Purposeful financial planning for the life you want to live.

Fee-only. Planning-first. One advisor who knows your full picture.

You’ve saved consistently. Made smart money decisions. Built a life you love.

And yet, you find yourself asking:

Am I on track?

When do I take Social Security, and does the timing really matter that much?

How do I keep taxes from eating into everything I’ve worked for?

If something happened to me, would the people I love be okay?

Can I actually retire?

These aren’t questions you can Google your way through. They require a real plan, and a partner who stays on top of it year after year for you, not just at tax time.

That’s what Kelos Wealth Planning is here for.

I’ve spent 25 years watching what goes wrong when planning is treated as an afterthought. Kelos Wealth Planning was built to do it differently: life-focused planning always leads the conversation, advice is never shaped by commissions, and you work with me directly.

Planning first.

This isn’t investment management with a financial plan stapled to it. Every Kelos relationship starts with a real financial plan, one that looks at your full picture and builds a strategy that fits. Everything else flows from there.

Tax-efficient strategy is at the heart of what I do.

Tax planning for pre-retirees and retirees is where I’m most in my element: Medicare income brackets, Roth conversion timing, withdrawal sequencing, 401(k) distribution strategy, Social Security claiming decisions, and planning ahead for the widow’s tax penalty. Most people leave real money on the table when it comes to taxes in retirement. I’m here to make sure that you’re not “most people.”

Relationships built on trust.

When you reach out, you’ll talk to me, not a faceless associate or (worse) an automated messaging system. Kelos is built on the belief that you should always recognize the voice on the other end of the line, and that person should know yours.

Details you don’t have to chase.

Proactive communication. Clear follow-up after every conversation. Coordination with your CPA, attorney, and other advisors. You’ll never wonder what’s happening or feel like you have to call to check in.

I work best with people who are ready to hand off their financial complexity.

My clients are thoughtful individuals and families who’ve built real financial lives and want a trusted partner who stays ahead of things so they don’t have to. They’re not looking to become market experts. They want someone who handles the details.

What they share isn’t a balance sheet. It’s a mindset: they value expertise, they’re ready to delegate, and they want a relationship, not a transaction.

Women in Transition

Widows. Divorcees. Those preparing for what comes next.

Sometimes life shifts suddenly, and the financial pieces that used to feel manageable no longer make sense. Whether you’re stepping into decisions you’ve never made alone or want to be prepared before something changes, I slow down, explain things clearly, and build a plan that fits your life.

Maggie:

Suddenly responsible for everything.

Maggie lost her husband unexpectedly. She’d always been capable, but he had handled most of the financial accounts, and she felt overwhelmed by how much she didn’t know.

Together, we organized multiple scattered accounts into three simplified accounts at one custodian, updated beneficiary designations, coordinated estate documents, and built a clear picture of how much she could safely spend. We also worked through Social Security timing to maximize her options as a surviving spouse.

She didn’t need someone to take over. She needed a partner she could think out loud with. That’s what we became.

Retired and Ready For Real Planning

Already retired. Ready for a plan that goes beyond investment management.

You’ve done the hard work of getting here. Now the questions have shifted: how to draw income efficiently, manage taxes as things change, and make sure nothing falls through the cracks. Good planning in retirement isn’t a one-time project. It’s an ongoing relationship.

Bob and Carol:

Worried about Medicare costs, and what happens when one of them is gone.

Bob and Carol were doing well, but they’d started hearing about IRMAA, the Medicare premium surcharge that kicks in above certain income levels, and were worried. Especially once required minimum distributions kicked in, or if one of them passed and the surviving spouse filed taxes alone.

We worked together on strategies to get ahead of it: thoughtful Roth conversions in lower-income years, income timing adjustments, and a long-term plan designed to soften the impact before it became unavoidable.

They left with a roadmap and real relief.

Pre-Retiree Couples

Within 10 years of retirement. Ready to stop winging it.

You’ve been doing the right things – saving, building, staying out of financial trouble – but the picture is getting more complex. You want a coordinated plan that ties together your investments, taxes, retirement income, and goals, and someone who ensures nothing is optimized in isolation.

David and Linda:

Coordinating everything at once, and feeling like it was all disconnected.

David and Linda had about eight years until retirement and had done a lot of the right things. But they realized they'd been managing each piece separately: maxing out 401(k)s, saving in a brokerage account, contributing to a donor-advised fund, without looking at how it all worked together. They weren't sure if they were on track, how to think about taxes ahead, or what retirement income would look like.

We built a coordinated plan that looked at their full picture: investment strategy, Roth conversion opportunities, projected retirement income across sources, and how to deploy their charitable giving in a tax-smart way.

They left with a clear roadmap and a set of actions to work through between now and retirement, so they wouldn't be scrambling when the time came.

The case studies presented are hypothetical illustrations based on a compilation of client experiences and common planning scenarios. They do not represent any actual client of Kelos Wealth Planning, LLC. They are provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future results or client satisfaction. Individual circumstances vary, and the strategies discussed may not be appropriate for all investors.

Why I built Kelos Wealth Planning.

I spent 25 years working across nearly every corner of this industry and kept running into the same problem. Firms that did investments well but treated planning as an afterthought. Products over people. Commissions dressed up as advice.

Kelos Wealth Planning was built to do this work the right way. The name is personal: a blend of my own name and the Greek word “telos,” meaning purpose. Because I believe financial planning should be purposeful, personal, and built around what genuinely matters to you, not managed in isolation from your actual life.

I’m a CFP® practitioner based in Cincinnati, specializing in tax planning, retirement income strategy, and building relationships where clients feel genuinely known.

Julie Kist, CFP®

Getting started is simpler than you think.

Step 1:

A Real Conversation

We start with a no-pressure introductory call. You share what’s going on in your financial life and what you’re hoping for. I share how Kelos works. No jargon, no obligation, just an honest conversation to see if we’re a good fit.

Step 2:

A Plan Built Around You

If we move forward, I will build your financial plan from the ground up, considering your goals, taxes, timeline, and concerns, and put it together in a way that finally makes sense.

Step 3:

An Ongoing Relationship

This is where the real work happens. I stay engaged, update your plan as your life changes, and make sure nothing falls through the cracks. You focus on living. I handle the rest.

You don’t have to have it all figured out to get access to real, helpful financial planning.

Most people come to Kelos not quite sure where to start. That’s exactly what the first conversation is for.