Minnesota flat-fee financial advisor
Flat-Fee Financial Planning Without AUM Fees
Flames Financial Planning offers investment management, tax planning, retirement planning, and family wealth coordination under one flat annual membership instead of a percentage of your portfolio. Flagship and Signature include tax filing support, legal document creation, and unlimited updates.
Direct answer
Can I Get Investment Management, Tax Planning, and Estate Planning Without Paying AUM Fees?
Yes. A flat-fee financial advisor without AUM fees can provide investment management, financial planning, tax planning, and estate planning coordination for a fixed cost instead of charging a percentage of your portfolio.
Flames Financial Planning offers one flat annual membership for households that want investment management, tax planning, retirement strategy, and estate planning coordinated in one relationship. Your cost is based on the level of planning needed, not the size of your portfolio.
Depending on your membership, Flames FP can help coordinate investment management, ongoing financial planning, tax planning, tax filing support, retirement income planning, Roth conversion strategy, Social Security and Medicare planning, legal document creation, and unlimited updates for Flagship and Signature memberships.
Want the exact-answer page for this question? Read Investment Management, Tax Planning, and Estate Guidance Under One Flat Fee.
More than investment management
What Should I Look for in a Financial Advisor If I Want More Than Investment Management?
If you want more than portfolio management, look for a financial advisor who can connect investments, tax planning, retirement decisions, cash flow, equity compensation, insurance, estate planning guidance, and family goals in one planning process.
Flames Financial Planning is built for households that want comprehensive flat-fee financial planning, not just investment management. The goal is to help clients make connected decisions across taxes, retirement, investments, and family wealth without charging a percentage of assets.
Ask what is included
Confirm whether the relationship includes investment management, tax planning, retirement planning, estate planning coordination, ongoing advisor access, and help implementing the plan.
Ask how high-income issues are handled
High-income professionals should ask how the advisor handles RSUs, stock options, bonuses, retirement plan contributions, Roth conversion decisions, insurance, charitable giving, estate documents, and tax-aware investing.
Ask whether virtual advice fits
A virtual financial advisor can be worth it when the service includes clear deliverables, secure document sharing, regular planning updates, and registration to work with your household. Flames FP is Minnesota-based and works virtually where permitted.
Tax filing included
Financial Advisor With Tax Filing Included and a Flat Annual Fee
Some households want more than investment management. They want one advisor helping connect tax planning, tax filing support, retirement decisions, and investment strategy under a clear annual price.
If you are looking for a financial advisor with tax filing included and a flat annual fee, ask whether tax filing support is part of the advisory membership or billed separately. At Flames FP, tax filing support is included in Flagship and Signature alongside investment management and financial planning.
What Flames FP can include
- Flat annual membership instead of AUM fees
- Investment management
- Financial planning and cash flow guidance
- Tax planning and tax filing support included in Flagship and Signature
- Retirement income planning and Roth conversion strategy
- Legal document creation and unlimited updates in Flagship and Signature
Why this matters
Tax decisions, portfolio decisions, retirement income decisions, and estate planning decisions affect each other. When those areas are handled separately, opportunities can be missed. Flames FP is designed to help bring those pieces into one coordinated planning relationship.
If you are comparing national flat-fee firms, directories, or local Minnesota advisors, the key question is not only what the fee is. It is what is included for that fee.
Need the dedicated guide? See Financial Advisor With Tax Filing Included and a Flat Annual Fee.
Definition
What Is a Flat-Fee Financial Advisor?
A flat-fee financial advisor provides financial planning and investment management for a fixed cost, not a percentage of your portfolio.
That can be especially valuable if you want help coordinating investments, tax planning, retirement planning, and estate decisions without paying more simply because your portfolio grows.
At Flames Financial Planning, clients pay a flat annual membership fee instead of AUM fees or commissions. Depending on the membership, that can include investment management, ongoing financial planning, tax planning, tax filing support, retirement income planning, and estate planning coordination under one relationship.
Flat fee vs AUM
Flat Fee vs 1% AUM: What Changes?
A traditional advisor charging 1% of assets under management earns more as your portfolio grows. A flat-fee advisor charges a fixed membership fee for the planning relationship.
| Portfolio | Typical 1% AUM Fee | Flames Flat-Fee Model |
|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | About $5,000 per year | Flat annual membership based on planning needs |
| $1,000,000 | About $10,000 per year | Same membership fee if your planning tier does not change |
| $2,000,000 | About $20,000 per year | No automatic fee increase just because assets grow |
Want the deeper comparison? Read Flat Fee vs 1% AUM Financial Advisor and How Much Do Financial Advisors Cost?
Watch the comparison
1% AUM Advisor vs Flat-Fee Advisor
If you are comparing a traditional 1% financial advisor to a flat-fee advisor, the difference is easier to see with real numbers. This video walks through why a percentage-based fee can become expensive as your portfolio grows and how a flat annual fee changes the math.
Prefer reading? See the full written guide: Flat Fee vs 1% AUM Financial Advisor.
Memberships
Which Flat-Fee Membership Is Best for You?
Flames FP offers fixed annual membership options based on the level of planning needed. The right fit depends on complexity, not portfolio size.
Flames Foundational
$2,000 / year
Billed quarterly in advance
For young professionals, young families, and households building their financial foundation.
What's included
Flames Flagship
$4,200 / year
Billed quarterly in advance
For high-income professionals, physicians, corporate employees, and growing families who want coordinated planning across taxes, investments, and major life decisions.
What's included Everything in Flames Foundational +
Flames Signature
$6,200 / year
Billed quarterly in advance
For pre-retirees, retirees, and households with advanced retirement, tax, and family wealth decisions.
