Latest ACP Blogs

ACP Certified Member Thomas Cook, Financial Planner and Founder of Retire to Tellico, was included in InvestmentNews' 2024 list of Rising Stars, featuring the Best Wealth Managers & Advisors Under 40 in the USA. "InvestmentNews’ Rising Stars of 2024 have coped admirably, earned the industry’s respect, and been named to the prestigious list by an independent panel of industry leaders." https://www.investmentnews. com/best-in-wealth/best- wealth-managers-advisors- under-40-in-the-usa-rising- stars/258176
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ACP Certified Member Keith Spencer was quoted in CBS News in an article titled "5 ways to tackle your credit card debt before the holidays", sharing how you can start dealing with your lingering credit card debt issues: "The first thing I would look at is to see whether you can consolidate debt to a lower interest rate. If you struggle with debt, then rather than trying to benefit from using credit cards, it would be better to stay away from them completely after paying them down." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ how-to-tackle-your-credit- card-debt-before-the-holidays/
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ACP Certified Member Ken Robinson was quoted in this article in Barron's Advisor titled '‘Bitcoin Just Hit a Record High. What Financial Advisors Think of Crypto Now.", looking at the recent surge in the crypto market, how financial advisors view crypto, and if they recommend it for client portfolios: "Accepting that cryptocurrency is a kind of currency means that investing in it depends on whether it makes sense to invest in currencies at all." https://www.barrons.com/ advisor/articles/bitcoin- record-financial-advisors- 233ac51f
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ACP was mentioned in Liz Weston's column in the Los Angeles Times, in a section about long-term care insurance and commissions. ACP was mentioned alongside NAPFA, XYPN, and Garrett Planning Network as good organizations and resources to find planners who are fee only, adhere to the fiduciary standard, and can offer broader financial advice. https://www.latimes.com/ business/story/2024-11-17/ money-talk-20241117
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ACP Certified Member Ken Robinson was quoted in MarketWatch in an article titled '‘Should I expect more?’ My adviser keeps saying ‘let it ride’ but I’ve had big swings – ’a $300,000 loss hurts’ – as I near retirement. So now what?', looking at what kind of advice investors should expect from financial advisors, working with different types of advisors, investment strategies, and more. Ken says you can’t expect a legitimate advisor to be able to outguess the financial markets: "Honest financial professionals will admit that they cannot predict the future. If you’re going to treat equities as a long-term investment, it means holding on through the downturns." ...
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ACP Certified Member Susan Einberger was quoted in Comparison Adviser in an article titled 'Education Planning: How It Works and What to Consider'. Susan explains her thoughts on what to consider as you begin saving for education: "The most effective way to save for higher education is to start when the child is born and to automate direct deposits from your paycheck, in addition to using the Child Tax Credit strategy." https://comparisonadviser.com/ financial-advisors/education- planning/
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ACP Certified Member Keith Spencer was quoted in Comparison Adviser in an article titled 'Avoid These 5 Costly Mistakes When Planning for Retirement', examining top mistakes that pre-retirees make during the planning process. Keith weighs in on 'Failing to Anticipate Post-Retirement Lifestyle', 'Using the Wrong Investing Approach', 'Not Planning for Decumulation of Your Assets', and more. https://comparisonadviser.com/ news-and-studies/top- retirement-planning-mistakes/
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ACP Certified Member Keith Spencer was quoted in GOBankingRates in an article titled '4 Tips for Paying Off Debt on a Fixed Income', sharing how consolidating your debt, figuring out which debts to target, and prioritizing your spending can help those on a fixed income pay off their debt faster. https://www.gobankingrates. com/net-worth/debt/tips-for- paying-off-debt-on-fixed- income/
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Dr. Wade Pfau Talks Home Equity (WEBINAR) October 16, 2024 | 2:00PM EST Register Now With highly appreciated home values and retirement lasting longer than ever, many financial advisors see the value in including home wealth as part of a comprehensive retirement plan. Join professor, retirement researcher, author, and speaker Dr. Wade Pfau as he shares strategies for using home equity, often one of a client’s largest assets, to improve retirement outcomes. Discover how home equity can be strategically used to: Pay taxes on Roth conversions Supplement asset distribution strategies Manage long-term care risks Safeguard ...
