What You Get You get to work with an expert to answer all your financial planning needs, including retirement savings, tax planning, college education needs, investments, and all your important money choices, on an ongoing basis. We typically work on the most pressing issues in the first three months or so and then move to a quarterly meeting schedule after that.
The Fee The costs starts at $250 a month plus a yearly fee of 0.75% of any investments under management (all in).* That’s it. There is no minimum investment required. The monthly fee is reduced or waived when investments under management reach pre-determined levels decided at the time of engagement.
Ongoing financial planning is only offered to clients that go through a financial plan project with us. See below.
Schedule a call with us to learn all the details and start taking control of your financial life today.
*If an account has $10,000 invested, the fee is 0.75%*10,000 = $75 per year, all-inclusive. This fee is paid quarterly in the amount of $18.75 per quarter. There are no additional fees for investment management. Of the 0.75%, 0.60% is charged by DESMO Wealth Advisors, LLC, and 0.15% by the investment technology we use (Betterment for Advisors). Consult our ADV brochure for more information about our services and fees.
You may not be ready for ongoing financial planning yet, but would like expert advice on money questions that are important to you, like retirement planning, investments, debt repayment, employee stock options and equity compensation, student loan analysis, and education planning. You may decide to work with us on an ongoing basis after completing the financial plan. All our ongoing clients go through a financial plan first.
This plan is designed for clients at any stage of their lives that desire to make the best of their wealth and current and future resources. It is a comprehensive plan that focuses on areas of need unique to each client, and can include questions such as:
- How do I maximize the value of my equity compensation (options, RSUs, ESPP)?
- How to I plan for my kids college expenses?
- How do I plan for retirement?
- What size of home can I afford?
- What is a tax efficient way to manage my resources and investments?
- How do I make a financial plan for my business?
The fee depends on the complexity of the situation and the number of questions addressed. This service includes an electronic summary of the plan and recommendations that address plan goals and specific changes to the investment accounts. The summary report is then used as the “road map” to implement the recommendations. Includes follow-up questions, but not additional analysis.
How the fee is computed: A plan takes over 10 hours of work even in the simpler situations, hence the $3,000 starting fee. Most plans average at $3,500.
The Retirement & Investment Review is designed for clients nearing retirement or who have already retired and want to ensure they are on track to achieve their goals and maximize the value of their resources. This service is intended to address specific retirement-related questions such as:
- Can I retire, now, next year, or in five years?
- How much can I spend in retirement?
- What accounts do I spend from first?
- How do I manage my investments in a tax-efficient manner?
- When should I start taking Social Security?
- Which pension option should I choose?
- How does Medicare work?
The actual fee depends on the complexity of the situation and the number of questions addressed. This service includes an electronic summary of the plan and recommendations that address retirement goals and specific changes to the investment accounts. The summary report is then used as the “road map” to implement the recommendations. The fee typically includes follow-up questions, but not additional analysis.
How the fee is computed: A plan takes at least 8 hours, and often over 10 hours of work even in the simpler situations, hence the $2,500 starting fee. Most retirement plans average at $3,000.
Having the right investment plan is a key element to achieving your goals, which is why we offer investment management services for our clients. Our investment philosophy, developed over 20 years of study and experience in capital markets and the economy, is based on three main principles:
- Goals-Based Investing
- A disciplined framework based on financial science
- A balanced approach between costs and benefits for your goals
Goals-based investing is a framework for selecting your investments and building up your portfolio starting from individual goals. This approach leads to better decisions and can substantially improve your long-term performance.
We’re always looking for ways to continue to earn the trust you place in us. That’s why we implement investment plans using an advanced technology platform and an investment approach grounded in academic research. Our goal is to improve your investment experience and help reduce your investment costs.
Human support when you need it. Technology when you don’t.
By teaming up with Betterment, an innovative tech-forward custodian, investing can be easier than ever before and (dare we say it) kind of fun. Betterment uses a goals-based approach to help you focus on progress towards your goals. Leveraging this technology also enables us to streamline certain administrative functions and pass those efficiencies along to you.
Highly regarded funds with no additional transaction fees.
The Dimensional family of funds over 40 years of history, over $600 billion in assets under management, and a time-tested investment philosophy. As an added benefit, our use of the Betterment technology platform enables you to access Dimensional Funds without any additional transaction fees, which can translate into substantial expense savings for you.
