No hidden fees. No surprises. We believe you should always know exactly what you're paying and what you're getting.
| Asset Tier | Annual Rate |
|---|---|
| First $500,000 | 1.50% |
| Next $500,001 – $1,000,000 | 1.25% |
| Next $1,000,001 – $2,500,000 | 1.00% |
| Above $2,500,000 | 0.85% |
The schedule is blended (marginal), not flat. Each slice of your portfolio is billed at its own tier's rate — the lower rates apply only to the dollars above each threshold, exactly like federal tax brackets. You don't drop to a single lower rate once you cross a line; instead, every new dollar is billed at the rate of the tier it lands in, so your effective rate eases down as your portfolio grows.
| Tier | The dollars in this tier… | Annual rate | Per quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First $500,000 | 1.50% | 0.375% |
| 2 | $500,001 – $1,000,000 | 1.25% | 0.3125% |
| 3 | $1,000,001 – $2,500,000 | 1.00% | 0.25% |
| 4 | Everything above $2,500,000 | 0.85% | 0.2125% |
Because the tiers blend, the effective rate on the whole portfolio is always lower than the top tier you've reached. Here's the all-in annual fee at a range of portfolio sizes:
| Portfolio value | Annual fee | Effective rate | Per quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $3,750 | 1.50% | $937.50 |
| $500,000 | $7,500 | 1.50% | $1,875 |
| $750,000 | $10,625 | 1.42% | $2,656 |
| $1,000,000 | $13,750 | 1.38% | $3,438 |
| $1,500,000 | $18,750 | 1.25% | $4,688 |
| $2,500,000 | $28,750 | 1.15% | $7,188 |
| $5,000,000 | $50,000 | 1.00% | $12,500 |
Illustrative only — your fee is calculated on the average daily balance of your account over the quarter (each day's closing value, summed and divided by the number of days in the quarter), then billed the following quarter, in arrears. Averaging across the whole quarter is fairer than a single snapshot — a one-day spike or dip on the last day of the quarter doesn't skew what you pay. The $750,000 row, step by step: the first $500,000 at 1.50% ($7,500) plus the next $250,000 at 1.25% ($3,125) = $10,625 a year, a 1.42% effective rate.
A blended schedule produces higher total fees than a "breakpoint" schedule, where the entire balance would be charged at a single rate once a threshold is reached. We disclose this plainly — here, in the advisory agreement, and in our Firm Brochure (ADV Part 2A) — because you should never need a magnifying glass to understand what your advisor earns.
Planning is priced in three complexity tiers, separate from investment management. Your exact fee is set within the published range at signing, using objective criteria applied uniformly to every client — the number of accounts and account types in scope, any business entities, trusts, or equity compensation, the number of goals modeled, the estimated hours to deliver, and overall household complexity. It's documented in your written agreement before you commit.
| Tier | What it covers | Flat fee |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 — Targeted | A single-topic written plan — e.g. retirement income, education funding, debt & cash-flow, or insurance needs. | $300 – $800 |
| Tier 2 — Comprehensive | A multi-topic plan: goals, cash flow, balance sheet, retirement projections, allocation review, tax, insurance, and an estate overview. | $800 – $2,500 |
| Tier 3 — Complex | The comprehensive plan plus business-entity, equity-compensation, or multi-account / multi-entity analysis. | $3,000 – $5,000 |
| Tier | Per quarter | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 — Targeted * | $150 – $300 | $600 – $1,200 |
| Tier 2 — Comprehensive | $300 – $650 | $1,200 – $2,600 |
| Tier 3 — Complex | $750 – $1,250 | $3,000 – $5,000 |
* Tier 1 ongoing planning is available only to clients who don't have an active investment-management engagement — a lower-cost option for simpler situations, so total advisory costs don't stack up.
Project-based fees are billed in arrears on delivery of your written plan, payable within 30 days — nothing is collected in advance. Ongoing planning is billed quarterly in arrears on a 12-month term that does not auto-renew; it continues only if you reaffirm it in writing each year, and there's no prepayment, retainer, or deposit. A flat fee can sometimes exceed what the same work would cost at our $275 hourly rate — a conflict we disclose, and which we mitigate by recommending hourly when it's the cheaper path for you and by crediting you if a plan runs materially shorter than expected. Full detail is in ADV Part 2A, Item 5.
Investment management is billed on a blended schedule: 1.50% per year on the first $500,000, 1.25% on the next $500,000, 1.00% from $1M to $2.5M, and 0.85% above $2.5M — each tier of assets is charged at its own rate. A $750,000 portfolio works out to $10,625 per year (about 1.42% effective). Hourly consulting outside an engagement is a uniform $275 per hour.
Financial planning is priced separately from investment management, in three complexity tiers. A one-time, project-based plan is a flat fee: $300 to $800 for a single-topic (Targeted) plan, $800 to $2,500 for a Comprehensive plan, and $3,000 to $5,000 for a Complex or business-owner plan. Ongoing planning is billed quarterly: $150 to $300 (Targeted), $300 to $650 (Comprehensive), or $750 to $1,250 (Complex) per quarter. Your exact fee is set within the published range at signing using objective criteria, quoted in writing before you start, and billed only in arrears.
Nothing is ever due in advance. Fees are billed quarterly in arrears — after the quarter of service is delivered — based on the average daily balance of your account over the prior quarter (each day's closing value, summed and divided by the number of days in the quarter). Kimberlite does not require, accept, or hold any prepayment, deposit, or retainer.
No. The fee schedule is uniform and non-negotiable — every client pays the same published rates. That keeps the engagement fair and removes any incentive to treat clients differently.
Third parties charge their own fees separately: custodial fees, brokerage and transaction costs, mutual fund and ETF expense ratios, taxes, and wire fees. Kimberlite does not share in any portion of these third-party fees.
Yes. Either party may terminate the agreement at any time with written notice, without penalty. Because billing is in arrears, you only ever pay for services already delivered. Utah rules also give you a five-business-day window after signing to terminate without any obligation.
There is no published account minimum. Whether ongoing investment management makes economic sense for your situation is exactly the kind of thing we cover candidly in a free intro call — and if an hourly engagement serves you better, we'll say so.
Schedule a complimentary introductory call and we'll help you determine the best engagement model for your situation.
Schedule Your Intro Call