When you are making important retirement, tax, investment, or estate-related decisions, it is normal to have questions before moving forward. We encourage clients to ask questions, include trusted family members when appropriate, and make sure they understand our process, fees, and planning relationship before becoming a client.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does Matthews Financial & Insurance Solutions do?
Matthews Financial & Insurance Solutions helps individuals and families make informed financial decisions around retirement, taxes, investments, insurance, estate planning, and long-term care.
Our planning process is designed to help clients see the full picture before making major decisions. We focus on helping retirees and pre-retirees organize their financial lives, understand their options, and build a plan that supports their desired quality of life.
2. Are you a fiduciary?
Yes. As an investment adviser, our firm is held to a fiduciary standard when providing investment advisory and financial planning advice. That means we are required to put our clients’ interests first.
We believe this is especially important when helping retirees, widows, and families make decisions around retirement income, taxes, investments, beneficiaries, estate planning, and long-term care.
Our goal is to make sure clients understand the advice, fees, options, and next steps before making important financial decisions.
3. Why do you charge a planning fee?
We charge a planning fee because our work goes beyond opening an account or recommending a product.
The planning fee compensates our firm for the time, analysis, organization, and advice involved in reviewing a client’s full financial picture. This may include retirement income planning, tax planning strategies, investment review, Social Security planning, healthcare and Medicare-related planning, long-term care planning, estate and beneficiary review, and ongoing financial decision-making.
Our process is planning-first, product-second.
4. Do you have a minimum?
Our firm is best suited for individuals and families who are preparing for retirement, already retired, or navigating important financial decisions with at least $250,000 in investable assets.
We typically work with clients who need coordinated help with retirement income, tax planning, investment management, estate and beneficiary review, long-term care planning, and ongoing financial decision-making.
Our planning engagement generally starts at $5,000, depending on the complexity of the household, the planning needs, and the level of support required.
If we are not the right fit, we will do our best to point you in the right direction.
5. How are you different from an insurance agent or someone who only gets paid when a product is purchased?
Some financial professionals are compensated primarily when a product is purchased. There are situations where insurance or investment products may be appropriate, but we believe the plan should come first.
At Matthews Financial, our process starts with understanding the client’s full financial picture before discussing specific strategies or products. We want to understand income, taxes, investments, healthcare, beneficiaries, estate planning needs, long-term care concerns, and family priorities before making recommendations.
We believe clients deserve advice that is based on their goals, not just a product solution.
6. Can I include a family member in meetings?
Yes. We welcome trusted family members when the client wants support.
Many retirees, widows, adult children, nieces, nephews, and other loved ones are involved in important financial conversations. Our goal is to make sure the client and their trusted family members understand the planning process, the fees, the recommendations, and the next steps.
When appropriate, we can include family members in meetings, help organize documents, provide written summaries, and make sure everyone is clear on what decisions are being made.
7. What if I am helping an older parent, aunt, uncle, or loved one?
If you are helping a loved one with retirement, tax, investment, or estate-related decisions, we understand how important it is to move carefully.
Our role is to help the client understand their options, feel supported, and make informed decisions. We encourage family involvement when the client wants it, especially when financial decisions affect retirement income, taxes, healthcare, long-term care, beneficiaries, or estate planning.
We want the client to feel protected, respected, and never rushed.
8. What are Jason Matthews’ credentials?
Jason Matthews has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is the President and CEO of Matthews Financial & Insurance Solutions.
Jason is a Tax Planning Certified Professional, which reflects additional training in how taxes affect retirement income, investments, and financial decisions. He also holds the CLTC designation, which focuses on long-term care planning and helping families think through the financial impact of care later in life.
Jason is also currently pursuing the Enrolled Agent designation, a federal tax credential issued by the IRS.
In addition, Jason is regularly featured as a financial expert on KTVU and speaks to community organizations on retirement, tax planning, and financial decision-making.
9. Do you provide tax preparation?
Yes. Matthews Financial provides tax preparation for planning clients.
This allows us to connect the tax return to the retirement plan instead of treating taxes as a separate issue. For retirees, taxes can affect Social Security taxation, retirement withdrawals, investment income, Medicare premiums, deductions, and future planning opportunities.
Our goal is to help clients make tax-aware retirement decisions throughout the year, not just at tax time.
10. Are you an attorney or CPA?
No. Matthews Financial is not a law firm or CPA firm, and Jason Matthews is not an attorney or CPA.
We help review estate planning, tax planning, and financial decisions from a financial planning perspective. When legal documents or specialized tax issues are needed, we coordinate with the appropriate attorneys, CPAs, or other professionals.
Our role is to help clients see how these pieces fit together in their overall financial plan.
11. What happens after I become a client?
After becoming a client, we begin by organizing your financial picture and reviewing your goals, income, investments, tax situation, insurance, estate documents, beneficiaries, and major retirement decisions.
From there, we develop recommendations and help prioritize the next steps. Depending on the client’s needs, this may include retirement income planning, investment management, tax planning, tax preparation, estate and beneficiary review, long-term care planning, and ongoing planning meetings.
The goal is to give clients a clear plan and help them make informed decisions over time.
12. What if I need time to think before moving forward?
That is completely fine.
Important financial decisions should not feel rushed. We encourage prospective clients to ask questions, review the information, and include trusted family members when appropriate.
Our goal is for every client to feel comfortable, informed, and confident before moving forward.
13. Who is a good fit for Matthews Financial?
We are typically a good fit for individuals and families who are within 10 years of retirement, already retired, or helping a loved one make important financial decisions.
We often work with people who want coordinated help with retirement income, tax planning, investment management, tax preparation, long-term care planning, estate and beneficiary review, and quality-of-life planning.
We are especially well-suited for clients who want a planning relationship, not just a one-time transaction.
14. How do I schedule a conversation?
You can schedule a Retirement & Tax Readiness Check-In with our team to determine whether our planning process is the right fit.
You are welcome to include a trusted family member in the conversation if that would help you feel more comfortable.
