Financial advisor fees depend on the pricing model. The most common is a percentage of assets under management (AUM) — typically around 1% per year. On a $1 million portfolio that’s $10,000 annually. On $2 million, $20,000. On $3 million, $30,000. The fee scales with your wealth, not necessarily with the amount of work involved.
Other advisors charge hourly rates ($150–$400/hour) or project-based fees ($1,500–$5,000 for a one-time financial plan). These can work well for a specific question or a one-time financial checkup, but they don’t typically include ongoing investment management.
A third model — growing quickly in popularity — is the flat-fee approach: a fixed monthly or annual fee regardless of portfolio size. At Evergreen Wealth Management, we charge $725 per month ($8,700 per year) for comprehensive financial planning and ongoing investment management through Charles Schwab. That fee stays the same whether you have $500,000 or $5 million.

Under the standard 1% AUM model, a $2 million portfolio costs approximately $20,000 per year in advisory fees. Some firms offer slight discounts at this level — perhaps 0.85% — but that’s still $17,000 annually.
The more useful question is: what are you actually receiving for that amount? If the answer is quarterly portfolio reviews and an annual check-in, that’s a high price for relatively little hands-on planning. If the answer is comprehensive tax planning, retirement income strategy, Social Security optimization, Roth conversion analysis, and active portfolio management — that’s a different story.
A flat-fee advisor provides that full scope of service for a transparent, fixed cost. At Evergreen, $8,700 per year includes investment management with custody at Charles Schwab, ongoing financial planning, tax return analysis, and retirement income strategy — saving a $2 million household over $11,000 per year compared to a 1% advisor, with no reduction in service.

At the standard 1% AUM rate, a $3 million portfolio means $30,000 per year in advisory fees. Even at a discounted 0.75%, you’d still pay $22,500 annually.
Here’s a question worth asking your advisor: is the service I receive at $3 million meaningfully different from what a client with $1 million receives? In most cases, it isn’t. The financial plan, the investment strategy, the tax analysis, and the meeting cadence are largely the same — your fee is just three times higher because your account is larger.
A flat-fee model charges based on the complexity of the planning work, not the size of the account. At Evergreen, our fee is $725/month ($8,700/year) whether you have $500,000 or $5 million. For a $3 million household, that’s a savings of over $21,000 per year — compounding in your favor for the rest of your retirement.

At 1% AUM, a $5 million portfolio costs $50,000 per year. Even at a reduced 0.50%, you’re paying $25,000 annually. These are real dollars — not abstract percentages — and they compound against you over time.
Many investors at this level are surprised when they convert their percentage fee to a dollar amount. A 1% fee “sounds small,” but $50,000 per year is a meaningful retirement expense. Over 20 years, the total fees paid under a 1% model on a growing $5 million portfolio can exceed $1 million.
For investors at this level, the flat-fee model becomes especially compelling. At Evergreen, our fee remains $8,700 per year regardless of portfolio size — meaning a $5 million household saves over $40,000 annually compared to a traditional 1% advisor. The service is the same: CFP®-led financial planning, investment management through Charles Schwab, proactive tax strategy, and ongoing retirement income planning.

It depends on the size of your portfolio and what services are included. For portfolios under $500,000, a 1% fee ($5,000 or less annually) is often reasonable for comprehensive advice. The challenge is that this same percentage becomes increasingly difficult to justify as your wealth grows — because the advisor’s workload doesn’t scale at the same rate as the fee.
At $2 million, 1% is $20,000. At $3 million, $30,000. At $5 million, $50,000. Ask yourself: is the planning, communication, and investment management I receive worth that amount in dollar terms? Would I write a check for that amount each year if the fee weren’t quietly deducted from my account?
Many investors at these levels are discovering that flat-fee advisors provide the same — or more comprehensive — service for a fraction of the cost. The key is to compare what’s included. Some advisors charging 1% provide deep planning across investments, taxes, income, and estate. Others are mostly managing a portfolio of index funds and checking in once a quarter. Know what you’re paying for.

A straightforward test: ask your advisor to express your annual fee in dollar terms — not a percentage. Then ask them to itemize exactly what services you receive for that amount. If you’re paying $20,000 or more annually and your primary experience is a quarterly portfolio review and annual plan update, there’s likely a gap between your cost and your value.
Many investors have never done this math because the percentage model obscures the real cost. One percent “sounds reasonable” — until you calculate that 1% of $3 million is $30,000, or that 1% of $4 million is $40,000.
The next step is to compare what a flat-fee advisor offers for a fixed, transparent price. At Evergreen, $725/month ($8,700/year) includes comprehensive financial planning, investment management with custody at Charles Schwab, tax return analysis through Holistiplan, Social Security and Medicare strategy, Roth conversion modeling, retirement income planning, and unlimited advisor access — regardless of portfolio size. If you’re receiving less than that for more money, it’s worth exploring your options.

