Clear Services. Transparent Pricing.
Service Modules and Pricing
Transparency is the first of my 5 T’s, and it shapes the way I serve clients. I believe you should be able to understand both the services you are receiving and the cost of those services without confusion or surprises.
That is why I use a flat-fee, tiered pricing structure for the written Initial Plan. The pricing below is designed to give you a clear understanding of what is included and how the fee is determined, so you can evaluate your options with confidence. You can read more about my 5 T's on the Meet Mike Kastler page.
Flat-Fee Pricing Tiers
The table below shows the flat-fee pricing tiers based on minimum and maximum asset values for your written Initial Plan. These same pricing tiers also apply to the two Ongoing Support options described on our Ongoing Support page.
Service Module Descriptions
The seven service modules below align with the 7 Pillars Retirement Planning® framework that guides our planning process. Each module is included in your written Initial Plan and reflected in the flat-fee pricing tier above.
Income Planning
We help you design a coordinated retirement income plan based on your expenses, guaranteed income sources, portfolio withdrawals, and other available resources.
We review your current financial picture, compare current and expected retirement spending, and identify how guaranteed income and other resources may fit into your plan. Using planning software and collaborative scenario review, we help you evaluate withdrawal strategies, test different retirement outcomes, and consider how your income plan may support your lifestyle over time. Learn more about retirement income planning.
Income PlanningWe review your current financial picture, compare current and expected retirement spending, and identify how guaranteed income and other resources may fit into your plan. Using planning software and collaborative scenario review, we help you evaluate withdrawal strategies, test different retirement outcomes, and consider how your income plan may support your lifestyle over time. Learn more about retirement income planning.
Investment Planning
Our portfolio design emphasizes thoughtful diversification, long-term investing, and alignment with your broader retirement plan rather than speculation.
We design a low-cost, diversified investment portfolio aligned with your goals, time horizon, and comfort with risk. Depending on your needs and preferences, implementation may include mutual funds, ETFs, index funds, and high-quality dividend stocks available through custodial platforms such as Charles Schwab.
Learn more about our portfolio design for retirement service.
Portfolio DesignWe design a low-cost, diversified investment portfolio aligned with your goals, time horizon, and comfort with risk. Depending on your needs and preferences, implementation may include mutual funds, ETFs, index funds, and high-quality dividend stocks available through custodial platforms such as Charles Schwab.
Learn more about our portfolio design for retirement service.
Tax Planning
Tax planning can be an important part of retirement planning, especially in the years before required minimum distributions begin.
We help you evaluate strategies such as Roth conversions and show the long-term impact of different tax scenarios so you can make more informed decisions over time. We use planning software to model tax outcomes under different withdrawal and conversion strategies, helping you evaluate how those choices may affect your retirement plan over the long term. Learn more about our retirement tax planning service.
Tax PlanningWe help you evaluate strategies such as Roth conversions and show the long-term impact of different tax scenarios so you can make more informed decisions over time. We use planning software to model tax outcomes under different withdrawal and conversion strategies, helping you evaluate how those choices may affect your retirement plan over the long term. Learn more about our retirement tax planning service.
Risk Analysis
Risk analysis helps identify financial vulnerabilities that could affect your retirement plan.
We review issues such as life insurance needs, emergency reserves, and the potential financial impact of a spouse’s death as part of a broader retirement risk review. We also analyze broader retirement risk factors such as:
• Sequence of Returns risk
• Inflation risk
• Longevity risk
• Social Security risk
We review issues such as life insurance needs, emergency reserves, and the potential financial impact of a spouse’s death as part of a broader retirement risk review. We also analyze broader retirement risk factors such as:
• Sequence of Returns risk
• Inflation risk
• Longevity risk
• Social Security risk
Healthcare
Healthcare planning is an important part of retirement. We help you evaluate Medicare-related choices, including the tradeoffs among different plan options, so you can make more informed decisions about coverage, cost, and flexibility.
We help you compare Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and related coverage options so you can better understand how those choices may affect healthcare access and out-of-pocket costs in retirement. We can help you sort through the many Medicare-related choices and evaluate the options that may best fit your needs. (We do not sell Medicare or Medicare Advantage plans. We only provide the education and plan comparisons. The fee for this consultation does not include the Medicare plan itself.)
We help you compare Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and related coverage options so you can better understand how those choices may affect healthcare access and out-of-pocket costs in retirement. We can help you sort through the many Medicare-related choices and evaluate the options that may best fit your needs. (We do not sell Medicare or Medicare Advantage plans. We only provide the education and plan comparisons. The fee for this consultation does not include the Medicare plan itself.)
Long-Term Care
Long-term care planning helps you prepare for one of the largest potential expenses in retirement.
We help you evaluate whether this risk may be addressed through long-term care insurance, hybrid policies, or a self-funding approach within your broader retirement plan. We can also illustrate the potential financial impact of long-term care costs on your retirement timeline so you can make a more informed decision.
We help you evaluate whether this risk may be addressed through long-term care insurance, hybrid policies, or a self-funding approach within your broader retirement plan. We can also illustrate the potential financial impact of long-term care costs on your retirement timeline so you can make a more informed decision.
Estate and Legacy Planning
Estate and legacy planning helps connect your retirement plan with your wishes for family, heirs, and charitable goals.
Part 1: We review core estate planning considerations and can help you identify questions or issues to discuss with your estate planning attorney.
Part 1: We review core estate planning considerations and can help you identify questions or issues to discuss with your estate planning attorney.
Part 2: For high-net-worth households, we can also help you understand more advanced wealth transfer and legacy planning strategies and how they may fit into your broader retirement and estate goals.
Explore Whether This is a Good Fit
Schedule a ConsultationIf you would like to explore whether this planning approach may be a good fit for your needs, I invite you to reach out. We can begin with a no-charge, no-obligation consultation to discuss your goals, answer your questions, and see whether it fits what you are looking for.