For Diego Shaw, a connection with a high school friend opened the door to joining PDS Planning. A 2025 graduate of Mount Vernon Nazarene University, where he studied financial planning and played on the men’s soccer team, Diego was drawn to the firm’s comprehensive, fee-only approach and the opportunity to learn from experienced advisors. Originally…
Dublin-based financial planning firm debuts at No. 66 on CNBC’s annual national ranking DUBLIN, Ohio, Oct. 16, 2026 — PDS Planning has been named to the 2026 CNBC Financial Advisor 100 list, debuting at No. 66 on the annual ranking of financial advisory firms across the country. CNBC’s Financial Advisor 100 combines data analysis and…
Estate & Legacy, Investment Planning, Retirement, Taxes
A Roth conversion can be useful, but it is not a stand-alone solution or an automatic tax win. For families with significant retirement assets, the real question is whether converting part of a traditional retirement account supports the broader plan for retirement income, taxes, charitable giving, estate planning, and the wealth they hope to pass…
Beyond Your Finances, Retirement
Medicare may begin at 65, but the financial decisions that influence its cost can begin years earlier. For high-net-worth individuals, income from Roth conversions, investment gains, retirement distributions, and other transactions may affect future premiums. Medicare planning for high-net-worth individuals often begins before age 65. Financial decisions made in the years leading up to enrollment…
For decades, success has meant doing the responsible thing. Saving instead of spending. Investing instead of splurging. Delaying today’s wants in favor of tomorrow’s security. Then retirement arrives, and for the first time, those same instincts can become the very thing standing in the way of enjoying the life you’ve spent years building. This is…
Beyond Your Finances, Investment Planning, Retirement, Taxes
Building wealth is a significant accomplishment. Managing it effectively can become increasingly complex. As wealth grows, so do the financial decisions that accompany it. Investment accounts, retirement plans, business interests, tax considerations, estate planning, charitable giving, and family legacy goals often become interconnected. A decision in one area can have consequences for several others. That…
Beyond Your Finances, Retirement
This article originally appeared as a Thought Leader feature in the Summer 2026 issue of Columbus CEO. By PDS Planning Introduction Why many people delay making a change, and what it can cost.Your advisor’s attention has slipped. Engagement is reactive. Communication has fallen off. Or life has gotten more complex than your current advisor was…
Investment Planning, Retirement
Why “Living Off the Income” Isn’t Always the Safest or Prudent Retirement Strategy One of the most common retirement strategies people ask about is the idea of “living off the income” generated by a portfolio or using dividends from stocks and interest from bonds or CDs while never touching principal. At first glance, the strategy…
Social Security Fairness Act: Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) update Many clients have been impacted by two Social Security provisions previously reducing, or even eliminating, Social Security benefits they might have been eligible for if they did not have a government pension. The Social Security Fairness Act, HR 82, concerning the…
Our People, PDS Experience, PDS News
2024 will be a memorable and pivotal year when the book is written on PDS. It really is hard to believe it’s over. What made it so memorable? The incredible achievements and the wonderful people who helped make it possible. 2024 can be summarized in three words: Growth, Technology, and Reach. Growth There are lot…
EDIT posted 12/6/2024: We recently emailed clients and posted on our website regarding the new beneficial ownership information filing requirement mandated by the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and FinCEN. On December 3, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas granted a nationwide preliminary injunction preventing the federal government from enforcing the…
Beyond Your Finances, Estate & Legacy, Risk Management
Caring for an Elderly Parent Caring for your elderly parent will almost certainly come with both challenges and rewards. While complex enough in its own right, it becomes even more so when balancing the care with your own long-term goals and plans in mind. When undertaking this profound responsibility, some strategies can help provide your…
Planning for an Inheritance Receiving a substantial inheritance can be a transformative event, even for high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) and families. Properly managing this infusion of wealth is crucial to ensuring long-term financial success in preserving and growing that wealth for future generations, as well as preserving the benefactor’s legacy. This requires a comprehensive approach, careful…
Posted: 9/13/2024 Health Care Costs in Retirement: What High-Net-Worth Individuals Should Know You are successful and want to preserve what you have built as you embark on your retirement. While you may have a robust investment portfolio and a clear vision for what the next phase of life looks like, it’s difficult to plan for…
Posted: 9/13/2024 PDS Planning Among Financial Advisor Magazine’s 2024 50 Fastest Growing RIAs PDS Planning, a fee-only financial planning firm in Columbus, Ohio is pleased to announce it has been named 49th fastest-growing registered investment advisory firm in the United States, one of only four Ohio firms named. This ranking comes from the recent edition…
