Only Fee-Only

Prudence Zhu (pronounced "zoo"), CPA, CFP®, CFT™, is the founder and CEO of Enso Financial, a fee-only financial planning firm dedicated to helping couples, families, and entrepreneurs thrive through open communication and values-driven money management.  Born in rural China, Prudence moved to the U.S. in 2012 alone with few belongings and achieved financial freedom nine years after thro...

Austin Preece went from selling insurance to building a thriving fee-only financial planning firm—by doing things differently. He rejected the traditional AUM model in favor of charging 0.5% of net worth, aligning his fees with client outcomes. When he realized a 100% prospect close rate meant his pricing was too low, he raised his fees and built a sustainable practice around clients who truly val...

What happens when someone who used to sell financial technology decides to become a financial advisor? Clark Jeffries, founder of Jeffries Wealth Management, takes us inside his transition from FinTech sales to running his own independent practice. After five years at Hidden Levers (later acquired by Orion Advisor Tech), Clark worked closely with hundreds of advisory firms and noticed a major gap....

How do you build a financial planning practice that succeeds without losing your values? Fran Walsh, co-founder of Opulus LLC and one of Investopedia’s Top 100 Advisors, believes the key is authenticity. From a football award that unexpectedly introduced him to his future business partner to launching his firm just before COVID hit, Fran’s path has been anything but straight. His mindset has staye...

Meet Dev Thompson – the newest addition to the BC Brokerage team. Dev’s journey to insurance is a unique one—from college football player to strength coach at Purdue and Kentucky, to fee-only financial planner, and now a trusted resource for advisors across the country. His background blends a passion for personal finance with the discipline of athletic coaching, giving him a thoughtful and client...

What does it take to build a successful financial planning firm—while living off the grid in a cabin-caboose hybrid? Ryan Sullivan of Off the Beaten Path Financial did just that. After leaving a career in engineering that lacked the flexibility and impact he wanted, a chance meeting led him to financial planning. Despite industry warnings, he launched his RIA while still working full-time. He and...

Matt Zeigler and Ben Tuscai of Sunpoint Investments take a different approach to wealth management. Instead of just managing money, they combine deep financial planning with investment consulting to build real relationships and help clients make smarter decisions. Their paths into the industry were unique—Matt was a music major, and Ben worked for the Phillies before spending eight years at Vangua...

A lot of financial planners don’t actually want to run a business. They just want to help people. But when the only way to do that is to launch your own firm… you end up becoming an accidental entrepreneur—juggling compliance, operations, tech, and marketing instead of focusing on clients. Stephen Fox saw that problem firsthand. Marine Corps veteran. Financial planner. Firm builder. And now, the f...

Choosing the right tech for your advisory firm can feel overwhelming. In this episode, we talk with Joe Moss, COO at January Capital Advisors and founder of Connector, about how to build a tech stack that actually improves your client experience. Joe shares his story from mowing lawns to helping advisors cut through the noise of outdated and overpriced software. He explains how to evaluate tools b...

The way financial advisors market themselves is evolving—and testimonials are leading the charge. Brian Thorp, founder of WealthTender, joins us to break down how SEC rule changes have opened the door for compliant client reviews. WealthTender, the first SEC-compliant review platform, helps over 500 advisors use testimonials effectively. For just $49/month, advisors gain visibility without referra...

What if financial planning could be simpler—and better? Guy Penn, founder of Core Planning, joins us to share how building the simplest version of an RIA has led to something powerful: a close-knit community of advisors built on generosity, trust, and support. At Core, everything starts with one question: “What can we remove to make this better?” Instead of adding layers of complexity, the firm fo...

What happens when two advisors decide to completely rebuild their firm from the ground up? In this episode, Tommy Blackburn and John Mason share how they transformed Mason & Associates from a commission-based practice to a thriving fee-only RIA focused on federal employees. Driven by a desire for stronger client relationships and a clear vision for the future, they took on the challenge of “ri...

What happens when your lifestyle practice takes off faster than you ever expected? Andy Panko, founder of Tenon Financial, didn’t set out to build a firm. After leaving the corporate finance world in 2019, his goal was simple: work with 50 clients, enjoy flexibility, and ease into retirement on his own terms. But within two years, he was at capacity—and suddenly facing a new question: Now what? In...

