Scaled Finance, LLC

12/04/2025

I’m honored to have been quoted in an article published by NerdWallet, NBC News, CBS News, and more.

Thank you Kimberly Palmer for the opportunity to contribute!

Getting into the routine of setting aside a portion of your paycheck each month can set you up well for the rest of your life, says Kevin Estes, [CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional] and founder of Scaled Finance, LLC in the Seattle area.

And if you get a raise or bonus at work, aim to save 50% of the extra pay. Saving a cash reserve of three to six months’ worth of expenses is a good goal, he adds.

“We don’t know if it’s going to be used for emergencies or opportunities,” he says.

Estes suggests making a plan to pay off your highest-interest debt aggressively.

“From a cash-flow perspective, don’t fret so much with student loans because interest rates tend to be low,” he says.

Instead, focus on paying off credit cards and any personal loans with high interest rates.

If you have multiple credit card payments, it might make sense to consolidate them onto a balance transfer card with a low promotional rate, he adds.

Special thanks to editor Courtney Neidel as well as fellow contributors D'Andre Clayton, IRMAA CP and Andi Madden Wrenn, MA, AFC®️,

https://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/learn/quarter-zip-trend
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I'm Kevin Estes, an hourly financial advisor and founder of Scaled Finance, LLC who helps tech professionals and their families live great lives.

This post is general education - not financial, tax, insurance, or legal advice.

Complete the quarter-zip and matcha look with a set of mature personal finance choices.

12/02/2025

I’m honored to have been quoted in an article published by GOBankingRates, Yahoo, AOL, Nasdaq, and more.

Thank you Chris Adam for the opportunity to contribute!

3. Review Expenses
If you don’t already, it may be helpful to schedule regular times to review your expenses — perhaps a monthly or bi-monthly review will work for you.

“You may have unused items, zombie subscriptions, billing errors or outright fraud,” said Kevin Estes, [CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional] and founder of [Scaled Finance, LLC].

4. Get Cash Back
Per Estes, “You might spend more on travel, at restaurants or with specific retailers. Using the right credit card could earn a little extra on those purchases.”

5. Shop Your Insurance
If you haven’t checked in a while, it may be possible to increase coverage and lower premiums. Raising deductibles and paying in advance can also help.

6. Simplify Meal Prep
“AI is great at meal planning,” Estes said. “A pressure cooker, air fryer or slow cooker makes it easier to cook at home instead of ordering take-out.”

Special thanks to fellow contributors Dr. William Soliman, Marguerita (Rita) Cheng, CFP®, and Brandon Gregg, CFP®!

https://health.yahoo.com/healthcare/articles/7-smart-ways-cut-costs-110404630.html
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I'm Kevin Estes, an hourly financial advisor and founder of Scaled Finance, LLC who helps tech professionals and their families live great lives.

This post is general education - not financial, tax, insurance, or legal advice.

Rising healthcare costs force many to skip -- experts share smart tips to save money, cut expenses, shop insurance and manage medical bills.

09/18/2025

I’m honored to have been quoted in an article published by GOBankingRates, Yahoo, AOL, Nasdaq and others.

Thank you Chris Adam for the opportunity to contribute!

Saving Too Much to Retirement Accounts
Kevin Estes, [CFP® professional] and founder of [Scaled Finance, LLC], said it may be a mistake to put too much of your savings into retirement accounts. “While the company match and tax savings are nice, liquidity is an issue. A checking, savings or taxable brokerage account could work well if funds are needed soon.”

Special thanks to fellow contributor Christopher L. Stroup, MBA, EA, CFP®!

https://www.gobankingrates.com/saving-money/savings-advice/savings-habits-actually-working-against-you/
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I'm Kevin Estes, an hourly financial advisor and founder of Scaled Finance, LLC who helps tech professionals and their families live great lives.

This post is general education - not financial, tax, insurance, or legal advice.

Plan to avoid these.

08/14/2025

I’m honored to have been quoted in an article published by GOBankingRates, Yahoo Finance, AOL, and others.

Thank you Chris Adam for the opportunity to contribute!

“Retailers generally pass cost increases on to consumers with price increases. Price increases only cause inflation if the goods are available for sale. The CEOs of Walmart and Target privately warned President Trump in April that tariffs could lead to empty shelves,” said Kevin Estes, [CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®)] and founder of [Scaled Finance, LLC].

