These Advice Only Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) explain costs, process, privacy, and our methodology. Our fiduciary structure keeps advice objective and transparent. We detail out the Advice-Only™ methodology — from structural separation and fiduciary standards to pricing and course participation. Learn how our approach differs from fee-based, fee-only, flat-fee, and fee-for-service advice, and why it’s designed to preserve objectivity and transparency in every plan by keeping advice separate from all forms of sales.
Explore the Advice Only Frequently Asked Questions below or contact us if you don’t see your question.
Our financial planning process is a four-step fiduciary framework that separates advice from sales. By removing all implementation compensation—like AUM fees, commissions, or product incentives—we ensure your plan remains objective and aligned with your goals.
Paid consultations provide clients with an advisor’s perspective. You decide whether completing a plan is worthwhile.
We build your current “present position” and collect the inputs we’ll use to model scenarios and guide the next meeting.
We develop planning scenarios, assess asset allocation, and settle critical decisions on subjective matters.
The engagement ends when you receive the plan, summary, and action list, and payment is finalized.
After an Advice-Only™ engagement, you can implement any services you independently deem necessary with any advisor or company you choose.
Advisors on our platform may offer other services outside the Advice-Only™ planning process. They receive training to maintain an objective environment until a client considers a plan complete and expectations are met.
Yes, that’s the idea. Our instructors are practicing financial advisors who can also become your personal advisor. Many clients prefer this continuity from the classroom to their personal planning. Many clients prefer planning with the same instructor who taught the course, rather than being referred to someone else.
Costs are transparent and set by each advisor-instructor. Education may be free or paid per course, and advisors publish their fees for all plans and consultations.
No. Advice-Only™ does not screen clients by net worth or investable assets. Participation depends on willingness to engage in the planning process and complete agreed steps—not portfolio size or what you have.
Yes. The framework is designed for public use by consumers, educators, and advisors seeking a transparent, deconflicted planning model. Advisors who adopt it are expected to meet ethical and licensing standards consistent with fiduciary practice.
Clients provide accurate information and actively participate in discovery and goal-setting. Collaboration and transparency help ensure personalized, data-driven advice.
We believe privacy is a part of our fiduciary duty. As such:
We DO NOT sell or share client information.
Information is only disclosed when you direct us or when legally required.
Our firm does not participate in affiliate programs or accept referral benefits.
All records are stored securely
Our methodology provides a planning experience that reduces conflicts of interest. It works by strictly separating financial advice from the sale of any products and by never requiring asset minimums to work with us.
Our advisors receive no economic benefit from referrals. During plan development, they are prohibited from accepting reciprocal referrals or asset-based compensation. However, if a referral is truly in a client’s best interest, we will first disclose any potential conflict of interest in writing and get your written acknowledgment before proceeding.
No, we do not generally offer free consultations. We believe paid consultations provide more value by offering immediate, actionable advice under a formal advisory agreement. This avoids the sales pressure common in free introductory meetings.
An Advice OnlyTM advisor adheres to the principles of the Advice OnlyTM methodology. When clients opt for Advice OnlyTM services, they can rely upon the consistency of an Advice Only™ advisor honoring certain principles throughout the paid planning engagement. These principles, called ‘Our Truths,’ are our commitment to objectivity and transparency. Clients also learn from and work with those same advisors through our app.
To learn more, visit the About Us page and look for the section “Our Truths.”
For an objective planning experience, yes. However, we recognize that, on rare occasions, a client may independently decide with no advisor influence not to go through the Advice OnlyTM process and directly implement other services from an advisor. These services, however, are not associated with the Advice OnlyTM process, must be ‘unsolicited’ by the advisor, and accompany documentation acknowledged by all parties that it is entirely a client decision. Simply inform your advisor of your decision to opt out of the Advice OnlyTM process.
Your servicing advisor welcomes consultations to discuss your financial needs and questions. While there’s no strict limit on the number of consultations, it’s important to understand that these are broad, informal meetings intended to provide an overview of your financial goals and explore whether a comprehensive financial planning engagement would be beneficial. These meetings do not substitute for full planning sessions.
