Financial Advice You Pay For Directly — Never a Percentage of Your Portfolio

One simple, transparent fee for all your financial planning needs

Two Ways To Work with Us:

The Second Opinion or Other Limited Projects — $375/hour. You’ve built your own plan and you want a credentialed professional to pressure-test it. Or you have other limited projects like a Roth conversion analysis. One engagement, typically $3,750–$6,000. No ongoing commitment.

Ongoing Advice — $8,000/year billed $2,000 quarterly. For households with $2 million or more who want continuous monitoring, rebalancing guidance, and year-round tax planning. Flat fee, billed $2,000 quarterly — it does not grow when your portfolio does.

Advice-Only Financial Planning

You and your family deserves quality advice, transparent pricing, and low-cost investments.

Only Pay For Advice

Hold On To More Of Your Money

No Hidden Fees And No Sales Pitches

How the absence of commissions and % fees works in your favor:

The emphasis on a flat or hourly fee structure rather than charging based on the value of an individual’s account or the products sold offers greater transparency and reduces conflicts of interest. This approach allows clients to receive advice tailored to their needs without the pressure of product sales influencing recommendations.

We encourage Investors to be mindful of...

… fees and expenses associated with their investments, whether in advisory services, mutual funds, or other financial products.

We help our clients understand...

… the impact of fees on investment returns is an essential aspect of making informed financial decisions and optimizing the long-term growth of a portfolio.

Stephen's model of financial guidance appeals to...

… individuals seeking more control over their financial planning and looking for unbiased advice and a personalized touch.

Benefits of working with us

Unbiased and Reduced Conflicts of Interest

Flat-Fee Advice; most consumer friendly model

Maximizing ROI Over Longer Term

Listen what our valuable clients have to say

Click here to see all of our client reviews on Google

So glad I found Stephen. He’s been responsive from the start and always makes time to help, guide, and answer questions. He studied my financial situation in-depth and worked closely with me to create a better, simpler plan and customized strategy to set me up for greater success now and for the future. His knowledge and assistance have been invaluable. Highly recommend!

After a significant amount of search for a fee only planner that would work on an hourly basis, I selected Stephen from a short list of finalists. I made a great choice. Stephen is experienced, skilled and provides great context. He was willing to adapt to what I needed from a financial planner (a very specific subset of what they usually cover), and I'm very happy with the information and answers he provided.

Stephen created a plan that will allow me to retire in 18 mos. He is very professional and has suggested strategies which will save me a boat load in taxes during my retirement years. Highly recommend.

*This testimonial was given by a current Curtain Wealth Planning client. The client was not provided with any compensation for this testimonial. This testimonial is for informational purposes only and is not representative of all client experiences.

Jack Bogle

the founder of Vanguard®

often emphasized the impact of fees on investment returns.

“Fees matter”

encapsulates Jack’s philosophy that minimizing costs, including advisory fees, can significantly impact the long-term performance of investments. for example, 1% advisory fee might seem relatively small on an annual basis, it can indeed have a substantial impact on the overall returns of an investment portfolio. The more money that goes towards fees, the less is available for potential growth. Over a forty-year period a 1% advisory fee can reduce an investor’s future value of their investment by 33%.

Stephen Lay, CFP®, RICP®

STEPHEN LAY IS A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ PROFESSIONAL AND A RETIREMENT INCOME CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL™.

“If you’re considering financial advisory services, it’s essential to assess your own financial goals and preferences to determine which approach aligns best with your needs.”

Curtain Wealth Planning L.L.C. (“Curtain Wealth”) is a registered investment adviser offering advisory services. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. The presence of this website on the Internet shall not be directly or indirectly interpreted as a solicitation of investment advisory services to persons of another jurisdiction unless otherwise permitted by statute. Follow-up or individualized responses to consumers in a particular state by Curtain Wealth in the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation shall not be made without our first complying with jurisdiction requirements or pursuant an applicable state exemption.

All written content on this site is for information purposes only. Opinions expressed herein are solely those of Curtain Wealth, unless otherwise specifically cited. Material presented is believed to be from reliable sources and no representations are made by our firm as to another parties’ informational accuracy or completeness. All information or ideas provided should be discussed in detail with an advisor, accountant or legal counsel prior to implementation.