Fee-only fiduciary · Boston · Since 1998 Client portal login
Service 03 of 04
It's what you keep that compounds
We work with your CPA so the plan, the portfolio, and the tax return act like one strategy: asset location, withdrawal order, Roth conversions, and charitable timing.
Is this you?
How it works
Every engagement follows the same rhythm, so you always know what happens next and why. The full five-step process is on our approach page.
A retired client's low-income years between 62 and 70 became a series of measured Roth conversions. Same lifetime income, meaningfully less lifetime tax, and no product was sold to do it.
A composite example for this sample site. Details changed, arithmetic kept honest.
We start with your last two tax returns, line by line, to see where the money really goes.
Each holding sits in the account type where it's likely to be taxed least.
We sketch your income year by year through retirement to find the low-tax windows.
One call before year-end so the moves get made and reported correctly.
Tax law and your life both change. The plan follows them.
Hypothetical example
A $500,000 taxable account earns 6% a year before taxes. Yearly taxes on dividends and gains take a slice of that return each year.
Asset location and careful selling can't change the market, but they can change how much of it you keep.
Hypothetical example over 20 years, compounded yearly, before fees. Tax drag varies by person, account, and year. Talk to your CPA before acting.
Who leads this work
Marcus's main focus: equity compensation and concentrated stock. Every family also has a second advisor who knows the plan. Meet the team
We are not tax preparers. Your CPA files the return and has the final word on it; we make sure the plan and the portfolio give them good material.
Wealth management clients get all four services for one tiered fee. As an example, a household with $1,500,000 would pay $12,250 a year under our sample schedule. Planning only? Foundations planning is a flat $4,800 a year.
The full fee scheduleCommon questions
More answers on fees, custody, and how we work are on the full FAQ.
No. Your CPA prepares and files them. We plan the moves during the year and coordinate with your CPA so nothing is missed.
Moving money from a pre-tax account to a Roth account. You pay tax on the amount now, and qualified withdrawals later are tax-free. It can make sense in lower-income years, and it isn't right for everyone.
We can introduce you to a few independent CPAs. We receive nothing for the introduction, and you choose who to hire.
One plan, four disciplines
The plan is the product
A living plan, tested in scenarios, for retirement readiness, education funding, big purchases, and the what-ifs in between. We revisit it every year instead of printing it and shelving it.
How it works: Financial planningDiversified, low-cost, disciplined
Globally diversified portfolios built from low-cost funds, sized to your plan rather than to a market forecast, and rebalanced with discipline instead of adrenaline.
How it works: Investment managementThe plan should outlive its authors
We make sure the documents your attorney drafts match how your accounts are titled and who your beneficiaries are. Then we help the next generation understand the plan.
How it works: Estate coordinationNot investment advice. Cornerstone Capital is a fictional firm on a sample site. Examples are hypothetical and for illustration only; investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.
The first step is free
Forty-five minutes, no fee, no obligation. Bring the question that sent you to this page, and we'll tell you honestly whether we can help.