Questions Are a Good Place to start

I work mainly with people who are approaching retirement, recently retired, or already retired. Most of my clients have at least $500,000 in investments and want help turning those savings into a coordinated retirement income plan.

The people I serve are not looking to speculate with their future or chase the latest investment trend. They want thoughtful guidance around income, investments, Social Security, taxes, and the decisions that can affect retirement over time.

Most importantly, they value an ongoing advisory relationship. They want clear guidance, open communication, and someone helping them coordinate the moving pieces so they do not have to figure everything out on their own.

No. I do not offer hourly or one-time project fee arrangements.

I work best with people who want an ongoing planning and investment management relationship, not a one-time plan. Retirement planning is not something you set and forget. Your income needs, investments, tax situation, markets, and life circumstances can all change over time.

Because of that, my service is built around ongoing guidance, investment management, retirement income planning, and tax-aware planning as your life evolves.

Yes. Retirement planning is rarely just about one person. If you are married or in a long-term partnership, I generally want both of you included in the planning process.

That is especially important when making decisions about income, Social Security, pensions, investments, taxes, healthcare, and survivor planning.

The goal is to make sure both of you understand the plan, both of your concerns are heard, and the strategy reflects your shared goals.

Yes. I am set up to meet virtually and work with clients across the United States.

Many clients prefer virtual meetings, even if they live locally. Instead of driving to an office, we can meet by Zoom and review your plan, accounts, and questions from the comfort of your home.

For clients who prefer to meet in person, I also offer meetings at my Orange County office.

To get started, answer a few quick questions on the Get Started page. This helps me understand your situation, what you are looking for, and whether my ongoing planning and investment management service may be a fit.

If it looks like we may be a good fit, you’ll be able to schedule a 45-minute Retirement Strategy Call by Zoom or at my office in Orange County.

You do not need to prepare documents for the first conversation. We’ll talk through what is on your mind, answer your initial questions, and decide whether it makes sense to continue.

If it makes sense to continue after the first call, I’ll send you a secure link to upload a few key documents. This may include things like account statements, Social Security or pension information, and recent tax information when relevant.

After I’ve reviewed that information, we’ll schedule a second meeting. In that meeting, I’ll walk you through a simple one-page retirement planning overview. It is not meant to be a full financial plan, but it will help show the major planning priorities, the direction we may take, and how the pieces of your retirement plan could fit together.

The goal is to help you see what working together may look like. After that meeting, you can decide whether you want to move forward, and I will also let you know whether I believe an ongoing retirement planning and investment management relationship is the right fit from my side.

Yes. As a CFP® professional and financial advisor, I am committed to acting in your best interest when providing financial advice.

That means recommendations should be based on what is appropriate for your situation, not what pays me the most or benefits a product provider.

I also believe potential conflicts of interest should be clearly disclosed. For example, if a recommendation involves compensation from an insurance company or another potential conflict, I want you to understand that before making a decision.

My goal is to give advice that is clear, transparent, and aligned with your retirement plan.

For ongoing planning and investment management, I am compensated through an advisory fee based on the investment assets I manage for you.

The fee is deducted directly from your investment accounts according to the advisory agreement, so there are no separate monthly invoices or checks to write.

You will see the fee listed on your account statements, and I will explain how the fee works before you decide whether to move forward.

Most of my compensation comes from the advisory fee clients pay for ongoing planning and investment management.

In some cases, an insurance product such as life insurance, long-term care insurance, or an annuity may be appropriate as part of the plan. If you decide to move forward with an insurance product through me, I will receive compensation from the insurance company that provides the policy or contract.

I do not accept referral fees or hidden forms of compensation. My recommendations are based on what I believe is appropriate for your situation, and I believe you should clearly understand how I am paid before making a decision.

If there is a potential conflict of interest, I will disclose it so you can make an informed decision.

Yes. If you decide the relationship is no longer the right fit, you can end the advisory relationship and transfer your investment accounts to another advisor or firm.

Your managed investment accounts remain in your name at an independent custodian, either Charles Schwab or Fidelity. I do not hold custody of your assets, and I cannot prevent you from transferring your accounts. Account transfers are typically initiated through the new advisor or custodian and require your authorization.

If you own an insurance policy or annuity, that policy or contract is issued and administered by the insurance company. It may remain in place even if you are no longer working with me. Any changes to the policy or contract would depend on the insurance company’s rules and the terms of the policy.

