Clear, transparent fees. No surprises.

The initial fee ($2,500–$5,000, depending on complexity) covers the significant front-loaded work of building a cross-border financial plan from scratch — gathering and reconciling data across two tax systems, modelling scenarios, reviewing prior Form 1040 returns for compliance gaps, and producing the foundational documents your ongoing advisory will build on. It is a one-time charge; there is no annual equivalent.

Fee-only means your total annual cost is exactly what appears on our fee schedule — no commissions buried in investment products, no referral fees paid to us by insurance companies, no currency conversion spreads. Fiduciary means we are legally required to recommend what is best for you, not what generates more revenue for us. For a Sailor client paying $6,000/year, the total annual advisory cost is $6,000, nothing hidden.

For the Sailor package, the minimum all-in cost in year one is: $499 (discovery meeting, credited back) + $2,500–$5,000 (initial engagement fee) + $6,000 (annual advisory minimum) = approximately $8,500–$11,000 gross, or $8,001–$10,501 net after the discovery credit. For the Settler package, the annual minimum is $10,000, plus the same initial fee range. The Explorer one-time plan has no initial fee and costs $3,000 – $6,000, depending on complexity.

No minimum engagement term. Either party may terminate on 30 days' written notice.

The Sailor package covers financial planning across all three phases — Create, Implement, and Monitor — but does not include discretionary portfolio management (buying, selling, and rebalancing investments on your behalf). That service is part of the Settler package at AUM-based fees starting at 1%. Sailor clients can add standalone portfolio management — contact us to discuss what that would look like for your situation and asset level.

Upgrading from Sailor to Settler is common and straightforward - many clients start with planning-only and add investment management as their assets grow or they decide to delegate that function. Either party may terminate or change packages on 30 days' written notice - there's no minimum engagement term. We discuss package fit at each annual review, and if your situation changes (assets growing, life events, etc.) we'll adjust the engagement accordingly.

Often yes. American expats frequently have US advisors who are not equipped for cross-border complexity — most have never filed Form 2555 or FinCEN 114, and are not familiar with Modelo 720, PFIC rules, or the US-Spain Tax Treaty. The Explorer engagement produces a comprehensive cross-border financial plan you can share with your existing US advisor to coordinate their recommendations. See the full deliverables breakdown for exactly what is included in the Explorer plan.

Tier 2 means assets under management at or above $1,500,000. At Tier 2 and above, US and Spanish tax preparation and filing are handled under our coordination and included in the Settler fee. Below Tier 2, cross-border tax coordination is included but preparation and filing are not - those are arranged separately with your own preparers. One detail worth being clear about: only assets we manage count toward the threshold. Assets under advisement - accounts we advise on but do not manage - are billed separately at 0.15% a year and do not count toward Tier 2.