Serving Paradise Valley, Arizona
You've built a business, a career, a portfolio. Now you need someone who can coordinate income, investments, taxes, and timing — so the transition from saving to spending happens on your terms.Phoenix office — minutes from Camelback Mountain and Lincoln Drive
Schedule a Free Intro CallZachary Holly is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ who has worked with high-net-worth Paradise Valley pre-retirees and families for over 15 years. His practice addresses the financial complexity that comes with Paradise Valley-level wealth: large real estate holdings, business exits, concentrated stock positions, multi-generational wealth transfer, and charitable giving at scale.
If your net worth is spread across a multi-million-dollar primary residence, investment accounts, a business interest, and perhaps a concentrated stock position — the coordination problem is real. Zach serves as the central professional who sees the full picture and ensures all the pieces work together.
On This Page
This page answers the questions most Paradise Valley pre-retirees and families ask before they ever pick up the phone.
Who This Is For
You've spent 20 years building something. Now you're thinking about what's next — selling, transitioning, or scaling down. The business exit is your retirement plan. Zach has guided Paradise Valley business owners through exits ranging from seven to eight figures, treating sale structure, tax strategy, and retirement income as one integrated conversation.
You've done the saving. Now you need the income plan. Social Security timing, withdrawal sequencing, tax bracket management, healthcare cost projections — coordinated into one strategy that shows you exactly what retirement looks like, year by year, through every market condition.
Stock options. RSUs. Deferred compensation. You've accumulated wealth in forms that don't behave like a regular IRA. The tax implications of exercising, selling, or holding can swing your retirement by hundreds of thousands. Zach helps executives build plans that coordinate equity comp with the rest of the picture.
Paradise Valley-Specific
Paradise Valley is its own market. The financial planning conversations here involve complexity you won't find in most of the Valley.
In Paradise Valley, a primary residence valued at $3M, $5M, or $8M+ is not unusual. When the home represents 50–70% of net worth, the retirement plan has a single enormous asset that's both the largest store of value and entirely illiquid. Zach integrates real estate into the income, tax, and estate strategy as a central variable — not a footnote.
At Paradise Valley levels of wealth, what happens after retirement matters as much as retirement itself. Trust structures, gifting strategies, generation-skipping transfer tax planning, and coordination between your financial plan and estate documents are not afterthoughts — they drive decisions today.
Snowbirds aren't rare in Paradise Valley — they're the norm. Residency audits, state-by-state tax treatment of retirement income, and two-state coordination are routine. Zach serves AZ, CA, and CO residents for exactly this reason.
The DAF conversation in Paradise Valley isn't "should we give?" — it's "how do we structure it to minimize taxes and maximize impact?" Zach has guided clients through DAF setup, QCDs from IRAs, and charitable remainder trust planning.
Paradise Valley's cost of living is in a different category. Property taxes on a PV estate. Maintenance and staffing. HOA and club fees in gated communities. If your retirement income plan assumes Phoenix-level expenses, you'll undershoot by miles. Zach builds realistic, PV-calibrated expense projections into every plan.
Paradise Valley residents: the intro call is free, takes 30 minutes, and gives you a clear starting point.
Schedule Your Free Intro CallWhat to Watch For
After 15+ years of working with high-net-worth pre-retirees and families, these are the mistakes Zach sees most often — and the ones that are entirely avoidable with proper planning.
"Do I have enough?" is the question everyone asks. It's the wrong question. Retirement is thirty-plus years — each year has its own income need, its own tax profile, and its own market conditions. Zach builds year-by-year income projections that show you exactly what retirement looks like in 2028, 2035, and 2045.
The difference between claiming at 62 and waiting until 70 can be hundreds of thousands of dollars. Most people don't run the analysis — they just claim when it feels right. Zach runs breakeven analyses, spousal coordination strategies, and tax-impact models for every client before they claim.
The order of market returns matters more than the average. A sharp decline in the first three years of retirement can permanently impair a plan. Zach stress-tests every plan against historical worst-case sequences — 2000, 2008, 2022 — so you know where you stand.
