Financial Advisor Serving Flint Hill, MO

Call (636) 240-5055 A fiduciary adviser with 34 years in financial services, and a separate CPA firm, in the same office, about 11 miles from Flint Hill.

Renaud & Company Registered Investment Advisors · 2112 Bryan Valley Commercial Dr, O'Fallon, MO 63366 · (636) 240-5055 · Meet the team

Quick answer: Renaud & Company Registered Investment Advisors is a fiduciary, SEC-registered investment adviser in O'Fallon that helps Flint Hill families with acreage and small-farm questions, retirement plans for the self-employed, school savings, selling a home or land, and retirement income. Matthew J. Renaud Sr., ChFC®, founded the firm in 1998 and has 34 years in financial services. A separate CPA firm, Renaud Tax & Accounting LLC, owned by Jeannie Renaud, CPA, shares our office. We are about 11 miles from Flint Hill by car, and you can also meet with us virtually.

Flint Hill: a small town on Route P, between Wentzville and the farms

Flint Hill is a small city in northwestern St. Charles County, about 2.5 miles north of Wentzville, just east of US 61 on Missouri Route P. It was founded in 1838 by Captain Taliferro P. Grantham, and its post office has operated since 1836. The 2020 Census counted 981 residents, up from 525 in 2010, an increase of 86.9% (U.S. Census Bureau). The eastern part of the city is in the Fort Zumwalt R-II School District and the western part is in the Wentzville R-IV School District. The city is also home to St. Theodore Catholic School, a private K-8 school. These are figures for the city as a whole, and they say nothing about any one household or any client of ours.

Flint Hill is small enough that a single development can change its numbers, and it is surrounded by the kind of country where "a few acres and a barn" is a common way to live. That shapes the questions we hear, and it is why this page is not a copy of our Wentzville page. If you work at General Motors in Wentzville, start with our Wentzville page, which covers pension, 401(k), and retirement-incentive choices at the plant. This page is about acreage, side businesses, and the rest.

Acreage, hobby farms, and the IRS "hobby" question

Flint Hill sits in a county where the 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 589 farms, 85% of them family farms, with 78 farms of 1 to 9 acres and 186 of 10 to 49 acres, and 188 farms that sold less than $2,500 of products that year (USDA). County livestock inventories included 4,995 cattle and calves, 325 horses and ponies, and 84 goats. In other words, many properties here are small, and many are not the owner's main income. That raises a tax question that comes up often, and one the IRS answers in a particular way.

Business or hobby. The IRS generally presumes an activity is carried on for profit if it makes a profit in three of the last five tax years, including the current year, or two of the last seven for an activity of breeding, training, showing, or racing horses. An activity that fails the test is not automatically a hobby, because the IRS also looks at other factors, such as how you run it. Whether losses are deductible depends on the answer (IRS). Form 5213 can postpone the determination in some cases.
Keeping records. Separate bank accounts, records of income and expenses, and a written plan are the usual starting points. Your CPA will tell you what you need.
Property tax. Missouri assesses land in actual agricultural use on its productive value rather than its market value, and land held for future use is assessed differently (State Tax Commission of Missouri). How you use the land matters.
Farm income, if you have it. A farmer can elect to average farm income over the three prior tax years on Schedule J (IRS).

We do not give tax advice. Your CPA does, and if you want one, Renaud Tax & Accounting LLC, a CPA firm owned by Jeannie Renaud, CPA, is in our office. See how a financial advisor and CPA plan together.

Side businesses, trades, and the self-employed

A town of this kind has many people working for themselves: contractors and tradespeople, hauling and equipment operators, home-based businesses, and people with a main job and a second income on the side. Your retirement plan is usually something you build yourself, so the choices matter:

Which account. For 2026, the IRS limit on total contributions for a participant in a Solo 401(k) or SEP IRA is $72,000. A SIMPLE IRA allows salary-reduction contributions of up to $17,000. The IRA limit is $7,500, with a $1,100 catch-up for age 50 and older (IRS). Which plan allows more, and which suits you, depends on your income, employees, and your CPA's calculation. See retirement planning for business owners.
Estimated tax. With no employer withholding, a large year can require estimated payments to avoid an underpayment penalty (IRS Topic 306). Your CPA works out what is due and when.
Selling the business or equipment. A sale has its own tax pattern: long-term gain is taxed at lower rates than ordinary income, depreciation recapture is ordinary income in the year of sale, and payments over time can spread the gain (IRS Topics 409 and 705).
Your own paycheck. Self-employed people often forget to build in a plan for the slow months, health coverage, and time off. We help you build one.

