Financial Advisor in Bristol, TN / VA
Tax-smart wealth guidance for entrepreneurs, professionals & pre-retirees in the Birthplace of Country Music.
Who We Serve
Retire On Your Terms
Coordinate Tennessee-and-Virginia tax rules, Social Security timing, and rising healthcare costs so your savings convert into lifetime income with fewer surprises—no matter which side of State Street you end up retiring on.
Turn Profit into Personal Wealth
Align cross-border entity structure, owner compensation, and eventual exit so Bristol business success becomes diversified, tax-efficient personal wealth—without state-line paperwork headaches or growth-starving cash drains.
Grow More, Keep More
Optimise salary, stock awards, and state withholding across Tennessee and Virginia, while disciplined investment management and proactive tax moves help a bigger share of every paycheque build your net worth.
• Fiduciary Standard
• CFP® & EA Credentials
• 12 Years Serving Tri-Cities
• Transparent Flat-Fee or AUM Pricing
How We're Different From Other Bristol Advisors
Planning comes first—before portfolios—so every move begins with your goals and ends with clear, tax-smart action.
Strategies Over Products
You’ll get personalised guidance and actionable steps—never a push toward proprietary funds or insurance commissions. Value lies in insight and implementation, not product sales.
Dual Credentialed Tax & Wealth Expertise
With both CFP® and EA credentials, we integrate proactive tax planning with long-term wealth strategy, helping you keep more, grow more, and navigate every financial decision with confidence.
Relationship-Focused Fiduciary Advice
We build long-term partnerships. As fiduciaries, our advice is aligned solely with your best interests, giving clarity and confidence through every stage of your financial journey.
Why Bristol Residents Need More Than “Cookie-Cutter” Advice
Straddling two states, Bristol’s median household income is $55,007 and the median age is 42.   The city’s unique TN/VA tax environment creates tricky 401(k) rollover and state-withholding questions for cross-border commuters. Housing costs sit ≈13 % below the national average,  yet escalating property assessments and health-care expenses still pressure cash-flow. Our fiduciary planning turns these local nuances into personalised tax strategy, investment design, and estate guidance for Bristol families, business owners, and professionals.
Pick the Areas You'd Like Us to Handle
Financial Planning
Learn MoreA personalized roadmap that turns goals into clear, time-stamped actions. We model “what-if” scenarios, prioritize the moves with the biggest impact, and coordinate taxes, investments, and estate pieces so the plan actually gets done. Reviews are scheduled at least annually—and whenever life throws a curve-ball.
Tax Strategy
Explore Tax StrategiesProactive planning to reduce surprises and identify opportunities. We don’t prepare tax returns—we help you make smarter tax decisions all year long. That means monitoring income flow, lining up deductions and credits at the right time, and coordinating with your CPA so nothing slips through the cracks. The goal: for the first time, you feel confident you’re on top of tax planning—knowing strategies to lower what you’ll owe and understanding exactly why each move makes sense.
Investment Management
See Our Investment ApproachYour portfolio is built to fund your plan, not chase headlines. We start with a clear goal for every dollar, own high-quality assets that outpace inflation, and control what can be controlled—costs, taxes, and behavior. Ongoing rebalancing and opportunistic tax-loss harvesting keep the allocation aligned as markets—and your life—shift.
Retirement Planning
Retire With ConfidenceTurning savings into a reliable paycheck takes more than a target date. We map tax-efficient withdrawal sequences, stress-test market downturns, and coordinate pensions or cash-balance plans so every account does the right job at the right time. The goal: give you total clarity on how much you can spend—and confidence the plan will hold up under pressure.
Estate Planning
Protect Your LegacyYour estate documents move from idea to signed reality—never stuck as “good intentions.” Through our advisor-guided platform we walk you from clarifying wishes to legally binding paperwork—wills, POAs, health directives, even trusts when appropriate. Then we align titles, beneficiaries, and account registrations. If extra complexity arises, we loop in an attorney. The result: a plan that works, not just exists.
Business Strategy
Strategies for OwnersYour business is often your largest asset—and the engine of your personal wealth. We design tax-smart entity structures, disciplined cash-flow systems, and strategic growth milestones that keep value compounding. When an exit is on the horizon, we model options and timing so the transition preserves both equity and your long-term goals.
Every relationship looks a little different. Some people start with just one of these areas. Most eventually touch all of them.
