Frequently Asked Questions

A Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) is a firm registered with either the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities regulators (we are registered with the State of Washington). As an RIA, we provide professional, personalized financial advice and related services to our clients. 

Being a fiduciary means we have a fundamental, legal and ethical obligation to always act in your best interest. This is the highest standard of care in the financial industry. It directly affects our advice because every recommendation we make must be based solely on what benefits you most, without regard to our own compensation or any outside influences. Your interests always come first. 

"Fee-only" means our sole compensation comes directly from our clients for the advice and services provided. We are compensated on an hourly basis for the comprehensive financial planning engagement. We do not accept commissions, referral fees, kickbacks, 12b-1 fees, incentives from fund companies, or any other payments tied to the financial products or strategies we might recommend. This structure ensures our advice is objective and aligned with your best interests. 

Our fee-only, hourly structure is designed to minimize conflicts of interest. Because we don't sell products or earn commissions, our advice is not biased by potential payouts. The primary potential conflict in any advisory relationship is the need for the firm to attract and retain clients. We mitigate this by being transparent about our fees for comprehensive planning, adhering strictly to our fiduciary duty, and focusing on building long-term relationships based on trust and valuable advice. We encourage you to ask specific questions if you perceive any potential conflict. 

Our lead advisor holds a Master of Science in Financial Planning, among other relevant professional credentials, and we are committed to ongoing education. As a Registered Investment Advisor firm, we are regulated by the State of Washington. For more details on our background, experience, and full list of qualifications, please visit our About Us Page. 

No, neither our firm nor any of our advisors have ever faced disciplinary actions from any regulator. We are committed to upholding the highest ethical standards. You can independently verify our registration and review our regulatory history through the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) website, which contains our Form ADV filing: https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/335469 

We provide comprehensive financial planning services charged on an hourly basis. For a complete explanation of our fee structure and the current hourly rate, please see our Services page. Please note that any third-party costs, such as custodian fees, transaction charges, or internal fund expenses (expense ratios), are separate from and in addition to our hourly planning fee. 

We believe hourly billing for comprehensive planning offers the greatest transparency, objectivity, and flexibility. It aligns our compensation directly with the planning process itself and better aligns the total fee with the actual effort involved in serving your specific needs. This makes our services accessible regardless of portfolio size. 

Financial planning is a comprehensive process to help you achieve your financial goals. It involves evaluating your entire financial situation (income, expenses, assets, debts, insurance, estate, etc.), defining your objectives (retirement, education funding, etc.), and developing integrated, actionable strategies covering all relevant areas to create a cohesive roadmap for your financial future. 

Working with a professional financial planner provides expertise in complex areas, objective fiduciary advice, organization for your entire financial life, accountability towards goals, time savings through delegation of research and analysis, and peace of mind. Our focus on comprehensive planning ensures all pieces of your financial puzzle work together effectively. 

Our comprehensive financial planning service integrates advice across all key areas of your financial life, including goal setting, retirement, investments, cash flow, insurance, taxes, and estate planning. We help clients address common questions related to managing money day-to-day, saving for goals, investing, retirement readiness, insurance protection, tax reduction, education funding, estate planning, employee benefits, navigating life changes, charitable giving, and integrating business and personal finances. For a detailed list and description of the services included in our comprehensive planning engagement, please visit our Services page. 

We work with individuals and families seeking a deep, holistic understanding of their financial situation and a coordinated strategy to achieve their long-term goals through comprehensive financial planning. Our approach is ideal for those who value seeing how all parts of their financial life connect and want ongoing advice within a structured planning relationship. We do not have account minimums, making comprehensive planning accessible regardless of asset level. 

Our investment philosophy is grounded in evidence-based principles, academic research, and a long-term perspective, primarily employing passive, buy-and-hold principles. As defined within your comprehensive financial plan, we emphasize broad diversification using typically low-cost index funds and ETFs. We collaborate with clients to establish a strategic asset allocation intended for long-term adherence across diverse market environments. This disciplined approach seeks to capture market returns while diligently controlling portfolio turnover, investment costs, and tax implications. 

