Commission-free financial planning and investment management
Turn your career earnings into lasting family wealth.
We start with a plan built around your family and your goals, then build the portfolio to carry it out.
The problem we solve
Most financial advice is built for people who already have wealth.
Many advisors are paid only on the assets they manage. That one fact shapes who they serve, when they serve them and what they recommend.
Advice arrives late.
Advisors paid only on the assets they manage have little reason to work with a household that is still building. Years of strong income go by before anyone sits down with a plan.
Good salaries do not build wealth on their own.
A busy career can produce strong income and still leave no time to turn it into savings, investments, proper insurance coverage and an estate plan. Someone has to tie it together.
A planning fee lets us start on day one, so advice does not have to wait until you have already built a large portfolio.
Where you are now
We meet you where you are, not where you will be.
Many advisors wait until your wealth is built. We do not. IFP works with clients at every stage of life.
Early in your career.
Advice pays off most when you get it early. Right out of school, we help you choose the best way to pay off student debt, build budgeting and savings habits, pick the right workplace benefits, and decide how much to save, into which accounts and how to invest it. Decisions made in these first years make a massive difference in your future.
In the middle of your career.
Income is higher, the household is bigger and the decisions carry more weight: taxes, insurance, education savings, equity compensation and retirement. We build the plan and manage the investments that carry it out.
Late in your career or retired.
We guide the shift from saving to spending. We help you decide when to retire, turn your investments into steady income, choose when to claim Social Security, find the right health coverage, draw from your accounts in a tax-efficient order, and plan your giving and your estate.
What you get
One plan, one portfolio, one advisor.
- Planning comes first
- Every client starts with a written plan. Your investments are then built to support it.
- Planning and investment management, together
- Every client receives both from one advisor, so the plan and the portfolio are never working against each other.
- No minimums
- There is no minimum to get started. Planning begins on day one, regardless of the assets you have.
- Fee-only
- We are paid only by clients. No commissions and no product sales.
- Just me, not a large brokerage firm
- You work directly with me, and a real person answers, not a phone tree. No associate advisors, no junior planners, no client service teams.
The fees
For families just starting out, and families already invested.
If you are just starting out, planning begins on day one for $3,000 a year. If you already have a sizeable portfolio, the planning fee is waived once we manage $1,000,000 for you, and you pay only for investment management, which follows a published schedule that is lower than the industry average. Either way, you work directly with me, in a small firm with no phone trees.
- Financial planning$3,000a year, billed $750 a quarter. Waived once we manage $1,000,000 for you.
- Investment management0.75%of the first $2,000,000 we manage, then 0.50% on the next $3,000,000 and 0.25% above $5,000,000.
See the fee schedule and run your own number
Industry comparison: Kitces Research (2024) found that the middle half of advisors charge about 1.00% to 1.20% of assets a year for portfolios under $1 million, and about 0.80% to 1.00% above $2 million. IFP’s blended rate is 0.75% on the first $2,000,000 and 0.60% at $5,000,000. Source: Kitces.com, “How Financial Advisors Actually Charge For Their Services”.
The sequence
A plan is a route from here to there.
You go from one waypoint to the next. The first four get the plan built. The fifth keeps it working for as long as we work together.
- Book a callWe talk about your situation and decide together whether we are a mutual fit.
- Get organizedAll your documents and your financial life in one place.
- Explore possibilitiesOnce we have your full financial picture, we sit down and explore the possibilities together.
- Build the planWe turn what we explored into a written plan, with the next steps in order.
- Ongoing financial planningWe implement the plan, monitor it, and adjust as your life and career change.
Financial planning
A written plan, built around your whole financial life.
Planning is the core of the work, and it comes before any investment decision. It can start on your first day as a client, even if you are just out of school.
The process
From a first call to ongoing planning
Book a call
No charge and no pressure. We talk about your situation and what you are trying to build, and decide together whether we are a mutual fit.
Get organized
All your documents and your financial life in one place: pay statements, 401(k) and brokerage statements, your benefits summary, last year’s tax return and your insurance policies.
Explore possibilities
Once we have your full financial picture, we sit down and explore the possibilities together. What could the next five, ten and twenty years look like?
Build the plan
We turn what we explored into a written plan, with the next steps in order.
Ongoing financial planning
Implement, monitor and adjust. Job changes, promotions, new children and markets all change the picture, and the plan changes with them.
