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.
Estate Planning Mistakes That Cost DIY Investors $100K+
By Beth Stringer
Most DIY investors master wealth accumulation, but overlook estate planning, a mistake that can cost heirs $100K+ in unnecessary taxes. Discover the critical errors even sophisticated investors make with beneficiary designations, inherited IRAs, and the SECURE Act's 10-year rule. Learn how step-up in basis works, when Roth conversions save the most, and why your 401(k) beneficiaries might be outdated. This guide reveals investment-specific estate strategies that protect your legacy.
International Stocks: Worth It or Waste of Money?
By Beth Stringer
Your portfolio has 30% international stocks that underperformed for 15 years straight. Sell them? Double down? The answer depends on your tax situation, rebalancing discipline, and whether you believe mean reversion. We walk high-income investors through the framework: valuation gaps, currency hedging, emerging markets risks, and the tax complexity no one mentions.
SECURE Act 2.0: Ongoing Implementation Updates
By Beth Stringer
SECURE Act 2.0 brings major retirement planning changes in 2025. Discover enhanced $11,250 catch-up contributions for ages 60-63, mandatory Roth catch-up rules starting 2026, and how the $145k income threshold affects your tax strategy. Essential guide for high earners maximizing retirement savings.
2025 Tax Law Changes: What You Need to Know
By Beth Stringer
2025 brings major tax changes for high earners ($250K+). The One Big Beautiful Bill made TCJA cuts permanent, raised standard deductions to $15,750/$31,500, increased estate exemptions to $15M/$30M in 2026, expanded SALT caps to $40K, and added new deductions for tips, seniors 65+, overtime & car loans. QBI deduction is now permanent with enhanced ranges starting 2026.
Why Market Timing Doesn't Work (And What to Do Instead): Behavioral Finance Insights
By Beth Stringer
Don't fall for the market timing trap! This article reveals why even savvy investors fail at predicting market movements, uncovering the behavioral biases that lead to costly mistakes. Learn evidence-based strategies like systematic rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting to build lasting wealth, proving that "time in the market beats timing the market" for true financial success.
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.