What Does It Cost to Get Retirement Right?
When you’re retiring in the next few years, the biggest cost usually isn’t the fee you pay an advisor.
It’s making the wrong decisions on your income, taxes, Social Security, or how everything fits together.
You’ve worked for decades to get here.
Now you have a handful of decisions that will shape the next 30.
This page will explain how advisors get paid, how we're paid, and how to decide what approach is right for you.
How Advisors Get Paid
Commission-Based
You don’t see a fee—but costs are built into products like annuities or mutual funds. This model is often used when the relationship is centered around finding specific products for specific needs.
Planning Fees
You pay a set fee for a plan or advice—perhaps by the hour or for a defined project. This may work well if you’re looking for a one-time plan or a quick second opinion.
Assets Under Management (AUM)
You pay an ongoing percentage of the investments being managed for the advice being given. This is typically used when advice is ongoing and decisions—like retirement, investment and tax planning—need to stay coordinated over time.
How We Charge
— And What That Means for You
There isn't one perfect way for advisors to charge. What matters is finding the right fee structure for you.
For the people we work with—those approaching or living in retirement—we've found that an ongoing relationship works best.
That’s why we use the assets under management (AUM) model.
We use the assets under management (AUM) model.
That means our fee is an ongoing percentage of the investments we manage for you, deducted directly from the accounts we manage on your behalf.
For the clients we work with—people nearing or entering retirement—this model tends to fit well.
That’s because retirement isn’t a one-time decision.
It’s a series of decisions over time:
- When to take Social Security
- How to evaluate your pension (if applicable)
- How to turn your retirement savings into reliable income
- How to reduce taxes over time
- How all of these decisions work together
An ongoing advisory relationship allows us to continue guiding those decisions as life, markets, and tax rules change over time.
And not all AUM relationships look the same.
Some advisors focus primarily on investment management.
But retirement decisions go beyond investments—especially when it comes to income planning, taxes, Social Security, pensions, and retirement timing.
That’s why our focus is on coordinating all of those decisions into one clear retirement strategy.
What Working Together Looks Like
- A coordinated retirement income plan—so you know what you can spend and where it comes from
- Ongoing tax strategy, including current decisions and long-term projections
- Investment management aligned with your income plan
- Guidance on Social Security, retirement timing, and key decisions along the way
- Help navigating Medicare, health insurance, and estate planning considerations
- Ongoing guidance to adjust your plan as life, markets, and tax rules change
You don’t need a stock pick.
You need a coordinated plan.
How Our Pricing Works
Your cost is based on the investments we manage as part of your retirement plan.
We typically work with households that have at least $500,000 of investments to manage as part of their retirement plan.
Our pricing is tiered, which means different portions of your portfolio are billed at different rates. As your assets grow, your effective fee percentage gradually declines.
Fee Schedule
* 1.60% on the first $250,000
* 1.20% on the next $250,000
* 0.90% on the next $500,000
* 0.70% on the next $2,000,000
* 0.60% on the next $2,000,000
* 0.50% on the next $5,000,000
* 0.40% on investments above $10,000,000
| Portfolio Size | Effective Annual Fee |
|---|---|
| $500,000 | 1.40% |
| $1,000,000 | 1.15% |
| $2,000,000 | 0.925% |
| $3,000,000 | 0.85% |
| $5,000,000 | 0.75% |
| $10,000,000 | 0.625% |
Different Ways People Approach This
There isn’t just one way to get help with your retirement decisions.
Most people take one of a few different approaches:
Doing it yourself
Some people prefer to manage everything on their own.
This may work well if you enjoy the research and feel confident making decisions across investments, taxes, and income planning.
Working with an investment-focused advisor
Some advisors focus on managing investments.
That may be helpful if your main focus is investment management, though retirement decisions often extend beyond the portfolio.
Getting a one-time plan
Some people start with a financial plan or second opinion.
This may provide clarity upfront, especially around big decisions like retirement timing or Social Security.
Working with an ongoing advisor
Others prefer ongoing guidance—especially as new decisions come up over time.
This typically includes coordinating income, taxes, and investments as part of a broader retirement plan.
The right approach often depends on how many decisions you want to manage on your own—and how much coordination you’re looking for over time.
See How This Would Apply to Your Situation
If you’re getting close to retirement and want to make sure you’re making the right decisions, the next step is a simple conversation.
We’ll walk through where you are today, the decisions in front of you, and what to think about next.
No preparation needed.
No pressure. No sales pitch.
Just a chance to get clear on what matters most for your retirement.