What We Do
Empowering you towards financial freedom
We work with clients that are at a stage of life where things are getting more complicated, and they want to take steps towards achieving financial independence. For some, this means working less, working for themselves, or planning for retirement. For others, it means continuing to work or volunteering while sustaining their desired lifestyle for as long as they live, without stressing about running out of money.
Whether you are already there or still trying to get there, we’re here help.
Who You Are
Individuals and families that we serve typically have a household annual income between $100,000 to $500,000 and/or a net worth between $250,000 to $5 million.
We also partner with and exchange referrals with other financial professionals, community-based organizations and allocate some capacity for pro bono work. If you don’t fall within the referenced guidelines, feel free to inquire.
In addition to the income and net worth guidelines, our clients should also meet the following requirements:
- Have an iOS or Android personal cellphone that can be used for authentication and communication via text and/or email (we'll never spam nor message you about anything irrelevant)
- Be comfortable working primarily virtually (we can work with anyone in the U.S. through virtual engagements and offer limited in-person coverage in the following areas: New York City, Los Angeles, San Diego, Chattanooga, TN and Austin TX)
- Be comfortable with accessing and linking accounts electronically, if needed, for our engagement
- Have the ability to upload documents to a secure cloud-based vault (we can provide secure unlimited cloud-based storage at no additional fee, if you don’t already have a solution)
What You Get
We provide judgment-free, holistic financial planning via limited or ongoing engagements.
Our advisors give client-focused advice and charge a simple, transparent, flat-fee monthly retainer.
Confidentiality, privacy, and security of client information is paramount.
Some advisors operate under a suitability standard, some under a fiduciary standard and some advisors operate in both capacities. This can be confusing for clients and creates potential conflicts of interest for advisors.
During our engagement, we will always be acting as a fiduciary pledged to operate in your best interests and we are willing and able to commit to that pledge in writing.
If you are looking for an answer to a question or would like a second opinion about advice from another advisor, you might be more interested in a limited engagement that might last a few weeks or less. If you are looking for more in-depth planning and/or investment management, then you might be more interested in an ongoing engagement. You might also be looking for a relationship where you can check in periodically whenever you have questions or issues where some additional advice might be helpful.
We can work with clients in all of these scenarios and have a network of other advisors that we can refer you to, if we are not a good fit.
Many advisors are incentivized to gather assets and will encourage you to move your accounts to their preferred custodian(s). We receive no additional incentives based on the custodian of your assets, so we will not pressure you to transfer assets. In fact, we can often help you earn more or reduce your fees with your current custodians, whether they be a bank, brokerage firm or other registered investment advisor. We can also provide periodic or ongoing oversight for assets that are held away, including assets held in employer sponsored plans.
Whether they be attorneys, tax advisors, bankers, insurance agents or other financial advisors, we are always operating in your best interest, so we will coordinate and cooperate with your other advisors at your direction. Some advisors are precluded by their employers from collaborating with other advisors or reluctant to work with other advisors due to fear of losing assets and/or client relationships. We have no such fears nor restrictions and we will not disparage your current advisor as a tactic for soliciting additional business.
Fee-only means we are compensated solely by fees paid to us by our clients and we do not receive commissions, kickbacks or other compensation from the sale of insurance, brokerage, or other financial products. Operating as a fee-only advisor helps reduce conflicts of interest.
- Organization of personal and financial information, including electronic conversion and storage
- Privacy and identity theft and asset protection consultation
- Goal planning
- Budgeting and cash flow management
- Wealth accumulation, distribution and transfer planning
- Planning for financial independence / retirement
- Education planning
- Major purchase planning
- Healthcare and long-term care planning
- Credit and debt assessment/management
- Reviewing contribution, allocation and distribution strategies for employer sponsored plans
- Tax Planning
- Pension and social security planning
- Roth conversions
- Coordination with other professionals including providing referrals and second opinions
- Asset allocation and portfolio review
- Investment analysis and management
- Real estate transactions consultation
- Risk management and insurance review & planning
- Estate planning and settlement including document and beneficiary review
- Philanthropy planning
- Education and support for dependents, beneficiaries, successor trustees, personal representatives, etc.
