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ROLEK RETIREMENT PLANNING
Boutique fee-only RIA in Minneapolis specializing in retirement income planning and tax-efficient distribution strategies for pre-retirees.
ROLEK RETIREMENT PLANNING
Rolek Retirement Planning operates from Minneapolis as a fee-only registered investment advisor specializing in retirement income strategies. Founded by Paul J. Rolek, the practice centers on the narrow but critical transition from accumulation to decumulation — a technical discipline distinct from general wealth management. The firm's core clientele consists of individuals and couples within a five-year window of retirement who require coordinated planning across tax, Social Security, and systematic withdrawal sequencing. The advisory approach integrates three asset-class anchors — diversified equity allocations, fixed-income ladders, and insured annuity-based guarantees when analytically justified for base-income flooring. Rolek constructs portfolios using low-cost institutional share classes and emphasizes tax-location discipline across taxable, tax-deferred, and Roth accounts. The firm serves clients across Minnesota and Wisconsin, with a documented preference for in-person plan delivery and annual stress-testing of retirement projections against Monte Carlo simulations. The practice maintains a deliberately lean structure centered on Paul Rolek as lead advisor. Published professional records confirm his status as a Certified Financial Planner and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary — dual designations that signal a regulatory and ethical requirement to place client interests ahead of commission-driven product sales. The firm participates in the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) ecosystem of fee-only practitioners, reinforcing its obligation to avoid brokerage conflicts. Rolek's structural position sits at the intersection of wealth management and elder financial planning — an adjacency that creates a referral pipeline from estate attorneys and CPAs managing the financial dimensions of aging clients. This professional-services network model, rather than a direct-to-consumer mass-marketing engine, forms the firm's durable sourcing channel. The succession structure is sole-proprietor with no publicly disclosed transition plan.
General information
Firm type
RIA
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Minneapolis
Corporate office
Minneapolis, MN, United States
Principals
Paul J. Rolek
Founder and President
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Is Rolek Retirement Planning a fiduciary, and how does that affect client accounts?
Paul Rolek holds both CFP and AIF designations, binding the firm to fiduciary standards under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and NAPFA membership requirements. This means every portfolio recommendation, insurance analysis, and distribution plan must serve the client's best interest — not a product commission structure. The firm operates as fee-only, charging directly for advice rather than accepting brokerage kickbacks.
What is the firm's approach to Social Security claiming strategies?
Rolek integrates Social Security optimization as a core planning function rather than an afterthought — modeling file-and-suspend (pre-legislative changes), restricted application, and delayed retirement credit scenarios. The analysis weighs longevity risk, spousal benefit coordination, and tax torpedo considerations. The firm uses iterative software to stress-test starting ages against each client's specific health, income, and portfolio profile.
Does the firm recommend annuities, and if so, under what circumstances?
Annuity evaluation is part of the firm's decumulation toolkit, but only for base-income flooring when a retiree's guaranteed income sources — Social Security plus any pension — fall short of non-discretionary expense coverage. Rolek's fiduciary posture demands fee-based or no-load annuity products analyzed on a net-yield basis after all mortality-and-expense charges, not commissioned variable annuity contracts. The firm documents why an annuity does or does not fit before any purchase recommendation.
How far beyond Minneapolis does the firm accept clients?
The practice primarily serves individuals across the Twin Cities metro and extends into western Wisconsin, with a strong preference for in-person planning sessions that allow for document review and joint decision-making. Virtual arrangements are maintained for snowbird clients who split time in warmer states but retain their financial domicile in Minnesota.
What professional networks does the firm rely on for referrals and multidisciplinary planning?
Rolek's referral ecosystem centers on estate planning attorneys and CPAs managing aging-family financial logistics — not securities brokers. This attorney-CPA-centric funnel produces clients who need technical distribution planning rather than product sales. The firm's NAPFA membership also connects it to a national peer network of fee-only advisors for practice support and specialist referrals.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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