Podcasts about Custody

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Best podcasts about Custody

Show all podcasts related to custody

Latest podcast episodes about Custody

Freedomain with Stefan Molyneux
6519 I Abandoned My SON? X/Twitter Livestream

Freedomain with Stefan Molyneux

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2026 107:12


Philosopher Stefan Molyneux takes on a father asking if he abandoned his son after divorce, custody fights, long work hours and a letter the boy was told to write claiming fear of him. He talks about seeing it from the child's side, pressure to forgive, money and Bitcoin, and choosing hope after a debate on God.Support philosophy! https://freedomain.com/donate/GET FREEDOMAIN MERCH! https://shop.freedomain.com/SUBSCRIBE TO ME ON X! https://x.com/StefanMolyneuxFollow me on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/@freedomain1GET MY NEW BOOK 'PEACEFUL PARENTING', THE INTERACTIVE PEACEFUL PARENTING AI, AND THE FULL AUDIOBOOK!https://peacefulparenting.com/Join the PREMIUM philosophy community on the web for free!Subscribers get 12 HOURS on the "Truth About the French Revolution," multiple interactive multi-lingual philosophy AIs trained on thousands of hours of my material - as well as AIs for Real-Time Relationships, Bitcoin, Peaceful Parenting, and Call-In Shows!You also receive private livestreams, HUNDREDS of exclusive premium shows, early release podcasts, the 22 Part History of Philosophers series and much more!See you soon!https://freedomain.locals.com/support/promo/FREEDOMAIN2026

Thinking Crypto Interviews & News
NO CLARITY ACT? NO ISSUE! SEC & CFTC WILL UNLOCK THE CRYPTO BULL RUN! BIG BANK BITCOIN & ETH CUSTODY!

Thinking Crypto Interviews & News

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2026 19:20 Transcription Available


Crypto News: With the failed Clarity Act vote in the Senate the SEC and CFTC vow to provide crypto regulatory guidance. Deutsche Bank plans bitcoin, ether custody for institutional clients in Europe.⭐️ Trade crypto perps with a free $25 bonus on Kalshi. You can trade on crypto up or down with up to 6x leverage, meaning you can put down $100 and control a $600 position. It's the first CFTC-regulated perps exchange in the country, which means no VPN and no offshore nonsense to deal with. To claim your $25 bonus, all you do is make your first $50 trade through my link - https://kalshi.com/p/thinkingcrypto 

The Drew Mariani Show
Mercy 4 Life Initiative and Massachusetts Takes Custody of Girl

The Drew Mariani Show

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2026 51:12


Hour 1 for 9/17/26 Drew and Terry Beatley discuss her encounters with famed abortionist turned Christian and her Mercy 4 Life initiative (10:42). Then, Professor Teresa Collett from the University of St. Thomas discusses a troubling story about a Massachusetts couple who had their daughter who wanted to transition taken away (31:41), how we got here (35:00), and contraception in schools (41:29). Link: Terry's Website St. Thomas Pro-Life Website

university girl massachusetts custody terry beatley life initiative
Freedom One-On-One with Jeff Dornik
MAGA Family Feud: Who Gets Custody of America First? | David Pollack | The Jeff Dornik Show

Freedom One-On-One with Jeff Dornik

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2026 55:29 Transcription Available


OANN's David Pollack joins The Jeff Dornik Show to break down the growing fracture inside MAGA, where some former Trump supporters say Trump 2.0 has abandoned key promises of the America First agenda, while Trump loyalists continue defending the direction of his administration. We dig into what is actually driving the divide, which issues have become the breaking point, whether the GOP can hold its coalition together heading into the 2026 midterms, and what this internal battle could mean as Republicans begin looking toward the 2028 presidential election.SPONSORSupermassive Black Coffee is 100% organic gourmet coffee, fire-roasted in a Victorian-era roaster to unlock bold, rich flavor with dark chocolate undertones and a smooth, smoky finish, which is a refreshingly civilized alternative to drinking whatever bean-water the regime-approved coffee cartel keeps pretending is “premium.” Use code JEFF for 20% off and awaken the rebel within, because some mornings require more than caffeine, they require a small act of defiance before checking your inbox and discovering civilization has once again chosen nonsense. https://supermassiveblackcoffee.com/?ref=JEFFBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-jeff-dornik-show--4788100/support.Follow The Jeff Dornik Show on Apple Podcasts and leave a 5-star review. That's how we reach more people and bypass Big Tech suppression.Watch LIVE daily at 7pm ET on Rumble and subscribe so you never miss a show:https://rumble.com/c/jeffdornikBig Tech is silencing truth while harvesting your data to feed the machine. That's why I built Pickax, a free speech platform where creators own their content and your voice isn't controlled. Join now:https://pickax.com/?referralCode=y7wxvwq&refSource=copy

The Accountant Quits Podcast
#114: Agentic Neobanks with Reah

The Accountant Quits Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2026 48:31


Jacob Margulies is the Co-Founder at Reah, a financial operating system that unifies fiat banking, digital assets and AI-powered execution in one platform.It provides global bank accounts, payments, treasury, cards and invoicing for businesses worldwide, all governed by one programmable policy engine.And Reah describes itself as non-custodial. Customers have complete control of their assets, and Reah says it cannot access, freeze, or move their funds.This episode also includes a live demo, where Jacob shares his screen and walks through the platform.✅ OUR RESOURCES

Stephan Livera Podcast
Institutional Custody, Multisig & the War on Cash | Mike Belshe SLP773

Stephan Livera Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2026 67:00


Mike Belshe, co-founder and CEO of BitGo, walks through how institutional Bitcoin custody actually works in 2026: qualified custody, self-custody co-signing, and why BitGo still centers a 2-of-3 model after pioneering P2SH multisig in 2013.BitGo now operates as a US-regulated qualified custodian and public company, while still offering the same wallet stack individuals can run in self-custody mode. The conversation covers what “institutional security” means in practice — HSM-backed co-signing, open-source recovery paths, multi-jurisdictional key storage (including how BitGo moved WBTC when US regulation looked hostile), and why on-chain multisig still beats vendor-locked MPC for cold ops.They also dig into the political and operational risks around large Bitcoin holdings: KYC and PII as honeypots, France tying names to amounts, the war on cash reaching Bitcoin, and whether an EO 6102-style confiscation risk still belongs in the threat model. On the institutional side, Belshe pushes back on multi-custodian setups that add failure modes, explains insurance limits versus the size of the Bitcoin market, and why splitting wallets matters after events like Bybit.Timestamps00:00 — Intro: Mike Belshe of BitGo00:59 — Don't Lose Self-Custody's Power05:41 — Retail Deserves Institutional Security07:16 — Humans Are Terrible at OpSec09:56 — 2-of-3 Protects Theft and Loss14:35 — Retail Pays 160 Basis Points19:22 — Why People Drift Toward Banks20:35 — Self-Custody Is Never Trustless23:39 — Why BitGo Sticks to 2-of-330:31 — A Public CEO Holds Zero at Home31:27 — KYC Leaks Are Government Honeypots39:28 — France Doxed Bitcoin Holdings41:30 — War on Cash Reaches Bitcoin43:45 — Multi-Jurisdictional Key Storage45:29 — Executive Order 6102 Could Return47:43 — Quantum-Resistant Wallets Today49:27 — Multisig Beats MPC53:33 — Splitting Custodians Adds Failures58:29 — 2-of-2 MPC Can't Recover Loss01:00:57 — $5–7B Insurance vs $1.6T Bitcoin01:03:35 — Bybit Lost 10x by Not Splitting01:05:21 — Multi-Institution vs Qualified CustodyLinks: https://x.com/mikebelshehttps://x.com/bitgoStephan Livera links:Follow me on X: @stephanliveraSubscribe to the podcastSubscribe to Substack

The Gerry Callahan Podcast
Massachusetts Parents Battle the State Over Teen's Gender Transition in Explosive Custody Fight

The Gerry Callahan Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2026 58:37


- A Massachusetts family fights to regain custody of their teenage daughter after alleging the school and state pursue a gender transition without parental consent; a judge temporarily blocks testosterone treatment while the legal battle continues. - Lindsay Clancy juror Paula Devlin continues defending the jury's reasoning, saying the case raises larger concerns about postpartum mental health while criticism focuses on whether jurors move beyond their legal role. - Gavin Newsom tells Jake Tapper he will not seek the Democratic presidential nomination if Kamala Harris enters the race, immediately shaking up the early 2028 speculation. - Mitch McConnell returns to Senate work after a 92-day absence, renewing debate over age, health and whether lawmakers need mandatory retirement limits. - Bill Maher delivers a blistering defense of Israel and rejects the characterization of the Gaza war as genocide, arguing that the term is being misused in the political debate. Today's podcast is sponsored by :  PARAMOUNT PLUS - Don't Miss ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠“MobLand.”⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ All episodes streaming September 18th on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paramount Plus.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can now WATCH and chat with The Gerry Callahan Show LIVE on Newsmax's social media channels (Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube, Rumble)  Listen to Newsmax LIVE and see our entire podcast lineup at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://Newsmax.com/Listen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Make the switch to NEWSMAX today! Get your 15 day free trial of NEWSMAX+ at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://NewsmaxPlus.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Looking for NEWSMAX caps, tees, mugs & more? Check out the Newsmax merchandise shop at : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://nws.mx/shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow NEWSMAX on Social Media:              • Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://nws.mx/FB⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠              • X/Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://nws.mx/twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠             • Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://nws.mx/IG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠             • YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/NewsmaxTV⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠              • Rumble: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rumble.com/c/NewsmaxTV⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠              • TRUTH Social: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://truthsocial.com/@NEWSMAX⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠             • GETTR: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://gettr.com/user/newsmax⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠             • Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://threads.net/@NEWSMAX⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠              • Telegram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://t.me/newsmax⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠               • BlueSky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/newsmax.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠             • Parler: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://app.parler.com/newsmax⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DON'T UNFRIEND ME
14SEP26 | Clancy Juror Fallout • Vance on AI • Kirk Legacy • Immigration Lawsuit • Election Warning • Custody Case

DON'T UNFRIEND ME

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2026 151:43


Hosts: Matt | OliviaSHOW NOTESTonight, Matt and Olivia examine the fallout surrounding the Lindsay Clancy case, including juror comments, accusations of bias, and President Trump's response to calls for a pardon.Vice President JD Vance warns that proposed AI regulations could become a political “Trojan horse,” raising new questions about who should control artificial intelligence and how far government oversight should reach.We look at the latest reactions to Charlie Kirk's legacy, including campus responses and Ilhan Omar's comments about his political influence.The Mamdani–James immigration-rule lawsuit puts enforcement, state resistance, and the limits of local authority back at the center of the national immigration fight.California faces renewed warnings about election integrity and voting rules ahead of the midterms.And a Massachusetts family dispute involving gender identity and child custody raises difficult questions about parental rights, state power, and the best interests of children.The Don't Unfriend Me Show is a live conservative news and political commentary podcast hosted by Matt and Olivia Speer. Every weeknight, we break down the biggest stories in politics, government, culture, immigration, free speech, the economy, and current events with live audience interaction and open phone calls.Call in: (276) 200-2105Watch and support: thedumshow.com | linktapgo.com/thedumshowLIVE: Monday-Friday, 7:00-9:00 PM Eastern#TheDUMShow #LindsayClancy #JDVance #ArtificialIntelligence #CharlieKirk #IlhanOmar #Immigration #ElectionIntegrity #ParentalRights #PoliticsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dum-show--6012883/support.

