Financial planner, author, and talk show host

Michael Jon Byers is president and founder of Lonestar Registered Investment Advisors, PLLC and Texas Alliance Financial Services PLLC. Michael has a goal to help every client protect his or her personal financial life from a volatile market. It is Michael’s mission to help educate and equip everyone to achieve the retirement of their dreams. As a well-known speaker, Michael is in high demand to teach financial literacy and employee benefits at federal agencies. Michael has also spoken to many groups educating them on financial strategies and retirement planning.

Michael has been invited to be a guest professor at Texas Tech University. He has also been helping people avoid many of the pitfalls of planning a comfortable retirement for years. While speaking to thousands of people about planning their retirement, Michael has been able to expand his knowledge of the needs of the everyday investor. He is a familiar face on TV where he frequently contributes to news stories as a featured financial analyst. Michael’s voice has been heard for over seven years as the host of a live, call-in radio show “The Money Talk.”

As an author, talk show host, and personal financial helping making complex financial matters understandable for readers and audiences all over the country planning their retirement. The proud son of an Army father, Michael grew up all over the world. In Korea, he attended a Korean preschool and spoke fluent Korean. While in Okinawa, Japan, he found his love of the beach and snorkeling with his Dad. Living in Germany for almost nine years, Michael enjoyed traveling most of Europe, and his love for travel has grown even more since then. In the United States, Michael has lived in the Maryland-Washington-DC area and currently lives in West Texas, one of the greatest places to raise a family. He stays busy growing his financial practice and raising four wonderful children, Kimberlee, Ethan, Caden and Seth. He enjoys the great outdoors and hunting with his kids. Michael also likes coaching or watching his children play the many sports they love.

Mark Groom graduated cum laude from Concordia College with dual majors in Business Administration and Spanish. Mark has a passion to help his clients prepare for retirement and offer solutions to help sustain their lifestyle throughout retirement. He has appeared on TV numerous times. For 7 years, he teamed up with Michael Byers on a live, call-in financial radio show called “The Money Talk.”

For the past several years, Mark has taught various classes on budgeting and household money management at his local church. The main theme behind the classes is “Success is personal: doesn’t just happen, it has to be intentional.” Mark grew up on a dairy farm in Minnesota where he learned the value of hard work. His father was a jet fighter pilot for 22 years while managing the dairy operation. That was hard work, but he is reaping the benefits today! Being raised in a large family of five kids, Mark realized the value of working together, and appreciates and embraces the values and faith demonstrated to him by his parents.

Michael Jon Byers is a investment advisor representative who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning and investment advice in Lubbock, Texas and surrounding communities. Our mission is to provide the families and businesses we serve with innovative financial strategies, solutions, and planning that can provide financial clarity and security.

In the financial services industry, there are generally two ways of obtaining financial advice; one is given by investment advisors and the other by registered representatives or brokers. We feel that information is power in today’s difficult financial world. That is why we have chosen to be investment advisor representatives as well as registered representatives. We are registered representatives to provide the products needed to solve for a complete financial portfolio, and we are investment advisors because of our commitment to do so as a fiduciary.

Investment advisor representatives provide advice about numerous investment products including stocks, bonds, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Investments advisors are fiduciaries with “an affirmative duty of ‘utmost good faith and full and fair disclosure of all material fact’.

As your investment advisor we promise to:

• Put your interests first
• Understand your specific financial situation
• Offer straightforward advice that reflects your long-term goals

We offer prospective clients an initial complimentary risk assessment where we provide analysis of current investments, personalized income projections, and ideas for immediate implementation, as well as a complimentary third party review. We look forward to your initial visit and finding out how we can help you get one step closer to your financial goals.

Perhaps the most impactful piece of retirement planning is determining your current and future tax liability and developing strategies to minimize the amount of taxes you pay in retirement.  Tax planning can have a large impact on the amount of wealth you will be able to transfer to your heirs. We will help ensure that your retirement plan takes full advantage of available tax credits and deductions to ensure that you and your heirs are maximizing wealth for generations to come.

Lonestar Registered Investment Advisors, PLLC has a strategic alliance with Stovall and Associates, LTD; utilizing their team of CPA’s to provide tax planning, preparation and filing services for our clients.  Our clients receive proactive advice on tax reduction strategies based on income, expenses, individual needs, and goals.  Proactive tax planning allows our clients the opportunity to minimize tax burdens and build a solid foundation of tax reduction strategies that can result in years of tax savings.

