posted on 6th December 2016 in Fort Worth CFP Team Posts

Living “simply,” “below your means” or “frugally” is great advice that makes it into a lot of “wisdom lists,” especially those directed at Millennials. Of course, telling someone to “be frugal” is like telling them to “be smart.” It’s a start, but many people may need a few action steps. Here are a few specific […]

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posted on 4th December 2016 in Fort Worth CFP Team Posts

Fair warning: this is going to be a “blow your mind” article. Are you strapped in? Let’s talk about the classic “death benefit” on a variable annuity. Variable annuities are those weird investments that look suspiciously like just another cookie-cutter portfolio full of the high-cost mutual funds that brokers have the reputation of selling to […]

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posted on 2nd December 2016 in Fort Worth CFP Team Posts

Are trading robots worth a look? I’ve heard there are “robots” that can trade options for me with incredible accuracy. What do you think about that?   Let me guess, they promise very high accuracy and probably trade “binary options,” right?  Unfortunately, this is a hotbed for scams. I’m going to hit the main point […]

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posted on 22nd November 2016 in Fort Worth CFP Team Posts

I got a call from a reporter this week asking if I thought there were any loopholes in the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) supposed expansion of the “investment advice fiduciary” definition. I’ve written on this topic before, but it’s worth looking at from multiple angles.   This is quite possibly the most important story of […]

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posted on 17th November 2016 in Austin CFP Team Posts

Attention business owners: your friendly neighborhood Certified Financial Planner™ professionals (CFP® professionals) in Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and Southern California want to remind you that 2017 is right around the corner. Here’s a peek at how deduction limits for Qualified Plans have either changed or remained constant for 2017. What are the elective deferral limits for […]

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posted on 16th November 2016 in Austin CFP Team Posts

Business owners might have a 401(k) and think they are doing the best they can to save on taxes today and save for retirement tomorrow. What they don’t know is that they can, depending on age, more than triple the amount of tax deferred savings and reduce their taxes at the same time. How to […]

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posted on 15th November 2016 in LA/OC CFP Team Posts

Back in the 1980s, it seemed only Fortune 500 executives received stock options.   Boy, have things changed! Today, employees of many firms, large and small, have received stock option grants.   When it’s over, it’s over In most cases, employees have up to 10 years to “exercise” their options and thereby capture the economic […]

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