Claim OwnershipOnly Fee-Only
Subscribed: 5Played: 73
Subscribe
© 2025 Only Fee-Only
Description
This podcast interviews fee-only financial planners to learn about how they are helping their clients and serving their specific niches.
142 Episodes
Reverse
What if you could scale your advisory firm without rushing to hire and manage a full team? In this episode, we talk with Michelle Wong, founder and CEO of Nifty Advisor Support, about how solo and small RIAs can build lasting capacity through remote support, strong processes, and a culture-first approach. Michelle shares how Nifty grew from a pre-COVID launch to supporting more than 60 firms today, and how the rise of remote work changed the way advisors handle client service, marketing, and ...
How does a fee-only firm grow without losing its purpose? In this episode, we talk with Sean Gillespie, president of Redeployment Wealth Strategies, about the lessons behind raising fees, building the right team, and serving military families with care and consistency. Sean explains why their first-year planning fee reflects the real work of sorting through insurance, TSP choices, and transition planning, and how they keep ongoing service affordable for younger service members. One story sums...
Prudence Zhu (pronounced "zoo"), CPA, CFP®, CFT™, is the founder and CEO of Enso Financial, a fee-only financial planning firm dedicated to helping couples, families, and entrepreneurs thrive through open communication and values-driven money management. Born in rural China, Prudence moved to the U.S. in 2012 alone with few belongings and achieved financial freedom nine years after through conscious spending and smart investment decisions. She transitioned from a successful corporate fi...
Austin Preece went from selling insurance to building a thriving fee-only financial planning firm—by doing things differently. He rejected the traditional AUM model in favor of charging 0.5% of net worth, aligning his fees with client outcomes. When he realized a 100% prospect close rate meant his pricing was too low, he raised his fees and built a sustainable practice around clients who truly value his expertise. Rather than broad marketing, Austin carved out a niche with real estate profess...
What happens when someone who used to sell financial technology decides to become a financial advisor? Clark Jeffries, founder of Jeffries Wealth Management, takes us inside his transition from FinTech sales to running his own independent practice. After five years at Hidden Levers (later acquired by Orion Advisor Tech), Clark worked closely with hundreds of advisory firms and noticed a major gap. High-earning professionals weren’t being well served—many were managing money on their own, stic...
How do you build a financial planning practice that succeeds without losing your values? Fran Walsh, co-founder of Opulus LLC and one of Investopedia’s Top 100 Advisors, believes the key is authenticity. From a football award that unexpectedly introduced him to his future business partner to launching his firm just before COVID hit, Fran’s path has been anything but straight. His mindset has stayed the same: “The people who never quit and just keep going are going to be inevitably successful....
Meet Dev Thompson – the newest addition to the BC Brokerage team. Dev’s journey to insurance is a unique one—from college football player to strength coach at Purdue and Kentucky, to fee-only financial planner, and now a trusted resource for advisors across the country. His background blends a passion for personal finance with the discipline of athletic coaching, giving him a thoughtful and client-focused approach to planning. Dev brings a deep understanding of how insurance fits into the big...
What does it take to build a successful financial planning firm—while living off the grid in a cabin-caboose hybrid? Ryan Sullivan of Off the Beaten Path Financial did just that. After leaving a career in engineering that lacked the flexibility and impact he wanted, a chance meeting led him to financial planning. Despite industry warnings, he launched his RIA while still working full-time. He and his wife bought 20 acres in remote Montana, where their home—half log cabin, half 1890s train cab...
Matt Zeigler and Ben Tuscai of Sunpoint Investments take a different approach to wealth management. Instead of just managing money, they combine deep financial planning with investment consulting to build real relationships and help clients make smarter decisions. Their paths into the industry were unique—Matt was a music major, and Ben worked for the Phillies before spending eight years at Vanguard. That experience helps them think more broadly about client needs. At Sunpoint, they helped re...
A lot of financial planners don’t actually want to run a business. They just want to help people. But when the only way to do that is to launch your own firm… you end up becoming an accidental entrepreneur—juggling compliance, operations, tech, and marketing instead of focusing on clients. Stephen Fox saw that problem firsthand. Marine Corps veteran. Financial planner. Firm builder. And now, the founder of Advice Only—a platform built for planners who want to offer advice without managing as...