Estes said inflation may not rise much for years due to a variety of factors:
· About half of household spending is on housing and transportation. Higher interest rates have limited major purchases recently.
· Homeowners with low fixed-rate mortgages may stay put for decades. Renters may not be able to buy given today’s interest rates. Housing demand has fallen because deportations have removed residents and deterred immigration.
· Americans are keeping vehicles longer.
· Energy has largely avoided new tariffs.
· Few of the world’s largest luxury brands are headquartered in the U.S. Tariffs may cause consumers to shift to less expensive domestic options.

Special thanks to fellow contributor Brandon Gregg, CFP®!

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-tariffs-experts-expect-true-163128025.html
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I'm Kevin Estes, an hourly financial advisor and founder of Scaled Finance, LLC who helps tech professionals and their families live great lives.

This post is general education - not financial, tax, insurance, or legal advice.

With so much uncertainty, there's no general consensus on when the effects will kick in -- with some experts saying soon and others saying it may be years.

08/09/2025

I’m honored to have been quoted in an article published by GOBankingRates, Yahoo Life, AOL, and others.

Thank you Chris Adam for the opportunity to contribute!

According to Kevin Estes, founder and financial planner at [Scaled Finance, LLC], one travel hack is to choose a hotel near but not at a prime location.

“Years ago, my wife and I stayed at a hotel near Whistler at a fraction of the cost,” Estes said. “I like to stay near conference hotels, which gives me an excuse to explore new cities!”

Special thanks to fellow contributor Jasmine Charbonier!

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/7-easy-ways-savvy-travelers-191907025.html
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I'm Kevin Estes, an hourly financial advisor and founder of Scaled Finance, LLC who helps tech professionals and their families live great lives.

This post is general education - not financial, tax, insurance, or legal advice.

Want to save money on your travels? Discover some insider hotel booking hacks, loyalty perks, and smart timing tips to cut costs and boost value in 2025.

02/05/2025

Potential financial steps for February include:
· update saving for raise and bonus,
· schedule tax prep meeting,
· gather tax forms and create checklist,
· accept Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) grant, and
· review / rebalance investment portfolio.

Check out the 11 images below. 👇

The full scoop 🍨 is available on the Scaled Finance, LLC Insights page! ✅

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I'm Kevin Estes, an hourly financial advisor who helps T-Mobile employees and their families live their best lives.

+ Follow for more personal finance content! 🔔

+ DM me 📨 or visit my website to book a complimentary meeting.
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This post is general education - not financial, tax, or legal advice.

01/29/2025

Imagine you recently retired. Congratulations!

Unfortunately, a recession hit soon thereafter.

Your emergency fund is dwindling. You may have to sell investments that have fallen in value.

Fortunately, your home is worth much more than you owe on it:
· the property's appreciated and
· you've been paying down the mortgage.

You love living there! Neither you nor your spouse ever wants to move.

It may be helpful to tap into your home's equity.

Unlike a traditional loan that provides a fixed lump sum, a Home Equity Line Of Credit (HELOC) gives you the flexibility to borrow only:
· what you need
· when you need it
· up to the credit limit.

It's curious that interest rates have fallen with recessions. Funds may become more affordable when they’re needed most!

HELOCs have many pros and cons. Whether one makes sense depends on someone's financial situation and goals.

Check out the six images below. 👇

The full scoop 🍨 is available on the Scaled Finance, LLC Insights webpage!


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I'm Kevin Estes, an hourly financial advisor who helps T-Mobile employees and their families live their best lives.

+ Follow for more personal finance content! 🔔

+ DM me 📨 or visit my website to book a free consultation.
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This post is general education - not financial, tax, or legal advice.

01/22/2025

"I don't need a dentist. I brush and floss."

That's what I think when I read something like:
"I don't need a financial advisor. I max out my 401(k) and HSA."

Are you fuzzy on any of the following?
Merit aid, Social Security funding, benefit claiming strategies

Single stock exposure, target allocation, asset location, Mega Roth

Home gain exclusion, personal liability, rental cash flow

Lifetime tax minimization, penalties and interest, withholding

Bunching donations, Donor-Advised Fund (DAF), giving income away

Coverage limits, deductibles, prepaid discounts, umbrella, disability impact

Federal estate tax, state estate and inheritance taxes, step-up in basis

Check out the 20 images below. 👇

The full scoop 🍨 is available on the Scaled Finance, LLC Insights webpage!

