Data as of Sep 19, 2026 · Based on 286 AI responses from ChatGPT Search and Google AI Mode · See how Parse measures this
To find a financial advisor who charges a fixed flat fee rather than a percentage of your assets, use professional networks that specialize in fee-only, fiduciary advice. Organizations including NAPFA, the XY Planning Network, the
Garrett Planning Network, and dedicated directories like FlatFeeAdvisors.org and
are recommended for their focus on transparent, client-aligned pricing structures.
Brands AI recommends here
Named in 68% of answers
As a leading organization for fee-only advisors, NAPFA is a primary resource to find fiduciaries who prioritize transparent pricing, including flat-fee or hourly models over traditional asset-based percentage fees.
Named in 54% of answers
Named in 50% of answers
Garrett specializes in connecting individuals with fiduciary advisors who limit their billing to hourly or flat-fee arrangements, making it a strong choice for specific financial planning needs.
Named in 41% of answers
This network is specifically recognized for connecting clients with fee-only fiduciaries, frequently serving younger individuals looking for planners who operate on flat or hourly fee structures.
Finding an advisor who charges a true flat fee (often called **advice-only** or **flat-fee-only** ) means you won't have to worry about paying a percentage of your assets under management (AUM).[[1]](https://adviceonlynetwork.com/) To help you find the right match, here are the top directories and networks…
Finding an advisor who charges a true flat fee (often called advice-only or flat-fee-only ) means you won't have to worry about paying a percentage of your assets under management (AUM).
To help you find the right match, here are the top directories and networks specifically dedicated to fiduciary advisors who do not charge AUM fees:
To help narrow down your search, could you share:
- **Shepherd Advisor** - Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737 - **Michael Anderson Cfp** - 37600 Sky Canyon Dr, Murrieta, CA 92563 - **Derive Wealth** - 35 N Lake Ave #710, Pasadena, CA 91101, United States
Yes. Around Rancho Cucamonga, I found several advisors that appear to fit your flat-fee / no-AUM-percentage requirement:
If your goal is "I want someone to advise me, but I don't want them managing my investments and charging 0.5–1%+ every year," I'd specifically look for an advice-only / planning-only CFP®. Michael Anderson's model is particularly explicit about that distinction: no portfolio minimums and no AUM fees.
Also, fee-only does not automatically mean flat-fee. A fee-only advisor can still charge a percentage of assets. When you call, ask:
“Do you offer financial planning for a flat fee or hourly fee, with no percentage-of-assets management fee, now or in the future?” If you'd like, I can also narrow this down to 5–10 advisors within, say, 25 miles of Rancho Cucamonga, including their actual published fees, CFP® status, fiduciary status, minimums, and contact information.
Finding a true flat-fee financial advisor—someone who charges a set price for their services rather than taking a percentage of your Assets Under Management (AUM)—is a great way to keep control of your wealth.[](https://adviceonlynetwork.com/) [[1]](https://adviceonlynetwork.com/) Here are the best dedicated…
Finding a true flat-fee financial advisor—someone who charges a set price for their services rather than taking a percentage of your Assets Under Management (AUM)—is a great way to keep control of your wealth.
Here are the best dedicated directories and networks where you can find fiduciary, flat-fee, or advice-only advisors:
To help me narrow this down, could you tell me:
- **Sherman Financial, LLC** - 902 Crestwood Ln, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, United States - **Miner Wealth Management** - 4801 Glenwood Ave Ste 200-05, Raleigh, NC 27612, United States - **Personal Path Financial Planning** - WeWork, 110 Corcoran St 5th Floor, Durham, NC 27701, United States
Yes. If you’re in the Raleigh/Triangle area, there are several advisors that appear to fit exactly what you’re describing: fee-only, fiduciary advice with a flat, hourly, or project fee rather than a percentage of assets under management (AUM).
If your priority is “I want professional financial advice, but I absolutely don't want someone taking 0.5%–1% of my portfolio every year,” I'd start with Sherman Financial. Their pricing is unusually explicit: $265/hour, 0% AUM, and they also offer fixed-fee/project engagements.
For perspective, a 1% AUM advisor costs $10,000/year on a $1 million portfolio, regardless of how much actual planning work you need. A flat/hourly advisor can be dramatically cheaper if you're primarily looking for advice and don't need someone continuously managing your investments.
One important distinction: “fee-only” does not automatically mean “flat fee.” Fee-only advisors can charge hourly, flat fees, subscriptions, or AUM fees. So when interviewing someone, ask:
“Do you ever charge a percentage of assets under management, directly or indirectly? I am specifically looking for an engagement where my total compensation to you is a fixed, hourly, or project fee.” If you tell me roughly how much you have invested, whether you're retired or still working, and whether you want one-time advice or ongoing planning, I can narrow this to the 3 best fits and compare their actual fee structures.
- **Equal Path Investments** - 539 Broadway Ste J1, Tacoma, WA 98402 - **Embolden Financial Planning LLC** - 7001 Seaview Ave NW Ste 160-617, Seattle, WA 98117, United States - **Better Tomorrow Financial** - 12526 Dayton Ave N, Seattle, WA 98133, United States
Yes. If you’re in the Federal Way/South Sound area, there are several advisors worth considering that specifically avoid the traditional 1%-of-assets-under-management (AUM) model.
Saket Sengar - Certified Financial Planner, Better Financial Services, LLC is right in Federal Way, so I'd consider asking them specifically whether they can provide planning without investment management/AUM fees. The firm describes itself as fee-only and fiduciary, but I would verify the exact compensation arrangement before signing anything.