More than most investors expect, because the damage compounds. On a $2 million portfolio averaging 7% annual returns, a 1% AUM fee costs about $20,000 in the first year. But over 20 years, the cumulative drag — including the returns you would have earned on those fee dollars — can reduce your portfolio by $400,000 or more compared to a lower-cost alternative.
Think of it this way: you aren’t just losing the fee. You’re losing everything that fee money would have earned for the next 10, 20, or 30 years.
A flat fee that stays fixed while your portfolio grows flips this dynamic in your favor. At $8,700 per year, Evergreen’s fee becomes a smaller and smaller percentage of your wealth as your portfolio compounds — the opposite of an AUM model, where your fee grows as you grow.

A flat-fee financial advisor charges a fixed dollar amount for their services — not a percentage of your assets. Whether your portfolio is $500,000 or $5 million, you pay the same fee.
This model eliminates the built-in conflict of interest in AUM pricing, where an advisor’s income rises as they accumulate more of your assets under management — regardless of whether service quality improves. With a flat fee, the advisor’s incentive is to provide excellent service so you stay in the relationship, not to gather more assets so their revenue grows.
Not all flat-fee advisors work the same way, though. Some provide only a financial plan for a one-time fee — what’s commonly called “advice-only” or project-based planning — but don’t manage investments or take custody of assets. Others, like Evergreen, provide an ongoing advisory relationship that includes full investment management with custody at Charles Schwab, comprehensive financial planning, tax analysis, and retirement income strategy — all for one transparent monthly fee of $725.

This is one of the most common points of confusion in the advisory industry, and the distinction matters significantly for your experience.
A project-based financial planner (sometimes called “advice-only” or “hourly”) creates a financial plan for a one-time fee — typically $1,500 to $5,000. They deliver a written plan with recommendations, but they don’t take custody of your assets, don’t manage your investments, and aren’t responsible for implementing or monitoring the plan over time. You take the plan and execute it yourself. This model works well for confident, self-directed investors who want professional validation or a roadmap but prefer to handle the investing themselves.
An ongoing flat-fee advisor like Evergreen provides everything the project-based planner offers — plus continuous investment management and implementation. We take custody of client assets at Charles Schwab and handle trading, rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting, and withdrawal execution on an ongoing basis. Your financial plan isn’t a static document that sits in a drawer — it’s a living strategy we monitor and adjust as markets shift, tax laws change, and your life evolves.
Think of it this way: a project-based planner gives you the blueprint. An ongoing flat-fee advisor gives you the blueprint and builds the house alongside you, year after year. Both models serve different needs — the right choice depends on how much you want to manage on your own versus how much you want handled for you.

This is one of the most important and most confusing distinctions in the industry.
Fee-only means the advisor’s entire compensation comes from client-paid fees. They earn nothing from commissions, product sales, or referral payments from third parties. Their only financial incentive is to serve you well.
Fee-based means the advisor charges fees but may also earn commissions on certain products — like insurance policies, annuities, or specific investment products. This creates a potential conflict of interest, because the advisor has a financial reason to recommend certain products over others.
The distinction is critical, and the similar-sounding names make it easy to confuse the two. When evaluating an advisor, confirm they are fee-only — not fee-based — if conflict-free advice is important to you. At Evergreen, we are a fee-only firm registered as an independent RIA. We receive no commissions, referral payments, or third-party compensation of any kind. Our only revenue comes from the flat monthly fee our clients pay.

A fiduciary advisor is legally obligated to act in your best interest at all times. A non-fiduciary advisor — sometimes called a broker or registered representative — only needs to meet a lower “suitability” standard, meaning they can recommend products that are adequate for your situation even if better or cheaper options exist.
However, the fiduciary label alone doesn’t tell the full story. Some advisors are fiduciaries only part of the time. These “dually registered” advisors may operate under a fiduciary standard when providing financial planning, then switch to a suitability standard when recommending insurance products or certain investments. This inconsistency is legal and common — but it means the level of protection you receive can shift depending on what’s being recommended.
The safest approach is to work with a fee-only, full-time fiduciary who never earns commissions from product sales, and to confirm that fiduciary duty applies to all accounts and all recommendations — not just some. At Evergreen, Nick Stevens operates as a fiduciary 100% of the time, across all client interactions. There is no dual registration and no commission-based activity of any kind.

