A flat-fee fiduciary financial planner is compensated through a transparent fixed fee for planning services rather than a percentage of your investments.

As fiduciaries, we are legally obligated to act in our clients’ best interests. Our flat-fee structure is designed to reduce conflicts and keep the focus on thoughtful retirement, tax, and long-term financial planning.

Awaken Financial Designs does not charge asset-based (AUM) fees. If clients choose investment implementation through third-party platforms such as Altruist, any platform or model fees are paid directly to those third parties.

Comprehensive financial planning is the process of organizing the different areas of your financial life into one thoughtful and coordinated strategy.

This may include:
• Early retirement feasibility analysis
• Tax-aware retirement planning
• Cash flow and lifestyle planning
• Social Security timing analysis
• Retirement income and withdrawal strategy
• Roth IRA conversion analysis when appropriate
• RSUs, stock options, and deferred compensation planning
• Estate planning coordination
• Implementation and action planning

Rather than isolated recommendations, the goal is to create a clearer understanding of how the pieces of your financial life may actually work together over time.

Early retirement planning, in our philosophy, means designing the ability to retire before age 60 with greater confidence and clarity.

It is not simply about stopping work earlier. It is about:
• Building financial independence sooner
• Designing income before traditional retirement age
• Coordinating tax strategy around peak earning years
• Structuring sustainable retirement income and withdrawal planning
• Understanding what may actually be possible long before “normal” retirement age

We believe thoughtful financial planning should create greater freedom, flexibility, and intentionality over how you spend your time and live your life.

Tax strategy is foundational to how we approach retirement and financial planning.

Rather than reacting only during tax season, we model multi-year scenarios and integrate tax planning into broader retirement, investment, and income decisions. This may include:
• Roth IRA conversion analysis
• Capital gains planning
• Tax bracket and standard deduction management
• Social Security taxation considerations
• Strategic asset location and withdrawal sequencing
• RSU, stock option, and deferred compensation planning

When appropriate, we also coordinate with your CPA or tax professional to help ensure planning decisions work together more intentionally over time.

Investment guidance and coordination may be included as part of comprehensive retirement and financial planning.

Depending on a client’s preferences and needs, this may include:
• Investment allocation and portfolio review
• 401(k), TSP, and employer retirement plan analysis
• Brokerage account coordination and evaluation
• Investment Policy Statement (IPS) development
• Discretionary investment management when appropriate
• Non-discretionary investment guidance
• View-only account aggregation and coordination

For clients seeking optional ongoing planning and investment management relationships, implementation may be available through Altruist, a modern custodial and investment platform.

Planning always comes first. Any investment implementation approach is discussed collaboratively and designed around the client’s broader retirement, tax, and long-term financial goals.

Protection planning is designed to help reduce financial risk, create greater long-term stability, and support more sustainable retirement outcomes.

This may include:
• Life insurance analysis
• Long-term care planning
• Disability coverage review
• Downside-protection strategies
• Lifetime income planning considerations
• Coordinated review of IRA, Roth IRA, brokerage, and retirement accounts for income, tax, and legacy planning purposes

When appropriate, protection-oriented strategies may be evaluated as part of a broader retirement and financial plan.

Thoughtful financial planning is not purely mathematical. Emotions, stress, communication, and life transitions often influence financial decisions just as much as spreadsheets and projections.

As Certified Yoga Teachers and practitioners of Pranayama (breathwork) and Meditation, David and Ashley incorporate mindfulness-based perspectives into how they approach conversations around retirement, money, and intentional living.

This may include:
• Couples communication and planning conversations
• Retirement vision and lifestyle discussions
• Breathwork and mindfulness practices
• Value-based decision-making frameworks
• Conversations around balance, freedom, and intentional living

These practices are not financial strategies. They are tools that may help support greater clarity, awareness, and thoughtful long-term decision-making.

Thoughtful financial planning is not purely mathematical. Emotions, stress, communication, and life transitions often influence financial decisions just as much as spreadsheets and projections.

As Certified Yoga Teachers and practitioners of Pranayama (breathwork) and Meditation, David and Ashley incorporate mindfulness-based perspectives into how they approach conversations around retirement, money, and intentional living.

This may include:
• Couples communication and planning conversations
• Retirement vision and lifestyle discussions
• Breathwork and mindfulness practices
• Value-based decision-making frameworks
• Conversations around balance, freedom, and intentional living

These practices are not financial strategies. They are tools that may help support greater clarity, awareness, and thoughtful long-term decision-making.

1. Initial Conversation

A relaxed discussion focused on your goals, questions, retirement concerns, and overall financial picture.

2. Information Gathering

We organize important financial details including investments, retirement accounts, taxes, income sources, and planning priorities.

3. Plan Development & Analysis

We build and model retirement, tax, income, and financial planning scenarios designed around your unique situation.

4. Plan Presentation & Next Steps

You receive a comprehensive written plan along with clear visuals, projections, and coordinated recommendations you can implement over time.

Some clients implement independently, while others choose ongoing planning and investment coordination support.