Create Wealth Financial Planning

06/23/2026

Signing up for deferred comp without a strategy? 🚨

Most executives treat it like free money. But there are three costly mistakes that can quietly undo the benefit.

For starters, that deferred balance isn't protected the way a 401(k) is. If your employer faces serious financial trouble, you're in line with every other creditor.

On top of that, you only get one opportunity to elect your distribution schedule when you sign up to contribute. Default to a lump sum payout and you could be pulling a large chunk of income right into your peak earning years, which means a much bigger tax bill.

And deferring as much as possible isn't automatically the smart play. The right amount depends on your expected tax rate at distribution, your other retirement income sources, and whether your employer offers any match.

Deferred comp is a genuinely powerful tool for executives. But only when the strategy behind it is as intentional as the income it's meant to protect.

If you're an executive wondering whether your current deferred comp elections actually make sense for your situation, reach out. I'd love to help you think it through.

Create Wealth Financial Planning, LLC (CWFP) is a registered investment advisor offering advisory services in the State of FL and in other jurisdictions where exempted. All content on this site is for informational purposes only. Portions of this content may have been generated with the assistance of AI tools.

Investing involves risk and the potential for loss. Please speak with a financial professional to evaluate your personal situation before taking action on any items discussed on this page.

Comments and reactions by viewers are not a guarantee of future investment outcomes and are beyond the control of Jeff McDermott and Create Wealth Financial Planning. Public comments are not selected, amended, deleted, or sorted by CWFP, although personally identifiable information, scam or fraud messages, and misinformation may be removed.

Create Wealth Financial Planning is a financial advisor serving mid-career professionals, Executives and Directors, Small Business Owners, and individuals starting to build wealth.

06/17/2026

The Fed's rate decisions hit your wallet more than you'd think. 💸

06/16/2026

One lawsuit could cost you everything you've built. 😳 Do you have this covered?

06/09/2026

Big salary, still not building wealth? 👀

Most high earners assume a strong income puts them on the path to financial independence. But income and wealth aren't the same thing, and the gap between the two can quietly stay wide for years.

Lifestyle inflation is a big part of why. Each raise tends to bring a corresponding rise in spending, and before long, you're earning more but not getting meaningfully closer to financial freedom.

Real financial independence means your investments generate enough income to cover your lifestyle without a paycheck. For high earners, that target number is higher, which means the strategy has to be sharper and more intentional.

A 401(k) alone likely won't get you there. There are specific account structures, tax diversification strategies, and spending baseline calculations that separate the people who eventually reach financial independence from those who stay on the treadmill.

Watch this video to see what a real plan looks like for high earners who are serious about closing that gap.

Create Wealth Financial Planning, LLC (CWFP) is a registered investment advisor offering advisory services in the State of FL and in other jurisdictions where exempted. All content on this site is for informational purposes only. Portions of this content may have been generated with the assistance of AI tools.

Investing involves risk and the potential for loss. Please speak with a financial professional to evaluate your personal situation before taking action on any items discussed on this page.

Comments and reactions by viewers are not a guarantee of future investment outcomes and are beyond the control of Jeff McDermott and Create Wealth Financial Planning. Public comments are not selected, amended, deleted, or sorted by CWFP, although personally identifiable information, scam or fraud messages, and misinformation may be removed.

Create Wealth Financial Planning is a financial advisor for mid-career professionals, Executives, Business Owners, and rising professionals building lasting wealth.

06/04/2026

Spoiler: it's not about picking stocks 👀

06/02/2026

Roth conversions are popular, but have you heard of 0% capital gains harvesting? 👀

06/01/2026

What’s all the fuss about 530A “Trump” Accounts, and should you open one for your children? Learn learn more on my latest YouTube.

✅ Want to know if a Trump Account makes sense for your family? Let's talk → www.createwealthfp.comTrump Accounts could be one of the most interesting new sav...

05/28/2026

Homeowners: your renovation receipts could be worth thousands at tax time. 🏡💰

05/26/2026

Rolling your 401(k) without this knowledge could cost you big. 💰

05/21/2026

Your home gym might not be covered the way you think 🏋️

A standard homeowners policy often covers sports equipment, but the limits vary widely, and most people have never actually checked theirs.

If you've built up a serious setup, there are four things worth verifying with your insurance carrier before something goes wrong.

Personal property limits are usually set as a default percentage of your home's value. That number might not stretch far enough to cover your equipment AND everything else you own.

There's also a critical difference between replacement cost value and actual cash value. One pays to replace your gear at today's prices. The other pays what it was worth after depreciation. Those numbers can be very different.

And if you're training clients or running any kind of business out of your home gym, a standard policy may not cover that at all.

Send this to a fellow home gym owner who needs to hear it. 💪

Create Wealth Financial Planning, LLC (CWFP) is a registered investment advisor offering advisory services in the State of FL and in other jurisdictions where exempted. All content on this site is for informational purposes only. Portions of this content may have been generated with the assistance of AI tools.

Investing involves risk and the potential for loss. Please speak with a financial professional to evaluate your personal situation before taking action on any items discussed on this page.

Comments and reactions by viewers are not a guarantee of future investment outcomes and are beyond the control of Jeff McDermott and Create Wealth Financial Planning. Public comments are not selected, amended, deleted, or sorted by CWFP, although personally identifiable information, scam or fraud messages, and misinformation may be removed.

Create Wealth Financial Planning is a financial advisor serving mid-career professionals, Executives and Directors, Business Owners, Gen X and Gen Y (35-55 years old), young families, and rising career professionals.