Questions, answered.
Flat-Fee Financial Planning FAQs — Greensboro, NC
Plain-English answers to the questions we hear most often—about how we work, what we charge, and the planning concepts that matter most to the families we serve.
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Common questions
Getting started
Flat-fee financial planning charges a single, transparent fee for comprehensive advice—rather than a percentage of your investment accounts. At Legs Financial, the flat fee is based on the complexity of your situation, not the size of your portfolio. Compare first-party vs. third-party SNTs →
This matters because a percentage-of-assets model creates a structural incentive: the larger the portfolio, the higher the fee, regardless of how much work is actually involved. When we recommend paying down debt, funding a trust, or holding cash, it’s because the analysis supports it—not because of how the fee is structured.
A fiduciary is a person or organization legally and ethically bound to act in your best interests. As a fiduciary, Legs Financial must:
- Prioritize your financial well-being over our own potential gains
- Disclose any conflicts of interest and take steps to mitigate them
- Be transparent about fees, risks, and any other relevant information
- Make informed decisions and take reasonable steps to protect your interests
Not all financial advisors are fiduciaries. Some operate under a suitability standard, which only requires them to recommend products that are suitable for you—not necessarily the best option.
Fee-only means we are paid directly by our clients for services rendered. We do not receive commissions or any other compensation from third parties such as investment companies, insurance providers, or mutual fund companies.
This eliminates a major source of conflicts of interest. When we recommend a strategy or product, it is because we believe it is right for your situation—full stop.
We serve two primary audiences:
- Families with a loved one with a disability—special needs financial planning, trust coordination, benefit preservation, and two-lifetime planning
- Working professionals and retirees—tax-focused retirement planning, equity compensation, Social Security optimization, and withdrawal sequencing
See our Who We Serve page for more detail on each.
Our home base is Greensboro, NC. We meet with clients face-to-face in the Triad and Triangle areas, and we work virtually with clients nationwide. If you’re outside those areas and want to talk, reach out—we’re happy to discuss.
Meeting frequency depends on your service tier and the complexity of your situation. Generally:
- The Ascent—2 formal reviews per year
- The Summit—2 to 3 reviews per year
- The Expedition—quarterly reviews
Beyond scheduled reviews, we have an ongoing response cadence for questions and follow-ups, monthly Mile Marker summaries, and event-driven check-ins when life changes. See our How We Work page for the full cadence.
At minimum, plans are reviewed annually—covering beneficiary and titling audits, updated assumptions, and a full review of progress toward goals. More frequent updates happen when:
- A significant life event occurs (marriage, birth, job change, diagnosis, inheritance)
- Market conditions warrant a portfolio or strategy adjustment
- Your goals or priorities shift
Event-driven updates start within one business day; we then coordinate and implement next steps over the following two weeks. We initiate the process—you don’t have to ask.
What we do and how
Every ongoing plan includes full investment management, year-round tax coordination, and The Legwork—the behind-the-scenes execution that most advisors don’t do. Specifically:
- Investment Policy Statement, portfolio implementation, and tax-aware rebalancing
- Quarterly CPA syncs with a written tax playbook
- Beneficiary and titling audits
- Social Security optimization (tier-dependent)
- Guardrail-based withdrawal sequencing (retirees)
- Special Needs Trust and ABLE coordination (Expedition tier)
- Equity compensation planning (Summit and Expedition tiers)
- Monthly Mile Markers summary and quarterly action review
See the full service comparison on our How We Work page.
Tax-focused planning means we monitor your tax situation year-round—not just at tax time. Most advisors review taxes once a year in April. We watch the bracket throughout the year to find and act on opportunities before they close.
In practice, this includes:
- Roth conversion windowing—identifying years where your bracket is lower and converting pre-tax dollars at a reduced rate
- Asset location—placing the right investments in the right account types to minimize tax drag over time
- Tax-loss harvesting—capturing losses to offset gains and reduce your annual tax bill
- IRMAA modeling—projecting Medicare income surcharges two years in advance so large income events don’t trigger surprise premium increases
- Equity compensation sequencing—timing the exercise or sale of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), Incentive Stock Options (ISOs), and Non-Qualified Stock Options (NSOs) to minimize ordinary income and alternative minimum tax exposure
The goal is to reduce lifetime tax drag—not just this year’s bill.
We invest in low-cost, diversified index funds and ETFs. We don’t try to beat the market through active stock selection—decades of evidence show that very few managers do this consistently after fees. Our philosophy rests on a few principles:
- Passive investing—broad market exposure through index funds rather than active stock picking
- Low cost—minimizing fund expenses because fees compound against you the same way returns compound for you
- Diversification—spreading risk across asset classes, sectors, and geographies
- Long-term focus—staying invested through market fluctuations rather than attempting to time the market
- Tax-aware implementation—every rebalance and trade is evaluated for its tax impact before execution
Asset allocation is how you divide your investments among different asset classes—stocks, bonds, cash, and other categories. It’s determined by your risk tolerance, time horizon, and goals. A pre-retiree might hold 70% stocks and 30% bonds; a retiree might hold 50/50.
Asset location is where those investments live—which account types hold which assets. Because different accounts are taxed differently, placing the right assets in the right accounts can meaningfully reduce lifetime tax drag. For example:
- High-growth or high-yield assets often belong in tax-deferred accounts (traditional IRA, 401(k)) to defer taxes
- Tax-efficient index funds often belong in taxable accounts where they generate minimal taxable events
- Assets you expect to grow significantly may belong in Roth accounts where growth is tax-free
Getting allocation right is the starting point. Getting location right is where a lot of the after-tax value is captured.