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ACP Certified Member Britta Koepf was a featured guest on the NAPFA Nation podcast, where she discusses challenges and solutions for special needs families with host Marie Swift. Key topics include the importance of legacy planning, the use of special needs trusts and ABLE accounts, and the financial advisor’s role as an intermediary between clients and legal professionals. https://napfamindsetmastery. libsyn.com/napfanation/ planning-for-two-retirements- challenges-and-solutions-for- special-needs-families-with- britta-koepf-episode-21-of- napfa-nation
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ACP was mentioned in Liz Weston's column in the Los Angeles Times, in a section titled 'Beware the insurance salesperson in financial planner’s clothing'. ACP was mentioned alongside NAPFA, XYPN, and Garrett Planning Network as good organizations and resources to find planners who are fee only, adhere to the fiduciary standard, and can offer broader financial advice. https://www.latimes.com/ business/story/2024-09-01/ money-talk-a-parent-had-life- insurance-but-the-companies- are-gone-what-to-do
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ACP Certified Member Keith Spencer was quoted in Newsweek in an article on how to potentially get a free honeymoon thanks to credit card rewards, discussing various aspects to consider when opening a new credit card, how people who struggle with debt and overspending should think carefully before opening a credit card, and more. https://www.newsweek.com/how- get-free-honeymoon-according- ex-wall-street-trader-1898274
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ACP Certified Members Thomas Cook and Keith Spencer were quoted in Comparison Adviser in an article titled 'What Is Tax Diversification?', discussing benefits of tax diversification for early retirees, different types of accounts, how diversifying taxes helps you prepare for tax codes changing, and how a financial advisor can help you plan to lower your taxes. They also share common strategies to consider. https://comparisonadviser.com/ investing/what-is-tax- diversification/
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ACP Certified Member Thomas Cook was featured in Financial Planning in an article titled 'The rewards financial advisors find working with niche clients', discussing his niche of working with the pickleball players of Tellico Village, a local retirement community, how it's aided his marketing efforts, and more: "Despite being less than a year into building my firm, the power of a niche is proving to be real. I'm gaining traction much quicker, and more importantly, with the people I want to serve." https://www.financial- planning.com/news/financial- advisors-who-serve-a-unique- niche-find-specialization- rewarding
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ACP Certified Member Thomas Cook was quoted in Comparison Adviser in an article titled 'What Is a Brokerage Account?', discussing how brokerage accounts work, where brokerage accounts fit into a financial plan, and more: "They are one of the most underrated investment accounts because they offer the most flexibility regarding when and what money investors can use." https://comparisonadviser.com/ investing/what-is-a-brokerage- account/
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ACP Certified Members Thomas Cook and Keith Spencer were quoted in Comparison Adviser in an article titled 'What Is Tax Diversification?', discussing benefits of tax diversification for early retirees, different types of accounts, how diversifying taxes helps you prepare for tax codes changing, and how a financial advisor can help you plan to lower your taxes. They also share common strategies to consider. https://comparisonadviser.com/ investing/what-is-tax- diversification/
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ACP Certified Member Ken Robinson wrote this bylined article for Retirement Daily on TheStreet titled 'Beyond Budgeting: The Psychological Trick to Stop Overspending with Credit Cards', where he talks about how paying your balance daily or weekly can curb spending and free you from debt: "As our economy has become increasingly cashless, it’s naturally become easier to spend more automatically and less intentionally. Is it possible to make ourselves think about spending, like when we used dollar bills?" https://www.thestreet.com/ retirement-daily/your-money/ beyond-budgeting-the- psychological-trick-to-stop- overspending-with-credit-cards
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ACP Certified Member Ken Robinson was quoted in CNN Underscored in an article titled '8 asset class investment ideas for 2024', noting that one of the best investments, especially for someone who is a ways away from retirement, is in yourself: "The best investment for someone who is some time away from retirement could well be to focus on enhancing their ability to earn a living. Increasing your value to your employer is something you have at least some control over.” https://www.cnn.com/cnn- underscored/money/best-assets- to-invest-in
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ACP Certified Member Keith Spencer was quoted in Yahoo! Finance in an article titled '5 Reasons To Consider a Roth IRA Conversion Early in Retirement', discussing tax planning, RMDs, and more: "Generally speaking, the primary reason to do a Roth conversion would be if you suspect your current income tax rate will be lower than your future tax rate." https://finance.yahoo.com/ news/5-reasons-consider-roth- ira-125708375.html
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The 2024 ACP Annual Conference was detailed in this news release, published via Businesswire in Yahoo Finance, Marketwatch, Associated Press, and more, highlighting the dates, location, keynote presentations, breakout sessions, sponsors, hotel information, registration information, and media opportunities, in addition to highlights, videos, and a podcast episode from the 2023 ACP Annual Conference. https://www.businesswire.com/ news/home/20240612421026/en/ Alliance-of-Comprehensive- Planners-ACP-Shares-Details- on-2024-Annual-Conference
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