Eric M. Courage
CFA®, CFP®, CAIA®
MARGIN
Founder / Wealth Strategy Advisor
Eric M. Courage
CFA®, CFP®, CAIA®
MARGIN
Founder / Wealth Strategy Advisor
"They are redefining the approach to financial planning.." I knew SOMETHING BETTER WAS MISSING… So I asked myself... “What would I really want as a client?” “What firm would I want my daughter to work with if I was gone?” - Eric M. Courage, CFA®, CFP®, CAIA®
We service clients in Cherry Creek, Glendale, and Denver, CO and virtually throughout the United States.
Eric M. Courage, CFA, CFP is a Denver, CO fee-only financial planner.
Make Work Optional. Sooner.
Our purpose is to inspire and challenge our clients to live intentionally and be true to themselves by making work optional sooner.
We exist so our clients can worry less while having MORE time, money and a greater ability to give.
We offer:
- In-Depth, Creative, and Collaborative Financial & Tax Planning
- Investment Management
- Tax Minimization Strategy and Preparation
We Specialize in:
RETIREMENT & WORK OPTIONAL: Lower taxes optimizing portfolio withdrawals, rentals, and business income. Gain confidence today to know when your "enough" is enough.
ULTRA HIGH INCOME PROFESSIONALS: Restricted stock, ESOs, ISOs, NSOs, RSUs, PSUs, ESPPs, deferred compensation and how to invest it, along with more complex 401(k) options.
Eric Courage has worked in finance for over 15 years, both in private wealth management and as an analyst building financial products and valuing businesses.
He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). The CFA is "the gold standard" of finance worldwide, according to The Economist. On average, it takes four years, 18 hours of rigorous exams, and 900+ hours of study time to earn this credential.
He is also a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP™) and a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA).
Outside of MARGIN, Eric has taught CFP™ investment courses at a Colorado University and served on the Englewood, Colorado Firefighter Pension Board, and CFA Colorado Board.
His passions outside work include intense exercise, cooking wantabee Michelin star healthy cuisine, funk/hip-hop/jazz/reggae drumming, motorcycle rides around town, reading classical literature, and running his daughter to gymnastics, basketball and track. Where she is nationally qualified for Junior Olympics in the 100 meter dash, and took 1st in Colorado for USATF Junior Olympics in 2022.
Eric M. Courage is a Member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors - highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
NAPFA members live by three important values:
- To be the beacon for independent, objective financial advice for individuals and families.
- To be the champion of financial services delivered in the public interest.
- To be the standard bearer for the emerging profession of financial planning.
The inspiration for MARGIN came from Eric’s professional journey.
After beginning as analyst specializing in healthcare transactions, he performed institutional mutual fund research at Transamerica, quickly becoming the lead analyst to lay the groundwork for their inevitable entry into ETFs. He was then promoted to work in Corporate Competitive Analysis, assisting in constructing competitive research for all insurance and investment products within the Americas for the C-Suite. Finally, Eric worked as an advisor at a Bank Private Client Group.
Throughout his career, Eric found that leaders spent more time talking about how to make their firms money than how to make clients more money. Eric envisioned and started MARGIN as an honest alternative.
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Your problems we specialize in:
- Which accounts should I withdraw or invest into first to lower my taxes? What’s a Mega Backdoor Roth or Backdoor Roth? How do I harvest large gains, or create losses to lower my overall taxes? What are the tax benefits of converting to a Roth IRA?
- What are my trade-offs for paying off my mortgage? Like tax implications, my rates versus projected investment returns, portfolio withdrawals, cash on hand, and how I feel about debt?
- How much can I withdraw from my portfolio without running out of money? What specific and individual factors will impact my personal withdrawal rate?
- You are not sure what entity to set-up, whether you should register your business as an S-Corp, and you don’t know how or where to find someone who can help you.
- You have a CPA. Sure, they put all your numbers in boxes, but you need proactive planning and an overall strategy to minimize taxes. You don’t only need help for your business; you need help for your personal taxes too. It would be nice if someone would call you back.
- Can you help me minimize my taxes using real estate? How much real estate should I own versus my overall portfolio versus investing in my business?
- How much will this cost me in capital gains to sell, or how can we maximize taxable losses? Better yet, can I get money out of my rentals without paying taxes?
Ideal Clients
- Why us?
- We believe in being equitable, and transparent about pricing. This is critical to both our firm’s success, and having a healthy relationship with you. That’s why we charge flat fees, not asset-based fees.
- We have the three most recognized industry credentials: CFP, CPA, and CFA. No, this isn’t some trophy case for us to dust-off, and rest on our laurels. But, it is a testament to the respect and dedication toward our clients and profession.
Working Together
- Options to work with us:
- On-Going Services
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Eric Courage is a NAPFA-Registered Financial AdvisorThe National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors—highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
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Eric M. Courage is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for VerificationCFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can use the CFP® designation.
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Eric M. Courage is a CFA® charterholder
The CFA Program is the most respected and recognized investment management designation in the world with less than 200,000 charterholders globally.
This advisor has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation (CFA® charter) by passing all three of the CFA exams and gaining relevant industry experience, demonstrating their mastery of the investment analysis and decision-making skills most needed in the global investment management profession.
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Eric M. Courage is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst® (CAIA®)Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst® (CAIA®) is a professional designation offered by the CAIA Association to investment professionals who complete a course of study and pass two examinations. The "alternative investments" industry is characterized as dealing with asset classes and investments other than standard equity or fixed income products. Alternative investments can include hedge funds, private equity, real assets, commodities, and structured products. The CAIA curriculum is designed to provide finance professionals with a broad base of knowledge in alternative investments.
Contact Eric M. Courage
Office Locations:
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7350 E Progress Pl
#100
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
