As a fiduciary financial advisor in Spartanburg, Holland Capital helps surviving spouses take over the household finances at their own pace and turn what is left into one clear plan. We meet in person by appointment downtown, at the Regus center on West Main Street, or at your home, and handle the rest by video and phone.
Some decisions can wait. Others have deadlines.
Spartanburg has about 38,900 residents, by Census estimates for 2020 to 2024. Social Security reaches more than a third of local households.
After a spouse dies, the money questions can arrive at the same time as everything else. Some need an answer soon. Most can wait until you are ready.
When you are ready, choose an advisor who has a duty to put your interest first.
The First Few Months
A few tasks come early: telling Social Security, notifying banks and insurers, and finding out which accounts list you as beneficiary.
Bigger choices, such as selling the house, retitling accounts or changing investments, can usually wait. We help you sort what needs attention now from what does not.
Social Security and Pensions
You may qualify for a Social Security survivor benefit that is larger than your own retirement benefit. A pension may continue to a surviving spouse depending on the option chosen when the benefit began.
We confirm what you will receive each month before planning anything else.
Retirement Accounts You Inherit
A surviving spouse can have different retirement account options than other beneficiaries. With an inherited IRA, you may be able to treat the account as your own or remain a beneficiary. Which is better depends on your age and the account rules.
We compare the options before any money moves. Our guide to inherited retirement accounts explains the basics.
Taxes and Your Own Estate Plan
Your tax picture changes. You can generally file a joint return for the year your spouse died if you otherwise qualify. Your filing status can change in later years.
Your own will, trust and beneficiary forms may also name your late spouse. We coordinate with your estate attorney so those documents reflect your wishes now.
With investment management, we invest your accounts to provide the monthly income you need.
How We Work with Clients in Spartanburg
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 recent statements for each account, any letters from Social Security or a pension plan, the death certificate if you have it, last year’s tax return and copies of the current wills or trusts.
You receive a written plan listing what has been done, what still needs attention and the monthly income your accounts can support.
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 Spartanburg primarily by video or phone. When an in-person meeting makes sense, we meet by appointment at the Regus center at 500 West Main Street in downtown Spartanburg.
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 Greenville at 12 East Washington Street.
We work with clients throughout South Carolina. You can see the other South Carolina 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
Do I Need to Sell the House or Pay Off the Mortgage?
Not necessarily. We first separate decisions that have deadlines from decisions that can wait. We look at the numbers with you once the immediate tasks are done.
Why Choose a Fiduciary After Losing a Spouse?
Holland Capital acts as a fiduciary when providing financial planning and investment advice. After a loss, it means advice given at your pace, on all of your accounts, with nothing sold to you in a hurry.
We share our fee in writing up front.
Where Can Spartanburg Clients Meet with Us?
At the Regus center at 500 West Main Street downtown, by appointment. We can also come to your home.
Phone and video work well in between.
Photo: Billy Hathorn / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped.
