Wealth Management
.Independent, fiduciary wealth management built around your goals and life.
What Is Wealth Management?
Wealth management is an advisory service that coordinates every dimension of your financial life under one relationship. It goes beyond investment management to include retirement planning, tax strategy, income planning, risk management, and estate planning. It is focused on getting each of those facets working together to pursue your goals.
The distinction matters. A financial advisor who manages your portfolio is doing one thing. A wealth management firm is doing all of it, proactively, with your complete picture in mind. For families in Des Moines, West Des Moines, and the Dubuque tri-state area who are building toward or already in retirement, that coordinated approach can be the difference between a plan that works and one that leaves money on the table.
Why Fiduciary Wealth Management Is Different
Not all wealth management firms operate the same way. The most important distinction is whether your advisor is a fiduciary, legally required to act in your best interest at all times, not just when it is convenient.
RetireRight is an independent fiduciary wealth management firm. Our AIF-accredited advisors* don’t have a financial incentive to recommend one product over another. Every recommendation we make is driven by what is right for your situation.
For families in the Des Moines metro, West Des Moines, and the Dubuque tri-state area, that independence translates directly into advice you can trust. You should never have to wonder whether the strategy your advisor recommends is in your best interest or theirs.
*Dirk Dixon, Dan Kinney and Brian Ormord are the only advisors who have obtained the AIF Designation.
What a Complete Wealth Management Plan Covers
Wealth management at RetireRight is not a single product or a one-time conversation. It is a coordinated strategy across six areas of your financial life, each connected to the others and managed with your long-term goals in mind.
Retirement Planning - The foundation of every wealth management relationship. We build a personalized retirement plan covering income needs, savings strategy, Social Security timing, and the full picture of what retirement will actually cost for your specific life.
Retirement Income Planning - How do you turn your savings into reliable income that lasts 25 to 30 years? We address spending rates, Social Security coordination, inflation protection, and strategies to keep your income steady throughout every phase of retirement.
Retirement Withdrawal Strategy - Which account should you draw from first — taxable, IRA/401(k), or Roth? Getting the sequence right reduces lifetime taxes, lowers Medicare premiums, and protects what you leave behind. This is one of the most valuable and most overlooked parts of a retirement plan.
Retirement Tax Planning - Taxes do not stop in retirement. We take a proactive, year-round approach to tax strategy, managing withdrawals, evaluating Roth conversion opportunities, and coordinating with Social Security timing to help you keep more of what you have saved.
Risk Management - A strong wealth management plan accounts for the risks that can derail it. Market downturns, long-term care costs, healthcare gaps before Medicare, and income disruption are all worth planning for before they happen.
Estate Planning - Your wealth management plan isn't just for you but your legacy as well. Beneficiary designations, account structures, and legacy strategies determine what you leave behind and how it is taxed. A well-built estate plan protects the people you care about.
Wealth Management for Iowa and Midwest Families
RetireRight serves individuals, families, and business owners across Iowa from our offices in West Des Moines and Dubuque. Our clients are typically investors approaching or already in retirement, people who have built something and want a coordinated plan to protect and maximize it.
Here in Iowa, retirement planning carries some distinct advantages worth building around. Iowa does not tax retirement income for residents 55 and older, which changes the federal tax strategy conversation. For families near our Dubuque office, the picture is more nuanced as Wisconsin and Illinois treat retirement income differently, making where you retire a financial decision worth discussing with an advisor who understands the full regional picture.
Midwest families also tend to benefit from a lower cost of living and reasonable housing costs compared to national averages, factors that can meaningfully reduce the savings required to retire comfortably when strategically built into a plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wealth management raises a lot of questions and that is a good thing. Below are some of the ones we hear most often. If you would like to talk through your own situation, we are here for that conversation.
What is the Difference Between Wealth Management and Financial Planning?
Financial planning is the process of building a strategy for your financial future, including savings, retirement, taxes, insurance, and estate goals. Wealth management is a broader, ongoing service that coordinates all of those elements together under one advisor relationship, typically with a higher level of integration and proactive management. For families approaching retirement in Iowa and the Midwest, the difference is that wealth management means your advisor is actively managing the full picture year-round, not just responding when you call.
Do I Need a Wealth Manager or a Financial Advisor?
The right answer depends on the complexity of your financial situation. If you have savings in multiple account types, are approaching retirement, have a tax situation worth managing, and want someone coordinating all of those pieces together, then a wealth management relationship is likely the right fit. If your needs are more narrowly focused on a single area like investment management or insurance, a more specialized advisor may be sufficient. The best way to find out is to have a conversation with a firm that can assess your full picture honestly.
How Do I Find a Fiduciary Wealth Management Firm Near Me?
Start by asking any firm you are evaluating whether they are a fiduciary and whether that applies 100% of the time, not just in certain circumstances. Ask how they are compensated, what credentials their advisors hold, and what types of clients they typically serve. Fit matters as much as credentials. We put together a blog with 10 questions to ask before you hire anyone; it walks through exactly what to look for and why each question matters.
Advisors are only legally obligated to act as a fiduciary in advisory relationships. Advisors are not legally obligated to act as a fiduciary in Brokerage only relationships.
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