Read & Reflect
Money & Mindset
Picking Your Price
Every outcome you envy has a price tag. A look at the five-year tax on ignorance, why sudden wealth so often unravels, and choosing the price you'll pay.
What Does Financial Independence... Mean?
Financial independence has a clear definition. But the definition doesn’t tell you what life is supposed to look like once you get there.
When an Uncontacted Tribe Walked Out of the Amazon
When an uncontacted tribe emerged from the forest, two worlds briefly met.
Why We Care So Much About What Other People Think
We spend more energy than we'd like to admit on what other people think, and it shapes our money decisions. Where does that instinct come from?
10 Financial Insights You Might Find Eye Opening
Focus on income or investments? Rent or buy? Let's dig in.
New Year, Same Principles
Did you know that New Year's resolutions are over 4,000 years old?
For My Next Stunt, I'll Show You How To Be Happy
How's that for a title? Did I catch your attention? As a financial planner, I've seen and heard just about everything. A lot of wins, and a lot of "oh shit… 3, 2, 1, panic" moments.
The Paradox of Small Joys
We often feel a quiet shame about enjoying little things, as if joy should only be reserved for life's big moments, like the promotion, the wedding, the vacation. But when you zoom out, life is made almost entirely of the small stuff.
The Fisherman Story
A powerful reminder that the life you're working toward might already be within reach.
Reimagining Wealth
Why I started ClearMind Capital, what's shifting in the financial planning world, and how this journey is becoming something much bigger than numbers.
Working With an Advisor
When Should You Hire a Financial Advisor? Sooner Than You Think, and Here Is Why
You do not need a large portfolio to work with an advisor. Starter engagements exist. Here are six life moments where planning done early changes the outcome, plus the ages that carry rules.
Financial Advisor Near Me in Columbus: How to Compare Your Local Options
A search for a financial advisor near you returns three very different kinds of firms wearing the same label. Here is how to tell them apart and get a long list down to the two or three worth contacting.
What Does Fiduciary and Fee-Only Mean?
Fiduciary is a legal duty. Fee-only is a business structure. Here is what each one actually protects you from, what neither one fixes, and the standard of care worth holding out for.
How to Choose a Financial Advisor in Columbus: 9 Questions Worth Asking
Nine questions to ask before hiring a financial advisor in Columbus, what a good answer sounds like, and how to verify any of it yourself in about ten minutes.
Fee-Only, Fee-Based, or Commission: How to Follow the Money
Three ways financial advisors get paid, who writes the check in each one, what each model is genuinely good at, and the one question that tells you which you are dealing with.
How Much Does a Financial Advisor Cost in Columbus, Ohio? (2026 Fee Breakdown)
What financial advisors charge in 2026, the four ways they get paid, and the second fee almost nobody notices. Written in plain English, with the questions to ask.
Planning & Retirement
Planning Your Finances as a Content Creator
Creator income runs on a different set of rules, and nobody hands you the manual on day one. So here is ours.
What the Fairness Act Changed for Columbus Public Employees (OPERS, STRS, SERS)
OPERS members don't pay into Social Security, which used to mean two federal rules cut their check. Not anymore. Here's what the 2025 Social Security Fairness Act changed for Ohio public employees.
What Happens to Your 401(k) When You Leave a Job (And the Mistake That Costs the Most)
Four options for an old 401(k), what cashing out really costs an Ohio resident after tax and penalty, and the rules that can move your money if you do nothing.
Taxes & Giving
Understanding Your Central Ohio Property Taxes
Franklin County is rolling out its 2026 property value updates, but a spike in your home's paper worth does not mean an equal spike in your tax bill. We break down exactly how Ohio property taxes are calculated, the major tax credit overhaul coming this year, and what the local tech boom means for your monthly payments.
Ohio's CollegeAdvantage 529 Plan and How the $4,000 Deduction Works
Ohio's CollegeAdvantage 529 gives every contributor a $4,000-per-child state tax deduction with unlimited carryforward. Here is how it works, who can claim it (grandparents included), and how to make sure you are getting the most out of it.
Here’s What You Need To Know About Ohio’s New Flat 2.75% Income Tax
Ohio moved to a flat state income tax rate in 2026, down from a graduated system that topped out at 3.125%. Here's what you need to know.
For Business Owners
Should Your Ohio Business Start a 401(k)? Here Is the 2026 Math, in Plain English
What it costs an Ohio small business to start a 401(k) in 2026, the three federal tax credits that can cover most of it, and what the owner personally gets out of it.
What a 401(k) Really Costs a Small Business (And Who Pays for What)
There are two bills inside every 401(k). One comes to the business. The other comes out of employee accounts. Here is what each costs and how to find your real number.
Is Your Company 401(k) Any Good? Seven Things You Can Check This Week
Seven checks a small business owner can run on their own 401(k), what document to pull for each one, and what the answers tell you about what your employees are paying.
