The Equity Compensation Guidebook

The focus today is going to be on taxes. You have more control over your taxes than you think. A big portion of my practice is centered around taxes and being tax smart. This does not mean doing anything illegal or even questionable. It simply means taking advantage of opportunities to not tip Uncle Sam and we do this through a variety of ways to reduce taxes. Now, this time of year, I'm asking all my clients to send me their completed tax returns. I don't do taxes, not even my own. However, I get into the returns to make sure everything is in order and more importantly to do planning for the current and even future years, and now is the time to be looking at taxes not waiting until the end of the year.

• Marginal tax rates [2:20]
• Taxation of dividends and bracketology [5:16]
• The differences between qualified and ordinary dividends [7:44]
• Sun setting of current tax rates [9:52]
• Will taxes will be lower now or down the road in retirement [13:54]
• This week’s FLASHBACK [15:22] 

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We've seen the market give up quite a bit of gains this year. Maybe after the last decade plus of great years we’ve forgotten that the market can go down. Who knows if we will end the year negative, but right now, things are looking good for those accumulating assets. Not so much for those in retirement or nearing retirement. Regardless, I want to spend a few minutes talking about something I deal with a lot...concentration risk. The emphasis in this episode will be ways to reduce your concentration risk for times like these with down markets and extreme volatility. 

• Defining what concentration risk is [1:06]
• Stop limit orders [4:07]
• Looking at charitable giving [6:21]
• Filling up tax brackets [8:02]
• ESPP is a quick way to stop accumulation risk [9:27]
• Be aware of the big picture [11:19]
• This week’s FLASHBACK [13:47] 

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In today's episode, I want to talk about a bucket retirement strategy I use with my clients. No, I'm not talking about pickle buckets, which I promise I will explain at the end. We've seen some serious volatility this year in the market. We haven't seen this sort of swing in roughly 15 years. If you're looking too closely at your investments this year, you know we have had volatility all the way through. Most of the cause before was due to inflation and unknowns about the interest rate changes. Things like the invasion of Ukraine certainly have not helped either. Lucily the concept I want to discuss today isn't affected by volatility, at least in the short term. The bucket concept is simple. However, the execution is more complex. Join me to learn more about it.

• Bucket concept in a nutshell [1:26]
• Bucket #1 [2:47]
• Bucket #2 [3:03]
• Bucket #3 [3:42]
• When in retirement will you use each bucket? [5:41]
• The pickle bucket story I promised [8:42]
• This week’s FLASHBACK [9:42] 

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On this week's episode I want to talk about fees. It's a huge issue within my world. More importantly, it's an even even bigger issue in the lives of clients. Fees can take the form of sales commissions, percentage of assets that an advisor manages, hourly fees and more. It's confusing and it's why I operate under a single flat fee structure. 

That's right. I charge one flat fee, $8,400 a year, for financial planning and investment services based on my knowledge and experience. I do not charge based on sales products or what the stock market does. 

• Being charged more becuase you have more [0:59]
• What a flat fee of $8,400 per year will cost you over time vs and AUM advisor [3:29]
• Internal investment expenses [7:16]
• This week’s FLASHBACK [10:41] 

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In episode 70 of the Equity Compensation Guidebook, we're going to talk about spending in retirement. Yes, I'm deviating from equity compensation but please stick with me as this is important. Spending in retirement is a huge question everyone wants to know the answer to. Actually, this question can take a variety of forms. Will I have enough to make it through retirement? How much can I spend in retirement? What's my target nest egg so I can actually retire? A few factors include inflation, healthcare expenses, social security, and longevity. Oh, and we certainly can't forget assumptions about what the market may do. 

What I want to focus on is what studies show us about spending trends in retirement as this is the most important factor to me. Spending. If you know me, you've heard me focus on your spending number. If you have a good estimate of how much you spend, we can start calculating the rest to answer the question of how much you can spend in retirement. 

• The reverse bell curve of retirement spending [1:45]
• Study findings for consumption and spending in retirement [4:10]
• Know your spending [7:19]
• This week’s FLASHBACK [8:45] 

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On this episode, I want to talk about a topic unrelated to equity compensation but something that is impacting more and more of my clients and maybe you too. Identity theft. It's not a fun topic I know but it is one that is critically important. My goal today is to share are a few key tips regarding protecting yourself from getting robbed of your identity and the headache that goes with it. I am no expert in identity theft but I spend a lot of time in this subject area simply because it's another behind-the-scenes service I do for clients as their certified financial planner.

• A quick look at data breaches from last year [1:06]
• Why do breaches happen? [2:25]
• Freezing your credit [3:32]
• Other tips to help protect yourself from identity theft [5:34]
• This week’s FLASHBACK [08:53] 

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Today's episode is once again going to be a bit off topic from equity compensation. I've been receiving more questions about inflation, markets, interest rates, and those associated items. It seems like now is a good time to tackle all these related topics. Rates are rising and contrary to popular belief that means the economy is doing well. Check out the episode as I explain!

• Reigning things in a bit [1:23]
• How interest rates cool down the market [4:15]
• The market will settle once it has a direction [5:15]
• This week’s FLASHBACK [8:13] 

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It seems to me there is a huge potential in the financial services industry for conflict-of-interest issues, when advisors are allowed to charge clients based on assets under management (AUM). Why is this the case? Because those advisors are then motivated to keep the client’s assets under their control (because that’s what they are paid from) rather than doing what’s truly in the interest of the client. This episode I explain what I’ve decided to do about that potential downside and tell a story or two of how I got to that point.

• Why a flat-fee arrangement seems best to me [0:21]
• My history is a bit outside the norm for my industry [1:18]
• The compensation models that are typical, and how they can be problematic [2:45]
• A day I’ll never forget that changed my perspective forever [6:38]
• How I discovered the flat-fee model that I currently offer [7:55]
• One goal I have for 2022: Hiking Half-Dome [9:56] 

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The financial industry, of which I’m a part, has many regulations. A handful of them have to do with how advisors are compensated. There are two primary methods of compensation that I’ll fill you in on during this episode. It’s important because the way your advisor is compensated can have a bearing on the type of advice they provide to you. It sounds a bit odd to say it that way, but it’s simply true. Listen to get all the details.

• A background peek into my world (to help you know what you’re getting into) [0:22]
• A final christmas tree story [3:59] 

• https://forwardthinkingwm.com 
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What IS wealth? Does that seem like a strange question for a financially-related podcast host to be asking? Maybe it is, but I think it’s important. A quote I recently read got me thinking about this question in a new way. It’s proved to be very helpful as I analyze my own life and how I help clients think through their future. Are you interested in knowing the answer to the question? Might it be different for you than it is for me? Listen and let’s learn together.

• Why I’m addressing a work-life-balance topic [0:22]
• Is having lots of money a contributor to happiness? [2:40]
• Social wealth: Is it simply about followers and retweets, or is it something more? [3:14]
• The role physical health plays in personal wealth over the long haul [4:58]
• How wealth-seeking may require trade offs, so make sure they are worth it [6:06]
• This week’s FLASHBACK [11:23] 

• https://forwardthinkingwm.com 
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