Dr. Joe 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 The Ark United Ministry Outreach Center.