People we work with
We work best with people who want more than someone to pick investments for them. If you want a partner who looks at the whole picture — your taxes, your retirement income, your business, your family — you're in the right place.
See if your story is similar to one of these families.
John and Marlene
Marlene, 63, spent most of her career working part time so she could focus on raising their three children. John, 62, is retiring from the local plant next month, closing out a career of steady, careful saving. What they want most now is simple: a little travel, mostly to see their four grandchildren — two in Cincinnati, two in Fort Worth — and a chance to see a few places on their own list while they’re still healthy enough to enjoy them. John has done the hard part of saving; now they’re wondering how much of it they can actually spend. And quietly, John carries one more worry — making sure Marlene is taken care of if he’s not there.
Key Questions and Concerns
- Getting comfortable with how much they can spend during these active, “go-go” retirement years
- Covering health insurance in the years before Medicare kicks in
- Choosing the right time and strategy to start Social Security
- Managing their tax bill in a way that still lets them enjoy their money
- Making sure Marlene would be well taken care of if John passes first
- Leaving something behind for their children and grandchildren, done in a way that’s simple and tax-smart
Mark and Dana
They’ve spent more than three decades building their careers and raising their children — and now that season is giving way to a new one. The kids are grown and on their own, and Mark and Dana are counting down the days until their first grandchild arrives. At the same time, Dana is watching her own parents’ health begin to slip, splitting her attention between the joy ahead and the worry right in front of her. With retirement finally within reach, they’re asking themselves some big questions:
Key Questions and Concerns
- Getting comfortable with how much they can spend during these active, “go-go” retirement years
- Covering health insurance in the years before Medicare kicks in
- Choosing the right time and strategy to start Social Security
- Managing their tax bill in a way that still lets them enjoy their money
- Making sure Marlene would be well taken care of if John passes first
- Leaving something behind for their children and grandchildren, done in a way that’s simple and tax-smart
Brian and Jessica
Brian built his machine shop, which specializes in CNC-fabricated parts, from the ground up — including a rough first decade before it finally found its footing. Today the business is thriving, with eight employees and steady growth each year. Jessica has been there through it all, keeping the books and the business organized. Now in his early fifties, Brian has started teaching his sons the trade, hoping one day they’ll carry the company forward. Their daughter, Jennifer, has chosen a different path, and Brian and Jessica want to make sure she’s just as much a part of the family’s future even though the business isn’t part of hers. They’re not chasing a finish line called “retirement” — they just want the freedom to slow down when they’re ready.
Key Questions and Concerns
- How do they eventually pass the company to their sons without a painful tax bill?
- How do they manage today’s taxes while still building something for their kids’ future?
- What happens to Jessica financially if something happens to Brian?
- How do they make sure Jennifer feels just as included in the family’s plans as her brothers?
- How do they build in the flexibility to ease off, even before they’re ready to fully retire?
Sara and Matt
Sara turned 30 the same day their third child was born — a birthday she’ll never forget. Matt, 32, has spent the last decade climbing the ranks in software sales and was just promoted into management. Sara, a real estate agent, is finally seeing the payoff after years of hard, frustrating work. Between a newborn, a three-year-old, and a second grader, life at the Wilson house is full — in the best and most exhausting way.
Key Questions and Concerns
- Juggling the everyday costs of a growing family with saving for college and retirement at the same time
- Making sure their kids would be taken care of if something happened to Sara or Matt
- Building toward a retirement that still feels a lifetime away
- Understanding what a big career change for either of them would mean, now and down the road
- Making smart, unhurried decisions about a bigger home or a new vehicle as the family outgrows what they have