Many advisors and firms charge between 1.5% to 2% of assets managed. We charge significantly less and with a predictable, mutually-agreed upon flat fee as an option, you simply pay based on the complexity of your plan or our level of engagement.
Our typical monthly retainer for an advice-only engagement is $400/month, but each advisor will share their fee structure and work with you – together – to arrive at a fair arrangement when you meet.
If you would also like to have your assets managed on a discretionary basis, there might be an additional fixed monthly fee that would be disclosed in advance and would be based on the size and complexity of your portfolio.
There are no hidden fees nor any long-term commitments. All fees are invoiced in arrears and clients are free to terminate an engagement without any termination fees.
Fee Structure
We provide a simple and transparent fee schedule that favors clients and helps encourage mutual accountability.
Jamie Lima, MBA, CFP®, CDFA®
Founder and President
Jamie grew up in a family that constantly faced financial difficulties. This instilled in him a desire to gain knowledge and understanding about finance, in order to support both himself and his family.
In 2006, Jamie began his career in finance with Morgan Stanley, eventually moving to Fidelity Investments in 2011. Over the years, he was responsible for managing $1 billion in assets for 450 families and businesses.
Presently, his primary focus is on assisting mid-career professionals to maximize their wealth and eliminate financial stress. Early on in his career, Jamie made a promise to himself to ensure that his clients would never have to experience the same financial difficulties he had faced.
Al Faber, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®
Senior Wealth Advisor
Al began his career in financial services in 1992, following the completion of his Master of Business Administration with a concentration in finance from Long Island University, C.W. Post. In addition to earning the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification, he has also earned the Chartered Financial Consultant® and Chartered Life Underwriter® certifications. Prior to his career in financial services, he worked as an electrical design engineer after obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University, along with a minor in mathematics.
As a Senior Wealth Advisor at Woodson Wealth Management, Al is dedicated to helping clients simplify, organize, and plan their financial lives, so they can achieve their life goals and leave a meaningful legacy. He believes in empowering clients and their loved ones through education and equipping them with tools and resources that help lower financial stress, better control personal and financial information, chart their financial destiny and hold their other advisors more accountable.
Amy M. Zamikovsky, CFP®, CPWA®
Certified Private Wealth Advisor®
Amy has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, beginning her career in 1999 at Spectrum Financial Group in Dallas. After obtaining her law degree from the University of Houston, she opened her own boutique law firm specializing in Estate Planning, where she was able to help some of her fellow law students’ parents. In 2017, she joined Merrill Lynch as a financial advisor and financial planner, passing multiple exams and earning the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation.
Amy is one of the few actively practicing attorneys in Texas who also hold the CFP® designation. As a CFP® professional, she is trained in 72 areas of financial expertise and must meet strict ethical requirements. She has also completed Texas’s Alternative Dispute Resolution training to serve as a mediator and is a court-appointed Attorney Ad Litem in Harris County Probate courts.
Currently, Amy is a Investments & Wealth Institute® CPWA® candidate and has completed her Wealth Management Theory & Practice coursework through Yale’s School of Management. Amy is passionate about helping her clients build and preserve their wealth, enabling them to spend more time with their loved ones and give more to their favorite causes.
Drew Schlotter, CFP®, CCFC
Wealth Manager
Drew started his career at an independent RIA in Brenham, Texas, before moving to Dallas as a central financial planner overseeing $3 billion in assets for 800 high-net-worth clients.
In 2021, he founded his own RIA focused on helping young professionals navigate financial challenges. After working solo for a year and a half, Drew was thrilled to join Woodson Wealth Management and work collaboratively with like-minded individuals. His passion is to help clients achieve fulfilling lives, with a particular interest in solving the challenges young families face around planning for college and managing student loans after graduation.
Drew is also a former military intelligence analyst in the U.S. Navy, with a degree in psychology and a minor in financial planning from Texas A&M University. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and a Certified College Financial Consultant.
Jim Gioia, CFP®
Wealth Manager
It takes dedication, hard work, and passion to reach the top echelon in any profession. As a CFP, or CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Jim has been working hard towards reaching the top and has dedicated himself to helping clients achieve the life they envision for over 30 years.
