I am looking for a financial advisor who charges a flat fee and does not take a percentage of assets under management.

Finding an advisor who operates on a true flat-fee or advice-only basis (meaning $0 tied to your Assets Under Management) is a great way to avoid conflicts of interest and reduce long-term costs.

To help you find the right professional, here are the top dedicated directories and networks specializing in non-AUM, flat-fee, and hourly pricing models:

• Advice-Only Network: You can browse the Advice-Only Network to find fiduciary planners who explicitly charge flat or hourly fees with no commissions and no AUM requirements.
• Flat Fee Advisors: Check out the Flat Fee Advisors Directory to locate fiduciary advisors who provide ongoing planning and investment guidance for a clear, fixed flat fee rather than a percentage of your portfolio.
• The Garrett Planning Network: Search via the Garrett Planning Network for hourly, as-needed, fee-only financial planners who do not require a minimum asset threshold or AUM percentage.
• Fee-Only Network: Visit the FeeOnlyNetwork.com powered by NAPFA to find vetted fee-only fiduciary planners, though you will want to filter individual profiles specifically for flat-fee or retainer models (as "fee-only" can sometimes still include AUM pricing).

Note on terminology when searching: Make sure to distinguish between Fee-Only (they only get paid by you, not by commissions, but they might still charge a % of AUM) and Flat-Fee / Advice-Only (they charge a fixed dollar amount or hourly rate). Always ask potential advisors for their Form ADV Part 2A brochure, which details their exact fee structure.

If you'd like to narrow this down, tell me:

• Do you need ongoing annual management or a one-time comprehensive financial plan?
• Are you looking for someone local to your area or are you open to virtual/remote meetings?

Absolutely. The type of advisor you want is typically described as fee-only, flat-fee (or retainer), fiduciary—and importantly, you want someone who does not charge AUM (assets under management).

Good places to search include:

• napfa.org — lets you specifically filter for Fixed Fee and Hourly advisors. NAPFA members are fee-only, although fee-only by itself can include AUM pricing, so confirm the advisor's exact fee structure.
• connect.xyplanningnetwork.com — its network consists of fee-only CFP® professionals who sign a fiduciary oath, and many offer flat-fee, hourly, or subscription pricing.
• flatfeeadvisors.org — specifically focused on fiduciary advisors who charge a fixed fee rather than a percentage of investments.

What I'd look for

When interviewing an advisor, ask these exact questions:

1. “Do you charge any percentage of assets under management?”
2. “Is your compensation entirely a fixed dollar amount, regardless of how much I have invested?”
3. “Do you receive commissions, referral fees, or compensation from investment products?”
4. “Are you a fiduciary at all times when providing financial advice?”
5. “What is the total annual cost if I don't have you manage my investments?”

If you tell me your city/state (or whether you're willing to work virtually), approximately how much you want advice about, and whether you need investment management or just financial planning, I can narrow this down to several specific advisors and compare their actual flat fees and services.

• breakwater financial - 75 2nd Ave, Needham, MA 02494, United States
• Proficient Wealth Counselors - 77 Access Rd Ste 6, Norwood, MA 02062, United States
• Walk You To Wealth - Dover, MA 02030
• Balanced Rock Investment Advisors - 4238 Washington St Ste 311, Boston, MA 02131, United States
• EP Wealth Advisors - 720 University Ave Ste 130, Norwood, MA 02062, United States
• Balanced Rock Investment Advisors - 252 Roslindale Ave, Roslindale, MA 02131
• Finarc Investments - 3 Edgewater Dr Ste 301, Norwood, MA 02062, United States
• Clearvue Advisors - 25 Windsor Rd, Milton, MA 02186
• Baystate Wealth Advisors - 8 Adams St, Newton, MA 02460
• TechGen Financial - 1600 Providence Hwy, Walpole, MA 02081, United States
• Balanced Rock Investment Advisors - 1163 Walnut St #11, Newton, MA 02461, United States
• Financial Solutions Associates - 990 Washington St #317, Dedham, MA 02026, United States
• Clearvue Advisors - 143 Craig St, Milton, MA 02186, United States

Yes. Since you’re in the Boston/Norwood area, I found several advisors that appear to fit your requirement: fee-only, fiduciary, and compensated by a flat or hourly fee rather than a percentage of assets under management (AUM).

