Crystal Rau, CFP® Profile Photo

Crystal Rau, CFP®

Crystal Rau, CFP®, CRPC®, AAMS®, is a certified financial planner based out of Midland, Texas. She is the founder of Beyond Balanced Financial Planning, a fee-only registered investment advisor that helps young professionals and families balance living their ideal lives and being good stewards of their finances.

About Crystal Rau, CFP®

Current Role

Founder, Beyond Balanced Financial Planning

Expertise

  • Equity Compensation
  • Oil & Gas Investments
  • Education Planning
  • Investment Planning
  • Student Loan Planning
  • Retirement

Achievements

  • Best Financial Planner For Midland’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2022

Certifications & Degrees

  • Certified Financial Planner™
  • MBA from University of Texas El Paso, Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from Texas A&M University (Corpus Christi)

Personal Finance Experience

Crystal started her career in personal finance working at a large investment management company where she provided advice to young and old investors just trying to do better for themselves. It motivated her to learn more and be better for her clients. She continued her education and training, earning the certified financial planner (CFP®) designation, as well as her chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC®) designation and accredited asset management specialist (AAMS®) designations.

As her knowledge and expertise grew, it inspired her to start Beyond Balanced Financial Planning, a fee-only registered investment advisory firm that focuses on young professionals and families who strive to be good stewards of the wealth, and to be better and do better for their families and their community.

Latest from Crystal Rau, CFP®

How Earned Wage Access Works

Earned wage access (EWA) allows employees to access a portion of their wages before payday, giving them flexibility to cover expenses without waiting....

10 Cash Advance Scams and How to Avoid Them

If you’re searching for a quick cash advance, you’ve probably wondered whether the app or lender you’re using is legit. With scams becoming...

Gold IRAs With Sign-Up Bonuses

A gold individual retirement account (IRA) can allow for portfolio diversification and help you protect your wealth. To add to the benefits, companies...

Apps Like Empower

Empower is a fintech company that offers various financial products, including cash advances and lines of credit. If you need to access cash...

Maine HELOC Rates and Lenders

A home equity line of credit (HELOC) allows you to borrow money based on the equity in your home. It’s a revolving line...

How the 401(k) Student Loan Match Works

In the past, many employees have had to choose between saving for retirement or making student loan payments. Because student loans often have...

How to Calculate Discretionary Income for Student Loans

Understanding how to calculate your discretionary income for student loans is important if you’re exploring...

When Do Student Loans Start Accruing Interest?

College is an investment in your future, and if you use loans to pay for...

Is It Illegal to Spend Student Loan Money Outside of School?

Student loans have strict guidelines regarding how the funds can be spent because they’re intended...

Best All-in-One HELOCs

All-in-one home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) combine your credit line with your checking account—and sometimes even your mortgage—into one product. A key...