Answers Before You Ask

We generally work with two groups. The first is individuals and families who are approaching retirement or already retired. These clients often need help coordinating multiple areas of their financial lives, including investments, retirement income planning, tax planning strategies, estate planning, and Social Security decisions. Our goal is to help bring those moving pieces into a more organized planning process and, when appropriate, coordinate with a client’s other professional advisors.

The second is self-employed and 1099 professionals, including sales professionals, whose income and tax situations may be more complex than those of traditional W-2 employees. These clients often benefit from advice around cash flow, tax planning strategies, retirement savings, and long-term wealth planning.

If you fall into either of those categories and are looking for ongoing wealth management or financial planning, Tiverton may be an appropriate fit.

There is no formal investment minimum to work with Tiverton Wealth.

Because we charge a flat fee rather than a percentage of assets, we do not think of clients as “small” or “large” based on the size of their investment accounts. We do not determine the level of service solely by the size of a client’s investment accounts; the scope of each engagement is based on the client’s circumstances and agreed-upon services.

That said, our flat-fee model tends to make the most economic sense for households with roughly $650,000 or more saved for retirement. The right fit ultimately depends on the complexity of your financial situation and the type of planning help you need.

If you are near that level, or expect to be in the future, it may make sense to have a conversation to determine whether our services are appropriate for your needs.

Tiverton Wealth may not be the right fit for everyone.

For example, if you are primarily looking for basic portfolio management without broader financial planning, there may be other firms that are better aligned with that approach.

Our firm focuses on comprehensive planning. While investments are an important part of what we do, we also spend significant time on areas such as tax planning strategies, cash flow planning, estate planning, and coordination with other professionals. Clients who are not interested in that broader planning process may not fully benefit from the scope of our services.

We also tend to work best with clients who are engaged in the planning process. That does not mean you need to have everything figured out, but rather that you are open to ongoing conversations and collaboration around your financial goals.

If that approach resonates with you, it may be worth having a conversation to see if Tiverton is an appropriate fit.

Yes. Tiverton Wealth works with clients both within Texas and in other locations, subject to applicable registration and regulatory requirements.

Many of our client relationships are conducted virtually through video meetings and other digital tools, which allows for flexibility in how we meet and communicate.

For clients who are local to The Woodlands area, we also offer in-person meetings.

Regardless of location, our goal is to provide a consistent planning experience and maintain ongoing communication tailored to each client’s needs.

Tiverton Wealth is a fee-only firm. We are compensated directly by our clients for advisory services, and we do not earn commissions from the sale of investment or insurance products.

“Fee-based” describes something different. A fee-based advisor may charge fees but can also earn commissions on certain products or transactions. The two terms sound similar and are often used interchangeably in marketing, but they describe different compensation models.

We also operate on a flat-fee model, charging a stated fee for our financial planning services rather than a percentage of your investments.

This structure is designed to reduce many of the conflicts that can exist in other compensation models. If you have questions about how any advisor is compensated, it is always appropriate to ask for that answer in writing.

Yes. Tiverton Wealth operates on a flat-fee model only. We do not charge a percentage of assets under management.

Our fee structure is published on the How We Get Paid page of this website. We put it there on purpose, because we think you should be able to see how your advisor is compensated before you ever speak to one.

Fees may vary based on the complexity of your financial situation, the scope of services provided, and other individual circumstances. All fees are discussed and agreed upon in writing before an engagement begins, and our advisory fees are also described in our Form ADV Part 2A.

The best way to determine what makes sense for you is a conversation. We will walk you through the options, answer your questions, and make sure you understand the cost and the scope before anything is signed.

Tiverton Wealth is primarily a financial planning firm, not solely an investment manager. We do provide investment advice and manage client portfolios, but if you are only looking for investment management without broader planning, we may not be the best fit.

Your flat fee covers comprehensive planning across our six pillars: income, insurance, tax, investments, retirement, and estate planning.

