Financial Advice & Planning for
Business Owners

Retirement isn’t about sitting on a sandy beach drinking a pina colada. Retirement is about making work a choice. We help more business owners learn to value their business as an asset, not a responsibility.

As a business owner you know how important planning is to the success of your business. Take the same approach to your personal finances. At Prosperion Financial Advisors, we can help you map out your financial future and understand the impact your business may have on your personal finances now and in the future.

Over the past 20 years we’ve helped hundreds of business owners just like you find a path to financial prosperity. Ready to have a conversation about yours? Give us a call or request an appointment and one of our advisors will review your situation and outline first steps.

Tax Planning

Optimize your tax strategy across both your personal and business accounts

Risk Managment

Understand and minimize the risks that could derail your financial future

Retirement Planning

Discover how your business could impact your retirement plan

Common Financial Questions from Business Owners

  • How do I make my business an investment and not a responsibility?

  • How do I decrease my taxes?

  • My business is my retirement plan, what more do I need?

  • How do I create an equitable exit strategy?

Financial Advice for Business Owners

barron's top financial advisors 2024
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PRESS RELEASE: Steve Booren Recognized as One of America’s Top Financial Advisors by Barron’s

Denver, Colo. — March 25, 2024 – Steve Booren, an independent LPL Financial advisor in Greenwood Village, Colorado, has been honored as one of Barron’s 2024 Top 1,200 Financial Advisors in America, an initiative to connect investors to…
fortune teller sign

Forecasting: An Illusion of Knowledge

Have you ever tried shaking one of those magic eight balls found in the toy aisle? You know the gist: Ask a random but important question like, “Will the Broncos win the Super Bowl this year?” Then get a generic answer like, “Ask again…
neon bond sign

Own or Loan? Equities vs. Bonds

With interest rates on the rise, we’ve had an uptick in people asking us about bonds and whether it makes sense to re-evaluate fixed income in a portfolio. For readers of my column, you might remember that I’m not a fan of bonds for one…
brooklyn bridge
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The Balance of Trust and Anxiety

At the time of its construction, the Brooklyn Bridge was one of the largest structures the world had ever seen. Opening in 1883 to connect Brooklyn with Manhattan, it was twice the size of any other suspension bridge. But the then-modern marvel…
Capitol Building

The SECURE Act 2.0 Proposes Several Changes to How Americans Save for Retirement

The SECURE 2.0 Act aims to expand retirement savings options for Americans. It includes provisions such as increasing the age for required minimum distributions, allowing long-term, part-time employees to participate in 401(k) plans, and creating…
aw drive thru 1970s

Are the Markets Singing a Familiar Tune?

Just over 50 years ago on January 11, 1973, while Carly Simon was on the radio singing her new number-one hit “You’re So Vain,” the S&P 500 closed at a then all-time high of $120.20. Unbeknownst to the U.S., many things were about…
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Bullish on Humility, Gratitude, and Discipline

It has been a year for humility as many of the traditional methods of managing risk inside portfolios have been taxed. It has been a year of consciously focusing on gratitude for all that we have and all that has gone well. It also has been a year where the value of our disciplined commitment to planning has never been more highlighted. 
conversation at sunset

Focus on the “Personal” in Personal Finance

One of my favorite sayings is that personal finance is far more personal than it is finance. Simple math would tell you the wisest course of action is putting extra cash to work in the market, but the best advice isn’t always driven by cold hard math.
rail yard

The “Personal” in Personal Finance

During a recent new client meeting, we had a couple tell us they had purchased property in north Denver several years ago. What was once a run-down area in the stockyards has now become a hot market, with development skyrocketing as the neighborhood reinvents itself.
Campbells Chicken Noodle Soup
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Growing Our Way Out of Inflation

With fall in full swing and snow adorning the mountain tops, I turn to a classic dish for a little winter comfort: Campbell's Tomato Soup. First introduced in 1895, the can would don its familiar red and white label in 1898 after an executive…
apple

The Way Out of Inflation

Imagine the entire economic output of the United States is measured in apples. For the sake of simplicity, let’s say our country produced ten apples in 2021. Collectively, we had $10 to spend on those ten apples. As a result, each apple costs $1. Simple right?
waves near lighthouse
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Ready for a Recession?

