What is The Legwork?

“The Legwork is Legs Financial’s proactive execution system.”

It is the professional coordination, year-round tax monitoring, and behind-the-scenes plan management that happens between client meetings—so the right people talk, the right steps happen, and nothing gets lost at the handoffs.

Phase 1: Planning the Route

We don’t do high-pressure sales pitches. Becoming a client is a deliberate, step-by-step process designed to make sure we are the right guides for your journey.

1. The Trailhead Meeting

A relaxed, complimentary 30-minute conversation. No spreadsheets, no jargon. We talk about your family’s story, where you are today, and where you want to go—to see if our flat-fee model is a fit.

2. Building the Map

If we agree to hike together, we’ll confirm scope, hold a goal-setting session to understand what matters most to your family, collect the project fee, and begin. We gather your documents, coordinate with your CPA and attorney, and build your step-by-step financial plan.

3. The Briefing

We present your route forward in plain English. You will know precisely what you need to do and what we handle for you every step of the way.

Phase 2: The Legwork

The work that happens between meetings is where most plans fall apart. Here is what we handle so details don’t fall through the cracks.

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Quarterly CPA syncs with a written tax playbook. Forensic titling and beneficiary audits. Coordinated instruction letters for trust and Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) funding. Estate trigger protocol within 10 business days of any life event.

Bracket-aware Roth conversion windowing. Asset location with drift monitoring. Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) and Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) automation. Incentive Stock Option (ISO), Non-Qualified Stock Option (NSO), and Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) playbook with blackout awareness and Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) simulations.

See our equity compensation approach →

Active Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, and Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) monitoring. Special Needs Trust operational guardrails. Proactive coordination with trustees, attorneys, and CPAs. Successor readiness packet for guardians and future caregivers.

Special Needs Financial Planning Guide →

Guardrail-based withdrawal policy with spending band triggers and tax-aware sourcing. IRMAA modeling (Medicare income surcharges). Full Social Security optimization including spousal and survivor strategies.

What is IRMAA? →

Lot-level trade memos on every rebalance. Tax-loss harvesting with wash-sale governance. Concentration monitoring and sector caps. Cash sleeve discipline for known near-term expenses.

Objective debt paydown analysis with no AUM incentive to stay invested. Medical reserve planning. Cash bucket design for short, near, and long-term needs. Because our flat fee doesn’t change with your balance, the math is always honest.

Contribution and withdrawal scheduling with ACH verification. Bill-pay coordination for trusts and Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs). Cost-basis cleanup and transfer hygiene before tax season. Funding mechanics handled start to finish.

Insurance coordination audits covering coverage, riders, ownership, and beneficiaries. Quarterly cyber and fraud hygiene prompts including two-factor authentication, credit freeze checks, and bank alert reviews.

Annual family meeting facilitation with documented minutes and action items. Successor readiness packet with account glossary and a plain-English “first 30 days” guide. Read-only access for adult children who need to be in the loop.

We Coordinate. Your Pros Execute.

We stay in our lane and work alongside your existing professional team. The following services are coordinated by Legs Financial but performed by licensed specialists.

Tax return preparation and filing — handled by your CPA. We provide the strategy and coordinate the handoff.

Legal document drafting — handled by your estate or special needs attorney. We coordinate execution of what they build.

Insurance product placement — placed by a licensed agent. We audit coverage and document keep/replace rationale.

Corporate bookkeeping and payroll — handled by your accountant. We coordinate where it intersects your plan.

Walking the Trail: Our Seasonal Cadence

Most advisors only call when the market drops. We run on a proactive, seasonal playbook so you know exactly what we are executing and when.

Seasonal service cadence schedule
The Season	What We Execute
Spring Tax & Funding	Direct CPA coordination for tax season, filing reviews, prior-year IRA and HSA funding verification, and first-quarter portfolio rebalancing.
Summer Mid-Year Check	Mid-year cash flow and spending band review. Special Needs Trust and Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account funding audits. Insurance and beneficiary checks.
Fall Proactive Planning	Strategic Roth conversion modeling, IRMAA modeling (Medicare income surcharges), and equity compensation planning—Incentive Stock Options (ISO), Nonqualified Stock Options (NSO), and Restricted Stock Units (RSU)—before year-end blackout windows.
Winter Year-End Wrap	Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) processing, charitable giving execution via Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) or Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs), and final tax-loss harvesting.
Off-Trail Event-Driven	Life doesn’t follow a season. For a diagnosis, inheritance, or liquidity event, we deploy a rapid response checklist within one business day and coordinate next steps with your legal and tax team over the following two weeks.

Transparent, Flat-Fee Pricing

You pay for the complexity of your life, not the size of your portfolio. Every ongoing plan includes full investment management, year-round tax coordination, and The Legwork.

How We Determine Your Fee

Our flat fee is quoted upfront based on the complexity of your situation—not the size of your portfolio. Here are the inputs that drive complexity:

✓ Number of accounts and entities (individual, joint, trust, business)
✓ Tax complexity (AMT exposure, K-1s, RSUs, ISOs, NSOs, equity comp)
✓ Special needs coordination (SNT, ABLE, SSI/Medicaid monitoring, trustee sync)
✓ Estate and trust complexity (multiple trusts, titling, beneficiary audit scope)
✓ Required meeting cadence (2 reviews/yr vs quarterly vs event-driven)

Ongoing Wealth Management

The Ascent

Foundation

Established families with straightforward needs. Builds the foundation and keeps execution on track.