Strong candidates

• breakwater financial — Needham. Offers hourly planning at $400/hour and a monthly fixed-fee planning relationship. It specifically describes itself as fee-only and fiduciary.
• Pathways Financial Consulting LLC — Needham. Offers fixed-fee financial planning, including monthly and project-based arrangements, and is fee-only.
• Proficient Wealth Counselors — Norwood. This is particularly convenient geographically. It describes itself as a fiduciary, fee-for-service financial planning firm. I'd confirm the current fee schedule and whether investment management can be completely excluded.
• Walk You To Wealth — Dover. Offers a monthly flat-fee subscription with no asset minimums and no asset-based fees, aimed at people who want ongoing financial planning and coaching.
• Lyon Financial Planning — Waltham. This is an especially clean fit if you want planning rather than someone managing your portfolio. Jay Abolofia, PhD, CFP® offers advice-only comprehensive planning for a flat fee, with ongoing work available hourly. He is fee-only and fiduciary.
• Evergreen Wealth Management — Boston. If you do want the advisor to manage investments but don't want an AUM percentage, Evergreen charges $725/month ($8,700/year), regardless of portfolio size, with a $500,000 asset minimum. It includes investment management and comprehensive planning.
• Curious Crow Financial Planning — Greater Boston/Revere. Offers a $5,000 flat-fee, six-month comprehensive planning engagement and is advice-only, meaning you retain control of your investments rather than paying an ongoing AUM fee.

One distinction I'd pay attention to

There are two different things you might mean by "flat fee":

1. Advice-only: You pay, say, $3,000–$8,000 for a financial plan and/or an hourly rate. You keep your investments where they are and implement the recommendations yourself.
2. Flat-fee wealth management: You pay a fixed annual/monthly amount and the advisor also manages your investments. This can be substantially cheaper than 1% AUM once your portfolio gets large.

If your primary goal is "I want a professional to review my finances, tell me what I should do, and not charge me more just because my portfolio grows", I'd lean toward an advice-only/flat-fee planner rather than a wealth manager.

For example, at $2 million, a traditional 1% AUM advisor costs $20,000/year. A $5,000–$8,000 flat-fee planning engagement is a very different proposition.

If you'd like, I can narrow this down to 5–7 advisors within roughly 20 miles of Norwood, compare their actual fees, minimums, specialties, and whether they manage investments or are advice-only, and identify the best three to interview.

Finding a flat-fee financial advisor who operates independently of assets under management (AUM) helps ensure transparent pricing and reduces conflicts of interest.

Where to Find Flat-Fee Advisors

• Flat Fee Advisors - A dedicated directory listing fiduciary advisors who charge fixed fees rather than a percentage of investments.
• Garrett Planning Network - A network of fee-only, fiduciary advisors who offer hourly, as-needed, or flat-fee financial planning without asset minimums.
• XY Planning Network (XYPN) - A group of fee-only fiduciary advisors specializing in monthly retainer or flat-fee models, often working with younger or mid-career clients.
• National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) - A prominent professional association for fee-only advisors where you can filter searches by fee structure.

Common Flat-Fee Structures

If you share your primary goal (such as comprehensive retirement planning, investment management, or tax strategy) and whether you prefer an ongoing retainer or a one-time plan , I can help you narrow down the best platform or approach.

Yes. I searched specifically around La Mesa/San Diego for advisors who use a flat-fee or advice-only model rather than charging a percentage of assets under management (AUM). I found several promising options.

