Erika’s personal and professional journey was not a direct one — and continues to evolve. For most people, specific experiences in life have influenced the way they feel about money. For her, there were many: growing up in a household where the topic of money was exciting dinner conversation, getting married, having three children,  living abroad, moving nine times for a corporate job, getting divorced, and losing a parent. Unsurprisingly, Erika found herself at a crossroads.

After a successful 10-year career at IBM, Erika shifted gears and left corporate America to work on growing brands in the organic-food industry where she transformed brands from innovative emerging products to household names, while juggling a growing family. Along her journey, Erika noticed a gap in how people all over the world talked — or didn’t talk — about money, both within family structures, relationships, and workplaces. Once she discovered Financial Therapy, Erika has dedicated her life to coaching individuals, couples, families, and corporate teams on how to communicate more comfortably and effectively on the otherwise taboo topic of money.

As one of 70 Certified Financial Therapist, she has been quoted in national media, including The New York Times, Yahoo! Money, and Times.  Along with being the creator of Let’s Talk Finances, which are Financial Wellness Conversation Cards that create a unique way to stimulate meaningful conversations about and around the taboo topic of money for couples and newly divorced.

Erika lives in South Florida with her three daughters and can be found driving to the beach with the top down of her Jeep, or planning her next overseas adventure.

Tim Voit is the author of Retirement Benefits & QDROs in Divorce (published by CCH), as well as Federal Retirement Plans in Divorce—Strategies & Issues. He has prepared QDROs and valued pensions for nearly 30 years and taught at the International College courses specific to the preparation of QDROs. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and has has been qualified as an expert witness in both state and federal courts.

Mr. Voit has been retained in legal malpractice cases by the insurance carrier to reverse QDRO transfers and/or compute damages and is often called upon to lecture on liability issues. He has been interviewed and quoted in Forbes, BusinessWeek, NewsWeek, and Rueters. Mr. Voit has developed online courses for CCH, IOMA, and the International College, specifically the Introduction to QDROs in Divorce and Effectively Drafting QDROs in Divorce.

Jody Bruns is the President and Founder of the Divorce Lending Association and is credited with establishing industry certification programs for both real estate and mortgage professionals working with divorcing clients. Jody takes her knowledge further as an approved continuing education provider for multiple state bar associations and financial planning boards educating attorneys, financial planners, and other divorce professionals on the underlying concerns when divorce and real estate meet head-on.

Through her own personal journey of a divorce involving real estate, Jody knows firsthand the emotions divorce carries with it. Utilizing her own personal experience combined with her 30 plus years in mortgage and finance, Jody has made it her career and passion to educate the divorce community while helping divorcing clients navigate the clash between divorce, real estate, and mortgage financing.

Jody authored the Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP™) industry certification along with a book, A House Divided | The Clash between Divorce, Real Estate, and Mortgage Financing.

Jody has coached and trained over 3,000 mortgage and real estate professionals on how to successfully work with divorcing homeowners; divorce attorneys, and other divorce professionals with the ultimate goal of a more successful divorce when mortgage financing and real property are involved.

- Certified Mediator/Mediator Trainer
- Real Estate Continuing Education Instructor
- Approved Continuing Legal Education Provider with multiple State Bar Associations
- Approved Continuing Education Provider with CFP® Board and Institute of Divorce Financial Analysts

Learn more here.

Chris Bruser is a Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional and one of the nation’s leading advocates for incorporating housing wealth in retirement income planning.  Over the last 18 years he has helped over 700 families secure their retirement via a reverse mortgage. Not insignificantly, Chris has helped senior divorcing couples achieve equitable housing by using reverse mortgages as part of the settlement. Devoted to honest and transparent dialog, Chris serves as a trusted resource for those advisors demanding accurate and current housing wealth solutions for their clientele.

Recently Chris’s work focuses on research published by thought leaders Barry Sacks, J.D., Ph.D., Jack Guttentag, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus at the Wharton School, John Salter, Ph.D., CFP®, Harold Evensky, CFP®, Jamie Hopkins, Esq., CFP®, RICP and Wade Pfau, Ph.D., CFA.

These experts have demonstrated that the conservative use of housing wealth mitigates volatility risk in retirement distributions.

For example, in 2012, The Journal of Financial Planning published two papers (Sacks, and Salter/Evensky) advocating that planners take a fresh look at housing wealth as an antidote to sequence of returns risk and reverse dollar cost averaging.

Chris works with financial institutions that are advising those in retirement, or about to retire. These include divorce professions, financial planners, attorneys, accountants, and wealth managers. Chris is adept at helping advisors slow investment portfolio depletion with the prudent use of the housing asset.

As an instructor with the Retirement Resource Center, Chris has taught hundreds of financial advisors, real estate agents and institutions in sound retirement financing through the FHA-insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgage.

Chris serves on the Board of Directors of NAIFA-Tampa and is a 2019 graduate of the NAIFA Leadership in Life Institute (LILI). He was named Outstanding Member of the Year in 2022. He is a member and Past President of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) of Tampa Bay, and a 20- year member of the South Tampa Chamber of Commerce, where he was named the 2023 Ambassador of the Year and is the Founder of the Taste of South Tampa, their signature event and largest fundraiser.

Chris has been a resident of Tampa since 2001 and is originally from Cincinnati. He has a 14-year-old son, Brantley who’s an avid golf nut and loves playing golf with his Dad.