Certified Financial Group

by Georgia Rivas

Matt Murphy, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional of Certified Financial Group in Altamonte Springs

You’ve worked hard for many years. You’ve been diligent about putting money into your retirement accounts. Perhaps you’ve invested in the stock market and in real estate. You’ve made some good money decisions, but as you near retirement age, you start to wonder... What comes next? 

Matt Murphy, a Certified Financial Planner® professional at Certified Financial Group in Altamonte Springs, can help. By navigating complicated financial topics including taxes and Social Security income, Matt’s job is to help you figure out a path as you transition from your accumulation years of building up your investments to your distribution years, in which you begin to access and use your hard-earned funds.

“A good financial planner takes all your inputs, variables, and goals into consideration to maximize your portfolio and draw a good balance between enjoying retirement and not jeopardizing it,” says Matt. “We all have some bias and emotion attached to our own financial situation, but I bring an objective viewpoint, which means I can help guide you and encourage you along the way but also help you avoid making mistakes.”

Matt’s expertise is helping educate and strategize with his clients to minimize their tax burden. Two areas, he says, that often surprise incoming retirees are the subtle but critical distinctions in understanding Social Security income and Medicare premiums.

In retirement, in addition to your investments, you may have other sources of income from rental properties or a pension, for example. But, Matt explains, the more income you have, the more you are taxed, even in retirement. The key is knowing what your annual taxable income is and carefully managing your sources of income.

“This is where having an attentive financial planner makes a difference,” says Matt. “It’s my job to keep my clients informed and guide them toward making optimal and wise decisions.”

Matt is one of 17 Certified Financial Planner® professionals at Certified Financial Group, an independent firm that prides itself on meeting the highest standard of fiduciary excellence and working in the best interest of its clients. 

“Most clients are concerned about making sure they have enough to have a comfortable retirement and cover unexpected events down the road,” says Matt. “Find yourself a good advisor you can trust to walk you through this phase of life with eyes wide open.”