What a rockstar move by Jenny!

One of the biggest misunderstandings I see with clients is the assumption that if they are maxing out their retirement accounts then that means they are on track for retirement. Maybe but also maybe not!

I don’t understand it. Why don’t more advisers offer a subscription based fee model? The continued dominance of the percentage of assets/AUM model leads to situations like this where people with smaller amounts of assets in retail investment products can’t find someone to help

This is an all too common conversation with prospective clients. Don’t miss out, there are tons of folks like Mark and me ( and many in the comments) who can help you.

Interns who consolidated to get on SAVE and are stuck not quite being on any income driven payment plan. Here’s what you do:

But, have you heard about the Augusta rule?

It’s mind boggling the amount of times that a client’s beneficiary designations didn’t line up with their current wishes. It’s one of the first things I review with a new client. Stories like Jenny’s are way too common!

A free financial plan might be the most expensive thing that you never buy. If a financial advisor offers you a free financial plan, your next question should be, “how do you get paid?”. No one works for free.

I’m beyond excited to announce the launch of Blackwater Financial! 🎉 We help busy, mid-career professionals simplify and streamline their financial lives—balancing today’s needs with tomorrow’s plans. Follow us Blackwater Financial and let’s connect! 🙌

- Charitable contributions are deductible ( only so if you itemize or use another conduit like a QCD) What’s everyone else have?

These are really great tips by Jess Bost, CFP®! I’ll add to her suggestion about cash on hand - have it in bills of varied denominations. Being able to provide exact change might be valuable.

Listen to Matt 👇 Two of the biggest tax surprises I run into with new clients are inadequate withholding on bonuses and RSUs.

As someone who is just starting on this journey, it’s great to learn from folks like Matt. I only want to work with clients who I get excited to speak with when their name pops up on my caller ID. I love being the go-to person for a family’s money questions.

Me: "Do you know how much you pay your current advisor?" Them: "Like 1.25% or so" Me: "So, about $18,000/yr?" Them: "Ummm, what?..." Know what you are paying your advisor and make sure the value is commensurate with the cost.

What is a surprising, small efficiency tool that you have recently adopted? Me = Airpods. I thought they would be great for phone calls and music, but the easy integration with my Apple devices means I rock them all day bouncing from phone, to Zoom, to deep work tunes.

Jess is posting some absolutely 💣 recommendations post-hurricane! Videoing can also help you find damage post natural disaster by having a before/after reference.

Advisors at the organizations I previously worked at would serve 250+ households. The experience that I am creating for clients means that I'll never be able to serve more than about 50 - 75. My goal is exceptional service and advice, not lowest cost and highest profit.

The people who hire me are some of the smartest people that you will ever meet. They are intelligent enough to DIY their money. They also recognize the value of professional experience, and aren't willing to risk their family's financial success.

This is also generally good advice for less volatile times.

Tyler’s point cannot be overemphasized! I can count on 2 hands the number of “clean” disability cases I’ve seen. Having gone through the process personally for my own coverage, it’s shocking how many threads the insurance company will find to pull on in your record.