Philosophy
We are a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor. We are paid by you, never by the funds or insurance companies we recommend. There are no commissions, no kickbacks, no hidden incentives.
The fiduciary standard is not just a legal designation. It shapes every recommendation we make, every product we consider, and every conversation we have. When we suggest an investment or a strategy, you can ask why we chose it and the answer will never involve our compensation.
Markets reward discipline and diversification, not prediction. We use evidence-based portfolio construction informed by sixty years of academic research, not the cable news cycle.
We read the same research you can find in the Journal of Finance. We follow Fama, French, and Dimensional. We do not follow CNBC. The evidence for low-cost, diversified, factor-informed investing has accumulated for six decades. We see no compelling reason to ignore it.
An investment without a plan is just speculation. We build the financial plan first; the portfolio exists only to fund it. Your allocation answers to your goals, not the other way around.
Most clients come to us with an investment account and no plan. We always start with the plan. What are you trying to fund? When do you need it? What happens if markets are down 40% the year you retire? The portfolio is a tool for answering those questions, not an end in itself.
After-tax return is the only return that buys groceries. Asset location, harvesting, and bracket management quietly add 0.5% to 1.0% of annualized value for most households.
We treat tax efficiency as a core investment discipline, not an afterthought. Asset location, tax-loss harvesting, Roth conversion ladders, and charitable giving vehicles are not advanced strategies reserved for the ultra-wealthy. They are the basic blocking and tackling of good financial advice.
We don't trade on headlines. We don't time markets. We meet with clients on a deliberate cadence, rebalance systematically, and let compounding do the work.
The financial media profits from your anxiety. We do not. Our job is to be the steady voice that reminds you why the plan was built the way it was, and why the correct response to most market events is usually nothing at all. Patience is a strategy.
Our commitment
What the philosophy produces
94%
of Brevard clients report they feel more confident about their financial future after the first year
0.7%
average additional after-tax return generated through tax-loss harvesting and asset location annually
16 years
average tenure of a Brevard client family
100%
of new clients come through referral from existing families
Who these principles serve
Evidence-based, plan-first advice rewards patience and deliberateness. It is not designed for people looking for excitement or short-term market bets. It is designed for families who want a durable outcome.
You have been diligently saving for decades, but you are not sure your savings will sustain the retirement you have in mind. You want a clear, written answer, not a sales call.
Your compensation includes RSUs, deferred comp, and a 401(k). Your situation is complex enough that one-size-fits-all advice feels wrong, but you haven't found someone who specializes in it.
You have built something valuable. Now the question is how to convert it into lasting wealth without losing a third of it to taxes on the way out.
An inheritance, a liquidity event, or a late-career income surge has moved you into territory where the decisions are bigger and the stakes are higher than you have managed before.
High income, high debt, limited time, and a complex benefits picture. You need someone who understands your specific planning landscape.
Divorce, death of a spouse, or a sudden financial responsibility for aging parents. You need steady, knowledgeable guidance, and you need someone who will slow down with you.
What clients say
"Margaret has been the steady hand through three market cycles and a complicated business sale. The plan she built held up, and so did we."
R. & L. Halverson
Retired business owners, client since 2012
"We came in nervous about retiring early. We left with a written plan, a clear answer, and the confidence to actually do it. Best decision we made."
Dr. K. Mehta
Physician, client since 2018
"She talks about tax planning the way other advisors talk about market predictions. The difference shows up on our return every April."
P. Whitlock
Tech executive, client since 2016
Ready to begin
If these principles resonate, schedule a complimentary discovery conversation. You will know by the end whether we are the right fit.