RFG Wealth Advisory Team News: July '25

RFG Wealth Advisory Argyle, TX

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RFG Wealth Advisory - Team News Chris Robinson Chris Robinson Read More, page 2 July 2025 On May 15 , 2025, RFG Wealth Advisory celebrated our 10 anniversary as a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA). Many of you have been with us through this transition that took us from RFG Wealth Management to where we are today. However, we’ve had so many new clients join us just in the past few years, I wanted to take a moment and give you a short history of where RFG began. th th January 3 , 1995, was my first day in the Financial Services business. My new office was in the Galleria Tower Two building. When I showed up that morning, they gave me a stack of business cards. I was so proud to have a business card, then I noticed they had taken some generic cards and used a black typewriter to type my name on the blue ink business cards. Oh well! rd (read more pg. 4) It’s officially summertime! I generally like summertime (besides the heat.) It has been a much quieter this year, with my two oldest sons off to college. I guess I am being prepared to be an empty nester. In our last newsletter I wrote how my oldest son, Henry, would be graduating from college this summer, and he made it happen! He finished his undergraduate degree in computer science with a minor in math. There were a lot of struggles over his 4 years at Texas Tech, but he successfully navigated those and got his degree. I remember going on a campus visit with Henry and speaking with the computer science department dean. The first thing he told my son was, “This degree will be very difficult, don’t plan on having a big social life!” (read more on page 2) Ranch Mascot

II vividly remember dropping him off at his dorm room four years ago. We are very proud parents. It is hard to believe I have a college graduate! I have been promising him a trip to Europe after college graduation since he was a little kid. He held me to my promise, and the two of us will be going to England and France two days after he walks in August. My second son, Jacob, got a full D-1 scholarship to play football at Sam Houston State University. Not bad for a Junior College walk-on! He told me a story last week that I had never heard. As a walk-on at Tyler Jr. College, he wasn’t expected to play that much. After his first week in practice, he was the 5 string safety! At his first college game, he did not get in the game during the first half. Here is the story he told me: After halftime, they were kicking off to their opponent. The kickoff team was lining up on the field, and they only had 10 players on the field. th Jacob will be playing linebacker and is #10 for Sam Houston, so look for him on TV on Saturdays. We will have a busy fall as we plan to make all the games this year, including at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu (yeah!), the University of Texas in Austin, and Oregon State University. As they say, “Hard work pays off!” My third son, Ben, will be a senior this year at Argyle High School. He is working at Buc-ee’s this summer, so we are not getting to see him very much, but he is saving a lot of money. We are taking a father-son trip to Sun Valley this summer to go fly fishing. (read more pg. 4) As the coaches were searching for the missing player Jacob runs in and takes the missing player’s spot. He wasn’t even on the kickoff team! The kicker kicks the ball down to the one-yard line and runs to his left as Jacob flies down the field and solo tackles him on the 2- yard line.I can remember him jumping up with so much enthusiasm as his teammates mobbed him. Shortly thereafter, Tyler scores a touchdown, and they leave him in on the kickoff team, and he again solo tackles the return man on the 2-yard line.He was the starting safety two weeks later.

My daughter Molly will be a freshman at Argyle High School.She is playing a lot of tennis this summer and loves to read. We are expecting big things for Molly’s future! She is already very concerned about what her career choice should be! My wife Joyce is doing well. We traveled together to Italy and France in the spring and had a great time. We are looking forward to our trip in September to Hawaii to watch Jacob play.We are enjoying our journey together.As always, I feel incredibly fortunate to have such a wonderful family and to have a wonderful team here at RFG. as well as very fortunate to have so many fabulous clients who I have become so close to over the last 30 years.

