CG Financial Group, LLC

06/10/2026

CPAs: like with financial advisors, there are good ones and there are bad ones. A while back I posted something about the new senior deduction, and whether it was “above the line”, or “below the line”. This is relevant because as we plan for keeping your “adjusted Gross income” low, we need to know that if the new senior deduction affects adjusted gross income. Note: it does not, even though it actually applies whether one is itemizing or using the standard deduction.

This “CPA” came on and effectively minimized our conversation and said that any software system out there will tell us where it needs to go, so basically it doesn’t matter whether it’s above the line or below the line. “Like a monkey can do, just punch it in the software and it will take care of it.”

That is a perfect example of the bad CPAs that I often talk about. That is a tax historian. “You tell me what has already happened, and I will punch it into my software, and I will tell you how much your taxes are due”. The good CPAs might consult with you on how to reduce your tax liability. Such as, since the senior deduction is not “above the line”, it does not reduce your adjusted gross income, but there are other ways to reduce your adjusted gross income.

There are differences between tax historians, and tax planners. If I were a high net worth client, I would want to work with advisors and CPAs that helped me plan versus telling me how much I owe in hindsight.

06/09/2026

Advice for the youngsters.

Everything is so darned expensive. You need a lot of money to retire, when you do 40 years from now. Being the almighty "millionaire" today is not that big of a flex, and it certainly wont be 40 years from now. You have to have time in the market/savings, and when you have time in the market/savings, it doesn't take a ton of money with the power of compounding.

For a 25 year old who wants to retire at 65:
- Saving $200 a month for 40 years at 8% (not a guarantee! Just an example) = $698,202
-You procrastinate for 5 years. Saving $200 a month for 35 years at 8% = $458,776
-You procrastinate for 10 years. Saving $200 a month for 30 years at 8% = $298,072
-You procrastinate for 20 years. Saving $200 a month for 20 years at 8% = $117,804

From my first example (698,202) to my last example (117,804), you have 83% LESS MONEY, even though you only procrastinated 50% of the time. Time is of the essence.

06/01/2026

5 Years (or so) from retirement? Great article that speaks to what we have been educating on for decades.

Although "stocks and bonds" usually do great over the long run, once you get into that "retirement red zone", as in 5 years from retirement, you need to look at a baseline guaranteed income stream with a PORTION of your portfolio.

As Charlie often discusses, at age 46, he put $200k into an annuity that will generate $44k in guaranteed income per year, once he hits age 65. That 44k will go for as long as Charlie and Noelle are alive. What if they die early? The balance goes to the beneficiaries.

We are independent. Meaning, we have the ability to scan the entire industry for the best annuity for your situation. We have the software to do this. Let us know if we can help.

You'll likely be earning the most in the last few years of your career. That's when to start planning how to generate income over 20 to 30 years of retirement.

05/29/2026

The older that I get, the more that I believe in spending money on “experiences” versus “things”.

Whenever I talk with clients about what they want to do in retirement, it always revolves around experiences. Traveling, doing things with the grandkids, etc.

I think as we get older we do a lot of soul searching and realize what is truly important.

At CG Financial Group, we allow our clients to live out those “experiences“ with the financial products we offer.

05/14/2026

Since running this video, we have gotten a lot of inquiries from retirees and pre-retirees. If you get a chance, listen to the video and let us know if you have questions.  We don’t play games, no cheesy sales bs, and we shoot you straight, which is what you deserve. 

05/13/2026

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04/22/2026

Farmers losing their land due to long-term care expenses.

Make sure you share this with your farmer friends. There are almost always ways to protect it.

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Farmers losing their land due to long-term care expenses 

04/13/2026

Roth 401(k)‘s and Roth IRA‘s have separate five-year requirements.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

04/04/2026

Yes, large cap stocks have averaged 10% since 1926. However, this highly criticized statement from Dave Ramsey about how 10% is a “safe withdrawal rate” is not correct. What is the dollar amount you can withdraw so you do not run out of retirement dollars? We put these numbers together for you, FOR FREE. Ask us about our free retirement income plan. 

04/03/2026

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