Joseph Goetz
Ph.D., M.S., M.A., CRC®, AFC®
Elwood & Goetz Wealth Advisory Group, LLC
Founding Partner & CIO
Joseph Goetz
Ph.D., M.S., M.A., CRC®, AFC®
Elwood & Goetz Wealth Advisory Group, LLC
Founding Partner & CIO
As a fee-only financial planner and true legal fiduciary, I put my clients first 100% of the time. Working alongside one of the most credentialed advisory teams in the country, we provide innovative and responsive service focused on our clients' complete financial well-being. - Joseph Goetz, Ph.D., M.S., M.A., CRC®, AFC®
Let’s build the future that matters most to you. Serving clients locally and across the country.

Elwood & Goetz Wealth Advisory Group is an independent fee-only financial planning and investment management firm with offices in Atlanta; Athens, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; and Naples, Florida. Helping clients navigate their financial future is a responsibility we take seriously. And it’s an opportunity we cherish deeply.
As a fee-only firm and legal fiduciary, we are solely devoted to our clients’ success. That means our clients will always get objective, unbiased, and evidence-based financial advice centered around their best interests.
Elwood & Goetz specializes in personalized and comprehensive financial planning, retirement planning, investment management, and tax planning to help clients organize, grow, and protect their assets through life’s transitions. We do all the heavy lifting and day-to-day optimizations to manage your financial life — so you don’t have to.
We are grateful to now serve more than 450 families across 35 states, and we’re proud to have an annual client retention rate above 99%.
Dr. Joseph Goetz specializes in assisting individuals and couples with their retirement planning. He has developed extensive expertise in advanced financial planning strategies and is passionate about implementing those strategies to optimize clients’ investment and retirement plans. Joe served (2009-2012) as the Director for the University of Georgia (UGA) Financial Planning Program. He taught courses in financial planning and plan development, and received the Richard B. Russell Award for Excellence in Teaching. His teaching experience translates well into his work with clients, as he strongly believes in taking whatever amount of time is required to ensure clients understand and feel comfortable with the details of their financial plan and investment strategy.
Joe received his bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he was inducted into Mystical Seven, an honorary society overseen by the chancellor recognizing the “top seven senior students passing through the university each year.” He went on to complete his graduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Texas Tech University, where he completed three higher degrees, including a doctorate focused on financial planning. Joe was awarded the annual Robert O. Herrmann Outstanding Dissertation Award from the American Council on Consumer Interests for his dissertation titled A Five Nation Examination of Investment Risk Tolerance.
Joe has co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications in the financial planning field. He currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Financial Planning, Journal of Personal Finance, Journal of Financial Therapy, and Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, U.S. News & World Report, and the New York Times.
He is a co-founder of the University of Georgia ASPIRE Clinic, which provides pro bono financial planning and counseling to low-income families in the greater Athens area. In this role, he has spearheaded efforts over the past decade to bring financial planning to the clients of non-profit organizations in Athens. He also serves on the Board of Directors for The Ark United Ministry Outreach Center.
Education + Credentials
- Texas Tech University
- Doctor of Philosophy - Cons. Economics, Master of Science - Financial Planning, Master of Arts - Psychology
- CERTIFIED RETIREMENT COUNSELOR®
- ACCREDITED FINANCIAL COUNSELOR®
Activities. Affiliations. Accolades.
- National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, Member
- Financial Therapy Association, Member
- Financial Planning Association, Member
Joseph Goetz 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.
At Elwood & Goetz, our comprehensive and personalized financial advice is always centered around our clients’ unique situation, needs, and goals. We value our independence and fiduciary duty. That means you will always get objective, unbiased, and evidence-based advice. Plus, our 100% fee-only structure helps ensure that our success is only measured by your success.
As one of the most educated, trusted, and credentialed advisory teams in the country, we prioritize quality, effective, and responsive client service. We started with just one client and the promise to show up every day to deliver our very best work. And even as we’ve grown, we’ve held closely to this mission.
To maximize the value of our process and comprehensive management services, we are best suited to serve clients with at least $1,000,000 in investable assets who are ready to delegate all of their financial planning and investment management.
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Retirement Income Planning
- Investment Management
- College Education Planning
- Tax Planning
Ideal Clients
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Growing Families
- Business Owners and Executives
- Sudden Money Situations
- Novice Investors
Working Together
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Joseph Goetz is a NAPFA Associate
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.
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Joseph Goetz is a Certified Retirement Counselor® (CRC®)
The Certified Retirement Counselor® (CRC) certification is independently accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). Of over 100 financial designations, the CRC® is one of only a very few retirement and financial planning-related certifications independently accredited by the NCCA.
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Joseph Goetz is an Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC®)
AFC® certification is the standard — training professionals to guide clients through life-cycle financial education to help them realize their goals and achieve lasting financial well-being.
Abilities of the AFC:
-Educate clients in sound financial principles.
-Assist clients in the process of overcoming their financial indebtedness.
-Help clients identify and modify ineffective money management behaviors.
-Guide clients in developing successful strategies for achieving their financial goals.
-Support clients as they work through their financial challenges and opportunities.
-Help clients develop new perspectives on the dynamics of money in relation to family, friends and individual self-esteem. -
Joseph Goetz 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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Joseph Goetz is a member of The Financial Therapy Association (FTA)
The Financial Therapy Association (FTA) is an organization comprised of professionals dedicated to the integration of cognitive, emotional, behavioral, relational, and financial aspects of well-being.
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Elwood & Goetz Wealth Advisory Group, LLC is an Approved Dimensional Funds Advisor
Dimensional believes an advisor can work closely with you to understand your financial needs and provide a range of wealth management services, while encouraging the discipline essential to long-term investment success. Financial advisors who work with Dimensional operate independently from Dimensional and vary in the extent to which they use Dimensional funds.
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Joseph Goetz is Quoted on Barrons: "Rate Hikes Will Hit Borrowing Quickly, Boost Savings Slowly. Here’s What to Do."
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Joseph Goetz is Quoted in US News and World Report: "14 Easy Ways to Pay Off Debt"
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Joseph Goetz is Quoted in the Wall Street Journal: "Five Questions to Ask if You Are Named Executor of an Estate"
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Joseph Goetz Co-Authored Communication Essentials for Financial Planners: Strategies and Techniques
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Joseph Goetz is Co-Founder of the Aspire Clinic
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Joseph Goetz is a Professor at the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Georgia
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Joseph Goetz named Meigs Professor, university’s highest teaching honor, at the University of Georgia
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Joseph Goetz is Quoted in US News and World Report: "The Benefits of Financial Therapy"
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Joseph Goetz is Quoted in US News and World Report: "Surviving the Emotional Toll of Bankruptcy"
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Joseph Goetz is Quoted in the New York Times: "How Freelancing Parents Can Create Maternity or Paternity Leave"
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Joseph Goetz is Quoted in the Wall Street Journal: "When Brokers Double as Therapists"
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Joseph Goetz is Mentioned on Atlanta Financial Psychology
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Joseph Goetz Co-Authored a Whitepaper HOPE or No-HOPE: Merit-Based College Scholarship Status and Financial Behaviors Among College Students
Contact Joseph Goetz
Office Locations:
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687 S Milledge Avenue
Athens, GA 30605 -
490 Brasfield Sq SE
Atlanta, GA 30316 -
656 Ellis Oak Ave
Suite 114
Charleston, SC 29412 -
4850 Tamiami Trail North
Suite 301
Naples, FL 34103