A. Firm Information
Vision Retirement, LLC is a registered investment adviser. The firm’s founding member, Paul D, Muller, formed the firm
as Vision Retirement which was registered in New Jersey as an LLC on 8/13/2012. The firm was registered as an
independent investment adviser in September of 2014. The Firm offers Advice, Integrated Financial Planning, Tax
Services and Consulting for clients. In addition, Vision Retirement also offers Fiduciary Investment Management,
Automated Investing and Client Directed Accounts.
Paul D. Muller, CFP, AEP - Founder, Wealth Advisor and CCO
Paul is the Founder and CCO of Vision Retirement. Paul graduated from the State University of New York at Albany with
a degree in Economics and has over 25 years of experience in the financial industry. He’s a Certified Financial Planner
Professional (CFP®), Accredited Estate Planner (AEP®) and holds FINRA series 6, 7, 24, 63 and 65 securities
registrations through LPL Financial. Paul has also been a seven-time recipient of the Five Star Award.
Jean Riordan, CFP, ChFC, MBA - Relationship Manager and VP of Tax Planning
Jean graduated from the University of Albany, SUNY with a degree in Business/Management Economics. In addition,
Jean earned an MBA in Finance from Iona College. She is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) Professional, a
Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and holds FINRA series 7, 63 and 65 securities registrations through LPL
Financial.
Benjamin Stark, CFP - Financial Advisor and Director of Client Experience
Ben graduated from Pace University at Pleasantville, New Yor with a degree in Finance. Ben has over six years of
experience as a financial advisor and is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) Professional. Prior to joining Vision
Retirement, he was with TJP Wealth Solutions in Tarrytown, New York. Ben holds FINRA series 7, and 66 securities
registrations through LPL Financial.
Bill Stavros - Chief Operating Officer
Bill has spent most of his career in the financial services industry and marketing events to Fortune 1000 companies. He
holds a Master’s Degree in Direct & Interactive Marketing from New York University and is a Certified Customer
Experience Professional through the Customer Experience Professionals Association.
Joanne Raso Rosenblatt - Director of Operations
Joanne earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics/Finance with a concentration in Mathematics from the
University of Scranton. Joanne started in financial services at Goldman Sachs, and later moved to AIG Investment
Advisors. After taking time off from Wall Street to raise a family, she re-entered the workforce and took various roles –
most of which involved helping small organizations better organize and manage their financials.
Dawn Barkey - Client Operations Specialist
Dawn has spent over 25 years in the finance industry, holding various positions. After 13 years at ESL Investments
deciding not to relocate with the company, she began a new leg of her career working with financial advisors & most
recently landed at Vision Retirement.
B. Services Offered
The investment advisor representatives with Vision Retirement are appropriately licensed and authorized to provide
advisory services on behalf of Vision Retirement. Investment advisor representatives with Vision Retirement may also be
registered representatives of LPL Financial (LPL) doing business as Ridgewood Financial Advisors. LPL is an SEC
registered broker/dealer, and a member of the Financial Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") and the Securities Investors
Protection Corporation (“SIPC”). Securities transactions shall be directed to LPL Financial for execution. Vision
Retirement and LPL Financial are unaffiliated legal entities.
Our clients turn to us for Advice, Integrated Financial Planning, Tax Services, Consulting, Fiduciary Investment
Management, Automated Investing and Client Directed Accounts. Investment advisor representatives are restricted to
providing services and charging fees based in accordance with the descriptions detailed in this document and the account
agreement. However, the exact service and fees charged to a particular client are dependent upon the representative
that is working with the client. Advisors are instructed to consider the individual needs of each client when recommending
services. Investment strategies and recommendations are tailored to the individual client based on the advice and
planning needs.
Advice (Monthly Subscription)
The firm offers a monthly subscription fee-based advice service that includes advice from an Advisor, helping clients
address anything from routine questions to more complex life-changing events. More specifically, they get to speak to an
Advisor anytime. The subscription is delivered in three areas: Advice, Technology and Education.