In practice that includes proactive tax planning strategies, cash flow and retirement income modeling, insurance reviews, investment strategy and portfolio management, Social Security planning, retirement planning, and estate planning coordination.

The goal is to help you manage your entire financial life, not just your investment portfolio. We meet throughout the year so the plan can account for changes in your circumstances, in tax law, in the markets, and in your long-term goals.

No. Our compensation does not increase or decrease based on investment performance, or on whether a portfolio outperforms a benchmark.

We are paid a flat fee for the comprehensive planning services we provide. Our planning process is built around six pillars, and investments are only one of them.

We do monitor client portfolios against appropriate benchmarks. That monitoring exists to evaluate the strategy and help confirm it remains aligned with your overall financial plan — not to determine what we are paid.

No. Tiverton Wealth does not receive commissions, 12b-1 fees, revenue sharing, finders’ fees, or any other compensation for recommending specific financial or insurance products.

As a fee-only firm, our compensation comes directly from our clients. Material conflicts of interest that do exist are identified and disclosed in our Form ADV Part 2A.

No. Tiverton Wealth does not sell insurance products, and we do not receive commissions, referral fees, or any other compensation related to them.

That does not mean we ignore insurance. Coverage is often an important part of a financial plan, and we help clients evaluate their needs across auto, homeowners, umbrella, life, disability, long-term care, annuities, and Medicare.

When it makes sense to shop the market, we coordinate with an independent insurance broker. We currently work with BC Brokerage, a firm that specializes in supporting fee-only planning firms. If you purchase a policy, the broker may be compensated by the insurance carrier that issues it. Tiverton Wealth does not receive any portion of that compensation.

You are free to work with any insurance agent or provider you choose. For clients in our ongoing planning relationship, we can also review coverage as policies renew and coordinate with the broker to evaluate whether better pricing or coverage may be available.

Tiverton does not accept gifts, entertainment, travel, or other benefits that could influence—or reasonably appear to influence—our advice or decision-making. Our Compliance Manual permits limited nominal gifts and reasonable business entertainment subject to defined limits, reporting requirements, and CCO oversight.

We do not accept compensation or incentives from product providers for recommending their products.

No. We do not pay or receive referral fees from CPAs, attorneys, insurance professionals, or other advisors for sending business back and forth.

When we recommend another professional, the goal is to connect you with someone we believe is qualified to help — not to be compensated for the introduction.

From time to time we may pay third-party marketing or lead generation services to introduce prospective clients to the firm. Those arrangements are separate from professional referral relationships and, where required, are disclosed in accordance with applicable regulations.

Being a fiduciary means we are legally required to act in our clients’ best interests when providing investment advisory services, and to identify and disclose material conflicts of interest.

As a Registered Investment Adviser, Tiverton Wealth is held to that standard across the advisory services we provide. We are not registered as a broker-dealer and we do not sell commission-based products, so there is no separate side of the business operating under a different standard.

It is worth understanding that different types of financial professionals may be held to different regulatory standards. Some operate under standards that require a recommendation to be suitable, or in the client’s best interest at the moment it is made, rather than throughout an ongoing advisory relationship.

Being a fiduciary does not mean conflicts can never exist. It means we are required to identify them, disclose them, and manage them in your interest. Ours are described in our Form ADV Part 2A.

Yes. Our fiduciary commitment appears on the first page of our new client onboarding paperwork, and we are glad to provide it in writing before you decide whether to work with us.

Read and download our signed Fiduciary Oath (PDF).

No. Tiverton Wealth is a fee-only firm, and we do not sell investment or insurance products for a commission.

A dually registered advisor may also be licensed as a broker and can receive commissions on certain product sales. Advisors can also hold separate insurance licenses and receive commissions on insurance products even when they are not registered as brokers.

Our structure means we do not receive commissions, sales incentives, or other product-based compensation. We are compensated directly by our clients for the planning and advisory services we provide.

