How we work

Our Process and Fees

How we work with business owners from discovery through ongoing planning, and what it costs.

15-minute intro call to confirm fit and next steps · Based in Dallas and serving owners nationwide

From the first year to a lifelong journey

Our Integrated Planning Process

Three steps to get started, and then a relationship that lasts. The first two steps are free and meant to give you the info you need to make a decision.

Step 01
Introductory Call
Phone · 15 minutes · Free
We use this call to understand your situation, your priorities, and the decisions you are facing. No preparation is needed. If there is a mutual fit, we outline next steps.
Step 02
Discovery Meeting
Zoom · 60 minutes · Free
We review where you are today, learn about your goals, and discuss our services in more depth. If you are married, we require both spouses to attend. The engagement letter is sent after the meeting.
Step 03
Onboarding Meeting
Dallas or virtual
We gather your data and organize your information, then meet to walk through your plan and our recommendations.
What we ask for: three years of tax returns, business financials, statements for investments and debts, insurance and estate documents, your living expenses, and your practice metrics.

Step 04 · Lifelong journey

Ongoing Planning

One of our values is a lifelong journey, and this is the step where it happens. We help you implement the plan, monitor it as things change, and help you think thru the next five to ten years.

Our normal cadence for business owners is a quarterly monitoring call and an annual review meeting, with conversations in between as decisions come up.

All part of one relationship

Personal financial planning: The full plan reviewed annually, with quarterly check-ins for business owners.
Tax planning and preparation: Projections through the year, then preparation and filing.
Portfolio management: Managed alongside the plan, with custody at Charles Schwab.
Business consulting: Owner pay, entity structure, and transition decisions as they arise.

How we bill

Planning first. Tax and investments follow.

We engage clients for planning first. It is how we learn enough about your situation to handle your tax and investments well.

Financial planning and advisory

Starts here

Fixed fee for your stage

Invoiced quarterly in arrears

Covers planning, strategy, coordination, and advice all year.

Investment management

For planning clients

A percentage of assets

Billed quarterly in arrears

Calculated on managed account values at quarter end, so it moves with your balance.

Tax preparation

For planning clients

Based on return complexity

Billed when the return is delivered

Separate from the planning and portfolio fees.

Each service has its own engagement letter, with scope and fee in writing before you sign. Your fee changes only if you agree in writing.

Fee-only and fiduciary, paid only by our clients. No commissions, third-party compensation, or product sales. Client assets are held in custody at Charles Schwab.

What it costs

Transparent fees, matched to what you need.

Whatever stage you are in, the planning fee reflects the value that stage actually calls for, not the size of your balance sheet.

Planning fees by stage

Stage one

Associate to owner

Buying in, managing debt, saving money for retirement, or preparing to make a big purchase.

$600 a month: Ongoing planning fee, invoiced quarterly in arrears. No upfront plan fee.; What your fees include
Your written plan in the first 90 days
A full plan review and tax strategy session each year
Ongoing access to advisor for buy-in reviews, compensation negotiations, and life events.

Talk through a buy-in

Stage two

Practice owner

Running the practice, planning for more ops, adding partners, tax planning, and saving for the future.

$950 a month: Ongoing planning fee, invoiced quarterly in arrears. Begins when your plan is delivered.
$10,000: Upfront onboarding and planning fee. Half on signing, half when your plan is delivered, normally within three months.; What your fees include
Your written plan: full business and personal financial review with suggested next steps
A full plan review each year and quarterly check-in calls
Owner-pay, entity, and transition decisions as they arise

Talk through your practice

Stage three

Retired owner

Practice sold or transitioned, living on the proceeds.

Investment fee only: Planning is included, with no separate planning fee.

Talk through transition

See the full dental practices page

What investment management costs

A transparent rate for every level

The fee is calculated on your managed account values at quarter end and deducted from the accounts quarterly in arrears, so it moves with the balance rather than being fixed in advance.

Assets under management: 1%Of the assets we manage
What we expect to manage: We expect to manage the majority of your investments, so planning, tax, and portfolio decisions stay coordinated.

What a return costs

Every return starts from a base fee

What it costs above the base fee depends on clean data, acquisitions or divestitures, and other unique tax accounting situations.

The averages shown here are for illustration only and are not actual costs. Your fee is determined once the return has been fully prepared.

You can also keep the CPA you have. Many clients do, and we coordinate with them.

Individual (1040) returns: $1,400Illustrative average; $1,000Base fee
Business and trust returns: $2,200Illustrative average; $1,000Base fee

Estimate your fee

What would you pay?

Pick your stage and enter the investable assets you would want us to manage. Everything is in dollars.

Stage

Investable assets

$0$5,000,000

Include tax return preparation

Return fees are estimates. Your actual fee is set once the return is prepared.

Personal returns

Business returns

Planning fee, per year: $7,200
Investment management, per year: $0
Tax preparation, typical1 personal return: $1,400
Year one, all in: $8,600
Ongoing, per year: $8,600; Planning and investment fees invoiced quarterly in arrears. Tax preparation billed once the return is prepared.

Unusual complexity

For unusually complex situations, such as multiple locations, multiple entities, or a unique scope of work, we may adjust the scope and fees to fit your circumstances. Every agreement is in writing before work begins.

90Days

Mutual evaluation period

If it is not working at 90 days, we refund your planning fees.

Ninety days is a mutual evaluation period, and it is our chance to decide whether you are a good fit for the firm too.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How long does the process take?

The initial planning phase typically spans several meetings over a few months. Ongoing support continues as long as the relationship remains a good fit.

How often will we meet?

Business owners have a full plan review each year and quarterly check-in calls. Associates and retired owners have a full plan review and tax strategy session each year. Everyone has additional conversations as needed.

Is your process customized or standardized?

The framework is consistent, but every plan and recommendation is customized to your situation, goals, and complexity.

Do you coordinate everything or work with outside advisors?

When appropriate, we coordinate with outside professionals. Our goal is alignment, not silos.

Do I have to live in Dallas to work with you?

No. While we are based in Dallas, we can meet virtually with owners across the country.

I already have a CPA. Do I have to move my tax work to you?

No. We do not have to manage the accounting or prepare the return. Many owners keep the accountant who already knows their business and bring us in for the planning, the strategy, and the coordination. When we do handle the tax work, it is because having it on the same team removes handoffs, not because it is required.

Can you just manage my investments?

We engage clients for planning first. It is how we learn enough about your business, your taxes, and your timeline to manage your investments well.

Do my accounts have to move?

Accounts we manage are held in custody at Charles Schwab. Accounts we do not manage, including your employer retirement plan, stay where they are and are still reviewed as part of the plan.

More about what each service covers is on Services.

Ready to get started?

Start with step one.

The purpose of this 15 minute call (free) is to see if you need an advisor for your practice or firm. No preparation is required.

Fee-only and fiduciary. We are paid by our clients, not by product sponsors. No commissions and no product sales. Client assets are held in custody at Charles Schwab.

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