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Ron fossum jr..: Success, Controversy, and Lessons for Anyone Dealing with Finance

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I remember first hearing about Ron Fossum Jr when a friend told me about “that tax strategist who got into trouble with the SEC.” It made me wonder: when you aim high in business, how close do you tread to risky ground? The story of Ronald A. Fossum, Jr. is useful, not because he’s uniquely bad, but because many people in finance, entrepreneurship, and investing can see parts of themselves or their opportunities mirrored in his. We can learn from what worked, what didn’t, and what went wrong.

In this article, you’ll get a full view: who he is, what he built, what he’s accused of, the outcome, and practical takeaways you can use. I want you to finish this believing you can make smart financial decisions, spotting danger signs early, and choosing ethics as well as profit.

Who is Ronald A. Fossum, Jr.

Early Life and Background
Ronald A. Fossum, Jr. was born in Anchorage, Alaska, on January 17, 1967. He built up his knowledge over time in real estate, insurance, and business ownership. Over 20 years in financial strategy, tax planning, and business consulting are cited in his bio.

He’s not just a behind-the-scenes number-cruncher. He’s considered a financial educator and speaker. He hosts content meant for business owners and high earners who want to legally reduce taxes, optimize assets, and structure businesses in tax-efficient ways.

Professional Roles and Services

Fractional CFO: Ron offers his services as a fractional CFO, meaning instead of being full time in one company, he works with several businesses, advising on financial strategy and operations.
Tax Strategy & Financial Education: His firm, TaxPlan Wealth, emphasizes helping people legally reduce tax burdens, protect assets, structure businesses correctly, and make financial decisions more strategically.
Media Presence: He’s been featured on Fox Business, NBC, MSNBC. It helps build his brand.

So far, so good — someone with experience, doing services many businesses need. But then the legal issues come in.

The Controversies: SEC Case & Allegations

Background of the SEC Litigation

From around 2011 to 2016, Fossum allegedly raised over $20 million from more than 100 investors through three funds: Accelerated Asset Group, LLC; Smart Money Secured Income Fund, LLC; and Turnkey Investment Fund, LLC. The SEC brought charges in 2017, accusing him of a number of wrongdoings.

Major allegations:

Misappropriation of funds: using investor-money for personal expenses. Examples include living in a house owned by one of the funds, having the fund pay for international travel, and even paying his own federal taxes with fund money.
Commingling assets: mixing together personal and fund finances in ways that violate fiduciary duty.
Misleading investors: Telling investors certain things (e.g. about fees, about financial health) that were not true, omitting bad information.
Using unregistered securities: The funds were not properly registered under U.S. securities laws, and Fossum allegedly solicited investments without fulfilling legal disclosures.

Legal Outcome

In June 2018, a Washington federal court entered a final consent judgment. Here are what the judgment and penalties included:

He had to pay back (“disgorge”) $840,729 plus prejudgment interest (~$110,823) to investors.
A civil penalty of $320,000 was imposed.
He was permanently enjoined from violations of several sections of U.S. securities law:, including the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
He was barred from certain securities‐industry roles: broker, dealer, investment advisor, etc. Also barred from participating in offerings of penny stocks or acting as promoter, consultant in securities that are considered high risk under those rules.

What’s “Consent Judgment”?

Important point: he did not admit or deny wrongdoing in some parts. In consent judgments, often defendants agree to the outcome (penalties, injunctions, etc.) without declaring they did the acts alleged. That means legally the findings rest on SEC’s claims, but he did accept the consequences.

Reputation, Public Response & Ongoing Professional Work

Even with SEC litigation, he continued to maintain a presence in the tax/planning world. On his personal sites and in TaxPlan Wealth, the messaging is about education, tax reduction, asset protection. He presents himself as someone who has real business experience — built, bought, sold companies.

Some people see this as problematic: Can someone penalized (or enjoined) for securities violations be fully trusted as a tax planner or financial educator? Others argue that you can learn much from his past, especially if you want to see how not to cross legal/ethical lines.

In some discussions, he’s transparent about the SEC case — mentioning it, clarifying what it was, saying no criminal charges, etc. That helps build credibility, if done well.

