RICP® · CLTC® · NSSA® · Series 65 Investment Advisor Representative
I've spent over 35 years helping Virginians and Americans across the country make the most important financial decisions of their lives. I started my career in the insurance and financial industry, and over the decades I've earned the credentials and gained the deep specialized knowledge to serve people at every stage of the retirement transition.
But more than the credentials, what defines how I work is this: I believe that an informed client is a confident client. My entire practice is built on education first, products and services second. I never want anyone to feel pressured or sold. When you meet with me, you will get straight answers, honest analysis, and a clear picture of your options — whether or not you ever hire me for anything.
"Doing nothing, delaying your planning, putting off decisions — is the most expensive action you can take. My job is to make those decisions feel manageable, not overwhelming."
I specialize in the three areas that affect virtually every American approaching retirement: Medicare planning, Social Security optimization, and Long-Term Care planning. For clients who want comprehensive wealth management, I'm affiliated with Sequent Planning — a boutique, fee-only RIA focused on low-cost ETF portfolios with no account minimums.
These aren't just letters after a name — each designation represents hundreds of hours of study, rigorous examination, and ongoing education in the specific area that matters most to you.
The RICP® is the gold standard for retirement income planning. The program covers retirement income portfolio management, guaranteed income strategies, health care and housing decisions, tax planning in retirement, and Social Security and Medicare optimization. Fewer than 10,000 professionals nationwide hold this designation.
The CLTC® designation signifies advanced expertise in long-term care planning — including the financial, health, and family dimensions of the long-term care decision. Alan is one of a relatively small number of CLTC-certified advisors in Virginia, providing specialized guidance that goes far beyond what a general insurance agent can offer.
The NSSA® designation demonstrates specialized expertise in Social Security planning — including the complex rules around claiming strategies, spousal benefits, survivor benefits, and the interaction between Social Security and other retirement income sources. Advisors without this training often provide oversimplified or incorrect Social Security guidance.
As a Series 65 Investment Advisor Representative affiliated with Sequent Planning — a boutique, fee-only Registered Investment Advisor — Alan offers investment management services focused on low-cost, evidence-based ETF portfolios. As an RIA, Sequent Planning is held to a fiduciary standard for all investment advice, meaning every recommendation must be in the client's best interest.
Also a financial educator for the Society for Financial Awareness (SOFA) and The Retirement Planning Center — regularly presenting retirement education programs to pre-retiree groups across Virginia and nationally.
I grew up watching people make retirement decisions based on incomplete information, high-pressure sales tactics, and a fundamental lack of clarity about what they were actually deciding. It frustrated me. So I built a practice around the opposite.
My philosophy is simple: if you understand your options completely and clearly, you'll make a great decision. My job is to make sure you have that understanding — whether you hire me or not. That's why I offer free consultations, free analyses, free guides, and free videos.
The financial services industry has a bad reputation for good reasons. I've committed my career to being the exception: transparent about costs, clear about conflicts of interest, honest about trade-offs, and focused entirely on what's right for you — not what generates the most revenue for me.
Most people piece together retirement planning from multiple sources that never talk to each other. Your Medicare agent, your financial advisor, your tax preparer — each solving their piece of the puzzle in isolation. I bring all of it together into one coordinated plan, where every decision reinforces the others. That's a fundamentally different — and better — experience.
I explain before I recommend. You'll never hear a product recommendation before you understand the need it's addressing. You stay in control — I make sure you have everything you need to make the best decision for your life.
I explain exactly how I'm paid for every service. Medicare and LTC: carrier-compensated, so you don't pay for planning. Social Security: complimentary. Comprehensive planning and investments: fee-only. No surprises, ever.
As a fiduciary, I'm legally and ethically required to act in your best interest — for both insurance planning and financial and investment planning. Not what's best for my revenue, not what's most convenient. Your interests, exclusively, always.
Most financial advisors lead with investments. I lead with what matters most to most people approaching 65 — their health coverage, their Social Security, and protecting what they've built. Then we build everything else on top.
Everyone turning 65 needs Medicare. Expert planning, carrier-compensated.
The $50K–$150K decision — complimentary with every consultation.
Protect a lifetime of savings. Expert planning, carrier-compensated.
For those who want it — Retirement Income Planning and/or investment management through Sequent Planning, fee-only, no minimums.
Retirement planning is complex — and most people are trying to solve it with pieces provided by different specialists who have never spoken to each other. Your Medicare agent doesn't know what your financial advisor is doing. Your financial advisor isn't thinking about how your income affects your Medicare premiums. Your tax preparer doesn't know your Social Security strategy. The result is a plan that's full of gaps, missed opportunities, and expensive mistakes that no single specialist ever sees.
I built my practice to solve exactly that problem. Because I advise on Medicare, Social Security, Long-Term Care, Retirement Income Planning, and Investment Management — I can see the complete picture and coordinate all the moving parts into a single roadmap that works for you. When your SS claiming strategy affects your IRMAA surcharges, I catch it. When a Roth conversion reduces your LTC insurance need, I see it. When your income sequencing plan reduces your lifetime tax burden, I build it. That's what coordinated planning actually looks like.
You make every decision. I make sure you have complete, clear information — and a professional partner who has done this thousands of times — so your choices are confident and informed.
Medicare, Social Security, LTC, taxes, and investments all interact. A decision made in one area affects the others. I see the whole board — so nothing falls through the cracks.
The goal isn't just a plan — it's confidence. Knowing that your health is covered, your income is optimized, your assets are protected, and your retirement is working exactly as it should.
Four clear steps — from first conversation to ongoing relationship. No surprises, no pressure at any step.
A brief introductory conversation to understand what you're facing and whether we're a good fit. No analysis, no sales — just a conversation.
We go deep on your specific situation — Medicare options, Social Security strategy, and LTC exposure. You receive a personalized written summary.
If you decide to enroll in a Medicare Supplement or LTC policy through me, I handle everything. No planning fee — I'm carrier-compensated.
Annual Medicare plan reviews, SS coordination as your situation changes, and the option to add comprehensive planning when you're ready.
Steps 1–3 are completely free for Medicare, Social Security, and LTC planning. Comprehensive financial planning and investment management are paid services — see the Transparent Pricing page for details.
Alan serves as a financial educator for SOFA, providing retirement education seminars to the public — with no products sold. SOFA's mission is pure financial literacy.
Alan's affiliated Registered Investment Advisor for investment management services. Sequent focuses on low-cost, evidence-based ETF portfolios with a fee-only structure and no account minimums.
A financial education organization for which Alan presents retirement planning programs — focusing on objective, non-product-based education for pre-retirees.
"Alan saved us from making a Medicare mistake that would have cost us thousands every year. He explained everything so clearly — no jargon, no pressure. We walked away with total confidence in our decision."
"I had no idea delaying Social Security could mean $140,000 more over my lifetime. Alan ran the analysis for my specific situation and I knew immediately what the right choice was. Worth every minute of the free consultation."
"The personalized Retirement Clarity Kit Alan prepared was unlike anything I'd seen. 60+ pages specifically about my retirement — not generic advice. He is truly a rare find: brilliant, patient, and genuinely has your best interests at heart."
The best way to understand whether I can help you is to have a brief, no-pressure conversation. I'm available in person in the Richmond and Tidewater areas, or by Zoom and phone for anyone in Virginia or across the country.
Choose your starting point — or book the full 60-minute deep dive. All three services below are completely free.
Or text 804-514-1879 to schedule directly