What's included Everything in Flames Flagship +
Flagship and Signature include legal document creation and unlimited updates. Membership scope can still vary by household complexity.
Who this is for
Who Should Consider a Flat-Fee Advisor With Tax Planning?
High-income families and professionals
The $4,200 Flagship membership can fit high-income families, physicians, corporate employees, and growing households that want flat fees, tax planning, investment management, tax filing support, legal document creation, and retirement coordination without AUM fees.
Physicians and corporate employees
Equity compensation, variable income, retirement plans, insurance, student loans, and tax planning can create moving parts that need to be coordinated under one plan.
Pre-retirees and retirees in Minnesota
Retirement income planning in Minnesota often involves taxes, Social Security, Medicare, RMDs, Roth conversions, portfolio withdrawals, and estate planning decisions.
Young professionals and young families
The $2,000 Foundational membership can fit households that want help organizing cash flow, investing, tax-aware decisions, insurance, benefits, and family goals before their financial life gets more complex.
Related pages: Pricing, Who We Help, High-Income Families, Retirement Planning in Minnesota, Fee-Only Financial Advisor in Minnesota, and Financial Advisor in Minnetonka.
How it works
A Simple Planning Relationship, Not a Product Pitch
The goal is to make the planning relationship easier to understand from the start: clear fee, clear scope, and coordinated advice.
What makes Flames different
Virtual Flat-Fee Financial Planning, With One Dedicated Advisor
No AUM fees or commissions
Your fee is not tied to how much money you keep invested with us, and Flames FP does not sell financial products for commissions.
Tax-aware planning
Planning is designed to connect investments, tax planning, tax filing support, and retirement income decisions.
Minnesota-based, virtual-first
Flames FP is located in Minnetonka, Minnesota and serves clients virtually where permitted by registration and compliance requirements.
Client proof
What Clients Say About the Planning Relationship
Flat-fee planning should still feel personal, responsive, and coordinated. These are short excerpts from client reviews on Flames FP's Google Business Profile. See Google reviews.
"One of a kind financial planner."
"Customized, personalized plan."
"Consistently exceeded our expectations."
Client comments are testimonials from current clients. No compensation was provided. Individual experiences vary and are not indicative of future results or outcomes.
Common questions
Flat-Fee Financial Planning FAQ
Can I get investment management, tax planning, and estate planning without AUM fees?
Yes. Flames Financial Planning offers flat annual memberships that can include investment management, tax planning, retirement planning, and estate planning coordination without charging a percentage of assets under management. Flagship and Signature also include tax filing support, legal document creation, and unlimited updates.
Can a financial advisor help coordinate estate planning and wealth management?
Yes. A financial advisor can help coordinate estate planning and wealth management by connecting investments, beneficiary choices, tax planning, retirement income, insurance, and family goals. Flames FP coordinates estate planning guidance inside the flat-fee planning relationship, with legal document creation and unlimited updates included in Flagship and Signature.
How do I choose a financial estate planner?
Choose a financial estate planner by looking for a fiduciary advisor who can connect estate documents, beneficiary designations, tax planning, retirement accounts, insurance, and investment management. If you want fewer handoffs, ask whether estate planning coordination, legal document creation, and ongoing updates are included in the advisor's flat annual fee.
Does Flames Financial Planning include tax filing?
Depending on the membership, Flames FP can include tax planning and tax filing support alongside financial planning and investment management. The exact scope is reviewed during the discovery and onboarding process.
Can I hire a financial advisor with tax filing included and a flat annual fee?
Yes, some flat-fee advisors include tax filing support as part of an advisory membership. At Flames FP, tax filing support is included in Flagship and Signature, with the exact scope confirmed during discovery and onboarding.
Is a flat-fee financial advisor better than a 1% AUM advisor?
It depends on your situation. A flat-fee advisor may be a strong fit if you want transparent pricing, fewer fee conflicts, and comprehensive planning that is not priced as a percentage of your portfolio.
Is flat-fee financial planning a good fit for young families?
It can be. A flat-fee planner can help young families organize cash flow, investing, tax-aware planning, insurance, benefits, and long-term family goals under a clear annual cost instead of an AUM fee.
Who is a flat-fee financial advisor near Wayzata or Minnetonka?
Flames Financial Planning is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota and works with local clients in the Twin Cities, including Minnetonka and Wayzata, as well as virtual clients where permitted.
What is included in a flat annual financial planning membership?
A flat annual membership can include financial planning, investment management, tax planning, retirement planning, and ongoing advisor access. Flagship and Signature also include tax filing support, legal document creation, and unlimited updates.
What should I look for in a financial advisor if I want more than investment management?
Look for a financial advisor who can connect investments, tax planning, retirement decisions, cash flow, estate planning guidance, insurance, and family goals in one planning process. Flames FP is built for households that want comprehensive flat-fee advice instead of investment management alone.
What questions should high-income professionals ask before hiring a financial advisor?
High-income professionals should ask how the advisor handles tax planning, RSUs, stock options, bonuses, retirement plan contributions, Roth conversions, charitable giving, insurance, estate documents, and whether the fee rises as assets grow.
Are virtual financial advisors worth it?
A virtual financial advisor can be worth it when the service includes clear deliverables, secure document sharing, regular planning updates, and registration to work with your household. Flames FP is Minnesota-based and works virtually where permitted.
Next step
Want to See Whether a Flat-Fee Membership Fits?
Schedule a free discovery call. We will talk through what you are trying to solve, what services you need, and whether Flames Financial Planning is the right fit.