Blog

Insights from flat fee advisors.

Articles written by the fiduciary advisors in our directory, shared from their own websites.

August 24, 2026

How Much Is Enough?

By John Stoj, CEPS

Retirement planning often treats “enough” as a fixed number. Learn why the 4% rule is only a starting point, and why your definition of enough will change.

August 24, 2026

What to Do If You Don’t Have a 401(k)

By Michael Reynolds, CFP®

Don't let lack of access to a 401(k) keep you from saving and investing for retirement. You've got plenty of options to fill the gap.

August 23, 2026

How to Combine Finances as a Couple: 4 Smart Money Systems That Actually Work

By Shai Gothreau

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to combining finances as a couple. Here are four systems to help you find what works for both of you.

August 17, 2026

Should You Buy Life Insurance Before You Need It?

By Michael Reynolds, CFP®

There's a guidelines that says you don't need life insurance until someone depends on you financially. That sounds obvious. But there's a real case for buying a…

August 12, 2026

The Financial Advice Business Is Changing. Its Fee Model Should Catch Up.

By James Sweeney, CFA, CFP®, MBA

For most of the last century, the business of financial advice was primarily an investment business. First, it was a product business: brokers were paid commiss…

August 11, 2026

Can I Retire at 50 with $2 Million?

By Raman Singh, CFP®, EA

Retiring at 50 with $2M is feasible for households with low fixed expenses and disciplined spending, but the safe withdrawal rate at a 40-year horizon is closer…

August 9, 2026

Arizona Retirement Tax Planning: Roth, RMDs, IRMAA

By Raman Singh, CFP®, EA

A complete resource for Arizona retirees and pre-retirees on retirement tax planning: Roth conversions, RMD strategy, IRMAA management, Social Security taxation…

August 6, 2026

Charley Corbett Featured by WSJ: Retirees Love Dividends, but the Stock Market Surge Is Making Them Think Again

By Charley Corbett, MS, CFP®

In this recent Wall Street Journal article, Charley Corbett shares his perspective on how retirees can navigate today's changing market environment and ...

August 6, 2026

Flat-Fee, Fee-Only Financial Advice: What True Transparency Looks Like

By Charley Corbett, MS, CFP®

Discover how flat-fee fee-only financial advice promotes true transparency and aligns your advisor’s focus with your financial goals.

August 6, 2026

Understanding the Florida Retirement System (FRS): A Clear Guide for Public Employees

By Charley Corbett, MS, CFP®

Learn how understanding the Florida Retirement System helps public employees coordinate pension benefits with their broader retirement goals.

August 6, 2026

The Power of a Decision-Making Framework: Making Financial Choices the Right Way

By Charley Corbett, MS, CFP®

Learn how a decision-making framework for financial planning helps organize choices and guide every step toward your financial goals.

August 6, 2026

Flat-Fee Financial Advisor Benefits: Understand Fee Structure

By Charley Corbett, MS, CFP®

Discover the flat-fee financial advisor benefits that promote transparency, fairness, and alignment between advisors and clients.

August 6, 2026

7 Smart Moves People With $2M+ in Their IRA Are Making in 2026

By Raman Singh, CFP®, EA

The seven coordinated tax strategies households with large pre-tax IRAs are using in 2026 to manage RMDs, the widow's penalty, IRMAA, and the SECURE Act 10-year…

August 6, 2026

How Is Retirement Income Taxed If You're Still Working?

By Raman Singh, CFP®, EA

If you're still earning income, wages, self-employment, consulting, while also collecting Social Security, a pension, or taking retirement account withdrawals,…

August 3, 2026

Referrals Feel Safe But They Can Also Blind You

By Cliff Brockmann, CFP®, EA

A referral tells you who someone likes, not whether that advisor is qualified, transparent, or aligned with your best interests.

August 3, 2026

Is It OK to Get a Big Tax Refund?

By Michael Reynolds, CFP®

Planning for a large tax refund can make sense in a lot of cases. Just because it's not financially optimal doesn't make it wrong.

August 3, 2026

How Do I Know If I Have Enough to Retire? The Funded Ratio Explained

By Marcel Miu, CFA®, CFP®

Wondering if you have enough to retire? See how the funded ratio compares your assets to your goals, spots the gap, and why allocation comes last.

July 27, 2026

How to Build a Business You Can Sell

By Michael Reynolds, CFP®

Not everyone starts a business planning to sell it. Some of you have no interest in an exit at all, and that's fine. But stick with me, because the work that ma…

July 27, 2026

The Wall Street Journal Is Talking About Flat-Fee Advice. Let’s Clarify What That Means.

By John Stoj, CEPS

The fact that The Wall Street Journal is devoting attention to flat-fee financial advice is another indication that the model is moving into the mainstream.