Taylor Stewart didn’t set out to build software. He created a simple spreadsheet to help with his own planning, and it quickly caught the attention of other advisors. When one offered to buy it, he named a price that felt too high—and they said yes without hesitation. That moment sparked the creation of Income Mapper, and later, the tools that would become the foundation of Partheon, where Taylor...

Many advisor websites feel like digital brochures—bland, generic, and forgettable. Colton Etherton wants to change that. A former financial advisor turned web designer, Colton now helps advisors build sites that actually convert. Through his firm, Slices Design, he’s helping advisors stand out from the sea of sameness in financial services. In this episode, Colton shares: The #1 website mistake mo...

In this episode, Allen reflects on the pivotal transition his firm has made—from what felt like the teenage years of figuring things out to what now feels like a confident, grown-up business. He talks about raising fees to match his value, navigating rejection, and developing a marketing approach that feels authentic—focusing on LinkedIn, directory listings, and client referrals instead of cold ca...

Struggling to connect with clients through video? Katie Braden, founder of Advisor Video Marketing, says most advisors are overthinking it. With a background in photography and as a CFP, she’s helped advisors use simple, authentic videos to build real connections. Forget fancy production. Katie once shot a quick 42-second iPhone video in the dark and wind—and it got over 167,000 views. Why? Becaus...

Jamie Lima returns to the Only Fee Only podcast to share how his firm has grown. As founder of Woodson Wealth Management and Allegiant Divorce Solutions, Jamie combines financial planning with divorce-focused advice to help clients navigate complex situations. He offers mediation for peaceful splits and detailed analysis for cases involving pensions, retirement accounts, and other tricky assets. J...

On this episode of Only Fee Only, we’re joined by Nate Hoskin, founder of Hoskin Capital and co-founder of N2 Content Marketing with Nick Meyer.  Since 2020, Nate has grown his practice to well over 150 clients using the power of short-form video. Now, through N2 Content Marketing, he’s helping advisors nationwide do the same. We break down the strategies that work, how advisors can create engagin...

Tax season can be stressful for financial advisors, but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode, we talk with Catherine Tindall, a CPA and tax strategist who specializes in helping advisors save money and stay ahead of tax challenges. Catherine breaks down common tax misconceptions and explains how advisors can take control of their tax planning instead of feeling stuck with whatever the IRS decide...

After meeting Sarah Toole and the CircleBlack team at XYPN Live, we knew we had to have them on the podcast. Many financial advisors are drowning in tech, juggling too many platforms that don’t talk to each other. Sarah joins us to break down a better way. We dig into how fintech can actually make an advisor’s life easier instead of more complicated. Sarah shares how CircleBlack’s open architectur...

Rachael Camp, founder of Camp Wealth and host of the Becoming Work Optional podcast, shares her journey from the corporate world to building a thriving financial planning practice. She reveals how she leveraged Twitter and LinkedIn to grow her brand and client base, emphasizing consistency, engagement, and staying authentic in a crowded space. She also breaks down the business side of financial ad...

What if you could simplify financial administration with just a click? Parker Ence, CEO and founder of Jump, joins us to reveal how this AI-powered tool is transforming the lives of wealth managers and financial advisors. Backed by a recent $20 million Series A funding, Jump automates note-taking, compliance, and CRM updates—freeing up advisors to focus on what truly matters: building meaningful c...

Curious about how financial planning is evolving for Ukrainians worldwide? Lyubomyr Ostapiv, founder of Wealth Gardens and co-founder of iPlan.ua, has been a key figure in bringing fee-only financial planning to Ukrainians. Inspired by American financial experts like Michael Kitces, he shares how the opening of the U.S. stock market to Ukrainian investors in 2017 created new opportunities and refl...

What if you could transform the tax service industry? In this episode, Logan Holman and Claire Gallant, co-founders of Vivify, share their journey from a chance meeting in Cincinnati to building a company that simplifies taxes for everyday taxpayers. Combining Logan's CPA expertise with Claire's wealth advisory background, they identified a gap for W-2 employees and 1099 contractors faci...