The distinction I'd emphasize when interviewing advisors is:
“I want a fee-only fiduciary who will charge me a flat dollar amount or hourly rate. I do not want my compensation to be based on a percentage of assets under management, and I don't want to be required to transfer my investments to you.” That's more precise than simply asking for a “fee-only” advisor. Fee-only means no commissions, but some fee-only advisors still charge 0.5%–1%+ of AUM. For example, directories show that many Federal Way fee-only advisors still use percentage-based compensation.
If you tell me (1) roughly how much you have invested, (2) whether you're looking for retirement planning, investment advice, taxes, or a comprehensive plan, and (3) whether you want one-time or ongoing advice, I can narrow this to 3–5 advisors and compare their actual fees, credentials, services, and distance from Federal Way.
Finding a fiduciary financial advisor who operates on a true flat-fee or advice-only basis (meaning $0 tied to your assets under management) ensures your advisor's incentives align strictly with your goals.[](https://adviceonlynetwork.com/) [[1]](https://adviceonlynetwork.com/) Top directories and networks specialize…
Finding a fiduciary financial advisor who operates on a true flat-fee or advice-only basis (meaning $0 tied to your assets under management) ensures your advisor's incentives align strictly with your goals.
Top directories and networks specialize exclusively in advisors who charge flat, hourly, or retainer fees rather than a percentage of your portfolio:
To help narrow down your search, could you tell me:
Finding an advisor who operates on a true flat-fee model (charging a fixed dollar amount rather than a percentage of your assets under management, or AUM) ensures your advisor has fewer conflicts of interest. When searching, it is important to distinguish between "fee-only" (which still often means a 1% AUM fee) and…
Finding an advisor who operates on a true flat-fee model (charging a fixed dollar amount rather than a percentage of your assets under management, or AUM) ensures your advisor has fewer conflicts of interest. When searching, it is important to distinguish between "fee-only" (which still often means a 1% AUM fee) and "flat-fee" or "advice-only."
To find the right professional for your needs, explore these specialized directories and networks:
If you'd like, let me know:
I can give you more targeted advice on what questions to ask during your initial consultation.
- **Full Bloom Financial** - 235 E Main St #105b, Northville, MI 48167, United States - **VisionQuest Financial Planning LLC** - 200 E Big Beaver Rd, Troy, MI 48083, United States - **Y.D. Financial Services CFP CPA** - 47969 Inveraray Rd #101, Canton Township, MI 48188, United States
Yes. What you’re looking for is usually described as an advice-only, flat-fee, or fee-for-service financial planner. Be careful with the term fee-only: it means the advisor is paid only by clients, but fee-only advisors can still charge a percentage of assets under management (AUM).
Since you appear to be in the Westland/Metro Detroit area, I found several local possibilities worth investigating:
I'd start with Full Bloom Financial and VisionQuest because their publicly described compensation models most closely match your requirement of not paying a percentage of your investment portfolio.
You can also search for additional candidates through napfa.org and connect.xyplanningnetwork.com. XYPN specifically requires its members to offer fee-for-service planning such as retainer, subscription, hourly, or flat-fee arrangements, although individual advisors can have different pricing models.
One important question to ask each advisor:
“Do you provide financial planning for a fixed dollar fee, with no percentage-of-assets fee, now or later? And will you put that fee structure in writing?” That wording helps avoid an advisor who initially quotes a flat planning fee but then expects to manage your investments for 0.5%–1%+ of AUM.
If you'd like, I can narrow this down to 5–10 advisors within, say, 20 miles of Westland and compare their actual fees, specialties, credentials, minimums, and whether they explicitly offer flat-fee/no-AUM planning.
- **Grand Central Financial Planning** - 1407 Broadway 26th floor, New York, NY 10018, United States - **FAR Financial** - Brooklyn, NY 11218 - **Ford Financial Solutions, LLC** - 585 West End Ave, New York, NY 10024, United States
Yes. If you want to avoid the traditional 0.5%–1%+ annual AUM fee, the terminology to look for is “fee-only, flat-fee” or “advice-only” financial planning. Importantly, “fee-only” by itself does not guarantee no AUM fee—fee-only advisors can legally charge a percentage of assets—so you want to verify the actual compensation structure.
Since you're in the NYC area, I found several promising options:
Another useful route is connect.xyplanningnetwork.com. It lists CFP® professionals who are fee-only fiduciaries and offers flat-fee, monthly, and hourly arrangements. You'd still want to filter out advisors who also offer AUM management if your requirement is strictly zero AUM fees.
If your priority is specifically “I want professional financial advice, I'll keep control of my investments, and I refuse to pay 1% of my portfolio every year,” I'd start with:
When you interview them, I'd ask this exact question:
“Do you ever charge an assets-under-management fee, directly or indirectly? I am specifically looking for an advisor whose compensation is a fixed dollar amount or hourly fee and will not increase because my portfolio gets larger.” That wording is important because “fee-only” does not necessarily mean “no AUM.”
If you tell me roughly how much you have invested, your age, whether you're retired or still working, and whether you want investment management or just a financial plan, I can narrow this down to 3–5 advisors that fit your situation and compare their actual fees and services.
That wording is important because “fee-only” does not necessarily mean “no AUM.”
You can find a flat-fee advisor who does not charge based on assets under management (AUM) by searching specialized fiduciary directories like [Flat Fee Advisors](https://www.flatfeeadvisors.org/).[[1]](https://www.flatfeeadvisors.org/) Where to Find Flat-Fee Advisors - Flat Fee Advisors Directory : A dedicated…
You can find a flat-fee advisor who does not charge based on assets under management (AUM) by searching specialized fiduciary directories like Flat Fee Advisors.
Where to Find Flat-Fee Advisors
What to Look For
If you want, I can:
Explain the differences between fee-only and flat-fee models List questions to ask before hiring an advisor