Mon – Fri · 9:00am – 5:00pm 3058 Leechburg Rd, Lower Burrell, PA (412) 772-8575

Home/About

Safety first, since 2014.

Founded by Rich Nulph, with seven neighborhood offices across Western Pennsylvania and every kind of retirement work under one roof.

Why the firm exists.

Rich Nulph founded the firm that became Safety 1st Retirement to give working families access to the same protected-income strategies the wealthy have always used. A 1983 finance graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, he is also an ordained United Methodist minister and the founder of Church for a Harvest.

He brings the same patient, family-first ethic to the financial work he does for thousands of Western Pennsylvania households — and more than a decade on, the practice is still independent and still answers every call with a real person.

A couple strolling a garden path arm in arm
A grandmother in the garden with her grandchildren

Why we do it

What we're really protecting.

The people you’ll sit across from.

Rich Nulph, Founder & President

Founder & President

Rich Nulph

B.S. Finance, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Rich founded the firm that became Safety 1st Retirement to give working families access to the same protected-income strategies the wealthy have always used. A 1983 finance graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, he is also an ordained United Methodist minister and the founder of Church for a Harvest. He brings the same patient, family-first ethic to the financial work he does for thousands of Western Pennsylvania households.

Retirement income designEstate strategyAnnuitiesFamily stewardship
Tara Fawcett, Client Service Representative

Client Service Representative

Tara Fawcett

Slippery Rock University, 2015

Tara joined Safety 1st Retirement in January 2023 and has become the operational heart of our estate-planning workflow. A new mother in 2023, she brings firsthand understanding of why families need protection plans that actually work — and the calm, organized presence that turns paperwork into peace of mind.

Estate-plan coordinationClient serviceEducational eventsNew-client intake
Melissa Booher, Financial Advisor

Financial Advisor

Melissa Booher

Melissa came to the firm with five years of retail-banking management and a teaching background — a combination that makes her remarkable at both the back-office work and the warm phone calls that keep clients feeling seen. Today she serves families as a financial advisor in her own right.

Client appointmentsSeminar hostingOffice operations
Nikki Corneils
Nikki Corneils
Alyssa Kasunich, Marketing Manager
Marketing ManagerAlyssa Kasunich
Lacey Hutchinson, Paralegal
ParalegalLacey Hutchinson

Four promises we always keep.

No management fees

We are paid by the carriers we shop on your behalf — not by skimming a percentage of your nest egg every year you live.

You will never lose a dollar of principal

Our safety-first methodology builds your foundation in protected, guaranteed-principal vehicles before any market exposure.

A real person, every call

No phone trees, no offshore call centers. When you call, you reach the team who knows your plan and your family by name.

Independent, not captive

We don't represent a single insurance company or fund family. We shop dozens of A-rated carriers and recommend what fits you.

Come meet us. The coffee’s on.

Free, 45 minutes, at any of our seven offices.