Vs Separate Money Systems 14:21 — Values, Money History, Money Dates 18:58 — Transparency, Respect, And Closing Connect with us: Get our Free Private Wealth Advice Newsletter: https://www.monumentwealthmanagement.com/subscribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/monument-wealth-management/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/monument-wealth-management/] Connect with Emily on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyharpercfp/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyharpercfp/] Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicagibbscfp/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monumentwealth/# [https://www.instagram.com/monumentwealth/] Listen to Off The Wall, our podcast with market analysis: https://monumentwealthmanagement.com/off-the-wall-podcast/ [https://monumentwealthmanagement.com/off-the-wall-podcast/]

The Stock Option Decision You Keep Putting Off

You have stock options. You know they matter. And somewhere between the complexity, the tax implications, and a calendar full of more urgent things, they've landed in the "I'll deal with it later" pile. But here's the deal: later usually means a deadline is making the decision for you — and that's rarely optimal. In this episode, Emily and Jessica walk through what intentional stock option planning actually looks like in practice: why timing your exercise earlier often unlocks better outcomes, how the tax picture shifts dramatically depending on whether you have ISOs or NSOs, and how to think strategically about what you own after you exercise. They also surface the details that are easy to miss and expensive to ignore — the 90-day clock that starts ticking the moment you leave a company, the $100K ISO rule, and why your CPA needs a seat at this table before you make a move. If your options have been waiting for the "right time," this episode is 20 minutes well spent. ☕ Today's sip: Wright Tea Company's Sage Rose — a white tea with sage and rose from a Baltimore-based, women-owned company. Please see important podcast disclosure information at https://monumentwealthmanagement.com/disclosures 0:00 — When should I exercise my stock options? 2:12 — What We're Sippin' on Today 2:51 — Stock Options 101: The Basics and the Timeline 5:08 — NQSOs: What You'll Owe and How Cashless Exercise Works 7:50 — ISOs: The Holding Period and the AMT Risk 11:58 — Private Company Options: The Uncertainty and the Liquidity Problem 14:37 — The Case for Exercising Earlier Than You Think 18:18 — After You Exercise: Sell Immediately or Hold? 23:47 — The 100K ISO Rule and What Happens When You Leave 26:32 — Subscribe and Stay in Touch Connect with us: Get our Free Private Wealth Advice Newsletter: https://www.monumentwealthmanagement.com/subscribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/monument-wealth-management/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/monument-wealth-management/] Connect with Emily on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyharpercfp/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyharpercfp/] Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicagibbscfp/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monumentwealth/# [https://www.instagram.com/monumentwealth/] Listen to Off The Wall, our podcast with market analysis: https://monumentwealthmanagement.com/off-the-wall-podcast/ [https://monumentwealthmanagement.com/off-the-wall-podcast/]

RSUs: What to Do When They Vest

Your RSUs vest. The shares hit your account. Now what? For most high earners, RSUs sit in a kind of planning no-man's-land — not quite a paycheck, not quite an investment you picked, but treated like both without a clear strategy for either. The result is decisions made by default rather than intention. In this episode, Emily and Jessica walk through how RSUs actually work — from grant to vest to sale — and more importantly, what that means for your W-2, your tax bill, your concentration risk, and your broader financial picture. They get into when selling at vest makes sense, how to think about diversification when a significant portion of your wealth is tied to your employer's stock, and the details that are easy to miss and expensive to ignore — like the gap between your company's 24% withholding and your actual tax rate. If your RSUs have been a "figure it out later" item on your list, this one's worth the 20 minutes. ☕ Today's sip: Commonwealth Joe's Shenandoah Spring mix 0:00 The RSU Sell Or Hold Question 1:27 What We're Sipping On and the Listener Question 3:00 RSU Basics: Grant, Vest, Sale 7:22 Optionality And Concentration Risk 14:19 Tax Withholding Surprises And Planning 17:20 Wash Sale Rules With ESPP Shares 18:38 Takeaways Please see important podcast disclosure information at monumentwealthmanagement.com/disclosures Connect with us: Get our Free Private Wealth Advice Newsletter: https://www.monumentwealthmanagement.com/subscribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/monument-wealth-management/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/monument-wealth-management/] Connect with Emily on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyharpercfp/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyharpercfp/] Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicagibbscfp/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monumentwealth/# [https://www.instagram.com/monumentwealth/] Listen to Off The Wall, our podcast with market analysis: https://monumentwealthmanagement.com/off-the-wall-podcast/ [https://monumentwealthmanagement.com/off-the-wall-podcast/]

Is There Something Your Tax Return Isn't Telling You?

