Based in Minnetonka, Minnesota
Flames FP is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Salt Lake City relationships run entirely virtually. This page describes the Salt Lake City service area, not a separate Salt Lake City branch.
Financial advisor serving Salt Lake City
A flat-fee financial advisor serving Salt Lake City, UT.
Flames Financial Planning is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota and works with Salt Lake City 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 Salt Lake City-area households; Flames FP does not claim a Salt Lake City 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 Salt Lake City or anywhere else you happen to be.
Direct answer
How Do You Find a Flat-Fee Financial Advisor Serving Salt Lake City?
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 Salt Lake City office—and serves Salt Lake City households virtually. Memberships cost $150, $900, or $1,650 per quarter, with no AUM fee and no annual commitment.
A truthful local relationship
Serving Salt Lake City 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.
Utah planning context
What actually differs about planning in the Wasatch Front
Tax rules are set by the state, not the city, and they change which decisions are worth the most. The full Utah picture, with sources, is on the Utah page. How those rules bear on withdrawal order, Roth-conversion timing and Medicare premiums is set out in the retirement tax planning overview.
Utah tax treatment
Utah taxes all income at a flat 4.45% for 2026 and, unusually, taxes Social Security, offsetting it with a credit that shrinks by 2.5 cents for every dollar of modified AGI above $54,000 single or $90,000 joint. Pensions and IRA withdrawals are taxed at the flat rate; there is no estate tax. The flat rate makes a Roth conversion bracket-neutral at the state level, so the planning is about the income tests on the credits and the federal brackets.
Retirement income: Social Security taxed, with a credit that phases out above $54,000 single / $90,000 joint; pensions and IRAs taxed at the flat rate
Utah includes federally taxable Social Security in state income and grants a nonrefundable credit equal to the tax rate times the taxable benefits, reduced by 2.5 cents for each dollar of modified AGI over $54,000 (single), $90,000 (joint, head of household or qualifying surviving spouse) or $45,000 (married filing separately); the thresholds are set in statute and not indexed. Taxpayers born on or before December 31, 1952 may instead take a retirement credit of up to $450, and military retirees a credit equal to the rate times their retirement pay. Pension, IRA and 401(k) income has no exclusion and is taxed at the flat rate.
Estates: None
Utah's inheritance tax was tied to the federal credit for state death taxes and ended for deaths after December 31, 2004; no Utah inheritance or estate tax return is required. Only the federal exclusion applies.
How local households are paid
Salt Lake City is paid by Intermountain Health and the University of Utah and its health system, by Zions Bancorporation, by Goldman Sachs' large Salt Lake office, by Delta's hub and by the technology companies of the Wasatch Front's Silicon Slopes to the south. Bank and technology restricted stock, hospital 403(b) plans and university retirement plans are the account types that recur, often alongside a large family.
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 Utah Tax Interacts With a Salt Lake City Household’s Federal Return
At 4.45% plus Salt Lake-area property tax, a higher-earning household can approach the federal deduction cap, and above $500,000 of modified adjusted gross income the cap shrinks toward $10,000. In retirement the state continues to tax pension and IRA income in full, so the withdrawal plan carries a modest but real state weight.
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
Utah planning opportunities
Things that are worth doing in Utah that would not be worth doing, or would work differently, somewhere else.
Keep modified AGI under the Social Security credit thresholds
In the phase-out band above $54,000 (single) or $90,000 (joint) of modified AGI, each extra dollar of income costs 4.45 cents of tax plus 2.5 cents of lost credit, an effective state rate near 7%. Timing IRA withdrawals, conversions and gains, or spending from a Roth, which does not raise MAGI, keeps the credit.
The my529 credit
Utah account owners receive a credit equal to the income tax rate times their my529 contributions, capped per beneficiary at $2,490 (single) or $4,980 (joint) for 2025, a credit of $112.05 or $224.10 per beneficiary at the 2025 rate; the percentage falls to 4.45% with the rate for 2026. Contributions deducted federally do not qualify.
A flat rate makes conversions bracket-neutral, apart from the credits
Because every dollar is taxed at 4.45%, a Roth conversion does not push income into a higher state bracket; the state cost is simply 4.45% of the amount converted, so sizing is driven by federal brackets. The exceptions are the two income-tested credits: the Social Security credit and the taxpayer tax credit, both of which a large conversion can erode.
The first meeting
What the first meeting covers for a Salt Lake City household
A discovery meeting is a conversation, not a pitch. For households here it tends to get to these three things.
Restricted stock at a bank or technology employer: vesting, concentration and the federal bracket each sale lands in, since Utah's rate is flat.
Which account gets the next dollar for a large family, including Utah's my529 credit.
In retirement: keeping modified AGI under the Social Security credit thresholds, and the withdrawal order that does so.
Who this fits
Households Flames FP often helps in Salt Lake City
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
Salt Lake City Financial Advisor Questions
Does Flames Financial Planning have a Salt Lake City office?
No. Flames Financial Planning is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and serves Salt Lake City households through a virtual planning relationship. This page describes the service area and does not claim a Salt Lake City office.
Can someone in Salt Lake City work with Flames FP virtually?
Yes. Salt Lake City 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 Salt Lake City 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 Salt Lake City 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 Utah 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 Utah rules themselves are set out on the Utah page.
Next step
Compare a Salt Lake City-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.