Who We Are

 
Michael C. Creasman, EA, CFP®, President
 
A native of Buncombe County, Mike Creasman grew up in French Broad Township, gratuated from Erwin High School and then enlisted in the US Army-Infantry.  He served as a Sergeant E-5 Infantry fire team leader for the final eight months of his three-year enlistment.
 
Returning home, Mike attended Asheville-Biltmore College (now UNC-A) for two years.  Having grown up on a farm, his interest naturally drifted toward conservation, and he set his sights on becoming a forest ranger.  But he looked at a friend's accounting book one day and became fascinated by algebraic equations.  The simplicity of it made so much sense that he knew he could do it — and make a living at it.  But there was no accounting program in Asheville at the time.
 
He relocated to Florida, attending Jacksonville University at night and working part-time as an accountant for a publicly traded corporation.  After that, he was a staff accountant with a local CPA firm for three years.
 
In 1977, Mike returned to Buncombe County and established an accounting and income tax planning/preparation practice.  In that practice, Mike found that his clients were not as interested in reviewing what they'd done, but where they'd like to be.  He then shifted his focus to helping clients take steps to secure their futures.
 
Mike enrolled in the College for Financial Planning in 1982 and obtained his Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation in 1984.  Following his certification, Mike transformed his practice to include financial planning services.  The income tax part of the practice was retained because he saw that tax implications were an integral part of the planning process and a potential problem for some clients' portfolios.
 
"This is such an intimate relationship", says Mike of the process that he and his clients go through. "We talk about dreams and aspirations for themselves and their children and grandchildren. We need to get this as right as we possibly can."
 
Mike continued to take additional courses offered by the College for Financial Planning, and successfully completed the six-part Accredited Tax Advisor and the four-part Retirement Planning programs.  Mike also earned certificates as a Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor, Accredited Asset Management Specialist and Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist.
 
"I have a heart for working with people who've worked hard to be sure they have the type of retirement they've dreamed of," says Mike.
 
Mike is also a federally authorized tax practitioner and Enrolled Agent (EA).  Federally-authorized tax practitioners (CPAs, attorneys and Enrolled Agents) are allowed to represent clients at every administrative level before the Internal Revenue Service.
 
And, in order to better understand the court system when representing clients, in 2009 Mike completed the 14-week Certificate of Paralegal Studies through Boston University.  He is preparing to sit for the United States Tax Court examination in November 2010.  Passage of this examination allows non-lawyers to represent clients in limited cases.  If successful, Mike will be allowed to represent clients before the Tax Court in the small-cases division, which involve no more than $50,000 in dispute.
 
Now, with 38 years experience in all areas of income, gift and estate tax issues, Mike is the person that other financial planners go to with questions.
 
Mike lives with his wife, Revonda, in Leicester, NC.
 
Check out more about our Income Tax Planning, Preparation and Representation in Our Services. 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
    
 
©2010 CREASMAN 401 (K) PLAN ADVISERS, INC. All rights reserved.