Best matches

• Sage Financial Planning — San Diego
  This is one of the clearest matches. Sage describes itself as fee-only, advice-only, fiduciary, with transparent flat-fee pricing. It offers hourly advice at $300/hour and one-time comprehensive planning typically around $3,000–$8,000, depending on complexity. It explicitly says it doesn't sell products or earn commissions.

• Jon Luskin, CFP® — San Diego
  Particularly interesting if you manage your own investments and want professional advice without handing over your portfolio. He's an advice-only, fee-only CFP® and offers a One-Day Financial Review for $4,695, with subsequent work at $450/hour. There are no AUM fees.

• Next Gen Financial Planning — San Diego/Mission Valley
  Fee-only and fiduciary, with one flat annual rate covering financial planning and investment management. This may be attractive if you want an ongoing relationship rather than a one-time plan.

• Brava Financial, LLC — San Diego
  NAPFA lists Brava as a flat-fee, advice-only firm offering hourly, project-based, and ongoing engagements. That's a very strong match for your requirement.

• Modern Money Management — San Diego
  Uses a flat $625/month comprehensive planning fee, rather than an AUM percentage. Investment management is included on assets up to $500,000. This could be worth considering if you want continuing planning help.

• Andrew Marshall Financial, LLC — Carlsbad
  A little farther away, but an excellent fit conceptually: fee-only, advice-only, hourly/flat-fee, with no ongoing AUM fees. The firm explicitly says clients retain control of their investments.

One important distinction

"Fee-only" does not necessarily mean "no AUM fee." A firm can be fee-only while charging 0.5–1% of assets. What you're looking for is more specifically:

Fee-only + advice-only/flat-fee + no AUM compensation

For example, some of the San Diego firms I found are fee-only but still charge AUM for investment management, so I would not put them on your shortlist unless you're comfortable with that arrangement.

My initial shortlist

If your primary goal is "I want a CFP/fiduciary who will advise me, but I don't want to pay 1% of my portfolio every year," I'd start with:

1. Sage Financial — strongest overall fit
2. Jon Luskin — particularly good for DIY investors
3. Brava Financial — very clearly flat-fee/advice-only
4. Next Gen Financial Planning — good if you want an ongoing flat-fee relationship

I can also narrow this down to 3–5 advisors who are closest to La Mesa, show their actual fees, specialties, CFP/fiduciary status, and reviews, and compare them side-by-side.

Finding a financial advisor who charges a flat fee (and avoids the traditional 1% assets-under-management/AUM model) is a great way to save money and reduce conflicts of interest.

When searching, look specifically for "fee-only" and "advice-only" or "flat-fee fiduciary" planners rather than standard fee-only advisors, as many traditional fee-only firms still use AUM.

Dedicated directories and networks specialize strictly in flat-fee, hourly, or subscription-based models:

• XY Planning Network (XYPN) — A network of fee-only fiduciary financial planners, many of whom specialize in monthly retainer or flat-fee structures for comprehensive planning without asset minimums. You can filter advisors by their specific fee structure on their XYPN Find an Advisor portal.
• Advice-Only Network — A directory specifically highlighting advisors who charge flat or hourly fees, have zero AUM fees, and do not require you to move your money to them.
• Flat Fee Advisors — A dedicated directory to browse fiduciary advisors who charge clear, fixed, or flat fees instead of a percentage of your portfolio.
• Garrett Planning Network — A platform of fee-only, fiduciary advisors who offer hourly, as-needed, or project-based flat fees with no asset or income minimums.
• NAPFA Find an Advisor — The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors features fee-only planners. While you have to screen individual profiles to confirm flat-fee vs. AUM, it is a gold standard for finding fiduciary oversight.

To help narrow down the best platform or specific advisor type for you, tell me:

• Are you looking for ongoing management (like annual retainer/subscription) or a one-time project (like a single financial plan)?
• Do you prefer to meet locally or virtually?

Finding a financial advisor who charges a flat fee instead of a percentage of Assets Under Management (AUM) is a smart way to keep costs transparent and avoid conflicts of interest . When searching, it helps to look specifically for "advice-only" or "flat-fee fiduciary" planners.

