Frequently Asked Questions

What does "fee-only" mean, and why does it matter?

• "Fee-only" means we are compensated solely by client fees (e.g. flat, or AUM-based) and don’t earn commissions from product sales, striving for unbiased advice aligned with your interests. Furthermore, we don’t accept referral fees or revenue sharing arrangements with our external partners who we refer our clients to.
   

Who do you typically work with?

• We typically work with pre-retirees and retirees with assets in the range of $1-10 million, or more.  Exceptions are made at our discretion based upon personality, complexity, and the overall match for our services.
   

What services do you provide?

•  Flat fee, project based, and AUM (Assets Under Management) financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, capital gains tax reduction strategies, estate planning, and asset protection and insurance gap analysis.

• Income Tax filing for ongoing planning clients through Powers Tax Preparation.

• Estate planning services through EncorEstate Plan or through our network of local estate planning attorneys.

• Medicare, Health Insurance, and Health Insurance Alternatives through MoveHealth. 

 

How are you different from other financial advisors?

• As of 2025, we currently serve 45 ongoing planning households, and most of them have us manage their assets and provide ongoing financial planning and investment management.Limiting our practice size to around 65 client relationships allow us to ensure the proper amount of time is dedicated to each client, so you are not just a number.

• We file income taxes for our clients and provide estate planning services in-house with EncorEstate Plan services. *These services are typically provided at no additional cost to our clients.

 

Fees and Costs

 

How do you charge for your services?

• Flat fee or Project-Based Financial Planning:

$6,000-$20,000 range.   Our typical client will result in approximately 20-30 hours of total planning time.  For example, if through our discovery process, we reveal 20 hours of work are needed, then the financial planning fee will be $6,000-$8,000 based upon assumed complexity. 

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Assets Under Management

• We have a blended tiered fee scheduled that is capped at $15,000 annualized per client. Advisory Fees are billed quarterly in advance based upon the asset value at the end of each quarter.They are billed directly from your LPL investment account.

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Current blended tier

 1st million: 1% or $10,000 annualized.

2nd million: .5% or $5,000 annualized.

3rd million and above: 0% or $0.00 annualized. 

 

Are there any hidden fees?

• There are no hidden fees. Prior to becoming a client, we will provide a full audit of existing fees and disclose all advisory, investment related, and custodian-related fees.Custodial and Roth conversion fees are waived by us, and the majority our portfolios have no transaction fees, which means there is no trading cost.

 

What is the cost of an initial consultation?

• There is no cost for the initial consultation.

 

Process and Relationship

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What can I expect during our first meeting?

• The goal is to develop a deep understanding of you as a person (or couple) and get to know about some of the non-financial aspects of retirement planning.

• We are curious to learn about your agenda and serve to answer your questions succinctly.   You decide if you want 30 minutes to 1.5 hours to talk.

 

How often will we meet or communicate?

• Typically, we have 3 quarterly check-ins, and 1 annual review scheduled throughout the year.  The annual review includes a financial plan update with customized written advice.  Our office will proactively email you to schedule a meeting via a scheduling tool which can be found on our email signature.  We are available for additional meetings throughout the year as needed. 

 

Do I need a certain amount of money to work with you?

• Most of our clients will have at least $500,000 in investable assets, but the average is over $1,000,000.  Exceptions are made for family members of our clients,  and certain unique circumstances. 

 

Do you work remotely?

• Yes, we work remotely and typically utilize Zoom.  However, we are available on whichever platform you choose: Google Meet, Teams, etc.

 

Expertise and Trust

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What are your qualifications and credentials?

• We are CFP®s and Registered Investment Advisors who have the highest legal fiduciary standards.  In addition, we are members of NAPFA.

 

How do you invest my money?

•  By leveraging peer-reviewed studies, decades of market performance data, and insights from leading financial economists, evidence-based investing helps investors make rational, data-driven decisions rather than emotional or reactive choices. Our firm follows this philosophy to ensure that every investment strategy is grounded in objective, time-tested principles rather than predictions or short-term trends. 

 

Financial Planning Topics

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Can you help with retirement planning?

• Yes.  Retirement planning includes detailed cashflow and tax efficient distribution strategies.  In addition, we provide Social Security optimization, pension benefits analysis, Roth conversions, charitable contributions and distributions.  Retirement plan rollovers, stock options, deferred compensation, and retirement plan maximization strategies are reviewed along with your employer benefits.

 

Getting Started

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How do I get started?

• Set up a phone call, Zoom, or office visit via our calendar tool.

What information do I need to bring to our first meeting?

• Whatever information you would like to have available or for us to review.  A documents checklist and living expense worksheet can be emailed to you at your request.

 

Technology and Security

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What technology do you use?

• Our custodian is LPL Financial, which provides the trading platform.  Clients receive access to LPL Account View where they can receive statements, trade confirmations, and tax documents electronically.  In addition, they can see their account performance on the site.

• Emoney is a financial planning tool and private client website that is used to aggregate their financial information, and any outside accounts.

• Inuit ProSeries is used for tax filing through Powers Tax Preparation.

How do you protect my personal and financial information?

• Please review TOP Private Wealth’s Privacy Policy statement, and eMoney’s Security Policy.

 

Other Considerations

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Why should I hire a financial advisor instead of doing it myself?

• We serve people who don’t have the time, desire, or energy to do all their financial planning.  As in life, there are times when doing it yourself makes a lot of sense.  We’re here for those individuals who reach a certain point in life where they want to have a team of experts, tools, and resources to manage their taxes, wealth, legacy, and lives to free up time to focus on the next chapter of their life plan.

 

What happens if I’m not satisfied with your services?

•  You can simply email, call, or meet with us to notify us of your intentions.  In an investment advisory relationship, we will set your advisory fee to 0%.  Last, you will transfer assets to another custodian with an LPL statement.  

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