Welcome to Incline Financial Planning

At Incline Financial Planning, we believe financial success isn’t just about numbers—it’s about building a life of stability, opportunity, and peace of mind. I’m Joe Schmitt, a husband, father of five, airline pilot, and financial planner. Our firm is rooted in the values of our hometown, Pittsburgh, PA—hard work, resilience, and a genuine commitment to helping others. We are dedicated to providing straightforward, conflict-free financial advice, ensuring that your financial future is built on a solid foundation.

A Personal Journey into Financial Planning

As a Boeing 787 pilot for American Airlines and my wife a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, we’ve both experienced the challenges of managing demanding careers while planning for our family’s financial future. When we searched for professional financial guidance, we kept encountering commission-driven advisors, confusing fee structures, and generic advice that didn’t fit our situation. Frustrated by the lack of a solution, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I pursued advanced financial education, completing the educational requirements for the CFP® designation and earning my CRPC® designation in 2024. What started as a personal quest for knowledge became a passion for helping others in similar situations. I founded Incline Financial Planning to be the firm we had been looking for—one that offers transparent, conflict-free advice tailored to real-life financial challenges.

Our Mission: Helping You Reach New Heights

Inspired by Pittsburgh’s iconic Incline—a system that lifts passengers from the riverfront to breathtaking views atop Mount Washington—our goal is to elevate you from financial uncertainty to confidence and opportunity. No matter your profession or stage in life, we provide expert guidance tailored to your unique situation, helping you navigate everything from wealth-building strategies to retirement planning.

Why Choose Incline Financial Planning?

  • Personalized Strategies: Your financial goals are unique, and your financial plan should be too. We take the time to understand your situation and build a strategy that fits your life.

  • Transparent & Fair Fees: Our fee structure is 25% lower than the industry average*, ensuring you receive high-quality, unbiased advice without unnecessary costs.

  • Commitment to Your Best Interests: As a fee-only firm, we don’t earn commissions or push products—our only focus is helping you succeed.

Join us at Incline Financial Planning, where we walk alongside you every step of the way. Together, we’ll chart a course toward financial security and the future you envision.

Philosophy

  • Financial planning before investment management.

    We take the time to understand your unique situation. By understanding your whole financial picture and the life that you want to live. We can then build an investment strategy that is right for you.

  • The value of financial advice is in the relationship.

    You can now easily get an investment portfolio through any robo advisor for 0.25% of your assets to be managed.

    The value of financial advice is now in the relationship with an actual human. It is a partner who will not only help you define your goals, but build a plan unique to you. They should walk alongside you to help attain those goals. They should ensure that you actually implement those plans and help hold you accountable.

  • Charging a flat fee is the only way to provide conflict free advice.

    If an advisor is compensated via a percentage of your investments, how likely would they suggest you use that money to pay off debt? Buy a second home? Pay cash for a car? Would it not be more profitable for them to suggest you take out a loan and instead keep that money invested?

  • Don't build your savings without knowing your why.

    Why would you build your life without first creating the vision?

  • Passive investment management is superior to active investment management.

    We believe markets are efficient. We do not try to time markets or actively pick individual stocks.

  • Experiences > Things

    Fulfillment comes from relationships and experiences, not things. We know this! Don’t succumb to consumer culture.

  • More money does not equal more happiness.

    Wealth and happiness is the ability to spend time that is aligned with your core values. More money won’t replace that missed soccer game, holiday, birthday…

  • The concept of retirement is obsolete.

    There are other options than working until you are 65. You could work part time. Maybe you want to start a business or go back to school. Or you may want to take time off to spend time with family and friends. Explore your options and live without regrets.

  • Build flexibility into your financial plan.

    Who knows what the future holds. Live today. Plan for flexibility to be a part of your future.

  • Financial Planning is an ongoing process.

    Life Transitions = Money Decisions

  • The most important financial decisions are when you are younger not near retirement.

    It is easier to make good money decisions when we are younger as opposed to fix money mistakes later in life.

  • We strive for debt freedom.

    No debt = peace of mind and flexibility