Advice
• Navigating specific events
• Developing an Investment Roadmap
• Reviewing client’s portfolio
• Ensuring our clients are managing the basics
• Annual check up
Technology
• VR Connect
• VR Risk Score
• Monthly Pulse
Education
• Markey Commentary and Insights
• Articles on various topics
Integrated Financial Planning
As part of our financial planning services, Vision Retirement, through its investment advisor representatives, provides
personal financial planning tailored to the individual needs of the client. These services may include, as selected by the
client on the financial planning agreement, information and recommendations regarding tax planning, investment
planning, retirement planning, business needs, education planning, life and disability insurance needs, long-term care
needs and cash flow/budget planning. The services take into account information collected from the client such as
financial status, investment objectives and tax status, among other data. Fees for such services are based on the service
provided and detailed in the client agreement.
The financial plan may include recommendations as to general types of insurance products, investment products,
investment strategies or specific securities which may be appropriate for the Client to purchase given his/her financial
situation and objectives. The Client is under no obligation to act upon the investment adviser’s recommendation or
purchase such securities through Vision Retirement and the IAR or Ridgewood Financial Advisors. However, if the Client
desires to purchase insurance, securities or fiduciary investment services in order to implement his/her financial plan,
Vision Retirement and Ridgewood Financial Advisors may make a variety of products and services available through its
IARs. This may result in the payment of normal and customary commissions, advisory fees or other types of
compensation to Vision Retirement, Ridgewood Financial Advisors, and the IAR.
Depending on the type of account and products used to implement a financial plan, such compensation may include (but
is not limited to) advisory fees, commissions; mark-ups and mark-downs; transaction charges; confirmation charges; small
account fees; mutual fund 12b-1 fees; mutual fund sub-transfer agency fees; hedge fund, managed futures, and variable
annuity investor servicing fees; retirement plan fees; fees in connection with an insured deposit account program;
marketing support payments from mutual fund, annuity and insurance sponsors; administrative servicing fees for trust
accounts; referral fees; compensation for directing order flow; and bonuses, awards or other things of value offered by
Vision Retirement to the IAR. To the extent that IAR recommends that Client invest in products and services that will
result in compensation in form of a commission being paid by a sponsor and to the IAR, this presents a conflict of interest.
This compensation to IAR may be more or less depending on the product or service that IAR recommends. Therefore, the
IAR may have a financial incentive to recommend that a financial plan be implemented using a certain product or service
over another product or service.
Advice and planning services are made available to clients and may or may not result in a written plan. The amount of time
required per plan can vary greatly depending on the scope and complexity of an individual engagement. A particular client’s
plan will include the relevant types of planning specific to their needs and objectives such as:
• Cash Flow
• Charitable Giving
• Disability Insurance
• Distribution Strategies
• Education
• Employee Benefits
• Estate Planning
• Executive Compensation Planning
• Life Insurance
• Long Term Care Insurance
• Major Purchases
• Medicare Insurance
• Retirement
• Social Security
• Tax-Optimized Investing
• Tax Planning
• Trust Integration
Clients of Vision Retirement can certainly choose to implement any of the plans at a different firm; however, Vision
Retirement is also able to implement the plan.
Hourly Consulting
Consulting services are similar to financial planning and also available to all clients but tend to be more specific to a particular
area of interest, less comprehensive and on a straight hourly basis verses a flat fee based on an anticipated number of
hours. Vision Retirement, through its investment advisor representatives, may provide consulting services on an hourly
basis. These services may include, as selected by the client in the consulting agreement, advice regarding tax planning,
investment planning, retirement planning, cash flow/budget planning, business planning, education planning, and personal
financial planning. The services take into account information collected from the client such as financial status, investment
objectives and tax status, among other data. The investment advisor representatives may or may not deliver to the client a
written analysis or report as part of the services. The investment advisor representatives tailor the hourly consulting services
to the individual needs of the client based on the
investment objective chosen by the client. The engagement terminates
upon final consultation with the client.
