Only Fee-Only

Hosted by Broc Buckles and Peter Ciravolo

Business EntrepreneurshipInterviews guests

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Episodes

163

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

This podcast interviews fee-only financial planners to learn about how they are helping their clients and serving their specific niches.

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60 recent

June 11, 202628 min

#162 - Design Your Business Around Your Lifestyle - Rafael Melendez

Money decisions are rarely just about math. The hardest part is often the human side. Rafael Melendez of NextGen Financial Planning joins us to discuss how fee-only financial planning helps younger families move from stress and uncertainty to confident, intentional decisions.We explore Rafael’s path into the profession, what he learned from sales-driven environments, and how those experiences shaped his client-first approach. We also break down what “fee-only” really means and why it can be a great fit for people who need planning guidance without having millions invested.Rafael shares his journey from joining NextGen during the pandemic to becoming a partner as the firm evolved. We discuss firm ownership, balancing growth with flexibility, and his advice for aspiring RIA owners: design the life you want first, then build the business around it.We also walk through a real-world planning scenario involving a high-stress job, stock compensation, student loans, and the decision to earn less in exchange for a better quality of life.Subscribe for more conversations like this, share with a planner friend, and leave a review. What value matters most in your next financial decision?Rafael's Social and Websitehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rafael-melendez/https://www.nextgenfinancialplanning.com/

June 4, 202633 min

#161 - Clearing the Head Trash and Building a Lifestyle Practice, with Colin Page

A hedge fund job that started with weeding a garden? Colin Page's career story is unique, but the lessons are practical for anyone building a fee-only financial planning firm.We sit down with Colin, founder of Oakleigh Wealth Services in Charlottesville, Virginia, and trace his path from teaching high school math after the 2009 financial crisis, to more than a decade investing in distressed securities and bankruptcies, to launching his own independent practice.We talk about what changes when you move from markets to people. Colin shares why hedge fund work can feel disconnected from real goals, and what pulled him toward fiduciary planning for retirees and near-retirees: retirement income, tax-efficient withdrawals, Medicare choices, and legacy planning. We also get specific about the messy early decisions every advisor faces around niche, marketing, compliance, and building a firm without an existing book.Colin breaks down the mental game too: pricing "head trash," choosing between AUM, advice-only, and flat-fee models, and designing onboarding that respects your time. His document-first consultation approach is a simple filter that signals seriousness and keeps a lifestyle practice sustainable as referrals grow.If you're trying to build a practice that supports your life, not the other way around, this one is worth your time.Subscribe for more conversations with fee-only advisors, share this with a friend building their firm, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What part of building a practice feels hardest right now?Colin's Social:https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-page-oakleigh/Website:https://www.oakleighwealth.com/Music in this episode was obtained from bensound.

May 28, 202632 min

#160 - The High-Income Paradox with Sean Rawlings

Your income can grow fast and still leave you feeling behind. That's the paradox we dig into with Sean Rawlings, founder of WealthBound Advisors, who works with young, high-income earners scaling toward $500K or seven figures only to realize they have no system for taxes, spending, or big decisions.Sean shares his story: Southern California roots, a start at a mutual firm, and the growing discomfort of watching "financial planning" turn into product pitches. He explains what pushed him toward independence, how he found the fee-only model, and why building an RIA is more achievable than many new advisors think.From there, we get specific. Sean covers what great onboarding looks like for first-time planning clients, how he uses modern tools (including AI like Claude) to stay efficient while keeping things high-touch, and the biggest pain point for fast-growing earners: tax planning around variable income. We close with real estate as an asset class, when it's worth the complexity, and how concepts like cost segregation and 1031 exchanges fit into a coordinated plan.Sean's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-rawlings/?skipRedirect=trueMusic in this episode was obtained from Bensound.

