I’m Scott Christensen
Wealth Advisor, CFP®
Building your future– one financial decision at a time
Planning with your goals in mind
We work hard to understand who you are and what you want to accomplish, both personally and professionally, so we can best support you and your family in achieving your goals.
We're more than just investments
Together, we’ll implement a customized plan for all areas of your financial life: Investments, taxes, estate planning, insurance, charitable giving, and more.
Let’s make your
money work for you.
When I was 18, I deposited my first hard-earned $5,000 into a two-year CD. I opened a Roth IRA a few years later after working a summer job during college. I was amazed there was a way for my money to make money! Albert Einstein once said, “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t, pays it”. I’m grateful to have been taught this lesson early in life! Making every dollar work as hard as possible to provide freedom, security, and the ability to help others is powerful. When money and finances are properly managed and cared for, it opens life up to possibility.
I carried my lessons in finance through my early career at H&R Block. Tax clients often asked me for financial advice outside of the usual annual filing questions. I shared the stalwart basics, but I was keen to provide them with comprehensive advice tailored to their specific financial situation. I took my next step at Merriman to pursue education as a financial planner.
I’m now privileged to provide precise, strategic advice to families. I commit to continuing my education in order to help families improve their financial lives and relationships with money. Every day, I enjoy helping clients make smart, savvy, and sound financial decisions to reach their goals.
Am I optimizing my saving and investment strategies?
How can I reduce my tax bill?
Do my current advisors have my best interest in mind?
Do I need a will or a trust?
When should I take Social Security?
Are there strategies available that I’m not currently taking advantage of?
Start with You
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Financial planning is personal. I’ll create a personal relationship to build a financial plan that is custom to you |
Explore Goals
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Beginning with the end in mind helps us build the right plan to achieve your goals. |
Live Fully
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We’ll work together to alleviate your worries so you can spend more time doing the things you enjoy. |
Plan for the Future
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We work with families and make sure members are taken care of after the passing of loved ones. |
About Me
I’m originally from Eastern Washington and joined the Merriman team in June 2018. I earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional credential in February 2021. Currently, I’m completing the testing requirements to become an Enrolled Agent with the Internal Revenue Service. This is the highest credential the IRS awards and builds my technical expertise in complex tax planning.
Prior to attending college, I realized a lifetime goal to volunteer as a missionary for two years in Southern India. Upon returning, I met my wife and best friend, Rae, while attending Brigham Young University in Idaho. In between semesters, I sold pest control door-to-door for three summers in Houston, Phoenix, and Cincinnati. During busy semesters, I worked as a tutor on campus, a tax advisor at H&R block, and an intern in the well-established management trainee program at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. My adventurous path to financial planning with Merriman helped me build grit and shaped my perspective on guiding families.
Faith and family are my pillars in life. Much of my time outside work is spent with my wife and 3 young children – Claire, Thomas, and Ivy – and serving in my church and the community. My wife homeschools our kids, which gives us the flexibility to travel and spend time together doing fun (and often educational) things we love. Maintaining an active lifestyle is important to me. I enjoy outdoor activities with my favorites being skiing, hiking, and playing softball in a community league. I enjoy sports and look forward to coaching my kids as they grow older.
What is wealth management?
Wealth management is a comprehensive approach to financial planning. It covers all areas of your financial life, making wise use of your assets to help you in achieving your goals and living life to the fullest. Do you want to spend more time doing the things you love and worry less about your finances?
Then wealth management is for you!
Wealth Enhancement - make your assets work for you
- Minimizing taxes – now vs future?
- Managing appropriate cash reserves
- Should you pay off your mortgage early?
- How can you get the most out of Social Security?
- Evaluate your options for college savings
Wealth Preservation - strategies to help reduce risk
- Diversification
- Asset allocation and rebalancing
- Trend following
- Stock option planning
- What to do with concentrated stock positions?
Wealth Protection - proper coverage is key
- Disability or Long-Term-Care insurance planning
- Is umbrella insurance right for you?
- What type of life insurance makes the most sense?
- What level of homeowner’s coverage is appropriate?
- Is your rental property adequately protected?
Wealth Transfer - leaving a lasting legacy for your heirs
- How can you leave the most behind to your heirs without sacrificing too much now?
- Are your assets correctly titled so they’ll pass on in the way you intend?
- Are your healthcare directives and letters of instruction in place?
- Does a trust make sense for you? Which kind?
Charitable Giving - make the most of your contributions
- What charities are important to you?
- How can you make the most of your gifts to charity?
- Is a charitable trust right for you?
Plan with intention,
not by default.
Online Blog Resources
Medicare Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) Surcharge – What Does It Mean, What Can I Do, and How?
The first question on many retirees’ minds is how to pay for expensive healthcare costs and health insurance when you’re no longer covered by the employer plan you relied on throughout your career. Let’s explore Medicare premiums and an important potential speedbump known as IRMAA.
Take Advantage of New Tax Adjustments in Planning for 2023!
Tax adjustments happen every year, but this provides an excellent opportunity to review and plan for a better personal tax situation for 2023. Let’s take a look at the changes!
The Appeal of Becoming a Snowbird
Tired of the gray skies and rain? Have you considered being a snowbird? Once a term associated with retired, older adults who really feel the sting of a brisk winter, these days the life of a snowbird can be just as appealing to younger people, especially those with flexible career options.
