Frequently Asked Questions

We specialize in one thing: tax-efficient retirement income planning. Most financial advisors are generalists. We’ve built our entire practice around helping pre-retirees and retirees build income strategies designed to be predictable — regardless of market conditions. 

Our approach is grounded in Modern Retirement Theory, a proprietary framework published in The Journal of Financial Planning and now part of the national RICP® curriculum. We are fee-only and fiduciary, which means we never accept commissions and we’re legally obligated to act in your best interest.

We start with your income needs, not your portfolio. Using our Branning MATCH process and Modern Retirement Theory, we map your essential expenses, contingency needs, lifestyle goals, and legacy intentions into a structured plan. Then we build a bond ladder to fund your essential income for the first several years of retirement, invest your remaining assets for long-term growth using time-targeted portfolios, and coordinate your withdrawal strategy to minimize taxes. The result is a retirement income plan built around what you can count on — not what the market might provide.

A bond ladder is a series of fixed-income securities — bonds or similar instruments — that mature at set intervals over time.

We use a bond ladder to pre-fund our clients’ essential living expenses for the first several years of retirement. This means when the market drops, our clients have income already set aside. They’re never forced to sell growth investments at the wrong time just to cover their bills. The bond ladder is the foundation of our Safety-First retirement income approach.

We use a liability-driven investing (LDI) process where we first match up cash flows to projected liabilities for stability while investing the balance in a diversified, low-cost, global allocation for long-term growth.

Since each investor has different financial goals, this approach requires a completely customized allocation that we refer to as your “Critical Path”. This focus on reducing your initial risk exposure differs from the traditional "total return" model most advisors use where they invest everyone in one of their model allocations and hope for the best.

We approach each of our clients with the goal of developing a Stable, Secure, Sustainable Plan. It is our belief that regardless of your situation, you cannot achieve your goals without a solid plan in place.

Just like our investments, our plans are 100% tailored to meet your unique needs and goals. To create a true comprehensive wealth plan, it will require a commitment from you on the front-end to provide us the data and personal input we will need to evaluate your full financial picture.

Initial Consultation

An initial complimentary 30-minute phone call will give us both a chance to make sure your advisory needs match our expertise. If we are not positioned to help, we will offer guidance to the right expert for your unique needs. You can find the link to get started below. 

Data Gathering

Although everyone is at a different place, our first step will always be the same. Once you determine you would like to move forward we will do a deep dive into YOU. We will have a series of data gathering meetings until we feel we have all the pieces of your personal puzzle - feelings, resources, goals, etc.

Comprehensive Financial Plan

Major life decisions deserve more than hope and guesswork. Using a goals-based approach rooted in Modern Retirement Theory, we create a stress-tested income strategy that's secure, stable, and built to last your lifetime. You will continue to meet and collaborate with your advisor regarding our findings until you are left with your own highly customized roadmap forward.

Ongoing Wealth Management

After your plan is complete, you can choose ongoing investment management and continuous planning support. Rather than hoping for the best with a one-size-fits-all investment allocation, we'll build your personalized investment strategy that coordinates the timing of your future financial goals with the best use of your investments and resources.

Ongoing  monitoring means your financial plan isn't a one-time document gathering dust—it's a living strategy that adapts as your life changes. Through regular check-ins, we'll adjust for market conditions, life transitions, and evolving goals, ensuring you stay confident and on track no matter what the future brings.

Yes. We serve clients in all 50 states. We work virtually with the majority of our clients and maintain by-appointment offices in Jackson, Mississippi and Chapel Hill, North Carolina for those who prefer in-person meetings. Nearly a third of our clients are not local to either office.

Asset Dedication is our exclusive strategic partner. They help us with compliance, day-to-day operations, and portfolio management.