Flat Project Fee and Hourly Advice

Take it easy in retirement by doing something now.

What’s your retirement dream? Will you travel? Spend more time with your grandkids? Pursue your hobbies? It’s not going to happen on its own. Just a few hours spent now can help make your golden years comfortable and fulfilling.

Invest for yourself. Not by yourself.

I’m Lorne Abramson, an experienced financial professional who specializes in advising people approaching (or already in) retirement. I’ll show you how to get a handle on your financial situation, how to navigate complex retirement decisions, and how to come up with a practical plan that you can confidently put into action.

You’re ready for retirement. But are you prepared?

• How much will you need, and for how many years?
• Are your investments too risky or too conservative?
• Are you prepared for unexpected expenses? What if a loved one passes?
• Are you on track to retire comfortably?

Abramson Financial Planning can help you answer these questions.

My one priority is you. 

I’m a fiduciary, bound to put your interests first. And as an advice-only financial advisor, I don’t accept commissions for selling products. You’re my only source of compensation. And my only incentive is to help you succeed. So I make an investment in learning about you. I’ll ask a lot of questions. Then I’ll share specific strategies tailored to your unique situation.

A financial mentor. Instead of a manager.

I provide independent, objective advice for a flat project fee, and on an hourly basis for returning clients. There’s no long-term commitment. You don’t have to move all your assets to a managed account, or pay a percentage of those assets as a management fee. I’ll simply be your financial guide, explaining my recommendations and the reasoning behind them in straightforward terms that help you understand what you’re doing and why.  

Peace of mind. The ultimate return on investment.

Through decades of industry experience, including as a former securities analyst, I’ve seen firsthand how hard it is for anyone—even the biggest firms—to consistently outperform the market. That’s why I embrace a broadly diversified, low-fee index fund approach to investing. I focus on proven principles of asset allocation as well as “asset location”—putting your money in the right assets and the right accounts to optimize return and tax efficiency. It’s a strategy that’s easy to understand and execute at brokerage firms of your choice. Without losing sleep over.

More than just investments. The whole financial picture.

Let’s face it, by the time you get close to retirement, your financial life can become pretty complicated. And investments are just one piece of the puzzle. That’s why I provide guidance for all aspects of financial planning including retirement accounts, retirement income planning, insurance planning and tax management. So everything—including your savings and investments—works together.

Some of the things I can help you with:

  • Giving an objective evaluation of your current plan.
  • Reviewing asset allocation to optimize tax-efficiency.
  • Creating a cohesive portfolio to make it easier to coordinate your overall plan.
  • Improving portfolio diversification and minimizing expenses by using low-cost index funds.
  • Spending investment assets in a sustainable and tax-efficient manner.
  • Deciding whether to roll over a lump sum from a retirement plan into an IRA instead of taking a monthly pension.
  • Determining optimal Social Security claiming strategies.
  • Evaluating opportunities for Roth IRA conversions.
  • Developing tax-efficient charitable giving strategies—choosing which appreciated assets to contribute and calculating fair market value or basis for tax purposes.
  • Weighing options for long-term care.
  • Reviewing insurance policies and annuities.
  • Handling finances after the death of a spouse.
  • Helping with estate planning to make sure accounts are properly titled, beneficiaries are up to date, and everything aligns with your plan.
  • Legacy planning including education funds for children and grandchildren, family gifting, and charitable giving.
  • Collaborating with your estate attorney, tax preparer, and other financial professionals to ensure all parts of your financial life are well-coordinated.

About Me

Let my experience be your greatest asset.

After more than thirty years in the financial services industry, I still love sharing my knowledge to help clients achieve their financial goals. I started as a securities analyst, evaluating investments primarily for institutional clients like pension funds and foundations. I went on to co-found and run a successful independent investment firm, serving as a portfolio manager and financial advisor for individual clients.  Today, my practice fulfills a longstanding desire to make my services more accessible to people from all walks of life.

I have a broad knowledge of financial planning. I’m a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and an IRS Enrolled Agent (EA). I take a consultative, educational approach, providing advice based on lessons learned throughout my career.