Tax Services
Our personal income tax preparation service will help save you time by having a single point person for all your tax-related
needs. You’ll also better optimize your money since efforts between your financial advisor and our CPA partners will be
better coordinated. This means you’ll not only get consistent advice, but you’ll minimize the chance for errors and avoid
overpaying in taxes. Plus, you won’t have to worry about being rushed out the door, so your accountant can get through
their backlog of returns.
Fiduciary Investment Management (FIM)
Vision Retirement through its Investment Advisor Representatives (IAR’s) provides Fiduciary Investment
Management(FIM). Vision Retirement and its IAR’s rely on third party intellectual property for the allocations and
strategies of clients’ assets. Vision Retirement may or may not be the responsible party for placing trades in client
accounts held at a third party non-affiliated custodian. Vision Retirement performs due diligence on the third-party firms to
make sure that the firms are qualified to execute on the strategies they advertise. Vision Retirement in its fiduciary
capacity may override the decisions of a third-party firm if they feel it’s in the best interest of the client. The custodian may
offer various programs for the IAR to take advantage of in offering a client for their strategy and allocation implementation.
Investment Advisor Representatives may provide advice on the purchase and sale of various types of investments, such
as mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), variable annuity subaccounts, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”),
equities, and fixed income securities as it relates to the strategists selected by Vision Retirement.
The allocations used for a particular client are determined using various tools to assist the IAR in making
recommendations to the client based on risk tolerance, goals, and time horizon. The advice is tailored to the individual
needs of the client based on the investment objective chosen by the client in order to help assist clients in attempting to
meet their financial goals. Accounts are reviewed on a regular basis and rebalanced as necessary according to each
client’s investment profile. Quarterly reviews are offered in person, via video conference or by phone.
More specifically, Fiduciary Investment Management includes, but is not limited to the following:
• Global Diversification
Global diversification helps you to broaden your investment options beyond the U.S. and helps cushion against
the volatility of a concentrated portfolio.
• Rebalancing
Rebalancing is the process of buying and selling assets within a portfolio to maintain the desired level of asset
allocation and risk. This disciplined approach ensures your portfolio is managed according to your desired risk
tolerance.
• Tax Loss Harvesting
Designed to help you offset a capital gains liability, this strategy sells investments that have lost value and
replaces them with similar ones to maintain your target investment mix and diversification strategy.
• Broad Range of Investment Options
You have access to a broad range of investment options that can give you exposure to virtually any asset class.
• Due Diligence & Oversight
We'll vet the vast universe of investments that are available in the marketplace to ensure they are appropriate for
our client’s situation. What's more, our Investment Committee will oversee our clients investments by analyzing
their performance relative to benchmarks while taking into consideration your risk tolerance score.
• Trading & Administrative Fees
Our pricing covers a wide range of fees, including third-party custodian, record keeping, and transaction charges.
Robo-Investment Management (VR Robo)
The firm offers a digital investing solution which combines the power of automated investing through Betterment LLC
with the expertise and guidance from a financial advisor. The Betterment platform gives clients access to a variety of
exchange-traded funds (EFTs) and mutual funds. The platform captures information about the client and client goals to
determine the appropriate allocations, trade execution, portfolio rebalancing and dividend reinvestment. This includes
ongoing guidance from your financial professional and an annual review of your account.
More specifically, VR Robo Investment Management includes, but is not limited to the following:
• Goal-Based Investment Management
Betterment’s goal-based investment platform allows advisors and Clients to identify multiple investment goals for
each Client, each with specific portfolio allocations.