The Divorced Dadvocate
325 - Why 'Reasonable' Lawyers Cost Dads Custody: The Hidden Incentives Working Against You in Family Court

The Divorced Dadvocate

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2026 72:07 Transcription Available


Is Your Divorce Attorney Costing You Custody? The Truth About "Reasonable" Lawyers in High-Conflict CasesYour divorce attorney sounds calm, professional, and reasonable — while you quietly lose parenting time. In family court, the gap between a smart custody strategy and a permanent surrender often comes down to one thing: is your lawyer running a generic checklist, or building a real strategy around your case?This episode breaks down why the standard family law playbook (file, discovery, mediation, more mediation, maybe trial) gets applied on autopilot — even when you're facing a high-conflict co-parent, false allegations, or repeated custody order violations. We expose the incentives no attorney explains upfront: overloaded court dockets, firms juggling 40-60+ active cases, and a legal ecosystem where your lawyer's relationships with mediators and opposing counsel can matter more than your facts.What you'll learn:The exact phrases dads are told right before they give away custody leverageWhy "temporary" custody arrangements quietly become permanentWhat to do immediately after a false allegation is cleared to restore parenting timeWhy letting a protective order expire can haunt your case for yearsHow to demand written reasoning from your attorney on every major decisionThe difference between real cost limits and strategic advice dressed up as oneCritical questions to ask before every custody hearingThe warning signs it's time to switch family law attorneysTopics covered: family court strategy, custody battle, high-conflict divorce, divorced dads, fathers rights, parenting time, co-parenting, child custody strategy, family law attorney red flags, protective order violations, post-divorce fatherhoodIf something feels off with your representation, listen closely — then share this with a dad who needs to hear it. Subscribe so you don't miss what's next, and audit one "temporary" agreement in your own case. What did you find? Support the showBeing unprepared is how great fathers become weekend visitors. Most ground is lost quietly through "drift" and decisions made under pressure. Stop the drift today at TheDivorcedDadvocate.com.Access your tactical tools:Weekend Visitor Risk Assessment (TheDivorceQuiz.com): Identify your "quiet loss" exposure in 10 minutes.Strategic Risk Consultation (TalkWithJude.com): Book a private triage to ensure your mistakes don't become your permanent reality.Your kids are counting on you.

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History
What The Adelson Family Did After Losing Custody

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2026 35:53


A custody ruling is where this entire case starts. A judge told Wendi Adelson she couldn't move her two sons away from their father, FSU law professor Dan Markel. Prosecutors say Wendi's mother, Donna Adelson, offered Markel a million dollars to undo that ruling. He said no. What happened next: two men drove five hours from Miami in a rented Prius and shot Markel twice in the head in his own garage, hours after he'd dropped his sons at preschool and gone to the gym. He never made it out of his car. He was 41. Investigators traced the payment for the hit through a family dental office near Fort Lauderdale — 44 checks signed by Donna herself, $138,000 funneled through a woman who never worked a day at the practice, and a toll transponder receipt logging every mile the killers drove. That office belonged to Donna's son, Charlie Adelson, a periodontist making three million a year from a family with more than eight million in combined accounts. Prosecutors say Charlie orchestrated his former brother-in-law's murder and funneled the payments through his own practice, with his mother washing the cash before handing it off. At trial, Charlie told the jury he was the true victim — extorted by the hitmen, forced to pay them in installments. Prosecutor Georgia Cappleman asked him one question about sending his girlfriend to collect an extortion payment. The jury took three hours to convict. Five people have now been convicted in a case that began with a family that couldn't accept losing. Hashtags #DanMarkel #CharlieAdelson #DonnaAdelson #AdelsonFamily #MurderForHire #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #WendiAdelson #FSU #Tallahassee Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292 Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod?sub_confirmation=1 Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice. 

TFRM presents STATE of the FAMILY COURTS
How Your Custody Split Changes What You Pay in California (Child + Spousal Support)

TFRM presents STATE of the FAMILY COURTS

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2026 12:29


Mark Reel Jr. kicks off the episode by announcing the firm's expansion into the Bay Area, with a new San Jose office now serving San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and surrounding counties.   He then breaks down how California calculates child support using the income shares model, focusing on both parents' gross incomes, custody splits, and key examples where higher-earning or lower-earning parents end up paying support. From there, he explains how spousal support (alimony) works in a no-fault divorce state, including the importance of the marital standard of living and the difference between short-term and long-term marriages.   The episode wraps with practical strategies to reduce or end spousal support through remarriage, cohabitation, time served in long-term marriages, and retirement, highlighting how planning and timing can dramatically change a father's financial future.

Highlights from Newstalk Breakfast
Son of Gerry Hutch remanded in custody

Highlights from Newstalk Breakfast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2026 4:26


Jason Hutch, the son of veteran criminal and failed election candidate Gerry “The Monk” Hutch, has been remanded in custody. This comes after an extradition from Spain to face trial for facilitating organised crime. Anton gets the latest from Tom Tuite, Court Reporter.

The Daily
A Couple Breaks Up. Who Gets Custody of Their Embryos?

The Daily

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2026 43:57


As more people in the United States use I.V.F. to have children, embryos are being stored in fertility clinics across the country. It raises the question: What should happen to those embryos if a couple breaks up?Caroline Kitchener, who covers families for The New York Times, tells the story of Erin Millender, who took a custody battle over frozen embryos to court after her husband revoked his consent to use them.Guest: Caroline Kitchener, a New York Times reporter, writing about the American family.Background reading: They started I.V.F., and then split. Now who gets custody of the embryos?Photo: Kim Raff for The New York Times For more information on today's episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1010 WINS ALL LOCAL
A man is in custody after his truck jumps a curve killing one man and leaving two women injured in Chinatown...NYC students head back to school with the new AI-ban in classrooms...Senator Chuck Schumer recounts the federal fight to bring back New York Cit

1010 WINS ALL LOCAL

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2026 3:29


WWJ Plus
Suspect in custody after road rage shooting on Southfield Freeway

WWJ Plus

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2026 10:37


Michigan State Police say a suspect has confessed to a shooting along the Southfield Freeway in Detroit last month. WWJ's Chris Fillar and Jackie Paige have your Wednesday morning news. (Photo credit: WWJ)

Law of Code
#209 - Vaults

Law of Code

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2026 119:38


Vaults might be finance's next trillion-dollar opportunity. But what are they? How do they work? What regulation might apply? You'll hear from the creator of crypto vaults, Andre Cronje (Flying Tulip, Yearn), alongside builders Adrian Cachinero Vasiljevic (Steakhouse Financial) and Charles St. Louis (Ethereum Foundation). You'll also hear from SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce and top lawyers Lewis Cohen (Cahill), Tuongvy Le (Veda Labs), Rodrigo Seira (Cooley) and Linda Jeng (Aave). Thank you to the presenting sponsor of this episode, Altitude (altitude.xyz/law), a payments platform for the next generation.This should be the internet's best podcast on vaults. You don't need to be a lawyer, developer or finance expert to follow along. Timestamps:(0:00) Intro(4:27) What is a vault?(9:34) History of onchain vaults(11:55) The first vault, with Andre Cronje(21:05) The SEC's early interest(22:30) Investment contracts and Howey(31:28) Notes and Reves(37:10) The strategist(48:54) The curator(58:30) Investment company?(1:12:40) Investment adviser?(1:20:00) Separately managed accounts(1:30:30) Custody rules(1:55:43) What's next Thank you as well to the law firm Cahill Gordon & Reindel for sponsoring this podcast. If you'd like to join Cahill's flagship emerging tech conference, Confluence, you can apply here: https://www.cahill.com/confluence2026.Thank you as well to the Solana Policy Institute and the Hyperliquid Policy Center for supporting the podcast. Nothing in this podcast is legal or investment advice.

The Divorced Dadvocate
324 - Why 'Fair' Isn't a Legal Standard: A Family Law Attorney Breaks Down Custody, Parenting Time & Temporary Orders | Jason Wright

The Divorced Dadvocate

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2026 77:35 Transcription Available


You can do everything right as a father and still get blindsided in family court if you're playing by custody rules that don't actually exist. In this episode of The Divorced Dadvocate, we sit down with Austin family law attorney Jason Wright to break down the most common child custody myths and replace them with what judges actually look at when deciding parenting time, custody arrangements, and temporary orders.If you've been told to "just ask for 50/50," or you're pinning your hopes on what seems fair, this conversation will reset your expectations fast. We dig into how Texas family law handles parenting time through the Standard Possession Order, why Texas courts do not presume 50/50 custody, and how that schedule actually works across school weeks, summers, and holidays. Jason explains the court's focus on a child's status quo and "least disruptive" outcomes, why high-conflict co-parents often can't sustain a true 50/50 split even when both parents love their kids, and the "default parent" reality — the everyday details that matter in custody decisions, like teachers, doctors, sick days, school routines, and who shows up consistently when nobody's watching.Then we get intensely practical. What should you document in the first 30 days of a custody case? What lifestyle changes actually help your case? Why can agreeing to "temporary" custody terms quietly lock in the outcome you were trying to avoid? Jason shares the exact questions fathers should be asking their divorce attorney to understand their options, the consequences of each path, and their realistic likelihood of success — especially when facing steep legal fees and a judge who may decide in seconds.Whether you're just starting a custody dispute or deep in a high-conflict divorce, this episode gives you the legal reality behind parenting time, child custody, and family court decisions — straight from an attorney who tells fathers the truth, not what they want to hear. Support the showBeing unprepared is how great fathers become weekend visitors. Most ground is lost quietly through "drift" and decisions made under pressure. Stop the drift today at TheDivorcedDadvocate.com.Access your tactical tools:Weekend Visitor Risk Assessment (TheDivorceQuiz.com): Identify your "quiet loss" exposure in 10 minutes.Strategic Risk Consultation (TalkWithJude.com): Book a private triage to ensure your mistakes don't become your permanent reality.Your kids are counting on you.

Lesbian Chronicles: Coming Out Later in Life
Episode 367: Are You Drowning?

Lesbian Chronicles: Coming Out Later in Life

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2026 43:31 Transcription Available


Melisa and Alli talk about how those early relationships after coming out can feel safe, but the reality is, you're drowning so anything feels "safe." We share how we've learned from those early relationships how we want to parent and co-parent our children and protect that dynamic. And what it means to feel truly fulfilled in life. We also reference this article from the Washington Post about people who choose to be child-free.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lesbian-chronicles-coming-out-later-in-life--5601514/support.

Divorce Master Radio
Can You Get Full Custody Without Going to Court? | Los Angeles Divorce

Divorce Master Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2026 0:23


⚖️ Can You Get Full Custody Without Going to Court? | Los Angeles Divorce

Thinking Crypto Interviews & News
Ex-Goldman Sachs Exec: This is the Next Big Crypto Infrastructure Shift! | Amar Kuchinad

Thinking Crypto Interviews & News

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2026 52:22 Transcription Available


Amar Kuchinad, CEO of Copper, joined me to discuss how the firm is building crypto and blockchain infrastructure to help institutions securely participate in digital asset markets.Topics:- TradFi's adoption of digital assets - Amar's time at the SEC and the agencies approach to crypto guidance - Can Blockchain in markets prevent another financial crisis? - Building crypto infrastructure for institutions - The future of markets 

MPR News Update
Mass shooting started as custody handoff; AI-nudification law update

MPR News Update

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2026 4:39


The mass shooting in Minneapolis at an apartment building earlier this week started as a custody handoff between the suspected shooter and a former partner. And Minnesota officials can fine technology companies that enable creation of AI-generated nude images of real people, after a federal judge declined to put a new state law on hold as a lawsuit proceeds.

