Flat Fee, Advice-Only Financial Planning in Brooklyn & NYC

Most people don't need more complexity. They need clarity.

If you're looking for a flat fee financial planner in Brooklyn or NYC, you've probably already figured out that the traditional financial services industry wasn't built around transparency. You may have also noticed that the terminology (fee-only, fee-based, fiduciary, advice-only) doesn't make things much clearer.

Let me explain how I work, what you'll pay, and who this is and isn't a good fit for.

How I Work

When it comes to your financial life, your income, taxes, investments, housing, and family decisions don't exist in their separate silos. They affect each other in ways that aren't always obvious, especially when you're so close to your own situation. My job is to help you see how they fit together and where the gaps are.

I'm a CFP® professional and I offer financial planning on a flat fee, advice-only basis. That means two things:

You know what you'll pay before we start. The fee is fixed and agreed upon in advance, not tied to the size of your portfolio, not buried in a product commission, and not growing quietly in the background as your investments grow.

You stay in control of your money. I don't manage your investments or sell financial products. I give you a plan, clear and actionable recommendations based on an outside perspective on your financial life. What you do with that is up to you.

Flat Fee Financial Planning

Why a flat fee?

With many advisors, what you pay is tied to how much you invest with them. The more assets they manage, the more they earn, regardless of how much work your situation actually requires or how often you meet. That structure creates incentives that don't always point in your direction.

A flat fee is different. You're paying for advice and planning, not for someone to hold your investments. The fee is the same whether your portfolio is $200,000 or $2 million. You know what it is before we sign anything.

How is this different from a percentage-based (AUM) fee?

An advisor charging 1% annually on a $500,000 portfolio collects $5,000 a year, every year, whether your plan changes significantly or not. Over a decade, with portfolio growth, that number compounds considerably.

A flat fee engagement covers the work that actually needs to be done. When your situation changes and you want a fresh review, you pay for that engagement. When nothing significant has changed, you simply don't pay for ongoing management you don't need.

What does it cost?

Most clients begin with a Financial Clarity Assessment, a focused engagement  to identify priorities and next steps. After the Assessment, the next step is usually a more comprehensive planning engagement, followed by ongoing hourly support as needed.

You can read more about my services and see the current fees on Services & Fees page

Who is a flat fee planning would be a good fit for?

Flat fee approach, coupled with advice-only planning works well for people who manage their own investments and don't need someone else running their accounts. It also works well  for professionals navigating a significant financial decision or transition, and for anyone who has worked with advisors before and came away uncertain whether the cost was tied to the value of the advice.

It is well suited to people earlier in the accumulation phase, people who often get turned away by traditional practices because they don't yet meet an asset minimum. Good financial planning shouldn't be reserved for people who are already wealthy.

Can I get flat fee planning if I don't have a large portfolio?

Yes! Because the fee reflects the scope of the work rather than the size of your accounts, there's no asset minimum. The question is whether the engagement makes sense for your situation, not whether your balance is large enough to make it worthwhile for me.

Advice-Only Financial Planning

What does "advice-only" mean?

Advice-only means I provide guidance without managing your investments or selling financial products. Nothing I recommend is tied to what I earn. No asset management. No commissions. No sales pressure.

Your accounts stay exactly where they are. I review what you have, give you my honest advice, and you decide what to do with it. And if you need help with implementing that advice, I am happy to help.

Is this right for DIY investors?

It's particularly well suited to them. If you've been managing your own accounts, contributing consistently, building a portfolio through Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab, or a similar platform, and making your own decisions, you're already doing the active work. What's harder to see on your own is how the investing fits into the broader picture.

Good investing doesn't require complexity. For most people, a simple allocation of low-cost index funds, maintained consistently, is enough. What's less straightforward is how that investing connects to other things in your life: retirement projections, tax efficiency,  estate basics and many other aspects of life decisions. That's where the planning really adds value.

Do I have to be fully hands-on to work with you?

No. This works best for people who want to stay in control of their financial lives, whether that means making every decision themselves or simply understanding what they're doing and why. You don't have to want to go it completely alone. But you do have to want to be involved.

Why would I need a financial planner if I'm already managing my own finances?

If you're a capable DIY investor, you probably don't need someone to manage your portfolio. Where a planner adds value is everything around it.

Most people I work with aren't starting from zero. They've set things up over time: accounts opened, policies purchased, contributions made. The question isn't whether they've done the work. It's whether all of it still makes sense together.

Here's what that actually sounds like:

Do I know what all the accounts and policies I'm paying for are actually doing? If money is leaving my account every month, could I clearly explain where it's going and why? I've built this over time, but how do I know it still holds together as a whole? Am I doing the right things financially, or just doing something and hoping it works? Are there important gaps I'm not even aware of?

Those aren't signs of financial carelessness. They're signs of someone who has been doing the work without a second set of eyes on it. Financial decisions are also deeply personal and often emotional. It's genuinely hard to be objective about your own situation, not because you lack the knowledge, but because you're close to it.

A good planner doesn't replace your judgment. They stress-test it, surface what you may not have considered, and give you an honest outside view from someone with no stake in what you decide.

Who This Is For

This flat fee, advice-only approach works best for people who want to stay involved in their financial decisions. That doesn't mean knowing everything or doing everything yourself. It means being willing to understand what you have and why. It tends to be a good fit if you want clear advice without being sold products, if you prefer knowing exactly what you'll pay rather than watching a percentage quietly compound, if you're comfortable staying involved in your financial decisions, and if your financial life has enough moving pieces that you'd benefit from someone helping you see how they connect.

Who This Is Not For

Some people, after thinking it through, decide they'd rather hand the ongoing investment management to someone else entirely. That's a completely reasonable choice, especially if the idea of managing your own portfolio feels overwhelming or like something you'd rather not have to think about. For those situations, an advisor who manages assets on your behalf is likely a better fit.

One thing worth knowing: the investing part of a financial plan is often simpler than it looks from the outside. Most DIY investors I work with aren't running complex strategies. They're holding a handful of low-cost index funds and contributing consistently. The science, as it turns out, isn't particularly demanding once someone walks you through it. But if the idea of being responsible for that, even in a simple form, isn't appealing, that's useful information and a good reason to look elsewhere.

If you're not sure which approach fits you better, that's worth a conversation before either of us commits to anything.