FAQ

I am a fee-only advisor, which means all payments come directly from clients. I don’t sell insurance products, earn commissions, or get referral bonuses for making recommendations.

I charge an ongoing planning fee starting at $4,800 per year for individuals and $7,200 per year for couples. Both are billed monthly.

Investment management is included in the Planning Fee for up to $800k of invested assets for couples and $500k for individuals. Above that level, a 1% investment fee replaces the Financial Planning Fee. The investment fee reduces to 0.75% above $1mm invested and 0.50% above $3mm invested.

In addition to the above costs, all investments come with a cost known as an expense ratio. I typically use low-cost, diversified investments for clients. This costs roughly 0.05% in expenses each year, or $0.50 for every $1,000 invested.

I am a CFP® Professional, which means I’ve satisfied extensive education and competency requirements and am held to the ethical standards laid out by the CFP® board. I earned a Certificate in Financial Planning from the Howard University School of Business, which includes the following courses: Fundamentals of Financial Planning, Insurance Planning, Investment Planning, Tax Planning, Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits, Estate Planning, and a Capstone Course. I passed the CFP® exam and the Series 65 Uniform Investment Advisor Law Exam. My firm is a Registered Investment Advisory Firm in Washington, DC.

I’m a member of XY Planning Network, a professional community of fee-only, fiduciary advisors. I meet regularly with groups of other advisors for continuing education and coaching around Financial Planning concepts, and consistently read journals, articles, and attend webinars related to tax, estate planning, investment, behavioral finance, and insurance planning strategies. In today’s ever-changing environment, I also devote time to staying up to date on new laws and how they affect taxes, student loans, and employee benefits. I’m a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) and Fee Only Network. As a CFP® and NAPFA member, I complete at least 30 hours of Continuing Education per year in Financial Planning and Ethics topics.

I’ve completed Heather Jarvis’ Student Loans for Advisors Course and College Aid Pro’s Education Planning for Advisors course which focuses on planning to pay for college.

If we decide we’re a good fit to work together, we’ll spend the first 2-3 months building your Financial Plan over the course of four meetings. Once we’ve reviewed your Plan and decided what action steps to take, we’ll have structured check-ins and meet as needed to continue your financial progress.

I reach out proactively throughout the year to stay ahead of things like retirement contributions, tax filing and end of year tax planning, open enrollment, credit score maintenance, insurance planning, and estate planning. We will generally meet at least twice per year, and I encourage folks to reach out as often as you like for support as things change throughout the year.

I believe the best way to achieve your investing goals is to use a portfolio that is broadly diversified, simple, and low-cost, whether you have $10k or $10M. I also optimize where to hold investments for tax efficiency to save as much money as possible along the way.

If you are looking for more “advanced” or complicated investing strategies, I’m probably not a good fit for you. Thankfully, there are plenty of other planners who are!

Most people I work with haven’t had someone else manage their investments before, and that’s ok! We’ll have multiple conversations about the plan before actually doing anything.

I work with educators and government employees (both active and retired) in the Washington, DC area including Maryland and Virginia. I have particular expertise in dealing with DC Public Schools, DC Government, and Federal Government benefits and retirement plans. I work with people who have recently gotten inheritances, parents, and couples in their 40s, 50s, and 60s in other parts of the country.

My ideal clients are ready to take action and want a trusted partner to make sure things get done right. They’re comfortable working with a small local firm and having some fun in the process.

I’m probably not your guy if you’re: a) focused on budgeting and credit card payoff, b) own a business with 3 or more employees, or c) want an advisor with a fancy suit and downtown office.

I strive to build a practice that advances equity, feminism, and antiracism. The economic system in the US has disproportionately benefited white men like me for centuries, and made it more difficult for so many people to access resources like financial planning. The financial planning industry is unfortunately ~80% white and male.

I welcome clients of all races, genders, and sexual orientations. I offer free resources in the form of education, webinars, and pro-bono consultations — particularly DC and Federal Government employees. If you identify as Black, Indigenous, LGBTQ, and/or a member of any other group that’s been marginalized, I will work to be helpful to you at no cost.

I do all investment management through Charles Schwab. I’ve got a service team there who can help resolve most issues without you having to sit on hold or deal with any paperwork.

Your accounts will be held at Charles Schwab and accessible via the Schwab website and app. You’ll receive statements and end of year tax forms through Schwab, and there are no platform or additional fees for using them as a custodian.

Taxes are a key piece of any comprehensive financial planning process. We’ll discuss Tax Planning in depth and consider the tax implications of all decisions, including those around investing, student loans, retirement planning, etc.

We’ll use multi-year projections, consider current and future income levels, potential capital gains taxes, where we hold different types of assets, and coordinate with your tax preparer as needed to lower your lifetime tax bill as much as possible.