Throughout the year, Stovall and Associates will monitor tax law changes that could affect our clients, recommending tax savings strategies as well as serving as your advocate in tax matters.  Our client’s tax returns are prepared to take advantage of all the deductions, credits, and exclusions allowed to minimize your tax burden.

Based on this strategic alliance, we will implement a sound, well-thought-out financial strategy to minimize year-to-year tax liabilities and provide the opportunity to maintain your current standard of living throughout retirement.

Tax Planning services

• CPA Prepared Roth Conversion Analysis
• CPA Prepared 2nd Opinion Prior Year Individual and Business Tax Return Reviews
• CPA Prepared Year-End Tax Filing Services
• 1040 Tax Optimization Reports
• Personalized Tax Reduction Reports

Through a strategic partnership with Gradient Home Mortgage, LLC (NMLS #192028); Lonestar Registered Investment Advisors, PLLC is excited to offer home mortgage services to our valued clients. Your home is one of your largest investments, and we will assist you in treating it as such. Our approach is targeted towards your needs, both short and long term, to ensure a relationship that is built to last.

Gradient Home Mortgage is a full-service lender. They offer Conventional, FHA, VA, Reverse, and Jumbo loan products. They also participate in the Making Home Affordable initiatives offering FNMA and FHLMC refinance products under expanded guidelines.

In this day and age, getting a home loan is often a stressful and time-consuming process, not with and Gradient Home Mortgage. Their experienced professionals share your aspirations and will work hard to tailor a financial plan that meets your financial goals.

SECOND OPINION:

Gradient Home Mortgage’s Second Opinion is a no-cost, no-obligation review of your present mortgage.

If faced with a serious medical condition, you would certainly get the advice of a second physician. If faced with a large repair on your home, you would likely get two to three opinions. The point? You would get a second opinion on most substantial occurrences in your life – why not your mortgage?

REVERSE MORTGAGE CONSULTATION:

If you are a homeowner age 62 or older, a reverse mortgage allows you the option to convert equity in your home into tax-free funds. Reap the rewards of a lifetime investment in homeownership utilizing the equity you have built in your home as a resource to provide financial security and clarity. Instead of making payments, you can choose to receive them. That’s the “reverse” part of a reverse mortgage.

A reverse mortgage should no longer be considered a last resort. In some cases, it makes good financial sense.

PURCHASE:

Buying a home may be the largest single investment you make. We will guide you through this exciting time in your life! Whether you are buying your first home or moving up to a bigger one, the basic steps in the purchase process are the same. We will guide you through this process, ensuring that you are well-prepared and receiving great advice every step of the way. With our assistance, you will be packing boxes before you know it!

REFINANCE:

In a market where we all find ourselves inundated with home refinancing ads, it can be hard to see past the hype and find out the advantages of the programs offered. Unfortunately, this leads many people to stick with their current financing when they could be reaping the benefits of lower payments, extra cash or a shorter mortgage term.

We will do the analysis work for you – presenting you with clear and concise options. Our knowledge and experience allow us to quickly match the best plan for your needs.

Alliance Financial Services is dedicated to serving veterans and providing valuable information and assistance regarding the Veteran Affairs “Aid and Attendance Pension,” a federal assistance program offering monthly support to veterans, spouses and surviving spouses of veterans.

A study commissioned by the Department of Veterans Affairs suggests only about one-quarter of eligible veterans nationwide, and about 17 percent of eligible widows, are actually receiving aid (1). Earlier statistics are more startling, suggesting nearly 2 million veterans and widows are missing out on $22 billion a year in pensions (2).

Through our partnership with, VA Accredited Attorneys and Claims Agents, assisted living facilities, at home care providers and other senior advocates, we provide a holistic approach to the Aid and Attendance Pension to maximize the benefits provided to veterans, spouses, surviving spouses of veterans, and their families.

At Alliance Financial Services, we are dedicated to providing long-term care assistance and helping you claim financial reimbursement that can range (depending on your situation) from $13,361 to $31,512 annually, TAX FREE!

At Lonestar Registered Investment Advisors, PLLC, we believe no two investors are alike. In order to help each client meet their financial goals, we implement a team-oriented approach to investment management and a client focused culture that is fundamental to our investment process. Our advice and recommendations are tailored to our clients’ investment goals, desired return objectives, risk tolerance, time horizon, cash requirements and tax situation. Our investment strategy is designed based on your long-term investment goals of preserving principal, maximizing income or accumulating capital.

