Based in Minnetonka, Minnesota
Flames FP is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Columbus relationships run entirely virtually. This page describes the Columbus service area, not a separate Columbus branch.
Financial advisor serving Columbus
A flat-fee financial advisor serving Columbus, OH.
Flames Financial Planning is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota and works with Columbus households through a virtual planning relationship. Fixed quarterly memberships coordinate investments, taxes, retirement, and estate guidance without an AUM fee.
Minnetonka-basedA Minnesota firm serving Columbus-area households; Flames FP does not claim a Columbus office.
$150–$1,650/qtrQuarterly memberships billed in advance, with no annual commitment.
0% AUMThe advisory fee is not calculated as a percentage of the portfolio.
Virtual planningMeet and collaborate from Columbus or anywhere else you happen to be.
Direct answer
How Do You Find a Flat-Fee Financial Advisor Serving Columbus?
Compare each advisor’s registration, fiduciary role, total annualized cost in dollars, the services included, and who you actually meet with. Flames Financial Planning is based in Minnetonka—not at a Columbus office—and serves Columbus households virtually. Memberships cost $150, $900, or $1,650 per quarter, with no AUM fee and no annual commitment.
A truthful local relationship
Serving Columbus without inventing an office there
A location page should tell you who is actually available, where the firm sits, and how the relationship works day to day.
Built for virtual collaboration
Meetings, document sharing, dashboard access, and ongoing planning all happen remotely, so where you live does not limit the advice you get.
Verify before you hire anyone
Check any advisor’s registration, services, disciplinary history, and fee disclosures before you sign. That applies to this firm as much as any other.
Ohio planning context
What actually differs about planning in central Ohio
Tax rules are set by the state, not the city, and they change which decisions are worth the most. The full Ohio picture, with sources, is on the Ohio page. How those rules bear on withdrawal order, Roth-conversion timing and Medicare premiums is set out in the retirement tax planning overview.
Ohio tax treatment
Ohio's income tax reached a single 2.75% rate in 2026, with the first $26,050 of Ohio income after exemptions untaxed. Social Security is deducted in full; pensions and IRA withdrawals are taxed, with small credits for households under $100,000. There is no estate tax. Columbus's 2.5% municipal income tax reaches wages and business income but not Social Security, pensions or retirement-plan distributions.
Retirement income: Social Security deducted in full; pensions and IRA withdrawals taxed, with small credits under $100,000
Social Security and tier I railroad retirement benefits are deducted in full. Pension, IRA, 401(k) and annuity income is taxed at the regular rates; a household whose Ohio modified adjusted gross income less exemptions is under $100,000 may claim a retirement income credit of up to $200 and a $50 senior citizen credit at 65. Municipalities administered by RITA list Social Security, pension, retirement-plan and IRA distributions as not taxable.
Estates: None since 2013
Ohio repealed its estate tax for deaths on or after January 1, 2013 and administers no inheritance tax; no tax release or inheritance-tax waiver is required to transfer a decedent's assets. Only the federal exclusion applies.
How local households are paid
Columbus is paid by Nationwide's headquarters, by Cardinal Health, Huntington and Bath & Body Works, by JPMorgan's very large Columbus workforce, by The Ohio State University and its medical center, and by state government. Insurance and bank restricted stock, deferred compensation and public pensions through the state's retirement systems are the recurring account types, and the city's income tax on earnings ends for most of them at retirement.
Rates change; check before you act
Brackets, thresholds, and retirement-income rules are revised regularly. The figures above are for tax year 2026. Treat them as a starting point and confirm the current year before making a decision on them.
Federal and state, together
How Ohio Tax Interacts With a Columbus Household’s Federal Return
At 2.75% Ohio income tax is small relative to the federal deduction cap; property tax is usually the larger item, and for most households the cap does not bind. Municipal income taxes are deductible as state and local taxes within the same cap.
For tax year 2026 the federal deduction for state and local taxes is capped at $40,400, shrinking above $500,000 of modified adjusted gross income to a floor of $10,000. IRS, Instructions for Schedule A (2025), line 5e.
