Blog Posts Filed Under flat-fee-advisor
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.