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About The Firm
Most conventional CPA firms focus on the “business” or “corporate” side of finance and accounting. Their conversations center around business services, such as bookkeeping, payroll, financial statement preparation, and audit assurance. And during tax season, they get so overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tax returns they prepare, that they have little time to offer any kind of personalized advice for their individual clients. It’s neither good nor bad—it’s just their business model.
At Derek Robinett CPA, we do things a little differently. We focus on tax preparation and personal financial planning for individuals—not businesses.* We believe that high-quality, technical advice about taxes and personal finance should be available to all people—not just business owners, and not just the ultra-high-net-worth crowd.
As a full-service CPA firm, we prepare our client’s individual tax returns.* But we also spend a significant amount of time on non-tax considerations. Our other conversations center around personal financial topics, such as:
Budgeting and determining a savings rate
Tax-efficient investment management**
Planning for retirement or financial independence
Estate and gift planning
Charitable giving and philanthropy
If you’re looking for objective, independent financial advice, then you have come to the right place. Contact us today so that we can schedule a complimentary appointment, with no obligations or strings attached.
*We are not limited to only individual returns. We are equipped to handle virtually any tax return—partnerships, corporations, trusts, estates, etc.
**Investment management services are offered through our affiliate, Basin Wealth Management. Please visit www.basinwealth.com for details.
Tax Preparation & Financial Planning Fees
Most “financial planning” firms are really investment advisory firms. They focus strictly on investment assets and collect asset management fees as their form of compensation. They rarely give any non-investment-related advice, unless it’s to help them sell a product or gather assets. That’s fine, but that’s not what we do.
We are not an investment advisory firm.** We do not sell investment products. We do not manage assets. We do not have account minimums. We are a CPA firm that charges for our time using an hourly rate. In other words, we bill for our time.
It really is that simple: you pay for the time that you use. If you have a fifteen-minute question, you get a fifteen-minute bill. If you have a fifty-hour project, you get a fifty-hour bill.*** This effectively puts you in the driver’s seat. YOU get to decide what services you need and want, and YOU get to decide how much you pay.
Since our business model does not depend on managing assets or generating commissions, we can remain objective with respect to the advice we give. It also gives us a wider range of individuals we can serve–we can serve people who have significant non-investable assets, and we can also serve those who are just starting out. Whether you are a billionaire oil tycoon or a twenty-something with a negative net worth, we can work with you to help you identify and reach your financial goals.
Derek Robinett
CPA/PFS, CFA
Derek Robinett is a true wealth manager—not a salesman. He is a well-educated, experienced financial executive. As a CPA, Derek has been preparing complex tax returns for high net-worth individuals and businesses for over ten years. As a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst), he is proficient in creating and managing portfolios. And as a PFS (Personal Financial Specialist), he is able to integrate his knowledge of investments and tax into your personal financial situation to help you reach your financial goals.
Derek was raised in DeLeon, Texas, where he graduated from high school. He attended Howard Payne University in Brownwood, TX. The following year, Derek enlisted in the US Marine Corps, where he served for five years as a Spanish Cryptologic Linguist at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.
After leaving the Marine Corps in 2005, Derek began his career as a financial advisor at Ameriprise Financial. For the next few years, he worked in various roles in the financial services industry. Derek received his MBA in Quantitative Finance from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2009. Since then, Derek has used his unique combination of education and experience to find new, improved ways of serving his clients’ financial and tax needs.
Derek enjoys his work because it allows him to make a meaningful impact on his clients’ lives. Locally, it also allows him to make a difference through his volunteer service to the financial service industry and for charitable and Christian efforts throughout the Permian Basin and beyond.
Today, Derek lives in Midland with his wife, Heather, who teaches at Midland ISD. They have two children, Emily and Ryan. Together, they enjoy music, theater, musical theater, traveling, and cooking on the patio.
View My Credentials
Professional experience:
- Seven years as a CPA in a tax practice
- Eight years as an investment advisory representative
- Two years as an accountant in the oil & gas industry
- One year as a compliance officer with the Texas Comptroller
Professional education:
- Bachelor of Science degree in Spanish, Wayland Baptist University (2005)
- Master of Business Administration, concentration in Quantitative Finance, University of Texas at San Antonio (2009)
Professional licenses:
- Certified Public Accountant (2011)
- Chartered Financial Analyst (2013)
- Personal Financial Specialist (2017)
- FINRA Series 7
- FINRA Series 63
- Texas Life & Health Insurance agent
- Texas Property & Casualty Insurance agent
As a community member:
- Assistant Treasurer, Fannin Terrace Baptist Church
- Treasurer, Permian Basin CPA Chapter
- Vice-President, Midland-Odessa Business Estate Council
Contact Us
3300 North A Street
Building One, Suite 108
Midland, TX 79705
Phone: (432) 349-3706
Fax: (432) 224-1090
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