It Starts with a Plan
Welcome, I’m Michael Bishop, a financial consultant in Murrieta, California. I understand that individuals face unique challenges as they prepare for retirement and look to succeed with their financial goals. With a carefully thought-out plan, I aim to prepare you for today and tomorrow. Whether your goal is saving for retirement, college savings, or estate strategy, my personalized service focuses on your needs, wants, and financial goals and objectives.
For over 25 years I've been advising families, individuals, and businesses and can help you address your needs and goals through all stages of your life.
Helpful Content
Planning for the Expected
You can plan ahead to protect yourself and your family against the financial consequences of deteriorating health.
Understanding the Basics of Medigap Policies
Important as it is, Medicare does not cover the full range of health-care expenses you may experience in your golden years.
Insurance Needs Assessment: Married With Children
When you’re married and have children, insurance needs will be different.
How Insurance Deductibles Work
Knowing how insurance deductibles work can help you save money and give you peace of mind.
Retirement Income and the Traditional Portfolio
Experiencing negative returns early in retirement can potentially undermine the sustainability of your assets.
A Primer on Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts
Irrevocable life insurance trusts can be important tools that may accomplish a number of estate objectives.
Mortgages in Retirement
Explore the benefits and drawbacks to paying off your mortgage prior to retirement with this article.
A Taxing Story: Capital Gains and Losses
Understanding how capital gains are taxed may help you refine your investment strategies.
Rebalancing Your Portfolio
Over time, different investments' performances can shift a portfolio’s intent and risk profile. Rebalancing may be critical.
View all articles 
Saving for Retirement
This calculator can help you estimate how much you may need to save for retirement.
What's My Potential Estate Tax?
This calculator helps estimate your federal estate tax liability.
Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings
Use this calculator to compare the future value of investments with different tax consequences.
Interested in a Fuel Efficient Car?
Estimate how many months it may take to recover the out-of-pocket costs when buying a more efficient vehicle.
What Is My Current Cash Flow?
Assess whether you are running “in the black” or “in the red” each month.
Annuity Comparison
This calculator compares a hypothetical fixed annuity with an account where the interest is taxed each year.
View all calculators
Principles of Preserving Wealth
How federal estate taxes work, plus estate management documents and tactics.
Managing Your Lifestyle
Using smart management to get more of what you want and free up assets to invest.
Long-Term-Care Protection Strategies
The chances of needing long-term care, its cost, and strategies for covering that cost.
View all presentations
Retiring in a Post-Pandemic World
Imagine your ideal post-pandemic retirement with this hopeful, animated video.
Exit Strategies of the Rich and Famous
Estate conservation is too important to put off. Do you have a smart exit strategy?
16 Wall Street Cliches in 60 Seconds
Pundits say a lot of things about the markets. Let's see if you can keep up.
What Our Kids Can Teach us About Saving Money
Would you guess that Millennials are effectively saving for retirement? Well, they are.
Safeguard Your Digital Estate
If you died, what would happen to your email archives, social profiles and online accounts?
Should You Tap Retirement Savings to Fund College?
There are three things to consider before dipping into retirement savings to pay for college.