Building a retirement paycheck
Create a dependable retirement paycheck and decide where withdrawals should come from as spending and circumstances change.
St. Louis Flat-Fee Financial Planning
Retirement planning in St. Louis
Before we talk about investments, we begin by understanding your values, your goals, and what you want retirement to look like.
Retirement brings a lot of important decisions—how you'll create income, when to claim Social Security, how taxes fit into the picture, and how your investments should support the life you want to live. We help you see how those decisions fit together and build one thoughtful, ongoing plan around what matters most to you.
The decisions we help you navigate
Confidence comes from seeing the whole picture.
Income, taxes, investments, Social Security, Medicare, healthcare costs, and legacy goals are all connected. When each decision is made with the others in mind, your retirement plan becomes more resilient, more tax-efficient, and better aligned with the life you want to live.
Making taxes part of the plan
Coordinate taxable, tax-deferred, and Roth accounts so taxes are considered across your full retirement—not one year at a time.
Investing for the life ahead
Build a diversified portfolio around the income you need, the risks you can live with, and the amount of safety that helps you feel comfortable.
Deciding whether Roth conversions make sense
Look at whether partial Roth conversions could improve flexibility and reduce taxes later in retirement.
Coordinating Social Security and Medicare
Think through when to claim Social Security, how Medicare premiums may be affected, and how both fit with the rest of your income plan.
Understanding Missouri's tax rules
Missouri no longer taxes Social Security benefits and offers a public pension exemption—but coordinating that with federal taxes, RMDs, and withdrawal timing still takes planning.
Our community
Proud to serve the St. Louis community—and clients nationwide.
Mayfair Financial is based in Kirkwood and works with people throughout the St. Louis region, including Webster Groves, Clayton, Ladue, Frontenac, Town and Country, and Chesterfield, as well as clients across the country. Every meeting is virtual, so the experience is the same whether you live nearby or several states away.
- Kirkwood
- St. Louis
- Webster Groves
- Clayton
- Ladue
- Frontenac
- Town and Country
- Chesterfield
Mayfair Financial LLC · St. Louis, MO
314-882-9252 ·
joe.petry@mayfair-financial.com
Mayfair Financial LLC
Serving St. Louis, MO and the surrounding metro area.
All meetings are conducted virtually.
Serving St. Louis, MO and the surrounding metro area.
All meetings are conducted virtually.
Meet Joe
Deep expertise, explained with clarity.
As an economist, Certified Financial Planner® and Enrolled Agent, Joe brings deep technical expertise to the decisions retirement requires. But clients do not come to Mayfair looking for more complexity. They come for clear explanations, thoughtful guidance, and confidence in the choices ahead.
Joe Petry
Ph.D. Economist · CFP® · EA
Joe founded Mayfair Financial to offer thoughtful retirement advice built around long-term relationships—not product sales or asset-based fees. Many of the people he works with are fellow St. Louisans preparing for one of life's biggest transitions.
- Fee-only fiduciary advice
- No commissions or asset-based fee
- Retirement-focused ongoing planning
- Investment management included
- Virtual meetings wherever you live
Recognized by clients
Joe Petry was recognized with Wealthtender's 2026 Voice of the Client Highly Rated Advisor Award, based on verified client reviews.
Read client reviews →
Is Mayfair right for you?
Retirement looks different for everyone. Good planning starts there.
Mayfair may be a good fit when you want more than a portfolio recommendation. You want someone who will understand your priorities, help you weigh the tradeoffs, and keep the many parts of your retirement plan working together.
You are approaching retirement
You want to know what needs to happen before the paycheck stops—and feel ready for the transition.
You want the whole picture considered
You want your investments, taxes, income, and legacy goals considered together rather than in separate conversations.
You prefer a flat fee
You prefer knowing the advisory fee in advance instead of paying more simply because your portfolio is larger.
You want tax-aware guidance
You want help understanding how withdrawals, Roth conversions, Social Security, RMDs, and Medicare premiums affect one another.
You value an ongoing relationship
You want an advisor who stays involved as life changes—not a one-time plan that sits on a shelf.
You appreciate a calm approach
You value evidence-based guidance over market predictions, sales pressure, or constant changes.
Questions
Questions St. Louis families often ask us.
Retirement brings a lot of important decisions—how to turn savings
into income, when to claim Social Security, how taxes fit into the
picture, and how investments should support the years ahead.
Mayfair helps clients bring those decisions together in one
thoughtful, ongoing plan.
Cost varies by advisor and pricing model. Mayfair Financial charges
a flat fee agreed to in advance, rather than a percentage of
assets managed, so the cost doesn't rise automatically as a
portfolio grows. Exact pricing depends on the complexity of your
situation and is discussed during an initial conversation.
No. Beginning with the 2024 tax year, Missouri fully exempts
Social Security benefits from state income tax, regardless of
income level. Public pension income also receives a partial
exemption up to an indexed annual limit. Coordinating these state
rules with federal taxes and other retirement income is still an
important part of the planning process.
No. Mayfair Financial is based in Kirkwood, Missouri, and serves
many clients throughout the St. Louis area, as well as clients
nationwide. All meetings are conducted virtually by video or phone,
regardless of where you live.
Yes. Every meeting is virtual, whether you live in St. Louis or
elsewhere. Clients meet with Joe by video or phone and receive the
same ongoing, personal relationship wherever they are.
Yes. Mayfair Financial is a fee-only fiduciary firm. It does not
receive commissions, sales loads, or referral fees for recommended
financial products.
A flat fee is agreed upon in advance and does not rise automatically
as the portfolio grows. An assets-under-management fee is calculated
as a percentage of the assets managed, so the dollar cost generally
increases with portfolio value.
Yes. Investment management is included and coordinated with your
retirement income, taxes, withdrawal strategy, Social Security,
Medicare, and the other decisions shaping your plan.
Explore Mayfair
Learn more about working with Mayfair.
Every retirement is different.
The first conversation is simply a chance to talk about what is on your mind, learn how Mayfair works, and see whether the relationship feels like a good fit.
Schedule with Joe Petry, Ph.D., CFP®, EA →