Charles Petitjean, CFP - Financial Planner at Barker Wealth Management, LLC

Charles Petitjean, CFP - Financial Planner at Barker Wealth Management, LLC Financial Planner helping people aged 60+ live better retirements while paying less taxes.

As a CFP®, I help you:
▪️Maximize Your Money & Retirement Spending
▪️Pay Less Taxes
▪️Have Less Money Worry

06/12/2026

One of the most dangerous words in retirement planning (and in life) is:

"Later."

❌️ I'll update my estate plan later.
❌️ I'll look into Roth conversions later.
❌️ I'll consolidate those old accounts later.
❌️ I'll think about Social Security later.
❌️ I'll get around to reviewing my beneficiaries later.
❌️ I'll talk to my spouse about all of this later.

The problem is that "later" often means never. Life gets busy and there's always a reason to push it out to a later date but then it doesn't happen.

Personally, I know I've been bad about this with annual physicals because "I'm young and healthy" but eventually, things catch up to you and as a father of two, I can't mess around anymore!!

Regarding your financial to-dos, an advisor helps to keep you on top of everything you "should" do to make sure it actually gets done.

A long winded way of saying, we'll keep you accountable. 😉

Who’s ready for tomorrow?! 👀⚽️The World Cup kicks off tomorrow in the US for the first time in 30+ years.My loyalties ha...
06/10/2026

Who’s ready for tomorrow?! 👀⚽️

The World Cup kicks off tomorrow in the US for the first time in 30+ years.

My loyalties have always been with France since I was born there, and fortunately they’ve also happened to field a pretty decent team over the years. 🇫🇷😂

That said, I’ll definitely be pulling for the U.S. as well.

Who you all got as winners??

Allez les Bleus! 🇫🇷⚽️

06/09/2026

Hire me or don’t, I’ve grown to be not too attached to the outcome. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

What I do care about is:

👉🏼 You understand what you’re paying
👉🏼 I don’t actually care if you hire me.
👉🏼 You’re not being sold complexity as a product

Want to manage your money yourself?
Great! Then your “fee” is time, energy, and mistakes.

Want to hire an advisor?
Also great! Then your fee had better buy you:

✅ A multi-year tax strategy.
✅ A real withdrawal plan.
✅ A clear path for your spouse if something happens to you.

If all you’re getting is a model portfolio, an annual performance talk and a “how are the kids” conversation, then, you probably don’t need me to tell you that tou deserve a whole lot more!

06/05/2026

The stock market would like to remind everyone today that it does not, in fact, only go up!

Shocking, I know.. because there’s been money to be made left, right, up and down.

A little volatility from time to time is the price we pay for long-term growth!

There’s probably a separate conversation to be had especially with retirees about what the right stock exposure might be for them and how exposed they are be to the big tech and AI companies.

Otherwise, keep your head down and move along..

My oldest is more obsessed than your average 2 yo with “Baby Shark”. 🦈And he brought this masterpiece home from daycare ...
06/04/2026

My oldest is more obsessed than your average 2 yo with “Baby Shark”. 🦈

And he brought this masterpiece home from daycare today!

Baby shark, mommy shark, daddy shark, grandma shark, mommy shark, auntie shark, uncle shark.. he loves them all. 😂

For now, our household soundtrack consists primarily of:

1) Baby Shark
2) Any Super Simple Songs on YouTube
2) The Happy Song
3) Bajo el sol by Naarly (super random I know)

I’m here for it. 🦈🦈🦈

06/01/2026

Can’t beat this feeling! 👇

When a CPA, estate planning attorney, health insurance broker or another professional refers someone to me, it means they’ve staked their own reputation on the recommendation.
They’ve told a client they trust: “Go talk to this person.”

I don’t take that lightly.

Referrals from other professionals are the highest compliment this work produces.
Not because of what it means for my practice, but because of what it says about the trust that’s been built over time with people who see a lot of advisors and have high standards.

Too all those who have sent folks my way: thank you so much for your trust in me! ☺️

One thing I’ve learned from hosting retiree events:Retirees are often busier than most working professionals 😂This week,...
05/30/2026

One thing I’ve learned from hosting retiree events:

Retirees are often busier than most working professionals 😂

This week, RetireRidgefield gathered at The Neighborhood Refuge in Ridgefield and had a nice meal and presentation from “Visit Vancouver WA” on local attractions, events, restaurants, and things to do around Southwest Washington.

The room was full of ideas for future day trips, weekend adventures, and places many attendees had never visited before.

A big thank you to our guest speaker, Lydia and to everyone who came out.

Such a pleasure to lead this group! 😊🫡

05/27/2026

I’m always amazed at how many people aren’t willing to pay to work with a good financial advisor..

Yet, attempt to rattle off 17 very specific retirement planning questions and want great answers 😂

And honestly, I get it.
Most people don’t wake up excited to pay an advisory fee.

But I think it points to something bigger:

People often underestimate how much coordination and thought goes into good retirement planning because the output can sound simple.

“How much can I spend and how do I pull my retirement income?”
“Should I take Social Security now?”
“Should I do Roth conversions?”
“Can I help my kids financially?”
“Am I paying too much in taxes?”

Simple questions, but not usually very simple answers.

A lot of the value is in the thinking, context, and experience behind the recommendation, not just the recommendation itself.

My attempted solution:
This all has led me to try and be more upfront on my website and online presence.

What my fees are, who I best serve and using conditional forms when people attempt to schedule an intro with me so that I’m not wasting their time and they’re not wasting mine.
More honesty and transparency. 😊

05/26/2026

The average cost of a private room in a nursing home in Washington state is over $100,000 a year!

The % of people needing it varies depending on where you look but it's typically north of 50% and the cost of course depends on the level of care that you end up needing and where you live.

But most people's retirement plans have a blank space where that number should be..

Long-term care is one of the most common planning blind spots I see.
People either assume Medicare covers it (it largely doesn't, beyond short-term skilled care), assume it won't happen to them (statistically unlikely), or put off the decision until it becomes harder and more expensive to insure.

I mean, there's no perfect answer because none of us know for sure that we will need it. On top of it, long-term care insurance can be really expensive if you wait too long to purchase it. Self-funding works if you have the assets. Hybrid life/LTC products are another option with their own tradeoffs.

But doing nothing and hoping for the best is a plan too, just not a very good one.
It definitely belongs in your retirement plan!

A lot going on in the Petitjean household and it was nice to be in the Gorge. 🫡We’re in the middle of selling our first ...
05/25/2026

A lot going on in the Petitjean household and it was nice to be in the Gorge. 🫡

We’re in the middle of selling our first home and buying a new one, which so far, has been easier than expected.. almost too easy!

We got an offer on our house for over asking less than a week after listing.
Then, we put out an offer on a new place that checked all our boxes (our first offer) and it was accepted contingent on our home going through.

So, assuming two inspections go well enough we’ll be on our way to a lot more space, a more walkable neighborhood and big yard!

Amid all the craziness, my dad and I got away to Carson, WA and played Elk Ridge which was quite interesting and fun!

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