Frequently Asked Questions
Choosing a financial advisor is an important decision — especially as you approach or enter retirement. It’s normal to have questions about fees, fiduciary responsibility, investment management, and how the planning process works.
Below you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions we receive from retirees and pre-retirees considering a fee-only fiduciary relationship. If you don’t see your question addressed, we’re always happy to discuss it during a Mutual Fit Meeting.
Who do you work with best?
We work best with retirees and pre-retirees who have done a great job saving and want a clear plan for turning their wealth into a confident retirement lifestyle.
Most of the families we serve:
Are between ages 50–70
Have $1 million+ saved for retirement
Want help creating a retirement income plan they can rely on
Care deeply about reducing lifetime taxes
Want a strategy for Social Security, investments, and estate planning
Prefer working with a fee-only fiduciary advisor who provides objective advice
If you’re looking for a long-term relationship built around planning, clarity, and peace of mind — we may be a great fit.
What does the financial planning process look like?
While every relationship is customized, most clients can expect the following timeline once we decide to move forward:
First 30 Days – Discovery & Organization
We gather and organize your financial information, clarify your goals, and identify key planning priorities. This includes reviewing accounts, income sources, tax returns, estate documents, and existing strategies.
Days 30–60 – Strategy & Planning
We develop your personalized retirement plan, focusing on retirement income, tax optimization, investment strategy, and risk management. You’ll see clear projections, trade-offs, and recommendations tailored to your situation.
Days 60–90 and beyond – Implementation & Confidence
We begin implementing agreed-upon strategies, coordinate with your CPA and attorney when needed, and ensure everything is aligned and working together. You’ll leave this phase with clarity, structure, and a plan you understand.
After the initial planning phase, we transition into ongoing guidance — monitoring your plan, adjusting strategies as life, markets, and tax laws evolve, and helping you stay on track through every stage of retirement.
Do you help with Social Security and Medicare planning?
Yes. Social Security and Medicare decisions are some of the most important — and irreversible — choices retirees make. We help clients understand their options and make informed decisions that align with their overall retirement and tax strategy.
Our guidance may include:
Evaluating when to claim Social Security and how different claiming ages impact lifetime benefits
Coordinating spousal and survivor benefits
Understanding how Social Security is taxed
Planning around Medicare enrollment timelines
Helping clients avoid unnecessary Medicare penalties and IRMAA surcharges
Coordinating Social Security and Medicare decisions with retirement income and tax planning
These decisions don’t happen in a vacuum. We integrate Social Security and Medicare planning into your broader retirement plan so everything works together — not against you.
Are you a fiduciary?
Yes. We act as a fiduciary at all times, meaning we are legally and ethically obligated to put your interests ahead of our own.
One of the main reasons we broke away from the “big firm” environment was to eliminate conflicts of interest and provide advice that is always aligned with our clients’ best interests.
How do you get paid?
We are a fee-only fiduciary financial planning firm, which means we are compensated only by our clients. We do not earn commissions, referral fees, or compensation from any third party.
Unlike “fee-based” advisors, we do not sell insurance products, annuities, or commission-based investments. This structure helps eliminate conflicts of interest and allows our advice to stay focused on what’s best for you.
To view our current pricing and service options, visit our Fees page.
I'm not located in Chattanooga, TN, can you still work with me?
Absolutely. We work with clients nationwide through a virtual planning process — and in many cases, we prefer it.
Whether you live nearby, travel frequently, or split time between locations, our process is designed to be flexible and efficient without sacrificing personal attention.
Do you have an asset minimum?
Our relationships are typically best suited for clients with $1 million or more in investable assets, with a firm minimum of $750,000.
How do you help with tax planning in retirement?
Tax planning is a core part of our retirement planning process. We take a proactive, multi-year approach designed to reduce your lifetime tax burden and help you keep more of what you’ve saved.
Depending on your situation, our tax planning work may include:
Coordinating withdrawals across taxable, IRA, and Roth accounts
Roth conversion analysis and strategy
Managing capital gains and tax-efficient investment positioning
Reducing Social Security taxation when possible
Planning around Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)
Helping clients avoid unnecessary Medicare IRMAA surcharges
Identifying tax-efficient charitable giving opportunities
While we do not prepare tax returns, we collaborate closely with your CPA and provide clear tax projections and planning recommendations to support better decisions year after year.
Where are my investment accounts being held?
Your investment accounts are held at Charles Schwab, a leading independent custodian.
You’ll have full online and mobile access to your accounts and receive regular statements directly from Schwab. We are not employees of Schwab and are not compensated by them — they simply provide the platform and resources we use to manage your investments.
How do you help with Estate Planning?
We are not a law firm, but we believe estate planning is about far more than documents.
Our role is to help you think through:
family dynamics
beneficiary considerations
tax implications for heirs
asset location and distribution strategies
We work closely with your attorney and CPA to ensure your estate plan is coordinated with your financial and tax strategy — and evolves as laws and family circumstances change. If you need an attorney referral, we can provide one in any state.
What does your firm name mean?
The name isn’t just about imagining financial security — it’s about imagining what’s possible.
It was inspired by the movie I Can Only Imagine, which had a profound impact on me around the time my first son was born. It reinforced a simple idea: if I wanted my children to chase their dreams, I needed to chase mine.
That conviction led me to start Imagine Financial Security — a firm built to serve clients the right way, with transparency, independence, and purpose.
Do you have other questions?
If you have specific questions about your situation or want to explore whether working together makes sense, the best next step is to schedule a 30-minute Mutual Fit Meeting. Fill out a brief form below.