Your Retirement Has a Lot of Moving Parts. We Make Sure None of Them Are Moving in the Wrong Direction.
Most advisors start with your portfolio. We start with you - who you are, how you think about money, and what actually helps you sleep at night. Then we build a plan around that, not around a model number.
Most Advisors Ask How Much Risk You Can Handle. We Ask Who You Are as a Retiree.
You've spent your whole life saving. Accumulating. Growing a number. And every advisor you've ever talked to started the same way: "How much risk can you tolerate?"
That question was designed for people still building wealth. But you're not building anymore. You're spending. And the strategies that got you here are not the strategies that will get you through.
We use the RISA Profile - a research-backed retirement personality assessment created by Dr. Wade Pfau, one of the world's leading retirement researchers - to understand how you think about retirement income before we recommend a single thing.
It Measures Two Things Most Advisors Never Ask About
Safety-First vs. Probability-Based
Do you want your essential expenses covered by guaranteed income, no matter what the market does? Or are you comfortable relying on a well-managed investment portfolio to fund your retirement? Neither answer is wrong. But the strategy that matches each one is completely different.
Commitment vs. Optionality
Do you want a locked-in plan that you never have to revisit? Or do you want the flexibility to change course as life changes? Some people sleep better knowing the plan is set. Others sleep better knowing they can adjust. Neither is wrong - but building the wrong one for the wrong person is where most retirement plans fail.
Your Answers Map to One of Four Strategies
Click or tap any strategy to see who it fits best and what tradeoffs come with it.
The point isn't which one is "best." The point is which one is best for you. And nobody can answer that with a risk tolerance questionnaire.
Takes about 15 minutes. No cost. No obligation. You'll get a 30+ page personalized report.
Does Your Retirement Plan Stack Up?
Start with 7 quick questions below — or take our comprehensive 10-question Retirement Scorecard to get scored across 5 critical areas with personalized recommendations.
Retirement Doesn't Happen in Lanes
Whether you're approaching retirement, already there, or navigating a life transition - the decisions you make now affect everything. We help you see how it all connects.
Pre-Retirees
Ages 50-65
Ages 50-65
Pre-Retirees
I've been saving my whole life. Nobody's ever asked me how I actually want to USE this money.
- RISA income style assessment
- Social Security timing
- Roth conversion window
Retirees
Protecting wealth
Protecting wealth
Retirees
I retired, but I still feel like I'm guessing. Nobody connected the dots between my income, taxes, and Medicare.
- Income strategy matched to your style
- Smart withdrawal order
- Medicare coordination
Business Owners
Planning your exit
Planning your exit
Business Owners
I'm selling my business. I have one shot to get the tax strategy right.
- Exit tax strategy
- Succession planning
- Business structure review
Widows & Survivors
Life transition
Life transition
Widows & Survivors
My spouse handled everything. I don't even know what questions to ask.
- Surviving spouse planning
- Income style reassessment
- Benefit review
Every Decision Shows Up on Your Tax Return
Each of these is a moving part. We coordinate all six - starting with your retirement income style and building outward.
Retirement Planning
We build an income plan based on your RISA profile - whether that's guaranteed income, market-based withdrawals, or a combination that fits who you are.
Learn More
Tax Strategy
Doing nothing with taxes is still a decision — and it's often the most expensive one.
Learn MoreInvestment Management
The strategy that built your wealth isn't the strategy that protects it. We build portfolios matched to your income style, not a model number.
Learn MoreMedicare Planning
Your income decisions today set your Medicare costs two years from now.
Learn MoreEstate & Trust Planning
The SECURE Act changed the rules. Most heirs now have 10 years to empty inherited accounts.
Learn MoreLong-Term Care
Hybrid strategies protect without wasting premiums if you never need care.
Learn More
Rich Ison
"Most advisors ask how much risk you can handle. I'd rather know who you are - what keeps you up at night, what gets you excited about retirement, and what kind of plan actually helps you sleep."
Rich Ison is a fiduciary retirement planner based in Tampa Bay. He built Protective Wealth Advisors because he was tired of watching people get retirement advice that didn't fit who they actually were.
Most advisors hand you a risk questionnaire, pick a portfolio model, and call it a plan. Rich starts with the RISA Profile - a research-backed assessment that identifies your retirement income personality - then coordinates your investments, taxes, Medicare, Social Security, and estate plan around that identity.
His job isn't to scare you or sell you something. It's to move you from uninformed to informed, so you can make decisions with clarity.
What Our Clients Say
“Rich, I can't thank you enough.
Before we met, I honestly thought retirement was just crossing my fingers and hoping the market didn't crash.
Now I've got a paycheck every month I can count on, and I don't lay awake worrying anymore.”
“I had no clue the IRS could take such a big bite out of my retirement.
You showed me how to keep more of my own money, and I can't believe how much I'm saving.
Rich, I wish I'd found you years ago.”
“You were a lifesaver.
I was lost in all the Medicare letters and plans, and I was terrified of picking the wrong thing.
You made it simple, explained it in plain English, and made sure I didn't spend a dime more than I had to.”
What People Ask Us Most
Answers to the questions that matter most for your retirement.
Determine Whether This Applies to You
The strategy session is educational, specific to your tax return, and focused on options — not products. Bring your tax return and retirement statements. That's where the real answers live.
Your Personal Tax Strategy Session
Free. Educational. No obligation.