Tiverton Wealth is 100% independently owned. We are not owned by, or affiliated with, a bank, insurance company, broker-dealer, or private equity group, and we have no plans to sell the firm.

Ownership matters because it shapes incentives. Ours is straightforward: we are paid by our clients, and our advice is not influenced by a parent company’s product lineup, sales targets, or growth expectations.

Financial credentials can be confusing, so it is worth understanding what they represent. Alex Bridges holds the CFP®, EA, ChFC®, and RICP® designations, and each is currently in good standing with its respective governing organization.

The CFP® (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™) certification requires coursework across the major areas of financial planning, a comprehensive examination, an experience requirement, and ongoing continuing education and ethics standards. CFP® professionals are required to act as fiduciaries when providing financial advice.

The EA (Enrolled Agent) credential is granted by the IRS and represents federally authorized authority to represent taxpayers before the IRS. The ChFC® (Chartered Financial Consultant®) covers advanced financial planning coursework, and the RICP® (Retirement Income Certified Professional®) focuses specifically on retirement income planning.

Credentials are one factor in evaluating a financial professional, but only one. Experience, communication, and the overall approach to planning matter as well. You can read more about each designation on our Our Designations page.

My interest in financial planning started early, well before I entered the industry professionally. I earned my college degree in Personal Financial Planning and formally entered the financial services industry in January 2017.

Over the course of my career I have worked in a variety of environments, including large insurance-affiliated firms, wirehouses, and independent practices. Each provided a different perspective on how financial advice is structured, delivered, and paid for. Before founding Tiverton Wealth, I served as Chief Strategy Officer for a large advisory practice, where I gained insight into both the client experience and the operational side of the business.

By my own estimate, I have participated in roughly 5,000 client meetings. Today I work primarily with clients who are within about five years of retirement or already retired, along with self-employed professionals. Our focus is tax-efficient retirement planning: retirement income, taxes, investments, Social Security, Medicare, and estate coordination.

Those experiences led me to establish Tiverton Wealth as a fee-only registered investment adviser, compensated directly by clients rather than through product-based compensation.

You can also read feedback from current clients on our Fiduciary Check profile.

Tiverton Wealth is currently a Texas state-registered investment adviser, regulated by the Texas State Securities Board. Our firm CRD number is 339410.

You can independently verify our registration, review our Form ADV, and see other regulatory information through the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.

No. Neither the firm nor its principal has been the subject of a regulatory disciplinary action, a client arbitration, or a lawsuit.

You do not have to take our word for it. Regulatory and disciplinary history for any adviser is publicly available through the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website, and we encourage you to check ours — and the record of any advisor you are considering.

Yes, and you do not need to ask. You can download our Form ADV Part 2A and Part 2B directly.

Form ADV describes our services, fee structure, business practices, conflicts of interest, disciplinary history, and professional background. It is also available at any time through the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.

That is an important question, particularly when working with a solo practitioner.

I have no plans to retire or sell the firm. That said, Tiverton Wealth maintains a continuity agreement with Wealth & Plan, another fee-only financial planning firm. If I were to become disabled or pass away, that agreement provides a process for another qualified adviser to step in so clients are not left without support.

That does not obligate you to continue with Wealth & Plan. You would still choose whether to work with them or select another adviser. They do not currently have access to your personal or financial information; the continuity agreement would first need to be activated, and any transition would be handled in accordance with the agreement and applicable privacy and regulatory requirements.

Your investment assets are also held at Charles Schwab, not at Tiverton Wealth. If you needed immediate access to your accounts, you could contact Schwab directly.

The first 90 days can vary depending on how you choose to work with us, but for most new clients it begins with a flat-fee financial planning engagement.

We start by gathering the information needed to understand your full financial picture: income, investments, taxes, insurance, retirement benefits, estate documents, and other relevant details. From there we build the plan, identify planning opportunities, and walk through our recommendations with you.

