Delmar Gillette

My education began in Hillsboro County, Florida where I completed high school and earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.  My undergraduate degree, BS in Biology, was completed at Berea College (Berea, Kentucky). A MAT degree was completed at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, with a master’s degree in teaching.  Additional courses have been attended at Christopher Newport College, (now Christopher Newport University), Newport News, Virginia.   Currently, I continue my education with both tax and financial service updates, 30 hours of continuing education are required for both tax and financial services professional licensing.

Upon completing my undergraduate degree, I began teaching in the Durham Public School system in North Carolina and subsequently moved to the Newport News Public School system in Newport News, Virginia. While there, I undertook and completed a tax preparation course taught by H&R Block for individual tax return preparation. Upon completion, I was asked to work at the H&R Block office in Newport News, VA and in the second year I taught the H&R Block Basic Tax course. In June 1977, I resigned from the Newport News Public School system to pursue a career in the financial services industry. I worked as a 403(b) specialist for Lincoln National Life Insurance Company and helped many of my tax clients and financial planning clients to develop tax-deferred 403(b) retirement plans. My professional teaching skills provided the opportunity to teach at the College of William and Mary.  Becoming an NATP instructor for the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP, Greenville, Wisconsin) teaching at locations throughout the United States.  I have made tax presentations for the Virginia Chapter of the NATP and many other related tax organizations over the last three decades. My latest book is nationally known as the primary source of information for Crowdfunding and taxes.

In the fall of 2015, I joined forces with fellow tax professional and financial planner, Frank Tehel, EA, CFP®, to provide financial planning and investment advisory services.  Collectively, we have decades of experience in tax preparation, tax planning and financial planning.

Personally, I must thank my wife, Jean, for the 50 years of marriage we have enjoyed together and raising a family consisting of four grown sons and three growing grandchildren. Outside activities include reading, traveling, and membership in the World Outreach Worship Center in Newport News, Virginia.

I have remained active in the financial planning practice since 1981. One must realize financial planning may seem to be a catch word for a lot of things, including wills, trust, and family partnerships, but other considerations need to be included: such as nonqualified retirement income from such sources as stocks, bonds, real estate and business interest. Qualified investments are often the primary income source in retirement and include IRA accounts, 401(k) plans, 403(b) accounts, 457 plans, profit sharing plans and, of course, pension plans.

When helping a family organize a retirement plan, a starting point is the current net worth as shown on the balance sheet. This would include the cash value life insurance plans and all the previous mentioned qualified retirement plans along with the nonqualified investments. Considerations need to be given for the children’s education needs, weddings, and ultimately your travel activities as a retiree. One of the key benefits our experience provides is an understanding that financial planning is not a one-time meeting or a paper book but an ongoing process of knowing our clients intimately and working with you as each new life change or emergency presents itself. Having a prepared financial plan allows a straightforward and less emotionally biased response to life-changing events.