SBS World News Radio
New research reveals how First Nations people with disability are treated in custody

SBS World News Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2026 11:37


In the first national study of its kind, a new report by the University of Melbourne's BlakAbility team, examined the experiences of Indigenous people with lived experience of incarceration and disability. SBS reporter Yasmine Alwakal speaks to researchers Dr Sharon Kerr and Ngiyampaa and Wiradjuri woman, Dr Roslyn Sackley on their findings.

Divorce Master Radio
How to Reduce Conflict in Shared Custody Arrangements. | Los Angeles Divorce

Divorce Master Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 0:22


⚖️ How to Reduce Conflict in Shared Custody Arrangements. | Los Angeles Divorce

Utah's Noon News
Man in custody after stabbing Trax passenger

Utah's Noon News

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 30:10


The Bitcoin Standard Podcast
341. Bitcoin Custody with Ben Westgate & BTC Pavao

The Bitcoin Standard Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2026 104:57


Saifedean talks to Ben Westgate and @BtCPavao about how to store bitcoin safely with Bitcoin Core and an old laptop, generating and backing up keys, the problems with BIP39 seed phrases, when multisig makes sense, custodians, and why gambling and lending destroy stacks.

Divorce Master Radio
What If One Parent Wants to Change the Custody Agreement? | Los Angeles Divorce

Divorce Master Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2026 0:23


⚖️ What If One Parent Wants to Change the Custody Agreement? | Los Angeles Divorce

Jesse Lee Peterson Radio Show
Why Did God Seem So Mean? | Postpartum Psychosis. Kathy Hochul. OT? Tripped a Kid! | JLP Mon 8/31/26

Jesse Lee Peterson Radio Show

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2026 180:00


What you possess. Postpartum psychosis; Lindsay Clancy. Kathy Hochul in hijab, on ICE. Why did God seem so mean? Father tripped football 9yo! Mother pours hot wax, sets fire.

Locked In with Ian Bick
I Spent 29 Years as a New York Court Officer — This Is What The Gilgo Beach Serial Killer Was Like | Brian Burke

Locked In with Ian Bick

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2026 123:18


Brian Burke got into corrections in his early twenties, spent four years working inside the New York state prison system, and then spent twenty-nine years as a New York court officer — experiencing the full spectrum of what the American justice system looks like from the person responsible for maintaining order in the room where it all happens. In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, he shares what four years in the New York state prison system taught him, what twenty-nine years as a court officer — the juries, the defendants, the prosecutors, the judges, and the heartbreaking and strangest moments the job produced — really looked like from the inside, and what his most significant professional experience actually involved: personally escorting Rex Heuermann — the Gilgo Beach serial killer — throughout his arrest, conviction, and sentencing, and what that specific proximity to one of the most disturbing criminal cases in recent New York history actually revealed about the person at the center of it. _____________________________________________ #officer #truecrimestories #court #newyork _____________________________________________ Thank you to CASH APP for sponsoring this episode: Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/6pao71et #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card. Cash App Green features, Savings, Direct deposit, Round ups, Overdraft coverage and Discounts provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 Arraignment Shock 00:19 Growing Up in the Bronx 01:28 Childhood and Early Career 02:53 Choosing Law Enforcement 04:48 Starting in Corrections 06:39 First Prison Assignment 09:14 First Prison Experience 10:27 Transfer to Fishkill 11:34 Life at Fishkill 13:05 Working the Shoe 15:50 Shoe Conditions 16:42 Protective Custody 17:45 Perspective from Solitary 18:49 Corrections Experience Helps 20:40 Respect from Other Officers 21:37 Career Plans in Corrections 23:56 Types of Crimes at Fishkill 25:00 Advice from Veteran Officers 25:43 Prison Food and Cooking 28:00 Sponsor: Cash App Green 30:12 Becoming a Court Officer 31:51 Pay and Academy Differences 32:58 Court Officer Academy 33:58 Swearing in Witnesses 34:33 First Court Assignment 35:25 Family Court Cases 37:45 Emotional Family Court 38:50 Typical Family Court Day 39:31 Family Court Volatility 41:11 Celebrities in Family Court 41:54 Opinions on Lawyers 42:49 Divorce Case Stories 43:34 Promotion to the Bronx 44:24 The Amadou Diallo Case 45:45 Bronx Court Duties 46:44 Handling Prisoners in the Bronx 47:24 Building Rapport with Defendants 48:54 A Mob Enforcer Trial 51:13 Jury System and Sequestration 52:24 Juror Conversations 53:51 Predicting Verdicts 55:21 Juries and Social Media 56:34 Officer Conversations and Bets 57:09 Transfer to Suffolk County 58:35 The Tankoff Case 01:01:39 Verdict Reactions 01:02:27 Taking Convicted Felons into Custody 01:03:17 The Samurai Sword Case 01:07:00 Release and Redemption 01:08:31 Weighing Justice 01:09:16 Showing Grace to Vicious Criminals 01:10:08 Vigilante Thoughts 01:10:48 Drunk Driving Cases 01:12:36 The Schwalli Case 01:13:20 Judges Off the Bench 01:14:11 Judges' Sentencing Decisions 01:15:29 Prison Tours with Judges 01:16:21 Prison Tours and Shows 01:17:22 Court Officers vs. Cops 01:18:03 Courtroom Violence 01:19:47 Prosecutors and Their Styles 01:21:03 Defendant Representing Himself 01:22:25 Strange Defendant Behavior 01:23:28 Shocking Case Outcomes 01:24:56 Disturbing Cases 01:25:15 Closed Hearings and Undercover Testimony 01:26:08 Faking Mental Illness 01:27:55 Grand Jury Testimony 01:28:42 Weapons and Contraband in Court 01:29:16 Inmate Fights in Pens 01:30:58 Refusing to Go to Court 01:31:57 Feeding Inmates 01:33:14 Court Day Logistics 01:34:00 System Designed to Plead Out? 01:35:28 Hypothetical: Sharing Information 01:36:01 Fair Judges 01:37:00 The Rex Case Begins 01:39:52 Rex's Initial Arraignment 01:40:26 Rex's Court Appearances 01:43:20 Rex's Personality and Humor 01:45:36 Rex's Family and Background 01:47:49 Rex's Guilty Plea 01:48:56 Fear of Rex 01:49:27 After Sentencing 01:50:20 Rex's Future in Prison 01:52:41 Family and Friends' Reactions 01:54:00 Why Rex Didn't Go to Trial 01:56:06 Retirement After 29 Years 01:57:07 Watching Court Shows 01:57:39 Jury System Critique 01:59:21 Jury Understanding 02:00:04 Fair Trial for Serial Killers 02:00:20 The Valvet Case 02:02:22 Most Important Lesson 02:02:56 Final Thoughts and Thanks _____________________________________________ To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka

Divorce Master Radio
How to Prove You Are the Better Parent in Custody Cases. | Los Angeles Divorce

Divorce Master Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2026 0:23


⚖️ How to Prove You Are the Better Parent in Custody Cases. | Los Angeles Divorce

Highlights from Moncrieff
Can you have shared custody of a dog after a breakup?

Highlights from Moncrieff

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2026 8:20


Unfortunately, relationships break down every day of the week and heartbreak ensues for many. But, what happens when you share ownership of a four-legged friend? Can shared custody of a dog ever really work?Joining guest host Tom Dunne to discuss is Yvonne Naughton, owner of Happy Paws Hotel in Kilkenny.

Homilies by Fr. Jarred
Custody of Heart

Homilies by Fr. Jarred

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2026 12:05


The Divorced Dadvocate
323 - AI Custody Advice: Why Chatbot Legal Strategy Can Wreck Your Divorce Case

The Divorced Dadvocate

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2026 60:44 Transcription Available


A chatbot can hand you a clean, confident custody plan at 3 a.m. that sounds like it came from a seasoned divorce attorney — and still be the worst move you could make in your case. More dads are showing up to coaching sessions with pages of AI-generated custody strategy, already acted on, because the writing feels so authoritative. That's the trap: in divorce and family court, sounding right is not the same as being right.This episode breaks down the bright line for using AI tools during divorce and high-conflict custody disputes. We cover where AI genuinely helps: building legal literacy in your specific state, understanding legal custody vs. physical custody, temporary orders, and property division basics — so you walk into attorney meetings prepared and spend billable hours on your facts, not vocabulary. We also cover AI as a practical organizational assistant: building case timelines, master calendars, first-pass budgets for two households, and calmer co-parenting messages using the Gray Rock method and BIF communication style without escalating conflict.Then we go straight into the danger zone: AI and custody strategy. Family court runs on judicial discretion, local courtroom norms, judge preferences, and the specific behavioral patterns of your ex and your case history — none of which AI can know. We cover how AI chatbots can hallucinate statutes and case citations that look completely real, the echo-chamber risk of using AI during divorce, the privacy and discoverability risk of what you type into consumer AI tools, and a simple test to run before you act: does this require knowing my specific judge, my specific ex, or my specific case? If yes, it belongs with a human professional. Support the showBeing unprepared is how great fathers become weekend visitors. Most ground is lost quietly through "drift" and decisions made under pressure. Stop the drift today at TheDivorcedDadvocate.com.Access your tactical tools:Weekend Visitor Risk Assessment (TheDivorceQuiz.com): Identify your "quiet loss" exposure in 10 minutes.Strategic Risk Consultation (TalkWithJude.com): Book a private triage to ensure your mistakes don't become your permanent reality.Your kids are counting on you.

Radio Sweden
Radio Sweden Weekly: Fagersta school attack — two in police custody

Radio Sweden

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2026 26:19


One week has now passed since the deadly sword attack at a senior high school in Fagersta in central Sweden. We go to Fagersta to hear about the support being offered to students and staff at Brinellskolan, and learn more about TCC, the online subculture the attacker appears to be linked to.And: New polling shows the gap shortening between the opposition and Sweden's governing parties, just a little over two weeks out from the election.This is the last Radio Sweden Weekly episode to be published in this podcast feed. To hear future episodes, please find the new Radio Sweden Weekly feed through your podcast provider and subscribe there.Presenters: Dave Russell and Michael WalshProducer: Kris Boswell

The Joyce Kaufman Show
The Joyce Kaufman Show 8/28/26 - lawyers for 9/11 suspect claim his rights were violated, Milo Yiannopoulos in ICE custody, Pete Hegseth new military standards and more

The Joyce Kaufman Show

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2026 42:56


Joyce talks about: Honoring the military and advocating for better treatment especially when it comes to housing and job opportunities. lawyers allege that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind behind 9/11, was tortured and conditioned by the CIA to confess to the attack.Far-right British commentator, Milo Yiannopoulos picked up by ICE in Louisiana. Hasan Piker's dangerous statement about advocating for Jewish people. Rumor has it that Karoline Leavitt may be in talks with being on The View after stepping down from her role within the Trump administration to be with her kids. Pete Hegseth reportedly releases a new set of directives for the military, fighting back on DEI or woke culture objectives. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Divorce Master Radio
How to Get Emergency Custody of a Child. | Los Angeles Divorce

Divorce Master Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2026 0:20


⚖️ How to Get Emergency Custody of a Child. | Los Angeles Divorce

Thinking Crypto Interviews & News
THE SEC'S HUGE CRYPTO CUSTODY UPDATE! BIG BANKS TO LAUNCH GLOBAL STABLECOIN!

