For HR & Benefits Teams
Faculty ask planning questions. Your team is built to answer administrative ones.
That gap is where faculty get stuck — and where Radiant comes in.
Retirement Planning
Your employees' retirement plans are uniquely complex. Their advisor should be too.
The financial structures in higher education and academic medicine — TIAA, 403(b), 457(b), pensions, phased retirement — are unlike anything in the private sector. Most advisors don't understand them. Radiant works with these plans every day.
- TIAA Traditional, CREF Stock, and mutual fund options — guidance from day one, not a random election during orientation
- 403(b) and 457(b) dual plan strategy that most employees never take advantage of
- The 15-year catch-up rule, Normal Retirement Date, and annuitization decisions your team can't advise on
- Phased retirement planning and what it actually means for pension credit, benefits, and Social Security
Financial Planning Beyond Benefits
Retirement is just the starting point. Your employees need planning across their entire financial life.
The questions don't stop at plan elections. Faculty and physicians come with financial complexity that extends well beyond what a benefits office covers.
- Tax strategy across consulting income, sabbatical pay, deferred compensation, and multi-state filing
- Risk and insurance — disability, malpractice, umbrella, and life coverage reviewed against actual earning potential
- Estate planning, gifting strategies, and multi-generational wealth transfer
- Education funding, major purchase planning, and household cash flow
Radiant Wealth Management's role with respect to fixed insurance is limited to review and planning. Recommendations and sales of fixed insurance or annuity products are conducted through a separate Fixed Insurance Business outside business activity (OBA).
Career-Stage Guidance
From their first day to their last — and beyond.
Your employees' financial needs change dramatically over the course of a career. Radiant meets them at every stage.
- New hires making TIAA elections and contribution decisions with no guidance
- Mid-career faculty and physicians leaving money on the table by underusing their plan options
- Pre-retirement employees facing irreversible decisions around annuitization, Social Security timing, and the Medicare gap
- Retirees managing income across multiple sources, navigating RMDs, and adjusting to life after the institution
and physicians from
Listing of these institutions does not constitute an endorsement of Radiant Wealth Management by them.
August 2026
Johns Hopkins University Press
The Book
Getting to Emeritus
This book was written for the exact questions your faculty are asking — written by our Founder, and published by Johns Hopkins University Press.
“Getting to Emeritus is a must-read for faculty, HR leaders, and retirement plan administrators alike. It cuts through the complexities of financial planning with clarity and practical tools that are invaluable for anyone navigating the financial ecosystem of higher education and building long-term wealth.”
Curtis N. Powell
Former Chief Human Resources Officer in Higher Education
Testimonials are based on unique experiences from current clients and are not representative of all client experiences. Testimonials are unsolicited, and no cash or non-cash compensation has been provided. As a result, clients do not receive any material incentives or benefits for providing testimonials. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal and fluctuation of value. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Additional information about NewEdge Advisors, LLC, is available in its current disclosure documents, Form ADV, Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, and Client Relationship Summary Report which can be found online at the SEC’s Investment Advisor Public Disclosure (IAPD) database at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions.
Our practice is deliberately focused on academics and physicians. Dan has spent over 25 years advising faculty at institutions including Yale, Brown, UConn, and Wesleyan. That focus is not incidental — it shapes everything from how we think about TIAA to how we approach the retirement transition. We are not a general advisory firm that happens to have some faculty clients.
Radiant Wealth Management operates under NewEdge Advisors, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. NewEdge provides compliance, custodial access, investment management infrastructure, and back-office support to a network of independent advisory firms. As an RIA, NewEdge has a fiduciary duty to clients — meaning advisors in the network are obligated to act in your best interest.
We use Charles Schwab as our primary custodian. Schwab holds client assets independently from our firm — your money is never held by Radiant directly. Schwab is one of the most established custodians in the industry with strong investor protections in place.
We are a fee-only firm. We do not earn commissions or receive compensation from financial products. We are paid directly by clients — either hourly, through a flat project fee, or as a percentage of assets we manage. This structure keeps our interests aligned with yours.
We offer three ways to engage: hourly planning for specific questions, a flat-fee comprehensive financial plan, and ongoing wealth management based on assets under management. We are happy to walk through which option fits your situation in an initial conversation. There is no cost or obligation for that first call.
Let's talk about bringing Radiant to your organization.
Schedule a conversation to learn how Radiant can serve as a dedicated financial planning resource for your faculty and staff.
- Specialized guidance across TIAA, 403(b), 457(b), and pension structures
- Planning that covers every career stage, from new hire to retiree
- No administrative burden on your team
- Transparent fees with no product commissions
Prefer to speak directly? Skip the form and book a call now.