The goal in those first few months is to move from information gathering to a clear, actionable financial plan, so you understand where you stand, what needs attention, and what the next steps are.

Our Our Process page walks through each step in more detail.

For clients in our ongoing planning relationship, we generally hold two formal planning meetings each year — typically a mid-year check-in and an end-of-year review.

Many clients meet more often, often two to four times annually, depending on what is happening in their lives: job changes, major financial decisions, tax events, or market developments. Others prefer a single formal annual review. We tailor the cadence to your situation.

Planning also happens between meetings. We frequently make smaller updates or recommendations as circumstances change without scheduling a formal meeting, and clients are welcome to email questions as they arise.

We also reach out when we believe a conversation would be useful, based on changes in your situation or in broader financial and tax conditions.

You will work directly with me. Tiverton Wealth is intentionally structured to serve a limited number of clients so I can stay closely involved in each relationship and provide more in-depth planning.

I personally review your financial statements, tax returns, investment accounts, and other planning documents, and I handle the core analysis myself. That level of involvement matters, because it helps me understand the full picture and catch details that can be missed when too much of the planning process is delegated.

Some firms emphasize the size of their team. My approach is different: I want to know what is happening in each client’s financial life and remain directly accountable for the advice we provide.

The transition process is often more straightforward than many clients expect, though the experience can vary depending on the specific accounts and circumstances involved.

In most cases, account transfers are handled directly between your current custodian and Schwab. You may not need to communicate directly with your current advisor to complete the transfer, although in some situations it may be necessary. If you are paying a separate planning or retainer fee at your current firm, you may need to contact them directly to cancel that service.

Transfers typically take one to two weeks, depending on the type of account. Your current advisor or custodian may charge a transfer fee, which is often in the range of $50 to a few hundred dollars per account.

From a tax perspective, certain transfers — such as custodian-to-custodian IRA transfers — are generally not taxable when completed properly. For taxable accounts, we review the potential tax implications of existing holdings before making any recommendations, with the goal of helping clients make informed decisions.

All transfers require your authorization, and nothing moves without your approval. Throughout the process, we aim to provide guidance and support to help make the transition as smooth as possible.

That is a fair question, and one worth understanding.

Many clients who come to us are looking for a more comprehensive approach to financial planning. In some cases, they are seeking more frequent communication, greater clarity around fees, or a broader focus that extends beyond investment performance alone.

Tiverton Wealth is structured as a comprehensive planning practice. While investment management is an important component, we also focus on areas such as tax planning strategies, cash flow planning, retirement planning, and coordination with other professionals when appropriate.

Our goal is to provide advice tailored to each client’s individual goals, timeline, and circumstances, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. We also work to provide transparency around fees and services, so clients understand what they are paying for and how we are compensated.

In certain cases, we coordinate with tax and estate planning professionals, or assist clients in organizing those areas as part of their overall financial plan.

Yes. We are glad to share a sample plan so you can see the level of detail and the types of recommendations we provide. You can view one here.

Every situation is different, so the sample is illustrative only and does not represent a recommendation, projection, or guarantee of results. Your actual plan would be built around your goals, income, tax situation, investments, retirement needs, insurance coverage, estate planning, and other relevant factors.

One example was a client who was convinced that Bitcoin needed to be a meaningful part of his portfolio around the time spot Bitcoin ETFs were becoming available. I did not believe it belonged as a core holding in his retirement portfolio, so I told him no.

My job is not to agree with every idea a client brings me. It is to give advice based on the role an investment should play in the broader plan, the risks involved, and whether it actually improves the probability of reaching that client’s goals.

There have been plenty of other situations where I recommended against a strategy a client wanted to pursue. Sometimes the most valuable advice is simply saying “I don’t think this is a good idea,” and explaining why.

This example describes one client’s circumstances and is not a recommendation for or against any particular investment. What is appropriate depends on the individual situation.

