James Ustby, CFP®, APMA® · Wealth Advisor, LPL Financial
The money decision in front of you, made clear.
Selling a business, retiring, or handling it all alone for the first time. Pick the one that sounds like you and I’ll take you straight to what matters for your situation: the numbers, the mistakes that cost the most, and a free next step.
Not sure which? Book a free 30-minute call and we’ll sort it out together.
- 30 minfree second opinion, in person, by phone or by video
- 6free calculators built on the 2026 tax tables
- 3x/weekThe Liquidity Letter, for owners selling or holding cash
Ask a question in your own words.
Proof you can check
Don’t take my word for it. Look it up.
- CFP BoardCFP® certificationMy record on CFP Board’s site: certified, no disciplinary history.Open my CFP Board record
- FINRASeries 7 and 66My licenses and history, as FINRA reports them.Open BrokerCheck
- AmazonBefore You SellThe business owner’s guide to exit planning, in Kindle, paperback and hardcover.See the book
- Full distance, twiceIronman finisher2.4 miles swimming, 112 on the bike, then a marathon. Same discipline, applied to plans.Read the story
APMA® designation: verify with the College for Financial Planning. Enrolled Agent, in progress.
Who I help
Owners who have built something worth planning around.
- 1 to 10 years out
Owners planning an exit
Know your number before a buyer names theirs. Line up timing, taxes, and your personal plan before the sale, not after.
Start with a conversation - Solo and company 401(k)s
Owners building retirement outside the business
A solo 401(k) for one owner, or a company plan for your team. Plan design that builds wealth you do not have to sell the company to reach.
See the owner lessons - Before or after the wire
Owners who have just sold, or soon will
A liquidity event changes everything at once. Decide what the proceeds are for, how they pay you, and who they are for after you.
Start with a conversation
The math, shown
Every answer here comes with the arithmetic.
Two of the most common questions I get, worked line by line under 2026 rules. Change any number in the calculators and see your own.
The book
Before You Sell
The business owner’s guide to exit planning, owner retirement plans, and wealth after the sale. Now on Amazon in Kindle, paperback and hardcover.
For retirees
Already retired, or close?
Plain-English answers with the math shown, a new article every morning, and the free 5-minute Retirement Reality Report.
- How much to convert to Roth without hitting IRMAANew, October 24, 2026
- How to fix 401(k) plan mistakes before you sellNew, October 23, 2026
- S corp reasonable salary and 401(k) limits for 2027New, October 22, 2026
- How much money do I need to retire?Retired or retiring soon
- Which account should I withdraw from first in retirement?Retired or retiring soon
- When should I take Social Security?Retired or retiring soon
- How do I read my own tax return to plan for retirement?Retired or retiring soon
- Does Medicare cover long-term care?Retired or retiring soon
- Am I saving enough to retire at 60?Ten years out
- Should I put money in my 401(k) or a Roth IRA first?Salaried and building
Who writes all of this
I am James Ustby, a CFP® professional in North Carolina.
I am a Wealth Advisor with LPL Financial, serving clients across the Triangle and the Piedmont. I work with retirees, families, and business owners on retirement income, Social Security, and taxes, and I work alongside your CPA and your attorney, not around them.
I write everything on this site so that anyone can learn how the decisions work, whether or not we ever meet. I hold the CFP® certification and the Accredited Portfolio Management Advisor designation, and I am an Ironman finisher.
- CFP® certification
- APMA designation
- Series 7 and 66
- LPL Financial
When you want a person
How a free second opinion works.
Pick a time
Choose a slot on my calendar. In person, by phone, or by video.
Bring what you have
Recent statements, your Social Security estimate, and last year's tax return if it is handy. Nothing is required.
Ask anything
We go through your questions first. Then I ask the ones most people have never been asked about their money.
Leave with a short list
The three things worth looking at next, in plain English. What you do with it is up to you.
The decision in front of you
Run the free number first. Then work the decision end to end.
Each decision below has a free calculator or checklist that gives you the number in two minutes, and a workbook with the 2026 tables that works it end to end in about twenty. Bring the filled worksheet to a free call and I will check it.
Roth conversion planning
How much can I convert to Roth this year before it starts costing more than it saves?
Know how much to convert to Roth this year, in about twenty minutes.
Check your Medicare bracket, freeRoth Conversion Planner, $47
Retirement income decisions
When should each of us file, and what do we live on until then?
Decide when each of you files for Social Security, and what you live on in between.
Compare claiming ages, freeSocial Security Claiming Worksheet, $37
Retirement tax planning for married couples and widowed spouses
What happens to the money, and the tax bill, when one of us is gone?
Know what happens to the money and the tax bill if one of you dies, before it happens.
A fill-in binder and a facilitation kit
If something happened to me tomorrow, would my family know where everything is?
Leave your family one binder that answers every question they would have.
The Reality Report, freeLegacy Binder and Family Meeting Kit, $47
Required minimum distributions
How much do I have to take out each year, from which account, and what does it do to my taxes?
Know every required withdrawal for the next ten years, and what each one does to your taxes.
Business owner? Start with the free Exit Readiness Scorecard and the book Before You Sell, now on Amazon. All guides and workbooks.
The newsletter
The Liquidity Letter.
Exits, cash and taxes for owners, Mon · Wed · Fri. Free.
Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC). Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates.
The LPL Financial registered representative associated with this site may discuss and transact securities business only with residents of the states in which they are properly registered or licensed. No offer may be made or accepted from any resident of any other state.
This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. Neither LPL Financial nor its representatives provide legal or tax advice; please consult your attorney or tax advisor regarding your specific situation. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. Examples are hypothetical and for illustration only.