I’m deeply experienced in ESG (environmental, social and governance) investing and I’ve been an active volunteer at several non-profits to help make a difference in my community.

In my free time, I love to explore the Bay Area, listen to jazz and the Grateful Dead, cheer for the New York sports teams that I grew up with, and visit art museums (my undergraduate degree was in art history).

I’m also married, the father of two college-age young adults, and in a very similar stage of life as many of the clients I’ve helped. So I’m not just giving advice, I’m living it.

Career Highlights:

  • Co-founder and Principal of ELM Advisors, LLC, an independent registered investment advisory firm.
  • M.B.A., The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (finance major).
  • B.A., Rutgers University (Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude).
  • Lead author of a Journal of Investing study on ESG investing cited in over a hundred academic publications worldwide and recognized as one of 20 key ESG academic studies by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative and Mercer Consulting.
  • Speaker at ESG investment conferences sponsored by the American Association of Individual Investors, the New York Society of Securities Analysts, and the SRI Conference.
  • Expert presenter on the mechanics of index exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to other financial advisors, estate attorneys and tax professionals.
  • Quoted in Fortune magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The San Jose Mercury News, Marketwatch.com, and other leading business publications.
  • Non-Profit Board Member, San Francisco Arts Education Project.
  • Non-Profit Investment Committee Member, Jewish Home & Senior Living Foundation and Rhoda Goldman Plaza.

Service Packages

Financial Review

This service is intended for those who want a one-time, targeted review of their investment portfolio and financial situation, including those who are just seeking a second opinion. It includes a pre-meeting document review and up to a 90-minute phone or video consultation during which we discuss your goals and objectives, review your investment holdings, and address your most pressing financial/retirement planning questions. After our consultation, I provide a written summary which includes my assessment and recommendations.

Cost: Flat fee starting at $1,450

Comprehensive Retirement Plan 

This service is designed for those who desire an in-depth, personalized retirement plan. The service entails utilizing a third-party goals-based financial planning software program, which is most appropriate for those who are close to or in retirement and have a clear sense of their discretionary and non-discretionary expenses. The modelling process is iterative and dynamic. During a video conference call lasting up to two hours, we review the plan together and test various inputs and assumptions. After our meeting, I provide an annotated summary report with my comments and suggested action items.

Cost: Flat fee starting at $2,320

Hourly Consultation

Sometimes things change, or life events happen. I am here to help. This service is only available to returning clients who need a quick refresh or a review of their financial plan and/or portfolio.

Cost: $290.00 per hour (one hour minimum)

FAQs

Click here to schedule a free 20-minute consultation, so we can learn more about each other and determine whether we’d be a good fit.

Yes, as a registered investment advisor, I have a fiduciary duty to act in your best interest. Furthermore, my sole source of compensation is fees paid directly by clients for my time, which innately lends itself to conflict-free advice; I do not receive compensation for referrals, management fees, or commissions.

After an initial engagement with either of my two fixed-fee packages, I am available for follow-up sessions on an hourly, as-needed basis.

No. I only provide advice and do not manage investment portfolios. My services are intended for do-it-yourself (DIY) investors, or those who are working with a portfolio manager but are seeking a second opinion.

I believe individuals are best served by buying and holding low-cost, broadly diversified index (or so-called “passively managed”) funds, with periodic rebalancing when warranted. My philosophy has been informed not just by well-established academic theory, but by invaluable tutelage and my own firsthand experience as a former professional stock analyst.

No. I take taxes into consideration when crafting a financial plan, but my services are not meant to replace those provided by a dedicated tax professional. I maintain my IRS Enrolled Agent designation solely to enhance my knowledge base as a financial planner.

No.  I only review coverage as an objective sounding board.

The Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) Board of Standards requires at least 30 hours every 2 years. However, as a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), I must complete double the normal CFP® certificate requirements.  Additionally, as an IRS Enrolled Agent, I must obtain 72 hours of tax-related continuing education credit every 3 years.

Lorne Abramson, CFA, CFP®, EA

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