Fee-Only Financial Planning,
Right Here in Knoxville
Fiduciary, tax-focused wealth planning for Knoxville professionals, executives, academics, and families approaching or living in retirement — backed by the full resources of Oasis Wealth Planning.
Tax-Focused Fiduciaries. Genuinely Independent.
Oasis Wealth Planning is a fee-only fiduciary firm — legally and professionally required to act in your interests, never ours. No commissions. No product sales. No hidden conflicts.
Based at our Nashville headquarters and serving clients throughout Tennessee, Oasis Wealth Planning brings the resources of a multi-credentialed, full-service advisory team directly to Knoxville. Our advisors meet in-person at our Gay Street location in downtown Knoxville, or by secure video — whichever works best for you.
Our Knoxville clients include executives and senior professionals navigating complex compensation and equity, university faculty and researchers managing retirement transitions, business owners planning a thoughtful exit, and individuals and families who simply want a trusted, conflict-free guide for the years ahead.
Our team holds credentials that are uncommon even at large firms — CFP®, CPA, JD, LLM, CFA, and CKA — which means tax strategy, retirement income, legal considerations, and investment management are woven together, not handled separately. That integration is where the most meaningful financial decisions get made.
Knoxville Meeting Location
Knoxville, TN 37929
What Makes Oasis Different
We built this firm around one idea: that financial advice should be genuinely unbiased, deeply personalized, and grounded in real expertise — not in what earns us a commission.
Pure Fiduciary — No Exceptions
We are legally required to act in your best interest at all times. We never receive commissions, never sell products, and never have a financial incentive that conflicts with your goals. That's the fiduciary standard — and it's the only standard we operate under.
Tax Strategy Built In — Not Bolted On
Our lead advisor holds a CPA, JD, and LLM in taxation — an exceptionally rare combination in wealth management. Roth conversions, RMD strategy, income sequencing, and year-round tax planning aren't afterthoughts. They're woven into every recommendation from day one.
A Relationship, Not a Transaction
You'll work directly with our senior advisors — not handed off to a junior associate. Our ongoing client relationships include continuous monitoring, proactive outreach when something changes, and regular reviews that keep your plan aligned with your life as it actually unfolds.
Built for Knoxville's Professionals, Executives & Families
East Tennessee has a distinct professional landscape — and the financial planning needs that come with it. Our Knoxville clients tend to fall into a few recognizable groups.
University of Tennessee Faculty & Academics
UT faculty and researchers often navigate ORP allocations, 403(b) decisions, phased retirement options, and supplemental savings — alongside the unique timing considerations of academic careers. We help translate complex benefit structures into clear, actionable retirement plans tailored to the academic life cycle.
TVA, ORNL & Federal Employees
The Tennessee Valley Authority and Oak Ridge National Laboratory are among the region's largest employers, each with layered pension, deferred compensation, and federal benefits. We help employees and retirees extract maximum value from these packages — and coordinate them intelligently with Social Security and Medicare.
Executives & Senior Professionals
Whether you're navigating equity compensation, deferred bonuses, a significant liquidity event, or simply the complexity that comes with a high-income career, we bring the tax expertise and investment discipline to help you convert professional success into long-term financial security.
Widows, Female Executives & Women in Transition
Gosia Piela brings particular care and expertise to women navigating financial transitions — whether that means losing a spouse, stepping into primary financial decision-making for the first time, or managing wealth alongside a demanding executive career. She has a gift for bringing clarity and confidence to situations that can feel overwhelming.
East Tennessee Business Owners
If you've built a business here, your retirement plan is inseparable from your exit strategy. We work with Knoxville-area business owners on succession planning, sale readiness, tax-efficient transitions, and converting business equity into a reliable income stream for life.
Near-Retirees & Retirees
Tennessee's income tax advantage is real — but it still requires thoughtful federal planning to maximize. We help families in the final stretch before retirement — and those already in it — build income strategies that are durable, tax-efficient, and genuinely suited to the life they want to live.
Comprehensive Planning — Not a Product Menu
We take a holistic view of your financial life, weaving retirement income, tax strategy, investments, and estate planning into one integrated, living plan.
