COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL PLANNING

What will you get?

1. Initial session to review your goals. It helps to come prepared with questions and documents, but it’s not required. There is never a fee for the initial consultation.

If it looks like our comprehensive solution will be a good fit, we’ll move forward

2. We’ll collect additional information on existing financial assets and perform a risk assessment.

3. I will generate an initial financial plan and customized investment policy statement (IPS). See “What is covered in my financial plan?”

4. We’ll review your plan, decide collectively on next steps, and begin implementation. At this time I can provide an accurate estimate of our pricing for comprehensive planning services.

5. Unlimited e-mail support.

How we meet: We meet virtually, or locally in the Bay Area. More on our virtual Zoom solution.

During our first year, we will meet as frequently as necessary. In subsequent years, we will follow the annual service calendar.

What will this cost?

We charge a flat fee, based on several factors:

  • Complexity and time-required
  • Value we can add for you
  • To keep our services affordable, planning fees are capped at 1% annual income

There is no up-front fee. The retainer can be paid quarterly or monthly. For most people, this will amount to $100-$300/month.

If you are also interested in Portfolio Management, that is available for 0.25% of AUM.

These are the only fees we receive as fee-only advisors. There are no product sales involved, and therefore no commissions received.

PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

What will you get?

Portfolio management is an add-on service, offered to clients that have purchased comprehensive financial planning.

We will create a diversified portfolio for you based on your asset allocation as defined in your IPS, seeking to maximize your risk-adjusted rate of return. Portfolios will be created using passive investment options, with a focus on tax-efficiency and cost-minimization, utilizing tilts toward value, international or small-cap exposure when needed. More on investment philosophy.

Portfolios will include the following features as appropriate:

1. Roth IRA conversion strategies

2. Tax-loss harvesting (in taxable accounts)

3. Tax-efficient investment placement & coordination (“Tax Location”)

4. Automatic rebalancing (in tax-managed accounts)

5. Automatic dividend reinvestment

What will this cost?

For assets that we manage directly, we charge 0.25%.

Held-away assets such as a 401(k) are included in comprehensive financial planning.

Some mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) transactions may incur a fee, charged by the broker. Ashby Wealth Management does not receive any portion of this fee. For example, as of 11/2016, ETF transaction fees were $0-$9.99; mutual fund transaction fees were $24 – for clients receiving electronic statements. As part of our low-fee approach, we attempt to minimize or eliminate transaction fees whenever possible.

QUICK-START SESSION

What will you get?

Quick-start sessions are ideal for clients who are interested in a DIY approach but need an extra boost. Here are some of our most common offerings:

1. “The recent grad”

  • Student loan review: consolidation and income-based repayment options analyzed
  • Initial benefit review: health insurance, life insurance,
  • 401(k) review

2. “The new investor”

  • Determining your asset allocation
  • Building a portfolio
  • Diversification
  • Tax-favored investing review (deferred vs tax-free)
  • Taxable investing basics

What will this cost?

Theses packages are available for a flat fee of $395.

For the DIY package, we will ask you to gather and provide us with information ahead of our first meeting.

This will cover 2 meetings: initial review and final presentation.

Email support for the following 3 months to cover any other questions you may have.

HOURLY PLANNING

What will you get?

Ideal for clients who are interested in a DIY approach but may not need ongoing support. Here are some of our most common offerings:

1. One-time financial plan (usually 5-10 hours)

  • Personal balance sheet
  • Investment review: Asset allocation, tax allocation, concentation
  • Retirement analysis: Monte-carlo analysis, stress test, Social Security optimization
  • Insurance review: life, disability, long-term care (LTC)
  • Education planning
  • Tax planning

2. Standalone education planning

  • EFC calculation
  • Review FAFSA vs CSS Profile
  • School-specific cost projections
  • 529 plan investment & tax benefit overview
  • Financial Aid package review

3. Student loan repayment strategy

  • Calculating the idea repayment strategy (PAYE, REPAYE, IBR)
  • Public-student loan forgiveness (PSLF)
  • Refinancing (federal vs private)

What will this cost?

Project-based work is available for an hourly fee of $249.

Based on our initial meeting, I will provide a cost estimate based on the number of hours. Payment will be due when the project is delivered.

Email support for the following 3 months to cover any other questions you may have.