Based in Minnetonka, Minnesota
Flames FP is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Boston relationships run entirely virtually. This page describes the Boston service area, not a separate Boston branch.
Financial advisor serving Boston
A flat-fee financial advisor serving Boston, MA.
Flames Financial Planning is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota and works with Boston households through a virtual planning relationship. Fixed quarterly memberships coordinate investments, taxes, retirement, and estate guidance without an AUM fee.
Minnetonka-basedA Minnesota firm serving Boston-area households; Flames FP does not claim a Boston office.
$150–$1,650/qtrQuarterly memberships billed in advance, with no annual commitment.
0% AUMThe advisory fee is not calculated as a percentage of the portfolio.
Virtual planningMeet and collaborate from Boston or anywhere else you happen to be.
Direct answer
How Do You Find a Flat-Fee Financial Advisor Serving Boston?
Compare each advisor’s registration, fiduciary role, total annualized cost in dollars, the services included, and who you actually meet with. Flames Financial Planning is based in Minnetonka—not at a Boston office—and serves Boston households virtually. Memberships cost $150, $900, or $1,650 per quarter, with no AUM fee and no annual commitment.
A truthful local relationship
Serving Boston without inventing an office there
A location page should tell you who is actually available, where the firm sits, and how the relationship works day to day.
Built for virtual collaboration
Meetings, document sharing, dashboard access, and ongoing planning all happen remotely, so where you live does not limit the advice you get.
Verify before you hire anyone
Check any advisor’s registration, services, disciplinary history, and fee disclosures before you sign. That applies to this firm as much as any other.
Massachusetts planning context
What actually differs about planning in Greater Boston
Tax rules are set by the state, not the city, and they change which decisions are worth the most. The full Massachusetts picture, with sources, is on the Massachusetts page. How those rules bear on withdrawal order, Roth-conversion timing and Medicare premiums is set out in the retirement tax planning overview.
Massachusetts tax treatment
Massachusetts taxes most income at a flat 5%, adds a 4% surtax on taxable income above $1,107,750 in 2026, and taxes short-term capital gains at 8.5% against 5% for long-term gains. Social Security and contributory government pensions are exempt, but private pensions and IRA and 401(k) withdrawals are taxed. The estate tax starts at $2 million, with a credit of up to $99,600 that eliminates it at that level, and Massachusetts does not recognise federal portability between spouses.
Retirement income: Social Security and government pensions exempt; private retirement income taxed
Social Security is not included in Massachusetts income. Contributory pensions from the U.S. government and from Massachusetts and its subdivisions are exempt, but income from private pensions and from IRA and 401(k) withdrawals is taxable.
Estates: $2 million threshold, a $99,600 credit, and no portability
For deaths on or after January 1, 2023 the tax applies to estates over $2,000,000, with a credit of up to $99,600 that eliminates it at or below that level. The tax is computed under the Internal Revenue Code as it stood on December 31, 2000, so later federal changes — including portability between spouses — do not apply.
How local households are paid
Greater Boston's households are concentrated in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, the academic medical centres and universities, and asset management — three sectors that pay very differently. Biotech compensation is heavy in restricted stock and options whose value can move sharply in a single year; hospital and university households carry 403(b)s and, sometimes, contributory public pensions that Massachusetts exempts; and the asset managers pay in deferred compensation and carried interest. The surtax threshold and the one-year holding line matter to all three.
Rates change; check before you act
Brackets, thresholds, and retirement-income rules are revised regularly. The figures above are for tax year 2026. Treat them as a starting point and confirm the current year before making a decision on them.
Federal and state, together
How Massachusetts Tax Interacts With a Boston Household’s Federal Return
At 5% — 9% above the surtax threshold — Massachusetts income tax plus Greater Boston property tax exceeds the federal deduction cap for many households, and above $500,000 of modified adjusted gross income the cap shrinks toward $10,000.
For tax year 2026 the federal deduction for state and local taxes is capped at $40,400, shrinking above $500,000 of modified adjusted gross income to a floor of $10,000. IRS, Instructions for Schedule A (2025), line 5e.
Worth doing here
Massachusetts planning opportunities
Things that are worth doing in Massachusetts that would not be worth doing, or would work differently, somewhere else.
Staying under the surtax line
Because the 4% surtax applies to all income above roughly $1.1 million in a single year, a large sale, vesting or Roth conversion spread across two tax years can avoid it entirely. The threshold is indexed, so the arithmetic is redone each year.
Holding periods matter more here
With short-term gains taxed at 8.5% and long-term gains at 5%, the one-year holding line is worth 3.5 points of state tax, before the surtax. Diversifying vested equity is planned around it.