I do not use a rigid meeting schedule just for the sake of having one. Communication should be based on your needs, your stage of retirement, and what is happening in your life.

We meet and check in throughout the year as needed to review your plan, discuss changes, and make decisions as they come up. The timing and frequency can vary depending on what is happening in your financial life and what needs attention.

That may include tax planning, income needs, portfolio reviews, RMDs, Social Security decisions, healthcare changes, or major life events.

There is no extra charge when questions come up. You can reach out by phone, email, or Zoom without being billed separately. Ongoing communication is included as part of the planning and wealth management relationship.

I do not build portfolios around trying to time the market, chase trends, or predict what will happen next. Instead, I focus on creating a diversified investment strategy that supports your retirement income plan, risk tolerance, time horizon, and long-term goals.

For stocks, I primarily use low-cost, broad-based ETFs designed to provide diversified exposure across different parts of the market.

For fixed income, I use a diversified approach that considers income needs, risk, interest rates, and the role those investments play in supporting your overall retirement plan.

The goal is not speculation. The goal is to balance growth, income, and stability in a way that fits your plan and gives you a disciplined strategy you can stick with through different market environments.

It is true that you can buy ETFs on your own. If your only interest is picking investments, you may not need an advisor.

Where I add value is in helping bring the pieces of your retirement plan together. That includes your income strategy, investments, Social Security, pensions, withdrawal planning, taxes, healthcare considerations, and survivor planning.

Retirement decisions are connected. A withdrawal decision can affect your taxes, Medicare premiums, portfolio allocation, and future income plan. A Social Security decision can affect cash flow, taxes, and survivor income. Investment decisions need to support the income you may need from the portfolio.

My role is to help you make those decisions in a coordinated way, adjust the plan as life changes, and give you a clear process for navigating retirement without having to figure everything out on your own.

Market declines are a normal part of investing. While they never feel good, they are not a reason to panic or abandon a well-built retirement plan.

I do not believe in trying to time the market or react emotionally to headlines. Instead, the focus is on building a diversified portfolio that fits your retirement income plan, risk tolerance, time horizon, and need for stability.

I also use a guardrails framework to monitor your plan over time. Most of the time, the right approach is to stay disciplined. But if markets, spending, or other changes push the plan outside certain guardrails, we revisit the strategy and make thoughtful adjustments.

The goal is to help you stay informed, avoid emotional decisions, and keep your retirement plan aligned with your income needs through different market environments.

Tax planning can affect many retirement decisions, including which accounts to draw from, whether Roth conversions make sense, how investments are positioned across accounts, and when to claim Social Security.

I look at these decisions through a tax-aware lens because withdrawals, investment income, Social Security, RMDs, and Medicare IRMAA thresholds can all affect your overall retirement plan.

I do not prepare tax returns, but I do provide tax-aware retirement planning. With your permission, I can also coordinate with your CPA or tax professional so your retirement income strategy, investment plan, and tax planning are working from the same information.

No. I do not prepare tax returns or draft legal documents.

I provide tax-aware retirement planning, including withdrawal strategy, Roth conversion analysis when appropriate, Social Security tax considerations, RMD planning, and Medicare IRMAA awareness.

With your permission, I can also coordinate with your CPA or attorney so your retirement plan, tax planning, and estate planning are working from the same information.

There is no single best age to start Social Security because the right time to claim depends on your overall retirement plan.

When I review Social Security, I look at how it fits with your income needs, spouse or survivor benefits, pensions, portfolio withdrawals, taxes, Medicare premiums, and possible Roth conversions.

The goal is not just to choose the highest monthly benefit. It is to choose a claiming strategy that fits with the rest of your retirement income plan.

As part of the planning process, I can compare different Social Security claiming options and show how each one may affect your income, taxes, and broader retirement strategy.

There is no single withdrawal order that works for everyone. The right approach depends on your income needs, tax situation, Social Security timing, pensions, RMDs, Roth accounts, taxable accounts, and long-term goals.

Some retirees may benefit from using taxable accounts first. Others may need IRA withdrawals before RMDs begin. In some cases, Roth conversions, capital gains planning, or Medicare IRMAA thresholds may affect which accounts are used and when.

My role is to help coordinate those decisions so your withdrawals are not looked at in isolation. The goal is to create an income strategy that supports your spending needs while being thoughtful about taxes, investment allocation, and future flexibility.

I have been licensed in California for more than 25 years and also hold insurance licenses in several other states. This allows me to help clients evaluate products such as life insurance, long-term care insurance, and annuities when they are appropriate.

