Russ has worked with us since we planned our retirement. He focuses on our whole life plan, not just our investments. He has helped us to achieve key goals we have. His advice and planning work with us has also helped us to be comfortable and able to enjoy our lives. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a financial planner.

I have been a client of Russ for several years and am very satisfied with his advice and support. Russ in an independent, fee-based adviser. He focuses on conservative and low cost investment options. He worked with me to design a comprehensive financial plan with an investment portfolio constructed based upon available financial assets, investment goals and investment risk tolerance. I take comfort from the fact that as an independent adviser, Russ does not build portfolio’s with his own firm’s proprietary investment products. His investment style is long-term and avoids fads.

Russ also provides me with advice and assistance on other important matters, including life-style and “next chapter” planning. He likewise works with third party experts on matters such as planning for Medicare. Russ has got strong communication skills and is always responsive when I have a question and also is pro active on reaching out to me as a client.

My husband and I highly recommend Russ for your financial planning needs. We are long time clients and have trusted his steady guidance and timely advice. He helped us set goals which enabled us to strike a great work/life balance and now in retirement, we are living the plan/dream!

I live in Japan and I became his client when my other financial manager could not provide service to Japanese (who live in Japan) any longer. Because of my old manager’s introduction I trusted Russ from the very beginning without even meeting him once since 2015. I saw him for the first time in 2019 when I traveled to New Orleans Russ came to see me with his wife. It was a very nice meeting.

Right now I am working with my Japanese accountant to plan a gifting strategy to my children. Russ has been super helpful getting back to me and give appropriate instructions right away. In fact, being very prompt is a large part why I depend on and trust him this much. He is also good at listening to me and not forcing me American ways. He knows we have different rules and customs especially when it come to tax consequences.

I am very happy being a client of Russ. I hope we can continue this wonderful relationship for a long time.

Last spring we spent 2 months with Russ going over our finances to prepare for retirement. He went above and beyond our expectations. I love the way he has a wholistic approach. He gets to know what makes you tick and what your vision for your life is and bases his financial advice on who you are. And his caring never stops.

Russ Thornton has been our family advisor for years. We trust him to help us manage our money.

He is knowledgable about the markets and also with the laws concerning taxes among other issues.

But what is also important to me is when I was managing my parents estate.

I knew that he understood the importance of being able to take care of my Mom after my Father passed away.

I asked a million questions and not once did he make me feel bad about it. I trusted him and he was available and

willing to help. It doesn’t get more important than having a person to help through those 7 years.

Emotions are high during those times and the responsibility can be overwhelming.

Thank you Russ.

I have known Russ for a lot of years.

He has always been helpful and always ready to answer questions. I trust Russ and appreciate all he has done for me.

My wife and I have been clients of Russ since the Merrill Lynch days. He not only has become our trusted financial guide through our working careers but also retirement. We rarely look at the market’s ups and downs knowing that Russ is on top of it and will make decisions that are in our best interest. He is a trusted friend and has always been there as a sounding board when needed. We also introduce Russ to our son, who he advises as well. Keep up the great work you do for us and our family. We are grateful for that. Keep the Wednesday blogs going.

For many years, you have advised us and guided us in matters of investments and in matters of life. You have not only provided us with advice, but also resources to help us navigate life’s challenges. You are kind, trustworthy and knowledgeable, and we are grateful for the role you play in our lives.

Russ takes a personal interest in your investments and regularly checks in. He has been a comfort and guiding light through this maze we call retirement.

I’ve been working with Russ for years now; he was an advisor for my brother when Russ was still with Merrill Lynch, and my brother recommended I work with Russ. I have been so grateful for that brotherly advice. Russ really looks at the whole picture, not just advising me on my finances but on so many other aspects as well. He has been a great sounding board on all sorts of decisions, providing excellent advice and resources, as well as helping me think through the pros and cons of decisions short- and long-term. And I feel like he cares about me as a person, not just about how my financial situation is doing. Just generally, Russ is a great guy — smart, accessible, easy to work with, and just plain nice. I have been pleased to recommend Russ to others who have also become clients.

Russ is the perfect financial advisor for me and my wife. His philosophy matches ours, from investing to how we want to enjoy our lives. His wholistic approach captures all of our needs, possibilities, and what-ifs to consider. He is extremely responsive and always notifies his clients when he might not be available due to vacation, travel, etc. Russ has a calm demeanor that allows us to know that all things are taken care of and thought through. He is always checking in to see if he can help, but not in an aggressive manner. In our meetings with Russ, he always seems to pull out ideas that we hadn’t thought of and that we need to consider. His weekly emails are very helpful and often provoke new thoughts to consider as well. In general, he is a very thoughtful and kind individual who just happens to be very good at financial and life planning. We are lucky to be working with him.

