What is a flat-fee fiduciary financial planner?

A flat-fee fiduciary financial planner charges a transparent, fixed fee for financial planning services — not a percentage of your assets under management. As a fiduciary, we are legally required to act in your best interest at all times. Awaken Financial Designs charges a flat planning fee with no AUM percentages. When insurance products are appropriate, compensation structure is always disclosed before any recommendation is made.

Can I retire before 60?

Retiring before age 60 may be possible for many individuals and couples through coordinated retirement planning, tax sequencing, Roth conversion strategies, and intentional income bridge design. Awaken Financial Designs helps clients explore what may actually be possible through visual, comprehensive retirement planning — including retirement timing at multiple ages.

What is the difference between a flat-fee advisor and an AUM advisor?

An AUM advisor charges a percentage of your assets under management — typically around 1% per year — meaning their compensation grows as your portfolio grows regardless of the planning work performed. A flat-fee advisor like Awaken Financial Designs charges a fixed planning fee regardless of portfolio size. This removes the financial incentive to prioritize portfolio growth over tax efficiency, retirement timing, or other decisions that may matter most to you.

What is a Roth conversion strategy and how does it help with retirement?

A Roth conversion strategy involves moving funds from a traditional pre-tax retirement account into a Roth IRA, paying tax now at a potentially lower rate to reduce taxes later in retirement. This strategy can reduce required minimum distributions, lower lifetime tax burden, and create tax-free income in retirement. Roth conversion decisions are rarely one-size-fits-all and often require thoughtful multi-year analysis. Awaken Financial Designs integrates Roth conversion analysis into retirement planning engagements.

What is a one-time financial plan and how does it work?

A one-time financial plan is a comprehensive retirement and financial planning engagement with a fixed flat fee and no ongoing obligation. Awaken Financial Designs builds a coordinated plan covering retirement timing at multiple ages, after-tax income projections, Roth conversion analysis, tax sequencing strategy, Social Security timing, healthcare bridge planning, and account coordination. You receive a written plan and leave with greater clarity — without transferring assets or committing to ongoing management.

Is Awaken Financial Designs a registered investment adviser?

Yes. Awaken Financial Designs LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser with the North Carolina Securities Division and the Arizona Corporation Commission. CRD #339725. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training.

Where is Awaken Financial Designs located and who do you serve?

Awaken Financial Designs is headquartered in Cary, North Carolina and serves clients across the greater RTP area including Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Apex, and Morrisville. We also serve clients in Arizona and operate as a virtual-first firm, offering retirement and financial planning services remotely across select states where we are registered or exempt from registration.

What makes Awaken Financial Designs different from other financial advisors?

Awaken Financial Designs is a flat-fee fiduciary firm with no AUM fees. We specialize in helping individuals and couples make important retirement decisions with greater visual clarity — including retirement timing, tax strategy, Roth conversion analysis, and coordinated income planning. We are Veteran and Woman Owned, founded by a married couple with over 20 years of combined experience. David and Ashley also bring Yoga Teacher certification and Pranayama breathwork practice into a grounded, emotionally intelligent planning experience.

Meet Our Founders David and Ashley

Ashley and David Lundberg, co-founders of Awaken Financial Designs, a Veteran and Woman Owned flat-fee fiduciary financial planning firm in Cary, North Carolina

Helping individuals and families explore early retirement, tax strategy, and intentional planning with greater clarity and confidence.

We work directly with every person/client. No handoffs, no junior advisors, and no sales team.

Why We Built Awaken Financial Designs Differently

For more than 20 years, we have walked through life side by side as husband and wife, parents, business partners, and now co-founders of Awaken Financial Designs. Along the way, we came to recognize how many people work hard, save diligently, and still never feel fully clear about retirement or their financial future.

As a United States Marine Corps Combat Veteran, David’s foundation was shaped by discipline, responsibility, and service. Afterwards, he has had experiences with firms including Charles Schwab and Merrill Lynch, David saw firsthand how traditional financial models often left people feeling overwhelmed, overcharged, or disconnected from truly coordinated planning. Together, we decided to build something more thoughtful, transparent, and personal.

Our mission is straightforward:

help people create a clearer and more intentional path toward retirement, financial confidence, and the life they actually want to live through thoughtful, coordinated planning.

How We Approach Planning Today

We intentionally built Awaken Financial Designs as an independent flat-fee fiduciary firm designed around clarity, transparency, and thoughtful long-term planning. Our planning approach integrates early retirement strategy, tax-aware financial planning, investment coordination, and long-term decision-making into one thoughtful process designed to help people clearly understand how the pieces of their financial life may actually work together.

We are also both Certified Yoga Teachers and practitioners of Pranayama (breathwork) and Meditation; practices that support clarity, awareness, communication, and thoughtful decision-making in both life and financial conversations.

Backgrounds & Credentials

David Lundberg, founder and flat-fee fiduciary financial planner at Awaken Financial Designs in Cary, NC — Marine Corps Combat Veteran, MBA, MSCJ, Certified Yoga Teacher

Ashley Lundberg, COO and co-founder of Awaken Financial Designs — flat-fee fiduciary financial planning firm serving Cary NC and Arizona, MSBL, Certified Yoga Teacher

Flat Fee Fiduciary Financial Planner
• Financial services experience since 2015
• Experience with Charles Schwab, Merrill Lynch
• Marine Corps Combat Veteran (2005–2009)
• Focused on early retirement, tax-aware planning, and financial freedom strategy
• MBA, MSCJ, Certificate in Financial Planning, CLTC®
• 4× National Award Recipient for client service and relationships
• Certified Yoga Teacher and practitioner of Pranayama and Meditation
Financial Educator and Wellness Guide
• MSBL and BSE
• 12+ years as an Executive Relationship Advisor
• Nationally recognized for client relationships and leadership
• Focused on client experience, communication, intentional living, and holistic well-being
• Certified Yoga Teacher and practitioner of Pranayama and Meditation
• Passionate about helping individuals, couples, and families create greater clarity, balance, and meaningful life experiences

Start With Greater Clarity

Explore our videos, articles, and one-time planning experience to better understand what may actually be possible through thoughtful, coordinated retirement planning.

Explore Our One Time Plan

Meet Our Founders David and Ashley

Why We Built Awaken Financial Designs Differently

How We Approach Planning Today

Backgrounds & Credentials

David Lundberg Co-Founder

Ashley Lundberg Co-Founder

Start With Greater Clarity

CONTACT INFORMATION: