Tax headlines can sound simple, but the details often tell a different story.

What do recent tax law updates actually mean for your income, deductions, and long-term planning? And how should you adjust when the rules keep shifting?

In this episode, Jim Sumpter, CFP®, breaks down key changes from the recent tax bill and explains how they affect families, retirees, and business owners. He covers updates to SALT deductions, child tax credits, and charitable giving, while clarifying common misconceptions around “no tax on Social Security,” tips, and overtime.

Jim also outlines new rules for auto loan interest, dependent care, bonus depreciation, and expanded 529 plan uses, emphasizing why ongoing tax planning is essential as laws evolve.

Key takeaways:

• How the temporary SALT increase to $40,000 could impact itemizers through 2029
• What “no tax on Social Security” actually means for income thresholds and age
• Why the child tax credit increase and refundable portion matter for families
• New above-the-line charitable deduction for standard deduction filers
• Expanded 529 uses, auto loan interest rules, and planning around expiring provisions
• And more!

Connect with Jim Sumpter:

• 205-510-9074
• CMC Financial
• LinkedIn: Jim Sumpter
• LinkedIn: CMC Financial
• Facebook: CMC Financial
• Instagram: CMC Financial
• YouTube: CMC Financial

Inheriting money sounds straightforward, but for many families, it becomes one of the most confusing and emotionally loaded financial moments they will ever face.

In this episode, the client learns why preparation, guidance, and the right advisor matter more than the inheritance itself.

Jim Sumpter, CFP®, is joined by fellow CFP® David Pulcini Jr. for an honest conversation about the Great Wealth Transfer and why so many families are not fully prepared when assets change hands. Together, they unpack what really happens when money, property, and responsibility pass from one generation to the next, and where costly mistakes often occur.

Jim Sumpter, CFP®, discusses:

• Why most heirs are unprepared for inherited wealth
• The difference between inheriting assets and managing them well
• What fiduciary responsibility really means in real life
• Questions every family should ask before and after an inheritance
• Common mistakes families make when wealth transfers occur

Resources:

• Six Point Financial Partners: YouTube Channel

Connect with Jim Sumpter:

• 205-510-9074
• CMC Financial
• LinkedIn: Jim Sumpter
• LinkedIn: CMC Financial
• Facebook: CMC Financial
• Instagram: CMC Financial
• YouTube: CMC Financial

Connect with David Pulcini Jr.:

• LinkedIn: David Pulcini Jr.
• SixPoint Financial Partners

About Our Guest:

David Pulcini Jr. is a Certified Financial Planner® and founder of Six Point Financial Partners in Rochester, New York. He also hosts the podcast The Great Wealth Transfer, where he helps families understand inheritance planning, financial decision-making, and generational transitions.

What does real diversification actually look like when markets feel noisy and unpredictable? In this episode of The Financial Puzzle Playbook, Jim Sumpter, CFP®, sits down with trading desk expert Paul Wankmueller to break down how stocks really work, why diversification goes far beyond numbers, and how investors can stay grounded when headlines and emotions compete for attention.

In this episode, the client gains a clearer understanding of how ownership, trends, and discipline play a role in building portfolios that are designed to weather real life, not just ideal market conditions.

Jim Sumpter, CFP®, discusses:

• (04:10) How market volatility works and why diversification can support both risk-averse and growth-focused investors
• (05:13) What a stock actually represents, including ownership in public versus private companies
• (07:30) Why owning multiple stocks does not automatically mean true diversification
• (14:47) How technical analysis helps eliminate market noise and focus on major trends

Connect with Jim Sumpter:

• 205-510-9074
• CMC Financial
• LinkedIn: Jim Sumpter
• LinkedIn: CMC Financial
• Facebook: CMC Financial
• Instagram: CMC Financial
• YouTube: CMC Financial

Connect with Paul Wankmueller:

• LinkedIn: Paul Wankmueller
• RFG Advisory

About Our Guest:

Paul Wankmueller is a trading desk professional with extensive experience in technical analysis, commodities, and market trends. With a background that includes time on the trading floor and years analyzing price behavior across asset classes, Paul brings a grounded, real-world lens to investing, diversification, and long-term market participation.

*Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss in declining markets.

Most families think adding a child to a parent’s bank account is a simple act of love, but Jim Sumpter CFP® reveals how easily it can create tax issues, legal exposure, and long-term family conflict.

