FAQs

That’s the idea! Our courses are written by practicing financial advisors who can also serve as your advisors. We find clients prefer planning with their instructors rather than being referred to someone else. Content participation is a requirement as an Advice OnlyTM advisor.

There are two core services when using the Advice Only™ process:

1) Buy a course. Our courses are written by practicing financial advisors. Each course is individually priced and includes quizzes, assessments, videos, and exercises. Course topics are designed to complement a student’s lifestyle, stage of life, and financial interests.

To get started, download via the Apple and Google Play stores.

2) Find an advisor instructor. Each Advice OnlyTM advisor sets their own pricing for courses, standalone financial plans, and paid consultations. To connect with an advisor, visit our app’s “Find an Advisor” tab. Here, you can browse our network of advisor instructors, view their profiles, and clearly understand how they work. It’s a straightforward process that puts users in complete control of finding the right advisor for their needs.

To get started, download via the Apple and Google Play stores.

No. We believe in maximizing objectivity and offering equal access. We do not ‘qualify’ clients based on their assets. Not qualifying clients means we only collect certain sensitive financial information once an agreement is formally in place. We want you to know that who you are or what you have will not be a consideration in the cost or services offered.
We encourage clients to be fully engaged, maintain a positive attitude, and complete our app’s ‘base education’ and assessment requirements. These requirements are designed to ensure that you have a basic understanding of financial planning principles. While we generally encourage educational fulfillment for efficiency, we respect your autonomy and understand that consultations may be appropriate before course completion in some situations and at your request.
Our app service is committed to your privacy. We do not SELL your information. We do not SHARE your information unless necessary to service your account and comply with the law. We do not participate in affiliate programs, solicit referrals from Advice Only® users, or accept non-monetary forms of compensation from third parties. We want you to feel secure and valued in your interactions with us.

The Advice OnlyTM process features a Singular Service Model. Advisors offering the Advice OnlyTM process are required to ensure objectivity throughout the totality of the base educational and formal planning engagement.

null

Paid Consultation: Paid consultations provide clients with an advisor’s perspective. Client(s) determine if completing a plan is worthwhile.

Planning Meeting #1: Generally, the focus is on developing a “present position” to model hypothetical scenarios and further discussions in Planning Meeting #2.

Planning Meeting #2: Using the finalized “present position,” planning scenarios are developed, asset allocation is assessed, and critical decisions on subjective matters are ideally settled.

Post-Planning: A planning engagement is considered complete upon receipt of the plan, summary, action list, and once payments are finalized.

Upon the conclusion of an Advice OnlyTM engagement, clients may, of course, implement services they independently deem necessary and appropriate through any advisor or company they choose.

Even though advisors on our platform may offer other services aside from the Advice OnlyTM planning process, our advisors have undergone training to maintain an objective environment until a plan is considered complete by a client—and that client has what they paid for.

The Advice OnlyTM methodology is ultimately a client request. After ten years of teaching courses at local colleges, crafting and exhibiting financial plans to the public, we listened to what our clients wanted and created a reliable process to deliver objective, standalone financial advice to the general public.

The Advice OnlyTM methodology is a unique financial planning process that ensures an objective planning experience throughout the entirety of the planning engagement. It is specifically designed to exclude the discussion of and reliance upon the expectation of new financial implementation, including product and investment management. This distinct approach sets it apart from other planning methodologies, offering clients a different and valuable perspective on their financial planning needs.

The Advice OnlyTM methodology rejects the “qualification” of clients by advisors to identify and promote preferred services wholly based on asset size or other personal data.

We describe our methodology as a process designed to ensure the delivery of objective stand-alone financial advice that ANY advisor can use and ALL clients can rely on.

The Advice OnlyTM process ensures that advisors do not receive economic benefits of any form except invoiced payments directly from clients. This means avoiding non-monetary favors and referrals received or given of Advice OnlyTM clients. However, in some rare cases, a referral is, in fact, in the best interests of a client. At that time, if a conflict could exist or be perceived, a written explanation of the nature of the referral and any potential or perceived conflicts will be produced in writing and fully acknowledged by all parties before the referral is given. This process offers transparency and helps ensure the objectivity of the planning engagements.
FREE consultations are discouraged as they often promote client qualification and solicitor referrals. On the other hand, PAID consultations provide immediate advice, offer clients a genuine first impression, and are under an advisory agreement.
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. They are not a 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.

Before the Advice OnlyTM methodology, other financial planning methodologies “built in” a default option for (and the advisor’s general expectation of) new financial implementation as part of a financial planning engagement process. Under these other methodologies, the advisor would typically recommend and expect the client to implement new financial products or solicit financial services as part of the planning process. Advisor compensation was and is almost exclusively managed investment accounts and product sales.

However, we found that when planning starts, clients are generally unaware of what new, if anything, should be implemented. We disagree with the premise of pre-determining ANY implementation outcome, whatever it may be, prior to gathering data, developing a plan, and making specific planning recommendations.

So, we took the initiative to create a methodology and process specifically for delivering objective advice that, by default and by design, separates implementation services from the whole of the planning engagement.

The Advice OnlyTM methodology promotes clarity, confidence, and peace of mind when making life’s most consequential financial decisions. We believe financial sales can have a place in financial planning, generally after a strategy can be developed, with whomever the client chooses, if at all, and only after formalizing planning engagements.

Advice OnlyTM advisors determine their pricing for stand-alone planning. Pricing may be determined by the level of experience and/or specialty. Download the app from the Apple or Google Play stores and explore our free directory of advisors to assess individual pricing and connect with an advisor for free.

Of course, clients may consider implementation options with any professional they choose. However, when going through the Advice OnlyTM 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 OnlyTM planning process. An Advice Only™ advisor can never offer Advice OnlyTM 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 OnlyTM 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 some cases, in-person meetings may be included in the prices. In other cases, a surcharge may be added to the cost to meet in person. In still other cases, 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.

We generally consider course sales final upon purchase. This policy keeps course prices affordable and adequately compensates advisors. If you’d like to evaluate course content before purchasing, please visit the individual course syllabus.

In rare cases, we may offer a refund at our discretion or the discretion of the applicable app store. To petition for a refund, please submit a request via our Contact Us page, clearly indicate your rationale for a refund, and include any reference materials (such as a screen grab).

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.

Still have questions?

Get started in 5 minutes! Download the Advice Only® app.