Instead of suggesting the likelihood (or unlikelihood) of a recession, I'd like to offer this: If we ultimately experience a recession, consumers are in a far better position to weather the economic downturn than they have been in decades.
cash register

Improving Investor Behavior – Your Personal Economy

On August 10, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released updated inflation numbers. While the top line number of 8.5% is still large compared with this time a year ago, the markets and some media outlets latched onto another statistic…
endurance runner

Improving Investor Behavior: The Strength of Endurance

My coach Dan Sullivan likes to say, "Amateurs practice until they get it right; professionals practice until they can't get it wrong." From athletics to engineering, medicine to money management, consistent practice is the secret sauce of…
bucket of water

A Necessary Bucket of Cold Water

The markets have been off to a turbulent start for 2022. With the S&P 500 down about 15 percent since its peaks in January, this year marks one of the worst starts for investors since 1970. Any number of reasons may seemingly justify the…
roller coaster

Improving Investor Behavior: Mindsets During Volatile Times

If you're an investor (and I hope you are), it's probably time for a mental check-in. How are you today? How do you feel about everything going on in the world?
bear in the woods

How Long Will a Bear Market Last?

The S&P 500 is down about 17 percent as of May 25, 2022, narrowly avoiding the traditional definition of a bear market at negative 20 percent. The NASDAQ has already fallen well into bear market territory with a loss of about 28 percent…
cash register

The Flaw of Average Inflation

The flaw of averages is the idea that plans made based on average assumptions are wrong on average. As an example, think about the statistician that drowned while crossing a river that was, on average, three feet deep.
gas station
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Improving Investor Behavior: Show Me Where it Hurts

Even with a rising paycheck, people feel inflation. Whether it's the cost of a can of soup or the price of gasoline, everything feels (and is) more expensive. Inflation puts a dent in household budgets and a psychological dent in attitudes. While the U.S. economy may be booming, the smaller economy of household budgets and expenses takes a hit.
chainlink

Building Durability Into Your Plan and Portfolio

Never invest in anything that can kill you. Now I don't mean cigarettes or other harmful items, but instead making the mistake of investing so much of your capital into one venture that its failure could knock you out. That's the gist behind…
thanksgiving dinner

Improving Investor Behavior: A Mentality of Abundance, Not Excess

We've often said time is our most precious resource. More valuable than money, more fleeting than possessions, nothing can be done to stop the spending of our time. But like money and possessions, having too much time can be a bad thing.  I'm…
signpost in front of sunset
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Improving Investor Behavior – Feeling Confident? Are You Sure?

I’ve contributed to the Denver Post monthly for a while now, and I’m grateful for readers who have reached out to me with thoughts, comments, and questions. Some about my writing, the market, and broader topics like the meaning of wealth…
contractors working on a house

How Do You Measure Your Wealth?

How do you measure your wealth? Most people assume there are two typical ways. The first is a simple money calculation that takes everything you own, subtracts everything you owe, and that formula gives you your net worth. Simple. Others say wealth is not a measure of the money one has but of the intangibles such as relationships, time, health, etc. 
man praying on top of mountain
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Improving Investor Behavior – Deciding on Enough!

At a party given by a billionaire on Shelter Island, the late Kurt Vonnegut informed his friend author Joseph Heller that their host, a hedge fund manager, had made more money in a single day than Heller had earned from his wildly popular…
single tree

Improving Investor Behavior: Where are all the Good Investments?

Read any financial website, and you'll find a common thread among the headlines: the market is overvalued. By several historical measures, the stock market appears to be ahead of itself. Valuations are high, and value-focused investors like…
Contractors install siding

Improving Investor Behavior: Sometimes Nothing is the Hardest Thing to Do

The United States has embarked on a historic economic experiment. Initially, $1.9 trillion was borrowed by our government to fund the American Rescue Plan (ARP). So far, the government has committed more than $5 trillion to support our nation…
5 Steps to Retiring

I Didn’t Claim Unemployment Insurance….Why Did I Receive This Card?

A notice from the Department of Labor arrived last week saying that I had filed for unemployment, which is weird, because I had not fired myself! After making sure I was, in fact, still part of my team, I discovered what was going on.  There…
Steve Booren named a Barron's Top Advisor
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Press Release: Steve Booren Recognized by Barron’s as a 2021 Top Financial Advisor

DENVER, Colo.— March 25, 2021 – Steve Booren, an independent LPL Financial advisor in Greenwood Village, has been recognized as one of the 2021 Top 1,200 Financial Advisors in America, as ranked by Barron’s. Booren, Founder of Prosperion…
Open Sign
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Improving Investor Behavior – Progress and Perspective

