Brian Schmitz

Brian Schmitz
My name is Brian Schmitz, I have been helping clients plan for their golden years since I graduated from Taylor University in 1995. While I was at Merrill Lynch I was part of a team that managed over $480 million of client’s hard-earned nest-eggs.  I remember the incredible excitement clients had as they watched their accounts grow during the “internet bubble” of the late 90’s only to see the same clients shock and fear as the market entered a 3-year correction while the great technology bubble deflated.
I knew there had to be a better way to help clients than simply giving them a “pie chart” of their investments and the encouragement to “hang on – everything will be fine”.  Having a true retirement plan is not about simply having a “pie chart” and the “hope” that the market does not have another bear market right when retirees need their nest egg the most.
Saving for retirement is completely different than living in retirement – when you may not have the time or ability to go back into the workforce and re-build your nest egg again – that is why we stress test a new client’s portfolio to see if they will run out of money in the event the market does not perform as expected.  I have found that most clients enjoy our focus on developing a plan they know will work even if the stock market does not cooperate.
I have learned that retirement planning is very personal and requires me to fully understand what is most important to my retirees and how they want to live in retirement.  Our goal is to give you the tools to feel confident in your retirement. Making sure a surviving spouse can continue to live the way he/she is accustomed along with passing assets onto the next generation in a tax-efficient manner are topics we discuss with clients regularly.
Having the correct social security claiming strategy can add $100,000 to $300,000 in additional benefits for an average retired couple.  The fact, that getting the social security question right, is so important drove me to become a National Social Security Advisor (NSSA).  As an NSSA I teach classes at local universities on the different claiming strategies and how retiree’s decisions impact their pension, required distributions from retirement accounts, and how to potentially save significant money on their taxes while in retirement.
I invite you to come to experience our fiduciary process.  A process that will allow you to enjoy retirement, worry less about your investments, protect your family, and lessen your tax burden.

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