What every plan covers
The whole household, not one account
Comprehensive financial planning covers the whole picture of a household’s financial life. That includes:
- Cash flow and savings strategy
- Building the habits that compound over decades
- Investment management
- Disciplined portfolio construction at Charles Schwab, structured around your goals rather than around market predictions
- Tax planning
- Roth conversions, charitable strategies, tax-loss harvesting, tax-efficient asset location
- Retirement planning
- Both the math of getting there and the harder questions of what comes after
- Estate coordination
- Wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, and the planning work that protects what you have built
- Insurance review
- Making sure you have what you need and are not paying for what you do not
- Education funding
- 529 plans and the realistic math of college costs
Common questions answered
- How much of my income should I be saving?
- Should I pay down student loans or invest?
- Pre-tax or Roth in my workplace plan?
- Should I buy a home, and how much house is right?
- How should I handle a bonus, stock compensation or a windfall?
- Am I on track to retire when I want to?
- How should my workplace retirement plans be invested?
- Is my insurance enough if I am unable to work?
- How much life insurance do I really need?
- How much cash should I keep on hand?
- What is the right way to save for my kids’ college?
- When should I claim Social Security?
- Do I need a trust, or is a will enough?
- Where can I lower my taxes?
- What happens to the people I love if something happens to me?
Investment management
Investment management is part of every plan.
The plan decides how your money should be invested, and we carry it out. Planning and investing work best when one advisor is responsible for both.
Investment approach
The plan comes first. The portfolio follows.
We do not build your portfolio from a generic ten-question risk tolerance questionnaire. We get to know you and your family, your goals, your needs and your aspirations. Together we map out the cash those goals will require and when, and that future cash flow sets your asset allocation.
The cash your goals need sets the portfolio.
Your allocation is built from the cash each goal will require and when you will need it. It changes when your life does.
Costs stay low.
Portfolios use low-cost, broadly diversified funds. Every dollar not spent on costs stays invested.
No predictions.
We do not time the market or try to pick the next winner. The portfolio is structured around your goals, not around market forecasts.
Taxes are part of the return.
Tax-efficient asset location, tax-loss harvesting and Roth conversions, used where they fit your plan.
How it works
Your accounts, in your name
- What we manage
- Your IRAs, Roth IRAs and taxable brokerage accounts, and your spouse’s when there is one, each held in your own name.
- Where your money is held
- In accounts in your own name at Charles Schwab. IFP manages them. It never holds your money.
- Your workplace plan
- A 401(k), 403(b) or similar plan stays in your employer’s plan while you work there. How to invest it is part of your financial plan.
- When you leave an employer or retire
- What to do with a workplace plan is a planning decision first and an investment decision second.
The fee
What it costs
Every client receives investment management. The fee is a percentage of the assets IFP manages for you, billed quarterly and debited from those accounts. Once they reach $1,000,000, the planning fee is waived.
| Assets we manage | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| First $2,000,000 | 0.75% |
| Next $3,000,000 | 0.50% |
| Above $5,000,000 | 0.25% |
Each rate applies only to the assets in its band.
Fees
Fair, published fees at every stage.
Starting out? A $3,000 planning fee means advice begins on day one, before there is a portfolio to manage. Already invested? Our investment management fees are lower than the industry average, and you work directly with me in a small firm with no phone trees. Once we manage $1,000,000 for you, the planning fee is waived.
The fees
Two fees for two jobs.
The planning fee pays for your financial plan from the first day, which makes it the right starting point if you have little or nothing to manage yet. Investment management, which every client receives, is a percentage of the assets we manage. Once those assets reach $1,000,000, the planning fee is waived and you pay only the investment management fee. There are no minimums.
- Financial planning$3,000a year, billed $750 a quarter. Waived once we manage $1,000,000 for you.
- Investment management0.75%of the first $2,000,000 we manage, then 0.50% on the next $3,000,000 and 0.25% above $5,000,000.
What the planning fee covers
- A written financial plan, and updates as your life changes
- Cash flow, savings and debt planning
- Tax, insurance, retirement, estate and education planning
- Guidance on how to invest your workplace retirement plan
- Direct access to Joe by phone, email and scheduled meetings
Investment management
The investment management fee schedule.
Every client receives investment management. The fee is a percentage of the assets IFP manages for you, billed quarterly and debited from those accounts.
Once the accounts we manage reach $1,000,000, the planning fee is waived and this is the only fee you pay. If you arrive with a sizeable portfolio, that is true from the start. Your planning does not change. Only the way we are paid does.
| Assets we manage | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| First $2,000,000 | 0.75% |
| Next $3,000,000 | 0.50% |
| Above $5,000,000 | 0.25% |
Each rate applies only to the assets in its band.
Industry comparison: Kitces Research (2024) found that the middle half of advisors charge about 1.00% to 1.20% of assets a year for portfolios under $1 million, and about 0.80% to 1.00% above $2 million. IFP’s blended rate is 0.75% on the first $2,000,000 and 0.60% at $5,000,000. Source: Kitces.com, “How Financial Advisors Actually Charge For Their Services”.
