Sam Flaten

I recently worked with an advisor on a client in their 40s with what looked like an incredibly sophisticated financial situation. Millions coming in through RSU vesting. A high six-figure salary. Multiple properties. Three kids heading toward college. And a real estate tax strategy designed to aggressively offset income taxes. I reviewed hours of planning meeting transcripts while building the financial plan. Taxes were clearly the priority. But before handing the plan back to the advisor, I...

One of the most common objections financial advisors raise when outsourcing paraplanning is this: “Your planning fees are a lot higher than we were expecting. We’re comparing you to another paraplanner, and they work hourly at a much lower rate.” At first glance, that comparison makes sense. Many paraplanners offer lower-cost, hourly financial planning support. But the real question is not whether the work is cheaper. It’s whether the work creates better outcomes for advisors and clients....

Three pieces of burned toast, two eggs, two strips of bacon, a cup of coffee. That's the first Good Mythical Morning intro screen, and I've been watching Rhett and Link since their 11th episode. Fourteen years. Nearly half my life, most mornings. I started watching because it was a chill, goofy way to start the day. That part hasn't changed. What has changed is how I watch it. Somewhere along the way I started noticing the business architecture underneath the bit. These two turned a silly...