Labor Day marks the unofficial start of year-end planning season. From here to December 31 is roughly 100 days — enough time to make meaningful moves, but only if the plan behind them is accurate. A few beliefs keep showing up in conversations with executives this time of year. Most of them are wrong, and they're wrong in a way that costs money.

4 Myths That Cost Executives Money

Myth #1: "I'll deal with taxes when I file in April."

By April, the tax year is closed. Withholding is fixed, bonus timing is fixed, and most of the moves that actually change a tax bill — deferring income, accelerating deductions, funding a mega backdoor Roth — have to happen before December 31. Filing season is math. Planning season is strategy. Confusing the two is the single most expensive habit an executive can have.

Myth #2: "A permanent 37% top rate means nothing to plan for."

Rate stability isn't the same as a low rate. 37% is still 37% — the highest bracket in the system. A stable rate just means the planning conversation shifts from "will this go up" to "how much of my income actually has to sit inside that bracket in the first place." That's a more useful question anyway.

Myth #3: "Tax-free retirement strategies are only for the ultra-wealthy."

Strategies like Kai-Zen, where a portion of the funding is matched by a bank rather than coming entirely out of pocket, were built for high-earning executives and business owners — not just nine-figure net worths. The qualifying factor is consistent income and a long enough runway to let matched growth compound, which describes a large share of the executive population, not a narrow sliver.

Myth #4: "If my CPA hasn't brought it up, I don't need it."

A CPA's job is compliance — getting the return filed correctly based on what already happened. Proactive strategy, the kind that changes what happens before December 31, usually comes from a separate conversation. The best outcomes happen when both roles talk to each other, not when one waits for the other to bring it up first.

The 100-Day Window Is Open

None of these myths are dangerous on their own. What is dangerous is carrying two or three of them into December, when the calendar runs out of room to fix anything. The conversation is easiest to have now, while there's still a full quarter to act on it.

Curious which of these myths might be quietly shaping your own plan? A short conversation is a good place to start. Reach out to Kent at Cornell Financial Group

What Jesus Really Meant by “Deny Yourself”

In “What Jesus Really Meant by ‘Deny Yourself,’” Amir Tsarfati explains that Jesus’ call to deny yourself is about surrendering personal pride, selfish desires, and the need to control your own path. He emphasizes that following Christ means allowing God’s will to take priority over comfort, ambition, and personal preference. Denying yourself does not mean losing your identity or worth. Instead, it means choosing obedience to Jesus and trusting Him enough to let go of whatever competes with your commitment to Him.

Tsarfati also connects this teaching to the cost of discipleship. Taking up your cross means being willing to remain faithful even when following Jesus is difficult, unpopular, or costly. The message challenges believers to examine whether they are truly following Christ or simply adding Him to a life still centered on themselves. The main lesson is that genuine discipleship requires surrender, faith, and a willingness to let Christ shape the direction of your life.