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

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

I help you to:
▪️Maximize Your Money & Retirement Spending
▪️Pay Less Taxes
▪️Have Less Money Worry

I might have just hung the most important office decor in my office. And it has nothing to do with money or retirement p...
10/10/2026

I might have just hung the most important office decor in my office. And it has nothing to do with money or retirement planning!

It’s a reminder that by the time my two boys turn 18, we’ll have spent 90ish% of the time we’ll ever spend together in person.

Pretty wild to think about when they’re both still so little. 😥

But more than anything, it’s a reminder that every time I say yes to something, I’m potentially saying no to something else..

Whether it be-

Another client, another impromptu meeting, another “opportunity”, etc.

None of those are bad things and many are things I genuinely enjoy in a profession where we are here to help and serve others.

But they all come at a cost, and that cost is often time I could otherwise spend with my wife and boys.

So before taking on one more thing, I want to make sure it’s genuinely worth the trade-off.

There won’t always be two little boys waiting for me to come home and play. ❤️

Back from a few days in San Diego for XYPN Live 2026, and still sorting through pages of notes!Some of the best parts of...
10/04/2026

Back from a few days in San Diego for XYPN Live 2026, and still sorting through pages of notes!

Some of the best parts of this conference weren’t even the sessions, they're the hallway conversations with other firm owners.
Comparing notes on what's actually working, what isn't, and what’s everyone's big focus for the coming year.

A few of my takeaways:

CRM & Efficiency-
A central focus was utilizing specialized CRM platforms for advisors like Slant. It's built specifically for advisors, with AI that can record and summarize meetings automatically, draft follow-up emails, prep agendas ahead of a review, and keep client records updated without someone manually typing it all in after the fact. Taking a hard look at my own setup!

Better marketing funnels & SEO/AEO tips-
A lot of conversations here too, specifically around building more effective marketing funnels, and getting more intentional about SEO and AEO so the right people can actually find me on Google or AI.

Hiring an associate-
This has been a big focus of ours. We’re at a point in our growth where hiring a solid associate with help us free up more room to serve additional clients and level up in our firm. Was best to discuss this with other owners and how they’re thinking about this.

I’ll be back in Seattle next year!

09/28/2026

Please take the nice trips early in retirement!!

Not at 80 when you finally feel comfortable spending the money.

Go while you're healthy enough to walk the cobblestone streets, hike the trails, and explore without worrying about whether your body can keep up.

Rent a beautiful Airbnb for a month and invite the kids and grandkids to visit.

Heck, make it an annual tradition!!

I'm a big believer in front-loading retirement spending, especially when it comes to travel, experiences, and time with family.

Because while we plan for a retirement that could last 30-40 years, we're not promised 30 years let alone 30 years of “good” health and mobility.

A trip at 65 isn't the same trip at 70 or 75.

Spend the money, book the dang trip, make the memories!

That's what you saved it for..✌

09/23/2026

One of the strangest “tax strategies” to most retirees:
Intentionally creating income..

Understandably, I occasionally get a strange look. 😂

But typically, those years after retiring and before RMDs begin can be incredibly valuable.

And for a lot of people, we tend to see a big drop in income in the years after they’ve stopped working.

Their large paychecks have stopped and perhaps now, they’re living off excess funds in their bank or brokerage accounts.

That can create wonderful opportunities for Roth conversions, realizing capital gains, or other tax planning moves which involve accelerating income to the present.

A low-income year (especially one in which you’re paying little to no tax) isn’t usually something to celebrate.

Good chance you’re just kicking the tax can down the road and you’ll be worse off for it..

3 generations of Beavers in Corvallis last weekend! Both grandpa and dad went on dates with their wives at this bar (Clo...
09/19/2026

3 generations of Beavers in Corvallis last weekend!

Both grandpa and dad went on dates with their wives at this bar (Clod’s), so maybe the boys will too one day?

Also, every time we’re at Clod’s without fail, my dad has to mention that he created a burger on the menu that’s still there almost 40 years later.

“The Monster Burger” if you’re curious 😂

Happy college football Saturday!

09/16/2026

One of the biggest inherited IRA mistakes I see in this post-COVID world?

Taking *only* the required minimum distribution each year.

After all, to most people it feels responsible.
Take only what the IRS requires, leave the rest invested, and defer the taxes as long as possible.

BUT, under the current 10-year liquidation window for most non-spouse inheritors, that can backfire in a big way.

Imagine inheriting a $1 million IRA like one of my clients did a couple years ago.

Let’s assume that for the first several years, she only took the required distributions.
Meanwhile, the account continues to grow.

Then you get to years 9 and 10 and realize there’s still a LOT of money left, perhaps even more than when you originally inherited it.

Now, instead of intentionally filling up lower tax brackets along the way, you could be forced to recognize hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxable income over just a year or two.. potentially pushing much lots of $$$ into the 32%, 35%, or even 37% federal tax brackets.

The better question usually isn’t:

“What’s the minimum I have to take this year?”

It’s:

“How much should I take this year and each year after to minimize taxes over the entire 10-year period?”

That probably means intentionally taking more than the required minimum in many years.

It takes more careful planning between you, your CPA, and your financial planner!

San Diego, here I come!Looking forward to attending this year’s XYPN Live advisor conference to learn about some great p...
09/11/2026

San Diego, here I come!

Looking forward to attending this year’s XYPN Live advisor conference to learn about some great planning strategies and to hear from other independent firm owners who are running outstanding and creative practices of their own.

Pumped!!!

09/09/2026

A pattern I've noticed as my clients move deeper into retirement: what they valued at 62 isn’t typically the same as what they value at 72 or 82.

At 62 it's often travel, activity, doing lots of things.

By 82 it's much more about simplicity, closeness, being near the people who matter, having fewer decisions to make rather than more options to choose from.

*Most* people’s retirement plans are built once, based on the 62-year-old's priorities, and never really revisited to reflect who that person becomes.

I think a good plan should expect to be wrong later..
Not because it was built badly, but because the person it was built for kept changing, duh!

Basically, revisit your life/ financial priorities every year!

Saying bye to summer 2026!We’ve had a busy few months of weddings, regional travel and playing with all the cars, of cou...
09/04/2026

Saying bye to summer 2026!

We’ve had a busy few months of weddings, regional travel and playing with all the cars, of course.

I know it’s not technically over yet but bring on fall football, holidays and food! 😎

08/31/2026

$30,000 toward a down payment at 35 or a $100,000+ inheritance received at 65?

I’d argue the $30,000 could have a much bigger impact on someone’s life.

If you live into your 80s and 90s, there’s a decent chance your kids will be approaching retirement themselves by the time they inherit your money.

And sure, $100,000+ receiver at 65 is still a wonderful gift.

But $30,000 at 35?

1) That could help buy your child their first home, or
2) Pay for childcare during the expensive years, or
3) Knock out student loans or pay off a car, or
4) Simply give a young family some much-needed breathing room.

Obviously, your own retirement security comes first. I’m not suggesting giving away money you might eventually need.

But once you’re confident you have more than enough, I think it’s worth asking:

“When would this money actually make the biggest difference in my kids’ lives?”

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