“All of us would be better investors if we just made fewer decisions.”
– Daniel Kahneman, Princeton Professor of Psychology
(408) 689-8211 · (503) 290-1089
Joseph Alfonso, CFP®, ChFC®, EA, RICP®, RSSA® founded Aegis Financial Advisory and is the principal financial planner for the firm. He received his B.A. in Philosophy from Cornell University.
Joe works with pre-retiree couples to help them successfully transition to a life in retirement secure in the knowledge that they will always be able to afford their chosen lifestyle. He achieves this goal by leveraging his expertise in Social Security and retirement income planning. He is also a certified tax professional and performs “tax-aware” planning to save you money at every opportunity. Tax planning is especially important in retirement as a way to minimize the taxation of retirement account distributions and Social Security benefits, thereby maximizing your spendable retirement income.
Joe is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and an Enrolled Agent, admitted to practice before the IRS to represent taxpayers at all administrative levels for audits, collections, and appeals. He is a member of The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), the nation’s preeminent organization of fee-only financial planners, and was elected to the Board of Directors for the Western Region. Joe follows a comprehensive approach based on the belief that true planning is an ongoing process requiring continued advisor-client engagement.
He is often quoted in the national media and has appeared in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, Smart Money and US News and World Report. Joe and his approach to investing were featured in The Wall Street Journal Online.
Joe is fluent in both Japanese and Spanish. He currently lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon with his wife, two sons and black lab. When not working with clients and spending time with family Joe can be found pursuing his inner athlete at the gym.
Client-Centered Life Planning
Our mission is to help you identify your key life goals and the obstacles standing in the way of your achieving them. We then apply our knowledge and experience to help you knock these obstacles down, one by one. Unlike many advisors, we do not lead with solutions. We focus first and foremost on helping you determine what you want to achieve. The better job we do together uncovering your goals, the more naturally the solutions for realizing them will flow and the more closely these goals will fit your values and core beliefs.
All of our work with you will be centered on your priorities, not ours, and our success will be measured by how well you achieve and maintain the life you deserve.
When you work with us, you can expect:
- Loyalty.We don’t sell any financial products or receive any commissions. As a fee-only financial advisor, our only compensation is what you pay for our professional advice. Our complete focus is on what is best for you.
- All-inclusive approach.Together we evaluate all aspects of your finances and design a long-term strategy whose components complement each other and reflect your values and life goals. We focus attention on areas of your financial life that are often overlooked or ignored by other advisors.
- Access. Life is constantly changing. Our annual fee includes all of our services and also allows you to consult with us as often as necessary to address any issue impacting your financial life.
- Value for your money.We are committed to providing value that exceeds our fee and work to save you more than we charge.
- The highest professional standards.We are committed to the NAPFA Code of Ethics and The Committee for the Fiduciary Standard Oath — your assurance of receiving the ethical and professional treatment you deserve.
About Our Logo
The logo for the firm is based on the image of the Aegis from Greek mythology. The Aegis was the shield of Zeus, fashioned for him by Hephaestus. The word aegis has entered modern English to mean protection or security.
Our goal is to be a trusted advisor, guide and educator for our clients as they endeavor to realize their most cherished life goals and objectives. We always place client’s interests first and work hard to ensure that the recommendations we make truly reflect their core goals and personal values. We also endeavor to be a strong advocate for our clients and guide them successfully through the many life transitions we all experience.
Given our client-centric focus and commitment to placing client’s interests first, we believe the Aegis is a fitting symbol and this is the reason it comprises the central element of the logo for the firm.