Thinking Crypto Interviews & News

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2026 26:15 Transcription Available


Crypto News: SEC resurrecting U.S. crypto custody rule the previous administration failed to land. Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Santander & over a dozen major banks move forward with plans to launch a crypto stablecoin. Ripple's RLUSD stablecoin crosses $2B in market cap, with $963M issued on the XRP Ledger and $1.1B on Ethereum.

Mindy Diamond on Independence: A Podcast for Financial Advisors Considering Change
Vanguard Acquires Altruist: What It Means for Advisors and the Industry

Mindy Diamond on Independence: A Podcast for Financial Advisors Considering Change

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2026 25:13


 With Louis Diamond Vanguard's acquisition of Altruist could reshape RIA custody, bringing together Altruist's technology with the scale, capital, and reputation of one of the industry's best-known brands. In Summary Vanguard's acquisition of Altruist brings one of the financial industry's most established brands together with one of RIA custody's fastest-growing challengers. In this Rapid Reaction Industry Update, Louis Diamond looks beyond the reported $4B+ purchase price to consider what the combination could mean for advisors—what he sees as the good news, the potentially negative outcomes, and everything in between. Altruist gains the capital, scale, and brand recognition that could help it compete more aggressively for larger RIAs and breakaway teams. Vanguard gains a technology-forward custody platform and greater access to the independent advisor channel. The larger implication may be increased competition across RIA custody. With Schwab and Fidelity controlling much of the market, a Vanguard-backed Altruist could create new pressure around technology, pricing, service, referrals, and innovation—while raising new questions about how Vanguard balances its growing advice business with its role as custodian. The Storyline RIA custody has long been dominated by Schwab and Fidelity, particularly since Schwab's acquisition of TD Ameritrade. Altruist emerged as one of the few credible challengers, building its position around modern technology, lower costs, and an advisor-focused platform.   But technology was only part of the equation. For larger breakaway teams in particular, Altruist faced another hurdle: brand recognition. Advisors could be impressed by the platform while still wondering how clients accustomed to names like Merrill, UBS, Morgan Stanley, Schwab, or Fidelity would respond to an unfamiliar custodian.   Vanguard changes that equation.   Louis examines why the acquisition makes strategic sense for both companies, from Vanguard's push to expand access to financial advice to Altruist's opportunity to operate with the backing of a well-capitalized, long-term owner.   For advisors, however, the bigger story is what happens next. A stronger competitor in custody could affect everything from technology and pricing to referral opportunities and the choices available to breakaway advisors.   There are also important questions still unanswered. Vanguard operates its own advice businesses. Altruist's speed and fintech culture may be tested inside a much larger organization. And while Vanguard says Altruist will remain independent, the longer-term operating model remains to be seen.   The deal may not change advisors' options immediately. But it has the potential to change the competitive dynamics surrounding those options considerably.   Topics Covered Vanguard's acquisition of Altruist RIA custody competition Schwab and Fidelity Altruist's technology and Hazel AI Vanguard's financial advice strategy Custodian brand recognition for breakaway advisors Advisor referral networks Custody and technology pricing Direct advice and custodian conflicts The future of RIA platforms and Supportive Independence > Download a transcript of this episode… Listen and Learn Highlights for Advisors Why is the Vanguard-Altruist acquisition significant for RIA custody? (03:53)Louis explains why custody has remained highly concentrated around Schwab and Fidelity and how combining Vanguard's scale and reputation with Altruist's technology could create a much stronger third competitor.   What problem does Vanguard potentially solve for Altruist? (05:01)Altruist has built a strong reputation among advisors for its technology, but larger breakaway teams have sometimes questioned whether clients would recognize or trust the brand. Vanguard could significantly reduce that concern.   Why does buying Altruist make sense for Vanguard? (07:00)Vanguard has more than 50 million investors and has publicly discussed the need to expand access to financial advice. Louis considers how Altruist could give Vanguard both additional capacity and a stronger connection to independent advisors.   What does Altruist gain from Vanguard beyond capital? (09:51)Louis discusses the significance of having a long-term, investor-owned parent rather than remaining dependent on successive rounds of venture capital, while gaining additional resources to develop custody, technology, and Hazel AI.   How could this acquisition change the choices available to breakaway advisors? (12:33)The combination of Altruist's technology with Vanguard's brand could make the platform more viable for larger teams that previously hesitated because of client recognition and trust concerns.   Could Vanguard become a meaningful source of client referrals to RIAs? (13:42)With millions of existing investors and more demand for advice than Vanguard can necessarily serve internally, Louis considers whether a future referral program connecting Vanguard clients with Altruist RIAs could become an important competitive advantage.   What are the potential risks of the Vanguard-Altruist combination? (16:54)The acquisition also raises questions around Vanguard's competing advice business, Altruist's long-term independence, differences in corporate culture, innovation speed, and talent retention.   What could happen next across the custody market? (20:00)Louis offers several predictions, including responses from Schwab and Fidelity, wider adoption of Hazel AI, a potential Vanguard-Altruist referral channel, and greater use of Altruist by breakaway advisors.   Key Takeaways Vanguard's acquisition of Altruist could introduce a more formidable competitor into an RIA custody market heavily concentrated around Schwab and Fidelity. Vanguard addresses one of Altruist's biggest challenges with larger breakaway teams: providing a widely recognized financial brand that advisors can more easily explain to clients. Altruist gives Vanguard a technology-forward entry point into RIA custody as Vanguard continues expanding its strategy around access to financial advice. Advisors could benefit from greater competition through pressure on custody and technology pricing, service, product development, and innovation. A future referral channel could become an important part of the combination, particularly given Vanguard's enormous investor base and Altruist's growing network of RIAs. The acquisition also introduces potential conflicts and execution risks, including Vanguard's own advice businesses, the integration of two very different corporate cultures, and questions about whether Altruist can maintain its speed and independence over time. For breakaway advisors, the custody shortlist may have changed: Altruist can now pair its technology and fintech capabilities with the capital and reputation of Vanguard. https://youtu.be/UlgCBjLXrnw Quotable Moments “Custody is really a trust business.”— Louis Diamond (05:55) “Every time a well-capitalized player shows up, especially in custody, advisors win.”— Louis Diamond (12:33) “Really, it's tech-forward independence now without a brand trade-off.”— Louis Diamond (13:42) “There are always innovators showing up from outside the establishment, and every time one succeeds, advisors end up with more options and more leverage and more negotiating power than they had the year before.”— Louis Diamond (22:44) FAQs Why is Vanguard acquiring Altruist? Louis sees several strategic reasons for the acquisition. Altruist gives Vanguard an established technology and custody platform serving more than 6,000 advisors, while potentially expanding Vanguard's ability to reach investors through independent financial advisors. It may also provide another distribution channel for Vanguard investment products and future offerings. What does Vanguard's acquisition mean for Altruist? Altruist gains the backing of one of the world's largest and best-known investment firms while retaining, at least initially, its brand, leadership, and operating structure. Vanguard's capital could allow Altruist to continue investing in custody capabilities, technology, and products such as Hazel AI without relying on additional venture funding rounds. How could the acquisition affect RIA custody competition? Schwab and Fidelity currently dominate RIA custody. Louis believes a Vanguard-backed Altruist could become a stronger challenger by combining Altruist's technology and pricing model with Vanguard's scale, capital, and reputation. That could increase competitive pressure around pricing, service, technology, and innovation. Why could the deal matter to breakaway advisors? Altruist's technology has attracted advisor interest, but some larger breakaway teams have questioned whether clients would be comfortable holding substantial wealth with a less familiar custodian. Vanguard's ownership could substantially reduce that brand-recognition hurdle and make Altruist a more viable option for larger teams. Could Vanguard refer clients to advisors using Altruist? No referral program has been announced. However, Louis believes it is an important possibility to watch. Vanguard has more than 50 million investors, while Altruist provides access to thousands of independent advisors. Connecting investors seeking human advice with RIAs on the Altruist platform could create a meaningful new referral channel. Are there risks for advisors using a Vanguard-owned custodian? Potentially. Vanguard operates its own financial advice businesses, creating some of the same competitive concerns advisors have raised about other custodians with retail advice operations. Other questions include whether Altruist will remain operationally independent over time and whether its culture and pace of innovation can be maintained under Vanguard ownership. What happens next for Altruist, Schwab, and Fidelity? Louis expects the competitive response to be worth watching. He believes Schwab and Fidelity could respond through technology, AI, pricing, or other changes to their advisor offerings. He also expects Altruist to compete more aggressively for breakaway teams and sees the potential for Hazel AI to expand well beyond advisors who custody assets with Altruist. Does the Vanguard-Altruist deal change anything for advisors immediately? Not necessarily. The transaction still needs to close, and its longer-term impact will take time to emerge. But for advisors evaluating custodians, independence, or the value they receive from existing partners, the acquisition adds another factor to consider as the competitive landscape evolves. Louis sees several strategic reasons for the acquisition. Altruist gives Vanguard an established technology and custody platform serving more than 6,000 advisors, while potentially expanding Vanguard's ability to reach investors through independent financial advisors. It may also provide another distribution channel for Vanguard investment products and future offerings. Altruist gains the backing of one of the world's largest and best-known investment firms while retaining, at least initially, its brand, leadership, and operating structure. Vanguard's capital could allow Altruist to continue investing in custody capabilities, technology, and products such as Hazel AI without relying on additional venture funding rounds. Schwab and Fidelity currently dominate RIA custody. Louis believes a Vanguard-backed Altruist could become a stronger challenger by combining Altruist's technology and pricing model with Vanguard's scale, capital, and reputation. That could increase competitive pressure around pricing, service, technology, and innovation. Altruist's technology has attracted advisor interest, but some larger breakaway teams have questioned whether clients would be comfortable holding substantial wealth with a less familiar custodian. Vanguard's ownership could substantially reduce that brand-recognition hurdle and make Altruist a more viable option for larger teams. No referral program has been announced. However, Louis believes it is an important possibility to watch. Vanguard has more than 50 million investors, while Altruist provides access to thousands of independent advisors. Connecting investors seeking human advice with RIAs on the Altruist platform could create a meaningful new referral channel. Potentially. Vanguard operates its own financial advice businesses, creating some of the same competitive concerns advisors have raised about other custodians with retail advice operations. Other questions include whether Altruist will remain operationally independent over time and whether its culture and pace of innovation can be maintained under Vanguard ownership. Louis expects the competitive response to be worth watching. He believes Schwab and Fidelity could respond through technology, AI, pricing, or other changes to their advisor offerings. He also expects Altruist to compete more aggressively for breakaway teams and sees the potential for Hazel AI to expand well beyond advisors who custody assets with Altruist. Not necessarily. The transaction still needs to close, and its longer-term impact will take time to emerge. But for advisors evaluating custodians, independence, or the value they receive from existing partners, the acquisition adds another factor to consider as the competitive landscape evolves. NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Diamond Consultants. Neither Diamond Consultants nor the guests on this podcast are compensated in any way for their participation. Related Resources  Rise and Reinvent: Joe Duran on Building and Rebuilding World-Class Firms From Insurance Sales to $8B RIA: A Northwestern Mutual Breakaway Story Diamond Consultants 4th Annual Advisor Transition Report View the transcript of this episode… Vanguard Acquires Altruist: What It Means for RIAs, Custody & Breakaway Advisors With Louis Diamond Louis Diamond (00:06): Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is a special rapid reaction industry update, Vanguard acquires Altruist, what it means for advisors in the industry. I’m Louis Diamond, and this is The Diamond Podcast for Financial Advisors. Mindy Diamond (00:28): At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive, whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique, or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned. And each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education driven and based on building relationships, starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at 908-879-1002. (01:21): Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual advisor transition