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®

The Ultimate Guide to Parent Student Loans in 2025: Best Lenders, Rates and How to Qualify

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The 10 Pros and Cons of Home Equity Lines of Credit

A home equity line of credit can provide you with convenient access to cash. Weighing...

Best Personal Loans for Fair Credit

Looking for loans with fair credit? Check out our picks for the best personal loans for fair credit from our partners.

Can You Refinance Student Loans After Consolidation?

Consolidating student loans doesn't disqualify you from refinancing them later, but it may benefit some...

The Best Student Loans for Nurses in 2025: Federal and Private Options for Undergrad and Grad Degrees

The Department of Education and private lenders offer student loans for nurses. Here are the...

Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR): How It Works & Who It’s Good For

An income-contingent repayment plan (ICR) is one option for repaying federal student loans. Payments are...

How Interest-Only HELOCs Really Work

Interest-only HELOCs can be a good way to tap your home equity, but they do have disadvantages. Should you use one for your...

9 Types of Student Loans You Should Know About

If you or your child is struggling to pay for college, there are several financing...

14 Alternatives to Payday Loans

Payday loans are a fast funding option, but they’re costly for borrowers. These alternative financing options are likely a better choice.

6 Surprising Ways Your Student Loans Can Shape Your Credit Score

Do student loans affect your credit score? They could. Find out how student loans affect...