Fee-only, explained by a fee-only advisor.

Golden Acre is paid from one source: the fee you pay. No commissions and no product revenue.

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GOLDEN ACRE WEALTH MANAGEMENT
Who pays your advisor
Your advisory feetiered, quarterly
Commissions$0.00
Product revenue$0.00
Tax return prepseparate flat fee
Paid byyou, only you
Full schedule in Form ADV Part 2A.
Fees are negotiable.

Follow the money

Three terms that sound alike. Here is who pays the advisor in each.

Diagram of who pays the advisor Your fee You buy a product Commission No commission You Product Advisor

Fee-only

Who pays the advisor
You, and no one else. Funds and policies you own pay the advisor nothing.
A good question to ask
“How does my fee change with this decision?”

Every pay model has a conflict. Here’s ours.

Our fee is a percentage of the assets we manage. So some sound decisions raise what we earn, and some lower it. You should know which is which.

Raises our fee

Rolling a 401(k) into an account we manage

No commission either way. If the money comes under our management, the advisory fee applies to it.

Lowers our fee

Paying off a mortgage from your investments

Money that leaves the portfolio stops paying us. Whether it is the right move depends on your rate, taxes and cash needs.

Lowers our fee

Buying an annuity or insurance

We earn nothing on the product, and the money used to buy it leaves managed assets.

Lowers our fee

Giving to family or charity from the portfolio

Gifts reduce managed assets. They can also be one of the most tax-efficient things a plan does.

These conflicts are disclosed in our Form ADV Part 2A.

Aaron Randak, CFP®, EA

Built fee-only from day one

I founded Golden Acre to give advice that isn’t tied to selling anything, so the firm has never accepted a commission. There was never a product shelf to clear or a commission structure to unwind.

Aaron Randak, CFP®, EAEnrolled Agent, admitted to practice before the IRSB.S. Finance and B.S. Financial Counseling & Planning, Iowa State
Check it yourself

“Fee-only” isn’t a protected term. Verify it.

Look up the firm

Search any adviser on the SEC’s public database. Ours is CRD #337930.

Read two sections

In Form ADV Part 2A, Item 5 covers fees and compensation. Item 14 covers referrals and other compensation.

Ask one question

“Do you or your firm receive any compensation other than my fee?”

What people ask about fee-only advice

Is “fee-only” a protected term? How do I know an advisor really is?
No, “fee-only” is not a legally protected term. A fee-only advisor is paid only by client fees: no commissions, revenue sharing or referral fees. You can check any advisor’s compensation in their Form ADV Part 2A. Golden Acre’s is on adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Does fee-only mean more expensive?
Golden Acre charges one blended advisory fee: 1.50% on the first $250,000, 1.25% on the next $250,000, 1.00% up to $2 million and 0.75% above that, billed quarterly in advance. It covers all five services, investment management included. Tax return preparation is a separate flat fee. The fee is negotiable, and there is no account minimum.
What’s the difference between a fiduciary and a fee-only advisor?
Fiduciary is a legal standard: the advisor must act in your best interest. Fee-only is a way of being paid: the advisor earns no commissions. They are related but different. Golden Acre is both, a registered investment adviser acting as a fiduciary, and fee-only.
Do fee-only advisors ever recommend insurance?
Yes, when your plan calls for coverage. Golden Acre receives no commissions, so it earns nothing from any policy you buy.
How do I get started?
Book a free 30-minute call, or take the five-question fit quiz first. There is nothing to sign on the first call.

Ask us how we’re paid.

A free 30-minute call. Bring the question to us first.

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