If you decide you no longer want to work with us, let us know in writing. We will stop future billing, terminate our advisory access to your accounts, and work to make the transition as clean as possible.

If you cancel in the middle of a billing period, fees are generally prorated for that period based on the terms of your advisory agreement.

There is no separate termination fee for ending the relationship. The exact timing depends on what services are being transitioned, but we work to remove our access and complete the termination promptly.

Your investment assets are held at Charles Schwab, not by Tiverton Wealth. Tiverton does not physically hold client securities or funds. For regulatory purposes, Tiverton may be deemed to have limited custody solely because of its authority to deduct authorized advisory fees from certain client accounts.

Schwab is a registered broker-dealer and member of SIPC. SIPC provides limited protection against the loss of securities in the event of firm insolvency, but it does not protect against market losses.

You receive account statements directly from Schwab, in addition to any reporting we provide, so you can review your accounts independently at any time.

No. Tiverton Wealth does not manufacture, own, or offer proprietary investment funds or products.

When we recommend investments, we primarily use third-party vehicles such as ETFs, including funds from providers like BlackRock’s iShares. That allows us to build diversified portfolios using widely available, low-cost investments without having a financial incentive to recommend something we own or manufacture.

We are not limited to a proprietary product lineup and can recommend investments from a broad range of third-party providers based on what we believe is appropriate for each client.

In practice, we often favor investments that can be purchased without transaction fees at Charles Schwab, because we want to keep client costs as low as reasonably possible. Schwab’s no-transaction-fee platform is broad and includes many of the ETFs we commonly use.

Our focus is on finding investments that fit your financial plan, risk profile, tax situation, and overall goals, while remaining mindful of cost and implementation.

We look at several factors when helping a client decide when to claim Social Security. You may read that waiting until age 70 is always the best strategy. Sometimes it is, but not in every case.

The right claiming age can depend on life expectancy, marital status, retirement income needs, taxes, portfolio size, and how much you may need to withdraw from investments before Social Security begins.

We model different claiming and withdrawal strategies, show you how the options compare, and then make a recommendation based on what we believe best fits your overall retirement plan.

Retirement is a major financial transition, so we start by understanding how much you actually want and need to spend each year. From there we model whether your portfolio and other income sources can support that lifestyle over time, including the impact of inflation.

If the initial plan does not look sustainable, we evaluate what adjustments may help. That could include changing the timing or amount of withdrawals, adjusting the investment strategy, increasing income from interest or dividends where appropriate, or revisiting other parts of the retirement plan.

There are general rules of thumb, such as the 4% withdrawal rule, but we do not believe one percentage works for everyone. A sustainable withdrawal rate should reflect your specific spending needs, age, portfolio, income sources, taxes, time horizon, and goals.

No planning process can guarantee that assets will last for any particular period. Modeling is based on assumptions that will change over time, which is why we revisit the plan regularly.

We start by understanding exactly how the pension works, including the lump sum value, the monthly income options, survivor benefits, cost-of-living adjustments, and the age at which payments begin.

From there we compare the pension to the alternatives. That includes your risk tolerance, life expectancy, other retirement income, tax situation, and whether you place more value on guaranteed income or on flexibility and control over the assets.

If a lump sum option is available, we may also compare the pension’s implied payout to what could potentially be created with other retirement income strategies, including commercially available annuities.

The goal is not simply to choose the option with the highest initial payout. It is to determine which choice provides the best combination of income, flexibility, survivor protection, and long-term value within your retirement plan.

Yes. Tax planning is a core part of what we do, and Roth conversions and RMDs are often major planning considerations in retirement.

We first project your future RMDs to see whether they could create a tax problem later in retirement. If so, we evaluate strategies that may help reduce that impact, such as Roth conversions, Qualified Charitable Distributions, and other tax planning opportunities.