Headlines would have you believe COVID has left Americans in financial tatters, but when looking at the broad data, I can't make the same conclusion.   Make no mistake, COVID and the resulting restrictions have left a great many people…
Forbes Best In State Wealth Advisor Steve Booren
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PRESS RELEASE: Steve Booren Recognized in Forbes as a 2021 Best-in-State Wealth Advisor

DENVER, Colo. — February 11, 2021 – Steve Booren of Prosperion Financial Advisors was recently ranked No. 34 in Colorado in the 2021 Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list published by Forbes.   According to Forbes, the annual list spotlights…
shopping at the market

Intelligent Investing: Overcoming Inflation Using a Familiar Friend (Part 2)

For investors, inflation is the erosion of your money, a "cancer," if you will. It is the slow, subtle decline in what your money buys or the purchasing power of your money. Last month we covered what inflation is, how it works, and where…
Marquis displaying "The World is Temporarily Closed"

Improving Investor Behavior – Hindsight in 2020

They say hindsight is 20/20, and as we make the year 2020 hindsight, it's a good time to reflect. What did we learn? What surprised us? How can we use our past to make our future bigger and better? It was former Secretary of Defense Donald…
Capitol Building

What Are You Doing on November 4th?

Election Day, Tuesday November 3rd, is only a week away. While 2020 has been historic, it seems that everyone has a dramatic expectation of what will happen in the investment markets, as if it will be the "next" big 2020 disruption. This morning…
I voted stickers
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Improving Investor Behavior: Keep Politics Out of Your Portfolio

With the election a short 45 days away, the news stream is unrelenting. Political TV ads, postcards, and of course those phone calls during the dinner hour - it’s an all-out media assault designed to convince you that if the “other guy”…
Balloons

Does Your Business Need a LIFT?

If COVID has brought anything to business owners' attention, small and large alike, it's the need for a financial plan before bad news drops. A year ago, the likelihood of a worldwide pandemic effectively shuttering business in the U.S. for six months seemed so outlandish that had you suggested it; you would have been laughed out of the room. In hindsight, that suggestion would have made you look like a genius or a prophet.
Two people video chatting
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Improving Investor Behavior: Reframing Your Business Mindset

For business owners, improving investor behavior can mean more than a focus solely on financial instruments. The intent of this column has been improving investor behavior, which often discusses market investments like equities, bonds, and…
Person holding viewing glasses

Improving Investor Behavior: Blind Spots & Confirmation Bias

We talk a lot about perspective in this article. Our perspective is the lens through which we view the world. It is our way of framing everything we see and ultimately defines how we react to what life throws at us. We believe what we believe…
Friends enjoying a picnic in a New York park
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Getting Back to Better

My goal as a parent has always been to build a better future for my kids, and to give them opportunities that I didn’t have. Whether that’s financial, educational, personal, or whatever it may be. It’s an essential part of my “why.” I think deep down there’s a part of us that wants our kids to be better than we ever were. To me, that’s progress and hope. It’s an innate and immeasurable desire - to want our tomorrow to be better than our today.
Elevator buttons

Improving Investor Behavior: Fear is a Very Powerful Emotion

After almost 45 years as a financial advisor, one realizes that there’s truth behind the phrase, “Reality is made up of circles, but we see straight lines.” Market cycles, crises, and investor behavior are all echoes of things we’ve seen in the past and will likely experience again in the future. No doubt the COVID-19 crisis impacts us all, and while it may feel like something completely new, it really isn’t.
Capitol building

Highlights of the CARES Act

Late last week the senate passed and the President signed the CARES stimulus package designed to, among many things, curb the financial turmoil created in the wake of the Coronavirus. This $2.2 trillion, 800+ page legislation offers meaningful…
Buttons to report a fire or call police
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Fire Drills and Why We Do Them

Every meeting we have with clients includes a line item on the agenda: Fire Drill.  What would you do if the market dropped significantly tomorrow? What would that look like for you? For years now it has felt like an unnecessary discussion…
The Cycle of Market Emotions

Timeless Truths & The Cycle of Market Emotions

Just 30 days ago, on Feb. 18th, markets were at all-time highs. Today, fear grips the market and recession is at the top of every financial pundits’ mind. Benjamin Graham, said to be one of the best investors of all time, and a mentor to Warren Buffett reminds us: Control what you can control: yourself, your emotions and your response (or behavior) to those emotions.
Emergency Exit Sign
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Improving Investor Behavior – Investing in Panic

A lot can change in 30 days. One short month ago, markets were knocking on the door of all-time highs, businesses were doing well, and Joe Biden was behind several candidates in the Democratic primaries. Oh, how things change quickly. Very…
Rollercoaster
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A Note to Clients on Virus Volatility

