Pricing
How We Charge for our Work
How we charge for our work reflects how we think about our work.
Most financial advisory firms are paid based on how much money you have invested with them. That model is common, and it isn’t inherently wrong — but it creates a subtle problem: it ties the advisor’s revenue to the size of your portfolio rather than to the complexity of your situation or the quality of the advice you receive.
At Epsilon, we think about compensation differently. Our goal is a fee structure that is transparent, fair, and directly tied to the value we deliver — one that allows us to give you objective advice without any financial incentive to steer you toward particular products or investment decisions. Every dollar we earn comes directly from you. Not from fund companies. Not from insurance carriers. Not from referral arrangements. That structure is what makes genuinely independent advice possible.
We offer several fee arrangements, and the right one for you will depend on your situation, the services you need, and where you are in your financial life. We discuss this openly at the outset of every new relationship.
Our Fee Arrangements
Flat Annual Fee
For many clients, a flat annual fee is the most straightforward and transparent way to pay for comprehensive financial planning. You know what you’re paying. We know what we’re delivering. The fee doesn’t fluctuate with your portfolio balance, which means our advice is never shaped by what would move the number up or down.
Fees are based on the scope and complexity of your financial situation, and where you are in your financial life. As a general guide:
| Life Stage | Typical Annual Fee Range |
| Accumulation - Early (20s - 30s) | $4,000 - $8,000 per year |
| Accumulation - Later (40s - 50s) | $5,000 - $12,000 per year |
| Transition - Preparing for retirement | $8,000 - $25,000 per year |
| Decumulation - In Retirement | $6,000 - $20,000 per year |
Fees within these ranges reflect the scope and complexity of the engagement — the number of accounts, tax circumstances, estate planning considerations, income sources, and the depth of ongoing planning required. They are billed quarterly in advance and may be adjusted periodically, by mutual agreement, as your needs evolve.
Because flat fees are not based on assets, they do not create an incentive to recommend that clients increase or maintain particular account balances.
Assets Under Management (AUM)
Some clients prefer to pay a fee calculated as a percentage of the assets we manage on their behalf. This arrangement links the advisory fee to the scale of the investment relationship and is well-suited to clients whose primary need is investment management alongside more-limited financial planning.
We work best with clients who face genuinely complex planning decisions — people approaching or navigating retirement who want a long-term advisory relationship, not a one-time transaction. We don’t apply a rigid asset minimum, and the right fee structure depends on far more than a single number.
As with any AUM model, this structure creates an incentive for the advisor to manage more assets. We address this by operating as a fiduciary and making recommendations based on what we believe is in your best interest.
Specific fee schedules are discussed as part of an introductory conversation.
Hybrid Arrangements
In some cases, a combination of a base flat fee and an asset-based component is the most appropriate structure — particularly where both comprehensive planning services and active investment management are involved.
We discuss hybrid arrangements on a case-by-case basis and will always explain the rationale for the structure we recommend.
Hourly and Project-Based Fees
For clients who need focused, defined-scope advice rather than an ongoing relationship, we offer hourly consulting and project-based engagements. These are appropriate for specific planning questions, second opinions, or one-time analyses — such as a retirement readiness review, a Social Security optimization analysis, or an assessment of an existing investment portfolio.
These typically require an upfront retainer (applied toward the total project cost), and we define scope and expected costs in advance.
Additional Costs
In addition to our fees, clients may incur third-party costs such as custodial fees, fund expenses, or transaction costs. These are separate from and independent of our advisory fees.
A NOTE ON FEE-ONLY ADVICE
Epsilon is a fee-only firm. This is a specific and meaningful designation: it means we are compensated exclusively by our clients, and we do not receive commissions, referral fees, or any other form of compensation from third parties.
This matters because compensation shapes behavior — even when advisors don’t intend it to. A fee-only structure removes the financial incentives that can lead advisors toward products that pay them rather than toward strategies that serve you. Combined with our fiduciary obligation — the legal duty to put your interests ahead of our own — it means that when we make a recommendation, you can be confident it reflects our genuine assessment of what is right for your situation.
Our fiduciary commitment in plain language:
We are legally and ethically obligated to act in your best interest at all times. We have no products to sell, no quotas to meet, and no financial relationship with any fund company, insurance carrier, or referral network. Every recommendation we make is grounded in what we believe is right for you.
What's Included
Regardless of the fee structure, every Epsilon client relationship includes:
- A financial plan that evolves with your life — updated as your circumstances change, not handed to you once and filed away.
- A portfolio built specifically for your situation, your stage, and your tax circumstances — managed continuously, not set and forgotten.
- Coordination with your CPA, attorney, and other advisors so that your financial plan and your broader professional relationships work together rather than in silos.
- Direct access to your advisor between meetings — because the questions that matter most rarely wait for the next scheduled review.
- A structured annual rhythm of meetings — tax return analysis in the spring, planning review mid-year, portfolio and other planning in the fall — plus additional meetings whenever something significant changes.
The specific scope of services is defined in your advisory agreement.
A Word on Fit
We work best with clients who want a genuine long-term planning relationship — not a one-time transaction or a minimal-touch investment management service. If you’re looking for the lowest-cost execution of a strategy you’ve already decided on, we’re probably not the right firm. If you’re looking for a team that will help you think through the hardest financial decisions of your life and be genuinely accountable for the outcome — we’d be glad to talk.
How to get started
The right fee structure for your situation is something we work out together. We don’t require a minimum level of assets to begin a conversation, and we don’t charge for an introductory meeting.
If the fees feel right and you’d like to talk through what the engagement would look like for your situation, the first conversation is complimentary and carries no obligation.
Or reach us directly at (707) 428-5500