In this episode, Jim breaks down why ownership matters more than most people realize and why wills often never even come into play. Through real client stories and personal examples, he explains how joint accounts, powers of attorney, TOD designations, and cost basis rules work behind the scenes, especially when parents begin relying on their children for financial support.

What to expect:

• When joint ownership creates unintended gifts or tax bills
• How beneficiary rules override wills
• Hidden legal risks tied to siblings, creditors, and lawsuits
• Better tools for caregiving and estate planning
• And more!

Connect with Jim Sumpter:

• 205-510-9074
• CMC Financial
• LinkedIn: Jim Sumpter
• LinkedIn: CMC Financial
• Facebook: CMC Financial
• Instagram: CMC Financial
• YouTube: CMC Financial

Many families avoid talking about money because they fear conflict, awkwardness, or hurting someone’s feelings.

Jim and returning guest Brendan Frazier break down why family meetings matter more than ever and how they can protect both relationships and legacies. They explore the emotional dynamics that show up when siblings gather, why blended families need a different level of care, and how to talk openly, frequently, and graciously so everyone knows their role long before decisions need to be made.

This conversation gives families a way to pass on more than assets. It helps pass on values, expectations, and peace of mind.

What to expect from part 2 of this release:

• Why legacy failures rarely come from documents alone
• How to talk to your kids about money without oversharing
• Simple ways to structure a family meeting
• Key dynamics to watch for in blended families
• And more!

Resources:

• Understanding the Psychology of Money with Brendan Frazier – Part 1 (Ep. 17)
• Understanding the Psychology of Money with Brendan Frazier – Part 2 (Ep. 18)

Connect with Jim Sumpter:

• 205-510-9074
• CMC Financial
• LinkedIn: Jim Sumpter
• LinkedIn: CMC Financial
• Facebook: CMC Financial
• Instagram: CMC Financial
• YouTube: CMC Financial

Connect with Brendan Frazier:

• RFG Advisory
• LinkedIn: Brendan Frazier
• Wisdom In Wealth with Brendan Frazier

About Our Guest:

Brendan Frazier is the Chief Behavioral Officer at RFG, the host of The Human Side of Money podcast, and a nationally recognized voice on behavioral finance. After starting his career as a consultant to financial advisors around the country, he started his own financial advisory business and was twice named one of Investopedia’s Top 100 Financial Advisors in the U.S. Most recently, he built a global training platform to help financial advisors and their clients better understand the behavioral, psychological, and emotional sides of money. When he’s not diving into the latest behavior and psychology research, he is spending time with his wife Shannon and three kids, Brooks, Shepherd, and Merritt. And, he welcomes all unsolicited advice on how to successfully raise three kids.

It is easy to think financial planning is all about numbers, but this episode pulls back the curtain to show why the human side matters just as much.

In this episode, Jim Sumpter, CFP®, sits down with returning guest Brendan Frazier, Chief Behavioral Officer at RFG Advisory, to explore the Golden Circle framework and how understanding your why can shape every financial decision you make. From cash flow to retirement to caring for aging parents, your deeper motivations can either move you forward or keep you stuck.

This conversation brings clarity to an area most people never slow down long enough to examine.

What to expect:

• Why your values influence your financial habits
• How to uncover what really drives your decisions
• The role of mindset in budgeting and long-term planning
• How life changes can shift your priorities over time
• And more!

Resources:

• Understanding the Psychology of Money with Brendan Frazier – Part 1 (Ep. 17)
• Understanding the Psychology of Money with Brendan Frazier – Part 2 (Ep. 18)

Connect with Jim Sumpter:

• 205-510-9074
• CMC Financial
• LinkedIn: Jim Sumpter
• LinkedIn: CMC Financial
• Facebook: CMC Financial
• Instagram: CMC Financial
• YouTube: CMC Financial

Connect with Brendan Frazier:

• RFG Advisory
• LinkedIn: Brendan Frazier
• Wisdom In Wealth with Brendan Frazier

About Our Guest:

Brendan Frazier is the Chief Behavioral Officer at RFG, the host of The Human Side of Money podcast, and a nationally recognized voice on behavioral finance. After starting his career as a consultant to financial advisors around the country, he started his own financial advisory business and was twice named one of Investopedia’s Top 100 Financial Advisors in the U.S. Most recently, he built a global training platform to help financial advisors and their clients better understand the behavioral, psychological, and emotional sides of money. When he’s not diving into the latest behavior and psychology research, he is spending time with his wife Shannon and three kids, Brooks, Shepherd, and Merritt. And, he welcomes all unsolicited advice on how to successfully raise three kids.

