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Northstar Financial Planners

Home
About
How We Help
Who We Help
Pre-retirees
Florida Retirement System Special Risk Employees
Families of Children with Special Needs
Our Process
Book
Resources
Our Blog
Newsletters
Holiday Card Archive
Contact Us
Client Login
May 1, 2025
Allen Giese, ChFC®, CLU®
One of the Best-Kept Secrets in Charitable ...

Discover how donor-advised funds offer a flexible, tax-smart way to simplify and amplify your charitable giving—without the hassle of a private foundation.

May 21, 2021
Retirement Planning
Allen Giese, ChFC®, CLU®
The 5 Biggest FRS Retirement Mistakes

Watch this video to learn about the five biggest mistakes we see FRS Special Risk participants making.

March 24, 2021
Investment Management
Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
To Bit or Not to Bit: Investing in Crypto

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are receiving intense media coverage, prompting many investors to wonder whether these new types of electronic money deserve a place in their portfolios.

March 24, 2021
Investment Management
Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
Tales from The Crypto: Cautionary Bitcoin ...

Bitcoin and related cryptocurrencies are the subject of much debate and fascination. Given bitcoin’s dramatic price changes, it is not surprising that many are speculating about its possible role in a portfolio.

February 25, 2021
Investment Management
Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
Trading into Stock Frenzies: A Lesson in ...

Forget GameStop. Here’s some real-life investing lessons to learn from fictitious company LameSlop.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
June 15, 2020
Retirement Planning

Should You Relocate Out of the Fort Lauderdale Area When You Retire?

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
June 15, 2020
Retirement Planning

Staying put or relocating in retirement comes down to your financial situation and lifestyle goals. Here are factors to consider.

Tagged: Relocation, downsizing, taxes, cost of living, personal finance

Allen Giese, ChFC®, CLU®
June 2, 2020

The 4 Things You Can Do Now To Make Your Deferred Comp Plan Stronger

Allen Giese, ChFC®, CLU®
June 2, 2020

Watch this short video to learn how to make your FRS deferred comp plan more valuable to you.

Tagged: FRS

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
May 29, 2020

The End of Value?

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
May 29, 2020

Investing is an exercise in risk-and reward, and the most successful investing is done when you maximize your reward for the risk you take.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
May 15, 2020
Retirement Planning

401(k) Retirement Income Projections: Should You Trust Them?

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
May 15, 2020
Retirement Planning

You’ll be seeing a “retirement income” figure on your 401(k) statement. Is this number, which is based on purchasing an annuity, accurate?

Tagged: workplace retirement plans, 401k, annuities, investing, retirement income, retirement savings

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
April 23, 2020

The Day I Almost Opened an Oil Storage Facility

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
April 23, 2020

April 20, 2020 was a very interesting day in the commodities markets. May Crude opened at $17.73, fell steadily to about $11 by noon, and then went into a tailspin.

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
April 23, 2020

Now What?

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
April 23, 2020

Between February 21 and March 21, 2020, the S&P 500 tumbled 35%. Since then, major indices have been bouncing around like pachinko balls. What will happen next?

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
April 23, 2020

More on the SECURE and CARES Acts

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
April 23, 2020

Last month, I talked about changes to tax-filing deadlines and required minimum distributions (RMDs) from IRAs under recent federal legislation. Here are some more changes that might impact you.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
April 15, 2020
Retirement Planning

The SECURE Act and Retirement Planning in Florida

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
April 15, 2020
Retirement Planning

The SECURE Act introduced big changes that can affect retirement plans. We cover some of those changes.

Tagged: SECURE Act, CARES Act, stretch IRA, inherited IRA, RMDs, required minimum distributions, small business

Allen Giese, ChFC®, CLU®
March 26, 2020

A Letter to Our Clients

Allen Giese, ChFC®, CLU®
March 26, 2020

I’m writing this on behalf of everyone here at Northstar to keep you informed of our current situation and talk a little bit about how we view capital markets going forward.

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
March 26, 2020

Some Important Financial Notes

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
March 26, 2020

All of us at Northstar wish you and your family health and safety as we wait for this crisis to pass. Nothing is more important than that. At the same time, business goes on.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
March 16, 2020
Retirement Planning

How to Turn Retirement Savings into Retirement Income

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
March 16, 2020
Retirement Planning

Turning retirement savings into retirement income can be an intricate process. Here are factors to consider.

Tagged: pension, 401k, income for life, income stream, withdrawal rates, investing, estate planning, taxes

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
February 27, 2020

Coronavirus: “Same Old, Same Old” or Miles Away from Ordinary?

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
February 27, 2020

We just had a 2,000-point-plus plunge in the Dow Jones Industrial Average in two days, and more volatility will likely follow.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
February 27, 2020

When You Have 103 Years to Do Estate Planning

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
February 27, 2020

Shortly after Kirk Douglas’s death last month at the age of 103, details of his estate plan emerged.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
February 14, 2020
Retirement Planning

At What Age Should You Start Taking Social Security?

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
February 14, 2020
Retirement Planning

Your Social Security age—the date you start taking benefits—depends on several factors. We look at those factors and how they might apply to you.

Tagged: Social Security, retirement income, benefits, full retirement age, FRA, survivors benefits, delayed retirement credits

Kristen Luke
February 5, 2020

Stress Testing Your Wealth Plan

Kristen Luke
February 5, 2020

The super-rich and the affluent have been stress testing their wealth plans. Here are three things to focus on to get yours stress tested.

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
January 28, 2020

Real Estate and Finances for Millennials

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
January 28, 2020

So that’s why they’re called millennials: At the rate they are saving, it’ll take a thousand years for them to have enough to buy a house.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
January 28, 2020

Hindsight is 20/20. Foresight Isn’t

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
January 28, 2020

The year 2019 served up many examples of the unpredictability of markets.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
January 15, 2020
Financial Planning

Understanding the Different Types of Financial Advisors in Florida

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
January 15, 2020
Financial Planning

A lot of professionals call themselves “financial advisors,” but scratch below the surface and they have widely different certifications, expertise, and fee structures. Here’s what to look for.

Tagged: Investment management, wealth management, fee-only, fiduciary, CFP, ChSNC

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
December 19, 2019

Charitable Giving, the Tax-Wise Way

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
December 19, 2019

Americans—especially the affluent—are some of the most charitable people in the world. Chances are, you use some of your wealth to support favorite causes or organizations that are important to you.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
November 27, 2019

MDFR Retirement Recon: Deferred Compensation

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
November 27, 2019

The COLA adjustment (or lack of one) has some Miami-Dade Fire Department firefighters concerned. Deferred compensation may help.

Tagged: FRS

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This is not a solicitation for any investment product. Always read the prospectus before you invest. Past performance is no indicator of future returns. Northstar Financial Planners is a fee-only advisor and sells no investment products.

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