As a fiduciary, we have an obligation to ensure the appropriate products are chosen based on the client’s best interest. Therefore, we develop your personalized asset allocation model based on individual risk tolerance, objectives and financial needs. Our goal is to maximize your investment returns through diversification of your assets and a disciplined investment philosophy combined with rigorous risk management.

As you near retirement, you may find that your attitude about risk begins to change. Protecting and preserving your wealth against market downturns should be an important part of your comprehensive retirement plan because a significant reduction to your portfolio could potentially derail your retirement plans.

AtLoneStar Registered Investment Advisors, PLLC, we’ll examine issues such as:

1. How tolerant are you of market volatility and losses in retirement?
2. What current risks are you taking with your financial assets?
3. Are your current holdings and strategies consistent with your risk tolerance?
4. Are your assets well positioned to survive significant market corrections?
5. How effective are your current retirement savings strategies?
6. How much of your wealth should be protected from market corrections?

During our discussions, we encourage clients to carefully evaluate their risk tolerance and to develop an overall financial strategy that balances potential safety and growth. From our discussions and examinations, we’ll work with you to utilize retirement products and strategies designed to help protect, preserve and enhance your wealth.

For even the most financially literate individual, planning for retirement can be a very challenging undertaking. The days of relying solely on your pension and Social Security benefit to satisfy your income needs during retirement are long gone. In today’s economic climate, historically low interest rates coupled with high market volatility rates have made planning for retirement difficult and more important than ever.

One of the most difficult aspects of retirement planning is the mental shift it requires. Prior to retirement, your financial life was dictated by an earning and saving paradigm. Once you retire, however, you will no longer be earning a paycheck you can save which means you will need to generate an income through other sources.

A crucial first step toward helping ensure adequate funding throughout your retirement is understanding that having retirement savings is not the same thing as having retirement income. Saving for retirement is what you have spent most of your working life doing, but now is the time to begin using those savings to create the retirement income you’ll need. This can represent both an incredible investment and mental challenge and is a process that can be made much easier by enlisting the services of a financial professional.

Our firm can help you define your retirement goals and evaluate your current financial state. In addition, we can help you design a retirement plan capable of generating, in a reliable and sustainable manner, the income you need.

You’ve spent your life working hard for your money and now is the time to let us help you make it work hard for you!

Proper legacy planning and preservation is a cornerstone of any successful retirement plan and helps ensure that your wishes will be respected and your loved ones taken care of. Legacy Planning is a multifaceted process that can be used for a variety of purposes: from helping to preserve your assets for future use to transferring your wealth.

From the conservation of your assets to the transfer of them, comprehensive legacy planning helps ensure that the management of your assets will be dictated by your wishes throughout your life and may provide a variety of benefits to you and your family. When they are executed and implemented properly, legacy plans may help reduce family disputes and court bureaucracy, provide effective disability planning, appropriately utilize exemptions to minimize estate taxes, and provide certain asset protection benefits to beneficiaries.

There are many strategies and tools that can be utilized to help safeguard your wealth and make sure it is effectively transferred. A variety of legal documents, such as wills, revocable living trusts, Powers of Attorney, and advanced medical documents are beneficial to the legacy planning process. Life insurance, both term and cash value, is another valuable tool to consider because it can be designed to serve several different functions. Life insurance policies can help address the financial harm caused by unexpected sudden deaths of parents of minor children, minimize the wealth destruction of families who may need advanced estate taxation avoidance or possibly even work as alternative savings or wealth generation tools.

Additionally, long-term care insurance helps protect your assets from the devastating costs of long- term care expenses and ensures that you live in reasonable housing during the last stages of your life. These policies provide a diverse range of coverage depending on the style you choose: from more traditional policies to unique hybrid approaches that can generate enhanced long-term care benefits within certain types of life insurance or variable and fixed indexed annuities* contracts.

Finally, Elder Law planning can help limit the potentially devastating effects long-term disabilities may have on your quality of life, finances, and legacy.

Legacy planning requires a coordinated and comprehensive approach that our firm is uniquely positioned to provide. We can help outfit your legacy plan with the insurance products it needs to protect you and your family.