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Choosing a Financial Advisor

What Do It Yourselfers Get Wrong

What Do-It-Yourselfers Get Wrong About Financial Planning

The mistakes I see most often from do-it-yourself investors, plus two questions to decide whether DIY financial planning is worth your time.
Different Advisors and Their Compensation

Different Types of Financial Advisors and How They Are Paid

Insurance agent, broker, 'fee-based' or fee-only? How each type of advisor is paid, who is a fiduciary, and the conflicts federal employees should know.
Is Dave Ramsey Right?

Is Dave Ramsey Right? His 12% Return and 8% Withdrawal Advice

Dave Ramsey gets debt right, but planning on a 12% return and an 8% withdrawal rate can wreck a retirement. Here's why, and what to plan on instead.
Let's Be Real About What Advisors Actually Do

Let’s Be Real About What Financial Advisors Actually Do

Who Brad is, how a fee-only fiduciary is paid, the industry practices to watch out for, and three real federal employee planning cases.
A Good Advisor Will Tell You "No"

A Good Advisor Will Tell You “No”

Why an advisor who challenges you is worth more than one who always says yes, with real examples from TSP, debt and college decisions.
The Worst Investment For Your TSP

Is an Indexed Annuity the Worst Investment for Your TSP?

Why product salesmen push equity indexed annuities on federal employees' TSP money, what the pitch leaves out, and how the G fund compares.
The Real Cost of That Free Dinner

The Real Cost of That Free Dinner: Federal Retirement Seminars and Annuity Pitches

What really happens at free dinner and federal retirement seminars, why the annuity pitch is a half-truth, and the questions to ask before you act.