The Lakeland FiduciaryMilitary Financial Planning Is a Specialty — Not a Side Service#
Tampa Bay is one of the most significant military markets in the United States. MacDill Air Force Base is home to U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command. Despite this, genuinely qualified military financial planning is harder to find than the demand would suggest.
What Military Financial Planning Actually Requires#
TSP — Thrift Savings Plan
The TSP rollover question — when, to what, and how — is one of the most consequential financial decisions a service member makes. The G Fund’s unique risk-return profile and TSP’s extremely low expense ratios make this a nuanced decision.
The Blended Retirement System (BRS)
Service members who joined after January 1, 2018 are automatically enrolled in BRS, combining a defined benefit pension at a lower multiplier with TSP matching and continuation pay.
Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)
At retirement, service members must decide within 90 days whether to elect SBP coverage. The election is largely irrevocable and a wrong decision affects a spouse’s financial security for decades.
VA Benefits Coordination
Under CRDP and CRSC, some veterans can receive both military retired pay and VA compensation without offset — but the rules are complex.
Financial Advisors Serving Military Families in Tampa Bay#
Allen & Company
Allen & Company is the oldest investment firm in Florida, founded in 1932 by J. Everett Allen in downtown Lakeland. More than nine decades later, the firm remains headquartered at 1401 S. Florida Avenue with additional offices in Winter Haven and the Space Coast. Generations of Lakeland families have maintained relationships with the firm across decades, which is a meaningful statement about continuity and trust in a market where advisor turnover is common.
The Lakeland advisory team carries an unusually deep credential stack — CFP, CFA, CIMA, CPFA, and CRPS designations are represented across the staff — and the firm's community involvement is embedded in its culture. Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial.
- Specialization
- Retirement planning, investment management, estate planning, corporate retirement plans, private wealth management
- Credentials
- CFP, CFA, CIMA, CPFA, CRPS across advisory team
- Location
- 1401 S. Florida Avenue, Lakeland, FL 33803 • alleninvestments.com
Emerge 180 Wealth Management
Emerge 180 Wealth Management is an independent financial advisory firm with offices in Tampa and Lakeland, FL. The firm helps clients across every stage of their financial life — investment services, risk management, retirement planning, and estate planning — with a planning process built around clarity, customization, and long-term partnership.
Founder Keith DeLoach has provided strategic financial planning and retirement income management for two decades. A 1995 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Keith was commissioned as a Field Artillery officer and served in the 82nd Airborne Division and 3rd Special Forces Group, including a 2002 deployment to Afghanistan. That background shapes how Emerge 180 works: preparation-heavy engagements, recommendations with the reasoning attached, and a process built to put a practical course of action in front of every client.
- Specialization
- Individual & retirement planning, investment & risk management, estate planning, military transition, business owner & executive benefits, high-net-worth strategy
- Credentials
- Founder: West Point graduate, U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, 20+ years advisory experience
- Location
- Tampa & Lakeland, FL • emerge180.com
CPS Investment Advisors
CPS Investment Advisors has been a fixture in the Lakeland financial planning community since 1975 — one of the longest-running independent advisory firms in Lakeland. The firm was founded by CPAs, and that background still shapes how they work: every client relationship integrates CFP-credentialed financial planning with CPA-level tax expertise, which is genuinely uncommon in a single firm.
CPS manages approximately $1.46 billion in client assets and operates out of offices in Lakeland and The Villages. They describe their approach as acting as a client's 'personal CFO' — available not just for annual reviews but as an ongoing partner for the full range of financial decisions.
- Specialization
- Tax-integrated financial planning, retirement income, investment management, business planning
- Fee structure
- Fee-only
- Credentials
- CFP, CPA, PFS across advisory team
- Location
- 205 E. Orange Street, Ste 310, Lakeland, FL 33801 • cpsinvest.com
Cultivate Wealth Management
Cultivate Wealth Management is an independent Lakeland advisory practice led by Matthew J. Antos, CFP and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA). Antos began his financial advisory career in 1996 at Prudential Securities, continued at Merrill Lynch and Smith Barney, and launched his own independent practice in 2007 — bringing nearly three decades of institutional and independent experience to a client-focused practice on East Pine Street in downtown Lakeland.