New homes, school-age children, and the families around St. Theodore

Because Flint Hill's population has grown quickly, many of its households are young families in new or recently built homes, with children in the Fort Zumwalt or Wentzville schools or in the local Catholic school. Planning for school costs is not optional for these families, and Missouri gives you something for it. Missouri allows a subtraction from Missouri income of up to $8,000 per taxpayer, or $16,000 for married individuals filing a joint return, for annual contributions to Missouri's 529 program and other qualified tuition programs (RSMo 166.435). Beginning in 2026, a 529 can pay up to $20,000 per student per year for K-12 expenses, which can include private school tuition. A grandparent can also contribute, and for 2026 the annual gift exclusion is $19,000 per recipient. See our education funding and 529 guide.

Two things to keep in the plan beside the 529: your own retirement saving, which no scholarship will fund, and your beneficiary forms. Retirement accounts generally pass by the beneficiary form, not by your will, so check each one. See estate planning coordination with your attorney.

Retirees who moved out for room to breathe

Another group in places like Flint Hill is people who spent a career in the city and moved out for a few acres in retirement or just before it. For them, the planning moves are different:

Turning savings into income. We build a plan for which accounts to draw from, with required distributions and Medicare premiums in view. Required distributions generally begin at age 73 or 75, depending on your birth year (IRS).
Selling the old house. If you owned and lived in your main home for at least two of the last five years, you may exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 on a joint return (IRS Topic 701). A large sale can still affect your income for the year, and Social Security uses your income from two years earlier to set Medicare premiums.
Missouri tax on Social Security. For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2024, Missouri lets a resident age 62 or older subtract 100% of the Social Security benefits included in federal adjusted gross income (RSMo 143.125).
Giving. A qualified charitable distribution from an IRA, available from age 70½, can count toward the required amount without being included in your income, up to $111,000 per person for 2026 (IRS Notice 2025-67). See our IRMAA planning guide.

Getting to our office from Flint Hill

Our address: 2112 Bryan Valley Commercial Drive, O'Fallon, MO 63366. Flint Hill and O'Fallon are both in St. Charles County, and our office is just south of I-70.

By car from central Flint Hill:

Take Route P to Peine Road and the on-ramp for US 61 South (Avenue of the Saints).
Follow US 61 about 4 miles to the I-64 / I-70 / US 61 interchange in Wentzville.
Merge onto I-70 East toward St. Louis and stay on it for about 5 miles.
Take exit 216 for Bryan Road in O'Fallon.
Follow Bryan Road south for about half a mile and turn right onto Bryan Valley Commercial Drive. Our office, at 2112, is a short way along this road.

By this route, it is about 11 miles from the middle of Flint Hill. We have not listed a drive time because it changes with traffic. Routes and closures change, so check your maps app before you leave. If you want to be sure of the final turns, call us at (636) 240-5055 and we will talk you through them.

Prefer not to drive? You can also meet with us virtually from anywhere.

Hours: Monday to Thursday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Friday 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Hours are extended in tax season, which runs February 1 to April 15, 2027 and varies by week.

Who to talk to

Matthew J. Renaud Sr., ChFC®, President and Founder, has led the firm since 1998 and has 34 years in financial services. Matthew Renaud Jr., AWMA®, is a separate Investment Advisor Representative at the firm. Jeannie Renaud, CPA, is the owner of Renaud Tax & Accounting LLC, a separate CPA firm in the same office. Meet the team.

What to bring to a first meeting

Your most recent statement for each retirement account and 529 plan, including any 401(k) at a past employer
If you have a side business or a small farm: last year's income and expense summary, and your last two federal tax returns
The deed or tax bill for any acreage you own
Your beneficiary forms, or a list of who is named on each account
Your estate documents, or the names of your attorney and tax professional
Any dates that matter: a retirement date, a first tuition bill, or the date you turn 65

Renaud & Company Registered Investment Advisors · 2112 Bryan Valley Commercial Dr, O'Fallon, MO 63366 · (636) 240-5055 · Mon–Thu 8:00 AM–4:30 PM, Fri 8:00 AM–3:00 PM (extended hours in tax season)

FAQ

Do you serve clients in Flint Hill?