report. It’s the award-winning data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Louis Diamond (02:05): Funny how the biggest news in the business almost never comes from the firms everyone is watching. On Wednesday, August 26th, 2026, Vanguard announced its acquiring Altruist. If you asked me a year ago to name the company most likely to buy an RIA custodian, Vanguard would not have been near the top of my list. Vanguard was in the RIA custody business once. They left in 2003 and handed roughly $120 billion of advisor assets to TD Ameritrade on the way out. 23 years later, they’re buying their way back in, reported $4 billion or more. So let’s talk about what happened, why it matters, and where I think it goes from here. (02:48): What happened? On August 26th, 2026, a definitive agreement was announced out of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. A deal is closing later this year where Vanguard is acquiring Altruist, the relative upstart RIA custodian. The price, an undisclosed number, but a reported $4 billion, some outlets reporting $4.6 billion or more. Either way, more than double their last private market valuation at the end of April 2025. Another element is Altruist is staying as a standalone. They’ll keep their brand, CEO, management team, and operate the same model just as a wholly owned subsidiary of Vanguard. Altruist in one breath, for those unaware, was a custodian and fintech company founded in 2018 by Jason Wenk. They became a self-clearing custodian, third largest as far as number of advisors served, north of 6,000 advisors, and had a reputation for serving smaller or upstart advisors, but recently started getting into more of the larger market breakaway space. (03:53): One estimate I’ve seen peg’s Altruist market share of RIA custody at around 6%, but you compare that to about three quarters of the market for Schwab and Fidelity combined. So a relatively small player, but a rapidly emerging player and threat in US RIA custody. This is not the first time Vanguard has been involved with Altruist. They reportedly were an early investor in Altruist back in 2020 and former Vanguard CEO, Bill McNabb, has been on the board of Altruist, so a lot of history between the firms. Let’s get into now why I think this is interesting for the industry as a whole. In my view, custody has never really been all that competitive, especially since TD Ameritrade sold to Schwab. You really had an oligopoly between Schwab and Fidelity. Sure, there’s a number of compelling, say more boutique custodians, whether Pershing Advisor Solutions, Goldman Sachs, which was another newer entrant to custody, LPL, Raymond James, First Clearing, and a number of others are also in the space, but it is a market that is dramatically dominated by the two largest players. (05:01): So I think this matters because you add an amazing venerable brand and reputation of Vanguard with this scrappy upstart custodian, and all of a sudden you can see a world where custody is one of the more competitive spaces in the industry. Altruist, in my view too, was one of the first credible challengers to the incumbent custodians in 20-ish years. Goldman has since picked up some decent market share and certainly they’re attractive for the segment of advisors. But Altruist with their tech-forward approach, low fees, and even just the way they went to market as an antagonist to Schwab and Fidelity, they’re a big deal and I think this just magnifies what they’re able to do. The gap though for Altruist was brand and reputation. Sure, they had amazing tech. No one ever has doubted that. Hazel AI, which they recently launched has been very well received. (05:55): Advisors I’ve worked with who have demoed the platform are incredibly impressed. The big Achilles heel though for Altruist has been my clients don’t know who Altruist is. Why would my clients put their millions of dollars of wealth with a self-clearing custodian that doesn’t have the same scale or reputation as the incumbent custodians? Well, that really goes away here. And at the end of the day, custody is really a trust business, but you’d have to think that a client would trust their assets held with Vanguard or with Altruist through Vanguard in a very similar way that they would trust assets held by Bank of New York Mellon or Charles Schwab or Fidelity Investments or Goldman Sachs. So to me, Vanguard acquiring Altruist solves that problem in one sentence, very simple. Why I think this makes sense for Vanguard? Salim Ramji, the CEO of Vanguard, has been saying since he arrived from BlackRock two years ago that only one in five Americans work with a fee-based financial advisor and that quality advice shouldn’t be a luxury good and this shortage is only going to get worse as advisors retire. (07:00): This is really him putting his money where his mouth is and really trying to make financial advice, human directed financial advice more accessible to everyday Americans and the upper echelons of wealth in this country. Vanguard as a company has over 50 million reported investors and over 12 trillion in assets. A lot of these people want Vanguard advice, but Vanguard hasn’t had the manpower or the capacity to deliver it itself. Buying Altruist over time can certainly solve that capacity gap and make it so that a human-based financial advisor or any of Vanguard’s internal platforms now have a greater ability to provide advice to Americans looking for financial advisors in the United States. I think this also means more distribution capability for Vanguard funds. Not that Vanguard has ever had a problem with distribution. They have a relatively small wholesaling force compared to other firms, but given their cost and reputation and performance, they’re really on pretty much every platform. (08:04): Most advisors have some clients that are invested into Vanguard mutual funds or ETFs, but this I think just gives them a greater ability to distribute Vanguard products, probably in a similar way to Goldman’s approach. When Goldman entered US RIA custody, in large part, they were doing it for distribution of different things. For Goldman, it was private markets and lending and other types of products. Vanguard is more ETFs and mutual funds, but Vanguard has also been pushing more into the private market space, so I can definitely see a world in which they can ratchet up the distribution of their products in a fairly cost-efficient way. I think to me, the most interesting thing about this marriage is the mission overlap is quite real. When Vanguard started, and to this day, their goal was to provide quality investment products at a fraction of the cost of the incumbents so that investing can be accessible to everyday Americans. (08:59): That’s exactly the verbiage that Jason Wenk and Altruist has used from the beginning, where they want to become a all-in-one hub or tech-enabled custodian so that an advisor, regardless of their size and a client regardless of their AUM, have the ability to get quality advice. I recently listened to a podcast called Acquired. We’ll link it in the show notes, but it’s a three-hour in-depth look into the building of Vanguard. And if you combine that with the podcast episode that I recorded with Jason Wenk, the CEO of Altruist, if you play them side by side, the parallels are eerily similar. So we’ll link both into the show notes, but I really think both of these firms were cut from the same cloth and really from the beginning, both have gone against the grain and tried to rattle incumbent players in the industry. So at least on paper, seems like a very good match. (09:51): Why does this deal make sense for Altruist? For one, for Jason Wenk and his leadership team, this has to be the outcome you drew up, maybe even better. Founding a new custodian in 2018, selling it in 2026, eight years later for over $4 billion, that’s a pretty incredible return on time for this team. They deserve it all and built something special and really entered into a space where no one wanted to venture just given the market share of the major incumbents, but good for them and has to feel good to pull off this type of sale. I think the big thing too is the buyer is the story. Vanguard as a company, it’s investor owned. They’re not private equity owned. They’re not VC backed like Altruist was. So Altruist can get off of the fundraising treadmill. They don’t have to worry about fund life or a five-year hold period or an eventual sale to a strategic. (10:42): Now they can really just focus on the business at hand, having one of the most well-capitalized companies in the world as their capital backer and owner. And every advisor on a PE-backed platform knows the question hanging over every relationship, who owns this next? That’s a question they won’t have to answer anymore at all, and they can really just focus now going forward. I think this also gives Altruist a fortress balance sheet and a ton of capital to keep pushing and developing their Hazel AI platform, which was launched in September 2025. Hazel’s an AI tax planning tool, kind of AI superpower that really has taken the industry by storm and has started to be sold as a standalone product to RIAs. And from what I’ve seen, they’ve sold it to over 1600 new RIAs just in the first month alone for $60 a seat per month, and that’s available to folks if they custody at Altruist or not. (11:36): So this, I think, just gives them an ability to distribute their fintech solutions and certainly develop their custody platform in a way that maybe was challenging or not as possible before. They can also take a longer term view instead of having to worry about they raised a series F, whatever comes after F and an eventual sale, investors wanting to get a return on capital, they can now focus on building over the long term, which has been Vanguard’s strategy all along. I think too, this will give Altruist the ability to invest in new capabilities that they didn’t have before, whether it’s lending or whether it’s more on the product side. It takes a lot to be a custodian. It seems like a relatively straightforward business just holding assets, but there’s a lot of products, solutions, really requirements that everyday investors and RIA clients have, and I think this will just ratchet up Altruist’s ability to close some of the capability gaps that they’ve had since they launched and they’re very transparent about those. (12:33): What I’m most excited about this, just coming from my vantage point in the industry, is why should an advisor care? To me, there’s five things that advisors should really take notice of with this acquisition. First one’s competition. Every time a well-capitalized player shows up, especially in custody, advisors win. Schwab and Fidelity have fought Vanguard in the asset management space for decades, and more recently in financial advice. Now you’re adding custody against a firm that doesn’t need to be profitable the next quarter, and all of a sudden we very much have an arms race and some competition is good for pricing, for service, for innovation, and I think this is going to be only positives for clients across the country, having another competitive option and keeping the incumbents really on their toes. Another reason, the breakaway shortlist has changed. Objection I always heard about Altruist was, “The tech is great, the AI seems cool, but how do I explain the name Altruist to a 68-year-old client who’s leaving Merrill or UBS or Morgan Stanley?” (13:42): While someone may still get some objections because Vanguard may not have the same brand cache as Goldman Sachs or UBS Private Wealth or Merrill Private Wealth, that objection got a lot weaker today. Really, it’s tech-forward independence now without a brand trade-off. It’s a genuinely different offer in the market than it was before. Third, I think this is one that hasn’t been talked about much, but should be watched closely, potential for referrals. Schwab confirmed last week that it was taking the SAN or the Schwab Advisor Network client referral minimum from two million to five million. For anyone not aware, referrals from the retail branches of Schwab and Fidelity are one of the major organic growth funnels for many of the top RIAs in this country and have driven valuations to billions and billions of dollars for firms that are in this program. (14:36): I really do see this as being a potential new massive referral opportunity of Vanguard existing clients and customers to Altruist custody to RIAs at a time when Schwab is trying to keep more of those referrals from themselves, which is a very savvy strategy, but at the same time, probably creates a bit of an opening for Altruist and Vanguard to become a really good referral hub for clients, which is a major draw for signing up new RIAs as clients, for breakaway advisors, et cetera. (15:07): So more details need to come there. We don’t even know if they’re starting a referral channel, but I have to imagine that’s high in the punch list and will be a very compelling offering in the marketplace. Yeah, think about it. Vanguard is 50 million investors and a CEO who said multiple times that they don’t have enough advisors or humans to deliver this advice. So perfect. You now have a massive array of RIAs and more and more coming to the table who offer that advice and being able to still serve them, still keep the assets in-house, but do it in a way where Vanguard doesn’t have to scale up their advisor force. They now have advisors to refer to. Fourth is pricing. I think the Vanguard effect is going to be real here. When Vanguard started, and even to this day, they’ve been the one who’ve pushed down the expense ratio on mutual funds and ETFs. (15:56): It’s been a massive benefit to investors across this country. It’s been Altruist’s playbook all along too, more focused on the advisor, so offering amazing tech and a custody platform for virtually no cost to an advisor. So I would say whatever you’re paying for technology, for custody, and really anything else that Altruist and Vanguard might touch, I would expect it to go down potentially and just have more pressures on the incumbent firms to really sharpen their pencil or to get more creative on pricing and innovation. I think that the fifth thing to keep in mind is Schwab has long used its scale and positioning in the market to best competitors, whether it was going to $0 on tickets for equities and ETFs, et cetera, a number of years ago or a number of other strategies they’ve taken. Now you have a firm that has similar scale as Schwab, a reputation for playing the long game and being comfortable making less money in the process. (16:54): So again, massive benefit to the advisors to have another major player driving down costs and increasing innovation in the space. But this is not all positives. As with anything, there’s the good and the bad, and also some open questions. The biggest, I think, downside or potential thing to watch here, and certainly if you are a BDO at a custodian, this is the line you’re using, “Vanguard has its own advice business, personal advisor, digital advisor, and a CEO who stated that his goal is that an advisor is in every investor’s pocket.” So now you have the custodian that’s holding your client’s assets also running one of the largest advice operations