Winstone Wealth Partners

Wealth Management in Houston, TX

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Introductory Call

We make sure we’re a good fit for you.

Think of this introductory call as a get-to-know-you conversation between you and the Winstone team. It's an opportunity for both of us to explore whether we’re a good match to work together.

We will ask questions to learn about your financial goals and concerns which will help lay the groundwork for our advisors to tailor our expertise to your specific needs. We will share insights into our holistic approach and discuss how our tailored strategies can support your vision for the future.

Ultimately, this call is the first step in empowering you to make an informed decision about whether partnering with Winstone is the right next step for you in your financial life – and we hope it will be.

Discovery Meeting

We get to know you better.

You are more than just a number to us; we are genuinely interested in getting to know you on a more personal level so that we continue to tailor our recommendations for you throughout our partnership together. Not only will that help us develop a more tailored strategy for you, but getting to know the clients whom we hope to serve for decades to come makes our job more meaningful and fun, too.

With that in mind, we spend this 60-minute Discovery Meeting learning more about you, your values and your goals through an interactive Mind Map exercise.

Mind Mapping a visual technique that helps us explore and organize your entire life, encompassing both financial and non-financial aspects, in a way that is easy to understand. This collaborative process fosters open communication, ensuring that both you and our team are on the same page regarding your lifestyle, goals, interests, values, important relationships, and financial aspirations.

Of course, this is also an in-depth opportunity for you to decide if we’re the right match for you. We’ll be happy to share more about our proprietary financial planning strategies and investment tactics and explain how they would apply to your unique financial situation.

Whether or not you decide to continue on with us, you will walk away from this Discovery Session with your own custom Mind Map that can help you see how various elements of your entire life – such as investments, savings, insurance, retirement planning, lifestyle goals and personal values – are interconnected in a clear and concise manner.

Information Gathering

We’ll work together to gather key information.

Next, we will start putting together your Financial Plan. Equipped with a deeper understanding of who you are, what’s important to you and your financial situation, we’ll begin to gather the documents and information we need to review in order to develop your comprehensive Financial Plan.

This is pretty much the only time we’ll ask you to do any heavy-lifting – we promise!

We will provide you with clear, easy-to-follow instructions to help us gather the information we need to get to work on your Plan. And you will have a dedicated Relationship Manager and Client Concierge to help support you as much or as little as you would like as you collect the information we request.

Financial Plan & Investment Meeting

We’ll present our financial assessment and recommendations to you.

The next step for us will be to sit down for your Financial Plan & Investment Meeting. During this 60-minute meeting, our primary objective is to ensure that your financial goals and dreams have not only been understood, but also translated into a comprehensive financial plan tailored to you. Lauren Smith, our CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional and Managing Partner here at Winstone Wealth Partners will oversee the intricacies of your personalized Financial Plan, clarifying any questions you may have along the way.

This meeting also serves as the right time for us to delve into our Investment Philosophy so we can share the principles and strategies that underpin our recommendations for your portfolio. We believe in fostering a transparent and collaborative environment, empowering you to make informed decisions about your financial future. Our aim is not just to offer guidance but to instill confidence in the path we chart together, ensuring that your investments align seamlessly with your overarching objectives.

Through this meeting, we aspire to not only provide clarity and direction but also cultivate a lasting partnership built on trust and shared success.

Mutual Commitment

We’ll decide how to move forward.

Following our comprehensive get-to-know-you and planning stages, the next step in our process is Mutual Commitment. This phase marks the moment when we eagerly await your decision to embark on this journey with us. For many clients, it happens during the Financial Plan & Investment Meeting. Although for some, they prefer to deliberate more. Either way is perfectly fine with us. We remain readily available to address any lingering concerns or queries you may have, ensuring that you feel fully informed and confident in your decision.

This decision symbolizes the beginning of a collaborative journey towards achieving your financial objectives. If you choose to move forward, we're excited to combine our expertise with your aspirations, crafting a financial roadmap you can feel confident in.

Implementation Meeting(s)

We’ll present a more advanced financial plan and tailored investment strategies.

Once we've received your commitment to proceed, the focus shifts from listening and planning to action during our Implementation Meetings. This is when we really roll up our sleeves and begin the process of turning plans into reality. Whether it's one meeting or a series of meetings, our objective remains constant: to fine-tune your Financial Plan and deliver a robust Investment Strategy that aligns seamlessly with your goals.

During these meetings, we'll delve into the intricate details of your Financial Plan, refining it further to reflect any changes or insights that have emerged since our initial discussions. Our aim is to ensure that every aspect of your plan is meticulously crafted to suit your unique circumstances and aspirations.

Moreover, this is where we share your customized Investment Plan and strategy, meticulously designed to optimize your portfolio's performance while aligning with your risk tolerance and investment preferences. We'll walk you through our recommendations, explaining the rationale behind each decision and addressing any questions or concerns you may have along the way.