$7,200/year

$1,800 / quarter billed in advance

2 reviews per year with email support
Investment Policy Statement, core allocation, tax-aware rebalancing
Standard annual tax review
Estate plan coordination (simple will/POA)
Social Security benefit timing basics
Benefits checklist and ABLE account setup

The Summit

Comprehensive

Comprehensive strategy and execution for established wealth. Elevates coordination across your tax and benefits ecosystem.

$10,800/year

$2,700 / quarter billed in advance

2–3 reviews per year with priority support
Tax-loss harvesting and CPA implementation
Proactive tax strategy: Roth conversions, distribution planning
Revocable trust coordination
Social Security claiming and spousal optimization
Open-enrollment support and CPA coordination
Minor vested stock options

The Expedition

Specialized

Specialized coordination for special needs, complex equity, and advanced tax. Leads complex, multi-party execution across attorneys, trustees, and CPAs.

$16,000/year

$4,000 / quarter billed in advance

Quarterly reviews with premier 1-day support
Advanced tax management: AMT, complex K-1s, DAFs, QCDs, CPA collaboration
Complex trust coordination (SNTs, irrevocable), multi-generational & advanced charitable strategies (with your attorney)
Full Social Security optimization and benefit coordination
SSI, Medicaid, and ABLE monitoring with proactive trustee coordination
Active Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), Incentive Stock Options (ISOs), NSOs, and carried interest

All ongoing plans are billed quarterly in advance with a 12-month minimum commitment (auto-renewing) and a 30-day opt-out at renewal. We coordinate with your attorney and CPA; we do not provide tax filing or legal drafting services.

How Our Fees Compare to Traditional AUM Pricing

Traditional advisors typically charge 1% or more of your assets annually—meaning your fee rises as your portfolio grows, regardless of the work being done. Our flat fee stays fixed from day one.

Fee Comparison At a Glance

• 1% AUM = $10,000/yr on a $1M portfolio — and it keeps rising as your wealth grows.
• Legs Financial flat fee: fixed from day one. The Ascent is $7,200/yr regardless of portfolio size.
• Every plan includes investment management, year-round tax coordination, and The Legwork — no hidden extras.

Annual Advisory Fee by Portfolio Size

Flat-fee vs. AUM (1%): AUM fees rise with your balance; our flat-fee stays fixed from day one.

At $500K, a 1% AUM fee runs $5,000/year and grows with your portfolio. Our flat fee doesn’t.

For illustrative purposes only. Portfolio values and fee savings are hypothetical examples. Your fee will be quoted based on planning complexity. Investment returns are not guaranteed and past performance does not predict future results.

Scenario	1% AUM Fee	Legs Financial (Flat)	You Save
$750K portfolio	$7,500/yr	$7,200/yr (Ascent)	$300/yr
$1M portfolio	$10,000/yr	$7,200/yr (Ascent)	$2,800/yr
$1.5M portfolio	$15,000/yr	$10,800/yr (Summit)	$4,200/yr
$2M portfolio	$20,000/yr	$16,000/yr (Expedition)	$4,000/yr

AUM fees shown at 1% for illustration. Many advisors charge 1.25%–1.5% on smaller portfolios.

Project-Based Financial Maps

Not ready for an ongoing relationship? Start with a one-time Financial Map to establish your baseline strategy and identify critical gaps. A transition credit applies if you move to an ongoing plan within 90 days.

The Ascent Map

$3,600

For families who need a clear starting point. We assess your terrain, identify the critical gaps, and deliver a prioritized action plan you can act on immediately.

Up to $1,800 credited toward your first quarter if upgrading within 90 days

The Summit Map

$4,800

For families with established wealth and moving parts. We build a complete financial map covering tax strategy, estate coordination, and investment positioning—with a clear sequence of next moves.

Up to $2,400 credited toward your first quarter if upgrading within 90 days

The Expedition Map

$6,000

For families navigating complexity—special needs planning, advanced tax situations, or multi-party coordination. We map the full terrain and provide a detailed execution plan built around your specific circumstances.

Up to $3,000 credited toward your first quarter if upgrading within 90 days

Ongoing Plan vs. Project-Based Financial Map — At a Glance

Feature	Ongoing Plan	Financial Map (Project)
Engagement	Ongoing relationship (auto-renewing)	One-time engagement
Investment management	✓ Included	— Not included
Year-round tax coordination	✓ Included	— Not included
The Legwork (execution layer)	✓ Included	— Not included
Deliverable	Ongoing plan + execution	Prioritized action plan
Transition credit	— N/A	Up to 50% toward first quarter
Starting price	$7,200/year	$3,600

“We carry the heavy pack so you can enjoy the view.”

Guiding families from plan to peace of mind.

Flat-Fee, Fiduciary Financial Planning in Greensboro, NC