What to expect
The whole path, before you take the first step.
Two conversations, six months of work, then a next chapter you choose. Here is your seat in each of them.
Schedule an Explore Call-
01 · 15 minutes, by phone
The Explore Call- You bring
- The question on your mind. Nothing else.
- We bring
- A clear read on whether the fit is there.
- You leave with
- A clearer next step, or a better place to take the question.
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02 · About an hour
The Strategy Session
- You bring
- Your last return, business and personal if you have both, a recent statement, and any estate documents, sent a few days ahead so the hour is spent on answers.
- We bring
- A prepared read of what you sent, and the questions it raises.
- You leave with
- Real answers to what you walked in with, and the shape of the work, whether or not you go further.
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03 · About six months
The Keystone Method- You bring
- The whole movie: how you got here and what you want the next chapter to feel like. Usually four to five meetings at most.
- We bring
- The analysis, the modeling, and the coordination with your CPA and attorney, done for you between the meetings.
- You leave with
- The decisions made, the actions in motion, and a written record of what was decided and why.
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04 · Your call, known from the start
The next chapter- You bring
- A choice you have seen coming since the first meeting.
- We bring
- Two ongoing services, each optional: Wealth Advisory for the money side, Tax Advisory for the tax year, through Talley Tax. Both, either, or neither, and many families choose both.
- You leave with
- A relationship that fits, or a working system you carry yourself and bring back when life changes.
Each step is a decision point. Plenty of good conversations end after the first one, and either ending is a good one.
After Keystone
One way in. Then two services, each optional.
By the end of Keystone we have wrapped our minds around your whole picture together, which is what makes the next chapter possible. Wealth Advisory and Tax Advisory open once Keystone is complete, each optional. Both are on the table from the first meeting, and none of it is required.
With Wealth Advisory, the plan decides the tax moves, how much to convert, which account pays first, when to gift, and Tax Advisory carries the year those decisions land in, and files. On its own, Tax Advisory does both.
Common questions
Two short answers from the Learning Center cover the ground most people ask about first: what to expect at a first meeting, and what it means that we work as a fiduciary.
Getting started and prep
Do I need to get everything ready before we meet?
No. Bring what you have. We'll work through what's needed and fill the gaps together.
Do I have to move my investments to start?
No. Keystone needs no accounts moved. What moves, if anything, is decided together during Keystone, and the advisory fee applies only to what is managed.
What if I only want help with one thing?
That's common. We can focus the Keystone build on your top priority and let the rest of the picture inform it.
How long is the Explore Call?
About 15 minutes. Enough time to learn what brought you here and decide whether going further makes sense.
What happens in the Strategy Session?
We review what you've shared, talk through priorities, and decide together what the Keystone build should focus on first.
How long is the Strategy Session?
Usually about 60 minutes, sometimes a bit longer.
The Keystone Method™
What is the Keystone Method™?
Our six-month engagement. We start by looking across your whole financial life: cash flow, taxes, investments, estate coordination, risk. Then the decisions get made together, in concert with one another, so progress is visible and the deeper strategies sit on a solid foundation.
How long does Keystone take?
About six months. Usually four to five meetings at most, with most of the work happening between them.
How often do we meet during Keystone?
As often as the work genuinely needs and no more. Meetings are for the input only you can give and for making sure you understand each step; the analysis and coordination happen between them, handled by our team.
Do I have to do Keystone before Wealth Advisory or Tax Advisory?
Yes. Tax, investment, estate, and cash-flow decisions shape one another, and advising on any one of them at a fiduciary level means understanding all of them first. Keystone gets done the things you probably need done and builds that whole-picture understanding. Tax Advisory or a managed portfolio without it would be incomplete work.
Accounts, assets, and minimums
Is there a minimum to work with you?
No minimum for Keystone. It's a flat-fee engagement, and anyone it fits can work with us. If you continue into Wealth Advisory after that, your fee for the year is the larger of the advisory fee or $5,000. If the portfolio is the only job, we manage it at the same schedule with no minimum and one review a year.
Who holds my investment accounts?
If we manage assets, they sit in your name at an independent custodian.
Fees and how we are paid
How do you charge?
Keystone is a flat fee, once: $6,000 Personal, $12,000 Owner. Wealth Advisory is one advisory fee, 1.00% of managed assets on the first $2M and declining above, from the month your money is managed, and it covers your planning, your strategy, and your investment management. Tax Advisory, through Talley Tax, is $200 a month, or $400 for business owners, with the return included. Just the return is $750 a year, flat.
Do I have to continue after Keystone?
No. Many clients continue into Wealth Advisory, Tax Advisory, or both. Others take the system home and come back when life changes. We'll lay out the options during Keystone. You decide.
How does Wealth Advisory work day-to-day?
We keep an eye on investment strategy, taxes, and cash-flow actions. You get scheduled check-ins and can reach us when decisions come up between them.
Taxes and other professionals
Do you prepare taxes?
Yes, through Talley Tax, our tax firm, with every return signed by David, an Enrolled Agent. Tax Advisory carries the whole tax year with the return included, and the return on its own is available for a tax year with nothing to carry. Either is optional.
Will you work with my CPA or attorney?
Yes. We coordinate with your existing professionals or, if you need them, introduce trusted ones.
Meetings, location, and logistics
Can we meet virtually?
Yes. Zoom or phone works well. In-person meetings are available in the Tri-Cities region.
Do you work with clients outside the Tri-Cities/Northeast TN?
Yes. We serve clients in many states virtually. We confirm registrations before we engage.
What if I need to reschedule or cancel a meeting?
Use your confirmation link to pick a new time, or just contact us directly.
Standards, privacy, and safety
Are you a fiduciary?
Yes. For the planning work, always. For the investment side, always when acting as advisor. It's a legal standard we're held to and one we take seriously.
How do you handle confidentiality and security?
We use secure portals for document sharing, follow privacy requirements, and limit access to only what's needed.
Every step above happens from our office in Johnson City, in person or virtually. If you are local, the financial advisor in Johnson City, TN page has the fuller local picture.