Pricing and Services

FAQ’s

1. I’ve never worked with a financial advisor, and now I’m having sticker shock?!
   A: We know. We tried to save the world from “evil” financial advisors ripping off unsuspecting clients by keeping our own costs low and charging as little as $200 per month. It simply doesn’t work for our clientele’s needs and wants (expertise and reliability). When you do real financial planning for people, it is bespoke; much of it cannot be automated.
   
   Our flat fees come out to less than 2% of your compensation (if more, we may not be the right fit for your situation). We believe we can do more together on 98% of your income than you can do alone with 100% of it, not because you are not smart (you are), but because there are pitfalls and we are expert guides to help you make informed decisions.
   
   In the same way we wouldn’t call your 401k savings an “expense” because we expect it to grow over time, we are very confident that our expertise in guiding your financial life will result in a net financial benefit to you, which is why we consider our fees to be an investment that you are making in yourself.
   

2. Do you charge % AUM fees?
   A: No.
   

3. Why should I pay somebody manage my investments?
   A: If you are willing to buy index funds and chill, then you shouldn’t. The reason people have us manage their investments is because they don’t want to take the time to do it themselves, particularly in the upkeep (ensuring cash doesn’t build up, locating tax forms, etc.). They also like the flat-fee pricing we offer, such that we are less incentivized to simply gather assets.
   

4. My situation is simple. Can I just work with you to get an initial plan in place and then go on my way?
   A: We used to offer “one-time” plans. It turns out that a financial plan is not a product, but an evolving work. Anybody is free to cancel at any time, for any reason, and/or choose Hourly Services. That said, we have enough experience to tell you that if you are in the top 5% of income earners in the United States, your financial life is probably not as simple as you think. There’s a good chance you just don’t know what you don’t know.
   

5. What do you actually do for these ongoing fees?
   A: We will have both proactive planning projects on an ongoing basis, as well as serve as an already informed expert to answer your questions and issues as they arise. Examples of our recurring proactive planning projects include:

   1. December - March - Tax Planning for Bonuses, 401k/HSA Investment Review, and Tax Form Organization for April Filing.

   2. April - June - Tax Filing Support, Resiliency Checks, Cashflow and Savings Updates.

   3. July - September - Investment Strategy Review and Adjustment

   4. October - November - Tax Filing Support, Employee Benefits Elections
      

6. How do I get started?
   A: It is important to us that every client feel like they are our only client. Therefore, we only onboard a limited number of households per month. Use the request button at the top of the home page to reserve your spot, and/or set up an Introductory Call with us to discuss your situation.

Videos

BigLaw Financial Life

Why Do BigLaw Attorneys Need Financial Planning?

What Do We Actually Do with Financial Planning?

Work with a firm that specializes in helping people like you

While every situation is different, we find some common needs among our BigLaw clients. We can help:

1. Organize your finances

2. Balance student loan repayment with short-term and long-term savings

3. Navigate your benefits at work to make the best choices for your situation

4. Determine how much you need for an emergency fund, and where to save it

5. Establish a “savings waterfall” to prioritize each dollar, so you know what’s left over for spending

6. Protect your finances from disaster through loss of employment or loss of life

7. Make sense of the dizzying array of investment accounts and investment options

8. Shield you from financial salespeople and products that may not have your best interest in mind

9. Give you some of your time back by serving as the go-to experts for your financial issues

10. Achieve confidence and security in your financial life

11. Serve you regardless of the amount of money you’re ready to invest

Typically, the priorities among the above list ebb and flow over time and with your life. Some of these things are handled early on and then become less pressing, while other items grow in importance. The key thing is that we develop a close relationship with you and carry a thorough understanding of your evolving situation, which makes the ongoing advice that much more powerful.

Why Concert Financial Planning?

Modern | No commissions | Fiduciary | Independent

Concert Financial Planning is a commission-free, fiduciary, and independent firm designed specifically for BigLaw Attorneys. We help you navigate important financial decisions in order to optimize your hard work and achieve financial peace of mind. Upon this bedrock, families can be grown, careers built, and passions pursued.

Modern We use the latest technology to create a warm, flexible, and secure environment for our clients to collaborate with us in a way that makes sense for them. In-person or virtually, we are here.

No Commissions We do not sell products and we are never paid in commissions. We are paid exclusively by our clients for advice, and not by any other means. This helps to reduce conflicts of interest that may arise when an “advisor” is paid by 3rd parties for selling their products to customers.

Fiduciary We legally must act in the best interest of our clients at all times. While you might think this is a requirement for all “financial advisors”, it is not, and you should ask for a fiduciary commitment from your advisor, at all times, in writing.

Independent Concert Financial Planning, LLC, is a private practice owned by the Founder, Matt Smith. We do not operate under a parent company with its own interests that may differ from clients’ interests, or that limits our ability to do what is right for the client.