May 21, 202628 min

#159 - Scaling a Fee-Only RIA Without Losing the Mission -Chelsea Ransom-Cooper

A lot of wealth management still assumes you've already "made it" before you deserve real advice. Chelsea Ransom-Cooper, CFP®, co-founder of Zenith Wealth Partners, is challenging that assumption by building a fee-only RIA designed to serve women and people of color with relatable, high-quality financial planning.Chelsea walks us through the turning points that shaped Zenith: discovering fee-only planning through early networking, recognizing in 2020 that her client base didn't reflect the people who inspired her to enter the profession, and partnering with co-founder Jason Ray to build what they couldn't find in the market. She shares a concrete early-business tactic we loved — using a simple "30-name" validation list to prove demand and build confidence before making the leap, then turning those early conversations into her first wave of clients.We also get specific on how to scale without losing the mission. Chelsea explains how Zenith thinks about capacity (targeting 60 to 80 clients per advisor), support staffing, and using EOS to put the right people in the right seats. We dig into their flexible fee structure, including why they hold a minimum fee for service, avoid asset minimums, and blend planning engagements, retainer-style work, and AUM as clients' balance sheets evolve.Chelsea also shares how she manages a packed calendar through delegation, why that creates real growth opportunities for the next generation of advisors, and how her "zone of genius" in equity compensation helps her stand out. If you care about accessible financial advice, building a sustainable fee-only firm, and scaling with intention, this one is for you.Subscribe, share with a fellow advisor or founder, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.Chelsea's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-ransom-cooper-cfp-6b198346/Zenith Wealth Partners Website: https://zenithwealth.partners/Music in this episode was obtained from Bensound.

May 14, 202621 min

#158 - From Planning Firm Employee to Solo RIA Founder: Matt Ryan's Story

A lot of advisors want to launch their own fee-only RIA, but the gap between "I'm ready" and "I have clients" can feel enormous. We're talking with Matt Ryan, founder of Focused Mission Financial in San Diego, about how he made the leap in 2022 after nearly a decade inside planning-focused firms, and what it actually looked like to build momentum from the ground up.We get specific about how his growth really happened: boots-on-the-ground marketing through coffees, lunches, and golf, backed by consistent touchpoints like a newsletter and short-form video. Matt also shares the truth about shiny objects, including paid lead programs like SmartAsset, and why some tactics fall flat for a solo RIA without the time and speed to follow up like a larger team.On the client service side, Matt walks us through how his process evolved into a formal six-step onboarding system, plus what changed when he hired an operations specialist to tighten workflows. We also dig into his work with self-employed clients, including solo 401(k) planning and tax planning, and how those needs show up differently than traditional retiree households.Finally, we talk about scaling with intention, integrating clients from a retiring advisor's book, and setting a boundary around lifestyle so growth never crowds out family time.If you're building an advisory firm, refining your financial planning process, or trying to find marketing that fits your personality, you'll take away practical ideas you can use right away. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the show with another advisor, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.Matt's Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-ryan-fmf/Music in this episode was obtained from Bensound

May 7, 202632 min

#157 - From Furlough to Founder of a Fee-Only RIA - Ryan Johnson

A "backup plan" PowerPoint deck can become a real firm faster than you'd think, but the messy middle is where most people quit. Ryan Johnson, founder of Hundred Financial Planning, joins us to talk through what it actually takes to build a fee-only firm from the ground up.Ryan shares how he found the fee-only RIA community through cold outreach, why he wanted ownership of a book of business, and what the first two years really felt like. We get into client experience, including the early mistake of overwhelming plan presentations and how he's shaping an ongoing service model that stays structured without feeling rigid.We also dig into growth: why LinkedIn finally started generating leads, why silent followers often turn into your best prospects, his niche focus on high-earning young families, and the values-first discovery meeting that helps clients feel heard before any numbers come out. We close with AI in financial advice, where it helps, where it breaks, and why the risk of a wrong answer makes a human advisor worth the cost.Subscribe, share with an advisor friend, and leave a review with your biggest growth question!Ryan's Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanjohnsonku/Music in this episode was obtained from Bensound

