The Retirement Solution

The Retirement Solution

The Retirement Solution was founded as a fee-only registered investment adviser dedicated exclusively to retirement-income planning for individuals nearing or already in retirement. Jim Black, the firm's President and CEO, established the practice with a singular focus on tax-efficient distribution strategies — a departure from the accumulation-centric model that dominated the advisory industry. The firm built its client base through educational workshops and radio programming, positioning itself as a fiduciary that designs customized decumulation roadmaps rather than selling off-the-shelf products. The firm constructs portfolios using a mix of equities, fixed income, and alternative assets, with particular attention to sequence-of-returns risk and required minimum distribution management. Its investment approach emphasizes income generation and principal preservation through direct holdings, managed accounts, and third-party strategic partnerships. The Retirement Solution has historically served clients concentrated in the Seattle metropolitan area and Western Washington, though its seminar model and digital presence attract a broader regional demographic. In recent years, the firm extended its footprint with a second office in Redmond and expanded its advisory bench to support a growing book of retiree households. The Retirement Solution operates without institutional capital backing or a parent roll-up, maintaining its structure as a privately held, founder-led RIA. The firm does not disclose aggregate assets under management publicly, though its client base and longevity suggest a multi-hundred-million-dollar book. Team size and headcount have not been publicly reported. What distinguishes The Retirement Solution from generalist RIAs is its refusal to serve accumulators or corporate retirement plans. The entire advisory workflow — from lead generation through financial planning and portfolio construction — is engineered for the distribution phase of the investor lifecycle. This razor-focused mandate produces a client base with homogeneous financial needs, enabling repeatable planning processes and narrow, defensible domain expertise.