Why accountants need their own advisor
The irony is not lost on anyone. The professional who spends every March doing other people's financial homework has not done her own. The reason is structural, not personal. CPAs spend their days inside other people's numbers. By the time the season ends, the last thing they want to do is sit down with their own returns, their own retirement projections, and their own insurance coverage.
The second problem is knowledge. CPAs know enough to be skeptical of advisors — and they should be. Most of the industry runs on commissions, and an accountant can spot a product pitch from across the room. The result is that many CPAs avoid the whole category and end up with no plan at all, which is worse than a flawed one.
We work with CPAs specifically because we are built for the skeptic. Fee-only means there is no product to sell. Fiduciary means we are legally required to act in your interest. And the plan itself is a written document you can read, question, and stress-test — because we know you will.
There is also the matter of deferred attention. A CPA who has been diligent about client money for two decades can find, at fifty-two, that she has a well-funded 401(k), a practice worth something, a family with real financial needs — and no one has ever laid all three things on the same table. The practice runs. The household runs. The two balance sheets have never been introduced to each other. That is the conversation we are set up to have.
What working with us looks like
First meeting — at your firm or ours
We usually meet after tax season, when the calendar opens up. Bring whatever financials you have — your own returns, the firm's plan documents, your insurance policies. We ask what the household needs, what the firm transition looks like, and where the gaps are. By the end of the hour we both know whether this is a fit.
Second meeting — the written plan
We return with a written plan that connects the household and the practice on one page. Retirement plan structure, cash flow, insurance, the transition timeline, and the next three things to do this quarter. The plan is yours to keep whether or not you hire us.
A note on fit
When this might not be right for you
We are not the right firm for every accountant. Some situations where we would say so:
- Anyone looking for an advisor to also handle the firm's bookkeeping or tax prep. We plan alongside your practice, but we do not do the accounting work.
- Anyone who wants active trading or market-timing strategies. We build long-term portfolios and we do not pretend to predict what the market does next quarter.
- Anyone who needs the financial plan to confirm a decision already made. We tell you what the math says, even when the math says something uncomfortable.
If that sounds like your situation, we would rather say so on the first call.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a minimum amount of assets to work with a fee-only advisor?
No. We work with CPAs at every stage — from sole practitioners just starting out to senior partners preparing for transition. There is no minimum. The planning fee depends on the complexity of your situation, and we publish it before you agree to anything.
How is planning for a CPA different from regular financial planning?
The main difference is the practice. A CPA who owns a share of a firm has partnership equity, a retirement plan shaped by firm economics, a succession event that determines the retirement timeline, and a disability risk that is both personal and professional. Most household-only planners do not look at any of that.
What retirement plan should a small accounting firm offer?
It depends on the partner count, staff size, income variability, and how much the partners want to shelter. A firm with high-earning partners and a small staff may benefit from a cash balance plan layered on top of a 401(k). A sole practitioner with no employees often does best with a Solo 401(k). We run the math before recommending anything.
Can you work with my firm's existing CPA for tax coordination?
Yes, and we expect to. When you are the CPA, the coordination is direct — we work with you on the tax side and bring the investment, insurance, and estate pieces to the table. When you have a separate preparer, we handle the introductions and make sure nothing falls between the seats.
When should I start planning for a practice transition?
The earlier the better, but most CPAs start the conversation five to ten years before they want to step back. The buyout structure, the successor pipeline, the client-transition plan, and the personal financial readiness all need time. Starting two years out usually means leaving value behind.
Do you sell insurance products to CPA clients?
No. We are fee-only fiduciaries. We do not sell insurance, annuities, or any other product. When disability or life coverage is the right tool, we tell you what to buy and introduce you to independent agents. We are paid nothing for the referral.
Where do you meet with CPA clients?
Most first meetings happen at the CPA's office or at our office. We also meet at your home or on a video call when the calendar is tight. In-person service is the default. For accountants who prefer to meet after filing season ends, we build the schedule around that — late spring and early summer are when most of our CPA clients do their own planning work.
How do you coordinate with the firm's existing tax work?
We read what you file, not what you say you file. When a CPA is also the client, we work from the actual returns — your personal 1040, the firm's entity returns, the K-1s — because the numbers there tell the story the summary does not. We flag what we see, coordinate with any outside preparer if the entity structure involves one, and make sure the personal plan is accounting for what the business is actually generating in taxable income each year.