As I’m sure many of you are aware, this past week has been a difficult one for investors. The broad market indices have seen swift and dramatic drops, leaving many scared, confused, and upset. Make no mistake; it is moments like these that define all of us as investors. Fear is an emotion, and one that can quickly snowball into an all-out panic. We’ve often said your behavior as an investor will ultimately have a far greater effect on your outcome than when or how you are invested. This is one such moment.
Campbells Chicken Noodle Soup
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Improving Investor Behavior – Campbell’s Soup & Rising Income

Cold winter weather means it is soup season here in Colorado, and none feel more familiar than Campbell’s Tomato Soup. Campbell’s tomato soup is an excellent benchmark for understanding the impact of the persistent enemy of all investors: inflation. For more than 100 years, the size hasn’t changed, but the price sure has. About 45 years ago, in 1974, the soup cost about $0.12 per can. Today, it retails for about $0.87 per can. That points to an average inflation rate of 4.3 percent. Forty-five years may sound like a long time, but that’s about the length of a typical retirement.
Best in state wealth advisors
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PRESS RELEASE: Steve Booren Recognized in Forbes as a 2020 Top Wealth Advisor in Colorado

DENVER, Colo. — January 30, 2020 – Steve Booren of Prosperion Financial Advisors was recently ranked No. 26 in Colorado in the 2020 Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list published by Forbes. According to Forbes, the annual list spotlights…
Child running through sprinklers

Improving Investor Behavior – A Good Dose of Vitamin A

The start of the year brings a renewed interest in finance for many people. It’s only natural: fresh starts, new beginnings, and helpful habits all come together to create a positive outlook on a clean slate. May I also recommend taking…
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The Decade in Review

As financial advisors we’re constantly advocating for investors to maintain a long-term view. We consider it to be fundamental, not only as an example of good investor behavior, but as a way of minimizing the emotional toll of “riding the rollercoaster”. But what does it mean to have a long-term perspective? How long is long enough?
Alarm clock sitting on a table

Improving Investor Behavior: The Price of Time

Money is a resource; there can always be more of it. But time is finite, and there is no getting it back once it’s gone… or is there?
Order counter at a coffee shop

Improving Investor Behavior: Mind Your “Owned” Businesses

We try to differentiate the value of a company (worth) versus the price. When you focus on the value of the company, your judgment is far more intelligent.
Sun setting over a tropical beach
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Improving Investor Behavior: Retire to What?

If I asked you to define retirement, how would you describe it? Take some time and think about it. You’re probably envisioning white sandy beaches, trips to the golf course, and visits with family, free from the constraints of work and email.…
5 Steps to Retiring

Improving Investor Behavior: The Positive Mindset of Investors

Pessimism is poison for investors. Following national headlines would have you believe we are moments away from catastrophe, teetering on the edge of sheer doom. It’s an easy narrative in which to engage, especially when we hear it every…
5 Steps to Retiring

Improving Investor Behavior – Managing Your Time Like Money

As a financial advisor, I am typically hired by clients to help them manage their resources. Most often, these are financial resources including cash, investments, etc. Sometimes I help people to manage their business resources such as connecting…
5 Steps to Retiring
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Improving Investor Behavior – Doubt, Sold with a Smile

Financial advice is usually broken into three steps. First, define your goals. Where do you want to go? Next comes a plan. This is the recipe for working toward your goals with actionable and measurable steps. Then comes implementation when…
5 Steps to Retiring

Improving Investor Behavior – Learn to Love a Falling Market

The financial markets have given investors quite a ride in the past few months. Not only have we seen a drop in the prices, but the volatility and multiple-percentage point days seems to have investors feeling a little seasick. The first thing…
5 Steps to Retiring

Improving Investor Behavior – Focus on the Right Number

With the year coming to an end, 2018 has been a tumultuous one for investors. For the first time in 46 years, there has not been a clear winner in any asset class: from stocks to bonds, emerging markets to precious metals. As of this writing,…
5 Steps to Retiring

Improving Investor Behavior – Managing the Pain of Regret

Regret may be the most enduring and damaging emotion investors grapple with during their financial lives. As financial advisors we see it from both sides: clients either regret having done something, or regret NOT having done something, or…
Silhouette of a spider web
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Improving Investor Behavior: Managing Your Fears