Russ was introduced to me by my brother in law Jim Cartee. Russ had handled his finances since his retirement over 10 years ago. Jim had lots of confidence in Russ and was very impressed how Russ handled his retirement portfolio. Even though Jim had been taking money out of his retirement funds each month, he has more money today than the day he retired. I had my retirement funds spread out 3 different places. I contacted Russ and he reviewed by retirement funds and came up with a plan that would give me piece of mind in my retirement years that I had enough money to retire and do the things me and my wife want to do. Even with the ups and downs of the market, I feel confident Russ has built me a plan that will last long term.

Russ is very good communicator and is always available if I have questions.

We have never had a financial advisor until we met Russ. He has educated and challenged us on how to enjoy our future. He has a plan for us that covers Long Term Care, Tax Planning, Medicare, Travel, Social Security, Gifting, Investing, and his Chicken Soup recipe. The world now is nothing but chaos, Russ can give you honest answers and a plan to outlast the chaos. We highly recommend Russ.

My ex-husband had always handled our more complicated financial matters. As a newly-single woman in my 60’s, I had no idea how to manage all of the accounts. My forensic divorce CPA suggested I call Russ Thornton. I’m so glad I did. I told Russ that I knew nothing about high finance and would, therefore, be asking dumb questions. He never made me feel uncomfortable. Russ is so good at explaining high finance in layman’s terms. Within just a matter of days, Russ had mapped out a financial plan to carry me for the rest of my life. He is helping me out of a bad annuity and has already saved me quite a bit of money by doing so. I needed to buy a house for myself, and Russ helped me every step of the way, advising on what I could afford and how much I could spend on remodeling. I then came into a large inheritance, and Russ advised me to pay off my mortgage, rather than invest so that I’m not carrying any debt. He has advised me on where to do my banking, which CPA to hire, which estate attorney to hire, etc., etc. You name it, he has it covered. I have been working with Russ for little more than a year, now. He has been like my guardian angel. I have never worked with anyone that has better communication skills than Russ. I always receive a reply the very same day, if not within minutes. Russ has become like family to me. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have Russ handling all financial aspects of my life.

Russ has been our financial advisor since his early days at Merrill Lynch and continued to help and advise us through our careers and now into our retirement years. One of the hardest decisions I made was to retire early. Russ helped me understand the financial consequences of that decision by clearly explaining the big picture of our finances at the time and projecting scenarios of what things might look like in the future. That was 11 years ago, and I have never regretted my decision to retire early. Russ has been a partner in our lives by having us focus on what’s truly important to us and how that will lead to achieving our best lives . Russ is a thoughtful listener, a gifted communicator, and an expert financial and personal advisor. We would not be where we are today without his guidance and friendship.

Russ has been a wealth of knowledge with practical application. He took the time to understand my wife and mines goals. Gives us honest and straightforward feedback but gives us margin to make the decision best for our family. He makes himself available promptly when we need. He is professional and caring. Highly recommend him!

Russ has managed my family finances for a number of years now. Always keeping me updated with changes/approaches as our family needs have changed. Always available and checking with me to see if our needs have changed. His family members and my family members go back to school days, so he has been very helpful and understanding with the disease situation and death of my wife. This has required a lot of financial shifts of our finances. Russ has been there to help make decisions and physical moves of our finances. Would and have recommended Russ to friends and family.

My husband and I have utilized many different financial advisors during our careers but I think we have finally found THE ONE! After Russ had very successfully assisted my sister and brother-in-law with their investments, he then took over my mother’s inheritance after my father’s death. My father was also a financial advisor and I too have a college degree from the College of Finance at the University of Tennessee; therefore, I understand and appreciate the importance of having the right person handling our investments. We heard such good things about what Russ was doing for our other family members and this was just not happening for us with our Advisor in Nashville or in our hometown. So, we started moving our funds to Russ and he was so impressive that he now handles all of our investments! And has done so for about the past 4-5 years. Best financial decision we ever made! One of the most impressive things to me is the communication Russ has provided throughout this time that we had never experienced before. He even communicates with me, not just my husband because he realizes that I too worked and need to know this information. He makes me feel as equally important as my husband who is now the only one generating income. Often times the wife is overlooked in these situations but not with Russ. I highly recommend Russ Thornton!

