Just Getting Warmed Up
The Tim Pagliara Story
CapWealth CEO. Investors Unite founder. #1 wealth advisor in Tennessee. Beat the SEC. Climbed Kilimanjaro 11 times. Built a university in Tanzania. And he'll tell you himself — he's just getting warmed up.
$2B
AUM
8x
#1 in TN
11x
Kilimanjaro
2,000+
Investors United
His Catchphrase
“Just getting warmed up.”
Other people say it as a joke. Tim Pagliara says it as a statement of fact. At an age when most wealth managers are coasting, Tim is filing lawsuits, climbing mountains, building universities, and fighting the United States government. The phrase isn't aspirational. It's a warning.
Personal Note
Why I Built This Page
I've been invested in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac junior preferred shares since 2013. Concentrated. Convicted. And for most of that time, the fight felt lonely. The government changed the rules, took everything, and most people just... accepted it.
Tim Pagliara didn't accept it. He founded Investors Unite, rallied 2,000+ shareholders, lobbied Congress, filed lawsuits no one had ever filed before, published a book through ForbesBooks documenting the entire theft, and when the SEC came after him personally — he fought that too. And won.
There are people who talk about shareholder rights. And then there's Tim Pagliara, who has spent a decade and his own money fighting for them. When I think about who kept this movement alive during the darkest years, Tim is at the top of the list.
Every time you talk to Tim, you walk away thinking the same thing: this man is not slowing down. He's just getting warmed up. This page is my tribute to that energy.
Just Getting Warmed Up
A 40-year career told through rising temperature
Edward D. Jones & Co.
The Warm-UpWalked into Nashville's first Edward D. Jones office at age 28. Became a Limited Partner. Learned the one rule that would define 40 years: the client comes first. Always.
Founded CapWealth Advisors
Getting WarmerWent independent in Franklin, Tennessee. Built an SEC-registered advisory firm from zero to nearly $2 billion in assets under management. Individual security selection. GIPS-compliant performance. No hiding behind benchmarks.
Net Worth Sweep — On Top of Kilimanjaro
The Cold ShockStanding at 19,341 feet on Uhuru Peak when his satellite phone buzzed. The US Treasury had just amended the PSPA — sweeping 100% of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's profits to the government. Forever. A loan designed to never be repaid. He came down from that mountain with a mission.
Founded Investors Unite
Turning Up the HeatLaunched the premier coalition of individual Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shareholders in Washington D.C. Rallied 2,000+ investors, lobbied Congress, built bipartisan support. Formed the most unlikely alliance in American finance: a conservative Tennessee wealth manager and Ralph Nader, fighting for the same cause.
First-Ever GSE Books-and-Records Lawsuits
Full BurnPersonally filed suit in both Delaware and Virginia to inspect Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac corporate records. No shareholder had ever done this in GSE history. He was the first. He wouldn't be the last.
Published "Another Big Lie"
Catching FireThrough ForbesBooks, documented the entire government theft: how the Net Worth Sweep was conceived, executed, and defended. The subtitle says it all: "How the Government Stole Billions from the American Dream of Home Ownership." Now it was in print. Permanent.
Beat the SEC in Federal Court
White HotThe SEC came after him on 12b-1 fee disclosures. Most advisors settle. Tim fought. Went to trial in Nashville federal court — a decision that shocked the industry. Full acquittal from a federal jury in November 2022. You don't fight the SEC. Until you do. And win.
The Recap Is Coming
Just Getting Warmed UpAfter 12+ years of advocacy, lawsuits, coalition building, a ForbesBooks publication, and a federal acquittal — the recapitalization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is closer than it has ever been. Tim Pagliara didn't wait for this moment. He built it. And he'll tell you himself: he's just getting warmed up.
The Resume of a Man Who Won't Sit Down
Most people have achievements. Tim has an escalation pattern.
#1 Wealth Advisor in Tennessee
Ranked #1 by Forbes (2018, 2020, 2022, 2025) and Barron's (2012-2016, 2018, 2020). The only advisor to hold both top spots simultaneously.
Beat the SEC in Federal Court
Fought SEC fraud charges at trial rather than settling. Full acquittal from a Nashville federal jury, November 2022. Most people fold. Tim went to war.
11 Kilimanjaro Summits
Climbed Africa's highest peak 11 times. Reached Everest Base Camp. The same persistence he brings to mountains, he brings to courtrooms.
