When you hire someone to help with your money, you probably assume they’re legally required to act in your best interest. But here’s the catch: not all financial professionals are held to the same standard. In this episode, David breaks down the often-confusing distinction between brokers and fiduciaries, and why it matters for your retirement confidence.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

⚖️ The legal difference between brokers and fiduciaries

🥩 Why the butcher vs. dietitian analogy matters for your money

🕵️ How to research your advisor on BrokerCheck & SEC sites

🛡️ Why fiduciary duty offers stronger retirement protection

📜 The questions every retiree should ask before hiring an advisor

Resources for this episode:

BrokerCheck

https://brokercheck.finra.org/

Investment Adviser Public Disclosure

https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/

For additional resources or to contact David, visit us online at http://creativeoneadvisorsgroup.com or call 913-317-1414.

In this mailbag episode, David answers two practical listener questions about managing unexpected financial opportunities. One listener recently paid off their mortgage and now has an extra $3,000 per month to invest, while another is navigating the tax implications of inheriting an IRA. David walks through several potential options for putting extra cash to work- ranging from CDs and brokerage accounts to fixed annuities- while also clarifying the complex withdrawal rules tied to inherited retirement accounts.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

🏠 Ideas of what to do with extra monthly cash after paying off your mortgage

For additional resources or to contact David, visit us online at http://creativeoneadvisorsgroup.com or call 913-317-1414.

Financial media loves simple answers: always do this or never do that. But real financial planning doesn’t work that way. Most of the biggest decisions people face in retirement live in the gray. David pulls back the curtain on the sensational advice dominating YouTube and financial media. Instead of chasing rigid rules, he explains why thoughtful coordination across multiple planning areas could potentially produce better outcomes.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

⏱️ Roth Timing Window: Converting before RMDs increase income

📊 Tax Bracket Planning: Filling lower brackets strategically

🧩 Annuity Purpose: Guarantees vs market exposure

🔍 Annuity Fine Print: Caps, riders, surrender terms

🏠 Mortgage Tradeoffs: Interest rate vs emotional security

Investment advisory services are provided in accordance with a fiduciary duty of care and loyalty that includes putting your interests first and disclosing conflicts. Insurance services have a best interest standard which requires recommendations to be in your best interest. Advisors may receive commission for the sale of insurance and annuity products

For additional resources or to contact David, visit us online at http://creativeoneadvisorsgroup.com or call 913-317-1414.

Inheriting a home often comes with a lot of anxiety, especially around taxes. Many heirs assume selling means a massive tax bill, but that concern is often misplaced. In this episode, David breaks down what really happens when you inherit a house, why taxes are usually less painful than expected, and what non-tax issues can complicate the decision. If you’re facing an inherited property, or expect to someday, this conversation brings clarity where many people feel overwhelmed.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

🏠 Inherited Home Anxiety: Why taxes are often overestimated

📊 Stepped-Up Basis: How value resets at inheritance

⏳ Sale Timing Matters: When waiting changes the outcome

⚠️ Beyond the Numbers: Additional issues you need to know 

👨‍👩‍👧 Family Dynamics: Navigating shared decisions

For additional resources or to contact David, visit us online at http://creativeoneadvisorsgroup.com or call 913-317-1414.

The amount of life insurance you need changes significantly as your life and responsibilities evolve. David shares practical considerations for thinking through coverage needs at different stages of life, from early adulthood through retirement years. Rather than focusing on one-size-fits-all answers, David offers general tips to help listeners think more clearly about how life insurance might fit into a broader financial picture.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

🛡️ Coverage Basics: General considerations for determining an appropriate amount of life insurance

🧩 Life Factors: How income, family responsibilities, and financial obligations may influence coverage needs

📈 Peak Responsibility Years: Common planning considerations during working and family-raising years

⏳ Later-Life Coverage: How life insurance needs often shift in the late 50s and early 60s

👪 Legacy Planning: Using life insurance thoughtfully when considering heirs and long-term goals

For additional resources or to contact David, visit us online at http://creativeoneadvisorsgroup.com or call 913-317-1414.

