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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.
December 22, 2021

New Faces

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
December 22, 2021

We’ve added new staff to help us provide our clients with the quality financial experience they expect and deserve.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
December 22, 2021
Investment Management

Why I’ll Always Be Optimistic About the Market!

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
December 22, 2021
Investment Management

Despite the pain and loss endured by so many all over the world, I hope some positive changes have come from the shock we’ve all been forced to experience.

Felipe Mejia, CFP®
December 22, 2021

Questions to Ask as You Approach Medicare

Felipe Mejia, CFP®
December 22, 2021

Medicare has many moving parts and can be confusing and convoluted, but it is important to get it right the first time since the decisions you make today can last a lifetime. Consider these important points as you approach Medicare eligibility.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
December 13, 2021
FRS Special Risk

[Video] Enjoy Paying Taxes Twice? Keep Doing Deferred Comp Loans!

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
December 13, 2021
FRS Special Risk

Florida Retirement System Special Risk participants, take note. Watch this video to learn why a loan from your deferred compensation plan means you get taxed twice.

Tagged: Deferred Compensation, Loan, Florida Retirement System, Taxes, Retirement

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
November 22, 2021

Your Year-End Financial Checklist

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
November 22, 2021

It’s our 13th annual year-end financial checklist! Here are some important things to think about as the calendar year draws to a close.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
November 22, 2021
Charitable Giving

Boost Your Charitable Giving with a Donor-Advised Fund

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
November 22, 2021
Charitable Giving

A donor-advised fund offers ease and simplicity in giving to charity. Is it the right strategy for you? Here’s how to tell.

Tagged: Donor-Advised Fund, DAF, Private Foundation, ACE Act, Tax Deductions

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
November 15, 2021
Retirement Planning

5 Common Annuity Regrets People Have 15 Years Later

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
November 15, 2021
Retirement Planning

Before you lock yourself into an annuity contract, read about these five common regrets people have after buying an annuity.

Tagged: Annuity, Variable Annuity, Income Annuity, Retirement Income, Fixed Annuity

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
October 27, 2021
Retirement Planning

The Retirement Decision

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
October 27, 2021
Retirement Planning

The decision to simply retire rather than continue to pound away at an indifferent job market can be difficult under any circumstances. If you or someone you know is facing that dilemma, these are some important points to ponder.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
October 27, 2021
Investment Management

All-Time-High Anxiety

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
October 27, 2021
Investment Management

Investors may be reluctant to make new purchases since the traditional “buy low, sell high” mantra suggests that committing funds to stocks at an all-time high is a surefire recipe for disappointment.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
September 27, 2021
Estate Planning

Advantages of a Roth IRA Conversion in Estate Planning

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
September 27, 2021
Estate Planning

With the elimination of stretch IRAs, Roth IRA conversions are increasingly used in estate planning to help heirs avoid a big tax bill.

Tagged: Roth IRA, IRA Conversion, Stretch IRA, Estate Taxes, SECURE Act, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
September 27, 2021
Tax Planning

Top Tax Scams of 2021

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
September 27, 2021
Tax Planning

A review of the top 10 tax and fraud scams of the year as reported by the IRS.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
September 15, 2021
Retirement Planning

How an HSA Can Boost Your Retirement Savings

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
September 15, 2021
Retirement Planning

Consider using the tax-advantaged health savings account as a tool to increase your retirement savings.

Tagged: Financial Planning, Investing, HSA, Health Savings Account, IRA, 401(k)

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
August 23, 2021
Financial Planning

Equilibrium Markets in the Time Of COVID

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
August 23, 2021
Financial Planning

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting investment volatility provide a lesson in equilibrium markets.

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
August 23, 2021
Investment Management

Another Cautionary Tale from The Fraud Docket

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
August 23, 2021
Investment Management

Nikola Motor Company is another lesson in the folly of stock picking.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
August 16, 2021
Financial Planning

Want to Move Out of Florida? Here’s What to Consider

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
August 16, 2021
Financial Planning

Before you sell your house and move out of Florida, do your research. Here’s what to consider when selecting a new home state.

Tagged: Relocation, Moving Out Of Florida, Property Taxes, Income Taxes, Real Estate

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
July 28, 2021
Investment Management

Inflating Fears

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
July 28, 2021
Investment Management

The data suggest that simply staying invested helps outpace inflation over the long term.

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
July 28, 2021
Investment Management

The New Robin Hood

Steve Tepper, CFP®, MBA
July 28, 2021
Investment Management

Robinhood is a new take on the English outlaw, though now it's the little guy getting fleeced.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
July 19, 2021
Investment Management

Got Investing FOMO? Here’s the Antidote

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
July 19, 2021
Investment Management

The fear of missing out can cause damaging, risky behavior. Here’s what you can do if you have a case of investing FOMO.

Tagged: Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency, ESG, SPAC, FOMO, Fear of Missing Out, Diversification

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
June 29, 2021
Financial Planning

False Negatives and False Positives

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
June 29, 2021
Financial Planning

False positives in realized returns can have a big impact on your financial health—lowering your expected return and causing you to take more risk.

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
June 8, 2021
Retirement Planning

Are You Ready to Retire? 5 Ways to Tell

Northstar Financial Planners Inc.
June 8, 2021
Retirement Planning

You’re feeling ready to retire, but are your finances? Here are five ways to tell.

Tagged: Social Security, medicare, health care, budget

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