Fixed quarterly price
The membership fee is billed quarterly in advance, making the relationship easier to budget for and compare without an annual commitment.
Flat-fee financial planning
Financial planning priced for the work, not your portfolio.
Flames FP coordinates investments and financial planning through fixed quarterly memberships instead of charging a percentage of assets.
$150-$1,650/qtrQuarterly memberships billed in advance, with no annual commitment.
0% AUMThe fee is not calculated as a percentage of your portfolio.
Minnesota-basedLocal roots with virtual planning flexibility.
Start freeOrganize your financial picture in the Flames Financial Dashboard.
Direct answer
What Is Flat-Fee Financial Planning?
Flat-fee financial planning means the advisor charges a stated dollar amount for the planning relationship instead of taking a percentage of the investments being managed. Flames FP memberships are billed quarterly in advance at $150, $900, or $1,650 per quarter, depending on service scope. There is no annual commitment, and a larger portfolio does not automatically create a larger advisory fee.
How the model works
A fee structure you can evaluate in actual dollars
The useful comparison is not a small-looking percentage versus a flat number. It is annualized cost, services included, advisor responsibility, and how the fee changes over time.
No automatic portfolio markup
The fee does not rise simply because markets increased or more money moved into an investment account.
Planning scope drives fit
The right membership depends on the decisions and coordination your household needs, not only account balance.
One coordinated relationship
The work extends beyond investment management
Investments are one part of a financial life. The value of planning often comes from connecting decisions that would otherwise be handled separately.
Investments and taxes
Portfolio changes, gains, losses, account location, and withdrawal decisions are considered alongside tax consequences.
Tax planning and filingRetirement and cash flow
Savings, Social Security, Medicare, RMDs, Roth conversions, and withdrawal sequencing are coordinated around retirement goals.
Retirement planningEstate and family decisions
Beneficiaries, legal documents, gifting, insurance, and family responsibilities are connected to the broader plan.
Estate guidanceFit
When a flat-fee membership can make sense
Flat-fee advice is often worth comparing when your financial life is becoming more connected and you want broader planning than a portfolio-only relationship.
Your portfolio has grown
You want to understand the real dollar cost of a percentage fee and whether the work increased at the same pace.
Taxes affect major decisions
Equity compensation, Roth conversions, retirement withdrawals, charitable giving, or concentrated investments need tax-aware coordination.
You want one planning picture
You would rather connect cash flow, investments, taxes, retirement, insurance, estate documents, and family goals.
Watch and learn
Start With the Fee Model
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
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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.
Common questions
Flat-Fee Financial Planning Questions
Does flat-fee financial planning mean investment management is excluded?
No. Investment management is included in every Flames tier. Access combines it with personalized foundational planning; Planning adds comprehensive planning, proactive tax guidance and estate-document access; Premier adds advanced planning and eligible individual tax-return preparation.
Does Flames FP charge a percentage of assets?
No. Investment management is included in each fixed quarterly membership without an AUM fee based on the value of the portfolio.
How much does Flames Financial Planning cost?
Flames Access is $150 per quarter ($600 annualized), Flames Planning is $900 per quarter ($3,600 annualized), and Flames Premier is $1,650 per quarter ($6,600 annualized). Memberships are billed quarterly in advance with no annual commitment.
Is a flat fee always less expensive than a 1% AUM fee?
No. Cost depends on portfolio size, planning scope, and services included. The advantage of a flat fee is that the annual dollar cost is visible and does not automatically rise with the portfolio.
Who is flat-fee financial planning best for?
It can be a strong fit for households that want coordinated help across investments, taxes, retirement, estate decisions, and implementation without linking the advisor's fee directly to portfolio size.
Next step
Compare the planning work with the annual cost.
Bring your current questions, account structure, and advisor fee. We can talk through what a Flames membership would include and whether the model fits.