Firm Info
Firm Size
Services Offered
- Financial Planning
- Portfolio Management for Individuals & Small Businesses
- Portfolio Management for Businesses or Institutional Clients
- Pension Consulting Services
- Selection of Others Advisors
- Educational Seminars & Workshops
Types of Clients
- Individuals (Not High Net Worth)
-
Individuals High Net Worth
*>=750k in Investable Assets or >=1.5m of Estimated Total Net Worth
- Banking Institutions
- Pension & Profit Sharing Plans
- Charitable Organizations
- State & Municipal Govt Entities
- Corporations or Other Businesses Not Listed Above
Available Fee Structures
- Percentage of Assets Under Management (AUM)
- Hourly
- Fixed Fees (Other than subscription)
- Other
Creative Planning Overview
Creative Planning is a Fee Only registered investment advisory firm that provides investment advice to individuals, small businesses, and institutional clients. Since 1983, they have been a leader in their field, with headquarters in Overland Park, KS. This firm offers a range of services, including financial planning, portfolio management, pension consulting services, and the selection of other advisors. They also offer educational seminars and workshops to help their clients stay informed about the latest investment strategies and trends. Creative Planning specializes in portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, as well as portfolio management for businesses or institutional clients. They pride themselves on their ability to help clients achieve their financial goals by developing personalized investment strategies that are tailored to their individual needs. As a Fee Only firm, they do not accept commissions on sales, which makes them better able to provide unbiased advice to their clients. In addition to their investment services, Creative Planning also provides educational seminars and workshops designed to help clients stay up-to-date on the latest investment trends and strategies. They believe that it is important for clients to be informed about their investment options, which is why they offer a range of educational resources. Whether you are a first-time investor or an experienced one, Creative Planning can help you develop a plan that is right for you.
Creative Planning is a firm that caters to a diverse range of clients, including individuals, high net worth individuals, banking institutions, pension or profit sharing plans, charitable organizations, state or municipal government entities, and other corporation types not listed. The firm's services are tailored to the unique needs of each client, ensuring that they receive the most appropriate advice to meet their goals. Creative Planning has the expertise and experience to serve clients from different sectors, each with their own distinctive financial challenges and opportunities. Creative Planning offers a variety of fee structures, depending on the service provided. These fee structures include a percentage of assets under management, hourly, fixed fees, and other types of fees. This broad range of fees ensures that clients can choose the pricing structure that best suits their needs and preferences. The firm also provides transparent and competitive pricing, so clients can be confident that they are getting value for their money. The fees charged are directly proportional to the level of service provided, ensuring that clients receive personalized financial advice that accurately reflects their financial situation and goals. Whether a client is seeking investment management, retirement planning, or estate planning, Creative Planning has a fee structure to match.
Typical Clients, Fee Structures & Investment Minimum
According to the Part 2 Brochure of Creative Planning, there is no information about the investment minimum required by the firm. They do not provide any specific details about the investment minimum that an investor needs to maintain to start investing with the company.
How This Office Can Help Walnut Creek, CA Residents
Creative Planning is a financial planning and investment management firm that assists clients in Walnut Creek, CA. With a focus on personalized strategies, Creative Planning creates plans that are uniquely tailored to each client's individual financial situation. They take into account factors such as career goals, family dynamics, current lifestyle, and future aspirations in order to create a plan that is sustainable and achievable. Clients in Walnut Creek, CA may face a variety of financial challenges, such as high living costs, housing expenses, and student loan debts. Additionally, retirees and those nearing retirement may be concerned about how to maximize their savings and protect their assets during the later stages of life. Creative Planning's team of financial advisors can help address these issues and more, developing plans that aim to optimize investment portfolios, minimize tax liabilities, and create sustainable streams of income. By working with Creative Planning, clients in Walnut Creek, CA can be confident that their financial future is in capable and knowledgeable hands.
Services Offered by Creative Planning
Core Advisor Services
Financial Planning
Financial planning services encompass the process of devising strategies for your future financial well-being, including preparing for events such as retirement, funding your child's college education, or planning for the transfer of assets.
Portfolio Management for Individuals & Small Businesses
Portfolio management entails the careful selection and strategic management of investment combinations tailored to meet the needs of individuals and small businesses.
Market Timing Services
Market timing services involve the endeavor to generate short-term profits from investments by capitalizing on opportunities to buy at low prices and sell at high prices.