Where to Find Flat-Fee, Non-AUM Advisors

• Advice-Only Network : A dedicated directory connecting clients with fiduciary planners who charge flat or hourly fees with $0 in AUM fees and no product sales.
• Flat Fee Advisors : A searchable directory specifically designed to locate fiduciary financial planning and investment guidance services based on a fixed annual or project fee rather than a percentage.
• Garrett Planning Network : A network of fee-only advisors who provide hourly, as-needed, or project-based advice with no asset or income minimums.
• Fee-Only Network : A broad database of independent, fiduciary firms. Note that while all listed advisors are fee-only (meaning no commissions), you will need to filter or check individual profiles to confirm they use a flat-fee rather than an AUM model.
• NAPFA (National Association of Personal Financial Advisors) : The standard association for fee-only advisors. Use their search tool and filter or interview candidates specifically for flat-fee arrangements.

What to Verify When Interviewing Advisors

• The Fiduciary Standard: Confirm they act as a fiduciary legally bound to put your best interests first 100% of the time.
• The Exact Fee Structure: Ask whether they charge an annual retainer, a quarterly flat fee, or a one-time project fee, and get the exact dollar amount in writing.
• Investment Management Scope: Clarify whether they practice "advice-only" (where they tell you what to buy/rebalance, but you execute the trades yourself) or if they provide ongoing management via a flat corporate fee deducted straight from a brokerage account without scaling with portfolio growth.
• Form ADV Part 2A: Always request and review this regulatory disclosure document, which explicitly details how the firm charges and makes its money.

If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know:

• Are you looking for ongoing portfolio management or a one-time financial plan?
• Do you prefer someone local to your area or are you open to virtual/nationwide advisors?

Yes. If you're in the Indianapolis area, there are several advisors that appear to fit what you're looking for. The key terms are fee-only, flat-fee/project-based, and advice-only—because “fee-only” by itself does not necessarily mean they avoid AUM fees.

Best matches I found

1. WealthGuides — Indianapolis

   • Fee-only, fiduciary.
   • Offers hourly financial planning at $499/hour.
   • No account minimum.
   • This is a particularly good fit if you want advice without turning over your investments to the advisor.

2. Elser Financial Planning — Indianapolis

   • Fee-only and fiduciary.
   • Offers a one-time detailed financial plan for $4,000–$10,000, with the total price established in advance.
   • Important: their ongoing investment-management service does charge an AUM percentage, so you'd want to specifically request the planning-only engagement.

3. Piedmont Financial Advisors, LLC — Indianapolis

   • Fee-only fiduciary.
   • Offers a flat-fee financial checkup as well as broader planning.
   • Their disclosed minimum annual fee is $3,500. I'd confirm that they will provide planning without managing your assets.

4. Sycamore Asset Management — Zionsville

   • Fee-only.
   • Specifically advertises hourly financial and investment planning advice, which is promising for an advice-only arrangement.
   • I'd ask for their current hourly rate and whether there is any AUM requirement.

5. Integrated Financial Planning Solutions — Goshen / virtual

   • This one is especially aligned with your requirements: it explicitly says “Advice-Only: No asset management fees tied to your investments” and that new clients receive services on a flat-fee basis.
   • Fees are customized based on the scope and complexity of the engagement.

One distinction I'd emphasize

Don't let an advisor simply tell you “we're fee-only.” For example, Elser is fee-only but also has an AUM-based investment-management option.

What you want to ask is:

“Do you offer financial planning on a flat-fee or hourly basis, with no assets-under-management fee, and can I keep my investment accounts at my existing custodian?”

If the answer is yes, you're much closer to the model you're describing.

If you tell me roughly how much you have invested (e.g. $250K, $1M, $3M+) and whether you're looking primarily for retirement planning, investment advice, tax planning, or a comprehensive financial plan, I can narrow this to 3–5 Indianapolis-area advisors that specifically don't charge AUM fees, including their actual published pricing where available.

