Most advisors are paid a percentage of the assets they manage. That's not a scandal — it's just an incentive. But if generous giving is part of your retirement plan, it's an incentive worth understanding.
Here's the math nobody puts on a brochure. If your advisor charges 1% of assets under management and you give $200,000 of appreciated stock to your church or a donor-advised fund, your advisor's income drops by $2,000 a year. Every year. For as long as you would have held that money.
Most advisors are good, honest people. But when the advice is "maybe wait on that gift," it's fair to ask whether the fee structure is whispering in the room.
Demland Wealth charges a flat annual fee. When you give generously, our fee doesn't change — which means the conversation about giving is exactly what it should be: about your calling, your family, and your plan. Not our revenue.
Move the sliders to match your situation. This is a hypothetical illustration, not a quote or a guarantee — but the arithmetic is real.
Demland Wealth flat fee
$12,000/yr
our maximum flat fee — same at $2M or $10M
The difference, over a 20-year retirement
$360,000
That's $18,000 a year that could go to your church, a donor-advised fund, your grandchildren's education — or simply stay part of your plan.
Hypothetical illustration only. Assumes a constant portfolio value and constant fee rates for 20 years, with no investment growth, contributions, or withdrawals. Actual fees vary by firm and account; actual results will differ. This is not a projection of investment performance or a guarantee of savings.
A percentage-of-assets fee quietly leans against a whole list of decisions that generous retirees face:
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs). Giving straight from your IRA to charity can be one of the most tax-efficient moves available after age 70½ — and every dollar of it shrinks the account your advisor bills on.
Giving appreciated stock. Often better than giving cash for both you and the charity. Also a direct reduction of billable assets.
Funding a donor-advised fund early. Front-loading several years of giving can multiply your tax deduction. It also moves a large sum off the fee base all at once.
Paying off the house, buying an income annuity, helping a child with a down payment. Sometimes wise, sometimes not — but under an AUM fee, each one costs your advisor money to recommend.
None of this means AUM advisors give bad advice. It means the fee structure may create an incentive that leans one direction — and on the decisions that matter most to a generous family, we'd rather there be no lean at all.
The flat fee removes the conflict — it doesn't remove the work. Here's a sample of what a year with us actually looks like:
Jan – Mar
Tax summary letter, RMD & QCD strategy, preliminary Roth conversion analysis
Apr – Jun
Review meetings, tax return analysis, estate & charitable giving review, insurance review
Jul – Sep
Goal scorecards, ongoing tax planning, Roth analysis refined as returns come in
Oct – Dec
Year-end tax planning, final Roth conversion decisions, year-in-review
Two CFP® professionals, a Certified Kingdom Advisor®, and an Enrolled Agent — a fiduciary team that plans around taxes and giving all year, not once a year.
Send us your last tax return. We'll show you what we see in it, on video and on paper, free. If you're well served where you are, we'll tell you that too.
1 Advisory fees vary by firm and are often negotiable; individual clients may pay less than published rates. For reference, the following are drawn from publicly available disclosures: Edward Jones' Advisory Solutions Fund Models Schedule of Fees (Rev. Feb 2025) discloses a Program Fee beginning at 1.35% annually plus a Platform Fee beginning at 0.05%, with combined tiers declining to 0.50% for assets over $10 million. Fisher Investments' Form ADV Part 2A brochure (filed with the SEC, February 2026) discloses tiered fees of 1.25% on the first $1 million, 1.125% from $1 million to $5 million, and 1.00% above $5 million. Merrill Lynch's Investment Advisory Program Wrap Fee Brochure (updated March 2026) discloses fee rates up to a maximum of 1.75%. The Envestnet | MoneyGuide 2026 State of Financial Planning Fees Study (Datos Insights survey of 491 advisors) reports an average AUM fee of 0.96%. Underlying fund expenses are typically in addition to advisory fees. Figures are as of the dates noted and subject to change; Demland Wealth is not affiliated with any firm referenced.
All dollar figures on this page are hypothetical illustrations for educational purposes only and are not a quote, projection, or guarantee. Whether a flat-fee arrangement, charitable strategy, or any planning technique discussed here is appropriate depends on your individual circumstances; some strategies may not be suitable for you. Please consult a qualified tax or legal professional regarding your specific situation.
This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended as legal, tax, or investment advice. Investment advisory services offered through Demland Wealth LLC, a state-registered investment advisor in Ohio & Indiana.