The firm's dual focus on individual financial planning and business owner exit strategy is backed by Antos's CEPA designation and deep ties to Florida's agricultural and small business community. Monthly economic briefings and quarterly portfolio calls are standard. The firm operates through the LPL Financial platform.
- Specialization
- Retirement planning, business owner exit strategy, investment management, agricultural and Florida business clients
- Credentials
- CFP, CEPA (Matthew Antos)
- Location
- 204 E. Pine Street, Lakeland, FL 33801 • cultivatewm.com
Waverly Advisors — Lakeland (Lee Wall, CPA/PFS/CFP)
Waverly Advisors is a national fee-only RIA managing over $16 billion across 38 offices, with a significant local presence in Lakeland built on the merger with the longtime Wall Foss Advisors practice in 2022. Lee Wall, who now serves as Waverly's Regional Director for Central Florida, is a CPA, Personal Financial Specialist (PFS), and CFP with over two decades of local advisory experience.
For clients who want the resources of a large national RIA combined with an advisor who has served the Lakeland community for decades, the Waverly-Lakeland combination covers a lot of ground. The firm is particularly strong on tax and estate planning coordination alongside investment management.
- Specialization
- Comprehensive wealth management, tax planning, estate coordination, business owner planning
- Fee structure
- Fee-only
- Credentials
- CPA, PFS, CFP (Lee Wall); CFP, CFA across team
- Location
- Lakeland, FL • waverly-advisors.com
CORE Wealth Advisors
CORE Wealth Advisors is an independent RIA headquartered at 124 South Florida Avenue in downtown Lakeland, established in 2013. The firm manages approximately $570 million in client assets across more than 1,000 accounts, with eight financial advisors on staff. Over a third of its client base is made up of high-net-worth individuals with $1 million or more in investable assets.
CORE's motto — 'honesty and integrity above all else' — reflects a firm culture that emphasizes long-term relationship building over transactional service. Multiple fee structures are available depending on the complexity and scope of engagement.
- Specialization
- Financial planning, wealth management, tax planning, estate planning, HNW client services
- Fee structure
- AUM-based, hourly, and fixed fees
- Location
- 124 S. Florida Avenue, 4th Floor, Lakeland, FL 33801 • corewealth.com
MacDill AFB: A Financial Planning Hub#
MacDill’s population of senior officers, Special Operations personnel, and their families represents one of the most complex financial planning markets in Tampa Bay. The advisors who serve this community well understand the specifics of how a 20-year career at MacDill translates into financial decisions.
Florida’s Military Advantage#
- No state income tax on military retired pay, VA disability, or civilian income
- Veteran property tax exemptions, including a full exemption at 100% rated
- Standard Florida homestead exemption with additional veteran benefits
- Major VA facilities in Tampa serving the MacDill community
The TSP Decision: A Deeper Look#
Arguments for keeping TSP: extremely low expense ratios, the unique G Fund, simple fund lineup. Arguments for rolling to an IRA: broader investment universe, Roth conversion opportunities, better estate planning flexibility. Neither answer is always right.
Be cautious of advisors who market heavily to veterans but whose backgrounds are in standard retail products. Ask: what percentage of your clients are military, and what specific military planning training have you completed?
How to Evaluate a Military Financial Advisor#
- Have you served, or do you have immediate family who have?
- How many of your current clients are active duty, transitioning, or retired military?
- Walk me through how you’d analyze the SBP decision for a retiring E-8 with 22 years.
- What TSP rollovers have you helped clients through?
- Do you understand VA disability ratings and CRDP/CRSC?
The Bottom Line#
Tampa Bay’s military community deserves advisors who understand the complexity and specificity of military financial planning.
Talk to a local financial planner
Get clarity on retirement, investments, taxes, and estate planning with Keith DeLoach at Emerge 180 Wealth Management — based in Tampa & Lakeland, FL.
Book a free consultation →This is not financial, tax, or legal advice. The content on this page is provided for general educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security or financial product. Nothing here should be relied upon as a substitute for personalized advice from a qualified fiduciary advisor, CPA, or attorney who knows your specific situation. This site is sponsored by Emerge 180 Wealth Management; no advisor paid for editorial inclusion. Always independently verify any advisor's credentials, regulatory history, and fee structure before engaging their services.