Other Services
Selection of Other Advisors
The firm provides support in selecting and engaging other advisors who possess specialized expertise to complement your financial needs.
Publication of Periodicals or Newsletters
The firm engages in the dissemination of diverse financial educational materials through the publication of periodicals.
Educational Seminars & Workshops
The firm organizes and conducts seminars or workshops aimed at enlightening investors on various financial concepts.
Fee Structures
Financial advisory fees usually are based on the services provided. Fee types charged by Creative Planning most likely consist of the following fee types: asset-based, hourly or fixed. Wrap fee programs, or the practice of bundling services for a single fee, are not offered by the firm.
Available
Percentage of Assets Under Management (AUM)
This fee structure charges a percentage of the assets under management by the firm. Fee structures are often tiered based on the amount of assets managed, with higher AUM often charged a lower rate.
Between 0.50% and 2.00% of assets under management (annually), often lower for a robo advisor. Fees are typically charged quarterly by the firm and will show on your investment statement. View typical advisor costs here.
~96% of registered firms offer this fee structure.
If you have $1 million managed by a firm at a 1% management fee, you would be charged $10,000/year to manage your assets (or $2,500 per quarter). This would be automatically deducted from your investment portfolio.
Hourly
Similar to an attorney, a financial consultant might charge fees based on hourly rates. This fee structure can be advantageous when seeking specific or ad hoc advice.
Charges generally span from $150 to $400 per hour, depending on the extent of the services required.
~33% of registered firms offer this fee structure.
If you needed hourly consulting to sell a business or transfer your estate to your children but did not want your assets managed by a firm, you could consult a firm at an hourly rate to answer any questions you may have.
Fixed Fees (Other than subscription)
Fixed fees are a one-time, lump-sum payment rendered for a specific service, such as creating a financial plan without ongoing management or implementation. This option is beneficial if you solely require guidance for a particular objective rather than a long-term consultancy or asset management.
Fixed fees for creating a financial plan often range from $1,000 to $3,000.
~49% of registered firms offer this fee structure.
If you did not want a firm to manage your assets but needed to create a retirement plan, life transition plan such as divorce or loss of a spouse, estate transition plan, business financial plan, or any other financial planning, you could consult with an RIA firm to help you with the creation of that plan.
Other
Firms occasionally offer unconventional fee structures when charging clients. For more detailed information about a firm’s specific fee structures, please refer to their Form ADV and Part 2 Brochure.
Unavailable
Subscription (Newsletter or Periodical)
Commissions
Occasionally, advisors are compensated through commissions by selling certain financial products, such as mutual funds or life insurance policies, or as a broker-dealer by facilitating the buying and selling of securities. Advisors who receive commissions may be incentivized to make specific suggestions to clients in order to secure a commission. Advisors who operate on a fee-only basis do not earn commissions, whereas fee-based advisors may do so.
Often 3% - 6% of the value of the security.
Only ~3% of registered firms say they offer this fee structure, but other advisors may receive “soft dollars”. Many mutual funds charge 12b-1 fees to cover the promoting and selling of the fund’s shares. While your advisor does not charge these fees, they may receive a kickback for recommending the investment.
An advisor selling their client on a life insurance policy and receiving a commission on the sale of that policy, or recommending a specific investment and receiving a kickback for that recommendation.
Performance-based Fees
Advisors typically obtain performance-based fees if a portfolio surpasses a predefined benchmark. This fee is determined through various methods, but is most commonly assessed as a percentage of investment gains. Performance-based fees may incentivize advisors to undertake riskier decisions in pursuit of generating higher returns.
“Two and Twenty” is common among hedge funds with a 2% management fee and a 20% incentive fee above the “hurdle rate,” or performance threshold the fund is compared against.
32% of registered firms offer this fee structure.
A hedge fund earns a 15% return with a 20% performance fee in above the performance of the S&P 500, which grew 7% that same year.
20% of fund growth in excess of S&P 500’s 7% growth for that year = 15% hedge fund growth - 7% S&P 500 growth = 8% difference x 20% = 2% performance fee (in addition to the management fee).
Types of Clients
*The Securities & Exchange Commission defines someone as “high net worth” if they have $750,000 or more in investable assets or $1.5M of estimated total net worth.
This Office Location
Other Office Locations
Firm Headquarters
This firm has no other locations.
State Registrations
Creative Planning is registered to service clients in the following states:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Virgin Islands
Disciplinary History
Creative Planning does not have any disclosures. Please visit it's Form ADV for more details.