Our policy is that clients can utilize the time allotted in whatever manner they choose. Ultimately, the advisor determines if a consultation is offered.
Talk with your advisor to better understand their policy with multiple consultations and the planning differences between a consultation and a formal planning meeting. If you have questions or a comment about your experience, please contact us.
Advice-Only™ is a standardized process that keeps advice structurally separate from new implementation and compensation tied to assets or products. Fee-only, flat-fee, fee-for-service, fee-based, or AUM models may still blend planning with implementation revenue. This can reintroduce incentives the framework is specifically designed to avoid.
Begin with a course that fits your needs and, if desired, engage the instructor under a separate agreement for personal planning. Visit AdviceOnly.org to register for courses or request an introduction to an advisor-instructor.
Advice OnlyTM advisors determine their pricing for stand-alone planning. An advisor’s level of experience and/or specialty may determine their pricing. Explore our free directory of advisors to assess individual pricing and connect with an advisor.
No. While many Advice-Only™ advisors have professional experience implementing financial strategies, advisors share that experience only for objective advice. When developing a plan under the methodology, advisors provide stand-alone planning and education—not investment management or product sales. If implementation is later desired independently by the client, they may choose any provider once the plan is complete. Advisors make recommendations solely in the client’s interest and without any compensation to the advisor beyond client invoices.
Of course, clients may consider implementation options with any professional they choose. However, when going through the Advice Only™ process, solicitations may only occur after the client has deemed a financial plan satisfactory and complete. Our methodology states that solicitor meetings (including referrals) must be conducted by an advisor wholly apart from the Advice Only™ planning process. An Advice Only™ advisor can never offer Advice Only™ services AND, at the same time, implementation services. Still, at a client’s independent request, an advisor may provide implementation services once a plan is considered complete by a client as long as there have been no prior implementation expectations or suggestions.
We consider a solicitation to include monetary and non-monetary forms of compensation, such as if the advisor receives or gives referrals or “favors” of Advice Only™ clients to or from other professionals or businesses that offer separate services, whatever those services may be.
By law, licensed financial professionals must provide access and update details of their practice and the firms with which they are associated. Information on investment advisors and their firm’s registered representatives is available at adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Most everything we do centers around client convenience. However, our general policy allows the advisor discretion to determine if in-person meetings are applicable. In-person meetings may be included in the prices for some advisors. Others may add a surcharge for this service, while some advisors may only have a virtual office. Ask your advisor how they work or look for the indication on their profile within the app.
Our corporate office is in Northern California, but Advice OnlyTM advisors may be available and licensed to help clients in other states. Advisors set their own rules on availability for in-person or remote options. Please review the advisor’s profile in our app to determine which states they are licensed and how they work.
Our courses and advisors can help enhance a client’s financial situation, but much of what we do needs to be in advance. Generally, this is far in advance, but in other cases, it can be a little in advance. While we can sometimes help individuals in a crisis, it’s likely never the best-case scenario. That’s because options may become significantly limited in a crisis, and the situation may have progressed beyond the scope of planning in advance and our expertise. In these situations, we will do our very best to help mitigate any further damage, consider if continuing to pay us is still a client value, and explain what we think is the best course of action if appropriate. These recommendations could range from seeking advice from social programs or guidance from a tax professional, personal attorney, or health professional.
We properly cite, acknowledge, compensate, and, when appropriate, contact and request permission from the artists, photographers, authors, and data providers used in our courses.
If we have made a mistake or you have a suggestion or concern, please contact us so we can evaluate and, if appropriate, remove or change a reference to ensure accuracy and due credit.
Please visit the Contact Us page on our website if you have questions, comments, suggestions, or concerns. If appropriate, we’ll do our best to respond within 72 hours.
Have additional Advice Only Frequently Asked Questions? Contact us to learn more.
