Services & fees
Pick the help you need today — retirement, investing, taxes, legacy, college, or your business. We connect it all into a single coordinated plan.
01 · Retire on purpose
Your retirement date is a math problem with a human answer. We model Social Security timing, pension choices, healthcare costs, and withdrawal order — then show you the date with confidence bands, not guesses.
02 · Keep more of what you earn
Evidence-based portfolios built from low-cost index funds, matched to your timeline and risk capacity — then rebalanced quarterly and harvested for tax losses automatically.
03 · Pay the IRS exactly what you owe
Taxes are often your biggest lifetime expense — and the most controllable. Our in-house CPA maps multi-year bracket strategy so you keep more in every phase of life.
04 · Protect what you built
Make sure the right people get the right assets at the right time — without court, conflict, or surprise taxes. We quarterback the process with your estate attorney.
05 · Fund the future
College now rivals retirement in cost. We balance 529 funding against your own future, model aid scenarios, and help support aging parents without derailing either goal.
06 · Owners & executives
Your business is your biggest asset — and your biggest concentration risk. We design retirement plans for your team, plan your exit years ahead, and separate business wealth from family security.
Transparent pricing
Fee-only means our only pay comes from you — never from a fund company or insurer. Every engagement starts with a free consultation and a written quote.
| Engagement | How it’s priced | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Ongoing wealth management Plan + investments + reviews | Annual % of assets | 0.80% – 1.00%, tiers down above $2M |
| Financial plan only Written plan, no asset management | Flat project fee | $3,500 – $7,500 |
| Hourly advice Second opinions, equity comp, one-off questions | Per hour | $350/hr, 2-hr minimum |
| Business-owner engagement Plan design + owner planning | Custom quote | From $8,000/yr |
Minimums: $250,000 in investable assets for ongoing management; no minimum for plans or hourly work. Custodied at Schwab or Fidelity — we never hold your money directly.
Good questions
Yes, in writing. As an SEC-registered adviser we are legally bound to act in your best interest on every recommendation. We earn no commissions, referral fees, or 12b-1 payments — our ADV disclosure lists every dollar we can receive, and it all comes from clients.
Thirty minutes with an advisor, not a salesperson. We learn your goals, sketch your biggest opportunities, and tell you honestly whether we can add value. About one in three consultations ends with “you don’t need us yet” — and a free checklist instead.
Only for ongoing investment management, where consolidation keeps costs and taxes low. Plan-only and hourly clients keep everything where it is — we advise, you implement, and we review.
Twice-yearly plan reviews, quarterly portfolio reports, and unlimited email. Most clients also call two or three times a year when life happens — a job change, a home purchase, a new grandchild. Those calls are the job, not an interruption.
Happily — and we prefer it. With your permission we join their calls, share plan documents securely, and flag deadlines. If you don’t have either, we’ll introduce vetted Chicago professionals we’ve worked with for years.
