You help others invest. Who helps you plan?

Vanguard employees have unique planning needs

Working at Vanguard means you already know more about investing than most people ever will. But the financial decisions that matter most aren't about picking funds — they're about coordinating your full picture: taxes, retirement timing, estate planning, and making all the pieces work together.

That's where an outside advisor adds value — not by second-guessing Vanguard's investment philosophy, but by building the plan around it.

What we help Vanguard employees with

• Retirement plan optimization — Maximizing your Vanguard 401(k), understanding your pension benefit (if applicable), and coordinating with outside accounts.
• Tax-aware planning — Roth vs. traditional decisions, backdoor Roth strategies, tax-loss harvesting across taxable accounts, and IRMAA planning as you approach Medicare age.
• Retirement income strategy — When to retire, how to draw from each account, Social Security timing, and building an income floor that doesn't depend on market performance.
• Concentrated position management — If you hold significant Vanguard partnership interests or deferred compensation, we help you think through diversification and liquidity planning.
• Estate planning coordination — Beneficiary reviews, trust structure, and making sure your estate plan reflects your current life — not the one you had five years ago.
• Job transition planning — Leaving Vanguard? We model the financial impact of leaving, including what happens to deferred comp, pension, and how to roll accounts efficiently.

Independent, fee-only, and fiduciary

We don't work for Vanguard — or any other company. Blackshire is fully independent, fee-only, and fiduciary. We don't sell products, earn commissions, or have any incentive other than giving you the best advice we can. We respect Vanguard's investment philosophy and build our planning around low-cost, evidence-based strategies.

Right in your backyard

Vanguard's campus is in Malvern, PA. Our office is in West Chester — about 10 minutes down Route 202. Many of our Vanguard clients live across the Main Line and Chester County: Malvern, Wayne, Paoli, Exton, Downingtown, and West Chester.

Meet the team

Blackshire was founded by Henry Supinski, supported by Ron Madey (CFA, Chief Investment Officer), Ken Kideckel (CFA, CFP®), and a dedicated team. We bring institutional-grade rigor to personal financial planning.

Learn more about our team →