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Updated June 9, 2026. Quick answer (2026): A Moraga flat fee retirement planner 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 Moraga, Lafayette-adjacent, Orinda-adjacent, Walnut Creek-adjacent, Pleasant Hill-adjacent, and nearby Lamorinda / Central Contra Costa households comparing flat-fee retirement planning, fiduciary advisor pricing, RSUs, stock options, concentrated stock, taxable-account decisions, home-equity choices, charitable giving, family support, Medicare/IRMAA, Roth conversions, 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.
Nearby guides
- Central Contra Costa hub
- East Bay hub
- Bay Area hub
- Lafayette
- Orinda
- Walnut Creek
- Pleasant Hill
- Alamo, CA
- Blackhawk, CA
- California hub
Fast tools
- Financial Advisor Fee Calculator — compare AUM, flat annual, retainer, hourly, and project quotes in dollars.
- Flat Fee vs AUM Break-Even Calculator — see the portfolio balance where a flat fee starts to beat a percentage quote.
- Financial Advisor Fee Comparison — compare models, scope, conflicts, and first-year cost.
- Retirement Tax Windows — pressure-test Roth conversions, RMDs, Medicare/IRMAA, and taxable withdrawals.
- RSUs: Sell-to-Cover vs Net Shares — compare equity-comp tax and cash-flow tradeoffs before selling.
Flat fee retirement planner Moraga: 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.
Moraga fee sanity-check table
| Advisor quote | Example cost in dollars | What to confirm before an intro call |
|---|---|---|
| Flat annual planning | $4,000–$10,000/year | Meetings, written deliverables, renewal terms, implementation help, and what becomes hourly. |
| Monthly retainer | $300–$800/month, or $3,600–$9,600/year | Service calendar, response time, cancellation terms, and whether investment management is included. |
| Hourly or project planning | $250–$500/hour, or $1,500–$5,000+ per project | Not-to-exceed cap, written deliverable, timeline, and whether follow-up questions are included. |
| AUM comparison | 0.75% on $1,500,000 = $11,250/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.
Nearby Contra Costa County and East Bay guides
Use this Contra Costa County route when the search crosses Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Orinda, Danville, San Ramon, Concord, Brentwood, employer equity, home equity, California taxes, and retirement-income planning.
Retirement planner Moraga: what to compare before an intro call
Good proposals should make it clear whether the work includes retirement income, tax-aware withdrawals, Roth conversions, Medicare/IRMAA, RMDs, Social Security timing, RSUs, stock options, concentrated stock, taxable-account sales, charitable giving, family or college support, home-equity decisions, estate basics, and coordination with your CPA or attorney.
Local planning prompts for Moraga
For Moraga households, the useful first-call question is how the advisor coordinates retirement income, concentrated stock, charitable giving, family support, home equity, taxable accounts, and California taxes in writing.
- If we receive RSUs, ESPP shares, stock options, or hold concentrated employer stock, what is included for vesting, withholding, estimated taxes, AMT exposure, and staged diversification?
- If charitable giving, college help, family support, or appreciated-stock gifts are part of the plan, what is included before assets are moved?
- If we may sell a home, downsize, buy elsewhere in the East Bay, help family, or leave California later, how are cash reserves, housing costs, and withdrawal sequencing modeled?
- Can you show Roth conversions, Medicare IRMAA, Social Security timing, RMDs, taxable-account sales, charitable giving, and CPA coordination in the same plan?
Quick refresher before your call: Retirement Tax Windows · RSUs: Sell-to-Cover vs Net Shares.
Copy/paste questions for a Moraga advisor intro call
- Are you a fiduciary at all times for this relationship? Please answer yes or no in writing.
- What is my total first-year cost in dollars, including planning, investment management, platform, fund, and any referral compensation?
- Is this quote flat annual, monthly retainer, hourly/project, AUM, fee-only, fee-based, commission, or a blend?
- What written deliverables will I receive, and what topics are outside the quoted scope?
- 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
Nearby Tri-Valley guides
Compare Moraga advisor-fee quotes with nearby Tri-Valley flat-fee retirement planner guides in annual dollars.