Shark Week is among the longest running and most popular cable programs in history. First appearing 30 years ago in 1988, the show has since been watched and celebrated by millions. Why would a program about sharks and their danger be so popular? I think it plays on the emotion of fear, and more interestingly, people’s desire to be a little bit scared. My point is this: sometimes our greatest fears are the most unfounded. Whether it’s an oversized fish or monsters under the bed, our worst fears take up an oversized portion of our conscious and drive actions that can be damaging and counterproductive. Fear is a powerful emotion and one you must learn to rein in if you want to be a successful investor.
5 Steps to Retiring

Improving Investor Behavior – Longevity and the Fear of Running Out

When do you plan to die? Weird question, right? It’s one that financial advisors have to ask their clients. The typical approach to retirement planning involves spending down the portfolio, a lifetime of savings for a client, at a rate that…
Steve Booren

Renegotiating with our Business Partner, Donald Trump

Imagine you have a business relationship with a partner. You work and run the business, and take home 65 percent of the profits for your efforts and your partner received 35%. Last December your partner recognized your hard work and rewarded you with an additional 14 percent of the business, reducing their take to 21 percent.
5 Steps to Retiring

Improving Investor Behavior – Act Like an Owner

Most business owners can feel the pulse of their business. If you own a coffee shop for instance, you can go to the location, see and interact with your employees, touch your inventory, and keep your customers happily caffeinated. You can smell the aroma of your business. You can feel it. What if you had that same feeling as a shareholder of a public company? What if you thought like an owner?
Steve Booren in front of a dry erase board
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The Difference Between Financial and Investment Advice

With the advent of technology, real financial advice will be a huge differentiator in the financial services industry. Anyone can create a portfolio, asset allocation or investment strategy. We are even told robots can do this with this concept called “Robo-Advisor”. What most people actually need is advice about how their investments fit into their overall financial plan, and more importantly their life. Believe me – robots cannot do this, nor do investment products do this. It takes an experienced, skilled, listening Advisor. Both investment management and financial advice are necessary components for long-term success, but it’s important to understand the differences. So let's compare and contrast the two.
3 Keys of a Modern Retirement

The 3 Paychecks of a Modern Retirement

On November 29th, the oldest living person in the world, Emma Morano will turn 117. Based on my research she is the last living person to have been born in the 1800s. While some people might marvel at all she’s seen and been through, I ‘m curious about what she did during her more than 50 years in retirement.
The Value of Regret

The Value of Regret

As a financial advisor I often see clients with regret. For some investors it’s the regret of missing out on big gains. For others, the regret of taking part in big losses.

The Unfair Advantage of Dividend Tax Rates

Dividend tax rates are an opportunity for investors. The favored status of qualified dividends means they are taxed at a lower rate than standard income, by anywhere from 10-20% less.
Dividend Investment Strategy Intro

Our Dividend Focused Investment Strategy: An Introduction

As many of you know, I spent the first 26 years of my working life as corporate pilot. It was an exciting profession and I loved going to my “office” at 43,000 feet. Getting people to and from places safely was always the focus of the job. As a financial advisor I spend my days navigating quite different terrain. But the job is the same: helping people get from here to there safely. So today I’d like to cover our Dividend Focus Strategy, and why we think it’s a smart fit for our clients young and old. Since a picture tells a thousand words, let me draw you a picture. It will be readily apparent why I thankfully did not choose to be an artist – but it will illustrate a few important points.
The Future of Denver's Skyline
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The Future of Denver’s Skyline

Explore the unique history of Denver as told by one of its eminent urban planners Ken Schroeppel. Why did Denver take the shape it did? What will it look like in the next 10 years? Why is the traffic so darn bad lately? Ken will explore all of these ideas and more as he walks you through new projects helping to shape the face of Denver and how past initiatives contributed to our wonderful city. This workshop was originally presented at Prosperion EDU 16.

Confusing Volatility and Risk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQrmzEwo_Cg I believe it is imperative for investors to understand the difference between volatility and risk. Though often used synonymously, these are two very distinct ideas. We think success can be increased…
The lIfeblood of Advancements and Progress

The Lifeblood of Advancements & Progress

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWRjwiR_edU When I evaluate companies for investment there’s always one character trait I look for, disruptive innovation. These troublemaker companies aren’t content with the status quo and dare to be…
5 Steps to Retiring

Thinking about Retiring? 5 Steps to Get Started

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZTZ8ArcSb8 So you're thinking about retiring. That's a big decision. There is a good chance you'll be retired for as long as you worked. Think about that – 20 to 30 years - that's a long time to be without…
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