Question 1

What does it cost to work with you?

Accepted Answer

The intro call is complimentary. A full planning engagement, two meetings, a written plan, and a personalized tax analysis, is a one-time $500. If you hire us afterward for ongoing investment management, fees follow a published schedule starting at 1.15% and stepping down as assets grow.
Every cost, including how we're paid on insurance, is spelled out on the pricing page. You shouldn't have to book a meeting to find out what the meeting leads to.

Every cost, including how we're paid on insurance, is spelled out on the [pricing page](/pricing/). You shouldn't have to book a meeting to find out what the meeting leads to.

Question 2

What happens on the first call?

Accepted Answer

Fifteen to thirty minutes, by phone or video. You tell us your situation, we tell you honestly whether what we do can help, and you leave knowing whether we're the right fit. No slide deck, no pressure, and complimentary. Fair warning: we're often booked out a bit for new clients, so grab a time and we'll make it work.

Question 3

Do I have to live in Maryland?

Accepted Answer

No. Most of our planning meetings happen over video, and we work with families in 12 states: MD, VA, PA, FL, DE, WA, TX, GA, MA, NC, OR, and WV. Our farthest client is in Bellingham, Washington. If you're local, the Parkville office door is open.

Question 4

What makes MFA different from other advisors?

Accepted Answer

Three things we can point to rather than claim. We specialize in situations most advisors avoid: special needs planning and eldercare planning. Our pricing is published, down to the conflicts of interest. And the meetings are genuinely laid back; people expecting the hard-sell suit routine tell us it was, in their words, way different.

Question 5

I'm not retiring anytime soon. Is this still for me?

Accepted Answer

Probably, if something on your plate needs a plan: a child with special needs, a parent starting to need help, or a retirement that's 10 years out instead of 2. The best planning happens with runway. The $500 engagement works the same at 45 as it does at 65.

Question 6

Are you a fiduciary?

Accepted Answer

We hold ourselves to a fiduciary standard in our advisory work: acting in your best interest and putting your needs above all else. When any recommendation involves a commission, such as certain insurance products, the amount is disclosed in writing, in dollars, before you decide.

Financial planning for families with a lot on their plate

Three kinds of families walk through our door

Special Needs Planning

Eldercare Planning

Retirement Planning

Thirty years of planning.

Three steps, with clear pricing

A 15-minute intro call

Planning and collaboration

Hire us, or take the plan and run

Ten years of plain-English money talk

The Retirement Number Problem Nobody Wants to Talk About

Before You Build a Plan Around the 4% Rule

3 Ways to Plan for Long-Term Nursing Care

Questions people actually ask

Start with a 15-minute call. It's complimentary.