You've got a good accountant. You trust them. You sign the return. But here's what Emily and Jessica see all the time: costly mistakes that aren't anyone's fault — they happen because your accountant can only work with what they're given. And there are things living at the intersection of your tax return and your busy life that fall through the cracks unless someone is paying attention to the whole picture. In this episode, Emily and Jessica walk through what your tax return is actually telling you — and what it should be driving. Because the number at the bottom isn't the point. The point is what that document reveals about the decisions in front of you right now: whether to do a Roth conversion this year, how to think about RSU timing, whether your charitable giving strategy is actually working as hard as it could, and why the income decisions you make today will show up in your Medicare premiums two years from now. They also cover the mistakes that are easy to miss and expensive to fix — including one that causes people to pay income tax on money they already gave to charity. If your tax return has been a once-a-year checkbox, this episode will change how you think about it. ☕ Today's sip: Buffalo Blend from Airship Coffee, a roaster in Bentonville, Arkansas. 0:00 — The Social Security Mistake Nobody Talks About 0:52 — Why Your Tax Return Is More Than a Number 2:18 — What We're Sippin' on Today 2:45 — How to Review Without the Overwhelm 6:54 — Income Schedules Worth a Second Look 11:15 — Deductions You Could Be Leaving on the Table 17:38 — Estimated Tax Payments: What You Have to Track Yourself 18:52 — How Your Tax Return Should Be Driving Financial Decisions 27:10 — Where to Find Us Please see important podcast disclosure information at https://monumentwealthmanagement.com/disclosures [https://monumentwealthmanagement.com/disclosures] Connect with us: Get our Free Private Wealth Advice Newsletter: https://www.monumentwealthmanagement.com/subscribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/monument-wealth-management/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/monument-wealth-management/] Connect with Emily on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyharpercfp/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyharpercfp/] Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicagibbscfp/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monumentwealth/# [https://www.instagram.com/monumentwealth/] Listen to Off The Wall, our podcast with market analysis: https://monumentwealthmanagement.com/off-the-wall-podcast/ [https://monumentwealthmanagement.com/off-the-wall-podcast/]

Real Estate Ownership: Personal vs. LLC – What You Need to Know

If you've spent any time on financial social media, you've probably heard some version of this: buy real estate, put it in an LLC, and watch the tax savings roll in. Here's the thing — that's mostly wrong. And in this episode, Emily and Jessica explain why. For most high earners, rental real estate is a passive activity. The deductions don't touch your W-2 income. The LLC doesn't change what hits your tax return. And qualifying for the tax treatment people are actually imagining? That requires a level of real estate involvement that most busy professionals simply don't have. So if it's not really a tax decision — what is it? That's where the conversation gets interesting. Emily and Jessica get into the real reasons entity structure matters: liability exposure, estate planning, and what happens to that beloved family beach house when you're gone. Less clickbait, more clarity. That's this episode. 0:56 — The Core Question and Short Answer 1:48 — What We're Sippin' on Today 2:11 — Why Real Estate Tax Hacks Spread 3:13 — Passive Loss Limits and Depreciation 5:20 — Why an LLC Is Not Magic 7:21 — Audit Risk and Schedule E Basics 10:15 — The Bigger Issue Is Liability 13:41 — Estate Planning and Shared Family Homes 16:45 — Get Real Advice, Not Social Media Please see important podcast disclosure information at https://monumentwealthmanagement.com/disclosures Connect with us: Get our Free Private Wealth Advice Newsletter: https://www.monumentwealthmanagement.com/subscribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/monument-wealth-management/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/monument-wealth-management/] Connect with Emily on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyharpercfp/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyharpercfp/] Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicagibbscfp/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monumentwealth/# [https://www.instagram.com/monumentwealth/] Listen to Off The Wall, our podcast with market analysis: https://monumentwealthmanagement.com/off-the-wall-podcast/ [https://monumentwealthmanagement.com/off-the-wall-podcast/]