Questions a Good Financial Advisor Should Ask (But Most Don’t)

Questions a Good Financial Advisor Should Ask

I’ll never forget Bruce’s story about his car—check engine light on, a mechanic insisted it needed a $1,500 catalytic converter. Bruce knew better and fixed it by simply tightening the gas cap. That story isn’t just about auto repair; it perfectly illustrates why questions a good financial advisor should ask matter. Without probing, you might…

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How Much Life Insurance Do I Need? Ask This Instead

How Much Life Insurance Do I Need

How Much Life Insurance Do I Need? Why That’s the Wrong Question If you’ve ever asked, “How much life insurance do I need?”—you’re not alone. It’s a common starting point. But in this article, Bruce and I (Rachel) want to challenge that question and offer something better. Because “need” is often based on a survival…

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Mutual Holding Companies: What Whole Life Policyholders Need to Know

Mutual Holding Companies vs Mutual Companies in Life Insurance

Lately, we’ve seen a troubling trend online. People—some well-meaning, some not—are sharing misinformation about mutual holding companies, claiming these companies are no longer mutually owned or that they’ve quietly abandoned their policyholders. That couldn’t be further from the truth. So Joe, Bruce, and I decided it was time to clear the air. Because when it…

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How Whole Life and Guaranteed Universal Life Insurance Support Legacy, Wealth Transfer, and Tax Efficiency

Guaranteed Universal Life Insurance

In today’s post, Bruce and I (Rachel Marshall) want to bring you behind the scenes of a candid and educational conversation we had with Matt Ewald, Vice President of Life Insurance at Advisors Excel. If you’ve ever wondered when and why to use guaranteed universal life insurance (GUL) —especially in the context of estate planning—this…

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Align Wealth With Values Through Faith-Based Legacy Planning

Faith-Based Legacy Planning

There’s a story Buffy Ruthardt shared that still gives me chills. She and her husband Darren were on a drive, just processing life and legacy—wondering aloud what it might look like for their children to live in their inheritance while they were still alive. Not just financially, but spiritually, relationally, and generationally. It was a…

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Can You Deduct Life Insurance Premiums? The Truth Every Business Owner Needs to Know

can you deduct life insurance premiums?

Recently, Bruce shared a story that perfectly illustrates unexpected life challenges—his basement flooded, turning a peaceful Easter weekend into an emergency cleanup session. Just as unexpected problems can flood your home, unanswered financial questions can flood your business strategy, especially questions like: “Can you deduct life insurance premiums?” Tax questions, much like sudden home repairs,…

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