Your number
See what you would pay
Enter the amount you would have IFP manage.
- Planning fee
- $3,000$750 a quarter
- Investment management rate
- 0.75%blended rate
| Assets we manage | Planning fee | Investing rate |
|---|---|---|
| No assets yet | $3,000 | None yet |
| $250,000 | $3,000 | 0.75% |
| $500,000 | $3,000 | 0.75% |
| $750,000 | $3,000 | 0.75% |
| $1,000,000 | $0 | 0.75% |
| $3,000,000 | $0 | 0.67% |
| $5,000,000 | $0 | 0.60% |
| $10,000,000 | $0 | 0.43% |
Paying your fees
How the fees are paid, and what they do not cover
- Planning fee
- $3,000 a year, billed quarterly at $750 by debit card, credit card or ACH bank transfer. Waived once the accounts we manage reach $1,000,000.
- Investment management fee
- Billed quarterly and debited directly from the accounts IFP manages for you.
- Fund expenses
- The funds in your accounts have their own expense ratios, paid to the fund company. None of it comes to IFP.
- Custodian charges
- Any transaction or account charges from Charles Schwab are paid to Schwab.
- Other professionals
- Tax preparation and legal documents are done by your CPA and attorney and billed by them. We coordinate with both.
About
The advisor I wish my own family had
Joe Schmitt, CRPC®, is the founder of Incline Financial Planning, a husband and a father of five.
Our story
As an airline pilot and a university professor raising five children, my wife and I know firsthand what it is like to be young professionals with demanding careers. Early on, despite solid career earnings, we realized we needed a strategic roadmap to achieve true freedom, career flexibility, and lasting family wealth.
However, when we sought professional financial advice as recent graduates with no accumulated assets, we hit a wall. In our experience, advisors either turned us away because of strict asset minimums or steered us toward high-commission products and life insurance policies. It felt as though the system was built to serve the advisor’s pocketbook rather than to help young professionals build a solid foundation.
We knew it did not have to be this way. Getting sound, objective financial guidance early in your career is life-changing, not just for individuals but for their families’ futures. Young professionals should not be left out in the cold just because they are still in the wealth-building phase of life.
That frustration sparked a mission. In May 2022, I founded Incline Financial Planning to solve that exact problem. We believe everyone deserves fiduciary advice from day one, free of commissions and product sales. You should not have to wait until you have a sizeable nest egg to receive quality investment management, and you should certainly not be sold products you do not need.
The same is true if you have already built that nest egg. Our investment management fees are lower than the industry average, and you work directly with me, not a service team or a phone tree. Whether you are just starting out or already invested, we are dedicated to providing accessible, transparent advice that helps individuals and families build lasting wealth with clarity and confidence.
Industry comparison: Kitces Research (2024) found that the middle half of advisors charge about 1.00% to 1.20% of assets a year for portfolios under $1 million, and about 0.80% to 1.00% above $2 million. IFP’s blended rate is 0.75% on the first $2,000,000 and 0.60% at $5,000,000. Source: Kitces.com, “How Financial Advisors Actually Charge For Their Services”.
The meaning behind our name
Inclines were built to lift hard-working families.
When Pittsburgh’s first passenger inclines, the Monongahela and the Duquesne, opened in the 1870s, their riders were immigrant mill workers. After a grueling shift in the smoke-filled river valley, these workers would board the incline to ride up to their homes on Mount Washington. At the top, the air was clean, the skies were clear, and the entire city finally came into view.
We look at our clients the exact same way. The people we serve are incredibly hard workers, and many are the first or second generation in their families to build real, lasting wealth. The heavy lifting is all yours: the years of training, the long hours, and the sacrifices at work and at home.
Our job at Incline Financial Planning is to be that lift for you and your family. We are here to take the income you work so hard to earn and elevate it, transporting you from the limited visibility of everyday financial stress up to clear skies. We want to lift your family to a place of absolute clarity, where your money is perfectly aligned with what matters most, giving you the freedom and security to live your best life.
Our philosophy
Wealth is the tool, not the goal.
Wealth creates freedom, freedom creates choice, and choice leads to a happier life. Everything we do helps you say yes to what matters most and no to what does not.
Debt stands between you and freedom.
Student loans, car loans and credit cards make every other goal harder, and they leave a family exposed if income is ever interrupted. We help you pay them off and stay out of them, because owing nothing is the best safety net a family can have.
Order beats cleverness.
A plan works only when it is followed. We take your goals one step at a time, in a deliberate order, and we do not skip steps because a client earns a lot. Coaching and accountability to keep going are a large part of what the planning fee pays for.