Yes. Since you’re in the Worcester area, I found several advisors whose published fee structures fit what you’re asking for: flat-fee/retainer or hourly compensation, with no percentage of assets under management (AUM).

Strong local matches

• Blueprint Financial Planning, LLC — Worcester. This looks like one of the closest matches. The firm describes itself as fee-only, fiduciary, and flat-fee, with pricing based on complexity rather than portfolio size. Published ongoing fees are roughly $10,000–$35,000/year, with one-time plan design fees of $6,000–$15,000.

• Meenes Wealth Partners — Shrewsbury. Flat annual retainer rather than AUM percentage, with a published 2026 fee schedule of approximately $8,750–$21,000/year, depending on complexity. They also offer one-time planning engagements.

• TrueNorth Financial Planning — Northborough. A particularly interesting option if you want advice without an AUM percentage. The firm describes itself as fiduciary and hourly-only, with its planning rate published as $249/hour and 0% AUM.

• Walk You To Wealth — Massachusetts/virtual. Fee-only, flat-fee fiduciary, with a $299/month comprehensive planning option and no investment minimum. This could be attractive if you don't need a traditional wealth-management relationship.

• Fourth Quarter Retirement Strategies, LLC — Hopkinton. Fee-only fiduciary focused heavily on retirement planning. Their published model is $1,600 plus $200/month for ongoing financial planning and investment advice, rather than an AUM percentage.

One I'd investigate first

If you're looking for a traditional CFP®-type advisor who can provide comprehensive planning and investment advice while completely avoiding AUM pricing, I'd start with Meenes Wealth Partners, Blueprint Financial Planning, and TrueNorth.

There is an important distinction, though: "fee-only" does not necessarily mean "flat fee." A fee-only advisor can legally charge hourly fees, project fees, flat retainers, or a percentage of assets. www.cigalefinance.com So I'd specifically ask:

"Do you ever charge a percentage of assets under management, directly or indirectly? I am looking for a fiduciary who is compensated exclusively through a fixed annual/project fee or hourly fee."

I'd also ask whether investment management is included in the flat fee or whether they expect you to manage the portfolio yourself.

If you'd like, I can narrow this down to 3–5 advisors within, say, 25 miles of Worcester, compare their actual fees, credentials, minimums, services, and investment-management approach, and give you my recommendation on which ones to interview.

Finding a financial advisor who charges a true flat fee (and operates as a fiduciary with no AUM percentage, no commissions, and no hidden product kickbacks) is becoming much more popular, but it still requires looking in the right places. Note that in the industry, "fee-only" doesn't automatically mean flat fee—many fee-only planners still charge 1% of AUM. You specifically want flat-fee-only, advice-only , or project-based fiduciary planners.

The best directories and networks dedicated entirely or specifically to flat-fee, hourly, and advice-only models include:

• Flat Fee Advisors - A dedicated directory specifically listing fiduciary advisors who manage investments or provide ongoing guidance for a clear, fixed flat fee rather than a percentage of your portfolio.
• Advice-Only Network - A directory featuring fiduciary planners who provide objective, one-off or ongoing advice for a flat or hourly fee with $0 in AUM fees, allowing you to keep total control of your money.
• Garrett Planning Network - A well-established network of fee-only, fiduciary advisors who explicitly offer hourly, as-needed, or project-based financial planning without asset minimums.
• XY Planning Network - A network of fee-only fiduciary advisors where you can filter specifically for "advice-only" or monthly flat-subscription pricing models.
• Nectarine - A platform that connects you with flat-fee, hourly fiduciary advisors for single-topic or targeted financial sessions without long-term commitments or asset management strings.

To help narrow down the best specific professional or directory filter for your needs, could you share:

• Are you looking for ongoing management/annual retainer or a one-time project (like a retirement readiness check)?
• Do you prefer someone local to your area or are you open to working completely virtually?