Frequently asked questions.

It is the process behind everything we do, and the subject of Jason's Amazon best-selling book. It starts from one observation: most retirement stress does not come from bad decisions. It comes from reasonable decisions made in isolation. A Roth conversion that ignores Medicare premiums can look fine on its own, and so can a withdrawal plan that ignores your tax bracket. Together they can still work against each other. The framework has four steps: Define Spending Capacity, Coordinate Income Sources, Integrate Tax Planning, and Re-Coordinate Over Time. See How We Help or get the book.

Yes, through our Simple+ Wealth Management service. Our approach is evidence-based. It draws on decades of academic research, global diversification, and the discipline to stay with a plan when markets get uncomfortable. We implement many client portfolios using Dimensional Fund Advisors funds. For clients drawing income, we often organize money by when it will be needed, using our Three Simple Buckets™ approach: Now, Soon, and Later. Where appropriate, we set up those buckets as separate investment strategies within your accounts. That way, the buckets in your plan match how your money is invested, and we manage the movement between them as one coordinated portfolio. The portfolio is built to serve your spending and tax plan. Read Our Investment Philosophy.

Your accounts are held in your name at an independent third-party custodian, not by our firm. Our authority is limited to managing your investments and, with your written agreement, deducting our advisory fee. You receive statements directly from the custodian and can view your accounts at any time. Advice-Only clients keep their accounts wherever they choose, and we never have access to them.

Tax planning is built into every plan we create. Before any decision is made, we model Roth conversions, required minimum distributions, Medicare IRMAA surcharges, and capital gains together, and we coordinate directly with your CPA. Qualifying Simple+ Wealth Management clients can also have their tax returns prepared through our outside tax partner, so planning and filing work from the same strategy. We are not a CPA firm and do not prepare returns in-house.

Yes. These are among the most common decisions we work through with clients, and we model them together because each one affects the others. That includes Roth conversion amounts and timing, Social Security claiming strategy with spousal and survivor benefits, and Medicare enrollment and IRMAA thresholds. To explore on your own first, try our Roth Conversion Calculator.

Both, though most of our clients choose an ongoing relationship. Retirement is not one decision. Tax rules change, markets move, and your plans shift. Simple+ Wealth Management includes a structured planning calendar each year: an Annual Retirement Planning Meeting, an optional Mid-Year Progress Review, and a Year-End Strategy Meeting, plus direct access to Jason between meetings. Clients who prefer to manage their own investments can choose Ongoing Advice-Only Planning. For those who want a defined starting point, the Retirement Coordination Engagement™ is a one-time project of up to six months.

Yes. Ongoing Advice-Only Planning is a flat-fee relationship in which we coordinate your income, tax, and retirement strategy and give you allocation recommendations to implement yourself. You keep full control of your accounts, and we never charge a percentage of your assets. This also suits people whose savings sit in a workplace 401(k) they cannot yet move.