Reviews & case studies

What working with us looks like.

Hear from clients in their own words on independent review sites, and see how we approach the situations our clients bring to us.

Client reviews

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Reviews are written by current and former clients of CSG Financial on independent platforms. No compensation, cash or otherwise, was provided to any reviewer in exchange for a review, and reviewers have no material conflicts of interest with CSG Financial. CSG Financial pays Wealthtender a fee for its firm and advisor profiles, which creates a conflict of interest. Reviews reflect individual experiences, may not be representative of other clients’ experiences and are not a guarantee of future performance or success.

Case studies

One example for each group of clients we serve. Each shows the kind of situation we see, how we approached it and what the client came away with.

Retirees, pre-retirees & equity compensationLed by Steven Calio, CFP®

Retirees

Turning a nest egg into a tax-smart paycheck

The situation: A retired couple in their late 60s with about $1.4 million across IRAs and a brokerage account. They worried that required minimum distributions would push them into a higher bracket and raise their Medicare premiums.
What we did: We mapped which accounts to draw from each year, used partial Roth conversions in lower-income years before RMDs began, and moved their charitable giving to qualified charitable distributions.
The outcome: A year-by-year withdrawal plan that covers their spending, keeps future RMDs and IRMAA surcharges in check, and supports the causes they care about.

Pre-retirees

Finding the right retirement date

The situation: A 58-year-old engineer who hoped to retire at 62 but wasn’t sure the numbers worked, especially for health insurance before Medicare.
What we did: We tested several retirement dates against her savings and spending, maximized catch-up contributions, planned marketplace coverage for the years before 65 and modeled Social Security claiming ages.
The outcome: A target date with a clear savings goal for the final four years, an income bridge to 65 and a claiming strategy for Social Security.

Equity compensation

Reducing concentrated company stock

The situation: A 55-year-old executive with roughly 40% of his net worth in employer stock from RSUs and incentive stock options.
What we did: We built a multi-year diversification schedule, modeled ISO exercises to manage alternative minimum tax and gifted highly appreciated shares to a donor-advised fund.
The outcome: A step-by-step plan to lower single-stock risk over three years, with the tax impact of each step understood before acting.

Business owners, farmers & tradesLed by Zachary Stone

Business owners

Building wealth alongside the business

The situation: The owner of a 15-person services company with uneven cash flow, no retirement plan and no succession plan.
What we did: Working with his CPA, we set a consistent owner pay structure, put a safe harbor 401(k) with profit sharing in place for him and his team, and reviewed his buy-sell agreement and insurance.
The outcome: Predictable personal income, meaningful tax-deferred savings each year and a benefit that helps him keep key employees.

Farmers

Passing the farm to the next generation

The situation: A farm couple in their 60s with two adult children: one works the farm, the other lives out of state.
What we did: We designed a succession plan that keeps the land and operation with the farming child, used life insurance to balance the inheritance for the other and started off-farm retirement savings.
The outcome: A transition plan the whole family understood, with retirement income that doesn’t depend on selling land.

Trades professionals

Retiring on his own timeline

The situation: A 45-year-old union electrician who wanted the option to retire at 58, before his body made the decision for him.
What we did: We coordinated his pension and annuity fund with his own Roth IRA savings, reviewed disability coverage and built a plan to bridge income until his pension and Social Security begin.
The outcome: A clear path to an earlier retirement, with protection in place if an injury cut his career short.

Medical professionalsLed by Shane Galante, CFP®, MBA

Physicians

From residency to a new attending contract

The situation: A new attending physician with about $350,000 in student loans weighing an offer from a nonprofit hospital.
What we did: We compared Public Service Loan Forgiveness with refinancing, set up own-occupation disability coverage and organized contributions across the 403(b), 457(b) and a backdoor Roth IRA.
The outcome: A loan strategy tied to her career plans, a protected income and a savings plan in place from her first attending paycheck.

Optometrists

Deciding whether to buy the practice

The situation: An associate optometrist offered the chance to buy the practice from a retiring owner.
What we did: We reviewed the valuation and financing terms with her CPA, modeled personal cash flow under ownership and planned a retirement plan for herself and her staff.
The outcome: A confident decision on the purchase, backed by a realistic view of take-home pay in the first five years.

Advanced practice nurses

Making the jump from RN to CRNA

The situation: A newly certified CRNA with about $200,000 in loans, a full-time offer and opportunities for 1099 locum work.
What we did: We weighed PSLF against other repayment options, set up quarterly estimated taxes and a Solo 401(k) for the 1099 income, and reviewed disability coverage.
The outcome: A plan to put the higher income to work, with no tax surprises from contract work.

These case studies are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. They are composites based on situations we commonly see and do not represent any specific client. Your results will depend on your own circumstances. They are not a guarantee of future results or a recommendation for any individual.

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