About
Who Is Golden Road Advisors?
There is an old story about a Greek philosopher named Diogenes who wandered through Athens in broad daylight, carrying a lit lamp. When people asked what he was doing, he told them he was looking for an honest man.
Nobody knows for certain, but the legend holds that he never found one.
That story has stayed with us.
Our Story
We founded Golden Road Advisors because we believe the financial advice industry has a structural problem: most of what passes for financial advice is, in practice, sales. Products dressed in the language of planning. Conflicts of interest buried in disclosure documents.
We believe our clients deserve better. So, we built a firm designed to deliver it.
Our Purpose
We help our clients achieve greater financial security and clarity, now and across generations, through comprehensive financial planning.
That standard shapes every recommendation we make. If something does not meaningfully improve a client’s financial position or peace of mind, we do not recommend it.
Who We Are
Golden Road Advisors is a fee-based registered investment advisory firm serving families in Tampa Bay, Florida, and beyond. We work with approximately 230 households: individuals, couples, and families who are accumulating wealth, preserving it, or drawing from it in retirement.
We are not a brokerage. We are not a bank. Our primary compensation is a transparent advisory fee paid directly by our client. In limited circumstances, we may earn commissions on life, disability, or long-term care insurance when that coverage serves a client’s plan. We disclose those arrangements fully, and our obligation to our clients’ interests does not change based on how we are compensated.
Our firm’s symbol is an owl named Diogenes. He carries a lamp. He represents the search for honest financial counsel, and the conviction that such counsel is worth seeking and worth providing.
Diogenes carried his lamp through Athens looking for an honest man. The legend suggests he never found one.
Many people have had a similar experience searching for honest financial counsel: advisors who act in their own interest, recommendations shaped by compensation, complexity manufactured to justify fees.
We founded Golden Road to be a different kind of firm. One defined by transparency, rigor, and an unqualified commitment to our clients’ interests.
We would welcome the opportunity to demonstrate that.
Click below for more details about our approach, process, fees, and deliverables.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes. We offer tax planning services. We can help educate you on the decision to make Roth or pre-tax retirement contributions, Roth IRA conversions, and charitable giving planning. However, we do not offer tax preparation services.
Yes. Our Principals hold the CFP® certification. Jeff Kikoler is also a CFA® charterholder and a JD.
It is never too early to start retirement planning. However, retirement is just one of many financial goals we can help with. For example, we can help you create a plan to pay off debt or buy a house while setting money aside for retirement. Then, we will revisit your plan each year and adjust as your life unfolds, continually protecting your future while helping you make the most of your financial situation today.
Yes. If you are in the Tampa Bay area, we will happily meet with you at our office in Tampa, Florida, or a place of your choosing. We also serve clients throughout Florida and the United States, typically meeting online or traveling when the situation warrants it.
We meet with clients and potential clients by appointment only. Depending on your location, we are happy to meet at our office, a place you choose, or virtually. Please contact us to arrange a suitable time and place.
Yes. As CFP® practitioners our advisors must act as fiduciaries at all times. We encourage you to visit the CFP Board website for full details.
For us at Golden Road Advisors, it doesn’t stop there. We only do advisory, meaning we do not earn commissions on investment products, trades, etc. except in limited circumstances, and even then, only with full disclosure.