Choosing the right tech for your advisory firm can feel overwhelming. In this episode, we talk with Joe Moss, COO at January Capital Advisors and founder of Connector, about how to build a tech stack that actually improves your client experience. Joe shares his story from mowing lawns to helping advisors cut through the noise of outdated and overpriced software. He explains how to evaluate tools based on ease of use, real value, and what people actually use—not just name recognition. Joe also...
The way financial advisors market themselves is evolving—and testimonials are leading the charge. Brian Thorp, founder of WealthTender, joins us to break down how SEC rule changes have opened the door for compliant client reviews. WealthTender, the first SEC-compliant review platform, helps over 500 advisors use testimonials effectively. For just $49/month, advisors gain visibility without referral fees or commissions—making it accessible and authentic for both advisors and the 500,000+ annua...
What if financial planning could be simpler—and better? Guy Penn, founder of Core Planning, joins us to share how building the simplest version of an RIA has led to something powerful: a close-knit community of advisors built on generosity, trust, and support. At Core, everything starts with one question: “What can we remove to make this better?” Instead of adding layers of complexity, the firm focuses only on what helps clients and advisors. The result? A place where people come first and re...
What happens when two advisors decide to completely rebuild their firm from the ground up? In this episode, Tommy Blackburn and John Mason share how they transformed Mason & Associates from a commission-based practice to a thriving fee-only RIA focused on federal employees. Driven by a desire for stronger client relationships and a clear vision for the future, they took on the challenge of “rightsizing” their client base—John had been serving over 250 families. The transition allowed them...
What happens when your lifestyle practice takes off faster than you ever expected? Andy Panko, founder of Tenon Financial, didn’t set out to build a firm. After leaving the corporate finance world in 2019, his goal was simple: work with 50 clients, enjoy flexibility, and ease into retirement on his own terms. But within two years, he was at capacity—and suddenly facing a new question: Now what? In this episode, Andy shares how he navigated that inflection point and grew Tenon Financial withou...
Taylor Stewart didn’t set out to build software. He created a simple spreadsheet to help with his own planning, and it quickly caught the attention of other advisors. When one offered to buy it, he named a price that felt too high—and they said yes without hesitation. That moment sparked the creation of Income Mapper, and later, the tools that would become the foundation of Partheon, where Taylor now leads financial advice. He also runs his own fee-only firm, Adaroke Wealth. As a second-gener...
Many advisor websites feel like digital brochures—bland, generic, and forgettable. Colton Etherton wants to change that. A former financial advisor turned web designer, Colton now helps advisors build sites that actually convert. Through his firm, Slices Design, he’s helping advisors stand out from the sea of sameness in financial services. In this episode, Colton shares: The #1 website mistake most advisors make (hint: it’s your homepage)Why clear messaging beats credentialsHow to use your n...
In this episode, Allen reflects on the pivotal transition his firm has made—from what felt like the teenage years of figuring things out to what now feels like a confident, grown-up business. He talks about raising fees to match his value, navigating rejection, and developing a marketing approach that feels authentic—focusing on LinkedIn, directory listings, and client referrals instead of cold calls. He also shares the tools that help him run a lean and effective operation, including Guardra...
Struggling to connect with clients through video? Katie Braden, founder of Advisor Video Marketing, says most advisors are overthinking it. With a background in photography and as a CFP, she’s helped advisors use simple, authentic videos to build real connections. Forget fancy production. Katie once shot a quick 42-second iPhone video in the dark and wind—and it got over 167,000 views. Why? Because people connect with real, not perfect. She recommends short, personal videos—like 45-60 seconds...
Jamie Lima returns to the Only Fee Only podcast to share how his firm has grown. As founder of Woodson Wealth Management and Allegiant Divorce Solutions, Jamie combines financial planning with divorce-focused advice to help clients navigate complex situations. He offers mediation for peaceful splits and detailed analysis for cases involving pensions, retirement accounts, and other tricky assets. Jamie also uses short-form video on TikTok and social media to bring in new clients—sometimes over...
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States