Yes. Our office is at 2112 Bryan Valley Commercial Dr in O'Fallon, and we work with households in Flint Hill, St. Charles County, and across the St. Louis area. You can meet with us in person at our O'Fallon office, or virtually from anywhere, including from another state.

How far is Flint Hill from your office?

About 11 miles by car. Our office at 2112 Bryan Valley Commercial Dr in O'Fallon is reached by taking Route P to Peine Road, US 61 South about 4 miles to the I-70 interchange, I-70 East about 5 miles to exit 216 for Bryan Road, then Bryan Road south about half a mile and a right onto Bryan Valley Commercial Drive. Check your maps app before you go, or call (636) 240-5055 for help with the last turns.

I own a few acres and keep horses and a garden. Is that a hobby or a business for tax purposes?

The IRS generally presumes an activity is for profit if it makes a profit in three of the last five tax years, or two of the last seven for breeding, training, showing, or racing horses. An activity that does not meet the test is not automatically a hobby, because the IRS also looks at how you run it. Whether losses are deductible turns on the answer, so ask your CPA, and keep good records.

What is the best retirement plan for a self-employed person in 2026?

There is no single best plan. For 2026, the IRS limit on total contributions for a participant in a Solo 401(k) or SEP IRA is $72,000, a SIMPLE IRA allows salary-reduction contributions of up to $17,000, and the IRA limit is $7,500. Which suits you depends on your income, whether you have employees, and what your CPA calculates you can deduct.

Do I need to pay estimated tax if I work for myself?

Often, yes. With no employer withholding, you may need to make estimated payments during the year to avoid an underpayment penalty. Your CPA can work out how much and when, based on your income and last year's return.

I work at the General Motors plant in Wentzville. Where should I start?

Start with our Wentzville page, which covers pension, 401(k), and retirement-incentive choices in more detail. We are not affiliated with General Motors or the UAW, and your plan documents control what is available.

We have children in a private school. Can a 529 help?

Beginning in 2026, a 529 can pay up to $20,000 per student per year for K-12 expenses. Missouri also allows a subtraction from Missouri income of up to $8,000 per taxpayer, or $16,000 for married individuals filing a joint return, for annual contributions to Missouri's 529 program (RSMo 166.435). Your tax professional can confirm how the deduction applies on your return.

Can grandparents help pay with a 529?

Yes. A grandparent can contribute to a 529 account for a grandchild. For 2026 the annual gift exclusion is $19,000 per recipient, and a donor can elect to spread a larger gift over five years on Form 709. If the donor dies within the five years, a pro-rated portion is included in the donor's estate. Talk with your attorney and CPA before making a large gift.

I just sold my house in the city and moved to acreage. What happens to the money?

If you owned and lived in the home at least two of the last five years, you may exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 on a joint return. Beyond that, the question is what the money should do next: pay off a loan, build a cash reserve, or be invested. We help you compare, and a large gain can affect your income for the year and your Medicare premium two years later.

Can I see how my retirement income would look before I decide to stop working?

Yes. Bring your account statements and your Social Security statement, and we show how withdrawals, Social Security, and any pension fit together, including what each choice does to your taxes and Medicare premiums. It is an estimate, not a promise, and it changes with your situation.

Nearby towns we serve: Wentzville · St. Paul · Troy · O'Fallon

Next step: Call (636) 240-5055 or email info@renaudco.com to book a 45-minute coordination meeting with the team. No product pitch. If we are not the right fit, we will say so.

Important disclosures: Renaud & Company, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. We are fiduciaries when we provide investment advice. We are not affiliated with General Motors, the UAW, the Fort Zumwalt School District, the Wentzville R-IV School District, St. Theodore Catholic School, or any employer, company, school system, or retirement system named on this page, which are named only to describe the area or the kinds of decisions people face. Renaud Tax & Accounting LLC is a separate, affiliated firm; tax preparation and accounting services are provided by that firm under a separate engagement. Renaud & Company, LLC and its advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Our Form ADV Part 2A and Form CRS describe our services and conflicts of interest and are available at adviserinfo.sec.gov or on request. This page is educational and is not individualized investment, tax, or legal advice. Census and USDA figures describe the city or county as a whole and not any client. Directions are for convenience and may change; confirm before you travel. Rules and figures are as published by the IRS, the State of Missouri, CMS, the SEC, the USDA, the Census Bureau, and the Social Security Administration as of October 28, 2026 and can change. There is no guarantee that any plan or strategy will achieve any particular result.