A boutique financial advisor is typically a small, independent firm — often a solo practitioner or small team — that intentionally limits its client base to provide a higher level of personalized service. In contrast to large firms where you might be assigned to different advisors over time or work with a rotating team, a boutique advisor offers a direct, consistent relationship with the same person managing your finances.
The trade-off is that boutique firms may not offer some services that large institutions provide, like in-house legal teams, proprietary private equity, or lending services. But for clients who value a personal relationship, consistent communication, and knowing that the person giving them advice is the same person managing their money — boutique advisory is often the better fit.
Evergreen is a boutique, solo-advisor firm. Every client works directly with Nick Stevens, CFP® — the same person handles your financial plan, manages your portfolio, analyzes your tax return, and picks up the phone when you call. We intentionally limit client volume to keep this level of service sustainable over the long term.

“How exactly is your firm compensated, and do you receive any revenue from third parties?” This uncovers commissions, 12b-1 fees, referral kickbacks, or revenue-sharing arrangements that create conflicts of interest.
“If my portfolio doubles in value, does your fee double as well? If so, what additional service justifies that increase?” This highlights the central issue with percentage-based pricing. Ask them to express your fee in dollar terms, not percentages.
“Are you a fiduciary 100% of the time, across all accounts and all product recommendations?” This eliminates dually registered advisors who switch between fiduciary and suitability standards depending on what they’re recommending.
“What specifically is included in your fee — investment management, financial planning, tax analysis, retirement income planning, or all of the above?” This ensures you’re comparing the full scope of service, not just a headline fee.
“Do you take custody of assets and manage investments on an ongoing basis, or do you deliver a plan and leave implementation to me?” This is the question that separates project-based planners from full-service advisors — and it’s the one most people forget to ask.

Switching advisors is more straightforward than most people expect. The logistics are handled largely by your new advisor and the custodian (the company that holds your assets, like Charles Schwab or Fidelity).
Here’s the typical process: First, choose your new advisor and sign their advisory agreement. Then your new advisor initiates an account transfer — called an ACAT transfer — which moves your investments from the old custodian to the new one. Most standard transfers complete in 3 to 5 business days. You then notify your old advisor in writing that you’re ending the relationship.
A few things to be aware of: review your current agreement for any termination clauses or exit fees (most fee-only advisors don’t have them, but some firms do). Be mindful of any tax implications if investments need to be sold during the transition — a good new advisor will create a transition plan that minimizes unnecessary tax events. And make sure cost basis information transfers accurately with the accounts.
At Evergreen, we guide every new client through this transition. We handle the paperwork, coordinate with the prior custodian, and create a plan for repositioning the portfolio in a tax-efficient way. Most clients are fully onboarded within two to three weeks.

Yes — remote financial advisory has become standard practice, and for many clients the experience is as effective as meeting in person, sometimes more so. The technology for screen-sharing financial plans, securely exchanging documents, collaborating on tax analysis, and managing portfolios digitally is mature and used across the industry.
For many clients, remote advisory is actually more efficient. There’s no commute, meetings can be shorter and more focused, and scheduling is more flexible. The advisory relationship is built on trust, communication, and the quality of the planning work — not proximity.
At Evergreen, we work with clients both locally in the greater Boston area and nationwide. Whether you’re in Needham or Nashville, the experience is the same: you work directly with Nick Stevens, CFP® via Zoom or phone, with secure document sharing through our client portal and real-time access to your financial plan through eMoney. Many of our most engaged clients have never met in person — and their planning outcomes are no different from those who have.

The technology an advisor uses tells you a lot about the depth of service they can provide. At a minimum, a modern advisor should be using a dedicated financial planning platform (not just a spreadsheet), a portfolio management and rebalancing tool, and a secure client portal for document sharing and communication.
More specifically, look for an advisor who uses tools like eMoney or RightCapital for financial planning (these platforms allow you to see your full financial picture, run “what-if” scenarios, and model retirement income in real time), a tax analysis tool like Holistiplan (which reads your actual tax return and identifies planning opportunities), and an institutional rebalancing platform like iRebal (which automates tax-aware trading across multiple accounts).
At Evergreen, we use all of these — eMoney for financial planning and the client portal, Holistiplan for tax return analysis, Nitrogen for risk alignment, and Charles Schwab’s iRebal for automated, tax-efficient portfolio management. These are the same caliber of tools used by large advisory firms — the difference is you get them paired with boutique, personal service from a single advisor.