Retirement Income Planning
Cash flow modeling, withdrawal sequencing, our matched-bucket income approach, and Social Security optimization — built for confidence in any market environment.
Tax & Roth Conversion Strategy
Led by a CPA and tax attorney: proactive Roth conversions, bracket management, RMD strategy, and year-round tax planning — not just April filing.
Investment Management
Academically grounded, goals-aligned portfolio management — matched to your income timeline, risk tolerance, and life priorities, not a generic questionnaire.
Planning for Widows & Women in Transition
Gosia Piela brings dedicated expertise to widows, female executives, and women stepping into primary financial decision-making — with clarity, patience, and genuine partnership.
Executive Compensation & Equity Planning
Stock options, RSUs, deferred compensation, and concentrated positions — we bring tax-aware strategies to the complexity that comes with executive roles.
Estate & Legacy Planning
Beneficiary designations, asset titling, charitable giving strategies, and coordination with your estate attorney — so your legacy is structured intentionally, not by default.
"Are you using your life to pursue money — or your money to pursue a life?" Our planning starts with that question, and everything else follows from it. — Steve Martin
Senior Advisors. Direct Relationships. Real Accountability.
Knoxville clients work directly with our lead advisors — drawing on the full depth of our Nashville-based team — from your very first conversation through every decision that matters.
Steve combines the credentials of a certified financial planner, CPA, attorney, and tax law specialist — a rare combination that means your retirement plan and your tax strategy are never in conflict. He serves clients as a personal CFO: asking the right questions, synthesizing the full picture, and helping people make consequential decisions with genuine clarity.
Serves Knoxville and Nashville in-person & by video
With more than 30 years in wealth management — spanning portfolio management, financial planning, and investment research — Mel brings exceptional breadth to retirement income strategy and investment oversight. He is particularly attuned to the concerns of widows and surviving spouses, drawing on both deep expertise and genuine compassion in those engagements.
Serves Knoxville and Nashville in-person & by video
Gosia graduated summa cum laude in Financial Planning and built her practice around proactive tax planning for retirees and families. She has a particular gift for working with widows, female executives, and women navigating significant financial transitions — bringing patient, thorough guidance to situations that can feel isolating or overwhelming. Her clients often describe her as the advisor who finally made everything make sense.
Serves Knoxville and Nashville in-person & by video
Our Knoxville advisors are supported by the full Oasis team in Nashville — including investment operations, client services, and planning support. Meet the complete team →
What Knoxville Clients Ask Us
We hear these questions often from East Tennessee professionals and families. Here are our straightforward answers.
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What does "fee-only" actually mean for me?
It means we are paid only by you — never by product manufacturers, insurance companies, or investment firms. No commissions, no referral fees, no trailing revenue. Our financial interest is aligned with yours by design, not by promise.
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Do you provide tax advice? ...prepare income tax returns?
Yes, we are tax-focused financial planners that provide tax advice. We also offer tax preparation for those clients that prefer a one-stop shop. We have a CPA on staff, and our Wealth Advisors are trained in key tax minimization strategies and integrate these strategies with the rest of your financial life.
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Do you serve a particular niceh?
We primarily work near retirees, retirees, and widows, yet we do work with those where retirement is not right around the corner. We serve a variety of professions, including exectuives, professionals (attorneys, engineers, etc.), health care professionals, academics, business owners, and a range of individuals that value good old-fashioned hard work.
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I'm a widow and not sure where to start. Can you help?
Absolutely — and this is an area we take seriously. Gosia Piela in particular works closely with widows and women managing finances on their own, often for the first time. We start slowly, explain everything, and move at your pace. The goal is clarity and confidence — not speed.
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How does the introductory process work?
It begins with a relaxed, no-commitment call — typically 20 to 30 minutes — where we learn about your situation and you learn about how we work. No pressure, no sales pitch. If it's a good fit, we move forward together. If not, we'll tell you honestly.
Start with a Simple Conversation
Whether you're a Knoxville executive planning your next chapter, a UT faculty member approaching retirement, or someone who simply wants an honest, independent financial partner — the first step is easy.
(865) 888 9399Serving Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Farragut, Maryville, Lenoir City, and East Tennessee — in person at 800 S. Gay St. or by secure video from anywhere.