The F. Word

Ep 71 | First Gen was Taught to Save. Not to Build Wealth.

In this episode, Priya sits down with Gigi Gonzalez, financial educator and author of Cultura and Cash, to unpack why traditional money advice consistently misses the mark for first-generation professionals. The real issue is that first-gen wealth building comes loaded with inherited scarcity mindsets, cultural expectations around communal money, and family guilt that no mainstream personal finance book addresses. Listeners walk away with a concrete framework for building their own financial foundation without abandoning the people they love.   Takeaways: * Traditional financial advice was designed for people with an existing safety net, not people building one from scratch. * Scarcity mindset is inherited, not fixed. Recognizing where it came from is the first step to building past it. * Sharing a promotion with family often means absorbing the financial consequences of their decisions. * Building your own financial floor is not a betrayal of your culture. It's what makes sustainable generosity possible. Follow Priya Malani: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyamalani] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itspriyamalani] | Stash Wealth [https://www.stashwealth.com] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/StashWealth] Guest Bio: Giovanna "Gigi" Gonzalez is a Financial Educator, Influencer, and a 3x award-winning author. She teaches personal finance to First Gen professionals at various organizations. In 2025, she was honored as the Best Personal Finance Influencer for Racial Equity by Bankrate. Her book, Cultura & Cash, was also selected as a “must-read money book for women’s financial growth in 2026” by Forbes. She has been featured on dozens of publications including Nasdaq, CNBC Make It, and The Wall Street Journal. She is originally from California but currently resides in Spain. Guest Links: Instagram: @gigithefirstgenmentor https://www.instagram.com/gigithefirstgenmentor/ [https://www.instagram.com/gigithefirstgenmentor/] TikTok: @thefirstgenmentor https://www.tiktok.com/@thefirstgenmentor [https://www.tiktok.com/@thefirstgenmentor] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giovannagonzalez/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/giovannagonzalez/] The Stuff Our Lawyers Want Us to Say: Stash Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Content presented is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to make an offer or solicitation for any specific securities product, service, or strategy. Consult with a qualified investment adviser (that's us) before implementing any strategy. Investing involves risk, including the loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. There…we said it.

Ep 70 | A Smarter Way To Approach AI For Your Finances

In this episode, Priya Malani unpacks why more access to AI-powered financial advice hasn't translated into more financial confidence. She breaks down the two core problems: AI that hallucinates regulations with total confidence, and AI that gives population-level answers to questions that are deeply personal. The real issue isn't that AI is wrong, it's that most people don't know the right follow-up question to ask. You walk out of the episode with a four-variable framework that pressure-tests AI financial advice so you can feel confident trusting it.  Takeaways: * More access to financial advice hasn't produced more financial confidence, because most people take the first AI answer at face value without knowing what's missing. * AI gives population-level answers to individual-level problems, and without the right follow-up, the advice could be technically accurate and completely wrong for your situation. * The four variables that most often change the right answer are time horizon, tax situation, liquidity needs, and income stability. * AI is a research assistant, not a financial advisor. An advisor knows your life. AI responds to what you put in front of it.  Follow Priya Malani: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyamalani] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itspriyamalani] | Stash Wealth [https://www.stashwealth.com] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/StashWealth] The Stuff Our Lawyers Want Us to Say: Stash Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Content presented is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to make an offer or solicitation for any specific securities product, service, or strategy. Consult with a qualified investment adviser (that's us) before implementing any strategy. Investing involves risk, including the loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. There…we said it.

Ep 69 | When Two Huge Incomes Don’t Add Up To Much

High-earning couples are some of the most financially anxious people and the math explains why. In this episode, she walks through what $300K actually leaves a couple with after taxes, rent, and life in a major city, and the number is not what anyone expects. But the real issue isn't the math. It's that most couples are making financial decisions in parallel instead of as a team. If this is you, this episode highlights the conversation you’ve been avoiding and the questions to finally have it.  Takeaways: * Two incomes without a shared financial picture is not a partnership strategy. * Income is a data point. What someone actually does with money is a different question entirely. * The problem is almost never that couples disagree on money. It's that they've never gotten aligned. * Getting aligned is not a financial strategy. It is THE financial strategy.  Follow Priya Malani: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyamalani] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itspriyamalani] | Stash Wealth [https://www.stashwealth.com] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/StashWealth] The Stuff Our Lawyers Want Us to Say: Stash Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Content presented is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to make an offer or solicitation for any specific securities product, service, or strategy. Consult with a qualified investment adviser (that's us) before implementing any strategy. Investing involves risk, including the loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. There…we said it.

Ep 68 | You Don’t Have to Buy a Home to Build Wealth

In this episode, Priya Malani makes the case that buying a home is probably not the smartest financial move for high earners in their 30s. The math is less obvious than the cultural script suggests — and most people never bother to run it.   Takeaways: * The mortgage calculator leaves out the costs that actually catch people off guard. * Renting is not throwing money away. It might be the smarter capital allocation. * Wealthy people own real estate, but their primary home is not the cornerstone of their wealth. * The right question is not "can I buy?" It is "have I actually thought about this, or am I just following a script I inherited?"  Follow Priya Malani: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyamalani] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itspriyamalani] | Stash Wealth [https://www.stashwealth.com] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/StashWealth] The Stuff Our Lawyers Want Us to Say: Stash Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Content presented is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to make an offer or solicitation for any specific securities product, service, or strategy. Consult with a qualified investment adviser (that's us) before implementing any strategy. Investing involves risk, including the loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. There…we said it.

Ep 67 | When You Start Out-Earning Your Friends

In this episode, Priya Malani discusses something most high earners have felt at some point - the friendship tax. When income diverges between close friends, the higher earner usually absorbs the gap - and it can add up. Priya breaks down what it actually costs, why it's almost impossible to bring up, and what makes it so hard to separate from the friendship itself. The real question isn't whether you're being generous. It's whether you’re aware it’s happening and that it’s usually a by-product of a conversation that seems too uncomfortable to have.   Takeaways: * High earners don't talk about this because culturally, a high income is supposed to disqualify the complaint. * Generosity is a choice; subsidizing a social dynamic you never agreed to is something else entirely. * When your income recalibrates, your financial identity recalibrates with it — but your friendships don't always follow. Follow Priya Malani: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyamalani] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itspriyamalani] | Stash Wealth [https://www.stashwealth.com] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/StashWealth] The Stuff Our Lawyers Want Us to Say: Stash Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Content presented is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to make an offer or solicitation for any specific securities product, service, or strategy. Consult with a qualified investment adviser (that's us) before implementing any strategy. Investing involves risk, including the loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. There…we said it.