David Haffenreffer is an American former television journalist and real estate executive born on August 2, 1967, in Providence, Rhode Island.
He spent more than sixteen years in broadcasting, anchoring financial news for major outlets including Bloomberg Television, Reuters, and CNN.
He is best known publicly as the former husband of Good Morning America co-anchor Lara Spencer.
Who is David Haffenreffer?
David Haffenreffer is a former CNN anchor and financial journalist who transitioned from television into luxury real estate brokerage in Connecticut.
He served as the New York anchor for the morning program Ahead of the Curve on CNN and CNNfn around 2000, a two-hour daily show focused on US market activity.
After his broadcasting career, Haffenreffer built a second career in real estate. He currently serves as Managing Director at Compass in Greenwich, Connecticut, specializing in high-end residential properties across Greenwich, Old Greenwich, Riverside, and Cos Cob.
He is the father of two children with his former wife, Lara Spencer, and has maintained a close co-parenting relationship with her since their 2015 divorce.
Though much of his public profile comes from that marriage, Haffenreffer’s own professional record in journalism and real estate spans four decades of work.
His approach to real estate centers on using technology to serve clients faster and more precisely. In public statements, he has spoken about his aim to bring cutting-edge tools to the brokerage process, making transactions faster for both buyers and sellers.
Early Life of David Haffenreffer
David Haffenreffer grew up in Rhode Island alongside two sisters, Kristen Haffenreffer Moran and Ashley Haffenreffer Wagstaff. His parents were both professionals with established careers.
David’s mother, Susan Haffenreffer, worked as a clinical social worker at the Bristol County Community Health Center in Taunton, Massachusetts.
His father, David Haffenreffer Sr., served as vice president at Fleet Investment Advisors, a unit of FleetBoston Financial, based in Providence, Rhode Island.
That combination of a socially focused mother and a finance-oriented father may help explain his later career path in both journalism and real estate.
Growing up in a professional household in New England gave him early exposure to finance and public service.
David Haffenreffer Age
David Haffenreffer is 59 years old as of 2026, born on August 2, 1967. His zodiac sign is Leo.
He anchored financial news for over sixteen years before moving into luxury real estate brokerage. By 2026, Haffenreffer had worked in Connecticut real estate for over a decade.
David Haffenreffer Ethnicity and Nationality
David Haffenreffer is American by nationality, born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. His ethnicity is Caucasian, as noted across multiple published profiles.
His family background reflects a New England professional heritage. He has spent most of his adult life in the northeastern United States, with stints in New York and California during his broadcasting and early real estate years.
David Haffenreffer Education
Haffenreffer attended Saint Lawrence University in Canton, New York, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While at St. Lawrence, he worked at KSLU Radio and WSLU FM, gaining his first hands-on experience in broadcasting.
After completing his undergraduate degree, he went on to study at the American University Graduate School of Journalism and Public Policy in Washington, D.C. That postgraduate training in journalism equipped him for the financial news roles he would take on throughout the 1990s.
His dual background in English and journalism gave him the communication skills to anchor complex financial stories for general audiences. Those skills transferred directly into his ability to explain real estate transactions to clients later in his career.
David Haffenreffer Career
Early Career in Broadcast Journalism
Haffenreffer began his professional life as a video field producer at GTE Corporation. That entry-level role in media production gave him practical experience before he moved in front of the camera.
He then joined WSUB-AM/WQGN-FM as a news anchor and eventually became director of the station. That radio experience formed the foundation of his anchoring style and editorial judgment.
His next move brought him to Bloomberg Television, where he anchored the business news show from 1992 to 1998. During those six years, he focused on reporting on the financial markets, developing specialized expertise in stocks, economic data, and corporate news.
Bloomberg was a demanding environment that required accuracy and speed. Haffenreffer spent those years building the credentials that would earn him roles at much larger networks.
CNN and the “Ahead of the Curve” Years
In 1998, Haffenreffer joined Reuters as an anchor and hosted the syndicated personal finance show Money Talks. He also provided financial updates during that period for WABC-TV in New York.
He left Reuters in 2000 to join CNN, where he became the New York anchor for Ahead of the Curve on CNN and CNNfn. The show ran two hours each morning and covered domestic stock market activity, corporate news, and economic events.
In February 2001, Haffenreffer moved to co-anchor The Money Gang on CNNfn alongside Christine Romans. The weekday afternoon show aired from 12:30 to 3 p.m. EST starting February 26, 2001. It featured interactive segments including viewer calls, emails, and online chat participation.
