Financial Planning

I help clients make thoughtful financial decisions with fee-only, fiduciary guidance that integrates taxes, retirement, investments, and benefits.

Is financial planning right for you?

Financial planning is most valuable when decisions are interconnected. You may benefit from working together if you:

  • Want to reduce taxes over time through forward-looking strategies

  • Are planning for retirement or other long-term goals and want clarity on tradeoffs

  • Want to make the most of federal or employer-sponsored benefits

  • Are considering a career change, buyout, or early retirement

  • Are navigating an inheritance or unexpected windfall

  • Have accumulated assets across multiple accounts and want a cohesive strategy

  • Prefer objective advice over product recommendations or high-risk investing

This approach is especially well-suited for professionals and business owners in Silver Spring and throughout the Washington, DC metro area who value thoughtful, disciplined decision-making.

What financial planning covers

Financial planning isn't a single product, but rather an ongoing process of making interconnected decisions well. A comprehensive plan typically addresses:

Cash flow and savings strategy. Understanding where your money goes and whether you're saving enough, in the right accounts, is the foundation of everything else. This includes optimizing contributions to 401(k)s, IRAs, HSAs, and taxable accounts in the right sequence for your income level and tax situation.

Tax planning integration. For high earners and high net worth families in Maryland and DC, taxes are often the single largest drag on wealth building. Financial planning coordinates Roth conversions, tax-loss harvesting, charitable giving, and income timing decisions across years, not just at year-end. You can read more on the Tax Planning page.

Employee benefits optimization. Employer benefits — stock options, RSUs, ESPPs, deferred compensation, and HSAs — are often underutilized or poorly timed. Coordinating these decisions with your broader tax and investment strategy can materially affect your long-term wealth.

Major life transitions. Career changes, home purchases, inheritance, and business exits all have financial and tax consequences that benefit from advance planning. An ongoing advisory relationship means you don't face these moments without a framework.

Insurance coverage, estate document review, and beneficiary coordination are also part of a comprehensive plan, evaluated in the context of your overall financial picture.

How the planning process works

Discovery. We start with an introductory conversation to understand your priorities and see if we're a good fit. If you move forward, an organizing session gathers your financial documents, account statements, insurance policies, and benefits information.

Analysis. I build out your full financial picture using planning software, projecting cash flows, modeling tax scenarios, stress-testing retirement timing, and identifying gaps or inefficiencies.

Plan delivery. You receive a written financial plan with clear findings, tradeoffs, and prioritized recommendations. We review it together so you leave with a concrete understanding of what to do and why.

Ongoing refinement. For ongoing clients, the plan is a living document. As your income changes, tax law evolves, or life circumstances shift, we update the analysis and adjust the strategy. Quarterly check-ins keep everything on track.

Engagements are available as a one-time planning project or as part of an ongoing advisory relationship. You can review both options on the Fees page.

From Planning to Partnership

Financial planning often reveals that one-time guidance isn't enough. Tax strategies need annual monitoring, portfolios require ongoing management, and retirement plans must adapt as circumstances change. That's why most clients transition from an initial planning engagement to ongoing wealth management, where we work together year-round to optimize decisions and adjust strategies as your life and financial landscape evolve.

Ongoing clients receive:

  • Continuous investment management and portfolio monitoring

  • Proactive tax planning and annual strategy updates

  • Quarterly in-depth review meetings

  • Direct access for questions and financial decisions as they arise

  • Regular updates to your financial plan as circumstances change

Financial planning, tax planning, and retirement strategy

Many clients come in with a specific concern (taxes, retirement timing, or investment decisions) but quickly realize these issues are connected. Financial planning provides the framework that allows:

Ready to get started?

Schedule a free introductory call to discuss your situation and see if we're a good fit. You can also review fees and service options or visit the FAQ for answers to common questions about the planning process.