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Novato Flat Fee Only Retirement Planner (2026) — Fees in Dollars

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Updated June 9, 2026. Quick answer (2026): A flat fee retirement planner in Novato should quote the planning cost in annual dollars before you compare it with an AUM percentage. Use this guide to sanity-check flat annual, retainer, hourly/project, and portfolio-based quotes before you book an intro call.

This page is for Novato, northern Marin, San Rafael-adjacent, Petaluma-adjacent, Sonoma-adjacent, and nearby North Bay households comparing flat-fee retirement planning, fiduciary advisor pricing, pensions or old employer plans, business-owner planning, taxable-account decisions, home-equity choices, charitable giving, Medicare/IRMAA, Roth conversions, Social Security timing, RMDs, and written planning scope before booking an intro call. This page is not a directory or ranking of advisors; it is a fee-first checklist for comparing written proposals.

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Flat fee retirement planner Novato: what ‘flat fee only’ usually means

  • Flat annual fee: one stated yearly dollar amount for an agreed planning scope, meetings, written deliverables, and support rules.
  • Project or hourly fee: a fixed project quote or hourly cap for a narrower decision, such as a rollover review, retirement-income checkup, equity-compensation second opinion, or tax-aware withdrawal plan.
  • Not AUM-only: compare the flat quote against any portfolio-percentage quote in dollars, then confirm fiduciary status, compensation, implementation help, and ongoing support rules.

Novato fee sanity-check table

Advisor quote Example cost in dollars What to confirm before an intro call
Flat annual planning $6,000–$12,000/year Meetings, written deliverables, renewal terms, implementation help, and what becomes hourly.
Monthly retainer $500–$1,000/month, or $6,000–$12,000/year Service calendar, response time, cancellation terms, and whether investment management is included.
Hourly or project planning $300–$500/hour, or $2,000–$7,500+ per project Not-to-exceed cap, written deliverable, timeline, and whether follow-up questions are included.
AUM comparison 0.75% on $1,000,000 = $7,500/year Breakpoints, fund/platform costs, overlay fees, tax work, and whether planning scope is comparable.

Calculator line: Run the same quote through the Financial Advisor Fee Calculator, then compare percentage-based proposals with the Flat Fee vs AUM Break-Even Calculator.

Retirement planner Novato: what to compare before an intro call

Good proposals should make it clear whether the work includes retirement income, Social Security timing, Medicare/IRMAA, Roth conversions, RMDs, taxable withdrawals, pensions, old employer plans, inherited accounts, business-owner planning, home-equity decisions, taxable-account sales, charitable giving, investment policy, estate basics, and coordination with your CPA or attorney.

Local planning prompts for Novato

For Novato households, the useful first-call question is how the advisor coordinates retirement income, employer-plan decisions, business income, home equity, California taxes, healthcare timing, and taxable withdrawals in writing.

  • If we have old 401(k), 403(b), 457, pension, inherited account, or taxable brokerage decisions, how are rollover timing, withholding, and withdrawal sequencing modeled?
  • If we own a small business, rental property, consulting practice, private-company interest, or North Bay real estate, what planning work is included before selling, transferring, or diversifying?
  • If we may sell a home, downsize, help family, move farther north, or leave California later, how are housing costs, cash reserves, and portfolio withdrawals modeled?
  • How would you coordinate Medicare IRMAA, Roth conversion windows, Social Security timing, RMDs, taxable withdrawals, and charitable giving year by year?

Quick refresher before your call: Retirement Tax Windows · RSUs: Sell-to-Cover vs Net Shares.

Copy/paste questions for a Novato advisor intro call

  1. Are you a fiduciary at all times for this relationship? Please answer yes or no in writing.
  2. What is my total first-year cost in dollars, including planning, investment management, platform, fund, and any referral compensation?
  3. Is this quote flat annual, monthly retainer, hourly/project, AUM, fee-only, fee-based, commission, or a blend?
  4. What written deliverables will I receive, and what topics are outside the quoted scope?
  5. What would make the price change after the intro call?

Methodology

  • We convert advisor quotes into annual dollars so flat fees, retainers, hourly/project work, and AUM percentages can be compared side by side.
  • We do not rank advisors, sell directory placement, publish fake reviews, or claim that one fee model is best for every household.
  • This page was materially reviewed on June 9, 2026. Fee examples are educational ranges, not personalized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice.

Editorial standards: Editorial Policy · Corrections · Disclaimer

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Nearby North Bay routing

Use these nearby guides to compare Marin County, Sonoma County, Napa Valley, and North Bay flat-fee advisor quotes before booking an intro call.

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