We spend a lot of time at the club thinking about fitness - the kind measured in strokes, sets, and swings. But there's another kind of fitness worth just as much attention, and it doesn't require a tee time: financial wellness.

I'm Andrew Burger, CFA, CFP®, with Cerity Partners, and I'll be contributing to this magazine each month with thoughts on financial wellness that are hopefully helpful to our club community. On the personal side, my fiancé and I recently moved into a home on Crown Colony Drive; we're getting married this October, and we're settling in with our cat, Max, who has strong opinions about which boxes should be unpacked first. I know firsthand what it's like to build wealth early and want it to last, and between the move and the wedding, this has been a year of its own kind of financial planning - so this topic feels especially close to home right now.

Professionally, I've spent the last 10 years helping clients – business owners, executives, endowments - navigate tax-efficient investing and build financial plans that actually hold up as life changes. Each month, I'll dig into topics relevant to the common stages of life we see in a club like ours: members still building their wealth, and members managing it in retirement. Some months that might mean a deep dive on one topic; other months, a few quick items worth putting on your radar. A preview of what you can expect:

    For those still building wealth:

- Making sure your savings rate is keeping pace with raises and bonuses, not just lifestyle

- Maximizing tax-advantaged accounts before taxable ones grow too large to easily restructure

- Having an actual plan for equity compensation, bonuses, or a future business sale

- Balancing big life expenses - a wedding, a home, a growing family - with long-term goals

    For those in or near retirement:

- Drawing down assets in a tax-efficient sequence, especially in the first few retirement years

- Deciding how much of your estate you want to pass on, and in what form

- Stress-testing your plan against a market downturn, a long life, or a health event

You don't need a big life event to make it worth a conversation - a second opinion is often most valuable before something changes, not after. If any of the above has been sitting in the back of your mind, scan the QR code below, or feel free to call or text me directly at 818-389-9803. And if you see me around the club, feel free to say hello - I'm still learning my way around, and I'd love to meet more of you.