Phase 1
Strategic Fit & Discovery
30 Minutes · Strategic Fit Interview
Is this the right fit? Is there a real problem to solve?
How It Works
The Singh PWM Planning Process
Most financial plans are built once and filed away. This isn't that. Every engagement at Singh PWM follows a structured process - a specific sequence of conversations, reviews, and decisions - repeated and updated every single year so your plan stays current as your life and the tax code evolve.
Singh PWM is a flat-fee fiduciary CFP® and Enrolled Agent practice in Phoenix, AZ. The process below is what every client goes through - from the first conversation to ongoing annual strategy. Nothing is delegated. Nothing is outsourced. Raman Singh handles every step directly.
Schedule a Strategic Fit Interview
No commitment. No sales agenda. 30 minutes.
The Full Picture
Three Phases. One Continuous Plan.
The engagement follows three phases - getting clarity, building the plan, and then maintaining it year after year. Phase 3 is where most of the value lives, because the decisions that matter most in retirement aren't made once. They're made every year.
Phase 2
Comprehensive Planning
6-8 Weeks · Flat Fee
Every dimension of your financial life reviewed, modeled, and documented.
Phase 3
Ongoing Annual Strategy
Year-Round · Annual Retainer
The plan runs continuously - reviewed, updated, and executed every year.
Loops Annually
Phase 1
Strategic Fit Interview
Strategic Fit Interview · 30 Minutes
The first conversation is not a sales call. It's a diagnostic. I need to understand your situation before I can tell you whether deeper work makes sense - and you need to understand my process before committing to anything.
In 30 minutes we cover:
What I learn from you:
- - Your current financial structure - accounts, assets, income sources
- - The decisions you're facing - retirement timing, tax questions, income strategy
- - What's creating uncertainty - and what you've already tried
- - Whether the complexity of your situation warrants a formal engagement
What you learn from me:
- - Exactly how I work and what the process looks like
- - Whether your situation is one I specialize in
- - What a formal engagement would cover and cost
- - Whether we're the right fit for each other
Phase 2
Comprehensive Financial Planning
Flat Fee · $5,000 One-Time · Delivered in 6-8 Weeks
This is where the full picture gets built. Every dimension of your financial life is reviewed, modeled, and put into written recommendations. Nothing is assumed. Nothing is skipped. The output is a documented plan - not a conversation, not a verbal summary - that you can act on and reference.
Cash Flow & Income Review
Where your money comes from, where it goes, and what the gaps are. Spending targets established. Income sources mapped - salary, rental, pension, Social Security, portfolio. Distribution needs in retirement modeled against actual numbers.
Investment Portfolio Deep Dive
Every account reviewed - 401(k), IRA, brokerage, Roth. Asset allocation assessed against your risk tolerance, time horizon, and income needs. Internal costs audited. Tax efficiency of current holdings evaluated. Recommendations written.
Tax Return Analysis
Last 2-3 years of tax returns reviewed line by line. Missed deductions identified. Roth conversion opportunities modeled. IRMAA exposure calculated. Arizona state tax treatment of your specific income sources analyzed. In-house tax preparation available for ongoing clients.
Insurance & Benefits Audit
Health insurance coverage reviewed. Employer benefits - 401(k) match, HSA, FSA, ESPP, deferred comp, group life - evaluated and optimized. Car insurance and homeowners insurance coverage assessed for gaps. Life insurance needs analysis completed. Long-term care exposure identified.
Estate Planning Review
Existing estate documents reviewed - will, revocable trust, powers of attorney, healthcare directives. Beneficiary designations audited across all accounts. Account titling reviewed. Gaps identified and attorney referral provided if updates are needed.
Retirement Income Projection
Full retirement income model built - Social Security timing, withdrawal sequencing, RMD projections, Roth conversion windows, and IRMAA exposure across a 20-30 year horizon. Scenario modeling for early retirement, market downturns, and tax law changes.
