Frequently Asked Questions

Being a fee-only financial advisor means our only source of compensation comes directly from you, our client. We do not accept commissions, kickbacks, or referral fees from product providers. This eliminates the "sales" element from our relationship, ensuring our advice is truly objective.

We are paid a transparent, flat fee for our financial planning and wealth management expertise. Think of it like hiring a CPA or an attorney: you pay for professional guidance, not for the purchase of a specific financial product, such as an annuity or a mutual fund with extra transaction costs.

The cost of the fee-only financial advice we provide varies based on the complexity of your situation. At Southshore, we believe in price certainty. Rather than a moving target, we provide a clear quote upfront during our initial discovery meeting so you know exactly what your investment in planning will be.

We charge a transparent flat-fee for our retirement planning and wealth management services. We’ve intentionally moved away from the traditional "percentage of assets" (AUM) model because we believe it lacks alignment with the actual work performed. In our opinion, it shouldn’t cost nearly three times as much to manage a $6,000,000 portfolio versus a $2,000,000 portfolio. Our flat fee ensures you pay for our expertise and time, not just the size of your nest egg.

To provide a truly "all-under-one-roof" experience for our Florida clients, we also offer professional tax preparation and filing, as well as estate document assistance for a separate fee. This allows you to centralize your financial life with a team that already knows your complete retirement picture.

No. There are no hidden fees in our financial planning model. Our fee covers our comprehensive planning and investment management services. We believe in "no surprises" billing, which is essential for retirees living on a fixed distribution schedule.

Yes. As a fee-only RIA firm, we operate as fiduciaries 100% of the time. This isn't just a marketing term; it is a legal obligation to put your interests ahead of our own in every recommendation we make.

It means peace of mind. I’m a fiduciary financial advisor. Whether we are discussing Florida homestead exemptions or IRA distributions, you can trust that our advice is motivated solely by your goals, not by a quota or a hidden incentive.

Beyond our legal oath, our fee-only structure removes the primary conflict of interest: commissions and investment sales loads.

While there are good people in all models, the fee-only model is widely considered the "gold standard" for consumer protection. It aligns our success directly with your financial well-being, rather than the volume of products sold. As a fiduciary financial advisor, I am bound to provide you with the highest standard of care in the industry.

We provide comprehensive wealth management, which includes goal planning, income planning, tax-efficiency strategies, retirement and health care modeling, investment management, risk management, and estate plan coordination. We look at your entire financial ecosystem, not just your portfolio.

Yes, we absolutely can! While our home base is in Florida, our remote-first approach allows us to serve clients across the country. We are able to provide the same high-quality service to all of our clients, regardless of their location.

We offer both, as we believe investment decisions should never be made in a vacuum without a plan. Our service models include:

• One-Time Comprehensive Retirement Plans: For those who want a professional roadmap to follow on their own, we offer project-based engagements that cover every aspect of your transition into retirement.

• Advice-Only Support: After your initial plan is complete, you can engage us for hourly or ongoing financial planning on an "advice-only" basis. This is ideal for DIY investors who want a fiduciary financial planning support without delegating asset management.

• Full Wealth Management: Our most comprehensive partnership. It includes proactive investment management combined with ongoing planning. For our wealth management clients, we conduct three dedicated meetings per year to review specific, rotating aspects of your financial life—such as tax-efficiency, estate coordination, and retirement income sustainability—ensuring your strategy evolves with the markets and the changing tax landscape.

Absolutely. For Florida retirees, managing "tax drag" is vital. We have an in-house tax professional, but are happy to coordinate with your tax and law professionals to ensure your estate plan is optimized for Florida law and to minimize your tax liability.

Yes. While we love meeting clients in our local office, we use secure, high-definition video conferencing and digital portals to serve clients across Florida and the US.

We specialize in financial planning for Florida retirees and those within 10 years of retirement. Our expertise is tailored to the specific challenges of this transition, such as Social Security optimization, sustainable withdrawal rates, portfolio income planning, and tax optimization.

Working with a fee-only planner is a fit for individuals who value objective advice and want a professional partner to manage the complexities of their wealth so they can enjoy their retirement years.

Fee-only vs. fee-based is a common source of confusion. Fee-based advisors can charge fees and earn commissions, referral bonuses, and other investment-specific compensation from products. Fee-only advisors (like us) never accept commissions, referral bonuses, or investment-specific compensation. The distinction is critical for minimizing conflicts of interest.

Investing is only one piece of the puzzle. We add value through tax-loss harvesting, rebalancing, navigating complex tax laws, and—most importantly—preventing emotional decision-making during market downturns.

For Wealth Management clients, we typically hold meetings in the Winter, Spring, and Fall, but we are available year-round for "life events"—such as buying real estate, a change in health, or changes in tax law.

Yes. Our lead advisor holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation, which requires rigorous education, experience, and adherence to high ethical standards.

Chris Shoup has spent decades helping individuals and families transition from the "accumulation phase" of their careers to the "distribution phase" of retirement. We understand the specific nuances of retiring in the Sunshine State.

Yes, we are a Registered Investment Adviser (RIA). This registration reinforces our fiduciary status and subjects us to regular regulatory oversight.

No. We maintain a clean regulatory record. You can verify this (and any advisor's history) via the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) website.

We’ve designed our onboarding to be a low-pressure, educational experience. We want to ensure that our flat-fee model is the perfect fit for your retirement goals before making any commitments. The process follows three clear steps:

• Step 1: The 20-Minute Intro Call This is a brief, no-obligation "fit check." We’ll discuss your high-level goals and our services to see if our fiduciary approach aligns with what you’re looking for in a Florida financial partner.

• Step 2: The Deep Dive Exploration. If we both agree to move forward, we will meet for a second, comprehensive session. During this meeting, we take a "deep dive" into the Southshore Client Experience, our financial planning process, and our investment approach. We will also outline the specific technical steps of our onboarding process so you know exactly what to expect.

• Step 3: The Reflection Period. After our second meeting, we didn't ask for a decision on the spot. We actually encourage you to take some time to process what we’ve discussed and discuss it with your spouse or family. We want you to be 100% confident before you get back to us to officially begin our partnership.

It is helpful to have the following items on hand for our planning process:

• List of Assets: Your most recent investment statements (401ks, IRAs, brokerage accounts) and bank balances

• Insurance Coverage: Your current policy declaration pages for all insurance policies

• Tax Returns: The last 2 years of tax returns

• List of Liabilities: Any outstanding balances on mortgages, car loans, or other debt

• Employer Benefits: Current benefits and retirement plan options

• Income & Expenses: A "ballpark” estimate of your current monthly income and expenses. Pension and Social Security estimates are also used. 

Don’t worry about perfection. We’re looking for "roughly right" over "precisely wrong" in the early stages. For our Wealth Management clients, we provide a secure digital portal that lets you easily upload these documents so we can review them together in real time.

A comprehensive plan usually takes 6 to 8 weeks from our initial discovery meeting to the final presentation. We want to ensure every detail is accounted for and provide you with time to gather data.

We believe our value should keep you here, not a contract. You can terminate our relationship at any time with written notice, and we will help ensure a smooth transition of your accounts.