Charles Petitjean, CFP - Financial Planner at Barker Wealth Management, LLC

Charles Petitjean, CFP - Financial Planner at Barker Wealth Management, LLC Financial Planner helping people aged 60+ live better retirements while paying less taxes.

As a CFP®, I help you:
▪️Maximize Your Money & Retirement Spending
▪️Pay Less Taxes
▪️Have Less Money Worry

06/01/2026

Can’t beat this feeling! 👇

When a CPA, estate planning attorney, health insurance broker or another professional refers someone to me, it means they’ve staked their own reputation on the recommendation.
They’ve told a client they trust: “Go talk to this person.”

I don’t take that lightly.

Referrals from other professionals are the highest compliment this work produces.
Not because of what it means for my practice, but because of what it says about the trust that’s been built over time with people who see a lot of advisors and have high standards.

Too all those who have sent folks my way: thank you so much for your trust in me! ☺️

One thing I’ve learned from hosting retiree events:Retirees are often busier than most working professionals 😂This week,...
05/30/2026

One thing I’ve learned from hosting retiree events:

Retirees are often busier than most working professionals 😂

This week, RetireRidgefield gathered at The Neighborhood Refuge in Ridgefield and had a nice meal and presentation from “Visit Vancouver WA” on local attractions, events, restaurants, and things to do around Southwest Washington.

The room was full of ideas for future day trips, weekend adventures, and places many attendees had never visited before.

A big thank you to our guest speaker, Lydia and to everyone who came out.

Such a pleasure to lead this group! 😊🫡

05/27/2026

I’m always amazed at how many people aren’t willing to pay to work with a good financial advisor..

Yet, attempt to rattle off 17 very specific retirement planning questions and want great answers 😂

And honestly, I get it.
Most people don’t wake up excited to pay an advisory fee.

But I think it points to something bigger:

People often underestimate how much coordination and thought goes into good retirement planning because the output can sound simple.

“How much can I spend and how do I pull my retirement income?”
“Should I take Social Security now?”
“Should I do Roth conversions?”
“Can I help my kids financially?”
“Am I paying too much in taxes?”

Simple questions, but not usually very simple answers.

A lot of the value is in the thinking, context, and experience behind the recommendation, not just the recommendation itself.

My attempted solution:
This all has led me to try and be more upfront on my website and online presence.

What my fees are, who I best serve and using conditional forms when people attempt to schedule an intro with me so that I’m not wasting their time and they’re not wasting mine.
More honesty and transparency. 😊

05/26/2026

The average cost of a private room in a nursing home in Washington state is over $100,000 a year!

The % of people needing it varies depending on where you look but it's typically north of 50% and the cost of course depends on the level of care that you end up needing and where you live.

But most people's retirement plans have a blank space where that number should be..

Long-term care is one of the most common planning blind spots I see.
People either assume Medicare covers it (it largely doesn't, beyond short-term skilled care), assume it won't happen to them (statistically unlikely), or put off the decision until it becomes harder and more expensive to insure.

I mean, there's no perfect answer because none of us know for sure that we will need it. On top of it, long-term care insurance can be really expensive if you wait too long to purchase it. Self-funding works if you have the assets. Hybrid life/LTC products are another option with their own tradeoffs.

But doing nothing and hoping for the best is a plan too, just not a very good one.
It definitely belongs in your retirement plan!

A lot going on in the Petitjean household and it was nice to be in the Gorge. 🫡We’re in the middle of selling our first ...
05/25/2026

A lot going on in the Petitjean household and it was nice to be in the Gorge. 🫡

We’re in the middle of selling our first home and buying a new one, which so far, has been easier than expected.. almost too easy!

We got an offer on our house for over asking less than a week after listing.
Then, we put out an offer on a new place that checked all our boxes (our first offer) and it was accepted contingent on our home going through.

So, assuming two inspections go well enough we’ll be on our way to a lot more space, a more walkable neighborhood and big yard!

Amid all the craziness, my dad and I got away to Carson, WA and played Elk Ridge which was quite interesting and fun!

05/21/2026

A lot of the people I work with already have an advisor before working with me.

The common thread was that they typically weren't receiving proactive and coordinated advice. There might have been "a plan" that was created years ago but not much more than that.

They had someone managing their portfolio. They had a once-a-year check-in about their investment allocation. They had a general sense that things were fine.

What they didn't have was a clear picture of their retirement income structure, a Social Security strategy, a tax plan for the transition, or a real answer to the question:

"Am I set to retire in the way that I want or am I missing something that's going to matter a lot later?"

That's what I focus on.
And in my experience, a lot of people with advisors still don't have answers to them, they just want their "money person" to make them money.

Tonight’s lesson from my two-year-old:1) Play hard!2) Carry at least one toy car everywhere (usually 3+).3) Be very in t...
05/19/2026

Tonight’s lesson from my two-year-old:

1) Play hard!
2) Carry at least one toy car everywhere (usually 3+).
3) Be very in the moment.
4) Fall asleep wherever possible! 😊

I already miss you buddy.. even though you’re still my lil handsome man who gives me hugs and fist bumps and runs to dada when he’s home from work.

I know it won’t be like this forever. 😢

This one landed in my inbox yesterday, and I'm still smiling!A new client of mine (you know who you are!) gave me a comp...
05/14/2026

This one landed in my inbox yesterday, and I'm still smiling!

A new client of mine (you know who you are!) gave me a compliment after reading my recent newsletter/ article on Washington state taxes in retirement.

It's really validating because I spend a lot of time on this stuff.
Every article I write is handwritten. Every newsletter goes through more drafts than I'd care to admit..

It's definitely one of the slower, quieter parts of my weekly work and something that nobody sees me do.

But messages like this remind me why I continue to do them.
Lead with value and education, and people will notice! 😊

05/13/2026

I see a lot of retirees miss out on these 4️⃣ tax planning opportunities..

✅ Roth conversions in the early retirement years (before SS, pensions, etc).
✅ Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) after 70½, or DAF funding (if charitable).
✅ Strategic asset allocation (tax-efficient investing that matches the purpose of your dollars with the right investment strategy).
✅ Harvesting capital gains in low-income years (many can pay 0% tax on long-term gains)
✅ Applying for WA’s senior property tax exemption program in the early years of retirement when their income is low (especially if they’re able to pull their income from bank/ brokerage accounts).

Don’t assume you’re done with tax planning once you stop working, because that’s actually when the fun and real work begins!!

100 degree days call for pool time 🌞Super clutch setup at our Airbnb although, I don’t know how you wouldn’t have a swee...
05/09/2026

100 degree days call for pool time 🌞

Super clutch setup at our Airbnb although, I don’t know how you wouldn’t have a sweet pool in AZ.

This pasty pale guy doesn’t have a real sunburn to speak of.. that’s a win!

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Ridgefield, WA
98642

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Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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