Sean Gillespie, MQFP®

As a financial advisor for military service members, I help military servicemembers, veterans, and their families plan, pursue, and maintain financial independence by putting their money to its best and highest use both today and over the long term.

I've been an advisor since 2013, after completing 20 years of service in the US Navy. In 2018, I partnered with another retired sailor to establish RWS, with the aim of providing accessible and affordable financial planning to service members of all paygrades.

Today, I lead a team of six veterans and military spouses in furtherance of the same mission. Though our firm serves primarily career military service members, military service is not a requirement for becoming a client.

Having RWS manage your accounts is also not a requirement for becoming a client, though it typically results in a reduction of your annual fee, which we bill monthly.

I am a fee-only fiduciary planner.

That sounds a whole lot more complicated than it is. Here's what it means:

Fee-only. At RWS, we're very proud to have 100% of our revenue come from our clients. No referral fees for recommending one product or another. No soft-dollar kickbacks. And absolutely no commissions. We work for you...and only for you.

Fiduciary. Simply put, fiduciary means we put your interest ahead of our own. But there's more to it than just that. Many firms tell you that because they are fee-only fiduciaries, they have no conflicts of interest. We have a different take on it. While most of the financial services industry is content that "everything we tell you will be 100% true," at RWS we passionately believe in telling 100% of the truth. And that includes being honest about conflicts of interest always being possible in any relationship. Though we've worked very hard to build a service and business model to reduce the possibility to an absolute minimum, we know we're never completely immune. In those instances when conflicts arise, we believe it's important that we proactively disclose them and resolve them in your favor--even if it means referring you to a different firm.

Planner. We believe the vast majority of value human advisors add is not as salespeople or portfolio managers but as planners and advisors. Computers answer questions faster and cheaper than humans can...but humans ask better questions. That's why we focus our time and energy on helping you untangle what's important to you and helping you establish and pursue the financial goals to put your money to its best and highest purpose. Everything we do starts with a plan. And every plan starts with connecting our expertise in financial planning to your expertise in you.

I'm also a proud member of the following organizations:

• Military Financial Advisors Association
• National Association of Enrolled Agents 
• XY Planning Network