Frequently asked Questions
To get started, download via the Apple or Google Play stores.
To get started, download via the Apple or Google Play stores.
Our app’s privacy policy generally avoids our collection of personally identifiable information unless necessary to service your account. We do not currently collect for our usage the information you enter for quizzes, assessments, and when using exercises, or generally whenever a user engages with the material. We do, however, make this information available to you to use with whomever you choose.
Anonymized and generalized information such as the total number of users, usage statistics, and threat detection may be available to us by our systems or from 3rd party service providers, but only to the extent to improve our systems, protect the integrity of our system and the overall quality of our services.
Our 3rd party processors, such as the Apple and Google Play stores, have their respective privacy and data use policies. Click here to view a list of all our current 3rd party service providers and learn how your data is protected.
Note: Advisors in the directory that are in the business of providing personalized advice have individual privacy policies, 3rd party processors of their own, and disclosure statements as required by law.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 was developed to ensure an objective planning experience throughout the totality of the planning engagement and as needed when making life’s most consequential financial decisions. It is a financial planning process that, by design, excludes the discussion of and does not rely upon the expectation of new financial implementation, including product and investment management.
The Advice OnlyTM methodology rejects the “qualification” of clients by advisors as a way 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.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 totality of the paid planning engagement. Clients also learn from and work with those same advisors through our app via the courses the advisors develop. To maintain the objectivity of both the planning and educational experiences, we’ve developed core principles we call “Our Truths.”
To learn more, visit the About Us page and look for the section “Our Truths.”Prior to the Advice OnlyTM methodology, other financial planning methodologies “built-in” a default option for and the general expectation of new financial implementation by the advisor as part of a financial planning engagement process. Under these other methodologies, 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 develop a methodology and process specifically for delivering objective advice that, by default and by design, separates implementation services entirely from the whole of the planning engagement. Implementation comes only after the planning engagement’s conclusion, if at all, and with no expectations.
The Advice OnlyTM methodology promotes clarity, confidence, and peace of mind when making life’s most consequential financial decisions. We think financial sales can have a place in financial planning, just generally after a strategy can be developed, with whomever the client chooses, if at all, and only after formalizing planning engagements.
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 when solicitor meetings are conducted (including referrals), they must be conducted 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, an advisor may (generally unsolicited) offer implementation services once a plan is considered complete by a client and with no prior implementation expectations.
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.We generally consider course sales final upon purchase. This is to keep course prices affordable and properly compensate artists and advisors. If you’d like to evaluate course content before purchasing, please visit the individual course’s syllabus.
In rare cases, a refund may be offered at our discretion or by that 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).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 advisory representatives is available at adviserinfo.sec.gov. All Advice OnlyTM advisors should be searchable on this website. Some Advice OnlyTM advisors may also be associated with a FINRA member broker-dealer and able to earn commissions on products they recommend when not going through the Advice OnlyTM process. Information on FINRA-associated firms and individuals is available by searching brokercheck.finra.com.
Also, many advisors link to this information directly via their website’s footer. All advisors listed in our app directory have language about themselves and their associated firm at the bottom of their profile located in the “find an advisor” tab.
We attempt to 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 may 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.Artist and photography credits, author references, and data providers.
We attempt to 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 may 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.To get started, download via the Apple or Google Play stores.
To get started, download via the Apple or Google Play stores.
Our app’s privacy policy generally avoids our collection of personally identifiable information unless necessary to service your account. We do not currently collect for our usage the information you enter for quizzes, assessments, and when using exercises, or generally whenever a user engages with the material. We do, however, make this information available to you to use with whomever you choose.
Anonymized and generalized information such as the total number of users, usage statistics, and threat detection may be available to us by our systems or from 3rd party service providers, but only to the extent to improve our systems, protect the integrity of our system and the overall quality of our services.
Our 3rd party processors, such as the Apple and Google Play stores, have their respective privacy and data use policies. Click here to view a list of all our current 3rd party service providers and learn how your data is protected.
Note: Advisors in the directory that are in the business of providing personalized advice have individual privacy policies, 3rd party processors of their own, and disclosure statements as required by law.The Advice Only™ methodology states that financial education and the complete development of a financial plan should be totally compartmentalized from all new forms of solicitation. A solicitation is considered any potential form of compensation other than through an invoice. It is the fundamental belief by some clients that a financial plan will only ever feel complete if -and only if- it is developed in this way. Download our book preview for more information.
