Retire Smart Classes

I really appreciate you stopping by and I applaud you for taking the time to look at your retirement options. You are one of a minority of retirees taking the time to get some facts and plan ahead. I planned ahead and have a rewarding retirement, hopefully, you will also.

I know you’re busy so let’s get right to it. I’m a 68 year old x-retiree. I teach Retirement Readiness Classes & Courses monthly and have an independent advisory practice. My classes are educational only - nothing is pitched or offered. They're fun and I really enjoy doing them. In my practice, I provide Wealth Management Oversight and Expanded Guidance on all retirement matters. I have client sessions in my office as well as online for folks in town, out of town or out of state.
Why “Black Swan”? Early Europeans once thought that all swans were white. Then in 1697 Dutch explorers discovered Black Swans in Western Australia. This discovery proved sometimes things are not always as we believe them to be. So, the Black Swan became a symbol of a moment in time that challenges common beliefs and turns prior thinking upside-down. I have found most folks’ “prior beliefs” around retirement planning need to be updated. Many financial guidelines change in retirement. My classes and my practice help folks have a better retirement.

I was born and raised in Houston but did not want to raise my boys there. In 1985 we moved to a rural setting here, east of town in Bryan, TX. I semi-retired early at 40 after selling a very successful property & casualty specialty insurance agency. I got to spend a lot of quality time on our property having fun with my family. These days I do a lot of vegetable gardening, pasture maintenance and wildlife management tasks. Like most folks my age, I try to eat right, exercise, take care of myself and see the doctor as little as possible. If you're a Boomer, I know what’s on your mind.

I began in the insurance industry with Prudential in 1971. I have held an insurance license in Texas for over 45 years. I started computer programming back in 1980 with my first P&C insurance agency. My computer programs allowed us to grow to be one of the largest specialty agencies in 5 states. I have four decades of financial services, insurance and successful business management experience to bring to bear in my classes and my practice.

I have invested in many different ways in the market for 30+ years. I have lost money and made money and been through booms and busts. I especially understand, and teach, how the investing guidelines you used during the money “accumulation” phase of your life runs by a different set of rules from the money “distribution” phase of your life in retirement.

If you have hung on this far, I hope to see or talk to you sometime. If you already have an advisor, then let’s have a 2nd opinion session – online, at your convenience if you want. We can talk about all the necessary money things. Then we will discuss the important quality of life things that really matter. I believe you will enjoy it and you will learn something.

In a nutshell: I help individuals and couples understand and create informed strategies for a realistic retirement plan that gives them a real sense of control and personal “quality of life” fulfillment.
Take care
TX