About Us

Retirement Financial Solutions' mission is to help retirees and pre-retirees build, protect, and preserve their assets and to have all clients achieve financial peace of mind and security throughout their retirement years. Our firm specializes in estate planning for estates both large and small. We help our clients to avoid paying unnecessary taxes such as income taxes, estate taxes and taxes on Social Security income. We also assist clients in avoiding probate and ensuring that all of legal documentation is in order with regard to beneficiaries and control over asset distribution. We provide a written asset plan to every prospect and a written income plan when needed. Finally, we help seniors plan for health care needs with Long Term Care Insurance, Life Insurance with Health Care withdrawal rights, and for those seniors who cannot qualify for or do not have long term care insurance, we help avoid Medicaid spend-down of their assets when nursing home care is needed.

Bob Fugate
Bob Fugate is the CEO and President of Retirement Financial Solutions. He started in the financial services industry in 1984 and holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business and Economics from University of Tennessee as well as having completed 36 hours of post-graduate work in Finance and Economics in 1989 and 1990.

Bob is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) and a Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow Recipient (LUTCF). Bob is a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and The Society of Financial Service Professionals. He is a Registered Representative with Kalos Capital, Inc, which is located in Alpharetta, Georgia.


Retirement Financial Solutions is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Kalos Capital or Kalos Management.

To schedule a time to discuss your financial future, contact us at info@retirementfs.com or call us at (865) 938-6545 or (888) 938-6492 today!

Rich Deforest
Rich began his career in 1995 with Charles Schwab and soon moved to a Senior Position as Broker III on the Schwab 500 Trading Team. In 1998 Rich was invited to join the annuity wholesaling team at Kemper Annuities as a Regional Assistant Vice President where he co-managed more than $150 million in sales from three southern states: Tennessee, North Carolina, & South Carolina. In 2001 Rich was recruited by Integrity Life Insurance Company to be a Regional Vice President.

In May of 2008 Rich joined our team at Retirement Financial Solutions as our Manager of the Tri-Cities area in Kingsport.

Dwight Henry
Dwight Henry is a 1976 graduate of Tennessee Tech University. Dwight entered the Insurance industry upon graduation and earned the distinction of The Million Dollar Round Table. Dwight was elected Mayor of Cookeville, Tennessee in 1985 and following a three year term was elected to the State Legislature in 1988. In 1990 Dwight was the Republican Nominee for Governor in Tennessee. He has served on the Board of Cookeville Regional Hospital and Chairman of the Putnam County United Way.

In January 2008 Dwight joined our team at Retirement Financial Solutions and now serves as Manager of the Upper Cumberland Plateau area in Crossville.

Valerie Privett
Valerie Privett entered the insurance industry after 13 years as a teacher and coach at the high school and collegiate level. She has been in the insurance industry since 1997. Valerie is a Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow recipient and a member of the Insurers Association of Tennessee. Valerie is actively involved in the Farragut Chamber of Commerce, Women's Council of Realtors, Referral Exchange Organization, and Mobile Meals of Knoxville.

In April 2009, Valerie joined Retirement Financial Solutions as a Women's Specialist.

Carolyn Sherritze
Carolyn Sherritze served in the banking industry since 1973 with the last twenty years as a fixed annuity agent and specialist with Home Federal Bank. In June 2009, Carolyn joined our team at Retirement Financial Solutions. She continues to work in Knoxville and the surrounding areas around Knox County. Carolyn welcomes all those who have known her to share in the values that Retirement Financial Solutions offers in addition to the safety and trust she has always extended.

Amanda Dials
Amanda Dials is our Team Leader and Computer Operations Manager. Amanda is originally from Arkansas. She has been with our company since May of 2007. Amanda has been in
the service industry since 1997. Her knowledge of computer programs and applications has been a valuable asset to our company. She maintains the daily operations of the office.


Bill Hunter
Bill Hunter is the Operations Manager for Retirement Financial Solutions. He has been in the financial services industry and a licensed Insurance Agent since 1994. He is a native of Knoxville, Tennessee. He is a graduate of Carson-Newman College and the University of Tennessee with Degrees in Fine Arts and Business Administration. Bill joined Retirement Financial Solutions in September 2006.

Jeannie Bullard
Jeannie Bullard is our Staff Associate. She began working with Retirement Financial Solutions in March 2009. She and her family had recently moved to Knoxville from Waycross, Georgia, so that her husband could attend Crown College. She is the assistant to Amanda Dials and Bob Fugate..



Megan Markway
Megan Markway joined us as a full time staff member in September 2010. Megan Markway is our Staff Associate and "Care Bear." She joined the company in September 2008 as Rich's workshop assistant while she was in school at ETSU in Johnson City, TN. After graduation, she moved back to Knoxville to begin working full-time for the company. She takes care of many aspects of the daily routine in the office. She is an intricate part of our office and business. As the "Care Bear," Megan is responsible for maintaining excellent client relationships.

Bill Robertson
Bill Robertson is our Marketing Director. Bill worked his way up the corporate ladder to become the Vice President of Sales for Mac Tools, a division of The Stanley Works. After retiring from Stanley, Bill continued his education by getting his insurance license. Since then, he has become a licensed Real Estate Affiliate Broker. Bill added his expertise and talent to our team in August of 2009.