Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to work in tech?

No. While tech professionals are our core focus - we have deep experience with equity compensation, IPOs, and volatile stock grants - we also work with pre-retirees and early retirees, helping turn their nest egg into tax-efficient retirement income.

Do I have to move my investments?

No. Pricing is the same regardless. You can keep your investments at your current custodian while we provide holistic portfolio design and guidance.

Do you have any account minimums?

No minimums, since we don't charge based on assets under management. That said, our ongoing services are best suited for those with $300k+ household income, $1M+ in assets, and/or equity compensation.

Are you a fiduciary?

Yes, we are legally obligated to act in your best interest above our own. Andy Moran is also a CFP® professional, which requires that they commit to acting as a fiduciary at all times when providing financial advice.

Why "fee-only"? What about "fee-based"?

Fee-only means our compensation comes exclusively from client fees - no commissions, no third-party payments. Fee-based advisors can also receive additional compensation through product commissions, which can create conflicts of interest.

Why flat fees instead of AUM?

As a flat-fee firm, we charge a fixed dollar-amount fee rather than charging a fee based on a percentage of assets managed or receiving commissions on products sold.

Flat fees mean our advice is always aligned with what's best for you, whether that's paying down a mortgage, exercising options, or investing more, rather than what benefits my bottom line.

We believe in providing an all-inclusive service that ensures you will never have to worry about getting billed for an extra hour or two of work when you want to ask us a question.

We believe that a flat-fee model is a particularly great fit for Bay Area tech professionals.

What is the ROI of working with you?

It will honestly depend on your situation. If your finances are straightforward and you enjoy managing them, the incremental value added working with an advisor may be less than if you are feeling overwhelmed navigating stock options, concentrated stock, or a major tax decision.

We work through this in more depth in what is the ROI of working with a financial advisor.

Are you a CFP® professional?

Yes. Andy Moran is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, which requires rigorous education, examination, experience, and a commitment to acting as a fiduciary at all times when providing financial advice.

Do you work with clients outside SF and Boston?

Yes! While most of our clients are in the SF Bay Area and Boston, we work with folks nationwide. All meetings are virtual.

What is your investing philosophy?

We primarily use index funds for equity allocations, emphasizing tax-efficient asset location, but we'll develop a unique plan for you in light of your existing holdings.

Many of our clients already have substantial exposure to a single company through pre-IPO stock, vested RSUs, or other equity compensation accumulated over the course of their careers. When concentrated positions like these exist, we consider the portfolio as a whole rather than evaluating each account in isolation. Often, the role of the rest of the portfolio is to provide diversification and stability around that concentrated exposure rather than adding more of the same risks.

For fixed income, we generally prioritize providing stability and diversification, and - where appropriate - matching assets to known future liabilities or spending needs. Rather than seeking to maximize income, we typically prioritize preservation of capital and diversification from equity risk for this sleeve. This may result in lower expected income, but allows fixed income to serve as a counterbalance to the higher growth potential - and higher volatility - of equities.

We also partner with providers like Quantinno, Cache, and Alpha Architect to offer more advanced tax-aware investing strategies.

Can you do my taxes?

Tax planning is integral to our financial planning services, but we don't currently offer tax preparation. We have previously prepared dozens of tax returns, and I've passed Part 1 (Individuals) of the IRS Special Enrollment Examination on the path toward becoming an Enrolled Agent. We'll coordinate with your tax preparer to make sure everything aligns with the plan.

How do you store and safeguard my data?

We take data privacy seriously. You can find details in my Privacy Policy, and we're happy to answer specific technology questions directly.

What's included in the free intro call?

A conversation to learn more about your financial situation, discuss what you're looking for, and determine if we might be a good mutual fit. No pressure, no sales pitch.