Based in Minnetonka, Minnesota
Flames FP is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Seattle relationships run entirely virtually. This page describes the Seattle service area, not a separate Seattle branch.
Financial advisor serving Seattle
A flat-fee financial advisor serving Seattle, WA.
Flames Financial Planning is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota and works with Seattle 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 Seattle-area households; Flames FP does not claim a Seattle 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 Seattle or anywhere else you happen to be.
Direct answer
How Do You Find a Flat-Fee Financial Advisor Serving Seattle?
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 Seattle office—and serves Seattle households virtually. Memberships cost $150, $900, or $1,650 per quarter, with no AUM fee and no annual commitment.
A truthful local relationship
Serving Seattle 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.
Washington planning context
What actually differs about planning in the Puget Sound region
Tax rules are set by the state, not the city, and they change which decisions are worth the most. The full Washington picture, with sources, is on the Washington page. How those rules bear on withdrawal order, Roth-conversion timing and Medicare premiums is set out in the retirement tax planning overview.
Washington tax treatment
Washington has no personal income tax today, but it does tax long-term capital gains: 7% above a standard deduction, rising to 9.9% on gains over $1 million. That lands squarely on employees diversifying vested equity, and it exempts real estate and retirement accounts. Two further points matter for planning: the tax applies if you are domiciled in Washington when you sell, and the legislature has enacted a 9.9% personal income tax beginning in 2028, with a $1 million standard deduction that is capped per household rather than per spouse.
Retirement income: Nothing to tax at the state level
With no income tax, pension, IRA and 401(k) withdrawals and Social Security are untouched by the state, and retirement accounts are exempt from the capital gains excise as well.
Estates: $3 million exclusion; rates from 10% to 35%
For deaths on or after July 1, 2025 the exclusion is $3 million and the rates run from 10% on the first $1 million of taxable estate to 35% above $9 million. A qualified family-owned business interest deduction of up to $3 million, indexed, is available.
How local households are paid
Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks and Boeing all employ heavily here and are all publicly traded, so a large share of local households hold employer stock of some kind. Starbucks is the unusual one: its proxy filings show restricted stock granted to well over a hundred thousand partners, including part-time roles, rather than only to executives.
Rates change; check before you act
Brackets, thresholds, and retirement-income rules are revised regularly. The figures above are for tax year 2025. Treat them as a starting point and confirm the current year before making a decision on them.
Federal and state, together
How Washington Tax Interacts With a Seattle Household’s Federal Return
With no state income tax, the federal deduction for state and local taxes is mostly about property tax for a Washington household, and many stay under the cap. The federal layer dominates income planning here; the state layer shows up at sale and at death.
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
Washington planning opportunities
Things that are worth doing in Washington that would not be worth doing, or would work differently, somewhere else.
Timing sales around the 9.9% tier
Because the excise steps up on gains over $1 million in a year, spreading the sale of a concentrated position across tax years can keep more of it at 7% — and the domicile rule means where you live when you sell decides whether it applies at all.
Estate planning at a $3 million threshold
With a top rate of 35%, lifetime gifting and trust structures that would be optional elsewhere earn their keep here. The family-owned business deduction is worth understanding for anyone whose estate includes a closely held company.
The first meeting
What the first meeting covers for a Seattle household
A discovery meeting is a conversation, not a pitch. For households here it tends to get to these three things.
A schedule for selling vested equity that keeps annual gains under the 9.9% tier of Washington's capital gains excise where it can.
Whether the household's estate is anywhere near Washington's $3 million exclusion, given a top rate of 35%.
Federal timing — with no state income tax, which federal bracket a vest or sale lands in is the whole question.
Who this fits
Households Flames FP often helps in Seattle
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
Seattle Financial Advisor Questions
Does Flames Financial Planning have a Seattle office?
No. Flames Financial Planning is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and serves Seattle households through a virtual planning relationship. This page describes the service area and does not claim a Seattle office.
Can someone in Seattle work with Flames FP virtually?
Yes. Seattle 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 Seattle 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 Seattle 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 Washington 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 Washington rules themselves are set out on the Washington page.
Next step
Compare a Seattle-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.