As a fiduciary financial advisor in Fairfax, Holland Capital helps Fairfax County Public Schools teachers see how their VRS pension and their separate ERFC benefit fit together, and which retirement date the two can support. Fairfax clients can sit down with us at the Regus center on Judicial Drive, by appointment, with the rest of the work done over video calls and phone.
Two retirement systems. One teaching career. One date to choose.
Fairfax has about 26,800 residents. Roughly 14% are 65 or older, and the median household income is about $132,000. George Mason University sits next to the city.
Full-time Fairfax County Public Schools teachers are generally covered by two systems: VRS, the Virginia Retirement System, and ERFC, the school system’s supplementary retirement plan. A fixed-fee written plan lays both out and tests your retirement date. You pay for the advice alone, with no account to move. Whoever you consult, ask plainly whether they serve as a fiduciary and how they earn their pay.
Reading Two Benefit Statements Together
We read your VRS and ERFC statements side by side and note your VRS plan: Plan 1, Plan 2 or Hybrid. We do not assume the two systems follow the same rules. The Virginia Retirement System planning guide explains the VRS side.
Choosing How the VRS Pension Pays
VRS payout options can include the Basic Benefit, the Survivor Option, the Partial Lump-Sum Option Payment (PLOP, a one-time payment paired with a smaller pension) and the Advance Pension Option. Eligibility varies, and the option chosen at retirement is generally irrevocable, with limited exceptions. Our guide to pension or lump sum choices for teachers covers the wider choice.
RETIREMENT ENGINEERING™
The Order Matters
Five retirement decisions and why timing matters.
Lining Up the Years After the Classroom
We map each year after your final school year, since your pensions and Social Security may start at different times. Virginia generally taxes pension income to the extent it is included in your federal adjusted gross income. The state subtracts Social Security.
Help with Your Savings, If You Want It
Our investment management is a separate, later choice, run to a written investment policy statement that follows your plan.
How We Work with Clients in Fairfax
Holland Capital Management is an independent registered investment adviser and a fiduciary. M. Chad Holland, CFA, CFP® works directly with clients and is responsible for the planning and advice.
Bring your VRS and ERFC statements, any 403(b) or other savings statements, your Social Security estimate and your target last school year.
You receive a written plan for a fixed fee we agree on before any work begins. You can carry it out yourself, hand it to your current advisor, or ask us to help.
The first conversation is free. If there is work worth doing after that, we will define the scope and cost before you decide whether to move forward.
Our offices are in Charlotte, North Carolina and Winter Park, Florida. We work with clients in Fairfax primarily by video or phone. When an in-person meeting makes sense, we meet by appointment at the Regus center at 10505 Judicial Drive, Suite 300.
For clients whose investments we manage, accounts are held directly at Charles Schwab in the client’s own name. Holland Capital manages the investments but does not take custody of client assets. If a client ever needs in-person assistance from Schwab, the closest branch is in Tysons at 1650 Tysons Boulevard.
We work with clients throughout Virginia. You can see the other Virginia communities we serve here.
Our what we do page explains how a planning engagement works.
RETIREMENT ENGINEERING™
The Order Matters
Five retirement decisions and why timing matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I Retire as Soon as My VRS Pension Is Available?
That depends on your service years, your savings and when each benefit begins. A later date may or may not raise your income enough to matter, so we compare several.
Why Does a Fiduciary Financial Advisor Matter for Pension Choices?
Holland Capital acts as a fiduciary when providing financial planning and investment advice. For a teacher, that means a payout recommendation rests on your household’s needs alone.
The plan carries a fixed fee settled in advance; managing investments later is a separate fee, explained before you decide.
Can We Meet in Person in Fairfax?
Yes. In-person meetings are scheduled ahead at the Regus center, 10505 Judicial Drive, Suite 300, Fairfax. Between those, phone and video calls carry the planning forward.
Photo: ajay_suresh / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0, cropped.
