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Peak Retirement Planning
Joe F. Schmitz Jr. founded the Columbus-based registered investment adviser in 2021. The firm brands its target client with the service mark "Midwestern...
Peak Retirement Planning
Joe F. Schmitz Jr. founded the Columbus-based registered investment adviser in 2021. The firm brands its target client with the service mark "Midwestern Millionaires℠" — households near or in retirement with at least $1 million in savings, existing pension income, and a stated aversion to taxes. Peak's advisory model integrates tax planning, retirement income strategy, Social Security optimization, and healthcare cost planning. The firm concentrates on the decumulation phase of wealth rather than accumulation, a posture distinct from the broader RIA market. It distributes its intellectual property through a podcast, a book authored by Schmitz, and a regular column via the Kiplinger Advisor Intel Contributor network, where Schmitz has published since 2021. Schmitz holds the CFP, ChFC, and CKA designations and is the sole named principal on the firm's public-facing materials. Peak operates from a single location in Columbus, Ohio. The structural differentiator is the firm's refusal to dilute its focus. Peak explicitly excludes accumulation-stage clients, those outside the Midwest, and households without pension income. This operational narrowness creates a concentrated book of similar-planning clients, which allows for standardized service delivery around a single life-stage problem rather than the generalist model common among regional RIAs.
General information
Firm type
Bank / Wealth / Trust
Year founded
2021
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Columbus
Corporate office
Columbus, OH, United States
Principals
Joe F. Schmitz Jr.
Advisor
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Peak Retirement Planning?
Joe F. Schmitz Jr., the firm's founder, is the only named principal and holds CFP, ChFC, and CKA designations. The firm's public materials do not name additional investment-committee members or a separate CIO, which is typical for a solo-led RIA focused on financial planning rather than proprietary fund management.
What client profile does Peak Retirement Planning actually serve?
Peak explicitly targets "Midwestern Millionaires℠" — households in or near retirement with over $1 million in savings, existing pension income, and a sensitivity to taxes. This is a service-marked, self-imposed boundary that excludes accumulation-phase clients and those outside the Midwest.
Does Peak Retirement Planning manage proprietary funds or separate accounts?
The firm describes its services as tax, investment, legacy, healthcare, Social Security, retirement, income, and financial planning. It is an advisory practice rather than a fund manager, and public sources do not disclose proprietary commingled vehicles.
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