Fee-Only advisors are not required to separate and isolate advice from asset-based compensation (AUM or AUA). As a result, Fee-Only compensation is fundamentally tied to consequential decision making. We believe this leaves the door open for abuse and diminishes the benefits that come with truely objective advice. When it comes to money, compensation should not be ambiguous. The Advice Only methodology empowers the client to choose the best way to compensate for the advice the receive, apart from any advisor, company or algorithm.
We describe our investment philosophy as T.F.Y (Think For Yourself). It’s not to say that we wouldn’t have a specific suggestion for your situation, we just believe that clients should be making their own decisions based on ALL variables and a comprehensive education.
Why? Because it’s your money – not ours. However, when the time is right (and if you ask) we’ll offer our take. The idea is to ALWAYS maximize objectivity when completing financial plans.
Our methodology states that the completion of all financial courses and financial plans should be totally isolated from any form of advisor compensation which might be earned from solicitation or financial plan implementation. In other words, our planning services are consciously paid by the client, almost always by personal check and never from an account held by the advisor. This process is precisely the way one pays their CPA or attorney or simply an invoice for the services rendered.
During the planning development stage, there are 2 ways we can work together:
- An Advice Only Initial Consultation
- An Advice Only Financial Plan
Learn more on our prices page. Should you decide to move forward, any money paid for an initial consultation will apply towards an Advice Only™ Financial Plan.
When we say just advice, we mean just advice. We follow our Advice Only methodology which states that all financial planning meetings are to be done strictly in a fiduciary capacity and under an advisory agreement. No discussion of any new products is sold, suggested or referred out during the totality of the financial planning process.
Once a plan is just right, we encourage clients (if appropriate) to work with any financial professional that will best fulfill their newly defined financial strategy. Should you choose to continue working with us we offer every option available, including continuing to only work under the Advice Only™ method. For more information about or firm, please read our ADV.
Unfortunately, free can be misused. Anyone can give away incompetent advice for free and likely not be held accountable – including licensed professionals. When financial advice is paid for, and provided by an acting fiduciary, there is legal obligation to provide that advice in the client’s best interest. Furthermore, there should be a signed advisory agreement stating such. In general, “free” is at best education or only “suitable”. At worst its manipulative and has no accountability. Generally, a client should consider advice is in a fiduciary capacity when it is under an advisory agreement.
A client may choose to consider implementation options with the advisor, but only after a financial plan has been completed. A “solicitor” meeting must be totally isolated (as in a separate meeting) from our Advice Only™ planning process. A solicitor meeting is not paid by invoice, is not under an advisory agreement, and generally will fall under the “suitability” standard. In theory, anything that could be labeled or construed as a “product” should be discussed in a separate solicitor’s meeting. If the advisor receives compensation through implementation, even referrals to qualified professionals, it must be in a solicitor’s meeting.
Advice Only is a methodology requested from clients. Simply listening to what clients wanted and attempting to offer a clearer, less sales-centric and more advice-centric approach to retirement planning. Advice Only was developed after 9 years of teaching retirement courses.
It is very important that students understand the difference between education and advice. When words such as “Fiduciary” are freely proliferated, it communicates that a financial professional provides sound advice. It is also true that in general financial professionals must been given ample time to internalize a client’s financial situation before speaking effectively to it. To provide competent advice which is in your best interest, it is logical that an advisor need to have a some of your pertinent financial details. Educational materials (including our book) can never be a replacement for sound financial advice. Advice provided by a licensed and acting fiduciary and after your personal financial details have been provided. Those kinds of financial meetings are typically paid, and generally under an advisory agreement.
We generally do not offer free consultations. However, advisors individually determine how they work.
Our corporate office is located in Corte Madera, CA. Advisors in our network are potentially available to help clients anywhere in the U.S.
No “prequalifying” potential clients for services based on their assets
No personally invasive algorithm qualifying questions to answer
Request our privacy policy for existing clients by contacting us or emailing info@wordpress-462335-3191741.cloudwaysapps.com
No. We do not currently hold any insurance licenses. It’s not because we think insurance is bad, it’s because we think that the way traditional life insurance company’s pay advisors needs to change. Currently virtually all commissions are paid up front to the advisor and there is then is no incentive for financial professionals to service the account.
Our book is considered a “retirement planning” book. So, if you are younger than 50 years old, and are looking for a planning book that speaks directly to you, this book may feel like more than you actually need. Or it is possibly not specific enough for your questions in regards to investments. However, everyone, no matter your age, can benefit from reading this book. It will provide insight into what will be needed for a successful retirement.
Yes! Advisors individually determine their availability for remote meetings in the states they are registered in.
Please email is if you have a question, comment, suggestion or concern. We’ll do our best to get back to you within 48 hours.