Matt Knoll, CFP®

Sr. Financial Planner

|

Moline

Phone:

(309) 797-4030

My role as a financial planner allows me to help people make progress every day toward improving their financial picture.  When I’m not meeting with clients, I run the daily trade desk activity and help with operation workflows. I was lucky enough to start working at The Planning Center as an intern in the summers of 2011 and 2012, and joined the firm full-time after graduating from Iowa State University with a degree in finance in 2013. I love building a relationship with individuals by helping them achieve some of their biggest financial goals. Seeing their smiles after they reach their goals is invaluable.

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry]

Whether I am cheering on my alma mater (Go Cyclones!) or playing music with friends, I think it is important to enjoy life to its fullest. I’m a proud husband and father and enjoy spending time with my family and friends. Understanding that everyone has their own story and making the most out of every situation are two things that I think are always important to remember.

Credentials

Affiliations: Fee-Only Planning

Education: Bachelors of Science in Finance from Iowa State University 2013

Memberships: Financial Planning Association (FPA), Young Professionals Network of the Quad Cities (YPQC), Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

Leadership: Past Co-Founder and President of the student chapter of the FPA at Iowa State University 2012

Who inspires me:
My family has always inspired me to be a good person and made me who I am today. My passion for helping others is rooted in the values I inherited from them.

My greatest extravagance (under $100):
Live music. Almost nothing beats seeing my favorite bands, but I enjoy seeing almost any kind of live show.

In my spare time:
I enjoy spending my time with my wife and son, friends, and extended family. I also enjoy being active, especially biking, and playing guitar.

Favorite destination:
My favorite place to spend summer weekends is fishing, swimming and relaxing at the family lake.

Most effective saving tip:
Automate your saving process and debt pay down. This can make building your net worth effortless and efficient.

Latest Posts

RSUs Demystified

Most of us have heard the stories about famous people who died without a will or other estate planning documents: Aretha Franklin, Pablo Picasso, Howard Hughes, and even Abraham Lincoln all passed away without leaving documents to guide their heirs as to the disposition of their estates.

Read More »

When Should You Review Your Estate Plan? Six Examples.

Most of us have heard the stories about famous people who died without a will or other estate planning documents: Aretha Franklin, Pablo Picasso, Howard Hughes, and even Abraham Lincoln all passed away without leaving documents to guide their heirs as to the disposition of their estates.

Read More »

529 Plans Are Better Than Ever, Thanks to SECURE 2.0

Since their creation by the state governments of Florida, Michigan, Ohio, and Wyoming in the late 1980s, 529 education funding plans have become an increasingly popular way for parents, grandparents, and others to fund the education of the next generation while also saving on taxes.

Read More »

Year-End Tax Planning Tips for 2023

To borrow a baseball metaphor, the year 2023 is “rounding third and heading for home.” Typically, this is the time of year when you should start looking at your income for the year and considering what might be needed to be ready for filing your 2023 tax return, next April.

Read More »

“The One Thing”: Understanding the “Why” of Your Retirement

One of the most memorable scenes in the movie City Slickers is when Curly, the crusty ranch foreman (played by Jack Palance) explains to Mitch, one of the city dudes (played by Billy Crystal) what really matters most in life. Turning toward the inquisitive greenhorn, Curly holds up an index finger. “This,” he says. “Your finger?” Mitch asks. Curly goes on to explain that the secret of life is knowing what your “one thing” is: the thing that matters most—that lies at the center of everything else you do and are. “So,” Mitch asks, “what is the one thing?” “That’s what you gotta figure out,” Curly replies.

Read More »

Figuring It Out: Helping Mom Take the Financial Reins after Dad’s Death

As Baby Boomers continue to age, more and more of them are facing the reality of life without a spouse. Because of women’s statistically longer life expectancies, many Boomer women will be forced to adapt to widowhood, with all the new responsibilities and liabilities that entails. Finally, because many in this generation grew up with the assumption that “the money is the man’s business,” large numbers of recently widowed Boomer women are confronted with a steep learning curve with respect to their finances.

Read More »
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We’d like to meet you!

Schedule a free 15 minute conversation and we’ll spend a few minutes getting to know each other so we can learn if what you are seeking and what we provide are a good fit for each other. If it seems like a fit, we’ll talk about next steps. If we’re not, we’ll help you find the right group for your needs.

RSUs Demystified

Most of us have heard the stories about famous people who died without a will or other estate planning documents: Aretha Franklin, Pablo Picasso, Howard Hughes, and even Abraham Lincoln all passed away without leaving documents to guide their heirs as to the disposition of their estates.

Read More »

When Should You Review Your Estate Plan? Six Examples.

Most of us have heard the stories about famous people who died without a will or other estate planning documents: Aretha Franklin, Pablo Picasso, Howard Hughes, and even Abraham Lincoln all passed away without leaving documents to guide their heirs as to the disposition of their estates.

Read More »

529 Plans Are Better Than Ever, Thanks to SECURE 2.0

Since their creation by the state governments of Florida, Michigan, Ohio, and Wyoming in the late 1980s, 529 education funding plans have become an increasingly popular way for parents, grandparents, and others to fund the education of the next generation while also saving on taxes.

Read More »