Donald Brown

Donald Brown CFP®, ChFC®, CLU

Blue Rock Advisors
524 North Trade St.
Winston Salem NC 27101
Get directions
336-723-1220

What is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst?

          Many people make financial mistakes during divorce that they must live with for years to come. During such a traumatic and emotional time, it can be hard for divorcing couples to see how financial issues will play out over time. Sometimes partners in a divorce may not even fully understand what they have agreed to. Worse still, divorce settlements can be very tough to change once they have been signed and filed in court. As a result, an increasing number of individuals and their attorneys are turning to certified divorce financial analysts for help.

        A CDFA is an expert in the unique financial circumstances that surrounds a divorce. The professional training for the certification is focused on understanding and estimating the long-term costs of a divorce, because divorce settlements can impact a person's financial picture for years to come. The areas of expertise for a CDFA include:

•   Tax consequences of divorce agreements


•   The process of dividing and valuing property fairly


•   Determining how much alimony and/or child support is appropriate and for how long


•   Modeling the future values of investable assets, retirement plans, and other real assets

        Arguably, the greatest value a CDFA provides is an educated outlook toward the future. What seems equitable today may not look so fair when projected into the future, especially after factoring in considerations like inflation, cost of living adjustments, changes in custody agreements and other issues. A CDFA uses unique software programs and solid financial expertise to ensure that today's split of assets and cash flow will still be fair and equitable for years to come.       

What will Blue Rock Advisors do during the Pre-Settlement Phase?

•    Gather and analyze financial information from both parties in order to project how equitable various proposed settlements will be both now and in the future based on certain economic assumptions


•   Help establish a current budget and determine the appropriate amounts for spousal and/or child support


•   Evaluate investable assets and retirement plans and the equitable distribution thereof


•   Provide formal reports and graphs illustrating the long-term effects of various proposed settlements on the net worth and working capital of both parties

What will Blue Rock Advisors do during the Post-Settlement Phase? (At this point, clients are under no obligation to continue to work with Blue Rock Advisors.)

•   Help determine and prioritize your financial goals, ie. education funding, retirement planning, insurance planning (life, disability, and long-term care insurance), workforce planning, etc.


•   Analyze and help restructure the investable assets and retirement plan assets acquired through the divorce


•   Monitor your financial assets on an ongoing basis and make any adjustments necessary as economic conditions or personal financial needs change


•   Provide you with peace of mind knowing that your settlement was economically feasible both in the present and for the future

Don Brown joined Blue Rock Advisors in June of 2008 after spending 3 and a half years as the VP for Financial and Trust Services at TriStone Community Bank in Winston-Salem, NC. Prior to his association with TriStone Community Bank, Don was a Registered Representative, Investment Advisor Representative, and Agency Investment Specialist/Compliance Officer for MML Investors Services, Inc., and its parent company, MassMutual Financial Group from 1990 to 2004. From 1985 to 1990, Don worked as a Financial Consultant at Robinson-Humphrey in Winston-Salem. Before getting into the financial services business, Don was involved in coaching football at both the collegiate and professional levels, and spent 7 years in the NFL with the St. Louis Football Cardinals from 1978 to 1985.

Don holds a BS in Mathematics (1973) and a MA in Education (1976) from Wake Forest University, and a MBA (1980) from Saint Louis University. In addition to his Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designations, Don completed his Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designation in 2003, and is a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) and the Society of Financial Services Professionals.

Securities and advisory services offered through Financial Network Investment Corporation, member FINRA, SIPC. Blue Rock Advisors and Financial Network Investment Corporation are not affiliated. Don Brown may only discuss and/or transact securities and advisory business with residents of the following states: NC, FL, GA, MA, MD, NV, PA, TX, VA.

Supervisory Office: Principal - John K. Hunt, 524 N. Trade St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101 (336-723-1220)

Website: www.mybluerockadvisors.com Email: dbrown@mybluerockadvisors.com