Curious about cost? See our planning fees →
Meet David Talley, CFP®, EA
Your Bristol Financial Advisor
I started Talley Wealth to help successful people simplify complex financial lives. Whether you’re growing a business, planning an exit, or preparing for retirement, you deserve clear, proactive advice— not more noise or generic planning.
Every client journey begins with a simple conversation to see if we’re a good fit. No pressure. No sales pitch. Just clarity.
How We Work Together
1.
Explore Call (15 min): A short, no-pressure conversation to learn what’s going on and confirm we’re a good fit. No prep needed.
2. Strategy Session (60 min): We dig deeper, highlight the two or three highest-value opportunities, and answer your key questions. Preparation for this meeting is normally $750 (waived for qualified households).
Afterward you’ll receive a concise Strategy Overview summarizing those opportunities and outlining next-step options.
3. Put Your Opportunities to Work, Together: If you’d like our help turning your opportunities into results, we roll up our sleeves and keep everything on track. If the timing isn’t right, you’ll still leave with clarity, direction, and a few actionable ideas to use on your own.
What Our Bristol Clients Say About Working With Us
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"We’ve been working with David for a couple years and really appreciate his insight and advice. He’s helped us with personal financial planning and estate planning as well as setting up a retirement plan for our company."
- Brent Pippin, Bristol Resident
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“David Talley and his Team are true professionals. I've never been in the "Market" before and I'm glad I found this Company. David took the time to answer all of my questions very thoroughly. He explained in great detail what the plan would be moving forward, he is a Certified Financial Planner and from what I've learned this is the way to go. He works with you and for you. He does his homework and develops a plan that best suits your needs. If you're looking for a Company that you can really trust, call Talley Financial.”
- Jeff Johnson, Bristol Resident
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“As I am quickly gaining on retirement, we my wife and i decided to seek the services of a professional advisor. Having known David since his youth and many in his family since an early age, it was a no brainer to seek his services. He and his staff have been great to work with. I feel that they have gotten to know me, my wife and my family very well. Having done that I feel that they will have our best interests at heart, now and in the future.”
- Steve Belcher, Bristol Resident
This testimonial is based upon an individual client experience and may not be representative of the experience of other customers and should not be considered a guarantee or indication of future performance or success.
Please see our Google page for more reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How much does a financial advisor cost in Bristol, TN / VA?
See Real-World ExamplesMost first-year clients pay a flat fee between $3,000 and $9,500, depending on complexity (multiple businesses, real-estate holdings, advanced tax work, etc.). The engagement runs 12 months and includes a personalised roadmap and ongoing implementation support. pricing is quoted up front in writing; there are no commissions or hidden product charges.
Q2. Do I really need a local advisor if I live in Bristol?
Working with a Johnson City financial advisor means your plan reflects the area’s realities—no state income tax, the ETSU 403(b) platform, regional health-care costs, and property-tax rules in Washington and Carter counties. Virtual-only advisors can miss those nuances. That said, more than half our meetings happen over Zoom; you get face-to-face expertise when you want it and online convenience when you don’t.
Q3. How does Tennessee’s zero income tax affect Roth vs. Traditional decisions?
Tennessee exempts wages and pensions from state tax, yet federal taxes still apply. For Johnson City entrepreneurs and high earners, traditional 401(k) or SEP contributions can cut today’s federal bill, while Roth conversions during low-income years let growth come out tax-free later. We model both paths in your Strategy Session, factoring in Social Security, Medicare surtax thresholds, and potential future moves to states that do tax income.
Q4. How do Tennessee & Virginia taxes affect my retirement plan?
Bristol residents can face withholding in one state while living in the other. We model dual-state tax exposure on pensions, Roth conversions, and capital gains, then structure distributions to minimise overall liability.
Q5. I cross the state line daily—can you manage my 401(k) and 403(b) under one plan?
Yes. We consolidate multiple employer plans, assess rollover options, and coordinate investment strategy so you see one integrated picture—no matter which side of State Street your paycheck originates.
Ready to See how a Tailored Plan Feels?
Everyone begins with a quick 15-minute Explore Call.
Click below and you’ll land on our booking page, where you’ll see the simple 3-step process and choose a time that works for you.
No paperwork, no prep—just a quick conversation to see if we’re a fit.
Updated July 2025 • Written by David Talley, CFP®, EA
