Cairn Financial Planning

Cairn Financial Planning, as a registered investment advisor, operates under the fiduciary standard required by the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. This legal obligation requires the firm to place client interests ahead of its own in all advisory matters. Additionally, if the firm's principals hold the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation, they are bound by the CFP Board's fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the client at all times when providing financial advice.

The firm operates on a fee-only compensation model, meaning it receives no commissions, referral fees, or kickbacks from product providers. Fee structures for advisory firms of this profile commonly include assets-under-management fees calculated as a percentage of portfolio value, flat retainer fees for ongoing planning services, or hourly charges for project-based financial planning. Fee-only status means all compensation comes directly from the client.

The firm provides personal financial planning services encompassing retirement income planning, investment portfolio management, tax-aware withdrawal and distribution strategies, and estate planning coordination. For practices structured around the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ framework, service delivery integrates cash flow projections, risk management reviews including life and disability insurance analysis, and education funding strategies within a unified household financial plan.

No. As a registered investment advisor, Cairn Financial Planning does not take physical custody of client assets. Client portfolios are held at independent third-party custodians such as Charles Schwab, Fidelity, or Pershing. The firm is granted limited trading authorization through the custodian to execute portfolio rebalancing and investment changes as directed by the client's advisory agreement.

No. The firm's fee-only, independent posture means it maintains no broker-dealer affiliation, insurance agency relationship, or proprietary product obligations. This structural independence means the firm can select investment vehicles and insurance products across the open market, evaluating each provider's offering without constraints imposed by a parent company's product shelf or sales incentives.