July 26, 2026

Should You Build a Bond Ladder for Retirement Income?

By Marcel Miu, CFA®, CFP®

Should you build a bond ladder for retirement income? How laddered bonds defend against sequence-of-returns risk, plus the trade-offs to weigh.

July 20, 2026

Five Ways to Simplify Your Money (and How It Helps)

By Michael Reynolds, CFP®

Many people assume that managing money well requires complexity. More accounts, more spreadsheets, more strategies, more monitoring. The opposite is usually tru…

July 17, 2026

How to Hire a Financial Advisor

By John Stoj, CEPS

Hiring a financial advisor is not easy, but it can be much easier than it’s made out to be. This guide gives you the tools to interview financial advisors and f…

July 14, 2026

Why Stewardship? Rethinking the Purpose of Money

By Daniel Huffman

Learn what biblical stewardship means for money, wealth, financial planning, and how to manage your resources wisely, give generously, and live with purpose.

July 13, 2026

Roth 401(k) vs. Traditional 401(k) Contributions: What Is the Right Answer

By Cliff Brockmann, CFP®, EA

Younger investors are rarely informed enough to make this decision.

July 13, 2026

Can I Afford a House Even If I Can't Put 20% Down?

By Michael Reynolds, CFP®

Understanding where the 20% number comes from, and what your actual options are, can help you make a decision based on your finances instead of someone else's r…

July 8, 2026

What Is an HSA and Why It’s One of the Most Powerful Accounts You Can Use

By Cliff Brockmann, CFP®, EA

Most people hear about a Health Savings Account (HSA) once a year during benefits enrollment. They’re told it can be used for medical expenses, they check a box…

July 8, 2026

What's More Risky: Concentration or Leverage?

By Bryan Minogue

How does the risk of a leveraged well-diversified portfolio compare to a 100% stock portfolio? Are stocks the best option for long-term investors?

July 8, 2026

What is Alternative Investing?

By Bryan Minogue

What is alternative investing? What types of investments best complement traditional stock and bond portfolios? What shouldn't be called an "alternative"?

July 8, 2026

What's the Right Amount of Cash?

By Bryan Minogue

Finding the right amount of cash on hand is essential for financial health. Discover how to balance your cash holdings to protect against inflation, seize inves…

July 8, 2026

Why Not 100% Equities - From Paper to Practice

By Bryan Minogue

A review of a 1996 Journal of Portfolio Management Paper: Why Not 100% Equities, and how Kardinal Financial and individual investors can put this paper into pra…

July 8, 2026

Planning Your Retirement with Guardrails

By Bryan Minogue

An overview of a retirement withdrawal strategy that combines Monte Carlo simulations and a guardrails framework, with the goal of reducing the risks of outlivi…

July 7, 2026

Is the 4% Rule Safe for a 40-Year Retirement?

By Marcel Miu, CFA®, CFP®

The 4% rule was built for a 30-year retirement. Why it may not hold for 40 to 50 years, and what early retirees can do instead.

July 6, 2026

Why We Avoid Looking at Our Finances (And What It Costs)

By Michael Reynolds, CFP®

Financial avoidance is very common, but if you learn to recognize it and manage it, you can get better at overcoming these tendencies.

July 6, 2026

How to Protect Your Money From Crypto "Pig Butchering" Scams

By Michael Reynolds, CFP®

What is a pig butchering scam? Learn how this crypto fraud works, the warning signs to watch for, and how to protect your money.

June 29, 2026

Probability-Based vs. Safety-First: Two Ways to Fund Your Retirement Income

By Marcel Miu, CFA®, CFP®

Probability-based vs. safety-first retirement planning: Understand sequence-of-returns risk, map income floors, and learn how to secure your essential bills.

June 29, 2026

The Big Decision to Rent or Buy a Home — And the Math Behind It

By Cliff Brockmann, CFP®, EA

Still, the rent‑vs‑buy debate is everywhere. You’ve probably heard someone say, “Renting is just throwing money away so someone else can build equity.” There’s…

June 22, 2026

The IRS Is Eating Your Returns

By Chris Randall

You Beat Wall Street on Fees... Then the IRS Walked Off With a Quarter of Your Returns

June 22, 2026

The Fee You Pay Isn’t Always the Incentive Driving Your Advisor

By Cliff Brockmann, CFP®, EA

Many people think about how they are charged but rarely think of how their advisor is incentivized to work with them. At nationally known firms, advisor incenti…

June 22, 2026

When Whole Life Insurance Is Sold as an ‘Investment’ And Why That’s a Red Flag

By Cliff Brockmann, CFP®, EA

If someone is pitching you whole life insurance in the first 20 minutes, you’re not getting advice — you’re getting sold.