We also perform an annual Roth conversion analysis to determine whether converting part of your IRA makes sense that year and, if so, how much may be appropriate.

The goal is to balance your current tax bill against your long-term tax picture, and to look for opportunities to reduce taxes over your lifetime rather than in a single year.

We monitor IRMAA proactively, because retirement income decisions can directly affect Medicare premiums. Roth conversions, capital gains, pension income, and other sources of income can all push a client into a higher IRMAA bracket.

In some cases, IRMAA can be reduced or avoided through careful tax and income planning. In others, a client simply needs a certain level of income to support their lifestyle, which makes a higher Medicare premium unavoidable.

Our goal is to understand the impact in advance, evaluate whether there are ways to manage it, and make sure any additional Medicare cost is built into the overall retirement plan.

Yes. This is one of the things that makes our process different. For clients in our ongoing subscription plan, we do not just review your tax return — we prepare and file it for you each year.

Because we are directly involved in the preparation process, we have a detailed view of your income, deductions, capital gains, retirement distributions, and other tax items. That gives us the opportunity to identify planning strategies throughout the year rather than waiting until tax season.

The goal is to connect tax preparation with proactive financial planning, so we can look for opportunities to reduce taxes over time rather than simply filing the return and moving on.

We like clients to have tax diversification across pre-tax, Roth, and after-tax accounts, because it gives us more flexibility when creating retirement income.

In many cases we look to balance withdrawals from pre-tax and after-tax accounts in a way that helps manage your tax bracket each year. We often try to preserve Roth assets for later, because qualified Roth withdrawals are tax-free and those accounts can be especially valuable later in retirement.

That said, there is no single withdrawal order that works for everyone. Each year we look at income needs, tax bracket, capital gains, RMDs, Social Security, Medicare IRMAA exposure, and the long-term tax picture to determine which accounts should be used and in what order.

State and local taxes can be an important part of a relocation decision, and we look beyond the headline income tax rate.

For example, Texas has no state individual income tax, but property taxes can be relatively high. Another state may have an income tax and significantly lower property taxes. Depending on your retirement income, home value, and spending needs, the total tax cost could still be lower after a move.

If you are considering relocating, we can compare the states side by side using the tax rules in effect at that time — state income taxes, property taxes, how retirement income is taxed, and other relevant costs — to estimate the overall impact on your plan.

The goal is not to find the state with the lowest income tax rate. It is to understand what the move would mean for your total financial picture.

Estate planning is a major part of what we do. We help clients balance enjoying retirement today with being intentional about what they may eventually leave behind.

Every client has a different goal. Some want to spend down most of their assets during their lifetime; others want to leave a specific amount to children, grandchildren, charities, or other beneficiaries.

We incorporate those goals into the financial plan and coordinate around estate documents, beneficiary designations, gifting strategies, tax considerations, and the overall structure of the estate. We do not draft legal documents, but we work alongside your attorney so the plan and the documents stay aligned.

The goal is to help you use your money in a way that supports the life you want to live while also creating the legacy that matters to you.

A major market decline right around retirement is one of the biggest risks we plan for, because taking withdrawals while a portfolio is down can do lasting damage to a retirement plan.

The goal is to prepare for that risk before retirement begins. In the years leading up to it, we generally start reducing the risk tied to money you may need in the near term. That does not mean moving everything to cash. It means building a portfolio with enough liquidity, fixed income, and lower-volatility assets that you are not forced to sell stocks after a major decline just to fund your lifestyle.

If the stock market falls 30%, a diversified retirement portfolio would not necessarily fall by the same amount. We also model retirement plans under poor market conditions so we can see how much flexibility the plan has before a downturn ever happens.

If a significant decline does occur, we reassess withdrawals, cash reserves, portfolio positioning, and discretionary spending to determine whether adjustments are needed. The objective is to give the portfolio time to recover rather than being forced to sell depressed investments at the worst possible time.

All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss.