Financial planning services | Minnesota and virtual nationwide
Financial Planning Services Without AUM Fees
One coordinated relationship for investments, taxes, retirement, estate decisions, and the financial questions that do not fit neatly into one category.
Fee-only fiduciary | $2,000-$6,200 annual memberships | 0% AUM fee
The short answer
What Does Flames Financial Planning Actually Do?
Flames FP provides ongoing flat-fee financial planning and investment management without AUM fees.
The relationship can coordinate tax planning, retirement strategy, estate guidance, equity compensation, insurance, cash flow, and major life decisions. Flagship and Signature also include tax filing support, legal document creation, and unlimited plan updates.
What's covered
Five Areas. One Financial Decision System.
The value is not a longer checklist. It is having one advisor understand how a decision in one area changes the others.
Investment Management Tied to the Plan
Your portfolio is reviewed in the context of cash flow, taxes, retirement timing, risk, and the goals the money is meant to support.
- Portfolio structure and risk alignment
- IRA, Roth, taxable, and workplace accounts
- Account allocation and rebalancing guidance
- Concentrated stock and equity compensation
Tax Planning Before the Return Is Filed
Tax decisions are coordinated throughout the year with investments, retirement contributions, withdrawals, charitable giving, and compensation.
- Year-round tax planning and projections
- Roth conversion and withdrawal strategy
- Capital gains and charitable planning
- Tax filing support in Flagship and Signature
Retirement Planning for the Years Before and After Work
Retirement planning connects the paycheck transition to taxes, investments, healthcare, Social Security, and the life you want the plan to fund.
- Retirement readiness and timing
- Income and withdrawal strategy
- Social Security and Medicare planning
- RMDs, Roth conversions, and tax windows
Estate Guidance Connected to the Assets It Protects
Estate decisions are reviewed alongside beneficiaries, account ownership, insurance, taxes, gifting, and the people who may need to carry out the plan.
- Beneficiary and account-title review
- Legacy, gifting, and charitable strategy
- Family wealth coordination
- Legal document creation in Flagship and Signature
Ongoing Advice for Decisions That Do Not Wait for an Annual Review
The plan stays useful because it can change when your income, family, goals, benefits, or priorities change.
- Cash flow, savings, and major purchases
- Benefits, insurance, and protection decisions
- Scenario planning and competing goals
- Implementation help and plan updates
Why coordination matters
A Good Answer in One Area Should Not Create a Problem in Another.
A stock decision can change the tax bill. The tax bill can change a Roth conversion. The conversion can change retirement income and what eventually passes to family. Flames FP reviews the chain, not only the first link.
Membership scope
The Service Level Should Match the Planning Work.
Every membership includes an ongoing planning relationship and investment management without AUM fees. Higher tiers add broader tax, document, retirement, and family-wealth work.
Swipe to compare memberships
| Service | Foundational$2,000/year | Flagship$4,200/year | Signature$6,200/year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ongoing financial planning | Included | Included | Included |
| Investment management without AUM fees | Included | Included | Included |
| Tax-aware planning | Included | Included | Included |
| Tax filing support | Not included | Included | Included |
| Legal document creation and updates | Not included | Included | Included |
| Retirement planning depth | Core planning | Expanded strategy | Advanced income planning |
| Equity compensation and benefits | Not included | Included | Included |
| Legacy, gifting, and family wealth | Core guidance | Coordinated guidance | Advanced strategy |
This is a service-level summary. Final fit depends on household complexity and the work reviewed during discovery.
Free organization before paid advice
Use the Dashboard to See the Plan. Use the Advisor Relationship to Make the Decisions.
The free Flames Financial Dashboard organizes net worth, cash flow, goals, debt, insurance, and estate documents. The paid relationship adds judgment, recommendations, implementation guidance, and ongoing accountability.
Who this is built for
Planning Gets More Valuable as the Decisions Become More Connected.
Flames FP is designed for households that want an advisor to understand the whole financial picture, not only the assets in an investment account.
Explore who Flames FP helps- High-income and growing families coordinating taxes, investments, benefits, and long-term goals.
- Corporate employees with RSUs, stock options, bonuses, or concentrated company stock.
- Pre-retirees and retirees planning income, taxes, Social Security, Medicare, and legacy decisions.
- Minnesota households and virtual clients who want local roots with flexible planning access.
Client perspective
Clients Notice When the Pieces Are Connected.
The goal is advice that feels personal, understandable, and useful when a real decision needs to be made.
Read Google reviews"Joel Miller offers a customized, personalized plan for financial health, investments, retirement planning, tax planning, wills, estate planning and more."
Client testimonial from a Google review. The reviewer was not compensated. Individual experiences vary and are not indicative of future results or outcomes.
Common questions
Financial Planning Services Questions
Clear scope matters. These are the questions people most often ask before a discovery meeting.
What services does Flames Financial Planning include?
Flames Financial Planning can include ongoing financial planning, investment management, tax planning, retirement planning, estate planning coordination, equity compensation, insurance guidance, cash flow planning, and ongoing advisor access. Flagship and Signature also include tax filing support, legal document creation, and unlimited updates.
What does ongoing financial planning mean?
Ongoing financial planning means the relationship continues after the first recommendations are delivered. Flames FP can help review new decisions, update assumptions, coordinate implementation, and adjust the plan as income, goals, family needs, tax rules, or market conditions change.
Can Flames FP manage investments without charging an AUM fee?
Yes. Investment management is included within the flat annual membership. Flames FP does not charge a percentage of assets under management, so the advisory fee does not automatically increase when the portfolio grows.
Does Flames FP include tax filing?
Tax planning is part of the planning relationship, and tax filing support is included in Flagship and Signature. Foundational includes tax-aware financial planning but does not include tax filing support.
Does Flames FP create estate planning documents?
Legal document creation and unlimited updates are included in Flagship and Signature alongside estate planning coordination, beneficiary strategy, and family wealth planning. The exact scope is reviewed during discovery and onboarding.
Does Flames FP work only with Minnesota clients?
No. Flames Financial Planning is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota and serves local households as well as clients across the United States through virtual planning. Service availability can depend on each household's circumstances and applicable requirements.
How is the free dashboard different from the advisory service?
The dashboard helps organize net worth, cash flow, goals, debt, insurance, estate documents, and planning questions. The advisory service adds personalized recommendations, professional judgment, implementation guidance, and ongoing support.
Watch and learn
Financial Planning, Explained Clearly
Use the video for the walkthrough, then use the written guide for the details, examples, and next steps.
How to Decrease Your Tax Bill
Review practical tax-planning decisions that can connect income, investments, retirement, and withholding.
Watch and read the guide
The Most Underrated Retirement Account
How a taxable brokerage account can support retirement flexibility alongside tax-advantaged accounts.
Watch and read the guide
Estate Planning Documents You May Need
A plain-English review of wills, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, beneficiaries, and trusts.
Watch and read the guideYour next step
Bring the Whole Financial Picture to One Conversation.
Use a discovery meeting to talk through the decisions you are facing, what planning work may be useful, and which membership could fit before you decide whether to move forward.