Worth doing here
Ohio planning opportunities
Things that are worth doing in Ohio that would not be worth doing, or would work differently, somewhere else.
The Ohio 529 deduction, with unlimited carryforward
Any Ohio taxpayer who contributes to an Ohio CollegeAdvantage 529 plan, not only the account owner, may deduct up to $4,000 per beneficiary per year, and contributions above that carry forward to later years until used. A grandparent front-loading $20,000 for one grandchild deducts $4,000 a year for five years.
Income above $100,000 is taxed less from 2026
The 3.125% rate on income above $100,000 became 2.75% for tax years from 2026, so deferrable income (a conversion, a bonus, a large withdrawal) that lands in 2026 rather than 2025 saves 0.375 points of Ohio tax. Federal brackets and Medicare tiers usually matter more; treat this as a tiebreaker.
Social Security on top of the untaxed first $26,050
Because Social Security is deducted entirely and no tax applies to the first $26,050 of remaining Ohio income after exemptions, a retired couple living on Social Security and modest IRA withdrawals can owe Ohio nothing. Withdrawals that push Ohio income just past $26,050 trigger the fixed $332 plus 2.75% of the excess, so filling but not exceeding that zero bracket each year is the target for smaller households. Municipal income tax does not reach retirement distributions.
The first meeting
What the first meeting covers for a Columbus household
A discovery meeting is a conversation, not a pitch. For households here it tends to get to these three things.
Restricted stock and deferred compensation at an insurance or bank employer: elections, vesting and how concentrated the household has become.
For public employees: how an OPERS or STRS pension coordinates with Social Security and a deferred-compensation plan.
Roth conversions in the years before required distributions at Ohio's 2.75%, and which Ohio credits a large conversion would cost.
Who this fits
Households Flames FP often helps in Columbus
The common thread is a household with enough complexity that the decisions interact, and enough assets that a percentage fee gets expensive.
Corporate employees
See how the planning relationship works for this situation, what is included, and what it costs.
High-income families
See how the planning relationship works for this situation, what is included, and what it costs.
Anyone comparing a 1% fee against a flat one
Run your own numbers before talking to anyone, including this firm. The calculator converts a percentage into the dollars it actually costs over time.
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
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 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 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 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.
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.
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.
Common questions
Columbus Financial Advisor Questions
Does Flames Financial Planning have a Columbus office?
No. Flames Financial Planning is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and serves Columbus households through a virtual planning relationship. This page describes the service area and does not claim a Columbus office.
Can someone in Columbus work with Flames FP virtually?
Yes. Columbus households can meet by video, share documents securely, use the financial dashboard, and receive ongoing planning without travelling. Flames FP serves clients nationwide where permitted.
How much does Flames FP cost?
Flames Access is $150 per quarter ($600 annualized), Planning is $900 per quarter ($3600 annualized), and Premier is $1650 per quarter ($6600 annualized). Memberships are billed quarterly in advance with no annual commitment.
Does Flames FP charge an AUM fee to Columbus clients?
No. The advisory fee is a flat quarterly amount tied to the planning work, not a percentage of the portfolio, so it does not increase as investments grow.
What should a Columbus household compare between advisors?
Compare the total annual cost in dollars rather than percentages, exactly what is included at that price, whether the advisor is a fiduciary and fee-only, and who you actually meet with. Then verify the firm's registration and disciplinary history on the SEC's adviser search.
Is Ohio tax planning part of the relationship?
Yes. State tax treatment shapes withdrawal order, Roth-conversion timing, and where investments are best held. Planning includes tax guidance and review of a completed return; Premier adds tax projections and preparation and filing through an independent tax partner. The Ohio rules themselves are set out on the Ohio page.
Next step
Compare a Columbus-area planning relationship in actual dollars.
A discovery meeting covers your situation, your current advisor arrangement if you have one, and whether a fixed quarterly membership is a better fit than what you are paying now.