in the country. We’ve heard this concern in the past about Schwab or Fidelity where you have RA custody and then these firms have massive retail distribution networks. So certainly Vanguard, I think, will be in the same lane. (17:46): And if you look at a Pershing or an LPL or Raymond James, it’s a little bit different because they don’t have their own channels in the same way that Schwab or Fidelity do. So certainly if you’re BNY Mellon in particular, which is a straight B2B custodian, this is a clear point of differentiation for Vanguard, Altruist and certainly versus the other custodians. Next one is Vanguard has said that Altruist will remain a standalone business. The brand will stay intact, the management team, et cetera. But in fairness, every acquirer says versions of the same thing. The real test is let’s wait two years, three years and see how converging roles or similar roles across the firm start to converge into one, and over time will they more Altruist brand and human capital into one structure. (18:36): Right now we don’t know, but I’m always a bit skeptical with acquisitions that you have the honeymoon period, takes time for the deals to close, and then what happens a couple of years down the line? Either as there’s new executives in charge, there’s turnover, or just there’s certain synergies that can be had, and the best way to do it is by combining operations and the like. (18:56): The next risk, I think it might sound a little bit mundane, but it’s culture and speed. Vanguard based in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Altruist in LA, very different cultures. Altruist as a fintech company has been superfast to market, building, breaking things, innovating. And Vanguard, I think they’ve been extremely innovative on pricing, on product development, but I’ve never heard amazing reviews about Vanguard’s technology. So does this convergence of cultures create an issue? Does it create more bureaucracy for Altruist trying to build stuff? Is there a cultural mismatch when it comes to speed of market and innovation? And I think the last thing to keep in mind or to watch is the talent drainage at Altruist post-closing. Yes, I was a FinTech company and custodian offering equity, lots of upside for people that have taken this journey with them. Vanguard notoriously is the opposite. They don’t offer equity to anyone and they offer their employees high base salaries and you have a culture of longevity within the firm. (20:00): So after the lockup period is done for, or the earn out period is done for any Altruist equity owners and many of their employees, does that cause some talent drainage where folks want to go onto the next big thing, think what will happen to all the amazing SpaceX employees a year from now when their IPO lockups are done? Does that lead them to another opportunity? All these are questions I don’t know, but trying to play devil’s advocate. I think the biggest potential negative is just the Vanguard advice business as a competitor, a conflict to RIA custody. Let me give you a couple of predictions before we wrap here. I think Schwab and Fidelity will respond fast, whether it’s on the AI front or because the pressure is really on. I don’t know, maybe the $5 million referral minimum that Schwab just announced, maybe that sunsets after a period of time. I have no idea. (20:53): I’m also excited to see, we’ll call it the tech face off between Altruist and Robinhood. Robinhood acquired TradePMR, which is on the Wells Fargo First Clearing platform and is in the process of launching an RIA custodian themselves. So now you have, I think, two pretty incredible tech-forward custodians really trying to gain market share, so that will be fun to watch. Could there be a threat in the RIA platform space? So RIA platforms meaning RIAs, we call them supportive versions of independence, where advisors can plug into, they get technology, compliance, operations, et cetera, and still own their business. Given the end-to-end tech stack that Altruist boasts, and they’ve also been in development of their own corporate RIA, does that become that much more of a competitive feature that could possibly become a solution in and of itself that takes a dent out of these RIA platforms playbook? (21:45): I don’t know, but I think it’s possible. Altruist Hazel AI, does that push even well beyond custody? There’s a ton of AI and fintechs popping up around the industry. Hazel has certainly taken a lot of headlines and attention. With Vanguard behind it now, does that push the price lower? Does it help their distribution? Maybe you picture this, if you have a Vanguard-owned product sitting in the daily workflow of a competitor’s advisors, so let’s say you’re a Morgan Stanley, you’re a Schwab advisor, et cetera, do you now have a Vanguard-owned product in Hazel as part of your workflow or your fintech stack? Could be interesting. I will call a referral channel for Vanguard or Altruist, we’ll say within the next year or two. I think it would be crazy if that didn’t happen and that will be a massive disruptor. And finally, my prediction is more breakaways landing in Altruist. They’ve started to crack that door, but now with the powerful brand and reputation behind them, the sky’s probably the limit. (22:44): So in closing, a guy, Jason Wenk, started a company in 2018 in Los Angeles because he thought independent advisors deserve better software at a lower price. Eight years later, one of the most respected financial institutions in the world paid $4 billion for it, and the reason is he was right in that bet. There are always innovators showing up from outside the establishment, and every time one succeeds, advisors end up with more options and more leverage and more negotiating power than they had the year before. It’s a consistent theme across the industry. So nothing changes tomorrow, deals take time, deals have a way of falling apart, but if you’re evaluating custodians, thinking about independence for the first time, wondering whether your current partner is going to keep earning your business, today is a good day to reopen that question. And if you’re an advisor, I think cheer this on and be excited. (23:42): And as a industry participant, I am very excited to see how this deal takes hold and how this pushes the rest of the industry to innovate and continue to be better. So that’s it for today. Thank you for hearing my ramblings, and I’ll see you next time. Mindy Diamond (24:02): As a financial advisor, you hold yourself to the highest standards of integrity, honesty, and credibility. You are successful because you take your professional responsibilities seriously and are dedicated to your clients, but are you living your best business life? Are your goals aligned with your firms or could a better option exist? Should I Stay Or Should I Go? Is a book written with you in mind. It’s a self-guided journey that walks you through the key steps that we take with our advisor clients. This strategic thought process and roadmap to professional self-discovery is designed to help you ask the right questions and think critically and objectively, whether you’re considering change or not. Learn how to get your copy at diamond-consultants.com/thebook.   Vanguard Acquires Altruist: What It Means for RIAs, Custody & Breakaway Advisors With Louis Diamond Louis Diamond (00:06): Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is a special rapid reaction industry update, Vanguard acquires Altruist, what it means for advisors in the industry. I’m Louis Diamond, and this is The Diamond Podcast for Financial Advisors. Mindy Diamond (00:28): At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive, whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique, or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned. And each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education driven and based on building relationships, starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at 908-879-1002. (01:21): Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual advisor transition report. It’s the award-winning data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Louis Diamond (02:05): Funny how the biggest news in the business almost never comes from the firms everyone is watching. On Wednesday, August 26th, 2026, Vanguard announced its acquiring Altruist. If you asked me a year ago to name the company most likely to buy an RIA custodian, Vanguard would not have been near the top of my list. Vanguard was in the RIA custody business once. They left in 2003 and handed roughly $120 billion of advisor assets to TD Ameritrade on the way out. 23 years later, they’re buying their way back in, reported $4 billion or more. So let’s talk about what happened, why it matters, and where I think it goes from here. (02:48): What happened? On August 26th, 2026, a definitive agreement was announced out of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. A deal is closing later this year where Vanguard is acquiring Altruist, the relative upstart RIA custodian. The price, an undisclosed number, but a reported $4 billion, some outlets reporting $4.6 billion or more. Either way, more than double their last private market valuation at the end of April 2025. Another element is Altruist is staying as a standalone. They’ll keep their brand, CEO, management team, and operate the same model just as a wholly owned subsidiary of Vanguard. Altruist in one breath, for those unaware, was a custodian and fintech company founded in 2018 by Jason Wenk. They became a self-clearing custodian, third largest as far as number of advisors served, north of 6,000 advisors, and had a reputation for serving smaller or upstart advisors, but recently started getting into more of the larger market breakaway space. (03:53): One estimate I’ve seen peg’s Altruist market share of RIA custody at around 6%, but you compare that to about three quarters of the market for Schwab and Fidelity combined. So a relatively small player, but a rapidly emerging player and threat in US RIA custody. This is not the first time Vanguard has been involved with Altruist. They reportedly were an early investor in Altruist back in 2020 and former Vanguard CEO, Bill McNabb, has been on the board of Altruist, so a lot of history between the firms. Let’s get into now why I think this is interesting for the industry as a whole. In my view, custody has never really been all that competitive, especially since TD Ameritrade sold to Schwab. You really had an oligopoly between Schwab and Fidelity. Sure, there’s a number of compelling, say more boutique custodians, whether Pershing Advisor Solutions, Goldman Sachs, which was another newer entrant to custody, LPL, Raymond James, First Clearing, and a number of others are also in the space, but it is a market that is dramatically dominated by the two largest players. (05:01): So I think this matters because you add an amazing venerable brand and reputation of Vanguard with this scrappy upstart custodian, and all of a sudden you can see a world where custody is one of the more competitive spaces in the industry. Altruist, in my view too, was one of the first credible challengers to the incumbent custodians in 20-ish years. Goldman has since picked up some decent market share and certainly they’re attractive for the segment of advisors. But Altruist with their tech-forward approach, low fees, and even just the way they went to market as an antagonist to Schwab and Fidelity, they’re a big deal and I think this just magnifies what they’re able to do. The gap though for Altruist was brand and reputation. Sure, they had amazing tech. No one ever has doubted that. Hazel AI, which they recently launched has been very well received. (05:55): Advisors I’ve worked with who have demoed the platform are incredibly impressed. The big Achilles heel though for Altruist has been my clients don’t know who Altruist is. Why would my clients put their millions of dollars of wealth with a self-clearing custodian that doesn’t have the same scale or reputation as the incumbent custodians? Well, that really goes away here. And at the end of the day, custody is really a trust business, but you’d have to think that a client would trust their assets held with Vanguard or with Altruist through Vanguard in a very similar way that they would trust assets held by Bank of New York Mellon or Charles Schwab or Fidelity Investments or Goldman Sachs. So to me, Vanguard acquiring Altruist solves that problem in one sentence, very simple. Why I think this makes sense for Vanguard? Salim Ramji, the CEO of Vanguard, has been saying since he arrived from BlackRock two years ago that only one in five Americans work with a fee-based financial advisor and that quality advice shouldn’t be a luxury good and this shortage is only going to get worse as advisors retire. (07:00): This is really him putting his money where his mouth is and really trying to make financial advice, human directed financial advice more accessible to everyday Americans and the upper echelons of wealth in this country. Vanguard as a company has over 50 million reported investors and over 12 trillion in assets. A lot of these people want Vanguard advice, but Vanguard hasn’t had the manpower or the capacity to deliver it itself. Buying Altruist over time can certainly solve that capacity gap and make it so that a human-based financial advisor or any of Vanguard’s internal platforms now have a greater ability to provide advice to Americans looking for financial advisors in the United States. I think this also means more distribution capability for Vanguard funds. Not that Vanguard has ever had a problem with distribution. They have a relatively small wholesaling force compared to other firms, but given their cost and reputation and performance, they’re really on pretty much every platform. (08:04): Most advisors have some clients that are invested into Vanguard mutual funds or ETFs, but this I think just gives them a greater ability to distribute Vanguard products, probably in a similar way to Goldman’s approach. When Goldman entered US RIA custody, in large part, they were doing it for distribution of different things. For Goldman, it was private markets and lending and other types of products. Vanguard is more ETFs and mutual funds, but Vanguard has also been pushing more into the private market space, so I can definitely see a world in which they can ratchet up the distribution of their products in a fairly cost-efficient way. I think to me, the most interesting thing about this marriage is the mission overlap is quite real. When Vanguard started, and to this day, their goal was to provide quality investment products at a fraction of the cost of the incumbents so that investing can be accessible to everyday Americans. (08:59): That’s exactly the verbiage that Jason Wenk and Altruist has used from the beginning, where they want to become a all-in-one hub or tech-enabled custodian so that an advisor, regardless of their size and a client regardless of their AUM, have the ability to get quality advice. I recently listened to a podcast called Acquired. We’ll link it in the show notes, but it’s a three-hour in-depth look into the building of Vanguard. And if you combine that with the podcast episode that I recorded with Jason