I made a lot of friends at that firm, but after 7 years, I decided to start my own firm. This turned out to be a very good decision. My practice grew tremendously. I was now married with three little boys, and we had moved to Argyle. Our office was still in Dallas, and the time had come to move the office closer to my house.Argyle was such a sleepy little town back then, but I had faith we could make it. The commute went from one hour each way to about 4 minutes each way. Times were slightly different back then. The dress code was a little tighter as we had to wear a suit to work each day and could not leave our office without our jacket on! We had no computers; they started showing up a year or two later. We had no cell phones, and again, they showed up a year later. My car was a 1985 Mustang, and the air conditioner would only last about 10 minutes before shutting off. Luckily, Texas doesn’t have hot summers! I lived with my older brother Scott and slept on his couch. I could not afford rent. I spent the next several months studying for my securities tests. I was obviously highly motivated to improve my situation in life, so I studied very hard and passed all my tests on my first attempt. I then entered the training program. They had me write down in a booklet all the people I knew and their phone numbers. So, in my little cubicle, with a phone and my booklet, I started my career. I quickly learned about handling rejection! My main goal was to make it to Christmas. I thought that by then, I would have enough knowledge to be able to have some success. I was not exactly an overnight success! But I wasn’t a quitter. I didn’t mention that I was on straight commission and did not get my first paycheck until May that year. I went five months without a paycheck! But ever so slowly, I started to get some traction. (more pg. 4) Happy Anniversary RFG continued Funny, even though I had a pretty rough start, I look back very fondly at those times. The best part of this journey has been all the wonderful clients and team members I have been so fortunate to get to know throughout these years. We now have four partners at our firm, and they are so talented. I look forward to coming to work each day. So, where do we go from here? I am very excited about our future. I have no plans of retiring; I love what I do way too much! I want to continue to help people reach their financial potential, which hopefully will greatly improve their lives. Chris 2014 2025

With a strong foundation in finance and marketing from Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business and advanced studies at the SW Graduate School of Banking, Ryan has cultivated a unique blend of financial acumen and entrepreneurial spirit that aligns perfectly with RFG's mission. Ryan brings a wealth of experience in the financial industry, having served as both Market President and Chief Risk Officer at American National Bank & Trust, where he led strategic growth initiatives and fostered strong client relationships. Help us welcome Ryan Schroer to our team here at RFG. Ryan has been appointed President of RFG. His responsibilities will be to oversee the operations of our firm as well as to help grow our firm in a responsible manner. Welcome Ryan Schroer Beyond his professional achievements, Ryan is deeply rooted in the community. His civic involvement has allowed him to serve on many local not-for-profit boards and committees, including as chairman of the Flower Mound Chamber of Commerce, chairman of Pediplace, vice chairman of deacons for Crossroads Bible Church, and treasurer for Lewisville ISD Education Foundation. A strong advocate for financial education, Ryan continues to be involved in mentoring youth through partnerships with Lewisville Independent School District and the Town of Flower Mound's Department of Economic Development. by Chris Robinson He and his wife, Erica, live in Flower Mound, Texas, with their three children, ages 8 to 14. Their family is actively involved in youth sports and extracurricular activities, dedicating much of their time outside of work to supporting and cheering on their kids in their various pursuits. “I look forward to helping our firm continue to serve clients well. With a long history of excellent client relationships, we have a solid foundation on which to grow and serve others at greater scale.” Ryan Schroer No, I am not retiring! I will continue to be Chief Executive Officer. My desire is to spend more time with our clients and less time in the running of the firm. We are excited about the skills Ryan brings to our firm! Chris