Thanks to Russ Thornton’s keen guidance and skilled understanding of the financial world, I learned about how to plan financially for the future. His expert understanding of various aspects of the financial world complements his custom-fit approach towards understanding one’s life priorities in connection with financial decisions. His kindness, generosity, and care is most evident in the advice he gives, meant for one’s individual circumstances. He sincerely wants to better the lives of others through the financial education he provides.

Russ is amazing and I can’t recommend him enough! He is incredibly kind, patient and generous with his time and knowledge. He only has your best interest at heart and explains everything so that it’s clear and easy to understand. He is happy to answer any and all questions and is always prepared. I know that I can trust him with my finances and that he is there to support me so that I can make the best decisions. No matter how much or little you have, Russ is worth the investment!

Russ is an amazing person and a life-changing financial advisor! If you are thinking of meeting with him, here’s what to expect: It will be clear from the start that he is in your corner. He will listen carefully to learn more about your particular circumstances, and he will explain options to you in a way that makes you feel good about the positive steps you’ve made already and empowered to do even more to secure your financial future. He will communicate clearly and introduce you to possibilities that you probably never would have considered on your own. You will also feel that he understands the balance between planning for long-term security and enjoying your todays with your family. And he’ll help you customize the right plan for you and your circumstances in achieving the best balance possible. And, finally, in addition to being incredibly knowledgeable and a skilled financial educator, he is just a warm, supportive person who will make you feel at ease right away. I think he may be starting a podcast sometime soon! So definitely be looking out for that! And just know that if you choose to meet and work with Russ, it will be a positive, empowering experience and not an exhausting and stressful one. He is the best!

Russ is highly organized, kind, super helpful and efficient. I learned so much helpful information in a short period of time.

I just wasn’t expecting to get the sound and thoughtful call that I had with Russ. It was so helpful. He and I spoke about my specific situation, and he shared his screen, so I could see exactly what savings and investment possibilities might work well for me. He was so informative and so transparent. I knew I was dealing with a true professional and someone who really understood some of the fears women can have approaching financial advice. I put our discussion into an action plan, and feel more confident than I have in many months! Thank you so much Russ.

Russ was very helpful in planning for my future. He spent time trying to figure out what would be best for me. Thank you.

Russ is a trusted resource with a wealth of knowledge in assisting with all aspects of financial planning. Russ does an amazing job of explaining and simplifying what can otherwise be very intimidating material. I highly recommend Russ for all your financial planning needs.

It is a rare soul that doesn’t feel it…the weight and consequence of all decisions made with respect to Finances. None of us are born knowing or understanding its complexities. They must be learned. I promise you…you won’t find a better, more informed, more competent, kinder, gentler, more caring, character-excelling teacher/guide than Russ Thornton. He is genuinely gifted with respect to his ability to explain what is often times complex subject matter…in simple understandable laymen’s terms; making the convoluted and complex…accessible. Wise decision-making about Finances…begins with choosing Russ Thornton as your always truthful, trusted, exceedingly trustworthy counselor/guide/teacher.

I first met Russ when I discovered my financial planner was not guiding me in the right direction. A friend recommended him and said he was very honest, knowledgeable and had dedicated his life to helping woman plan for their retirements. I called Russ and he immediately came out to my house, examined all the funds my current planner had gotten me into and listen emphatically to my long emotional tale. Within a day, he sent me a comprehensive report on every fund in question and,sure enough, I had been sold more than one fund with high upfront fees! Russ would not accept any compensation for his time and expertise, and told me that helping women with their finances was of the upmost importance to him. He is one of the most compassionate individuals I have ever met – authentic, skilled and cares about his clients like they were his own family. If it wasn’t for Russ, I would have been stuck in an annuity until I was far into my 80″s with much of the money lining the pocket of my previous planner. You can trust this one!!! He won’t steer you and your money down the wrong path!!

Russ is generous with his time and Knowledge. He gives great advice and you know he is looking out for your best interest. He is also incredibly kind and will make anyone comfortable speaking with him. The best part is, I am now confident about the choices i’m making with my finances. Thanks Russ!

Russ is not only an incredibly smart and knowledgeable money manager, he also has a calming and caring attitude to what can be a troubling subject. He is very patient and takes the time to get to know you as an individual; your personality and the things that are important in your life. He explains complex issues in a no-nonsense manner and is very responsive. He was a rock during a difficult time and I highly recommend his services.

Russ is amazing. If you have the opportunity, work with him. I’m so thankful that I did!!

Russ is a trustworthy financial advisor who specializes in working with women. He is direct, a good communicator and a really nice person as well. He has made it his work to help women who are widowed and divorced. He is a fiduciary advisor which means that he must put his client’s interests first and works to educate his female clients as he works with them. I read his newsletter as well.