Cassandra Smalley Wealth Management

01/05/2026

Are you a business owner looking for tax-savings strategies that also build your net worth? Consider a SEP IRA plan and learn how you can transition business wealth into personal wealth while keeping more of your hard-earned money in your pocket (and out of Uncle Sam's 😉)!

If you’re a business owner or solo entrepreneur, retirement planning can feel like juggling flaming swords; figuring out how much to save, when you can save it, how much to reinvest back into your business, and how to minimize taxes all at the same time. That’s exactly where a SEP IRA can come i...

12/15/2025

Incentive Stock Options, or ISOs, are a type of equity compensation that give you the right to buy shares of your company at a fixed price in the future. Incentive Stock Options can be a powerful wealth-building tool, but they also come with complexity, timing rules, and tax traps that can’t be ig...

09/28/2025

Just returned from a continuing education conference for financial advisors in Austin and feeling energized! Picked up some great takeaways around estate planning solutions, estate planning and long term care planning for childfree folks, tax planning resources for US expats living abroad, and enjoyed a session on having deeper conversations through asking better questions with clients. I also got a chuckle out of this year’s shirt: “I Give A FIDUCIARY!” Given how much I say this word… it’s appropriate. Haha! 🤣

09/13/2025

It’s not just “nice” for women to be part of every financial conversation… It’s critical to her success.

Too often, the stats are sobering:
✨ 80–90% of women will, at some point, be solely responsible for managing their wealth or someone else’s. No one should have to start the learning curve at age 85. I've seen it happen all too often, and it's heartbreaking to watch.
✨ The gender pay gap persists, and career breaks for caregiving hit retirement savings hard. The numbers are out for 2024, and the gap widened for the 2nd year in a row to $0.81.
✨ Divorce—especially gray divorce—is leaving many women financially vulnerable.
✨ Women live longer and need portfolios that can last 30+ years.
✨ Too much cash sitting in savings instead of being invested widens the gender investment gap. Don't make it harder on yourself to catch up.
✨ Social Security gaps can leave women with less protection in later years. If your benefit is less, you only receive 50% of his benefit if you divorce, and 100% of his benefit if he predeceases you.

⚠️ And if you’re married and wealth isn’t being built in your name (your investment accounts, your IRAs), you’re not just missing out, you’re building a future liability.

A financial plan isn’t truly successful unless it works for both partners independently, in the case of death or divorce. Financial planning is non-negotiable for women.

✅ Start investing consistently, even small amounts compound over decades.
✅ Build retirement savings in your own name, even if you step out of the workforce for caregiving.
✅ Discuss estate plans, Social Security strategies, and long-term care openly with your partner and advisor.

Because financial independence isn’t optional, it’s essential. And your future self is counting on the choices you make today. 💪💼