Wenk, the CEO of Altruist, if you play them side by side, the parallels are eerily similar. So we’ll link both into the show notes, but I really think both of these firms were cut from the same cloth and really from the beginning, both have gone against the grain and tried to rattle incumbent players in the industry. So at least on paper, seems like a very good match. (09:51): Why does this deal make sense for Altruist? For one, for Jason Wenk and his leadership team, this has to be the outcome you drew up, maybe even better. Founding a new custodian in 2018, selling it in 2026, eight years later for over $4 billion, that’s a pretty incredible return on time for this team. They deserve it all and built something special and really entered into a space where no one wanted to venture just given the market share of the major incumbents, but good for them and has to feel good to pull off this type of sale. I think the big thing too is the buyer is the story. Vanguard as a company, it’s investor owned. They’re not private equity owned. They’re not VC backed like Altruist was. So Altruist can get off of the fundraising treadmill. They don’t have to worry about fund life or a five-year hold period or an eventual sale to a strategic. (10:42): Now they can really just focus on the business at hand, having one of the most well-capitalized companies in the world as their capital backer and owner. And every advisor on a PE-backed platform knows the question hanging over every relationship, who owns this next? That’s a question they won’t have to answer anymore at all, and they can really just focus now going forward. I think this also gives Altruist a fortress balance sheet and a ton of capital to keep pushing and developing their Hazel AI platform, which was launched in September 2025. Hazel’s an AI tax planning tool, kind of AI superpower that really has taken the industry by storm and has started to be sold as a standalone product to RIAs. And from what I’ve seen, they’ve sold it to over 1600 new RIAs just in the first month alone for $60 a seat per month, and that’s available to folks if they custody at Altruist or not. (11:36): So this, I think, just gives them an ability to distribute their fintech solutions and certainly develop their custody platform in a way that maybe was challenging or not as possible before. They can also take a longer term view instead of having to worry about they raised a series F, whatever comes after F and an eventual sale, investors wanting to get a return on capital, they can now focus on building over the long term, which has been Vanguard’s strategy all along. I think too, this will give Altruist the ability to invest in new capabilities that they didn’t have before, whether it’s lending or whether it’s more on the product side. It takes a lot to be a custodian. It seems like a relatively straightforward business just holding assets, but there’s a lot of products, solutions, really requirements that everyday investors and RIA clients have, and I think this will just ratchet up Altruist’s ability to close some of the capability gaps that they’ve had since they launched and they’re very transparent about those. (12:33): What I’m most excited about this, just coming from my vantage point in the industry, is why should an advisor care? To me, there’s five things that advisors should really take notice of with this acquisition. First one’s competition. Every time a well-capitalized player shows up, especially in custody, advisors win. Schwab and Fidelity have fought Vanguard in the asset management space for decades, and more recently in financial advice. Now you’re adding custody against a firm that doesn’t need to be profitable the next quarter, and all of a sudden we very much have an arms race and some competition is good for pricing, for service, for innovation, and I think this is going to be only positives for clients across the country, having another competitive option and keeping the incumbents really on their toes. Another reason, the breakaway shortlist has changed. Objection I always heard about Altruist was, “The tech is great, the AI seems cool, but how do I explain the name Altruist to a 68-year-old client who’s leaving Merrill or UBS or Morgan Stanley?” (13:42): While someone may still get some objections because Vanguard may not have the same brand cache as Goldman Sachs or UBS Private Wealth or Merrill Private Wealth, that objection got a lot weaker today. Really, it’s tech-forward independence now without a brand trade-off. It’s a genuinely different offer in the market than it was before. Third, I think this is one that hasn’t been talked about much, but should be watched closely, potential for referrals. Schwab confirmed last week that it was taking the SAN or the Schwab Advisor Network client referral minimum from two million to five million. For anyone not aware, referrals from the retail branches of Schwab and Fidelity are one of the major organic growth funnels for many of the top RIAs in this country and have driven valuations to billions and billions of dollars for firms that are in this program. (14:36): I really do see this as being a potential new massive referral opportunity of Vanguard existing clients and customers to Altruist custody to RIAs at a time when Schwab is trying to keep more of those referrals from themselves, which is a very savvy strategy, but at the same time, probably creates a bit of an opening for Altruist and Vanguard to become a really good referral hub for clients, which is a major draw for signing up new RIAs as clients, for breakaway advisors, et cetera. (15:07): So more details need to come there. We don’t even know if they’re starting a referral channel, but I have to imagine that’s high in the punch list and will be a very compelling offering in the marketplace. Yeah, think about it. Vanguard is 50 million investors and a CEO who said multiple times that they don’t have enough advisors or humans to deliver this advice. So perfect. You now have a massive array of RIAs and more and more coming to the table who offer that advice and being able to still serve them, still keep the assets in-house, but do it in a way where Vanguard doesn’t have to scale up their advisor force. They now have advisors to refer to. Fourth is pricing. I think the Vanguard effect is going to be real here. When Vanguard started, and even to this day, they’ve been the one who’ve pushed down the expense ratio on mutual funds and ETFs. (15:56): It’s been a massive benefit to investors across this country. It’s been Altruist’s playbook all along too, more focused on the advisor, so offering amazing tech and a custody platform for virtually no cost to an advisor. So I would say whatever you’re paying for technology, for custody, and really anything else that Altruist and Vanguard might touch, I would expect it to go down potentially and just have more pressures on the incumbent firms to really sharpen their pencil or to get more creative on pricing and innovation. I think that the fifth thing to keep in mind is Schwab has long used its scale and positioning in the market to best competitors, whether it was going to $0 on tickets for equities and ETFs, et cetera, a number of years ago or a number of other strategies they’ve taken. Now you have a firm that has similar scale as Schwab, a reputation for playing the long game and being comfortable making less money in the process. (16:54): So again, massive benefit to the advisors to have another major player driving down costs and increasing innovation in the space. But this is not all positives. As with anything, there’s the good and the bad, and also some open questions. The biggest, I think, downside or potential thing to watch here, and certainly if you are a BDO at a custodian, this is the line you’re using, “Vanguard has its own advice business, personal advisor, digital advisor, and a CEO who stated that his goal is that an advisor is in every investor’s pocket.” So now you have the custodian that’s holding your client’s assets also running one of the largest advice operations in the country. We’ve heard this concern in the past about Schwab or Fidelity where you have RA custody and then these firms have massive retail distribution networks. So certainly Vanguard, I think, will be in the same lane. (17:46): And if you look at a Pershing or an LPL or Raymond James, it’s a little bit different because they don’t have their own channels in the same way that Schwab or Fidelity do. So certainly if you’re BNY Mellon in particular, which is a straight B2B custodian, this is a clear point of differentiation for Vanguard, Altruist and certainly versus the other custodians. Next one is Vanguard has said that Altruist will remain a standalone business. The brand will stay intact, the management team, et cetera. But in fairness, every acquirer says versions of the same thing. The real test is let’s wait two years, three years and see how converging roles or similar roles across the firm start to converge into one, and over time will they more Altruist brand and human capital into one structure. (18:36): Right now we don’t know, but I’m always a bit skeptical with acquisitions that you have the honeymoon period, takes time for the deals to close, and then what happens a couple of years down the line? Either as there’s new executives in charge, there’s turnover, or just there’s certain synergies that can be had, and the best way to do it is by combining operations and the like. (18:56): The next risk, I think it might sound a little bit mundane, but it’s culture and speed. Vanguard based in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Altruist in LA, very different cultures. Altruist as a fintech company has been superfast to market, building, breaking things, innovating. And Vanguard, I think they’ve been extremely innovative on pricing, on product development, but I’ve never heard amazing reviews about Vanguard’s technology. So does this convergence of cultures create an issue? Does it create more bureaucracy for Altruist trying to build stuff? Is there a cultural mismatch when it comes to speed of market and innovation? And I think the last thing to keep in mind or to watch is the talent drainage at Altruist post-closing. Yes, I was a FinTech company and custodian offering equity, lots of upside for people that have taken this journey with them. Vanguard notoriously is the opposite. They don’t offer equity to anyone and they offer their employees high base salaries and you have a culture of longevity within the firm. (20:00): So after the lockup period is done for, or the earn out period is done for any Altruist equity owners and many of their employees, does that cause some talent drainage where folks want to go onto the next big thing, think what will happen to all the amazing SpaceX employees a year from now when their IPO lockups are done? Does that lead them to another opportunity? All these are questions I don’t know, but trying to play devil’s advocate. I think the biggest potential negative is just the Vanguard advice business as a competitor, a conflict to RIA custody. Let me give you a couple of predictions before we wrap here. I think Schwab and Fidelity will respond fast, whether it’s on the AI front or because the pressure is really on. I don’t know, maybe the $5 million referral minimum that Schwab just announced, maybe that sunsets after a period of time. I have no idea. (20:53): I’m also excited to see, we’ll call it the tech face off between Altruist and Robinhood. Robinhood acquired TradePMR, which is on the Wells Fargo First Clearing platform and is in the process of launching an RIA custodian themselves. So now you have, I think, two pretty incredible tech-forward custodians really trying to gain market share, so that will be fun to watch. Could there be a threat in the RIA platform space? So RIA platforms meaning RIAs, we call them supportive versions of independence, where advisors can plug into, they get technology, compliance, operations, et cetera, and still own their business. Given the end-to-end tech stack that Altruist boasts, and they’ve also been in development of their own corporate RIA, does that become that much more of a competitive feature that could possibly become a solution in and of itself that takes a dent out of these RIA platforms playbook? (21:45): I don’t know, but I think it’s possible. Altruist Hazel AI, does that push even well beyond custody? There’s a ton of AI and fintechs popping up around the industry. Hazel has certainly taken a lot of headlines and attention. With Vanguard behind it now, does that push the price lower? Does it help their distribution? Maybe you picture this, if you have a Vanguard-owned product sitting in the daily workflow of a competitor’s advisors, so let’s say you’re a Morgan Stanley, you’re a Schwab advisor, et cetera, do you now have a Vanguard-owned product in Hazel as part of your workflow or your fintech stack? Could be interesting. I will call a referral channel for Vanguard or Altruist, we’ll say within the next year or two. I think it would be crazy if that didn’t happen and that will be a massive disruptor. And finally, my prediction is more breakaways landing in Altruist. They’ve started to crack that door, but now with the powerful brand and reputation behind them, the sky’s probably the limit. (22:44): So in closing, a guy, Jason Wenk, started a company in 2018 in Los Angeles because he thought independent advisors deserve better software at a lower price. Eight years later, one of the most respected financial institutions in the world paid $4 billion for it, and the reason is he was right in that bet. There are always innovators showing up from outside the establishment, and every time one succeeds, advisors end up with more options and more leverage and more negotiating power than they had the year before. It’s a consistent theme across the industry. So nothing changes tomorrow, deals take time, deals have a way of falling apart, but if you’re evaluating custodians, thinking about independence for the first time, wondering whether your current partner is going to keep earning your business, today is a good day to reopen that question. And if you’re an advisor, I think cheer this on and be excited. (23:42): And as a industry participant, I am very excited to see how this deal takes hold and how this pushes the rest of the industry to innovate and continue to be better. So that’s it for today. Thank you for hearing my ramblings, and I’ll see you next time. Mindy Diamond (24:02): As a financial advisor, you hold yourself to the highest standards of integrity, honesty, and credibility. You are successful because you take your professional responsibilities seriously and are dedicated to your clients, but are you living your best business life? Are your goals aligned with your firms or could a better option exist? Should I Stay Or Should I Go? Is a book written with you in mind. It’s a self-guided journey that walks you through the key steps that we take with our advisor clients. This strategic thought process and roadmap to professional self-discovery is designed to help you ask the right questions and think critically and objectively, whether you’re considering change or not. Learn how to get your copy at diamond-consultants.com/thebook.  

