How I work
with clients.
Thanks for reaching out! I'm looking forward to meeting you.
Before our phone call, I wanted to send over how I work with clients: who I work best with, what it costs, what the process looks like, and what I'll need from you.
These questions have commonly come up on "getting to know you" calls, and since we have just 30 minutes to talk, I decided it'd be better to answer them ahead of time.
What the 30 minutes will look like.
You don't need to have everything figured out beforehand, and you don't need to bring a stack of financial documents to the call.
At the end, we'll both have a better sense of whether working together makes sense.Signs we might click.
- You're thoughtful about money—but sometimes too thoughtful (that curious overthinker territory!), and you'd like someone to help you turn all those possibilities into a plan.
- You or your partner(s) have a public pension and aren't sure how it fits into the rest of your financial life.
- You've accumulated a bunch of financial accounts and don't have a coherent strategy connecting them.
- You want a planner who will explain the reasoning behind recommendations rather than simply tell you what to do.
- Your family, career, identity, or financial situation doesn't fit neatly into the traditional financial-planning template.
- You're open to sharing the documents and information needed for planning. Of course, you don't have to do this alone; I'm happy to host a "Get Organized" meeting to do things together. Body doubling is always an option!
I'm probably not the right fit if you're looking for…
- Stock picking, market timing, or active trading strategies.
- The cheapest option.
- Someone to hand your decisions off to entirely.
- Help sourcing rental properties, startups, private equity, or other business opportunities to invest in.
If cost is a hardship because you're on government aid, unhoused, a severely injured post-9/11 Veteran, or have been recently diagnosed with cancer, consider finding a pro bono financial planning volunteer here.
What's included, and what it costs.
Billed quarterly in arrears, on your whole portfolio. For larger portfolios, this can shift above your flat fee — see the FAQ on the Services page for the full breakdown.
What's included
- Retirement planning & pension analysis (CalPERS, CalSTRS, 401k/403b/457)
- Investment strategy & tax-efficient investing
- Cash flow, budgeting & debt strategy
- Risk management & insurance review
- Estate planning coordination
- Tax planning & return review
- Life transitions & values-aligned goal planning
What's not included
- Tax return preparation
- Legal document drafting
I coordinate closely with your CPA and attorney, and can refer you to people I trust if you don't have them yet.
Getting started, step by step.
Once you decide to work together
- You'll get a Welcome Email from Core Planning (the financial planning co-op I'm in), along with an Advisory Agreement for your review and signature.
- Payment
- Your one-time plan: our operations head, Krissy, will send an invoice through AdvicePay for half your fee upfront, with the remaining half invoiced once your plan is complete. This can take a few days to arrive, since it runs through a third-party billing system.
- Ongoing support: if you continue on after your plan, your flat fee is billed monthly through AdvicePay.
- Investment management: I'll work with you to set up your accounts with our custodian, Altruist. Billing happens quarterly, in arrears.
Initial Planning Phase
We'll schedule our first meeting, typically a longer "getting to know you" conversation, and then move into topical planning meetings. But if you have something pressing on your mind, we'll start there.
Good financial planning takes time because all the pieces are connected. We'll work through things in stages rather than trying to solve your entire financial life in one meeting. The exact number of initial planning meetings varies; I tend to focus on one or two topics per meeting, such as investments and retirement. Anywhere from four to six meetings is common, and this process typically takes 3–6 months, depending on how quickly you want to move.
If you're facing a time-sensitive decision — like a pending retirement date or other major life event — I'll prioritize that piece first and sequence the rest of the plan around it. After each meeting, I'll send you our follow-up actions.
For ongoing financial planning
I typically check in with clients twice a year — usually once earlier in the year to prepare for prior-year tax filing and year-ahead planning, and once later in the year to make benefits elections and make sure we're on track, like confirming you've contributed enough to your retirement accounts or made your charitable giving. It's also a time to set intentions for the year ahead.
In reality, some years we'll work together more intensively, because life happens. You may be changing jobs (or careers), considering starting a family, buying a home, or looking to downshift or retire — either way, I'll just be a call or email away.
What I'll need from you.
Early on, I'll share a checklist in Right Capital to help you gather "everything in your life with a dollar sign on it." This typically includes your most recent tax returns, paystubs, insurance policies, your employer benefits booklet, estate documents, and account statements.
The heaviest lift is the first few months, as we'll be pulling documents together and working through the initial planning phase. After that, it's much lighter, settling into two check-ins a year for ongoing planning clients.
Between meetings, email is how most of my clients communicate with me, but for those who prefer auditory or visual communication, I'm happy to jump on a phone or Zoom call. (And if your question is better served by thinking it through together, I'll point you toward a call too.)
What happens next.
Show up to the intro call.
Thank you for reading this all the way through. If you've decided we're not a good fit, feel free to cancel our call. And if you're still interested, or have any questions, then I'm looking forward to meeting you and getting to know you a bit better.
Korinne Sugasawara, CFP® Founder, Kite & Compass Financial