What You Receive
- Written financial plan with specific, actionable recommendations
- Retirement income projection model (20-30 year horizon)
- Tax analysis with Roth conversion and RMD strategy
- Investment portfolio recommendations with cost analysis
- Insurance and benefits gap report
- Estate planning review with documented findings
- Approximately 5 months total from kickoff through final follow-up, including a limited implementation support period
Phase 3
Ongoing Annual Strategy
Annual Retainer · $10,000/Year · Everything Included
After the initial plan is delivered, some clients choose to continue. The ongoing retainer is where the real coordination happens - because the decisions that determine retirement outcomes aren't made once. They're made every year, in response to changing tax law, changing markets, and changing life circumstances.
Q1
January-March
- -Tax return preparation and filing (in-house, as EA)
- -Year-end tax review - final Roth conversion decisions
- -RMD distribution planning for the year
- -Quarterly tax estimated payment review
Q2
April-June
- -Post-filing tax debrief - what changed, what to do differently
- -Mid-year IRMAA exposure check
- -Portfolio rebalancing review
- -Benefits open enrollment preparation (if applicable)
Q3
July-September
- -Roth conversion window analysis - how much room remains in bracket
- -Social Security and Medicare planning review
- -Investment portfolio tax-loss harvesting opportunities identified
- -Estate document check - any life changes requiring updates
Q4
October-December
- -Year-end tax planning - final moves before December 31
- -Roth conversion execution if appropriate
- -Charitable giving strategy - QCDs, donor-advised fund contributions
- -RMD completion verification
- -Next year income and tax projection built
- -Annual comprehensive review meeting
On an ongoing basis throughout the year:
- - Portfolio monitoring and rebalancing when thresholds are triggered
- - Dollar-cost averaging execution where applicable
- - Market volatility response - guardrails reviewed, no reactive selling
- - Roth conversion opportunities evaluated as income picture changes
- - Direct advisor access - email and phone, no scheduling queue for urgent questions
Everything Included in the Annual Retainer
- - Investment management (low-cost ETF portfolios, ongoing oversight)
- - Tax planning - year-round, proactive
- - In-house tax preparation and filing (federal + Arizona state)
- - Quarterly estimated tax payment coordination
- - Roth conversion strategy - modeled and executed annually
- - RMD planning and distribution coordination
- - IRMAA management - 2-year lookback monitored continuously
- - Portfolio rebalancing - threshold-triggered, tax-aware
- - Tax-loss and tax-gain harvesting when appropriate
- - Insurance and benefits review - annual
- - Estate document check - annual
- - Social Security and Medicare coordination
- - Direct access to Raman Singh - no junior staff, no queue
Annual Retainer: $10,000/year
Everything above. One fee. No add-ons. No percentage of assets.
A 1% AUM fee on a $2M portfolio costs $20,000+/year. The retainer is $10,000 - flat, defined, and doesn't grow with your portfolio.
See the full comparison including a 20-year fee projection →
Why It's Built This Way
Clarity Before Commitment. Every Time.
Financial mistakes happen most often when people implement before they understand the consequences. This structure - fit first, plan second, ongoing third - exists to prevent that.
You never enter a planning engagement without knowing exactly what will be analyzed, what will be delivered, and what it costs. The ongoing relationship never starts until the initial engagement has proven its value. Nothing is bundled in from the start. Nothing is assumed.
$5,000
One-time comprehensive plan
Full review, written recommendations, and an approximately 5-month project cadence from kickoff through follow-up
$10,000
Annual ongoing retainer
Everything - investment management, tax planning, tax prep, year-round oversight
$300
Hourly rate
For targeted, defined-scope engagements
Pricing Comparison
1% AUM on $2M
$20,000/year
Singh PWM flat fee
$10,000/year
Common Questions
Questions About the Process
Ready to See If This Process Is Right for You?
The first step is a 30-minute Strategic Fit Interview. We determine whether your situation warrants deeper work and whether my process is the right fit. If it's not, we part ways with clarity.
Schedule a Strategic Fit Interview
No commitment. No sales agenda. 30 minutes.
Raman Singh, CFP® & EA · Flat-Fee Fiduciary · Singh PWM · Phoenix, AZ
Singh PWM LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute personalized investment or tax advice.