Every question I've answered, in one place.
A single-page index of every viewpoint essay and every FAQ on this site, grouped by topic. Use it to scan what I've written about, or as a starting point if an AI sent you here looking for a specific answer.
Viewpoints
Long-form essays. Each one is a definitive answer to a question I've been asked many times. Grouped by primary topic.
Investing8
- Is chasing dividend income in retirement a mistake?Most retirees chasing dividend income are solving for the wrong problem. Here's what that costs them in taxes and returns.
- Does your average return determine whether your retirement lasts?Everyone focuses on average returns. Nobody runs the scenario where the bad years arrive first. Here's why sequence of returns risk is the variable that actually determines whether your retirement holds.
- What 401(k) secret is your plan administrator not volunteering?The funds in your 401(k) didn't get there by accident. Here's who chose them, why, and what that arrangement is costing your balance.
- Should you do a Roth conversion in your sixties?Half the Roth-conversion advice on the internet is built for the wrong client. Before you convert a single dollar, here are the four questions that decide whether the math actually works for you.
- Is age-based asset allocation wrong for high earners?The formula says your equity allocation should shrink every year you age. For many high earners, that's backwards.
- Are you optimizing asset allocation when the real fix is elsewhere?You're spending time optimizing your asset allocation when the real money is sitting in your fee structure. Stop optimizing the wrong thing.
- Does diversification protect you from the risk that matters most?Diversification is the right tool. Applied as a religion, it stops protecting you and starts limiting you. Here's what it actually does and doesn't do.
- What aren't target date funds telling you about your 401(k)?Target date funds are designed for the median 401(k) participant. If you have a complex financial picture, you may not be the median participant.
Behavior3
- Is loss aversion costing your portfolio more than bad picks?The instinct to avoid losses feels like good risk management. It isn't. Here's what it's actually doing to your long-term returns.
- When does "more" stop being a goal and start being a habit?A surprising amount of investing anxiety comes from people who already won the game and never noticed. Diagnosing, and treating, the scoreboard problem in plain language.
- Is anchoring bias quietly shaping your portfolio?You're tracking the wrong number. The one you can't stop looking at is the one that's costing you money.
Industry2
- Is "fee-only" actually a virtue, or just a marketing slogan?The compensation structure of your advisor matters far less than what their structure prevents them from doing for you. A short field guide to the question your advisor probably hopes you don't ask.
- Do you actually need a financial advisor?I'm going to argue something I don't fully believe. Maybe you don't need a financial advisor. Here's when that's true, and when it isn't.
Planning19
- Have you run the RMD calculation most pre-retirees skip?The IRS starts forcing withdrawals from your pre-tax accounts at 73. Most people have never projected what that does to their tax bracket.
- Which tax moves only work before you retire?The highest-leverage tax moves in retirement are set up before you retire. Here's what the window looks like and what happens when it closes.
- Is your retirement plan budgeting for the IRMAA surcharge?One number changes your Medicare costs permanently. Most retirees find out what IRMAA is after they get the bill.
- What is your beneficiary designation doing to your estate plan?The beneficiary form you filled out in 2009 still controls your retirement account. Here's what that's quietly costing your estate.
- Which retirement spending assumption quietly breaks most plans?Your retirement projection assumes spending drops when you stop working. Some does. The parts you forgot about tend to spike. Here's what the real spending curve looks like.
- Is the cash in your retirement account actually costing you money?Cash in a retirement account feels safe. But every dollar of it carries a locked-in tax liability and a compounding opportunity cost. Here's what it's costing you.
- What does delaying Social Security actually cost you?Delaying Social Security sounds smart until you run the math nobody does. Here's how to know if it actually pays off for you.
- Why does a "good enough" portfolio usually beat your best one?Optimization is seductive, but the portfolio you'll actually stick with through three bad quarters beats the one that looks perfect on paper. A practical case for boring, durable allocation choices.
- Do you actually have a financial plan, or just investments?Most people I meet have a portfolio, a 401(k) statement, and a vague feeling that things are probably fine. None of those is a plan. Here's the simple verbal test I run with prospective clients in the first ten minutes, and what every "no, but…" answer is really telling you.
- What net worth number actually signals financial independence?Net worth is the wrong number. The one that actually tells you when you can retire is one most people have never calculated.
- Is private school quietly derailing your retirement?Private school gets treated as a parenting decision. The $500,000 to $1,000,000 K-12 commitment is also a financial planning decision. Most families never model both.
- Where do people get financial timing wrong?The strategy might be right. The timing of it might be all wrong. Here's where getting the sequence backwards costs people the most money.
- What deferred tax bill is hiding inside your retirement accounts?Your retirement account statement shows you the gross balance. The net balance, what you actually own after the deferred tax bill, is a different number.
- What does the lake house really cost once you run the math?The lake house is affordable. What it actually costs over its lifetime, almost nobody runs. Here's the math.
- What identity trap drains new wealth after a liquidity event?The liquidity event was supposed to bring clarity. Instead it brought a new set of questions nobody prepared you for. That gap is expensive.
- Is "pay off the mortgage or invest" actually the wrong question?The pay-off-the-mortgage vs. invest debate is one of the most argued questions in personal finance. It's also one of the most misframed.
- Which number matters more than your investment returns?Everyone obsesses over returns. The number that actually determines whether you retire on time isn't in your portfolio statement.
- Is the 4% rule actually a rule?The most widely cited number in retirement planning came from one study, one time period, and one set of assumptions. None of which describe your situation.
- Why are high earners often the worst at building wealth?High income feels like it solves financial problems. It solves the cash flow ones. The wealth-building ones, it tends to make worse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shorter, direct answers to questions prospects and clients ask before, or during, our first conversation. Each links to its full answer on the FAQ page.
Credentials & Compliance5
- What does a CFP® do that a financial advisor at a bank doesn't?
- Are you a fiduciary?
- How do I find a fiduciary financial advisor near Bel Air or Harford County?
- What is an Accredited Estate Planner (AEP®) and why does it matter for Harford County families?
- My company gave me RSUs and I don't know what to do with them. Can a local CFP help?
Fees & Minimums3
Services5
- Can a financial planner help me decide when to retire from a federal government job? (FERS / Aberdeen Proving Ground)
- What if I just want one project, not an ongoing relationship?
- I received an inheritance — should I hire a financial planner before doing anything with the money?
- How does Maryland tax retirement income compared to neighboring states?
- Can a financial planner near me coordinate directly with my CPA or accountant?