Flat Fee Financial Planning Designed for Freedom and Clarity
Tax forward, fiduciary financial flat fee guidance for proactive couples and families seeking Early Retirement, intentional living, and calm confidence.
Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) Veteran Owned • Woman Owned • Based in Cary, North Carolina • Virtual First (NC + AZ and select states where registered/exempt). We charge a flat planning fee transparent pricing, not a percentage of your investments;
No AUM (asset under management) fees (see our services page for more).
Flat Fee Fiduciary
Proactive Tax Strategy
Early Retirement Focus
Wellness + Life Alignment
The Awakened Wealth & Life Alignment Method™ 7 Stages from Protection to Full Alignment.
Early Retirement Is a Strategy
Awaken Financial Designs is a flat fee early retirement financial planner serving Cary, North Carolina and the greater RTP area, Arizona and working virtually across select states where registered or exempt.
For us, early retirement means designing the ability to retire before age 60 with confidence. That often requires proactive tax planning, income-layer design, and thoughtful sequencing across brokerage, Roth, and retirement accounts.
Income layering & “bridge-to-65” planning
Tax bracket mapping and Roth IRA conversion analysis strategy
Long Term Capital Gains Planning and Tax Optimization
Withdrawal sequencing and lifestyle sustainability
Coordinated protections and contingency planning
Tax Strategy Is Not a Side Feature — It’s the Engine
We don’t wait until tax time or retirement time. We plan proactively, modeling multi year decisions to help reduce surprises and improve long term outcomes.
Some methods:
Short & Long Term Capital Gains
Roth IRA Conversion Analyses
Contributions to 401K, TSP, IRA, Roth IRA, Brokerage, more…
Employer Stock Options, Deferred Compensation, more…
The Awakened Wealth & Life Alignment Method
A structured planning process that blends strategy and alignment; so decisions feel clear, grounded, and intentional.
The 7 Stages
Protect — foundations, risk, and resilience
Flow — cash flow and lifestyle rhythm
Power — tax strategy and optimization
Love — family values and legacy intention
Voice — decisions, boundaries, and clarity
Vision — early retirement design and future planning
Align — implementation and ongoing refinement
Wealth Is Also Nervous System Work
Money decisions are rarely purely logical. We integrate mindfulness, breathwork, and values based alignment practices to support calmer thinking, better communication, and clearer long-term choices; especially for couples.
Real Client Reflections
Thoughtful planning. Clear communication. Confident decisions.
“David took the time to truly understand my goals and risk tolerance. His patience and clarity in explaining different strategies gave me confidence in the decisions we made.” Barry -
“We gained clarity about our retirement options and felt empowered to make a decision that aligned with our wellness and long-term vision. ” Lisa & Pat -
“He has been knowledgeable and honest in guiding our financial decisions. We appreciated the balanced focus on protection and long-term strategy. ” Lauren & Rodney -
“This was one of the most insightful financial classes I’ve attended — blending practical strategy with mindfulness. I especially appreciated the integration of wellness into the conversation.” Thomas -
Testimonials shown are from current or former clients. No compensation was provided for these statements. Individual experiences may vary.
Education First with Clarity Always
We publish educational YouTube videos and case studies to help people and families understand early retirement planning, tax strategy, and real world tradeoffs; before they ever become clients.
Your Journey to Alignment Starts Now
If this approach feels aligned, we’d be honored to help you design a plan for early retirement, tax clarity, and a life that feels deeply lived.
We’re based in Cary, North Carolina and serve clients across the RTP Triangle (Apex, Morrisville, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Durham). We also serve in Arizona and beyond through Virtual Planning.