Pay the tax now.
For the dollars you save yourself, we default to Roth. A tax bill that is deferred is a debt that is still owed, and its rate and due date are set later by someone else. We make exceptions when your numbers call for one, and we write down why.
How I work
How I work
Fee-only and fiduciary.
I am compensated only by my clients, never by product manufacturers or third parties. Every recommendation has to pass the same test: is this what I would advise if you were a member of my own family?
Published fees.
$3,000 a year for planning, and a published schedule for investment management. You know the cost before the first call.
Long-term relationships.
I work with each client as an ongoing relationship, not a one-time engagement. The first year builds the foundation. The years after are when the framework actually compounds.
Just me, not a large brokerage firm.
When you are my client, you work directly with me. No associate advisors, no junior planners, no client service teams. Phone, email and scheduled meetings, whatever works for your schedule.
The firm
The facts
- Registration
- Pennsylvania state-registered investment adviser
- Compensation
- Fee-only. No commissions, no product sales.
- Custodian
- Charles Schwab
- Credential
- Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®)
- Location
- Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Serving clients across the United States.
Questions
Questions we hear first
Short answers. The longer ones happen on a call.
Working together
Who do you work with?
IFP works with individuals and families, many of them busy professionals with specialized careers and good salaries. Many of our clients are the first in their families to build real wealth.
Is there a minimum to get started?
No. IFP has no minimums. We offer financial planning and investment management regardless of the assets you have.
Can I start right out of school?
Yes. Planning starts on day one even when you have little to invest.
Do you work with people who are late in their careers or retired?
Yes. IFP works with clients at every stage: young professionals getting advice early, mid-career professionals with growing households, and late-career or retired professionals moving from saving to spending.
Who will I work with?
Joe Schmitt, directly. IFP is just me, not a large brokerage firm, so there are no associate advisors, no junior planners and no client service teams between us.
What happens on the first call?
We talk about your situation, what you are trying to build, and whether IFP is the right fit. There is no charge and no pressure. If we are not the right fit, I will do my best to point you toward someone who is.
Do you work with single clients?
Yes. IFP works with single clients as well as couples and families. The plan is built around your household, whether that is just you or you and a spouse. When there is a spouse or partner, we plan with both of you whenever possible.
Where are you located?
IFP is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and works with clients across the United States by phone, email and scheduled meetings.
Fees
What does it cost?
Planning is $3,000 a year, billed quarterly at $750. Every client also receives investment management, which follows a published schedule: 0.75% on the first $2,000,000 of assets we manage, 0.50% on the next $3,000,000 and 0.25% above $5,000,000.
When is the planning fee waived?
Once the accounts IFP manages for you reach $1,000,000, the planning fee no longer applies and you pay the investment management fee only. Planning continues exactly as before.
What if I have little to invest right now?
The planning fee starts on day one, so advice does not have to wait for a portfolio. As your portfolio grows, the investment management fee grows with it, and the planning fee is waived once we manage $1,000,000 for you.
How do I pay?
The planning fee is billed quarterly and paid by debit card, credit card or ACH bank transfer. Investment management fees are billed quarterly and debited directly from the accounts we manage.
Do you earn commissions or sell insurance?
No. IFP is fee-only. Clients are the only source of compensation.
Are you a fiduciary?
Yes. IFP is a fee-only fiduciary registered investment adviser.
Investments
Is investment management optional?
No. Every client receives both financial planning and investment management. We have found that clients who receive only a plan often do not carry it out, and carrying it out is one of the biggest reasons to hire an advisor. Your IRAs, Roth IRAs and taxable brokerage accounts move to Charles Schwab in your own name, and IFP manages them as part of your plan, so the plan actually gets done.
What about my 401(k) at work?
It stays in your employer’s plan while you work there. How to invest it is part of your financial plan.
Where is my money held?
In accounts in your own name at Charles Schwab.
How are the portfolios built?
Around your plan, not a generic risk tolerance questionnaire. We map the cash your goals will need and when, and that sets your asset allocation. Portfolios use low-cost, broadly diversified funds and are managed with taxes in mind and without market predictions.
I only want my investments managed. Why plan first?
Because the plan decides how the money should be invested. Without it, a portfolio is a guess about what you need.
Contact
Start with a short call
If you would like to talk, the easiest path is a short call. There is no charge for the conversation and no pressure to engage. We will talk about your situation, what you are trying to build, and whether IFP is the right fit. If it is not, I will do my best to point you toward someone better suited.
Joe Schmitt, CRPC®
Incline Financial Planning
joe@inclinefp.com 724-462-4191
Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Serving clients across the United States.