Trust the Plan Podcast with Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, CFP®

EP 051: NYT: Think Your Retirement Plan is Bad? Talk to a Teacher

Financial Planning expert Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® talk about the 403b investment landscape, focusing on a NYT article from a few years back. Fortunately we have arrangements with non-profit institutions such as Universities, school districts, and hospitals which all us to represent employees such as teachers, professors, doctors, and nurses with their 403b accounts at investment companies such as Fidelity and TIAA-CREF.  If you're looking for a second opinion on your workplace 403b account, please give us a call at 734-681-7575.

Peak Wealth Management is not affiliated with any non-profit or Fidelity or TIAA-CREF. 

Peak Wealth Management is a financial advisor located in Plymouth, MI. We believe by providing education and guidance, we inspire our clients to make great decisions putting them on a path toward fulfillment and their own definition of true wealth.

EP 050: Facebook Guy

Markets have been extremely volatile as of late, so financial planners/financial advisors/wealth managers Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® talk markets and react to Facebook Guy, who makes fear-mongering posts when the markets go down, hoping to prey on the fearful with misleading statements. 

In this episode, we also make note that it is Episode 50, and we give ourselves credit for sticking with it this long. 

Peak Wealth Management is fee-based and located in Plymouth, MI. We believe by providing education and guidance, we inspire our clients to make great decisions putting them on a path toward fulfillment and their own definition of true wealth.

EP 049: Two Planners with Dramatically Different Results

Recently a couple decided to partner with Peak as their advisor/planner and we were reviewing what their former advisor put together for them. At first glance, the former advisor's fees were in line and the investments looked fine, but when we started reviewing the financial plan, what we found out was a little disturbing. 

HINT: Finding True Wealth EP 013 would have helped out a lot here. 

Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® talk about how two seemingly similar planners could yield dramatically different outcomes. 

Peak Wealth Management is a full-service Registered Investment Advisor located in Plymouth, MI. We believe by providing education and guidance, we inspire our clients to make great decisions putting them on a path toward fulfillment and their own definition of true wealth.

EP 048 Brian Cook of MGOBLOG

Today we are speaking with Brian Cook, who is the founder and editor of MGOBLOG. From Go Blue Cook Family Supports You to breakfast on campus with Sexy Grandpa to earning $10 per post from AOL, loyal readers of MGOBLOG finally get a chance to learn about the man behind the keyboard. Brian shares with Nick how he pivoted from unmotivated engineer to king of all Michigan Weblogs and his vision for the future of MGOBLOG. The only thing I forgot to ask was about the Muppets. But we have this post so it's ok. 

Peak Wealth Management is a full-service Registered Investment Advisor located in Plymouth, MI. We believe by providing education and guidance, we inspire our clients to make great decisions putting them on a path toward fulfillment and their own definition of true wealth.  Learn more about Nick Hopwood, CFP®

EP 047: Why Work with a CFP®

The tricky thing about this industry is that it is hard to understand who is qualified and who is not. Just check out this commercial the CFP® Board put out a few years ago - click here.  Experience is good for an advisor to have, but doesn’t mean their advice is in your best interest or quality advice at all.  Working with a CFP® is probably one of easiest filters you can apply to your advisor search process because it automatically filters for experience, education, and an ethics requirement.

Peak Wealth Management is a full-service Registered Investment Advisor located in Plymouth, MI. We believe by providing education and guidance, we inspire our clients to make great decisions putting them on a path toward fulfillment and their own definition of true wealth.

EP: 046 The Value of a Professional Fee

Join Nick and Jim as they rap about a recent meeting which did not work out as planned. We had the chance to help someone go from good to great, but it turns out that we are not the right fit for everyone!

Peak Wealth Management is a full-service Registered Investment Advisor located in Plymouth, MI. We believe by providing education and guidance, we inspire our clients to make great decisions putting them on a path toward fulfillment and their own definition of true wealth.

EP 045: Nash Equilibriums with Jim Pilat, AIF®

Get to know Jim Pilat, AIF® our newest team member at Peak Wealth Management!  Jim shares with Nick his background and story as to how he became an advisor, and why joining the firm is a  "Nash Equilibrium." 

 

Peak Wealth Management is a full-service Registered Investment Advisor located in Plymouth, MI. We believe by providing education and guidance, we inspire our clients to make great decisions putting them on a path toward fulfillment and their own definition of true wealth.

EP 044: Retirement Funding Priorities

Often people will ask me how should they prioritize their retirement funding vehicles - should they should fund their Traditional 401k, Roth 401k, Traditional IRA or Roth IRA? What makes the most sense when it comes to contributing to retirement or tax-advantaged accounts? Listen in as Nick channels his inner CFP® and shares his thoughts. 

Peak Wealth Management is a full-service Registered Investment Advisor located in Plymouth, MI. We believe by providing education and guidance, we inspire our clients to make great decisions putting them on a path toward fulfillment and their own definition of true wealth.

EP 043: 2018 Peak Halftime Report with Ben Lavine

Nick is joined by Ben Lavine, CFA and Chief Investment Officer at 3D Asset Management. Ben discussed his take on the markets and economy from the first half of 2018 and shares with us what he sees as opportunities and risks for the second half of the year. 

Peak Wealth Management is a full-service Registered Investment Advisor located in Plymouth, MI. We believe by providing education and guidance, we inspire our clients to make great decisions putting them on a path toward fulfillment and their own definition of true wealth.

EP 042: Some Planners Don't Plan

Some "Financial Planners" don't do any Financial Planning at all -they are simply salespeople who sell financial products like insurance, annuities, and mutual funds. At Peak, it is a little bit different. We don't sell financial products. We sell what we know works. We are selling ourselves.  Listen in and get the full scoop. 

Peak Wealth Management is a full-service Registered Investment Advisor located in Plymouth, MI. We believe by providing education and guidance, we inspire our clients to make great decisions putting them on a path toward fulfillment and their own definition of true wealth.