J.W. Burt - Thrivent

02/25/2026

AI won't replace financial advisors.

But it will replace some of us.
And it will replace more aspects of what we do than most of us want to admit.

Some questions clients ask me today, they'll ask ChatGPT instead.
AI will empower DIYers to go further down that path.
Expertise that used to set us apart will become a commodity.

But here's what everyone misses:

I've been a financial advisor for 6 years, and technology has changed dramatically.

Demand for what I do has gone up, not down.

Robo-advisors have been "the future of financial advice" for decades.
They have almost no meaningful market share.

If AI is as transformational as they say...
→ Productivity gains create real wealth
→ More wealth means more complexity
→ More income means more tax planning
→ More money = more problems

And when the decisions are big enough, most people want more than a prompt.


Disclosures: thrivent.com/social

01/30/2026

01/28/2026

“You can only gift $19,000, right?”

Not exactly.

$19,000 is per person → per person.

A married couple can gift another married couple up to $76,000 in a single year.

For example:
Dad → Daughter: $19,000
Dad → Son-in-law: $19,000
Mom → Daughter: $19,000
Mom → Son-in-law: $19,000
Total: $76,000

No gift tax.
No lifetime exemption used.

One more thing people miss.

Giving over the annual limit does not automatically mean taxes.

Most of the time it just means:
- The gift is reported on IRS Form 709
- It counts toward your lifetime exemption


Disclosures: thrivent.com/social
Thrivent and its financial advisors and professionals do not provide legal, accounting or tax advice. Consult your attorney or tax professional.

12/17/2025

The problem with average returns is that most years don’t look anything like the average.

People like to set the expectation that the stock market returns 8–12% per year.

But in reality, you’ll almost never earn between 8 and 12% in any single year.

Average returns only matter when you zoom out over a very long time horizon.

What actually matters is relative performance, adjusted for the amount of risk you’re taking.


Disclosures: Thrivent.com/social

12/16/2025

Not all cash is created equal.

I’ve seen several people this year with hundreds of thousands of dollars sitting in brokerage accounts earning ~0.01%.

Anytime you have a brokerage account, there’s a core position.
Sometimes called the cash sweep.

But not all core positions are competitive.

Some earn basically nothing.
Others can earn closer to 4% if you find a competitive money market fund.

Make sure you know what your cash is earning, and not just the cash in your bank accounts.


Disclosures: Thrivent.com/social

12/15/2025

I Bonds were a no-brainer in 2021–2022.

Inflation was high.
Rates were hovering around 7–9%.

Today, many of those bonds are now earning 3.12%.

This image is pulled directly from TreasuryDirect.gov and reflects current composite rates based on when the bonds were purchased.

We still talk to a lot of people who bought I bonds during the inflation spike and haven’t revisited their accounts since.

If you own an I bond, it’s worth revisiting the purpose and time horizon of that money and determining whether this is still the place it should stay.

Reminder:
Selling an I bond within the first five years means giving up the last three months of interest.


Disclosures: Thrivent.com/social

11/14/2025

Stop by our Nashville Office TODAY (10 am - 4 pm) for a free pie from Meridee’s in Franklin.

We are collecting food and donations for The Well Outreach

Sign up to reserve a pie -> https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pie-pantry-nashville-food-drive-tickets-1778623162759?aff=oddtdtcreator

09/04/2025

09/03/2025

08/29/2025

08/25/2025

07/15/2025

"You don’t need life insurance when you retire."

Maybe.

But here’s why some retirees want it anyway 👇

Imagine you're about to start receiving your pension and you're presented with two options:
1️⃣ A higher payout that only lasts as long as you do (Single Life)
2️⃣ A lower payout that continues to your spouse if you die (Joint Life)

Taking the joint life option is kinda like buying life insurance from the pension company.

Some retirees decide to take the higher pension payout and use the difference to fund a life insurance policy instead. It’s really just a question of whether you want to buy the insurance from the pension company—or buy one yourself.

Here’s why that can work:

→ Pension earner passes first:
The policy replaces the lost pension—tax-free.
→ Spouse passes first:
The pension keeps paying. The policy can be used or left to heirs.
→ Both live a long time:
They keep 100% of the pension, and the policy can be used or left behind.
→ Both pass away early:
The policy still pays a tax-free benefit to beneficiaries.

It’s not for everyone.But for some, it’s a way to:
✅ Maximize income
✅ Protect the surviving spouse
✅ Leave more behind

P.S. I find it funny how some financial gurus will say to NEVER buy permanent life insurance—yet fail to realize that taking joint life on a pension is basically a permanent life insurance policy...that pays out as an annuity.


Disclosures: thrivent.com/social