Feeling behind on retirement savings can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t mean you’re out of options. In this episode, David walks through five practical steps to help you regain clarity and momentum, whether you’re early in your career or approaching retirement. From tracking spending habits to maximizing workplace retirement plans, this episode focuses on actions you can actually control.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

🧮 How to determine if you’re truly “behind”

📊 Getting a clear snapshot of your net worth

💳 Identifying spending patterns that are holding you back

🔁 Maximizing your workplace retirement savings

📝 Why having a written retirement plan can change everything

For additional resources or to contact David, visit us online at http://creativeoneadvisorsgroup.com or call 913-317-1414.

Today, David is breaking down some of the year’s biggest headlines and what they may mean for your plan moving forward. 2026’s headlines might look different, but the same drama will likely exist. So, what can you do? Aim to control your plan, your savings habits, and your long-term strategy. That’s what can help turn a chaotic year into a confident retirement path.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

🌍 Tariffs: market volatility and uncertainty spikes

📈 Inflation: persistent pressure on household budgets

🏦 High-Yield Savings: interest rates and cash decisions

🧾 Tax Changes: implications of the Big Beautiful Bill

🛟 Emergency Funds: lessons from the government shutdown

🔮 Looking Ahead: planning with perspective into 2026

For additional resources or to contact David, visit us online at http://creativeoneadvisorsgroup.com or call 913-317-1414.

Most people ask good retirement questions, but not always the right ones. In Part 2 of this series, David Dickens shares five more “better questions” pulled straight from real client meetings, revealing how small shifts could lead to better retirement decisions.

From Social Security timing to mortgage payoff strategies and more, we’ll explain how reframing the way you ask the question might change the quality of the answer.

This episode is straightforward and addresses many of the nuances retirees might miss when they think in terms of black-and-white choices.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

🧓 Social Security Isn’t 62 vs. 70

🏠 Mortgage Payoff Decisions Need Context

📉 You Can’t Avoid Risk — But You Might Be Able to ‘Right-Size’ It

🔒 Does Cash Help Provide Safety?

📅 Meeting Frequency Isn’t the Point

For additional resources or to contact David, visit us online at http://creativeoneadvisorsgroup.com or call 913-317-1414.

Sometimes the smartest move in retirement planning isn’t knowing all the answers. It’s about learning to ask better questions.

In this episode of Cover Your Assets KC, David walks through five common financial questions people ask, and then explains how to reframe them to get better results. From “How much money do I need to retire?” to “Where can I pay the lowest fees?”, we’ll explain how slight shifts in perspective can help lead to stronger, more personalized decisions.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

🩺 Long-Term Care Choices: Self-insure, insure, or blend options — it’s not just a yes/no decision.

📈 Chasing Returns: Why diversification matters when it comes to long-term performance.

⚖️ Fees vs. Value: Why “cheapest” isn’t the same as “best” when hiring a financial advisor.

🕰️ Tax Timing: Don’t just lower taxes this year — plan to reduce them for life.

🧠 Smart Strategies: Roth conversions, HSAs, and charitable distributions for lifelong tax efficiency.

For additional resources or to contact David, visit us online at http://creativeoneadvisorsgroup.com or call 913-317-1414.

Most people think financial planning is about calculators, spreadsheets, and strategies. But that’s only half the story. The fact is, your feelings about money can have just as much impact on your retirement as the numbers do. Today, David explores the emotional side of planning and how your legacy goals can be shaped by what you feel, not just what you know.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

🧩 Whole-Person Planning: Why you want your plan to align your money with your mindset

⚖️ Simple or Complex?:  Simplicity in investments can be smarter than complexity

💳 Debt Decisions: Navigating emotional comfort around carrying debt in retirement

📉 Market Emotions: Managing anxiety and confidence through volatility

🎯 Risk Tolerance: How feelings shape your comfort with market ups and downs

For additional resources or to contact David, visit us online at http://creativeoneadvisorsgroup.com or call 913-317-1414.