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.

David Lundberg, MBA, MSCJ, Founder, Financial Planner 7/23/26 David Lundberg, MBA, MSCJ, Founder, Financial Planner 7/23/26

Retirement Tax Planning: An IRS Enrolled Agent and Fiduciary Financial Planner Discuss Roth IRA Conversions, Retirement Tax Strategies, and More

Retirement tax planning goes far beyond filing your tax return. In this interview, Fiduciary Financial Planner David Lundberg and IRS Enrolled Agent Linda Reader discuss Roth IRA conversions, long-term capital gains, Social Security taxation, IRMAA, Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), and practical strategies that may help retirees reduce lifetime taxes and make more informed retirement decisions.

David Lundberg, MBA, MSCJ, Founder, Financial Planner 6/23/26 David Lundberg, MBA, MSCJ, Founder, Financial Planner 6/23/26

We Are 60 and 58, When Can We Retire? A Married Couple Retirement Case Study

Can a married couple retire at ages 60 and 58? In this retirement case study, we visually compare four different paths: retiring now, retiring now with possible Roth IRA conversions, working two more years, and working four more years. The goal is not to find one perfect answer, but to help couples see how time, taxes, income, healthcare, home equity, and lifestyle tradeoffs may shape their retirement future.

David Lundberg, MBA, MSCJ, Founder, Financial Planner 6/19/26 David Lundberg, MBA, MSCJ, Founder, Financial Planner 6/19/26

What is a Flat Fee Financial Advisor?

Many people have heard the term flat-fee financial advisor, but are not exactly sure what it means. Learn how flat-fee financial planning works, how it differs from AUM fees, and why some individuals and couples are exploring alternative ways to pay for financial advice.

David Lundberg, MBA, MSCJ, Founder, Financial Planner 6/15/26 David Lundberg, MBA, MSCJ, Founder, Financial Planner 6/15/26

How Taxes, Income Sources & Home Equity Changed 4 Retirement Plans for the Same $2.75M Couple (Part 2)

What happens when the same married couple follows four different retirement strategies?

In Part 2 of this retirement case study, we compare lifetime taxes, retirement income sources, Medicare IRMAA costs, home equity decisions, widow tax considerations, and legacy outcomes for a hypothetical couple with $2.75 million. The results reveal why retirement planning is often less about finding a perfect answer and more about understanding the tradeoffs.

David Lundberg, MBA, MSCJ, Founder, Financial Planner 6/5/26 David Lundberg, MBA, MSCJ, Founder, Financial Planner 6/5/26

Should Married Couples Do Roth IRA Conversions? A $2.75 Million Dollar Retirement Case Study.

Many retired couples ask whether they should do a Roth IRA conversion. The better question may be: what outcome are you trying to create? In this retirement case study, we modeled four different plans for a hypothetical $2.75 million couple and compared spending, taxes, legacy, and surviving spouse outcomes.

David Lundberg, MBA, MSCJ, Founder, Financial Planner 5/25/26 David Lundberg, MBA, MSCJ, Founder, Financial Planner 5/25/26

How an HSA Can Help Couples Retire Earlier: A Overlooked Retirement Tool

A Health Savings Account (HSA) is one of the most overlooked retirement planning tools for couples planning to retire earlier. With triple tax advantages and unique flexibility, an HSA can help cover healthcare costs during the gap years before Medicare begins at age 65. Learn how to use an HSA strategically for early retirement, including investment options, reimbursement strategies, and how it fits into coordinated tax planning.

David Lundberg, MBA, MSCJ, Founder, Financial Planner 5/14/26 David Lundberg, MBA, MSCJ, Founder, Financial Planner 5/14/26

Can We Retire at 53, 56, or 60? What the Numbers Actually Show for Married Couples

You have spent decades building careers, saving money, and trying to do the right things financially. But can married couples actually retire early at 53, 56, or 60? In this in-depth case study, we explore how taxes, healthcare, Roth IRA conversions, Social Security, and coordinated planning may change what is possible.

David Lundberg, MBA, MSCJ, Founder, Financial Planner 4/29/26 David Lundberg, MBA, MSCJ, Founder, Financial Planner 4/29/26

Social Security Benefits Strategies for Married Couples Retiring Early

You have built a life together and now you are at a new moment. You're asking: how do we turn everything we have built into a life we can actually live together, sooner? With over 10 years of guiding married couples through retirement, I'm sharing insights most advisors overlook not just when to claim Social Security, but how these decisions connect to everything else in your plan.