Sometimes the toughest seasons reveal the most unexpected opportunities.

When COVID-19 turned the world upside down, Jessica Snead found herself without a job, a plan, or a clear next step, but what she did have was creativity, determination, and a love for making things beautiful.

In this episode of The Financial Puzzle Playbook, host Jim Sumpter, CFP®, talks with Jessica, owner of Petal & Platter, about how she turned an uncertain moment into a thriving catering business. From her first “Happy Hour Boxes” to elegant grazing tables and a social media following of over 100,000, Jessica’s journey is a story of reinvention, perseverance, and purpose.

Jessica shares:

• How losing two household incomes during COVID sparked the idea for “Happy Hour Boxes” that grew into a full-fledged catering business
• How social media and word of mouth became the foundation for her rapid local growth
• The moment her business shifted from small platters to large-scale grazing tables
• Why delegating finances and bookkeeping early helped her focus on creativity and customer experience
• How she continues to balance entrepreneurship, motherhood, and growth while adapting to inflation and evolving trends
• And more!

Connect with Jim Sumpter:

• 205-510-9074
• CMC Financial
• LinkedIn: Jim Sumpter
• LinkedIn: CMC Financial
• Facebook: CMC Financial
• Instagram: CMC Financial
• YouTube: CMC Financial

Connect with Jessica Snead:

• (205) 215-1508
• Instagram: Petal & Platter (@petalandplatter)
• petalandplatter@gmail.com

About Our Guest:

Jessica Snead is the owner and creative force behind Petal & Platter, a catering company specializing in custom charcuterie boards and grazing tables. Combining her background in graphic design with a passion for food artistry, Jessica has turned her business, launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, into a beloved local brand with over 100,000 Instagram followers and growing recognition across the Southeast.

Join host Jim Sumpter, CFP®, and his returning guest, CMC Financial’s Vice President, Andy Graffeo, AFSP, as they take you through essential year-end financial planning strategies using their six-piece playbook. They cover key topics like maximizing 401(k) contributions, Roth conversions, required minimum distributions, charitable giving, education planning, and energy tax credits.

Throughout the episode, Jim and Andy stress proactive planning, highlighting that working closely with trusted financial professionals before year-end ensures that key actions are completed in time to optimize tax savings, protect assets, and align financial decisions with personal and family goals.

Key takeaways include:

• How to make the most of 529 plan contributions and education tax credits
• Portfolio rebalancing, wash sale rules, and offsetting capital gains
• Roth conversions, inherited IRAs, and required minimum distributions (RMDs)
• Maximizing 401(k) and HSA contributions before year-end
• Charitable giving, home energy credits, and proactive tax planning
• Reviewing beneficiaries, gifting rules, and digital assets before December 31
• And more

Previous Episodes of Interest:

• You Inherit an IRA, Now What? (Ep. 12)
• Tax Deductions For Charitable Contributions (Ep. 15)
• Is Your Investment Portfolio Ready for the New Year? (Ep. 16)

Connect with Jim Sumpter:

• 205-510-9074
• CMC Financial
• LinkedIn: Jim Sumpter
• LinkedIn: CMC Financial
• Facebook: CMC Financial
• Instagram: CMC Financial
• YouTube: CMC Financial

Connect with Andy Graffeo:

• Call or Text: (205) 397-2456
• agraffeo@cmcfp.com
• CMC Financial
• LinkedIn: Andy Graffeo

About Our Guest:

Andy began his career with RFG in 2003 and brings decades of hands-on experience in tax and financial planning, with a focus on supporting families and small business owners. A proud Birmingham native, he attended Ensley High School and later earned his degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

Growing up, Andy spent much of his youth working in his family’s grocery stores, where he quickly took on the responsibility of managing many of the financial operations. It was during these early years that he developed a deep appreciation for the value of hard work and financial stewardship. As the retail landscape evolved, Andy saw the future with clarity—recognizing the opportunity to use his skills in a new way. That foresight inspired him to pivot into financial services, where he could make a meaningful difference in the lives of local families and business owners.