01 · FEATUREDInteractive
Flat Fee vs AUM Calculator
Compare a fixed annual planning fee with a percentage-of-assets fee over time, including the growth those fee dollars no longer receive.
Portfolio valueAUM rateFlat annual feeTime horizon
Free planning tools
Financial Advisor Cost Calculators
Turn AUM percentages, flat fees, hourly quotes, and long-term assumptions into dollar amounts you can actually compare.
Educational estimates with visible assumptions. No signup required.
3 interactive toolsCompare the fee question you actually have.
$10,000 at 1%The annual AUM fee on a $1 million portfolio.
Visible assumptionsSee what each estimate includes and leaves out.
Start with your question
Choose the Comparison You Need
Each calculator answers a different cost question. Start with the fee structure you are comparing, then use the written guide to evaluate the services behind the number.
02Interactive
Financial Advisor Cost Calculator
Put AUM, flat annual, hourly, and project prices into comparable dollar estimates.
Compare advisor prices →03Interactive
1% AUM Fee Calculator
See the annual and cumulative effect of a 1% fee at different portfolio values.
Model a 1% fee →What the result means
A Dollar Estimate Is the Start of the Comparison
The useful question is not only “Which fee is lower?” It is “What work, access, and implementation does that fee buy?”
Compare the annual dollars, how the bill changes, what is included, who does the work, and which costs sit outside the relationship.
Price in dollarsService scopeRenewal methodConflicts and extras
Beyond one calculation
Organize the Whole Plan for Free
Calculators isolate one question. The Flames Financial Dashboard connects net worth, cash flow, goals, debt, insurance, and estate documents in one household view.
Keep the context
Pair the Number With the Full Guide
The calculator shows the math. These pages explain the assumptions, tradeoffs, and questions to ask before choosing a relationship.
Financial Advisor Cost
Compare percentage, flat, hourly, and project pricing.
Read the cost guide →Flat Fee vs AUM
Understand automatic fee escalation and service-scope tradeoffs.
Read the comparison →Flames Memberships
See transparent quarterly pricing that does not rise with portfolio size.
View Pricing →Use the number well
Turn Advisor Percentages Into Dollar Decisions
A quote becomes useful when the annual dollars, assumptions, and actual service relationship sit beside one another.
Use your real quote
Enter the portfolio value, rate, flat fee, or hourly estimate from the advisor's written disclosure or proposal.
Check every assumption
Confirm the time period, modeled growth, included expenses, and whether the result is annual or cumulative.
Compare the work
Put investments, tax planning, retirement, estate coordination, implementation, and advisor access beside the cost.
Important: The lowest fee does not automatically mean the best relationship. Compare total cost, service scope, conflicts, expertise, and the decisions the advice is expected to improve.
Watch and learn
Financial Planning, Explained Clearly
Start with three videos selected for this page, then use the controls to explore every published Flames FP video guide.
Videos 1–3 of 14
-
Flat Fee vs 1% Financial Advisor
See how a percentage fee changes in dollars as a portfolio grows and what to compare beyond the headline rate. -
What Nobody Tells You About Earning $400K a Year
See why a $400K income can still leave too little investable margin and how taxes, lifestyle growth, and deliberate investing change the result. -
The 3-Account System for a $250K Income
Use cash reserves, tax-advantaged accounts, and a taxable brokerage account to turn a strong income into a repeatable wealth-building system. -
The 6 Levels of Wealth for $200K+ Households
Use six stages to separate a high income from the wealth it actually creates. -
The RSU Strategy Most $300K Tech Earners Miss
Understand taxation at vesting, check the withholding gap, and turn each RSU vest into a deliberate diversification and household-planning decision. -
The Most Underrated Retirement Account
How a taxable brokerage account can support retirement flexibility alongside tax-advantaged accounts. -
How to Decrease Your Tax Bill
Review practical tax-planning decisions that can connect income, investments, retirement, and withholding. -
Should You Invest or Spend Your HSA?
A practical framework for deciding how an HSA fits healthcare costs, taxes, and retirement planning. -
Four Common Backdoor Roth IRA Mistakes
Understand contribution, conversion, pro-rata, and reporting mistakes before they create tax problems. -
Direct Indexing vs ETFs in a Taxable Account
Compare diversification, tax management, cost, and complexity before changing an investment strategy. -
My New Favorite Account to Gift Money to Kids and Grandkids
Compare the new child investment account with 529 plans, custodial accounts, Roth IRAs for earned income, and the family's actual goals. -
Estate Planning Documents You May Need
A plain-English review of wills, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, beneficiaries, and trusts. -
How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?
Think through income replacement, debt, children, childcare, education, and family risk. -
Five Money Mistakes High Earners Make
Common coordination gaps involving taxes, cash flow, investments, insurance, and estate planning.
Next step
Ready to Compare the Fee Models?
Start with the Flat Fee vs AUM Calculator, then review the services and assumptions behind each price before choosing an advisor.