Brian Boder at Insight Financial - Northwestern Mutual

Must-Have Components of a Financial Plan
Want to feel confident spending today while building wealth for tomorrow? 🔑
A strong financial plan doesn’t just chase returns — it grows your assets AND protects them from risks (income loss, medical bills, taxes).
Key moves: investments + tax strategy + insurance (life/disability/LTC) + estate planning.
Bonus: a plan = less stress → fewer emotional investing mistakes.
Avoid the big three: emotional trading, using AI for personalized advice, and procrastinating.

When ChatGPT disagrees with your advisor… don’t panic. Use both—smartly. 🤖❤️‍🩹👩‍💼

AI is great for:
- Building baseline knowledge (plain‑English explainers, comparisons, checklists) 📚
- Spotting questions to ask your advisor ❓

AI is not your fiduciary:
- Generic by design (not tailored to your tax, legal, or life context) ⚠️
- Often leans on consumer forums vs. credentialed sources 🗣️
- Sees only what you type—never your full plan 🎯
- May lag on new rules, products, and market changes ⏳

How to use it well:
- Add context to prompts (age, goals, constraints) 🧭
- Ask “explain” or “compare” vs. “what should I buy?” 🔍
- Request sources from credible orgs (CFP Board, IRS, Big 4, regulators) 🧾
- Bring insights to your advisor to tailor the plan 🤝

Bottom line: Let AI educate—but let a human, credentialed advisor personalize. Want help turning research into a real plan? DM me.

What Your Tax Return Reveals About Your Financial Health

Stop signing your tax return without a second look! Your 1040 is a gold mine for smarter money moves. Here’s what to scan year-over-year:

• Retirement savings 🔍 – W-2 deferrals vs. maxing out; Traditional vs. Roth
• Interest income 💧 – Are you stuck in a low-rate account? Consider high-yield alternatives
• Investments 📈 – Short- vs. long-term gains, rental or business profitability check
• HSA strategy 🏥 – Funding, qualified distributions & catch-up contributions
• Charitable giving ❤️ – % of income donated, cash vs. appreciated stock
• IRA & self-employed plans 💼 – Deductible contributions, spousal IRA rules
• 529 plans 🎓

Want to turn your tax return into a roadmap for wealth? Partner with me to connect the dots—and optimize your plan for the year ahead.

Six Smart Questions for Your Financial Plan This Spring

Spring refresh = small changes, big dividends. 🌱💸

Not a reset — a quick check-in to reengage your plan before the year gets away. Ask these six fast questions with your advisor:

1. Did I hit last year’s savings targets? Should I raise my savings rate? 📈
2. Are there any gaps (insurance, estate, cash flow) I should fix now? 🔍
3. What moves can reduce my taxes this year? 🧾
4. Do current interest rates create opportunities (refi, savings yields)? 🏦
5. Is my portfolio risk aligned with my goals and timeline? ⚖️
6. What opportunities or blind spots am I missing? 🚨

A short conversation now can simplify the rest of your year.