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Financial Design Studio, Inc.

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Deer Park, IL
Financial Design Studio, Inc.

We are a team of financial advisors based Chicago. We are Financial Design Studio: a team of experienced, fiduciary, fee-only financial advisors.

We specialize in helping professionals plan their retirement through investment management, tax efficiency, and executive compensation. Our team specializes in financial planning, investment management, and tax planning. With us on your side, you gain the financial clarity you need to live confidently. Contact our financial advisors in Deer Park, Chicago area to see if we will be a good fit for you!

06/03/2026

When should you take social security?

05/27/2026

There isn't a magic age when you SHOULD take Social Security. So what age lets you maximize your social security?

Based on your working record, the Social Security Administration has an amount that they’ve set aside for your benefit. No matter your age, they are pulling from that set benefit.

The EARLIEST you can start is age 62. If you start early, your monthly payment will be smaller than if you start it later. This is because they assume you'll be getting the benefit for longer.

Your Full Retirement Age is 66-67, which is when they RECOMMEND taking the benefit.

The LATEST you can delay is age 70. Here, your monthly payment is the largest it will be because they assume you will need the benefit for a shorter time period.

To maximize when you take this benefit, you need to plan with your full financial picture in mind.

If you decide to take it early, you could still be receiving income. In fact you could still be working! If you have a pension, deferred compensation, or employer stock options, adding MORE income on top of these could create tax consequences today that you don’t want.

But let's say you wait until age 70. But, you only collect social security for five years because you pass away when you're age 75. No one receives these benefits as a beneficiary, so all the money from your paychecks will get put back in the pool of social security funds for others.

The right answer is specific to you and your family’s goals.

And that's why people nearing retirement work with financial advisors like us who manage investments alongside comprehensive planning.

This is how you create a tax-efficient retirement.

📽️ If you are curious about when to take social security, we just posted a video that dives deeper into who is eligible, at what ages, and what to consider. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/16wWp5wI-sU

05/25/2026

Our team is thankful for all who served our country over the years to protect the freedoms we have here!

05/20/2026

Right now, here's what Rob is watching as he rebalances client portfolios:

CHART ONE: Momentum stocks are out performing low volatility indexes by standard deviation of 5 points. This is similar to what we've seen before the meme stocks, the 2008 crisis, and the dot com bubble. This doesn't mean we are about to hit another crash, it just means we are seeing very high concentration, and as investors, we don't want that for our client portfolios.

CHART TWO: The S&P 500's performance has greatly skewed the poor performance of the rest of the market. Averages since 1973 show that one can expect to see 45%ish of the stocks outperform the index, but right now we are only seeing 30% out perform, including the Mag 7.

So what does this mean to us?

At FDS, we balance growth opportunities (like momentum stocks) with the possibilities of risk (like the second chart indicates). This means we are constantly rebalancing to preserve the diversification of client portfolios.

It's our job to watch these charts, so that clients... don't have to! They can enjoy their retirement, confident their plan is on track despite the news.

05/15/2026

🎙️ EP 74. Retirement is not just a financial transition, it’s also relational. So is your marriage ready for retirement?

In this episode, Michelle interviews Dave and Diane, and they share how they've made their marriage part of their financial plan . . . from the start.

Dave and Diane share the financial milestones they've struggled through, and the ways they are now building towards the future, together.

Episode 74 of the Behind the Designs podcast, LINKED BELOW!

05/10/2026

This one is to celebrate all the moms out there!

05/07/2026

Deferred compensation can be one of the most valuable executive benefits you receive . . . or it can become your biggest tax headache!

Here’s why. As a professional, you likely will have:
• Social Security income
• Required minimum distributions (RMDs)
• Pension income
• Investment income
• A spouse’s income or benefits
• Maybe an inheritance

Your deferred compensation will stack ON TOP of all this income.

If you don’t plan correctly, deferred comp could:
• Push you into a higher tax bracket
• Increase Medicare premiums through IRMAA surcharges
• Create larger taxable Social Security income
• Trigger unexpected tax consequences later in retirement

The years leading up to retirement are often your window to plan. Once elections are made and other income distributions begin, flexibility can disappear quickly.

This is why we say if you are considering using deferred compensation, that’s your sign to reach out to a financial advisor!

Because, retirement is something you want to get right, on the first try.

04/27/2026

When it comes to your investments, the media shapes how you feel about their performance. It's not a question of “if,” and often it's so subtle you don’t notice.

Usually, you’ll pull open your dashboard and think, “now wait a minute, that’s not what I expected! I thought I’d be up! (or down!)”

That’s why it's so important for people preparing to retire to have diversified portfolios. You will perform consistently, while the rest of the market jumps around.

Diversified portfolios also allow you to tap into broader growth than what the media shares.

The chart below shows some of the funds we use for some client portfolios.

🟠 The orange, a commodity fund, up 17%
🟣 The purple, emerging markets fund, up 16%
🟢 Small US stocks, up 11%
🟡 Midcap US stocks, up 9%
🔴 The red, developed markets, up 8%

. . . And the laggard this year is the S&P 500, up only 4%!

Trusting only in the S&P 500 or the Mag 7 leaves you vulnerable to volatility OR missing out on growth opportunities.

The goal is to retire confidently, not in fear of what the news might say tomorrow.

That’s why people nearing retirement work with financial advisors, like us, who manage investments alongside comprehensive planning. This is how you create a tax efficient retirement!

04/23/2026

Here’s what we are watching the market do after the Iran War ended. Spoiler, its the same pattern we’ve seen a couple times now.

The market started out good . . . and then this big thing showed up out of nowhere . . . markets reacted very badly to it . . . and then it's over.

Last year, it was tariffs. This year it’s the Iran war.

The S&P 500 on the chart below shows this pattern with the Iran War. Stocks are kind of flat up to that point, but you see that in the first month or so through March 30th, stocks dropped. But, if you flash forward 45 to 60 days it's almost like nothing happened!

We’ve hit three all-time highs, in the last three days!

It's the nature of markets these days. Things just quickly get priced in and priced out.

The encouraging news is even though the media overhypes the panic, downturns haven’t seemed to last very long!

The warning is that volatility is here to stay. But, you don’t have to be up late at night worrying about your portfolio. Volatility should be built into your investment plan.

That’s what good investing looks like.

04/17/2026

🧠 Should you pay for your kids college?

This excerpt is from episode 73 of our podcast titled, "Raising Kids Who Understand Money: Teens + College Students."

Address

21660 W. Field Parkway
Deer Park, IL
60010

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

(847) 238-8050

Website

http://www.financialdesignstudio.com/

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