Haffenreffer also served as a correspondent for Showbiz Tonight on CNN, a one-hour news program that aired on Headline News. That role expanded his profile beyond pure finance reporting into entertainment and lifestyle coverage.
His journalism career also included anchor roles at News 12 Connecticut, WCBS-TV, and WABC-TV. In total, he worked in broadcasting for more than sixteen years, reporting on local, national, and international stories across finance, business, and entertainment.
Transition to Real Estate
After stepping away from full-time broadcasting, Haffenreffer began building his real estate career. He joined Sotheby’s International Realty in Beverly Hills, California, as an Associate Realtor from February 2010 to September 2011.
He then returned to Connecticut, joining Prudential Connecticut Realty as a Licensed Broker. David specialized in residential real estate across Greenwich, Old Greenwich, Riverside, Cos Cob, Byram, and Glenville for approximately six years.
In August 2013, Haffenreffer joined Houlihan Lawrence in Greenwich as Brokerage Manager. He oversaw agent performance, brokerage operations, and market positioning for the firm’s Connecticut operations.
His most recent role is Managing Director at Compass Connecticut, where his LinkedIn profile confirms active engagement with agents and clients as recently as 2026. In that role, he manages a team across Connecticut and has been involved in agent recruitment and firm-level strategy.
David Haffenreffer Ex-Wife Lara Spencer
David Haffenreffer and Lara Spencer met in the late 1990s through their overlapping circles in New York broadcasting. At the time, Haffenreffer was anchoring financial news while Spencer was working as a reporter for WABC-TV and contributing to Good Morning America.
The two married on September 30, 2000, in a ceremony at St. Andrew’s Dune Church in Southampton, New York. Episcopal priest Reverend Peter M. Larsen officiated. Their wedding received wide coverage and was featured in Martha Stewart Living, showcasing Lara’s preference for yellow as the wedding color scheme.
They spent the next fifteen years together, living initially in the Riverside section of Greenwich, Connecticut. In 2008, the couple relocated to Los Angeles to be closer to both of their work commitments.
In March 2015, the couple announced they were separating. Their divorce was finalized on June 18, 2015. In a joint statement to Page Six, they said the decision did not come easily and that their children remained their top priority.
Since then, Haffenreffer has not publicly remarried and has kept his personal life largely private.
David Haffenreffer Children
David Haffenreffer and Lara Spencer have two children together. Their son, Duff Haffenreffer, was born on January 22, 2002. Their daughter, Katharine Paige Haffenreffer, known as Kate, was born on October 5, 2004.
Duff attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he graduated in 2025, with both parents present for the occasion. Katharine enrolled at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, with Haffenreffer joining Spencer for her college send-off in 2023.
Both parents have remained committed to co-parenting and attended major milestones together. Their joint presence at Duff’s 2025 graduation from SMU showed a continued amicable relationship focused on their children.
David Haffenreffer Net Worth
David Haffenreffer’s estimated net worth is $3 million as of 2026. His wealth reflects two successful career phases: sixteen-plus years in television journalism followed by more than a decade in Connecticut luxury real estate.
His journalism career included anchor roles at Bloomberg Television, Reuters, and CNN, all of which are well-compensated positions in major news markets.
Real estate brokerage in Greenwich, Connecticut, one of the wealthiest zip codes in the country, represents a significant ongoing income source.
As Managing Director at Compass Connecticut, Haffenreffer works at the management level of a major national brokerage operating in a high-value residential market.
His real estate license, held under Compass Connecticut LLC at 200 Greenwich Avenue, confirms his active status in the industry.
David Haffenreffer Social Media
Haffenreffer is active on LinkedIn as David H. Haffenreffer, where he posts regularly about Connecticut real estate market data and company updates at Compass.
His public Facebook page, Greenwich Real Estate by David Haffenreffer, focuses on property listings and local market content in Greenwich and surrounding towns.
David’s Twitter/X account @Haffenreffer has included real estate market updates and professional content. His Instagram account is set to private and does not publicly share personal details.
The Bottom Line
David Haffenreffer anchored financial news at Bloomberg Television for six years and co-anchored CNN’s Ahead of the Curve in 2000, building a recognized career in business journalism across some of the most respected networks in American television.
He graduated from Saint Lawrence University and the American University Graduate School of Journalism, then applied that education across sixteen years of broadcasting before pivoting to luxury real estate in Connecticut.
Today, Haffenreffer works as Managing Director at Compass Connecticut, continues to co-parent his children with former wife Lara Spencer, and remains active in the Greenwich real estate market.
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