Flat Fees old

Flat Fees

Flat Fees

Fewer than 5% of all advisors charge flat fees ONLY. We’re in that 5% because:

  • Why would we charge you more just because you have more money? Or serve you less thoroughly because you have less? Traditional asset-based fees create too many conflicts of interest, which we discuss in detail here.
  • We also don’t want to be incentivized to sell you ANY particular financial product. Commissions, like just asset-based fees, also create conflicts of interest.

It’s not perfect, but the outcome of our fee structure is that we are always a fiduciary. We cannot “turn off” our fiduciary responsibility for certain services or for any reason.

Our flat monthly fees, billed quarterly, are based on client complexity.

What’s “complexity,” you wonder? You can get a robust understanding using the chart below. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it will give you a sense for where you fall on the complexity scale from Foundational to Intense. 

Pricing Matrix

Complexity Level

1

2

3

4

Foundational
$300
Medium
$400
Advanced
$500
Intense
$600
Per month
1. Financial Vision and System Planning
Define and write a specific & unique vision for your financial life
Define your financial values and understand what this money is really supposed to do in your life
Complexity Level

1

2

3

4

Foundational
$300
Medium
$400
Advanced
$500
Intense
$600
Per month
2. Cashflow Planning
Targeted amount and specific product vehicle for emergency fund
Review your cashflow system in place, and offer best practices if needed
Create a cashflow system in place to create awareness around your spending
Projections: Short-term and long-term cash flow and tax projections (few inputs)
Projections: Short-term and long term cash flow and tax projections (many inputs lots of uncertainty)
Income: W2 Income only
Income: High income, Business income, and/or rental
Complexity Level

1

2

3

4

Foundational
$300
Medium
$400
Advanced
$500
Intense
$600
Per month
3. Proactive Tax Planning and Minimization
Retirement account savings and withdrawal tradeoffs based on taxes
Review of simple federal and state tax return
Review of complicated federal and state tax return
Partial Roth conversion analysis, advice, and recommendations
Qualified charitable distributions
Colorado specifics: Credits and Deductions
Back-door Roth IRA analysis and implementation assistance
Managing and planning for long-term capital gains in concentrated stock
Complexity Level

1

2

3

4

Foundational
$300
Medium
$400
Advanced
$500
Intense
$600
Per month
4. Investment Portfolio Analysis and Implmentation
Chosen beliefs above money, strong financial discipline, open attitude to challenge, and strong understanding of investment mechanics
Inherited beliefs about money, poor/okay money discipline, poor/okay attitude to change, and limited understanding investment mechanics
One to two discretionary managed accounts, no outside accounts to provide analysis, and zero complexity exiting current positions
Three or more discretionary managed accounts, outside account advice, low to moderate tax, and other factors to exit current positions
Complex stock concentration analysis, risk, and recommendations in addition to above
International Assets: Basic tax implications, and recommendations
Complexity Level

1

2

3

4

Foundational
$300
Medium
$400
Advanced
$500
Intense
$600
Per month
5. Financial Independence and Retirement Planning
Retirement income guardrails for spending and withdrawal amount guidelines
Basic scenario review and sensitivity analysis of a few retirement variables
Advanced scenario review and sensitivity analysis of many retirement variables
Early financial independence planning (Age 30 to 50)
Basic to moderate Social Security election trade-offs and break-evens
Moderate to advanced Social Security election trade-offs and analysis
Review of a home equity line of credit or home equity conversion mortgage
Pension election planning and timming: lump sum versus benefit options
Review of a Single Premium Immediate Annuity (“SPIA”) or other annuities in income planning
Windfall or inheritance analysis
Complexity Level

1

2

3

4

Foundational
$300
Medium
$400
Advanced
$500
Intense
$600
Per month
6. Primary Residence Liabilities Review, Optimization, and Tradeoffs
Specific factor tradeoffs in an early mortgage payoff
Debt review and payoff prioritization
Rent versus Own: Home purchase decision analysis
Complexity Level

1

2

3

4

Foundational
$300
Medium
$400
Advanced
$500
Intense
$600
Per month
7. Corporation: Insurance and Employee Benefit Review and Services
Assistance with one 401(k) investment allocation
Disability insurance analysis
Negotiating a raise at a new employer or internal promotion
Coordination between two spouses benefits plan, and two or more 401(k) analysis
Emergency exit from a job benefits and service review
Designing and mapping a career accent and change
Stock option assistance (ESPP, ISOs, NQSOs, RSUs, and more)
Complexity Level

1

2

3

4

Foundational
$300
Medium
$400
Advanced
$500
Intense
$600
Per month
8. Charitable and College and Education Planning
Basic planning within 529 accounts
Moderate to advanced multi-generational planning 529 planning or gift planning
Lumping contributions in a donor advised fund
Complexity Level

1

2

3

4

Foundational
$300
Medium
$400
Advanced
$500
Intense
$600
Per month
9. Product Analysis, Trade-offs, and Recommendations.
Term life insurance analysis
Non-traded REITs
Variable Annuities
Equity-Indexed Annuities
Market-Linked CDs
Permanent insurance (Whole, UL, VUL, VL, and trade-offs)
Complexity Level

1

2

3

4

Foundational
$300
Medium
$400
Advanced
$500
Intense
$600
Per month
10. Advocate in communication with CPA, Attorney, and/ or Insurance Broker
Limited one-time set-up
More than once conversations
Continual conversations
Complexity Level

1

2

3

4

Foundational
$300
Medium
$400
Advanced
$500
Intense
$600
Per month
11. Small Buisness and Entrepreneur Services
Quarterly prioritized action to probabilistically increase the valuation
Deferred compensation planning analysis
New venture launch analysis, & 30-day support during liftoff
Vendor selection assistance: benefits, 401(K), bookkeeping, fractional employees, etc recommendations
Complexity Level

1

2

3

4

Foundational
$300
Medium
$400
Advanced
$500
Intense
$600
Per month
12. Direct Investment Property Analysis and Review
Current assessment, and analysis of one rental property
One-off moderate multi-family financial deal review of possible rental
Ongoing moderate multi-family financial deal review of possible rentals

Does any other financial advisor love you this much?

Contact Eric