Jim began his career as a financial advisor in 1990, with Ameriprise Financial, and has been a CFP® since 1992. With a primary focus on retirement planning, and maximizing income, Jim is excited to be part of the team at Woodson Wealth Management.
With his extensive experience, Jim is well suited to provide insight into almost any financial situation.
Additional Information
Many people think all financial planners are “certified” but this isn’t true. Just about anyone can use the title “financial planner”. A financial planner works with individuals to help them understand their options and make financial decisions suited to their personal financial situation and goals. Because of the nature of their work, people place a good deal of trust in these individuals.
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals have attained the standard of excellence in financial planning by meeting education, experience and ethical standards, and as part of their certification, they have made a commitment to CFP Board to serve your best interests today to prepare you for a more secure tomorrow. CFP® professionals have the knowledge required to deliver holistic financial planning services, and they must fulfill continuing education requirements.
CFP Board benefits the public by independently certifying financial planners. Although CFP Board does not guarantee their work, CFP® professionals have met rigorous qualifications for financial planning. Those with the CFP® designation have demonstrated competency in all areas of financial planning. Candidates complete studies on more than 100 topics, including stocks, bonds, taxes, insurance, retirement planning, and estate planning. In addition to passing the CFP certification exam, candidates must also complete qualifying work experience and agree to adhere to the CFP Board's code of ethics, and professional responsibility and financial planning standards. The program is administered by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. and only those who have fulfilled CFP Board’s rigorous requirements can call themselves a CFP® professional.
Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) certification is an advanced professional certification for advisors who serve high-net-worth clients. It’s designed for seasoned professionals who seek the latest, most advanced knowledge and techniques to address the sophisticated needs of clients with a minimum net worth of $5 million. Unlike credentials that focus specifically on investing or financial planning, the CPWA® certification program takes a holistic and multidisciplinary approach.
The ChFC® professional is prepared with the essentials of financial planning, including insurance, income taxation, retirement planning, investments, and estate planning, Study areas include behavioral finance, financial planning for families with special needs dependents, small business planning, financial planning for clients in diverse communities, financial planning for divorce, and more.
ChFC® credential holders have an in-depth knowledge in:
- The financial planning process, including the role and responsibilities of a financial consultant
- Risk management strategies, including mitigating the risks associated with insurance, human capital, liability, property, and wealth management
- Income tax strategies, including planning for deductions, tax credits, capital gains and losses, taxation of life insurance, annuities, and partnerships, LLCs, corporations, and proprietorships
- Retirement planning strategies, including choosing between and working with SEPs, SIMPLEs, IRAs, Roth IRAs, 403(b), and nonqualified deferred compensation plans
- Investment strategies, including issues pertaining to return computations, diversification, securities markets, tax issues, portfolio management, and ethical practice
- Estate and gift-tax planning strategies
- Personal financial planning strategies
- Specialized strategies, including aiding divorcees and blended families, financial planning for families with special needs, serving non-traditional families and LGBTQ clients, addressing the unique challenges associated with modern retirement income portfolios, and applying behavioral finance strategies as a chartered financial consultant
Launched in 1927, the CLU® is the insurance profession’s oldest standard of excellence. Today, it continues to be the premier credential for professionals who want to provide their clients with the security of life insurance and risk management.
CLU® designees know how to serve the diverse needs of their individual and business clients through in-depth insurance knowledge, including expertise on life insurance products, aspects of risk management, the legal aspects of life insurance, and assisting clients in making decisions about estate planning, including various wills and trust arrangements.
The American College of Financial Services is the premier educational institution dedicated to the development of financial services professionals. Graduates and designees of The American College of Financial Services have studied, passed rigorous exams, and proven that they not only have the technical knowledge to serve their clients, but have sworn to practice ethically and in the best interest of the people they serve.
Recipients of this credential have met the education and professional experience requirements needed to obtain the Certified College Financial Consultant (CCFC) designation. This recipient has demonstrated mastery in the topics of education funding, financial aid planning, planning with education tax deductions and credits, and student loan advising. This recipient is hereby entitled by the American Institute of Certified College Financial Consultants to hold and use the CCFC marks publicly.
Ready? Let's meet!
Schedule an introductory call with us to discuss what you’re looking for and how we can help, and to also make sure there is a mutual fit and gain an understanding of your needs.