Ryan Schroer Ryan Schroer It has been a great start to 2025. I joined RFG in March, and we have hit the ground running planning for the future and continuing to create value for our clients. As a CPA with a career in banking and risk management, I am excited to serve others in a new way. RFG clients already know this: we have a great team. With 3 kids between 14 and 8, our family is always on the go. Fortunately, all of us really enjoy seeing new sights and embarking on varied adventures, so traveling is a favorite pastime for us. In March, we experienced Tulum, MX for the first time, which was a great pause for an eventful season of life. We also got to enjoy some lake time this spring and early summer – with all the rain we have had, there’s plenty of water to ski and fish on. Our 14-year-old spends quite a bit of time at three places these days: the baseball field, local ponds with a fishing rod in hand, or staring into our pantry wondering where his next meal is coming from (if you’ve had a teenage boy… you know). Our middle son just returned from Pine Cove Camp in Tyler, TX, where he had a great time doing high ropes courses and swimming. He also made his own 3D printable glasses for 80’s night (ha). He picked up golf this year and has enjoyed playing a couple of tournaments. He’s also playing summer basketball with a group of his buddies. Our youngest enjoys swim team, tumbling, and hanging out with friends. She has picked up an interest in acting this year and has participated in the after-school program that has put on Peter Pan and Beauty & the Beast. Always the life of the party, she keeps us smiling. Erica and I had the privilege of celebrating our 20 anniversary in June. Here’s to 20 more! Hopefully, we’ll have some neat pictures for our next newsletter from our celebration trip. th

You turn 65 and begin Medicare insurance. Looking at the monthly cost, you think that is not so bad. You can easily look up how much your payment is going to be for Part B and Part D. Medicare may cost you a lot more than you imagined! What is IRMAA? Welcome an unfriendly additional premium called IRMAA, or income-related monthly adjustment amount. The more you make, the more you pay. Medicare looks back at your income two years ago to determine the price you will pay for parts B and D. So, income in the year you were 63 determines how much more you will pay when you are 65. The calculation is based on your modified adjusted gross income, or MAGI. So, what income counts for MAGI? Almost everything counts, including tax-free municipal bond income, wages, Social Security benefits, and retirement account distributions. Understanding what counts towards MAGI allows you to predict your IRMAA charges and find ways to reduce them. Please Note: If you have MAGI that is as little as $1 over the threshold limit, then you must pay the full adjustment. There are actually five different levels of income with five different levels of additional premium. The levels differ with single or jointly filed tax returns. At the most punitive level of income, an additional $419.30 for Part B and $81 for Part D must be paid per month per individual! How to Avoid Additional Premiums There are a number of strategies available to help you avoid IRMAA adjustments. 1. Roth Conversions: Qualified Roth withdrawals are tax-free and do not count toward MAGI for Medicare purposes. So consider Roth conversions now! 2. Qualified Charitable Distributions or QCDs: QCDs allow each IRA owner to donate from their IRA straight to charities with a limit of $105,000 per year. The IRA owner must be at least 70.5 years of age at the time of the QCD. So, you might consider a QCD if a Required Minimum Distribution pushes you over the MAGI limit. You should consider making a QCD from your IRA if you are over age 70.5 and are giving to charities, including your church. This donation is probably not tax deductible if you claim the standard deduction on your tax return. 3. Control your dividend and interest income in after-tax accounts: Perhaps use asset location to put your more interest- and dividend-producing investments in your tax- deferred accounts, thereby limiting your taxable dividends and interest. 4. Income Shifting: Transfer income to family members with lower earnings. For instance, gifting assets or investments to children or grandchildren who fall into lower tax brackets can reduce your taxable income and help you remain under IRMAA thresholds. Be sure to understand the gift tax rules and annual limits to ensure this strategy is both beneficial and compliant. 5. Deferring Income: Another tactic involves postponing income to manage your MAGI more effectively. This might include delaying withdrawals from retirement accounts or arranging with your employer to defer bonuses or other forms of compensation until a year when your income is lower. Deferring income using tax-advantaged accounts like Traditional IRAs or 401(k)s until retirement can be highly advantageous. 6. Utilizing Health Savings Accounts (HSAs): Contributions to HSAs are tax-deductible, which can reduce your MAGI. Withdrawals for medical expenses that qualify are tax-free. By maximizing your HSA contributions, you lower your taxable income while saving for future healthcare needs, providing dual benefits. 7. Tax-Loss Harvesting: This technique involves selling investments at a loss to counterbalance gains from other investments. By carefully managing your portfolio and leveraging losses to your advantage, you can decrease your taxable income and potentially avoid higher IRMAA thresholds. (read the full article here) RFG University Navigating Medicare IRMAA: Strategies to Minimize Medicare Premiums