Our comprehensive planning process begins with deeply understanding you – your goals, values, resources, and concerns across your entire financial life. We gather relevant financial data (securely) and perform a thorough, integrated analysis. Based on this holistic view and our expertise, we develop specific, actionable recommendations designed to work together to achieve your objectives. We present the comprehensive plan clearly, explain the rationale, discuss potential trade-offs, and help you implement the agreed-upon strategies. When specialized advice outside our scope is needed (e.g., complex legal or tax matters), we will recommend you consult with qualified attorneys, CPAs, or insurance agents and can help coordinate these efforts. While we follow a structured process, our priority is serving your needs, and we tailor our approach collaboratively to best support you. You ultimately make the final decisions. 

We utilize specific technology to enhance our comprehensive planning process and client communication:

• Financial Planning & Secure Document Sharing: We use RightCapital for detailed financial analysis, modeling, projections, and its secure Vault feature for exchanging sensitive documents like tax returns.

• Video Conferencing: We use Google Meet for virtual meetings.

The first step is a complimentary initial consultation to discuss your financial goals and see if our comprehensive planning approach is the right fit for you. This meeting allows us to understand your needs, explain our process and fees, and determine if we should proceed with a planning engagement. There's no obligation. Contact us to schedule. 

Expect a conversation focused on your overall financial picture and long-term goals, and the beginning of our collaborative partnership. We'll discuss your situation, priorities, and what you hope to achieve through comprehensive planning. We'll explain our philosophy, process, and fees for the engagement. To prepare (optional): Think about your major financial goals and questions. Having a general sense of your assets, debts, income, and expenses is helpful, but detailed documents aren't usually needed for the initial talk. 

Financial planning is a continuous journey. Our process typically begins with several collaborative meetings over 2-4 months to build your initial, comprehensive financial plan – our foundational roadmap. Following its creation, our ongoing support is personalized. We focus on implementing recommendations, addressing action items, and navigating new opportunities or challenges. Your plan is treated as a living document; we'll review and update it together as needed (often through annual review meetings or more frequently if circumstances change) to ensure it always reflects your current situation and goals. While we have a process, serving your needs is our first priority, and we tailor our engagement and communication frequency to best support you. 

We do not take custody of client assets. Your investments remain securely held in your name at an independent third-party custodian. For clients seeking dedicated portfolio oversight, we offer optional discretionary investment management services where we manage investments on your behalf according to the agreed-upon strategy outlined in your financial plan. Clients utilizing this service can impose reasonable restrictions on this discretionary authority (e.g., excluding specific securities). While we don't require you to move assets, if you choose this service, those assets would typically be held at Vanguard. We also provide investment recommendations and rebalancing guidance for assets held at other custodians ("held-away" assets). 

Protecting your privacy is paramount. We adhere to strict confidentiality standards and maintain robust physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards consistent with industry regulations, including the use of RightCapital's secure Vault for sensitive document exchange. Please see our Privacy Policy for details. 

We believe that financial decisions are interconnected. Addressing one area (like investments or retirement) without considering its impact on others (like taxes, insurance, or cash flow) can lead to suboptimal outcomes or missed opportunities. Our comprehensive approach ensures we look at your entire financial picture, develop coordinated strategies, and provide advice that truly aligns with your overall best interests. This holistic view provides the greatest value and potential for long-term financial success. 

Success is measured by your progress toward the specific, long-term financial goals defined within your comprehensive financial plan. We track the implementation of recommendations and review progress during our ongoing meetings, treating the plan as a living document that adapts to your journey. The ultimate measure of success is your confidence and clarity in navigating your financial life and steadily moving towards your objectives, supported by the integrated strategies in your plan.