Based in Minnetonka, Minnesota
Flames FP is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Scottsdale relationships run entirely virtually. This page describes the Scottsdale service area, not a separate Scottsdale branch.
Financial advisor serving Scottsdale
A flat-fee financial advisor serving Scottsdale, AZ.
Flames Financial Planning is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota and works with Scottsdale 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 Scottsdale-area households; Flames FP does not claim a Scottsdale 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 Scottsdale or anywhere else you happen to be.
Direct answer
How Do You Find a Flat-Fee Financial Advisor Serving Scottsdale?
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 Scottsdale office—and serves Scottsdale households virtually. Memberships cost $150, $900, or $1,650 per quarter, with no AUM fee and no annual commitment.
A truthful local relationship
Serving Scottsdale 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.
Arizona planning context
What actually differs about planning in the Phoenix metro
Tax rules are set by the state, not the city, and they change which decisions are worth the most. The full Arizona picture, with sources, is on the Arizona page. How those rules bear on withdrawal order, Roth-conversion timing and Medicare premiums is set out in the retirement tax planning overview.
Arizona tax treatment
Arizona levies a flat 2.5% income tax with no brackets. Social Security is not taxed and military retirement is fully excluded, but private pensions and IRA and 401(k) withdrawals are fully taxable, and the $2,500 public-pension exclusion covers only federal and Arizona government pensions. There is no estate or inheritance tax. At 2.5%, Arizona is one of the cheapest states in which to convert tax-deferred savings to Roth.
Retirement income: Social Security and military pay excluded; most other retirement income taxed
Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits are not taxed and military retirement pay is fully excluded. Private pensions and IRA and 401(k) withdrawals are fully taxable, and the $2,500 pension exclusion covers only federal and Arizona government pensions — a pension earned in another state does not qualify.
Estates: None
Arizona's estate tax was tied to a federal credit that was eliminated in 2005, and the state imposes no inheritance or gift tax. Only the federal exclusion applies.
How local households are paid
Scottsdale is a destination for retired executives and business owners from higher-tax states, with a professional population employed by the Mayo Clinic's Arizona campus, HonorHealth, Vanguard's large Scottsdale operation and the corporate offices along the Loop 101. A household here has often just sold a business or retired from a company elsewhere and arrives holding a lifetime of tax-deferred savings and a pension earned in another state.
Rates change; check before you act
Brackets, thresholds, and retirement-income rules are revised regularly. The figures above are for tax year 2025. Treat them as a starting point and confirm the current year before making a decision on them.
Federal and state, together
How Arizona Tax Interacts With a Scottsdale Household’s Federal Return
At 2.5% the state income tax stays small relative to the federal deduction cap, so for most Arizona households property tax is the larger state-and-local item and the cap rarely binds.
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
Arizona planning opportunities
Things that are worth doing in Arizona that would not be worth doing, or would work differently, somewhere else.
The 529 subtraction
Contributions to a 529 plan can be subtracted up to $2,000 a year ($4,000 filing jointly), and the subtraction is not limited to Arizona's own plan.
Cheap Roth conversions
At 2.5%, the state cost of converting tax-deferred savings to Roth is small, which makes the years before required distributions unusually good for it — especially for someone who may later live in a higher-tax state.
An out-of-state pension gets no exclusion
Retirees arriving with a government pension from another state often expect the $2,500 exclusion and do not get it. Knowing that shapes how much to draw from which account.
The first meeting
What the first meeting covers for a Scottsdale household
A discovery meeting is a conversation, not a pitch. For households here it tends to get to these three things.
What Arizona will and will not tax of a pension earned elsewhere, Social Security and tax-deferred savings, and the withdrawal order that follows.
Roth conversions at Arizona's 2.5% while the household lives here, before required distributions begin.
Confirming the former state agrees the move happened, and what it can still tax.
Who this fits
Households Flames FP often helps in Scottsdale
The common thread is a household with enough complexity that the decisions interact, and enough assets that a percentage fee gets expensive.
Pre-retirees
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
Scottsdale Financial Advisor Questions
Does Flames Financial Planning have a Scottsdale office?
No. Flames Financial Planning is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and serves Scottsdale households through a virtual planning relationship. This page describes the service area and does not claim a Scottsdale office.
Can someone in Scottsdale work with Flames FP virtually?
Yes. Scottsdale 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 Scottsdale 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 Scottsdale 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 Arizona 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 Arizona rules themselves are set out on the Arizona page.
Next step
Compare a Scottsdale-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.