Medicare covers less than most assume. Long-term care alone can cost $100K–$200K+ per year. For Paradise Valley residents accustomed to a certain standard of care, the gap between Medicare coverage and quality care costs is substantial. Zach builds realistic projections into every plan.
By the time RMDs kick in, it's usually too late. The window for Roth conversions, strategic IRA withdrawals, and tax-bracket management is between retirement and RMD age. Zach starts tax planning before retirement begins.
A surprising number of financially sophisticated Paradise Valley residents have never documented their retirement plan. Every Zach Holly client receives a written, scenario-tested plan — with nothing left to memory.
Your house is a spectacular asset. It's also 40–60% of your net worth — and entirely illiquid. Zach's plans account for real estate without depending on it as the sole retirement solution.
Donor-advised funds, charitable remainder trusts, and QCDs from IRAs work dramatically better when integrated into the year-round financial plan — not tacked on at year-end. Zach helps PV families build charitable strategies that reduce taxes and increase impact.
Why It Matters
Paradise Valley has its share of wealth managers. The CFP® designation separates planners who have met a rigorous fiduciary standard from those who have not — and carries a legal obligation to act in your best interest. Zach has held the CFP® designation for over a decade.
Beyond the credential, Zach brings a specific focus most advisors don't offer: retirement income as the primary discipline — integrated with business exit planning, concentrated position diversification, and multi-state tax coordination.
How We Work
No pressure. No jargon. Just a straightforward process designed to give you a clear picture of where you stand.
30 minutes, no obligation. You share where you are and what you're trying to figure out. Zach listens and gives you an honest read.
A full audit of your financial picture — business interests, equity comp, real estate, retirement accounts. This is where clarity begins.
A scenario-tested strategy mapping your income through retirement — including business exit timing, tax management, and multi-state coordination.
Life changes, markets change, tax laws change. Zach stays engaged with regular reviews and is available between meetings for major decisions.
Zachary Holly works with clients throughout Paradise Valley and the surrounding communities. His Phoenix office at 1300 E. Missouri Avenue is approximately 15–20 minutes from Paradise Valley, making in-person meetings convenient for PV clients.
Common Questions
A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ has completed rigorous education, passed a comprehensive 6-hour exam, and accumulated thousands of hours of experience. CFPs are held to a fiduciary standard — legally required to act in your best interest, not just recommend "suitable" products. Zach has held the CFP® designation for over a decade.
Zach works on a fee-based model. The initial consultation is free — a 30-minute conversation to determine if there's a fit. Ongoing planning fees vary based on complexity. You'll know the cost before you commit to anything.
That's exactly when you need one. When multiple professionals manage pieces of your financial life — and nobody connects the dots — gaps, overlaps, and missed opportunities compound. Zach serves as the central coordinator who sees the full picture.
Don't sell it all at once without a plan. Tax-efficient diversification — using exchange funds, charitable remainder trusts, covered calls, or staged selling across multiple tax years — can dramatically reduce the tax cost. Zach models the options before any move is made.
The earlier, the better — but Zach's practice is particularly well-suited for people 5–15 years from retirement, or who have already retired and want to make sure their income strategy is built to last. If you're in that window, this is when the planning decisions have the most impact.
Yes. Zach serves clients across Arizona, California, and Colorado. Our office is in Phoenix, minutes from Paradise Valley. Virtual meetings are available for clients who prefer them.
The 30-minute introductory call is a conversation — not a sales pitch. Zach will ask about your situation, your goals, and what's prompting you to explore financial planning now. If there's a fit, he'll outline what working together looks like. If not, he'll tell you honestly. Zero pressure.
Paradise Valley residents: schedule a free 30-minute intro call with Zachary Holly, CFP®. No commitment, no pitch — just a clear conversation about where you are and where you want to go.
Schedule Your Free Intro CallLicensed in Arizona, California & Colorado · 1300 E. Missouri Ave, Suite 230, Phoenix, AZ 85014 · (602) 954-8766