Monitoring & Regular Check Ins

We’ll monitor your progress.

Financial planning isn’t a one-time event; it’s a continuous journey. And we’re in this for the long haul.

Your financial advisors will regularly review your strategy to ensure we are still on track to achieve your goals. If there have been changes in your life or within the market that we need to respond to, we will give you a call or schedule a meeting to discuss our recommendations.

We’ll also schedule regular check-in calls or meetings and give you a call from time to time to see what’s going on in your life. And of course, we will always keep you up to date on happenings within the market and our office with our timely resources like our blogs, newsletters and videos. We are also happy to share our network of trusted professionals like estate planners, attorneys, CPAs, insurance professionals – and even a car buying concierge! – to support you in other aspects of your life.

The goal is that throughout our client’s experience, they truly begin to feel like members of the Winstone family so that we’re able to provide solutions beyond just dollars and cents.

How to Maximize Your Charitable Giving for Greater Impact & Tax Savings

Posted by Jeff Green on November 10, 2025

Categories: Blog, Charitable Giving, Tax Strategies

How to Maximize Your Charitable Giving for Greater Impact & Tax Savings

As we approach the end of the year, many investors are reviewing their portfolios, thinking about tax efficiency for this year, and planning ahead for the year to come. One area that’s often overlooked (but offers both personal fulfillment and financial advantage) is charitable giving.

With more than 25 years as a financial advisor, I’ve learned that effective giving blends generosity with strategy. The right approach can help you make a real difference for the causes you care about, while also enhancing your overall financial plan.

Here are several ways to give more effectively and maximize your impact.

  1. Donate Appreciated Assets Instead of Cash

If you’re planning to make a significant gift, donating appreciated securities—such as stocks, mutual funds, or ETFs you’ve held for more than a year—can be a strategic move.
By transferring these assets directly to a qualified charity, you can:

  • Avoid paying capital gains taxes on the appreciation, and
  • Deduct the full fair market value of the gift.

This approach allows you to support your favorite organizations while reducing your tax liability. Just remember that transfers can take time to process, so start early if you’re aiming for a year-end deduction.

  1. Use a Donor-Advised Fund for Simplicity and Flexibility

A Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) is one of the most versatile charitable tools available. It allows you to:

  • Contribute assets and receive an immediate tax deduction,
  • Then recommend grants to charities over time.

If you’ve experienced a higher-income year or want to consolidate your giving into one streamlined account, a DAF can help you stay organized and strategic. You can even invest the assets inside the fund for potential tax-free growth before distributing them to nonprofits.

  1. Make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)

If you’re 70½ or older, you can donate up to $100,000 annually directly from your IRA to qualified charities through a Qualified Charitable Distribution.


This counts toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) but doesn’t increase your taxable income—a powerful benefit that can help reduce taxes on Social Security and Medicare premiums.

QCDs are particularly effective for retirees who don’t need their full RMD for living expenses but still want to make a meaningful difference.

  1. Bunch Contributions for a Larger Deduction

If your charitable donations don’t always exceed the standard deduction threshold, consider bunching several years’ worth of gifts into one year.

By grouping donations, you may be able to itemize your deductions that year and take the standard deduction the next, likely resulting in greater overall tax efficiency without reducing your giving.

  1. Include Giving in Your Broader Financial Plan

Charitable giving works best when it’s integrated into your long-term financial goals.
Whether that means creating a family giving strategy, building a charitable legacy, or coordinating with your CPA and estate attorney, your giving can be a powerful extension of your values and wealth strategy.

Final Thoughts

Charitable giving is about more than generosity: it’s about intentionality. By planning ahead and using the right tools, you can make a bigger impact for the causes you care about and improve your overall financial picture.

If you’d like to discuss ways to optimize your giving strategy before year-end or ensure your charitable goals align with your broader financial plan, let’s schedule a conversation: https://calendly.com/winstone-wealth-partners/financial-consultation-with-jeff-green

 

Please Note: Donors are urged to consult their attorneys, accountants or tax advisors with respect to questions relating to the deductibility of various types of contributions to a Donor-Advised Fund for federal and state tax purposes. To learn more about the potential risks and benefits of Donor Advised Funds, please contact us.

RMDs are generally subject to federal income tax and may be subject to state taxes. While we are familiar with the tax provisions of the issues presented herein, as Financial Advisors of RJFS, we are not qualified to render advice on tax or legal matters. You should discuss tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional.

Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected. Every investor’s situation is unique and you should consider your investment goals, risk tolerance and time horizon before making any investment. Prior to making an investment decision, please consult with your financial advisor about your individual situation.

The foregoing information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that it is accurate or complete, it is not a statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision, and it does not constitute a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Jeff Green and not necessarily those of Raymond James.

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You deserve a dedicated team who brings clarity, care, and strategy to every aspect of your financial life.

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