Frequently Asked Questions

At Great Waters, we know there’s more to life—and retirement—than money.

So, while we offer all of the capabilities of a traditional firm to suit your financial needs, we also offer more. Through a highly personalized, immersive process and a unique compensation structure, we meticulously create plans designed to support your holistic needs in this next chapter.

Our highly experienced planners work on salary—not commission—and are not limited by any brand or type of financial instrument. They’re passionate about guiding you in fully envisioning your next chapter, exploring what a purposeful life looks like—and making a plan to support you in living greatly.

To us, “living greatly” is more than a motto or a tagline, it’s our mission in serving you.

It’s the result of a retirement plan that honors the sacrifices you’ve made to get here. A plan that aligns with your values and vision. A plan that supports your legacy and your life.

We know you’ve worked hard and planned carefully to get where you are. So whatever your next chapter looks like, we’re here to help you live it greatly.

To most financial planning firms, “retirement” is nothing more than an account balance. From our years of helping people live greatly, we know that there’s more to retirement than dollars and cents.

When you’re done working, when your kids are grown, how will you find joy and meaning? What do you want to explore, accomplish, or rediscover? And, just as importantly, how will these aspects of life impact your retirement plan?

That’s what we’re here to help you define.

Our planners are more than money managers. They’re highly skilled and passionate about helping you envision retirement beyond the financial. Through our unique planning process, we’ll help you achieve a plan that puts purpose and meaning at the center of your retirement.

At Great Waters, we believe your retirement should serve you—not your advisors. That’s why we developed a business model and fee structure based in integrity and transparency.

Unlike most firms, our planners do not receive commissions on the sale of financial products or a percentage of management fees. Instead, our team is salaried—so that you can have confidence in unbiased service and advice.

Our fees fall into two categories: Planning and Professional Management.

Our Planning Fee covers the discovery and analysis of your current retirement plan, as well as changes recommended to better support your vision for retirement. These may include, but aren’t limited to, income planning, social security timing, protection planning, and risk management. Please note that this fee does not include the execution or management of your revised plan.