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I'm Kevin Estes, an hourly financial advisor who helps T-Mobile employees and their families live their best lives.

+ Follow for more personal finance content! 🔔

+ DM me 📨 or visit my website to book a free consultation.

___

This post is general education - not financial, tax, or legal advice.

12/18/2024

There were many great questions in last week's Q&A session! 💡

· What are some opportunities for employees?
· What will happen to my unvested RSUs when I retire?
· Can I have an HSA if I'm on Medicare?
· How do you diversify without a huge tax impact?
· What is recommended to put into a pre-tax 401(k)?
· What's too much to contribute to a pre-tax 401(k)?
· What are some good apps for individual investing?
· What are some stable long-term investments?
· What's important about inheriting a Roth IRA?
· What are your thoughts on investing in crypto?

Check out the 14 images below. 👇

The full scoop 🍨 is available on the Scaled Finance, LLC Insights webpage!

You can sign up for the next one here:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEkde-tqDksGd3dkl-C-es7SsM5w2jFjsMd

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I'm Kevin Estes, an hourly financial advisor who helps T-Mobile employees and their families live their best lives.

+ Follow for more personal finance content! 🔔

+ DM me 📨 or visit my website to book a complimentary meeting.

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This post is general education - not financial, tax, or legal advice.

12/12/2024

Watch out for these! 😯

· Your financial advisor “doesn’t charge you anything."
· You don’t know why you’re receiving information.
· You own a muni in a retirement account.
· You own company stock and don’t contribute to the ESPP.
· You’re married and don’t know what a spousal IRA is.
· You don’t invest funds in a Health Savings Account.
· You feel you must earn at least 15% a year to retire.
· Your accounts are all diversified.
· You own art or antiques.
· You think you wear large, mid, and small caps.
· You don’t know what Required Minimum Distributions are.
· You aren’t getting your company’s full match.
· You pull from retirement accounts while still working.
· You own a small business and don’t know what QSB stock is.
· You think Roth 401(k) and IRA are the same.
· You take investment advice from a Luber driver.
· You think an investment is a “sure thing.”

If any of these apply to you, it may make sense to meet with a financial advisor.

Check out the 23 images below. 👇

The full scoop 🍨 is available on the Scaled Finance, LLC Insights page! ✅
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I'm Kevin Estes, an hourly financial advisor who helps T-Mobile employees and their families live their best lives.

+ Follow for more personal finance content! 🔔

+ DM me 📨 or visit my website to book a complimentary meeting.
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This post is general education - not financial, tax, or legal advice.

11/21/2024

Is all debt bad?

Pros:
· current spending
· credit score
· protection
· rewards
· current opportunities

Cons:
· higher spending
· interest and fees
· future flexibility
· credit availability
· financial risk

Check out the 16 images below. 👇

The full scoop 🍨 is available on the Scaled Finance, LLC Insights page! ✅
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I'm Kevin Estes, an hourly financial advisor who helps T-Mobile employees and their families live their best lives.

+ Follow for more personal finance content! 🔔
+ DM me 📨 or visit my website to book a complimentary meeting.

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This post is general education - not financial, tax, or legal advice.

11/14/2024

Do you:
· lose sleep thinking about money?
· fret when the market drops?
· watch financial news more than once a week?
· spend more than an hour a week on finances?
· want to travel but can’t afford it?
· worry about healthcare costs?
· fear Social Security will go bankrupt?
· worry you may never be able to retire?
· feel you need $1, $3, $5, or $10 million to retire?
· think retirement is quilting/shuffleboard/Bingo!?
· believe your finances will “work out eventually?”
· feel your money could do more?

If so, a plan may help.

Check out the 10 images below. 👇

The full scoop 🍨 is available on the Scaled Finance, LLC Insights page! ✅

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I'm Kevin Estes, an hourly financial advisor who helps T-Mobile employees and their families live their best lives.

+ Follow for more personal finance content! 🔔

+ DM me 📨 or visit my website to book a complimentary meeting.

___

This post is general education - not financial, tax, or legal advice.