April 22, 202632 min

#156 - Career Pivots And Clear Thinking with Jacob Tally

You can feel stuck in a successful career and still know it's not the life you want.In this episode, we talk with Jacob Tally of Prospero Wealth about what it actually looks like to pivot later, especially after years in high-intensity environments like startups, corporate finance rotations, and big-name financial services.Jacob shares the practical side of making the move: deciding between going solo or joining an independent RIA, why fee-only planning mattered to him, and how he evaluated firm fit before jumping.We also get into planning for tech and startup employees, where equity compensation, job changes, and sudden life transitions create complexity that generic advice can't solve.The most useful part is the decision framework. We dig into risk management beyond investing: pressure testing your situation, spotting blind spots, and using fear setting to turn vague anxiety into clear options. Jacob also challenges the obsession with goals, reframing growth around principles that keep you moving when life doesn't follow a neat timeline.If you're considering a career change, building a financial plan, or trying to make a brave decision without guessing, this conversation gives you language and structure you can use right away.Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. What decision are you trying to get clarity on right now?Jacob's Social:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhtally/Prospero Wealth website: https://prosperowealth.com/Music in the episode was obtained from Bensound

April 16, 202628 min

#155 - A Discretionary, Childfree Life with Cory Smith

Most financial advice is built around a default life plan — and it quietly breaks down when you've opted out of that script. Cory Smith is a fee-only financial life planner and founder of Discretionary Inc. in Reno, Nevada, where he works exclusively with childfree individuals, couples, and business owners who want their finances to support the life they actually want — not the one they were expected to want.In this episode, we get into his core concept of discretion: the freedom to determine your own best course of action. We talk about what changes in planning when there are no assumed heirs, why longevity and support structures deserve more attention in this space, and how he works backward from a client's vision to build a financial framework around it.Cory also shares the path that shaped his philosophy — from commission-driven environments and door knocking at Edward Jones to the fee-only model — and how he integrates George Kinder's Real Life Planning process into a modern client experience, including a concurrent planning approach that delivers early wins while the deeper work unfolds.We also cover what's working in his business today: partnerships, community building, and using short-form and long-form content to reach people who are quietly rewriting the rules.If you're interested in values-based planning and building a life on your own terms, this one's worth your time.Cory's Social and Websitehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dincwithcory/https://www.discretionaryinc.com/

April 9, 202634 min

#154 - From Side Hustle to Six-Month Waitlist: Ethan Miller’s Path to Fee-Only Planning

Ethan Miller had a six-month waitlist… while still working a full-time job.We sat down with the founder of Planning for Progress to talk about how he went from union organizing to building a thriving fee-only firm just outside DC—without taking a reckless leap.He shares how he found fee-only planning, built early momentum through project work, and knew commissions weren’t the path for him. We also get into what it actually looked like to earn his CFP while working nights and weekends—and the moment he knew it was time to go all in.We also cover how he’s designed a lifestyle practice of ~50 households, how he thinks about client fit, and why being a “people person” can matter more than a finance background when starting out.If you’re thinking about making the jump into financial planning, this is a grounded, real-world blueprint.Ethan's Social:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-miller-cfp%C2%AE-41139430/Music in this episode was obtained from Bensound.

March 26, 202641 min

#153 - Going All In: How Logan Valentine Built His RIA

He didn’t grow his RIA through ads or a content machine. He grew it through trust, a simple fee model, and doing the unglamorous work when it mattered most.In this episode, we’re joined by Logan Valentine, CFP®, founder of Valentine Wealth Management in Seymour, Indiana. We unpack his path from insurance to Charles Schwab, how earning the CFP shifted his thinking, and what clicked when he discovered the fee-only RIA model.We also talk about the reality of building a firm early on—tight runway, young family, and the mindset required to keep going when things feel uncertain.Then we get practical. Logan breaks down his pricing structure, including a minimum fee and capped maximum, and explains why he avoids charging on held-away assets like 401(k)s and 529s. The result: fewer conflicts and a simpler, more transparent sales process.On the marketing side, this isn’t about hacks. It’s about what actually works for most advisors—strong reputation, Google reviews, local presence, SEO, and creating long-term advocates by helping people whether they become clients or not. (At one point, someone even found him by asking AI who to call.)We wrap with the client experience—from discovery to onboarding—why cash flow is the foundation of good planning, and how thoughtful tax decisions can lead to real, tangible savings.If you’re building a firm—or looking for transparent, fee-only advice—there’s a lot here you can take and apply.Logan's social and website:https://www.linkedin.com/in/logan-valentine-cfp/https://www.valentinewm.com/Music in this episode was obtained from Bensound