It’s not uncommon that we find ourselves in the awkward profession of critiquing someone else’s work in the world of financial planning. Mind you, we’re seldom put in a position to review a comprehensive financial plan crafted by a fiduciary CFP® Professional using advanced planning software, and that was clearly crafted for this particular client with love and care. Rather, …
Commonplace Mistakes Made with Confidence
In a recent conversation between two major figures in the financial planning world (Carl Richards & Michael Kitces), a poignant analogy was made: “Are we not simply guides through an ever-changing landscape?” The context made herein was that of someone who had just returned from skiing in avalanche country, and the overconfidence they might display in the face of being …
Politely, Please Don’t Compare
It’s not an infrequent question: “Why should we work with you instead of ______________?” Everything in that question is a good question other than the ______________ part. It’s the ______________ part that actually bothers me the most. You see, it makes sense to ask the question of how your financial planner is different, or why when you engage in what …
The Tax Impacts of a Singularly Yuge Statute
Pardon the parody, but I’ve read a thousand “what’s in the big beautiful bill” headlines in the last few days, and I had to give myself some mental respite. But, as the header implies, this week we’re reviewing the tax ramifications of the “one big beautiful bill” passed by Congress last week, as well as a few “trivia items” buried …