• Portfolio Construction Tools
Advisors and Clients have access to a set of portfolio strategies, each of which is comprised of low-cost, index-
tracking exchange-traded funds or mutual funds (the latter only for advisors who are approved to construct
portfolios with Dimensional Fund Advisors mutual funds), and are able to customize the risk-level for each
investment goal
• Automated Investment Management Services
Betterment’s algorithms automate back-office tasks such as trading, portfolio management, tax loss harvesting,
and account rebalancing
• Website and Mobile Application
Betterment’s website and mobile application provide a platform for account access and monitoring and delivery of
account documentation and notices
Client-Directed Investment Account (CDIA)
The firm offers a client-directed investing option for those who don’t need investment management and/or want to be
more involved in the investing process. CDIA allows for clients to choose between individual securities, exchange-traded
funds (ETFs), and mutual funds and then call your financial advisor to review and execute the transaction. The minimum
account opening requirement for this account is $ 5,000, and most trades have a $9 fee per trade. This option is available
to clients who have a monthly subscription advice plan or have a or Clients who have another investment management
account either FIM or VR Robo.
Retirement Plan Rollovers
When Vision Retirement provides investment advice to clients regarding retirement plan accounts or individual retirement
accounts the firm is a fiduciary within the meaning of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and/or the
Internal Revenue Code, as applicable, which are laws governing retirement accounts. The way Vision Retirement make
money creates some conflicts with a client’s interests, so Vision Retirement operates under a special rule that requires the
firm to act in a client’s best interest and not put the firm’s interests ahead of a client.
Vision Retirement can also provide educational services to retirement plan participants with assets that could potentially
lead to a recommendation to roll-over plan assets to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) advisory account. An
employee generally has four (4) options for their retirement plan when they leave an employer:
• Leave the money in his/her former employer’s plan, if permitted;
• Rollover the assets to his/her new employer’s plan, if one is available and permitted;
• Rollover to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA); or,
• Cash out the account value, which has significant tax considerations.
Vision Retirement has an incentive to recommend a rollover based on the compensation received, which is mitigated by
the fiduciary duty to act in a client’s best interest.
C. Client Account Management
Prior to engaging Vision to provide investment advisory services, each Client is required to enter into an investment
advisory agreement with the Advisor that defines the terms, conditions, authority and responsibilities of the Advisor and
the Client. These services may include:
• Establishing an Investment Strategy
Vision, in connection with the Client, may select a strategy that seeks to achieve the Client’s goals and
destinations. The strategy is designed to address the Client’s personal goals, investment goals, and both long-
term and short-term objectives.
• Asset Allocation
Vision will develop a strategic asset allocation that is targeted to meet the investment objectives, time horizon,
financial situation and tolerance of risk for each Client.
• Portfolio Construction
Vision will develop a portfolio for the Client that is intended to meet the stated goals and objectives of the Client.
• Investment Management and Supervision
Vision will provide investment management and ongoing oversight of the Client’s relationship’s investment
portfolio.
D. Wrap Fee Programs
Vision includes securities transaction fees together with its investment advisory fees. Including these fees into a single
asset-based fee is considered a “Wrap Fee Program”. The Advisor customizes its investment management services for its
Clients. The Advisor sponsors the Vision Wrap Fee Program solely as a supplemental disclosure regarding the
combination of fees. Depending on the level of trading required for the Client’s account[s] in a particular year, the Client
may pay more or less in total fees than if the Client paid its own transaction fees. Please see Appendix 1 –Wrap Fee
Program Brochure, which is included as a supplement to this Disclosure Brochure.
E. Assets Under Management
Assets under management shall be reported following the Advisor’s December 31,2022 fiscal year end or
sooner.
Discretionary Assets Non-Discretionary Assets
$97,267,354 $8,863,529
$106,130,883
Clients may request more current information at any time by contacting the Advisor.
F. Legacy Clients
A legacy Client is defined as a client who was onboarded prior to November of 2020. All legacy clients can continue to
operate with the agreement signed with Vision Retirement. However, If a Legacy Client and Vision Retirement feel it
would be more beneficial for the client to use the services outlined here then a new agreement will be executed.