Evergreen charges a flat fee of $725 per month ($8,700 per year). This fee is the same for every client, regardless of portfolio size — whether you have $500,000 or $5 million under management.
The fee includes everything: comprehensive financial planning, ongoing investment management with custody at Charles Schwab, tax return analysis, retirement income strategy, Social Security and Medicare planning, Roth conversion modeling, and unlimited access to your advisor. There are no additional charges for planning, no AUM percentage layered on top, and no commissions of any kind.
For context, here’s how that compares to a traditional 1% AUM advisor:
$1 million portfolio: 1% AUM = $10,000/year. Evergreen = $8,700/year.
$2 million portfolio: 1% AUM = $20,000/year. Evergreen = $8,700/year.
$3 million portfolio: 1% AUM = $30,000/year. Evergreen = $8,700/year.
$5 million portfolio: 1% AUM = $50,000/year. Evergreen = $8,700/year.
The savings grow as your wealth grows — which is the opposite of how AUM pricing works.

Evergreen is built for individuals and couples who are within 10 years of retirement or already retired, typically with $500,000 to $5 million or more in investable assets, and who want comprehensive, ongoing financial guidance — not just investment management.
Our ideal clients tend to share a few characteristics: they’re thoughtful about fees and recognize that paying $20,000 to $40,000 per year in AUM fees doesn’t align with the value they’re receiving. They want a single, consistent advisor — not a rotating team at a large firm. They value a flat, transparent fee that doesn’t increase as their wealth grows. And they want deep planning that goes beyond portfolio management into tax strategy, retirement income, Social Security, and estate coordination.
We’re probably not the best fit if you have under $500,000 in investable assets (our minimum), if you’re looking for a one-time financial plan without an ongoing relationship, if you want access to private equity or alternative investments, or if you prefer a large firm with multiple specialists and departments.

Three things, primarily.
First, the fee structure. We charge $725/month — flat, all-inclusive — regardless of how much you invest. There are no AUM percentages, no commissions, and no separate charges for financial planning. Most advisors at our service level charge 1% of assets, which means a $3 million client would pay $30,000 per year for what we provide at $8,700.
Second, the relationship model. Evergreen is a boutique, solo-advisor practice. Every client works directly with Nick Stevens, CFP® — the same person who builds your financial plan, manages your portfolio, analyzes your tax return, and answers your call. There is no team rotation, no junior advisor, and no call center. This is intentional: we limit client volume to maintain this level of personal service.
Third, the depth of service for the price. Our flat fee includes investment management with custody at Charles Schwab, comprehensive financial planning through eMoney, tax return analysis through Holistiplan, risk alignment through Nitrogen, automated tax-aware rebalancing through iRebal, Social Security and Medicare optimization, Roth conversion modeling, retirement income planning, and coordination with your CPA and estate attorney. Most project-based or hourly advisors offer a subset of this. Most AUM advisors offer comparable service — but at two to five times the cost.

Yes. While Evergreen is based in Boston, Massachusetts, we work with clients nationwide. Many of our clients are fully remote — we meet via Zoom, share documents through our secure client portal, and manage portfolios digitally through Charles Schwab. The advisory experience is identical whether you’re in the Boston area or across the country.
For local clients, Nick is available for in-person meetings in Boston and surrounding areas including Burlington, Needham, Framingham, and Quincy. But in-person meetings are not required — many of our most engaged, long-term clients work with us entirely remotely.
Financial planning, investment management, and tax strategy don’t require being in the same room. What they require is clear communication, good technology, and an advisor who is responsive and proactive — which is what we focus on regardless of where you live.

The process starts with a complimentary 45-minute introductory call. No preparation is required — it’s a relaxed conversation about your financial situation, what brought you here, and what you’re looking for in an advisor. There’s no sales pressure and no obligation.
If it feels like a good fit, we schedule a discovery meeting to go deeper into your goals, your current financial picture, and your priorities. From there, you’ll receive a complimentary Evergreen Financial Assessment — a snapshot of where you stand today, a roadmap to your goals, and a prioritized action list — along with an Evergreen Fee Analysis showing what you’re currently paying in total advisory and investment fees.
If you choose to move forward, we’ll set up your accounts at Charles Schwab, onboard you into our client portal, and begin implementing your plan. Most clients are fully onboarded within two to three weeks. If you choose not to move forward, you keep the assessment and action list — no strings attached.
You can schedule your introductory call via the self-scheduling link at the bottom of  evergreenwealthadvisor.com/becoming-a-client or call (978) 495-6848 or email Nick directly at nick@evergreenwealthadvisor.com