Will your money last as long as you do?

Tax-smart, fiduciary retirement planning that brings your income, taxes, investments, and legacy into one clear plan, so you can stop worrying about money and start enjoying what you have built.

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Why we are different

We built Forthright Finances to make retirement advice honest and easy to understand.

No commissions, no products to sell, and one flat fee instead of a percentage of your savings. Just clear guidance that is only ever in your best interest.

You are ready for the next step

But something is still holding you back

No clear plan

You have saved and invested well, but you do not have one comprehensive roadmap that ties it all together.

Fear of running out

You worry your money will not last, or that one wrong move late in the game cannot be undone.

What am I missing?

Taxes, income, Social Security, healthcare. With so many decisions, it is hard to know what you have overlooked.

In our view

The advice industry is not built for you

We built Forthright Finances to do the opposite of what we saw everywhere else.

Most advisors ignore your taxes

Most advisors cannot, or will not, do real tax planning. We build it into everything: Roth conversions, withdrawal order, and bracket management, so you pay less over your whole retirement, not just this year.

You are more than a portfolio

Most firms just manage investments. We coordinate the whole picture (income, taxes, healthcare, and estate) around the life you actually want.

You deserve to understand your plan

No jargon, nothing hidden. We explain every decision in plain English, so you always know what you own and why.

The Forthright difference

What you actually get

Most advisors just manage a portfolio. We plan your whole retirement and coordinate every piece of it.

What's included	Forthright Finances	A typical advisor
A written plan you can actually understand	✓	Rarely
Withdrawal sequencing strategy	✓	✗
Lifetime tax planning & Roth conversions	✓	Rarely
Social Security timing	✓	Sometimes
Medicare & healthcare planning	✓	✗
Estate & legacy coordination	✓	✗
Advice on all your assets, not just what we manage	✓	✗
Fiduciary always, never a commission	✓	Not always
One flat fee, never a percentage of your money	✓	✗

All of it for a flat fee: $6,000 under $1M, $8,000 over. Never a percentage of your savings.

Simple to start

Your path to clarity in 3 steps

1 Get your free Action Plan

Answer a few quick questions so we can confirm we are a fit, then get a personalized plan, free, whether we work together or not.

2 Review it together

We walk through your plan on a call, answer every question, and show you exactly what we would do and why.

3 Retire with confidence

If it is a fit, we build and maintain your retirement plan together, for one flat fee.

Meet Scott

The person who will actually plan your retirement

Hi, I am Scott, a Certified Financial Planner, author of four books on retirement and taxes, and a former professor who taught Tax and Estate Planning at Cal State Northridge. I host the Retirement Clarity Radio podcast.

I started Forthright Finances to give people real clarity about their money. Not just being told what to do, but finally understanding your whole financial picture.

On a personal note, I enjoy watching USC Trojans football, LA Clippers basketball, and LA Dodgers baseball, reading about American history, and finding new hiking spots.

CFP Professional · Author of 4 books · Former CSUN professor · Podcast host · Fee-only fiduciary

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Professional affiliations

Who we serve

Retirement is what we do

We also specialize in those retiring from Amgen or in the ASRS system.

Retirement planning →Amgen planning →ASRS planning →

Free book

Worried about rising tax rates?

Get the book free and learn why taxes may rise in retirement, and the moves you can make now to lower them over your lifetime. No cost, no obligation.

Ready for clarity about your retirement?

Start with a free, personalized action plan. You keep it whether we work together or not.