Frequently Asked Questions

A Discovery Call is a no-obligation, 20-30 minute conversation where we learn about your situation and you learn about us. We'll discuss your retirement timeline, financial concerns, and goals. You'll have the opportunity to ask questions about our approach, and together we'll determine if working together makes sense.

There's no pressure and no sales pitch - just an honest conversation about your retirement.

We work best with clients who have $750,000 or more in investable assets. This threshold allows us to provide the comprehensive, hands-on planning that our approach requires.

If you're not quite there yet, we'd be happy to recommend other resources that might be a better fit for your current situation.

No. We specialize in working with people who are within five years of retirement or already retired. The years leading up to retirement are actually the most critical for tax planning - decisions made during this window can save (or cost) you hundreds of thousands of dollars over your lifetime.

Many people come to us because their current advisor focuses only on investments, not comprehensive planning. Others discover their advisor earns commissions on products - creating potential conflicts of interest.

We encourage you to ask your current advisor: "Are you a fiduciary? Are you fee-only? What's your strategy for minimizing my taxes in retirement?" If you're not satisfied with the answers, it might be time for a conversation.

We have a transparent, two-part fee structure:

• Planning Fee: $6,997 per year, billed quarterly. This covers comprehensive financial planning, tax strategy, and ongoing advice.
• Investment Management Fee: A percentage of assets under management, starting at 1% and decreasing as your portfolio grows.

Visit our Fees page for complete details and a fee calculator.

Fee-only means we are compensated exclusively by our clients - never by commissions, product sales, or referral fees. This eliminates conflicts of interest that exist when advisors earn money by selling you products.

When we recommend a strategy or investment, it's because we believe it's right for you - not because we'll earn a commission.

Our fees are competitive with other comprehensive planning firms, and often lower than what clients pay at large wirehouses or bank-owned advisors - especially when you factor in hidden costs like fund expenses and trading commissions that those firms don't always disclose.

More importantly, our tax-focused planning often saves clients far more than our fees cost. A well-executed Roth conversion strategy or Social Security timing decision can be worth tens of thousands of dollars.

A fiduciary is legally obligated to act in your best interest - not just recommend "suitable" investments. This is the highest standard of care in the financial industry.

Many advisors operate under a lower "suitability" standard, which only requires that recommendations be appropriate - even if better options exist. We believe you deserve better.

Yes, we are 100% independently owned by Charles Culver and Arthur Grizzle. We're not owned by a bank, insurance company, brokerage firm, or private equity group.

This independence means we have no corporate sales quotas, no proprietary products to push, and no pressure to recommend anything other than what's best for you.

Your investments are held at Charles Schwab, one of the largest and most respected custodians in the industry. We never have direct access to your funds - we can only manage investments on your behalf.

You'll have your own Schwab account with full visibility into your holdings, and you can log in anytime to see your portfolio.

For most retirees, taxes are their single largest expense - often more than housing, healthcare, or any other category. Yet many financial advisors barely address taxes, leaving significant money on the table.

We believe proactive tax planning is essential to a successful retirement. Strategies like Roth conversions, tax-loss harvesting, and optimal withdrawal sequencing can save hundreds of thousands of dollars over a retirement.

No, we don't prepare tax returns. However, Charles Culver is an IRS Enrolled Agent, which means he's qualified to provide tax advice and represent clients before the IRS.

We work closely with your tax preparer (CPA or other professional) to ensure your tax strategy is implemented correctly. We provide annual tax letters and coordinate directly with your preparer to make their job easier.

A Roth conversion moves money from a traditional IRA (pre-tax) to a Roth IRA (tax-free). You pay taxes now, but the money grows tax-free forever - and you'll never pay taxes on qualified withdrawals.

Whether a Roth conversion makes sense depends on your current tax bracket, expected future brackets, time horizon, and other factors. It's not right for everyone - but for many pre-retirees, it's one of the most powerful tax strategies available.

We meet with clients a minimum of twice per year for comprehensive reviews. However, we're available whenever you need us - whether that's a quick phone call about a financial decision or an extra meeting to discuss a life change.

Meetings can be in-person at our Virginia Beach office or via Zoom, whichever you prefer.

We encourage you to reach out whenever questions arise. There's no extra charge for phone calls or emails, and we typically respond within one business day.

We'd rather you call us before making a financial decision than wonder afterward if you did the right thing.

We've designed our process to respect your time. Our technology allows us to gather most of your financial information automatically - no endless paperwork or hunting for old statements.

The initial onboarding typically requires a few hours of your time spread over a couple of weeks. After that, expect to spend a few hours per year in meetings and periodic check-ins.

Absolutely. In fact, we encourage both spouses to be involved in the planning process. Financial decisions affect the entire household, and we want everyone to understand and feel confident in the plan.

We also address what happens if one spouse passes away first - ensuring the surviving spouse knows exactly what to do and who to contact.

This is the most common fear we hear - and often the most unfounded. Many people approaching retirement have saved diligently but have no idea if it's "enough."

Our planning process creates a clear picture of your retirement income, expenses, and longevity projections. We stress-test your plan against market downturns, inflation, and unexpected expenses. Most clients leave our initial planning meetings with far more confidence than when they arrived.

The optimal Social Security claiming age depends on your health, other income sources, marital status, and tax situation. Claiming at 62 vs. 70 can mean a difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars over your lifetime.

We analyze your specific situation to recommend the claiming strategy that maximizes your lifetime benefits - not just your monthly check.

Healthcare is a major retirement expense, but it's also one of the most misunderstood. We help you navigate Medicare enrollment, evaluate supplement and Advantage plan options, and plan for potential long-term care needs.

We also coordinate healthcare decisions with your tax strategy - for example, managing income to minimize Medicare premium surcharges (IRMAA).