Many federal employees appreciate that I’m an independent fiduciary advisor — it means my loyalty is to my clients, not to a parent company or sales quota. But once in a while, a client or prospect asks:
“Nigel, what happens if you get sick or retire? Who helps me then?”
“Are you really doing all this by yourself?”
They’re great questions — and I’m glad people ask them. Independence doesn’t mean isolation. Let me explain how my practice is structured to give you both personalized attention and institutional strength behind the scenes.
The Freedom to Serve — With the Strength of a National Network
While Better Federal Retirement is my independent firm, I’m also affiliated with Gradient Advisors, a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) that provides the regulatory, compliance, and operational backbone supporting independent fiduciaries like me across the country.
In addition, client accounts are safely custodied at Schwab or Fidelity — two of the most respected financial institutions in the world — so you always have total transparency and peace of mind that your assets are held securely in your own name.
So while I remain your direct, personal advisor, you have an entire professional ecosystem behind you.
Sophisticated Tools for Smarter Planning
I also partner with Orion Portfolio Solutions, one of the most advanced and robust investment platforms in the industry. Through Orion, I have access to cutting-edge portfolio management technology, trading systems, and institutional-grade management and research that most solo advisors simply don’t have.
And to make your planning experience as comprehensive as possible, I use a full suite of top-tier financial planning tools, including:
-
eMoney Premier – for detailed, comprehensive, interactive cash flow, financial planning and retirement projections, and advanced Client Portal
- Income Lab – for advanced retirement income testing and modeling
-
Holistiplan and Tax Clarity – for tax-smart retirement income strategies, Roth conversion pre-testing
-
TRAK – for FERS and CSRS retirement modeling
-
Redtail CRM – to ensure consistent service and secure record-keeping
- Kwanti and Morningstar – for detailed, 3rd party portfolio analysis
Together, these tools give me (and my clients) a complete view of their financial life — from investments to taxes to long-term planning — with institutional precision.
What Happens if Something Happens to Me?
That’s one of the most important questions any client can ask.
Through my affiliation with Gradient Advisors and Orion, every client account is safeguarded by robust continuity procedures. And because your investments are custodied with Schwab or Fidelity — independent of my firm — if anything were to happen to me, your accounts remain fully accessible, secure, and professionally supported.
In other words: you’re never left in a lurch.
Independent, Personal, and Strong
Being independent allows me to serve you without corporate sales pressure.
Being affiliated with Gradient Advisors and Orion Portfolio Solutions ensures you benefit from deep institutional resources, cutting-edge technology, and long-term continuity.
You get the best of both worlds — a deeply personal relationship with a fiduciary advisor who knows you, and the confidence that comes from having a national network of support behind the scenes.
A Better Federal Retirement Starts Here
My goal has always been simple: to give federal employees a better, smarter, more values-aligned retirement experience — one built on trust, transparency, and real human connection, backed by world-class infrastructure.
If you’d like to learn more about how my firm is structured to serve and protect you for the long term, let’s schedule a conversation.
Because “independent” shouldn’t mean alone — it should mean Better.
