Are Your Finances on Track for the Life You Want?
Wherever Your Career Takes You?
A complimentary 20-minute financial clarity review for Foreign Service officers
In this complimentary call, we'll discuss your retirement goal and take a high-level look at the factors that matter most, including your pension, TSP, savings, timeline, and expected income needs.
You'll leave with a clearer understanding of:
- Whether your current financial direction broadly supports the life you're building
- The key factors that may affect when or how you retire
- Important questions or potential gaps that may deserve further attention
- Whether it makes sense to continue the conversation with our firm
No obligation to become a client.
Schedule Your Financial Clarity Review Schedule Your Foreign Service Financial Clarity ReviewThree ways to get started
We offer three ways to work together, depending on the level and type of support you need. Ongoing Planning is our most comprehensive relationship, while Annual Checkpoint and Focused Financial Plan offer complete planning support tailored to different needs.
-
Ongoing Planning
Best ForPeople who want an ongoing financial planning relationship.$3,000–$10,000 per yearBased on planning complexity, not account size.- Want recommendations plus help implementing them
- Prefer having a financial partner available throughout the year
- Expect major decisions, questions, or life changes to arise between meetings
- Value proactive guidance, accountability, and ongoing course correction
See example fees by career stage below.
Discuss Ongoing Planning -
Annual Checkpoint
Best ForPeople who want a comprehensive annual review and year-round access to financial planning guidance.$1,200–$2,500 per yearBased on planning complexity, not account size.- Meet for a comprehensive planning review each year
- Receive recommendations and identify important next steps
- Have access to the advisor between meetings when questions or decisions arise
- Want ongoing availability without the structure of regular planning meetings
-
Focused Financial Plan
Best ForPeople who have a specific planning project, decision, or transition to address.$2,400–$5,000 per planBased on planning complexity.Examples include:
- Retirement transition planning
- Foreign Service pension analysis
- TSP withdrawal planning
- A real estate decision
- A major life change
- A specific financial question
A one-time onboarding fee may apply to Annual Checkpoint and Ongoing Planning engagements, depending on complexity. Any applicable fee will be confirmed in your written proposal before you begin. Annual fees are billed quarterly in advance.
From first assessment to first plan.
Initial onboarding usually takes six to eight weeks, depending on how much ground there is to cover. Every meeting is virtual and scheduled with your time zone in mind.
-
Introductory Conversation
A focused conversation for Foreign Service officers who want a clearer sense of whether they're moving toward the retirement they want.
-
Discovery Meeting
A deeper conversation about your goals and priorities: where you are in your career, what you want the next few years to hold, and what you want your finances to make possible.
-
Become a Client
If we decide to work together, we'll finalize the advisory agreement, select the appropriate engagement, and formally begin working together.
-
Guided Onboarding
We'll lead the process, keep everything organized, and make onboarding as seamless as possible. You'll know what we need, what happens next, and where we are in the process.
-
Plan Review
We'll walk through your initial financial plan, including our recommendations, the reasoning behind them, and the actions needed to move forward.
-
Implementation
The recommendations become reality: accounts organized, TSP allocation updated, savings structure established, and other decisions put into action.
-
Ongoing Planning
The plan is built during onboarding. The real value comes from keeping it current as your career, assignments, income, family, and goals evolve.
Steps 1–5 establish the plan for every engagement. One-Time Engagements conclude after the Plan Review, ready for you to implement on your own timeline. Annual Checkpoint engagements are built around one comprehensive financial review each year, with year-round access by email. Ongoing Planning provides regular meetings, proactive outreach, and implementation support throughout the year.
What ongoing planning actually means.
Your plan is revisited throughout the year as opportunities arise, decisions need to be made, and circumstances change.
You won't wait until something goes wrong to hear from us. Your planning relationship follows the rhythm of your year.
-
January
Your Tax Planning Letter
We'll outline the tax forms and planning items to expect.
-
Spring
Planning Meeting
We'll review the previous year and make key planning decisions for the year ahead, including:
- TSP contributions and allocation
- Savings and cash reserves
- IRA contributions
- Roth conversion opportunities
- Other priorities specific to your circumstances
-
Summer
Check-In and Focused Review
We'll check your progress and take a deeper look at one important area of your plan. The focus may include cash flow, retirement income, benefits, investments, or another priority that deserves attention.
-
Fall
Planning Meeting
We'll review your portfolio, address year-end tax planning, prepare for Open Season and benefits decisions, and discuss tax law changes that may affect your plan.
You'll leave knowing what needs to happen before December 31.
