Discussing Financial Planning Topics, Qualities of a Fee-Only Financial Advisor and Flat Fee Financial Advice
Welcome to our blog! We post about flat fee and fee-only financial advising. We also spend time talking about our service, including the mechanics behind it, the features, and the advisors we work with. We will have guest posts and features as well.
Please let us know about specific topics you'd like us to focus on. Feel free to reach out for any other reasons as well! We're a small business focused on the flat fee, fee-only advising community. We want to do all we can to provide support and help people find advisors that best match their needs.
Breaking Up with Your 1% Advisor: A Step-by-Step Guide
By Beth Stringer
This practical guide walks sophisticated investors through the decision of whether to ditch their percentage-based financial advisor in favor of a flat-fee structure that could save serious money over time. It breaks down a systematic approach for evaluating your current advisor's actual value (beyond just investment management), figuring out what services you really need, finding and vetting quality flat-fee alternatives, and making the switch without disrupting your financial plan. While the guide clearly favors flat-fee arrangements for high-net-worth investors who've outgrown basic hand-holding, it's refreshingly honest about situations where that traditional percentage fee might still make sense—like when your advisor is genuinely functioning as your outsourced CFO or consistently saving you from costly emotional investing mistakes.
Q3: Back-to-School Financial Planning and College Funding
By Beth Stringer
This guide explores college funding strategies for high-income families who face the challenge of being ineligible for need-based financial aid while needing to fund $240,000 to $280,000+ per child in college costs. The article covers maximizing 529 plans, alternative strategies like Roth IRAs and taxable accounts, business owner approaches, navigating 2024-25 FAFSA changes, and integrating college planning with retirement and estate goals. It emphasizes coordinating multiple strategies and working with fee-only advisors for objective guidance.
War, Market Volatility, and Your Portfolio: Historical Perspective
By Beth Stringer
"War, Market Volatility, and Your Portfolio: Historical Perspective" provides high-income investors with data-driven analysis of how geopolitical conflicts actually impact financial markets. Drawing on research from BlackRock, J.P. Morgan, and the NBER, this guide reveals that markets are more resilient to geopolitical shocks than expected—with conflicts typically causing temporary volatility lasting around 20 days. The article examines historical performance from World War I to 9/11, explains why U.S. stock volatility is 33% lower during wartime, and provides practical portfolio strategies for managing geopolitical risk. Designed for investors with $250k+ portfolios, it includes actionable allocation frameworks, tactical hedging approaches, and explores how advisor fee structures impact decisions during volatile periods.
The Hidden Costs of 'Free' Financial Seminars
By Beth Stringer
Uncover the hidden dangers of "free" financial seminars that target affluent professionals with complimentary meals and promises of guaranteed returns. This guide exposes the psychology behind these sales traps, reveals red flags like artificial urgency and fake credentials, and explains how seemingly educational workshops can cost tens of thousands through unsuitable high-commission products. Learn to distinguish legitimate financial advice from predatory marketing tactics and discover why that "free" steak dinner might be the most expensive meal you'll ever eat.
The Three-Fund Portfolio: Simplicity Meets Diversification
By Beth Stringer
Discover the Three-Fund Portfolio: a simple yet powerful investment strategy for high-income professionals. This approach uses three broad index funds comprising the U.S. Stock Market, International Stock Market, and U.S. Bond Market to deliver market-beating returns with minimal management. It offers time efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and behavioral simplicity, outperforming active managers and maximizing wealth through smart tax optimization.
When Your Financial Advisor Isn't Enough: Why Executives and Business Owners Need Specialized Help (Part 4 of 4)
By Beth Stringer
Generic financial advice doesn't cut it for executives and business owners. In this final part of our series, learn why specialized expertise in equity compensation and business planning offered by flat-fee financial advisors is essential, and how traditional fee structures can work against your best interests, costing you thousands in taxes and missed opportunities.
Advanced Tax & Estate Planning: Wealth Preservation Strategies (Part 3 of 4)
By Beth Stringer
Many fee-only and fee-based advisors often overlook advanced tax and estate planning strategies due to conflicts in interest. Learn how to preserve significant wealth through optimal trust planning, business structuring, and tax minimization, and ensure your financial strategies align with your family's best interests, not your advisor's compensation model.
Investment Management & Tax Strategies: Advanced Advisory Services (Part 2 of 4)
By Beth Stringer
Uncover how even fiduciary financial advisor fees quietly drain your wealth and why tax planning is often overlooked. This article reveals how a 1% AUM fee can cost you hundreds of thousands, while simple asset allocation and tax strategies could maximize your long-term wealth—especially for high-income earners.
What Every $250K+ Earner Should Demand From Their Financial Advisor (Part 1 of 4)
By Beth Stringer
For high-income earners exceeding $250,000 annually, ensuring your financial advisor provides truly comprehensive value is crucial. Discover the essential financial planning, investment management, and basic retirement planning services that distinguish a comprehensive financial advisor from an investment manager, offering practical examples and highlighting tax-efficient strategies vital for wealth growth.
Why Flat Fee Financial Advisors Beat Commission Based & AUM Financial Advisors
By Beth Stringer
Tired of working with a financial advisor whose fees grow with your portfolio, and not the amount of work they perform? Discover how flat fee financial advice with transparent pricing can maximize your wealth, while also saving you hundreds of thousands over time. Ensure your advisor's incentives are aligned with your best financial interests.