Divorce Master Radio
How to Handle False Allegations in a Custody Case. | Los Angeles Divorce

Divorce Master Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2026 0:24


⚖️ How to Handle False Allegations in a Custody Case. | Los Angeles Divorce ⚖️ Facing false allegations in a custody case can be stressful, frustrating, and scary. But the worst thing you can do is panic or react emotionally. In family court, calm behavior, solid evidence, and consistent parenting often speak louder than accusations.

No One Dies from Divorce
What Judges ACTUALLY Care About in Custody Battles

No One Dies from Divorce

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2026 29:16 Transcription Available


The biggest mistake parents make in a custody battle? Thinking they can "win" their case with one dramatic, explosive moment in the courtroom. In reality, judges decide custody based on the behavioral patterns they've seen long before you ever walk through the courthouse doors.In this episode of No One Dies from Divorce, I sit down with attorney Austin Dominguez to deliver a massive reality check about the family court system. If you are heading into a custody dispute, you need to understand the fundamental disconnect between what you think matters (revenge, fairness, "winning") and what the court actually cares about (stability, consistency, and the best interest of the child).Austin and I break down the most common custody misconceptions—like why a cheating spouse doesn't automatically mean a bad parent, and why the court doesn't just let teenagers choose where they want to live. You'll get highly practical advice on how to de-escalate toxic text messages, why you need to stop treating the courtroom like a soap opera, and how to document your life so the facts speak for themselves successfully. Plus, Austin shares his own deeply personal experience growing up with high-conflict co-parents and why your kids are more resilient than you think.⭐ Follow Jill Coil: https://www.instagram.com/jillcoil/

The Influence Continuum with Dr. Steven Hassan
The Problems with America's Family Courts with Karen Winner: A journalist turned lawyer on custody, cronyism, and courts without oversight

The Influence Continuum with Dr. Steven Hassan

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2026 60:56


A family court judge can reach into your family, single you out by name, and rearrange your life by dinnertime: where your child sleeps tonight, whether you're allowed to see them, whether you're even permitted to raise a concern about your spouse. Karen Winner told me that in the opening minutes of our conversation, and it's the line I keep coming back to. Winner is a journalist turned attorney and the author of Divorced from Justice: The Abuse of Women and Children by Divorce Lawyers and Judges, a book that started as a government investigation and became one of the few serious accountings of how family court actually operates in this country. Winner's path into this work began at the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, where she investigated financial abuse of women by their own divorce attorneys under commissioner Mark Green. Three women brought her their stories, including Monica Getz, the ex-wife of saxophonist Stan Getz, and Peggy Hammond, ex-wife of blues musician John Hammond Jr. Winner went on to interview roughly a hundred people inside the system, insiders included. One judge pulled her aside in an empty courtroom to whisper how the wealthy get exploited by their own lawyers. The resulting report led to New York's Statement of Client's Rights, one of the first consumer protections written specifically for divorce clients, and still law today. What struck me most was Winner's explanation of judicial discretion. Family court judges, she said, "operate without any checks and balances." They decide behind closed doors, rarely have to explain their reasoning, and face almost no outside scrutiny because the whole apparatus runs at the state level. Custody evaluations compound the problem. Courts routinely appoint psychologists to assess parents, but "there's nobody reviewing the reviewers." Their reports are often sealed from the public and, astonishingly, from the parents whose children's futures depend on them. "It's not fair," Winner said. "It's not democratic. It's Kafka." A small, favored pool of evaluators gets reused case after case, regardless of credentials, because judges default to whoever they already know. That is the same undue influence dynamic I study in destructive cults: a closed information environment where the people affected by a decision have no way to question the process that produced it. When Bandy Lee joined me on this podcast, she described family courts as functioning like "a mini cult," advancing a false narrative that protects the wrong parent while the public stays in the dark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History
Bridegan Murder: The Witness Never Called Police After WHAT?!

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2026 8:17


Taylor Kutis testified via Zoom on Day 3 of the Jared Bridegan murder trial and described conversations with Mario Fernandez that preceded the killing. Fernandez told Kutis he had "a special set of skills" from his time in the Army and mentioned "a contract with Gardner's family." After Bridegan was shot and killed on February 16, 2022, Fernandez described the murder to Kutis as "a hit-and-run."Kutis never called law enforcement. She heard what amounted to advance knowledge of a killing and a reframing of the murder afterward, and she never reported any of it.ATF agent Glenn Fahrig testified about DNA recovered from shell casings found at the murder scene. The DNA on the casings matched Jared Bridegan — not Mario Fernandez, not Shanna Gardner-Fernandez.Detective Johns faced cross-examination that targeted the prosecution's physical evidence. No cell phone data places Fernandez with Henry Tenon during the alleged rehearsal drive or on the day Bridegan was killed. No Fernandez DNA was recovered from the truck used in the ambush. Tenon originally pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and agreed to cooperate but later withdrew the plea and faces his own trial in 2027. The prosecution's "dry run" theory took direct fire, with Johns conceding gaps under questioning.Three Glock 10mm handguns were sold at Beaches Pawn Shop one month after the murder. Bridegan was killed with a 10mm round, but no forensic link to the murder weapon has been established. Victor Quiroz testified he met Fernandez a month after the killing with no discussion of the murder. Custody documents and family group chats framed Fernandez as an involved stepfather.The jury will not be sequestered. The trial continues with the prosecution's words set against a physical evidence trail full of gaps.END LINKSListen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod?sub_confirmation=1Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.HASHTAGS#JaredBridegan #MarioFernandezSaldana #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #BridgeganTrial #ShannaGardner #JacksonvilleBeach #TaylorKutis #MurderForHire #ShellCasingDNA

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Bridegan Murder Trial: The Jury Learned WHO Knew First?!

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2026 8:17


Taylor Kutis testified via Zoom on Day 3 of the Jared Bridegan murder trial and described conversations with Mario Fernandez that preceded the killing. Fernandez told Kutis he had "a special set of skills" from his time in the Army and mentioned "a contract with Gardner's family." After Bridegan was shot and killed on February 16, 2022, Fernandez described the murder to Kutis as "a hit-and-run."Kutis never called law enforcement. She heard what amounted to advance knowledge of a killing and a reframing of the murder afterward, and she never reported any of it.ATF agent Glenn Fahrig testified about DNA recovered from shell casings found at the murder scene. The DNA on the casings matched Jared Bridegan — not Mario Fernandez, not Shanna Gardner-Fernandez.Detective Johns faced cross-examination that targeted the prosecution's physical evidence. No cell phone data places Fernandez with Henry Tenon during the alleged rehearsal drive or on the day Bridegan was killed. No Fernandez DNA was recovered from the truck used in the ambush. Tenon originally pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and agreed to cooperate but later withdrew the plea and faces his own trial in 2027. The prosecution's "dry run" theory took direct fire, with Johns conceding gaps under questioning.Three Glock 10mm handguns were sold at Beaches Pawn Shop one month after the murder. Bridegan was killed with a 10mm round, but no forensic link to the murder weapon has been established. Victor Quiroz testified he met Fernandez a month after the killing with no discussion of the murder. Custody documents and family group chats framed Fernandez as an involved stepfather.The jury will not be sequestered. The trial continues with the prosecution's words set against a physical evidence trail full of gaps.END LINKSListen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod?sub_confirmation=1Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.HASHTAGS#JaredBridegan #MarioFernandezSaldana #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #BridgeganTrial #ShannaGardner #JacksonvilleBeach #TaylorKutis #MurderForHire #ShellCasingDNA

True Crime Daily The Podcast
Mom and grandmother allegedly plotted to kill four kids in a custody dispute

True Crime Daily The Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2026 47:09


This Week on True Crime News The Podcast: After the shocking discovery of six dead bodies, police claim that a custody battle caused the deaths of four young children, along with their mother and grandmother. According to authorities, Amy Steadman and her daughter, Sarah Myers, conspired to kill Myers' four children, Harper Harmon, Hudson Harmon, and twins Gavin and Gracelynn Harmon, before taking their own lives.Imran Ansari joins host Ana Garcia.

The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever with Chris Harrison
Surrogate Mom Refuses Abortion, Gives Birth, And Now Wants Custody

The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever with Chris Harrison

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2026 19:47 Transcription Available


A battle for custody of a newborn baby boy, whose parents wanted to terminate after a serious medical diagnosis, is brewing in Texas. The baby was born this week after the surrogate carrying him, McKenna West, refused to get an abortion at the biological parents’ request when he was diagnosed en utero with a life threatening heart condition, and fled to Texas “for protection.” The baby is in the custody of his biological parents and currently being treated while the legal battle plays out in court. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amy and T.J. Podcast
Surrogate Mom Refuses Abortion, Gives Birth, And Now Wants Custody

Amy and T.J. Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2026 19:47 Transcription Available


A battle for custody of a newborn baby boy, whose parents wanted to terminate after a serious medical diagnosis, is brewing in Texas. The baby was born this week after the surrogate carrying him, McKenna West, refused to get an abortion at the biological parents’ request when he was diagnosed en utero with a life threatening heart condition, and fled to Texas “for protection.” The baby is in the custody of his biological parents and currently being treated while the legal battle plays out in court. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Men Think with Brooks Laich & Gavin DeGraw
Surrogate Mom Refuses Abortion, Gives Birth, And Now Wants Custody

How Men Think with Brooks Laich & Gavin DeGraw

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2026 20:05 Transcription Available


A battle for custody of a newborn baby boy, whose parents wanted to terminate after a serious medical diagnosis, is brewing in Texas. The baby was born this week after the surrogate carrying him, McKenna West, refused to get an abortion at the biological parents’ request when he was diagnosed en utero with a life threatening heart condition, and fled to Texas “for protection.” The baby is in the custody of his biological parents and currently being treated while the legal battle plays out in court. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Briefing - AlbertMohler.com
Monday, August 10, 2026

The Briefing - AlbertMohler.com

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2026 26:49


This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.Part I (00:14 – 12:30)The Confirmation of Attorney General Todd Blanche: Looking at the History of this Crucial Cabinet RolePart II (12:30 – 18:55)The Fires of Spokane: The Arsonist is in Custody, and His Confessed Motivations are a Dark Reminder of the Fall — and a Reminder of the Fire of God's JudgementPart III (18:55 – 26:49)For Israel, This is an Existential Threat: Hamas and Hezbollah and Israel's CrisisCan Iran's Diminished Diplomats Deliver a Hormuz Deal? by The Wall Street Journal (Benoit Faucon and Summer Said)Sign up to receive The Briefing in your inbox every weekday morning.Follow Dr. Mohler:X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeFor more information on The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, go to sbts.edu.For more information on Boyce College, just go to BoyceCollege.com.To write Dr. Mohler or submit a question for The Mailbox, go here.