What Went Wrong: Red Flags & Lessons

As someone who studies these cases, I see several warning signs (some obvious in hindsight) that you or anyone evaluating a financial advisor / fund should watch out for.

Unregistered securities / fund structures
If someone is offering a fund, or saying “investors,” always check whether the offering is registered / whether the advisor is registered. If not, you should dig very deep.
Commingling of funds
This means mixing investor money with personal money, or using fund assets for personal benefit. That’s almost always a breach of fiduciary duty, and often illegal.
Misleading disclosures
If the financial health of the fund is hidden, or if fees/compensation are understated, or materially important facts are omitted, that’s dangerous. Always ask for full disclosure and consider having a third-party review.
Promises vs reality
Promises of minimal fees, or strong returns, without risk disclosure are a red flag. If something sounds too good to be true, it often is.
Reputation & prior lawsuits
If there’s a past legal case, public documents, judgments, that should be known and part of your decision. Lack of transparency here is troublesome.
Ethics matter
Even if something is technically legal, if it’s ethically questionable, it may still damage your reputation or lead to legal risk later.

Advice If You’re Considering Working with Someone Like Ron Fossum

If you’re in business, investing, or trying to get tax help, here are concrete steps and best practices:

Ask for documentation: registration with regulatory bodies (SEC, state financial authorities), audited financial statements for funds, full disclosure of fee structure.
Seek references: clients who have worked with him, ideally independent or verifiable.
Understand the business structure: is it a fund, separate LLCs, etc.? Who is legally responsible, who has control, who does what?
Use legal counsel: when investing or hiring financial strategists, especially for large sums, get legal review of contracts / fund documents.
Be aware of risk: higher returns often come with higher risk. If someone minimizes risk too much or promises certainty, that’s suspect.
Transparent behaviour: the advisor should be open about past issues (if any), how those were resolved, what safeguards are now in place.

My Thoughts

From what I’ve read, I think parts of Ron Fossum’s story are cautionary. On one hand, people who take on complex finance work, tax planning, business structuring can do a lot of good, and cutting through confusing laws to save legally is useful. On the other hand, when oversight, regulation, and ethical norms are ignored or pushed aside, problems happen.

I believe a lot of people in financial education / advisory roles have good intentions. But it only takes one or two corners cut — non-disclosure, misuse of investor funds, minimizing obligations — for the risks to not just one person, but many. Ron’s case shows how legal risk, reputation risk, and ethical cost all intersect. And that even someone with skills can be brought down (or heavily burdened) if those parts are not balanced.

What It Means for You

Whether you are:

A small business owner thinking about bringing in a tax strategist
An investor considering investing in a fund or managed offering
Someone wanting to reduce taxes, protect assets, or do business well

You can use the story of Ron Fossum as a guide.

Choose advisors with strong regulatory compliance.
Don’t base decisions purely on marketing or appearance. Always check the records.
Understand fully the agreements you sign.

This is not about discouraging risk or ambition. It’s about being smart: ambition + transparency + accountability = sustainable success.

Conclusion

Ronald A. Fossum, Jr. is a complex figure. He’s skilled, visible, and has done work many people need. At the same time, his legal troubles, the SEC case, the judgments against him show how easily things can go awry when oversight, ethics, and clarity are neglected. For anyone involved in finance — whether as advisor or client — there are strong lessons here.

FAQ

Q: Was Ron Fossum convicted criminally?
A: No. The case involved SEC civil litigation. The final judgment was a consent order. He did not admit wrongdoing in some respects, and there was no criminal conviction.

Q: What funds were involved in the SEC allegations?
A: The three funds were Accelerated Asset Group, LLC; Smart Money Secured Income Fund, LLC; and Turnkey Investment Fund, LLC.

Q: What were the penalties against him?
A: Disgorgement of ~$840,729 plus interest (~$110,823), a civil penalty of $320,000, and injunctions / bans from various securities industry roles.

Q: Does he still do business in tax planning / financial education?
A: Yes. He continues to offer services via TaxPlan Wealth, speaking, financial education, etc. His professional profile emphasizes these.

Q: What should I watch out for in financial advisors / funds to avoid getting hurt?
A: Key things: registered securities, transparent disclosures, audited statements, history of legal or regulatory action, clarity in fee structure, separation of funds, credible references.