Built a University in Tanzania
Through Pagliara Family Charities, helped build Mwenge Catholic University in Moshi, Tanzania. 4,300 students now studying math and science. Changed a community.
Bipartisan Coalition with Ralph Nader
A conservative Tennessee advisor and America's most famous liberal consumer advocate, fighting together for shareholder rights. Proof that the cause transcends politics.
In His Own Words
“The rights of shareholders have been trampled on and their access to information has been blocked at every turn since 2012.”
On the Net Worth Sweep
“I owe it to the people who have entrusted me with their investments to pursue all avenues to demonstrate that the Net Worth Sweep violates both federal law and, I strongly believe, state law.”
On why he fights
“The Net Worth Sweep created a loan that can never be paid back.”
On the Third Amendment
“If you believe in American real estate, you have to believe in the system that finances it.”
On Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
Education & Credentials
Saint Louis University
Law Degree (J.D.)
Attorney, admitted to practice
Saint Louis University
Undergraduate Degree
Foundation for a 40-year career
University of Pennsylvania
Wharton Securities Industry Institute
Graduate-level finance program
What Tim Reads
Two books from the Billionaire Bookshelf
Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits
by Philip A. Fisher
“Fisher taught me that qualitative research — talking to management, customers, competitors — is just as important as the numbers.”
Security Analysis
by Benjamin Graham & David Dodd
“The Bible of value investing. Graham and Dodd wrote the framework that every serious investor builds on. If you manage other people's money, you must read this.”
Premium Content
THE ADVOCATE — The Tim Pagliara Screenplay
One man. Two billion dollars in trust. The largest property theft in American history. A Tennessee wealth manager takes on the United States government — twice — and wins both times. Kevin Costner as Tim. Sam Elliott as Ralph Nader.
Read the Full ScreenplayGiving Back
Pagliara Family Charities
Established in 2002. The flagship project: Mwenge Catholic University in Moshi, Tanzania — at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, the mountain Tim has climbed 11 times. The university now enrolls 4,300 students in math and science.
Additional partnerships with the Heritage Foundation, Battle Ground Academy, Carnton Plantation, Saint Thomas Hospital, and the Boy Scouts of America. Tim doesn't just manage wealth — he deploys it where it matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Tim Pagliara?
Timothy J. Pagliara is the founder, chairman, and chief investment officer of CapWealth Advisors in Franklin, Tennessee — one of the state's leading independent wealth management firms managing nearly $2 billion in assets. He's also an attorney, author, and the founder of Investors Unite, a coalition of 2,000+ individual Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shareholders fighting for restitution.
What is Investors Unite?
Investors Unite is a coalition of over 2,000 individual investors who hold Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shares. Founded by Tim Pagliara in 2014, the organization lobbies Congress, engages regulators, files legal actions, and provides a unified voice for shareholders whose rights were violated by the Net Worth Sweep.
What does 'just getting warmed up' mean?
It's Tim Pagliara's signature catchphrase. After 40+ years in finance, founding CapWealth, building Investors Unite, beating the SEC in federal court, publishing a book through ForbesBooks, climbing Kilimanjaro 11 times, and building a university in Tanzania — when you ask Tim what's next, he'll tell you: he's just getting warmed up. It's not a joke. He means it.
How does Glen Bradford know Tim Pagliara?
Glen Bradford is a Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac junior preferred shareholder who has been invested in the GSE thesis since 2013. Tim Pagliara, through Investors Unite, has been one of the most visible and effective advocates for shareholders like Glen. They're both fighting the same fight — Tim from Nashville with $2 billion in client assets, Glen from wherever he happens to be with a concentrated position in junior preferred shares.
Did Tim Pagliara really beat the SEC?
Yes. In 2022, the SEC brought fraud charges against Pagliara over 12b-1 fee disclosures. Rather than settling — which is what almost everyone in the financial industry does when the SEC comes knocking — Pagliara chose to fight. He went to a full federal jury trial in Nashville and received a complete acquittal in November 2022.
How many times has Tim Pagliara climbed Kilimanjaro?
Eleven times. He's also reached Everest Base Camp. Through his climbs, he raises awareness and funds for Mwenge Catholic University in Moshi, Tanzania, which now educates 4,300 students in math and science.
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Read moreDisclaimer: This tribute page reflects the author's personal views and is not endorsed by Tim Pagliara, CapWealth Advisors, or Investors Unite. Glen Bradford holds positions in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac securities. This is not financial or investment advice. Some content was generated or edited with AI assistance.