Financial Planning by Design

The firm operates on a fee-only basis, charging a percentage of assets under management for discretionary portfolio services and fixed or hourly fees for standalone financial planning engagements. It does not accept commissions, 12b-1 fees, or referral payments from fund companies, eliminating the incentive to recommend high-cost products.

Portfolios are built primarily with low-cost ETFs and index mutual funds, occasionally supplemented by individual bonds when laddered fixed-income strategies require direct ownership. The firm avoids individual stock picking, options trading, and alternative-investment products that carry high fees or liquidity constraints.

The founding adviser or a designated investment committee sets the model allocations and selects the underlying funds. Individual client accounts are managed on a discretionary basis, meaning the firm rebalances, harvests tax losses, and adjusts holdings without requiring client approval for each trade, within the bounds of the agreed-upon investment policy statement.

Client assets are held at independent third-party custodians — typically Charles Schwab, Fidelity, or similar institutions — not at the firm itself. The firm receives view-only trading access and discretionary authority through a limited power of attorney, meaning clients can log into their custodian accounts at any time to verify holdings independently.

Financial Planning by Design provides tax-efficient portfolio management, retirement distribution planning, and coordination with clients' CPAs and estate attorneys. It does not file tax returns or draft legal documents directly. The planning process covers tax projection and estate transfer strategies, but implementation of legal instruments falls to the client's outside counsel.

The firm has a documented internal succession plan that transitions client relationships to a named junior adviser or partner over a multi-year handoff period. This structure is designed to avoid disruption or forced sale of the practice to an external aggregator, keeping advisory continuity within the existing team and investment philosophy.

The firm primarily serves individuals, families, and small business owners who seek ongoing, discretionary portfolio management combined with comprehensive financial planning. Its service model is built for clients with enough complexity to require active tax management and retirement-coordination, rather than those needing only episodic advice or prepackaged robo-solutions.