Financial advisor is a broad term that covers many types of professionals—investment brokers, insurance agents, bankers, and planners. Not all are fiduciaries, and many are primarily focused on investment products.
Financial planner refers to someone who takes a holistic view of your financial life—budgeting, saving, investing, taxes, insurance, and estate planning. Many planners hold the CFP® designation, which requires meeting a fiduciary standard.
At Legs Financial, we are fee-only, fiduciary financial planners. We don’t sell products, earn commissions, or stop at the portfolio. We coordinate your entire financial operation.
Key concepts and terms
Both tools allow a person with a disability to have access to funds without automatically disqualifying them from government benefits—but they work differently and serve different purposes.
Special Needs Trust (SNT) is a legal arrangement, drafted by an attorney, that holds assets for a beneficiary with a disability. There is no limit on how much can be held in an SNT. The trustee controls distributions, which must be for the benefit of the beneficiary without replacing government benefits. SNTs can be funded by family members (third-party SNT) or by the individual themselves (first-party SNT, often from a lawsuit settlement or inheritance).
Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account is a tax-advantaged savings account available to individuals whose disability began before age 46 (effective January 1, 2026). Annual contributions are capped (currently tied to the gift tax exclusion). The account owner controls how funds are spent on qualified disability expenses. ABLE accounts are simpler to set up and more flexible for day-to-day use, but have lower contribution limits.
The two tools are often used together. An SNT holds larger assets and provides long-term security; an ABLE account handles more flexible, day-to-day spending needs.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a needs-based program funded by general tax revenues. It provides monthly payments to individuals with limited income and resources who have a disability (or are 65 or older, or blind). SSI does not require a work history—it is based on financial need. Eligibility includes strict income and asset limits.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is an earned benefit, funded through Social Security payroll taxes. It is available to individuals who have worked enough to earn sufficient Social Security credits and who have a qualifying disability. Benefit amounts are based on the individual’s earnings history.
A person can receive both SSI and SSDI simultaneously if they qualify for both. This is important for planning because the two programs connect to different health coverage—SSI typically leads to Medicaid; SSDI leads to Medicare after a 24-month waiting period.
Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that provides health coverage to individuals with low income—including many people with disabilities who receive SSI. Medicaid eligibility is income and asset-based. Each state administers its own Medicaid program, so rules and coverage can vary. For many families with a loved one who has a disability, maintaining Medicaid eligibility is a critical planning priority.
Medicare is a federal health insurance program primarily for people 65 and older. Younger individuals who have received SSDI for 24 consecutive months also become eligible. Medicare is not income-based—it is based on age or disability work history. It has different parts covering hospital stays, outpatient care, and prescription drugs.
The key planning distinction: preserving Medicaid eligibility requires careful attention to income, assets, and account types. Financial moves that seem routine—a gift, an inheritance, a poorly structured trust distribution—can jeopardize coverage. This is a core focus of our special needs planning work.
Before your first meeting
A financial plan is a map for your money. It turns financial goals from abstract wishes into concrete, sequenced steps. Without one, most families end up reactive—responding to events as they happen rather than positioning themselves ahead of time.
A good plan helps you:
- Make informed decisions about saving, spending, investing, and debt
- Reduce tax drag over time through proactive strategy
- Prepare for life events before they happen—retirement, a loved one’s care needs, a business sale
- Protect what you’ve built through appropriate insurance and estate structures
- Feel confident that the financial decisions you’re making today will serve you well later
You don’t need to gather everything before your first conversation—the Trailhead Meeting requires nothing in hand. When we move forward together, we’ll typically request:
- Recent account statements for investment, retirement, and bank accounts
- Your most recent tax return (or a rough sense of your income and tax situation)
- A summary of employee benefits and any equity compensation
- Any existing insurance policies (life, disability, long-term care)
- Estate planning documents if you have them (will, trust, powers of attorney)
- For special needs planning: any existing trust documents and a summary of current benefit programs
We gather and organize everything as part of the engagement. You don’t need to have it all together before we start.
Financial planning is a comprehensive process that involves assessing your current financial situation, identifying your goals, and developing a coordinated strategy to achieve them. It covers:
- Cash flow and budgeting
- Saving and investment strategy
- Tax planning and minimization
- Retirement income planning
- Insurance and risk management
- Estate planning and beneficiary coordination
- Special needs planning (where relevant)
At Legs Financial, financial planning isn’t a one-time deliverable—it’s an ongoing relationship. The plan is built once; The Legwork keeps it aligned as life changes.
More to explore
Still have questions? These pages go deeper on how we work, who we serve, and the topics that matter most.
How We Work
The full breakdown of The Legwork, our seasonal cadence, and transparent flat-fee pricing.
Explore How We Work →Who We Serve
Tax-focused retirement planning and special needs planning—who fits, what we focus on, and how we approach each.
Explore Who We Serve →Special Needs Guide
Our comprehensive guide to SNTs, ABLE accounts, SSI/SSDI, Medicaid, and two-lifetime financial planning.
Read the Guide →Field Guide
Plain-English articles on tax planning, retirement income, equity compensation, and special needs planning.
Browse the Field Guide →Still have questions?
We’re happy to help. Send us a note through our contact form or book a complimentary 30-minute Trailhead Meeting—no prep needed, no obligation to move forward.