Insurance is not the starting point. The process begins with the financial plan. If the plan reveals a gap that insurance may help address, such as a need for lifetime income, long-term care protection, or survivor protection, then we can evaluate the available options.

If a policy is put in place through me, I am compensated by the insurance company, and I will explain how that compensation works before you make a decision.

In short, insurance is only recommended when it serves a clear purpose in your overall retirement strategy, not as a product to be sold for its own sake.

Annuities can be helpful for some people and unnecessary for others. They have a place in certain retirement plans, but like many financial products, they are often complex and heavily marketed.

The main advantage of an annuity is the ability to provide guaranteed income you cannot outlive. In some cases, I may recommend one as an alternative to part of a fixed income portfolio, especially for clients who value the peace of mind of a steady paycheck in retirement.

The challenge is that not all annuities are the same. Some are straightforward and useful, while others are expensive and overly complicated. My role is to help you evaluate whether an annuity makes sense for your specific situation, and if so, whether it fits with your broader retirement income plan.

Yes, for investment accounts that are part of the retirement strategy I manage. Those assets are held with an independent custodian, either Charles Schwab or Fidelity.

My service is designed for people who want an ongoing planning and investment management relationship, not just occasional advice on accounts managed elsewhere. To give coordinated advice, I need to understand how your income plan, investments, taxes, withdrawals, and risk all fit together.

That does not mean every account in your financial life will move. Employer retirement plans, pensions, bank accounts, certain annuities, and other assets may remain where they are. But they are still important to the planning process because they affect your income strategy, taxes, investment allocation, and overall retirement picture.

Your accounts remain in your name, and you continue to receive statements and online access directly from the custodian. I do not take custody of your assets.

Before any account transfer or new account is opened, I will explain what is involved so you understand the process.

There are three key parties involved:

1. The Advisor

That is me. I am the person you work with directly. I help build your retirement plan, make recommendations, manage the investment strategy, and guide you through retirement decisions over time.

2. Brookstone Capital Management

I provide investment advisory services through my affiliation with Brookstone Capital Management, a registered investment adviser. Brookstone provides compliance oversight, investment research, technology, and back-office support.

3. The Custodian

Accounts I manage are held with an independent custodian, either Charles Schwab or Fidelity. The custodian holds the account assets, provides account statements and online access, processes transactions, and helps safeguard the accounts.

Neither I nor Brookstone take custody of your assets. This structure helps keep investment advice, account custody, reporting, and oversight separate and transparent.

When you work with me, your investment accounts stay in your name and under your control. I do not hold your money directly.

As your advisor, I provide recommendations and manage investments through my affiliation with Brookstone Capital Management, a registered investment adviser.

Accounts I manage are held with independent custodians, either Charles Schwab or Fidelity. The custodian safeguards the account assets, provides statements and online access, and processes account transactions.

If part of your plan includes an insurance product such as life insurance, long-term care insurance, or an annuity, the policy or contract is issued and administered by the insurance company.

This separation of roles helps keep account ownership, custody, investment management, and reporting distinct. It also means you receive account information directly from the custodian or insurance company, not just from me.

This structure is designed to protect your funds, keep everything transparent, and help you feel more confident about how your retirement savings are being managed.

You will have direct access to your investment accounts through the custodian, either Charles Schwab or Fidelity.

Each custodian provides secure online access where you can view balances, holdings, transactions, performance information, and account statements.

You can log in from your computer or mobile device, and you will also receive account statements directly from the custodian. This gives you an independent way to monitor your accounts, separate from any reports or updates you receive from me.

I use a combination of technology platforms for financial planning, secure document sharing, account access, and ongoing communication. These tools are designed to make the process easier for you and help keep important information organized.

When sensitive documents are needed, I use secure systems rather than asking clients to send private financial information through regular email whenever possible.

The platforms I use include security features such as encrypted data transmission, password-protected access, and other safeguards designed to protect client information. I also encourage clients to use strong passwords, enable multi-factor authentication when available, and avoid sending sensitive information through unsecured channels.

I encourage open collaboration with your other professional advisors, such as your CPA or attorney. With your permission, I can communicate directly with them so everyone is working from the same information.

This can be especially helpful when coordinating tax-aware withdrawal planning, Roth conversions, estate planning considerations, beneficiary decisions, and other issues that affect your broader retirement plan.

The goal is to reduce the chance of something being overlooked and help your financial, tax, and legal professionals stay aligned where their work overlaps.