Local employers
University of Tennessee, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Covenant Health, Pilot Flying J, Regal Entertainment
Knox County · TN
Financial Advisor in Knoxville, TN
Knoxville is more than a college town — it's a growing metro with university employees navigating pension decisions, TVA workers coordinating federal benefits, and entrepreneurs building in one of Tennessee's most dynamic markets. David Talley, CFP®, EA, is a season ticket holder at Neyland Stadium and is in Knoxville most Saturdays in the fall. He knows this city, loves this city, and has built relationships with UT alumni and Knoxville professionals who want a financial advisor that feels like a neighbor — not a call center.
Connected planning
Planning for Knoxville lives, not generic households.
The financial decisions around Knoxville families often cross tax, retirement, employer benefits, business ownership, estate planning, and investment management.
Talley Wealth is built around coordinating those decisions instead of treating them as separate services.
Local proof
Talley Wealth has earned 67+ public Google reviews with a 5.0 average rating. Reviews are one proof point, not a promise of future results, but they do show that local families are willing to put their names behind the experience.
Read public reviewsLocal landmarks
Neyland Stadium, Market Square, Sunsphere, Old City, Tennessee River
Community context
University of Tennessee hub, growing metro, UT football culture
What we coordinate
The useful details are connected.
- Retirement planning for UT and TVA employees
- State pension and optional retirement plan coordination
- Tax planning leveraging Tennessee's no-income-tax advantage
- Investment management for growing Knoxville professionals
- Business planning for Knoxville entrepreneurs and startups
- Estate planning for Knox County families
Representative situation
A UT Professor Navigating Retirement Timing and Multiple Income Streams
Situation
A University of Tennessee employee approaching retirement has a state pension, an Optional Retirement Program balance, a rental property generating passive income, and a spouse still working part-time. They need to coordinate pension election timing, Social Security claiming strategy, and Roth conversions across two different retirement timelines.
Approach
We might start by modeling the pension election — comparing the lifetime income under different payout options. Then we'd coordinate the spouse's Social Security claiming strategy with the primary earner's pension start date, identify Roth conversion opportunities during the gap years between retirement and age 72, and ensure the rental property income is structured tax-efficiently alongside the other retirement income sources.
This representative situation is hypothetical and for educational purposes only. It is not based on, and should not be understood as referencing, any specific client or client experience.
Related next steps
Keep going from here.
Common questions
Questions worth asking before you choose an advisor.
Do you have an office in Knoxville?
Our primary offices are in Johnson City and Erwin, but David is in Knoxville frequently — especially during football season. We serve Knoxville clients through a combination of in-person meetings and virtual consultations, and we're happy to meet you in Knoxville when needed.
Can you help UT employees with their retirement benefits?
Yes. We work with University of Tennessee employees on pension election decisions, ORP account management, and coordinating university benefits with personal savings and Social Security. The pension decisions in particular are high-stakes and irreversible — we help you model the options before you commit.
Do you work with TVA employees?
Absolutely. TVA employees have unique federal benefits — including a pension, TSP, and specific retirement options — that require specialized knowledge. We help TVA workers in Knoxville optimize their benefits and build retirement plans that coordinate everything.
What makes Talley Wealth different from Knoxville advisors?
We're a fee-only fiduciary who also holds the Enrolled Agent credential — meaning your tax return and financial plan are coordinated under one roof. Most Knoxville advisors don't prepare tax returns, and most CPAs don't build financial plans. We do both.
Is Tennessee's no-income-tax really that big a deal?
For many families, yes. If you moved from a state like California, New York, or even North Carolina, the state income tax savings alone can be $5,000–$15,000+ per year depending on your income. We help Knoxville residents — especially remote workers and retirees — maximize this advantage.
Start with the real decisions in Knoxville.
Bring the question that is on your mind. We will use the call to see whether the full Keystone process is useful.