John Mason
CFP®
Mason & Associates, LLC
President and Senior Financial Advisor
John Mason
CFP®
Mason & Associates, LLC
President and Senior Financial Advisor
My focus is to offer unbiased financial advice to empower clients to live their best lives. - John Mason, CFP®
Fee-Only financial planner located in Newport News, VA, serving clients locally and across the country
John Mason is a Newport News, VA fee-only financial planner. Mason & Associates specializes in helping federal employees, state employees, military, and private sector employees organize, grow and protect their assets through life’s transitions. As a fee-only, fiduciary, and independent financial advisor, John Mason is never paid a commission of any kind, and has a legal obligation to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice.
Areas of expertise include the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), retirement planning for military members, and tax planning.
LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST: Federal Employee Financial Planning
We speak specifically to federal employees and the unique planning techniques and strategies to help them maximize their benefits. Mason & Associates have over three decades serving as financial planners for federal employees.
John Mason is a graduate of Virginia Tech's Pamplin School of Business, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Business as a Finance major and completed the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) education requirement. He passed the comprehensive CFP® exam in November 2010 and earned his designation as CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in September 2012. John also holds the Series 66 and Virginia Life & Health Consultant licenses.
John joined Mason & Associates in 2010 and began his career assisting Michael and Kenneth. John earned a partnership position at Mason & Associates in 2017 and is now a Senior Financial Planner. His primary duties consist of working directly with Mason & Associates clients in all aspects of their financial plan. Although John enjoys all areas of financial planning, his favorite subjects are tax, retirement, and estate planning. In addition to working with Federal and State employees, John is the team's specialist with clients who are employees of locally based Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII). John works closely with Tommy Blackburn in developing and implementing technology initiatives at the firm, social media marketing, and is now a co-host of the Mason & Associates Ask the Expert radio show with Michael.
John and his wife, Sara, reside in Yorktown, Virginia. Sara is also a graduate of Virginia Tech and earned a Master's Degree in Education from William and Mary. Although Sara doesn’t work at the company full time, she is instrumental in helping develop new ideas and frequently assists with editing the website, blog posts, e-mail, and client communication pieces. Together, John and Sara enjoy skiing and snowboarding vacations, visiting friends, and going on walks. They welcomed their first child, Carter, in November of 2019 who is now becoming best friends with their golden retriever, Penny.
John Mason is a Member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors - highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
NAPFA members live by three important values:
- To be the beacon for independent, objective financial advice for individuals and families.
- To be the champion of financial services delivered in the public interest.
- To be the standard bearer for the emerging profession of financial planning.
We place clients' interests first and empower them to live their best life.
Mason & Associates, LLC is an independent, fee-only financial planning firm located in Newport News, Virginia. Our firm was founded in 2003 as the “go-to” firm for Federal employees seeking comprehensive financial planning advice. Success over the years has expanded our areas of specialty to include members of the Armed Forces, Virginia State Employees (Virginia Retirement System - VRS), Huntington Ingalls Industries personnel, and all private sector employees. Our goal is to maximize the use of employer-based pensions and benefits and guide clients as they supplement these benefits with private plans and investments.
The Mason Financial Planning Team offers comprehensive financial planning to State and Federal employees throughout the Peninsula and Tidewater region of Virginia (Williamsburg, Newport News, Hampton, Yorktown, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach). Because of our location in Hampton Roads, VA, we have the unique opportunity to specialize with Federal, State, and Military personnel due to our close proximity to Langley Air Force Base, Little Creek Base, Ft. Eustis Army Base, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, NASA, Department of Defense, and the VA Hospital, to name a few. You do not have to be a State or Federal employee to enjoy our exceptional planning services, but if you are, you absolutely want Mason & Associates on your team.
In addition, since many of our clients are Federal/Military, we utilize technology to maintain long-distance relationships with people who live all over the country. If you move from Virginia or live in another state, don't worry - we can work with you!
Tune in to the Mason & Associates Financial Planning Radio Show to hear more about financial planning strategies. Michael and John co-host the bimonthly call-in radio show, heard locally on WNIS AM 790. The show airs the first and third Tuesday of every month from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
OUR MISSION
We provide unique, transparent, and comprehensive financial planning advice that places clients' interests first and empowers them to live their best life.
OUR VISION
To uphold our commitment to family values, exceptional customer service, and individualized financial planning advice for future generations as we expand our team of qualified financial professionals.
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Retirement Income Planning
- Investment Management
- Tax Planning
Ideal Clients
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Diligent Savers with $700,000 or More Saved for Retirement
- Nice People
- Looking for a Trusted Advisor
- Business Owners and Executives
Working Together
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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John Mason is a NAPFA-Registered Financial AdvisorThe National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors—highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
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John Mason is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for VerificationCFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can use the CFP® designation.
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John Mason is a member of The Financial Planning Association® (FPA®)FPA® is the largest membership organization for CFP® professionals in the U.S. and supports high standards of professional competence, ethical conduct, and clear, complete disclosure when serving clients.
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John Mason is a Member of the XY Planning NetworkThe XY Planning Network is the leading organization of fee-only financial advisors who are focused on working with Generation X and Generation Y clients. Our mission is to connect consumers with best-in-class financial advisors who specialize in working with clients just like you.
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John Mason is a Featured Guest on The Perfect RIA Podcast "What Works Wednesday Creating A Surge Process That Works For You"
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John Mason is interviewed on WAVY 10: "Military retirees have rare opportunity to change their minds on survivor benefits"
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John Mason is Quoted in Financial Planning Magazine: "A $2 trillion fraud with employee retention credits puts financial advisors on edge"
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John Mason is Quoted in Investor's Business Daily: "When Should You Start Taking Social Security? Ask Advisors"
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John Mason is Quoted on AP News: "Kimberly Palmer: Spring-clean finances with some automation"
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John Mason is Quoted in US News and World Report: "10 Social Security Calculators That Can Help You Decide When to Claim"
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John Mason Provides Expert Advice: Bundling Home and Auto Insurance on Money Geek
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John Mason is Featured on AdvicePay Financial Advisor Community Blog: "Success Stories: Mason & Associates, LLC"
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John Mason is a Guest on XYPN Radio: "Ep #296: Transitioning an Established Practice to Fee-Only: A Conversation with John Mason and Tommy Blackburn"
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Mason & Associates, LLC is an Accredited Member of the Better Business Bureau
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Mason & Associates, LLC is Featured on NewportNewsVA.com
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John Mason Co-Hosts Mason & Associates "Ask The Expert" Radio Show
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John Mason is Quoted in the Richmond Times Dispatch: "Home-grown real estate business expands outside of the Richmond region into other states"
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John Mason is Featured on Business Wire: "John Mason Earns Financial Planning Credentials from Certified Financial Board of Standards, Inc."
Contact John Mason
Office Locations:
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2 Bayport Way
Suite 110
Newport News, VA 23606