Lindsay Freeman Lindsay Freeman It’s been a busy stretch, full of fun, milestones, and a whole lot of sunshine! Spring baseball wrapped up for the boys! They had such a great season—lots of games, big plays, and fun with their teammates. They were a little bummed to see it end (we all were!), but now they’re looking forward to everything summer has in store. We’re super proud of how hard they played and how much they grew this season. Charley had her very first dance recital, and she absolutely shined! Seeing her on stage in her sparkly costume, smiling and twirling, was such a sweet moment for all of us. She was so proud—and we were too. It was one of those memories we’ll hold onto forever. It was a beautiful reminder that time is flying by, and our tiny dancer is growing up so quickly. Right after the recital, the car was packed up and headed to Galveston for our annual beach trip. It’s always one of our favorite traditions. It was a week full of sunshine, sandy toes, and slow, happy days. We soaked in the sea breeze, built sandcastles, played in the waves, and spent our evenings watching unforgettable sunsets and dolphins jumping in the waves from our balcony. It was everything we needed to reset and reconnect! Now we’re soaking up the summer—swim days, popsicles, staying up late, early morning bike rides with mom before work, and just enjoying this season while it lasts. Hope you’re all doing well and having a great summer too!

Susan Dawson Summer is here, and that means birthdays and cruises. My husband, Mike, finally crossed the 65 birthday threshold, and the joy of finding a Medicare insurance plan. This process paid off big since he is no longer paying for private health insurance! Bonus! We had a fun time celebrating his 65 birthday with family and friends. th th Our son-in-law, John, also celebrated a significant birthday, turning 49. We celebrated Mike and John on our recent family cruise in the Caribbean on the world's LARGEST CRUISE SHIP, Icon of the Seas. It was a special time for our family, and our floating resort did not disappoint. We participated in many excursions and activities, including beach breaks, town tours, and Bingo with 500 of our fellow cruisers. Plus, I won! My mom would be so excited. She loved playing Bingo on a cruise, and our daughter Lauren and I carry on the tradition. Mike and I are rock and roll lovers and enjoyed a great concert with the legendary women-led band, Heart. Ann and Nancy Wilson have been touring for over 50 years, like many other R&R bands. I’m proud to say I saw one of their early concerts in 1977, Amarillo, TX. I won’t tell you how old I was. 😊 There’s nothing like a fun July 4 celebration to confirm that Summer is here. We celebrated with some friends at a pool party and cookout. The mild temperatures and showers didn’t dampen our fun. Thank you to all who have contributed to the freedom we celebrate in the USA! th I am sincerely blessed to continue as an RFG Wealth Advisory team member. Working with this curated team of professionals for the past 13 years is an honor. And, serving our amazing clients who are creating their best financial future is a privilege. Thank you and happy summer.

Emilio Gonzalez Time has surely flown since our last newsletter. As Spring ended and Summer began, the change of “seasons” truly dawned on me. This may be the last summer to have Mateo (17) around as next year he will head off to college somewhere. He rounded out the spring with a strong showing in powerlifting (570 lb. squat record) and a successful track season as we traveled to Lubbock for the regional track meet with an honorable finish in the 4 X 400-meter relay. This summer has been filled with school visits and football camps to prepare for the next level. He has had a few offers, but we still have his upcoming senior season to catch some attention. Speaking of attention, Ms. Mia (1.5) pretty much gets most of mine. She is growing like a weed and learning every day. Her favorite game is to play “tackle Pappy”…yes, girls can like football too!!! She will definitely be a tomboy, being exposed to me and Mateo. Olivia (23) continues to amaze me with her motherly instincts. She is such a caring and nurturing young mom. On top of traveling 2-3 hours per day to finish doctoral school, she is doing an amazing job raising little Mia. Olivia and Kody are doing a great job balancing work, family, and careers. Kody took Mia on her first of many future fishing trips this summer. She would respond with a resounding “Oh No!” when he would reel in the lure with no fish on it.

