FAQs

All walks of life – married, single divorced, and widowed; blue collar and white collar; retirees, pre-retirees, business owners, executives, employees, families, couples, parents; folks still building wealth and those already living off what they’ve built.

We help with life’s biggest money decisions: when to take Social Security, how to handle a pension or PERA, preparing for retirement, whether to sell or start a business, education planning, and how to pass money to the next generation.

Just as often, our job is simply to explain things plainly, calm your nerves, and help you feel at peace about your money.

We provide comprehensive wealth management and financial planning services, including:

• Financial planning
• Investment management and portfolio design
• Retirement planning
• Tax-efficient planning strategies
• Insurance planning and risk management
• Estate planning coordination
• Education planning
• Charitable giving strategies

Our process integrates all aspects of your financial life so your investments, taxes, estate plan, and retirement strategy work together.

Yes. We act as a fiduciary at all times.

That means we are legally and ethically obligated to act in your best interest. Our recommendations are designed around your goals, risk tolerance, and long-term financial well-being—not commissions or product sales.

Our name, Fidelis, is Latin for loyal. Founder Sam Tenney holds both the CFP® and AIF® designations, each of which carries its own duty to act in your best interest.

Sam’s rule guides everything we do: “Do the right thing, and the results will take care of themselves.”

Our team holds the CFP®, AIF®, CPA, MBA, and CPFA® credentials, and Sam has guided clients through major financial decisions since 2000.

Don’t just take our word for it — you can verify any CFP® professional’s standing yourself at cfp.net/verify-a-cfp-professional. We’d rather earn your trust than ask for it.

Many advisors focus primarily on investment management. We are financial planning focused first.

Our approach is holistic and collaborative. We coordinate with your CPA, estate attorney, and other trusted professionals to ensure your plan is aligned across every area of your financial life.

Our core values guide everything we do:

• Discipline
• Innovation
• Relationship
• Respect
• Transparency

This allows us to deliver a more structured, proactive, and client-centered experience.

Clear, upfront fees with no surprises — a flat fee for a specific project, an hourly rate for planning, or a percentage of the investments we manage for you.

The first dollar invested is typically charged at 1.25% per year, and the rate drops as your investments grow. Across all clients, our blended average works out to under 1% (your own fee may be higher or lower).

No proprietary products, no hidden commissions, no sales quotas. Fidelis is privately owned and not for sale — we’ve declined the industry trend of selling to private-equity firms so our loyalty stays with you.

We start with your life and goals, not with investments — mapping out what you’re saving for, running the numbers, and stress-testing the plan against tough markets before recommending anything.

We also talk honestly about how much market ups and downs you can handle, so your portfolio fits your comfort level as well as your goals.

The aim is simple: help you sleep at night and never dread opening your statement — staying focused on your long-term goals instead of the daily headlines.

Yes. Retirement planning is one of our core specialties.

We help clients:

• Determine when they can retire
• Create sustainable income strategies
• Optimize Social Security decisions
• Minimize taxes in retirement
• Structure distributions from retirement accounts
• Protect against longevity and healthcare risks

Our goal is to help you retire with confidence and clarity.

Business owners face unique planning challenges. We provide guidance in areas such as:

• Business succession planning
• Exit strategy planning
• Retirement plan design (401(k), SEP IRA, etc.)
• Risk management and insurance planning
• Tax-efficient compensation strategies

We help you integrate your business and personal financial plan so both work together effectively.

While we do not prepare tax returns, we incorporate proactive tax planning into your financial strategy.

We look for opportunities to:

• Improve tax efficiency within your investment portfolio
• Strategically manage capital gains
• Optimize retirement account withdrawals
• Coordinate Roth conversions
• Align charitable giving strategies with tax goals

We collaborate with your CPA to ensure your financial plan supports your tax strategy.
 

Yes. Estate planning is an essential part of comprehensive wealth management.

We work alongside your estate attorney to ensure your assets are titled properly, beneficiaries are coordinated, and your estate plan aligns with your overall financial goals. We also help families think through legacy planning, wealth transfer strategies, and charitable giving.

A comprehensive financial plan typically includes:

• Retirement income projections
• Investment strategy design
• Risk management and insurance review
• Tax planning strategies
• Estate planning coordination
• Education funding analysis
• Cash flow and savings planning

It is not a one-time document—it is an ongoing process that evolves with your life.

We can meet however suits you best — in person, by phone, or video. Our home office is in Castle Rock, CO, with advisors in Wyoming, Texas, and South Carolina. We’ll gladly meet at your home, over lunch, on the golf course, or at work.

Early on we spend more time together — as much as both of us need to feel comfortable with the plan — often meeting several times in the first year or two.

After that we settle into a steady rhythm of at least one review a year, with check-ins and answers to your questions anytime in between.

We’d rather be upfront than hide anything. A few team members are licensed to offer life insurance (mostly basic term coverage) as a courtesy to clients — and it accounts for only about 1% of our revenue over the three years ending 12/31/2025 (subject to change).

John Van Sant keeps a broker-dealer license solely to serve clients who hold existing commission-based products — not to sell anything new. Being privately owned means no outside owner is ever pushing us to sell more.

We’re glad to share the kinds of clients and situations we work with every day, within the rules that govern testimonials.

But the truest test isn’t a list or an award — it’s a conversation. Come meet us and ask the hard questions.

The first step is a conversation.

We begin by learning about your goals, concerns, and financial picture. From there, we outline how our financial planning process works and determine whether our firm is the right partner for you.

Our goal is to build a long-term relationship centered on clarity, confidence, and disciplined decision-making.

If you’re ready to get started, click here.