OnPlane Financial Advisors

OnPlane Financial Advisors was founded in 2019 by Darren Straniero, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. Straniero spent over a decade at a national...

OnPlane Financial Advisors

OnPlane Financial Advisors was founded in 2019 by Darren Straniero, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. Straniero spent over a decade at a national financial services firm before launching his own RIA with a transparent, fee-only model. The firm is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, and serves married professionals across the DC metro area, many of whom navigate the tax and benefit complexities of Maryland, DC, and Virginia. The firm's investment approach pairs low-cost, globally diversified portfolios with behavioral coaching. Straniero builds allocations that align with each household's comprehensive financial plan, covering retirement, tax-smart strategies, and progress check-ins. Asset classes employed include domestic and international equities, fixed income, and cash equivalents. The planning engine addresses equity compensation, benefits coordination, and multi-state tax considerations common among professional couples in the DC suburbs. OnPlane does not disclose individual positions or manager selections publicly. OnPlane Financial Advisors operates as a single-advisor practice. Straniero is the sole investment decision-maker and client-facing planner. The firm maintains no additional offices and reports no adjacent vehicles such as philanthropic foundations or operating businesses. Straniero is a member of the Fee-Only Network and the CFP® Board, aligning his practice with the fiduciary standard. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, foundations, and non-profit organizations, though its marketed focus is strictly on married professionals. The firm's structural distinction is its pricing model. OnPlane charges a flat annual fee rather than a percentage of assets under management. This eliminates the traditional advisory incentive to maximize asset balances and aligns the advisor's compensation directly with planning scope and complexity. The model is uncommon among solo RIAs, positioning OnPlane as a planning-led, rather than asset-gathering-led, practice.

Website

onplanefinancial.com

linkedin.com/company/darrenstraniero

General information

Firm type

Bank / Wealth / Trust

Year founded

2019

AUM

Undisclosed

Location

Region

North America

Country

United States

City

Rockville

Corporate office

Rockville, MD, United States

Principals

Darren Straniero

Founder, CFP®

Who runs investment decisions at OnPlane Financial Advisors?

Darren Straniero, the firm's founder and sole CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, makes all investment and planning decisions. He launched the RIA in 2019 after more than a decade in the financial services industry. The practice operates with no additional advisors or investment committee.

How does OnPlane Financial Advisors charge for its services?

The firm uses a flat, annual retainer model rather than a percentage of assets under management. This fee-only structure removes the incentive to gather more AUM and is designed to align the advisor's compensation with the scope of planning provided. The firm markets this as a transparent alternative to asset-based fees.

What type of client does OnPlane Financial Advisors target?

The firm focuses on married professionals in the DC metro area who are balancing careers, children, and competing financial priorities. Its marketing specifically addresses families coordinating taxes and benefits across Maryland, DC, and Virginia. The practice also serves individuals, retirement plans, foundations, and non-profit organizations.

Does OnPlane Financial Advisors manage assets or only provide planning?

OnPlane offers both ongoing comprehensive financial planning and investment management. The investment management service constructs low-cost, globally diversified portfolios aligned with each client's financial plan. Behavioral coaching is integrated into the investment management offering.

Is OnPlane Financial Advisors a fiduciary?

Yes. The firm operates as a fee-only registered investment adviser and Darren Straniero holds the CFP® designation, both of which carry a fiduciary obligation. The firm's marketing emphasizes its fiduciary, fee-only status as a point of differentiation from commission-based advisors.

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