Isabella (25) and her new husband, Nick, recently moved to Tinker Air Force Base, where Nick is stationed. They are settling into married life and have established a cozy home front. Nick was recently promoted to Staff Sergeant. Diego (26) and I have started our new regimen. We are working out together 6 days a week. Three days we go to the gym and three days we ruck 2-4 miles. It has been great spending some time with him as we try to stay in shape together. I always joke about having my “summer wife” back when school is out. This summer we have spent most of our time enjoying our new home. I can’t believe it has almost been a year since we moved back on to the property. It has been so relaxing spending some quiet evenings on the porch with a nice glass of wine or on the back deck watching some beautiful summer sunsets…also with a nice glass of wine. My “Summer wife” likes wine!!!! Soon, it will be back to school for Sharon and Mateo. The final senior year, Friday night lights, and preparing for graduation, a new season for us all. The main advice I get from friends and mentors is to be present in the moment…Will do!!!!

Nick Noll Hello, everyone! As your friendly neighborhood compliance guy, I've been keeping busy both at work, ensuring everything runs smoothly, and at home with some exciting family milestones. My oldest daughter, Kylie, graduated from high school this spring and is gearing up for her freshman year at Murray State in the fall, where she'll be playing soccer while pursuing her dream of becoming a veterinarian. We're incredibly proud and can't wait to cheer her on. Adding to the joy, my niece Lily tied the knot this summer, marking the first wedding among my siblings' kids, and it was a wonderful celebration filled with love and laughter. On the adventure front, we wrapped up our family tradition of one-on-one trips for the kids when they turn 14, taking our youngest, Emily, to Colorado for an unforgettable getaway. We rode the COG railway up Pikes Peak and went white-water rafting through the Royal Gorge—it was an absolute blast with perfect weather! Emily is starting high school this year, so it was the ideal time to connect deeply and encourage her through this big transition. Meanwhile, my middle daughter, Addison, kicked off her first job this summer, balancing work with hanging out with friends as she prepares for her junior year. We celebrated with a family trip to a Rangers game! I'm truly grateful for our amazing clients who make it all possible. Your partnership means the world!

Mike Lemich Hello all, and Happy Summer! For my family, summer kicked off with two family reunions, one at the beach in South Carolina (Myrtle Beach area) with my family, and another in Carlton Landing, Oklahoma, with Sarah’s family. Both vacations included shared houses, which in the case of my family reunion meant 22 people in one house, 12 of those being kids, 9 and under! And believe it or not, all survived the trips unharmed. All the kids got to run free on the beach, play a lot of games, and get in more than their fair share of swimming (beach, lake, pool, creek, etc.) Back home, we have been enjoying the cooler start to summer, especially the summer nights. We can’t seem to get the kids in bed before 9, but everyone is in good spirits and mostly sleeping in (except Carson, our 4-year- old). In March, my boys decided to try taekwondo and have really enjoyed it thus far. Carson can usually be found on the trampoline practicing his punching and kicking combinations. If Calvin continues with taekwondo in the fall, he will start sparring. It will be interesting to see how far they take it. It is only a matter of time before I have to dodge head kicks and body shots. To beat the heat the rest of the summer, the kids are trying out a few different camps. Calvin’s favorite is Cinnamon Creek Ranch, where they do archery, fishing, hiking, and games. Anastasia is signed up for her first two-week musical camp - Frozen Jr. She is constantly singing, dancing, and doing gymnastics wherever she is. Hope you have a great summer and stay cool as the temperature continues to dial up!

Celebrating with you in 2025! Thank you for being part of the experience that is RFG Wealth Advisory. Chris & Team RFG Connect with Us! [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 940-464-4104 Financial Success Doesn’t Happen by Chance. It takes careful planning and expert advice. RFG Wealth Advisory Blueprint