The 529 deduction
Contributions to Massachusetts's own 529 plan or prepaid tuition program can be deducted up to $1,000 a year, or $2,000 on a joint return.
The first meeting
What the first meeting covers for a Boston household
A discovery meeting is a conversation, not a pitch. For households here it tends to get to these three things.
Whether a vesting, sale or conversion planned for one tax year should be split across two to stay under Massachusetts's surtax threshold.
Holding periods on equity awards — the difference between 8.5% and 5% — and a sale schedule built around them.
Where the estate sits against the $2 million line, and whether the documents preserve both spouses' exclusions without portability.
Who this fits
Households Flames FP often helps in Boston
The common thread is a household with enough complexity that the decisions interact, and enough assets that a percentage fee gets expensive.
Corporate employees
See how the planning relationship works for this situation, what is included, and what it costs.
High-income families
See how the planning relationship works for this situation, what is included, and what it costs.
Anyone comparing a 1% fee against a flat one
Run your own numbers before talking to anyone, including this firm. The calculator converts a percentage into the dollars it actually costs over time.
Watch and learn
Financial Planning, Explained Clearly
Start with three videos selected for this page, then use the controls to explore every published Flames FP video guide.
Videos 1–3 of 14
What Nobody Tells You About Earning $400K a Year
See why a $400K income can still leave too little investable margin and how taxes, lifestyle growth, and deliberate investing change the result.
The RSU Strategy Most $300K Tech Earners Miss
Understand taxation at vesting, check the withholding gap, and turn each RSU vest into a deliberate diversification and household-planning decision.
The 3-Account System for a $250K Income
Use cash reserves, tax-advantaged accounts, and a taxable brokerage account to turn a strong income into a repeatable wealth-building system.
The 6 Levels of Wealth for $200K+ Households
Use six stages to separate a high income from the wealth it actually creates.
The Most Underrated Retirement Account
How a taxable brokerage account can support retirement flexibility alongside tax-advantaged accounts.
How to Decrease Your Tax Bill
Review practical tax-planning decisions that can connect income, investments, retirement, and withholding.
Should You Invest or Spend Your HSA?
A practical framework for deciding how an HSA fits healthcare costs, taxes, and retirement planning.
Four Common Backdoor Roth IRA Mistakes
Understand contribution, conversion, pro-rata, and reporting mistakes before they create tax problems.
Direct Indexing vs ETFs in a Taxable Account
Compare diversification, tax management, cost, and complexity before changing an investment strategy.
My New Favorite Account to Gift Money to Kids and Grandkids
Compare the new child investment account with 529 plans, custodial accounts, Roth IRAs for earned income, and the family's actual goals.
Estate Planning Documents You May Need
A plain-English review of wills, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, beneficiaries, and trusts.
Flat Fee vs 1% Financial Advisor
See how a percentage fee changes in dollars as a portfolio grows and what to compare beyond the headline rate.
How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?
Think through income replacement, debt, children, childcare, education, and family risk.
Five Money Mistakes High Earners Make
Common coordination gaps involving taxes, cash flow, investments, insurance, and estate planning.
Common questions
Boston Financial Advisor Questions
Does Flames Financial Planning have a Boston office?
No. Flames Financial Planning is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and serves Boston households through a virtual planning relationship. This page describes the service area and does not claim a Boston office.
Can someone in Boston work with Flames FP virtually?
Yes. Boston households can meet by video, share documents securely, use the financial dashboard, and receive ongoing planning without travelling. Flames FP serves clients nationwide where permitted.
How much does Flames FP cost?
Flames Access is $150 per quarter ($600 annualized), Planning is $900 per quarter ($3600 annualized), and Premier is $1650 per quarter ($6600 annualized). Memberships are billed quarterly in advance with no annual commitment.
Does Flames FP charge an AUM fee to Boston clients?
No. The advisory fee is a flat quarterly amount tied to the planning work, not a percentage of the portfolio, so it does not increase as investments grow.
What should a Boston household compare between advisors?
Compare the total annual cost in dollars rather than percentages, exactly what is included at that price, whether the advisor is a fiduciary and fee-only, and who you actually meet with. Then verify the firm's registration and disciplinary history on the SEC's adviser search.
Is Massachusetts tax planning part of the relationship?
Yes. State tax treatment shapes withdrawal order, Roth-conversion timing, and where investments are best held. Planning includes tax guidance and review of a completed return; Premier adds tax projections and preparation and filing through an independent tax partner. The Massachusetts rules themselves are set out on the Massachusetts page.
Next step
Compare a Boston-area planning relationship in actual dollars.
A discovery meeting covers your situation, your current advisor arrangement if you have one, and whether a fixed quarterly membership is a better fit than what you are paying now.