-
November & December
Implementation
We'll help put key year-end decisions into action, which may include:
- Roth conversions
- Tax-loss or gain harvesting
- TSP election updates
- Open Season and benefits elections
- Charitable giving before year-end
- Planning for an upcoming PCS
-
Anytime
Bigger Questions
Some decisions can't wait for the next scheduled review. A PCS, home purchase, career opportunity, growing family, or unexpected change may require timely guidance.
When something significant happens, you'll have someone who already understands your broader financial picture, and can give the decision the time and attention it deserves.
What Ongoing Planning Costs
These examples assume the full planning calendar described above. Ongoing Planning is provided for a flat annual fee, billed quarterly. Your fee is based on the scope and complexity of your situation, not the size of your accounts.
No AUM percentage. No commissions. No product sales.
The examples below represent four households at different points in a Foreign Service career. Your exact fee will be provided in a written proposal before we begin, so you'll know precisely what the engagement includes and what it costs.
-
Example Household
Early Career
$3,000 per yearBilled quarterly at $750You're building a financial foundation, with the TSP likely serving as your primary long-term asset. Planning focuses on getting that foundation right: investment allocation, contribution strategy, allowances and differentials, savings structure, and future goals such as buying a home or rental property.
The goal is to establish a strong foundation that future decisions can build upon.
-
Example Household
Mid-Career
$4,800 per yearBilled quarterly at $1,200Your TSP has been growing for several tours, and your financial life is becoming more complex. Education, property purchases, home leave, and other competing goals all need to fit within the same plan.
You may also be considering investments outside the TSP or wondering whether excess cash should be put to better use. Planning brings those decisions together into one coordinated strategy, so you can move forward confidently instead of guessing which goal should come first.
-
Example Household
Late Career
$6,500 per yearBilled quarterly at $1,625You're approaching a major transition and want to understand whether you're ready, what still needs attention, and what another tour could mean for your plans.
Planning focuses on coordinating your pension, TSP, other savings, real estate, and college funding so you can understand your options and make the transition on your own timeline.
-
Example Household
Retirement
$10,000 per yearBilled quarterly at $2,500The regular paycheck has stopped, and you now need to create a reliable income strategy from your accumulated resources.
You may be deciding when to claim Social Security, how much to withdraw from the TSP, and how those decisions affect your tax situation. Required minimum distributions may also be approaching, making each withdrawal decision more interconnected.
Planning focuses on creating a sustainable income strategy while coordinating taxes, estate planning, and the needs of the people who depend on you.
These examples are intended to show how Ongoing Planning may be priced, not to create a fixed menu of packages. Every engagement is scoped individually.
Some households combine elements from more than one career stage. Tandem couples, families with significant real estate, and households approaching retirement may bring additional complexity. That is exactly what the Financial Clarity Review and written proposal are designed to clarify.
How Does a Flat Annual Fee Compare?
Many advisory firms charge a percentage of assets under management. Under that model, the annual fee is based on the value of your investment accounts. As the portfolio grows, or as additional money is added, the dollar amount of the fee generally grows as well.
The table below illustrates what a percentage-based fee would equal at different portfolio values:
| Portfolio value | At 1% per year | At 1.25% per year |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $2,500 | $3,125 |
| $500,000 | $5,000 | $6,250 |
| $750,000 | $7,500 | $9,375 |
| $1,000,000 | $10,000 | $12,500 |
| $1,500,000 | $15,000 | $18,750 |
Rates vary by firm and may decrease at higher asset levels. Some firms also establish a minimum annual fee. For example, a firm charging 1% with a $4,000 minimum would collect $4,000 on a $250,000 portfolio, an effective rate of 1.6%.
FSO Wealth uses a different structure: a flat annual fee based on the scope and complexity of your planning relationship, rather than the size of your accounts.
A note about comparisons
Fees, services, and engagement structures vary from firm to firm. A percentage-based fee may include investment management, financial planning, or both. The examples above are intended to show how the pricing models work, not to suggest that every firm provides the same service for the same fee.
Are Your Finances on Track for the Life You Want?
Wherever Your Career Takes You?
A complimentary 20-minute conversation for Foreign Service officers.
We'll discuss your financial goals and take a high-level look at the factors that shape your options, including your pension, TSP, savings, timeline, and expected income needs.
You'll leave with a clearer understanding of:
- Whether your current financial direction broadly supports the life you're building
- The key factors that may affect when or how you retire
- Important questions or potential gaps that deserve further attention
- Whether it makes sense to continue the conversation with FSO Wealth
No preparation is required, and there's no obligation to become a client.
Schedule your review below.
Leave a few details about your situation and you'll hear back, typically within one business day, with an honest read on fit and fee.