The fees are based on hourly usage. For what I call “financial cleaning,” going through boxes of papers, throwing out envelopes, and flyers, and generally organizing and sorting these documents so I can then work with the information, the hourly fee is $60/hr.

• • Estate/Trust Administration: From $125/hour to $150+ per hour depending on the nature of the situation. The vast majority are at $125/hour. For Executor Navigator Premier services, I can provide caps based on estate value. Contact me for details.
  • Daily Money Management (DMM) Services: $125 per hour for onboarding and triage. Once established, standard DMM rates apply with a 2-hour minimum per month billing. For ongoing services with a certain guaranteed set number of hours, I can negotiate discounted prepaid rates.
  • Special Projects: $125 per hour. Special scripting for data extractions (if required) at $275/hr (this is rarely needed).
  • Travel: Travel time to client location is billed at 1/2 rate minus 30 minutes round trip. Travel to other meeting locations (e.g. Attorney or CPA) or to run errands is billed at a 3/4 rate minus 30 minutes round trip). Mileage over 60 miles round trip is billed at $0.65/mile or the current year’s IRS mileage allowance. Any out-of-pocket expenses (postage, shipping, etc.) are billed at cost with receipts provided.
  • After Hours/Weekend: 25% surcharge for in-person meetings or requirements for me to be on-site after 6:30 pm M-F or anytime on Weekends. Major Holidays surcharge of 50%.
  • Fiduciary Duties: In the vast majority of cases, I act as an “Executive Assistant” and do things based on the Client’s (or their PoA/Guardian) final decision. For some Executor Navigator Premier and certain DMM services, you may want me to be a Fiduciary, meaning I make the decision(s). When acting in such a capacity, there is a 25% surcharge to the hourly fees with a minimum monthly retainer of 10 hours required. The estate/Trust pays my bond.

For context, the most common basic daily money management service would be about 3 hours per month: which includes 1 monthly face-to-face meeting to go over mail/bills, plus bill paying and recording/reconciling banking, investment, and credit card information in Quicken or Quickbooks, preparing a monthly report and reviewing medical claims for accuracy. Of course, this includes making sure the charges are legitimate and working with the client on budgeting matters, and the books and records I keep would be “CPA Ready” at tax time. This would be $285 per month once onboarded.

There are no “$250 set up fees” or such per se. That said, it does take time to onboard a client and get them set and ready.

The standard deposit is $625 for DMM work and $1,250 for estate work which is held and the final bill is billed against. Any deficits are billed, and any excess is refunded. So, for a multi-month estate assistance contract, I would take a $1,250 deposit, bill every 2 weeks (or once a month if billing is less than $1,000), and then the final closing bill would be netted against the deposit and a final payment or refund is done accordingly.

For onboarding a DMM (Daily Money Management Client), I obtain the $625 deposit and charge my standard consulting rate until they are onboarded.  Sometimes, especially if they’re already using online software and the transactions are up to date, then the process is fairly quick and simple. If the situation is more complex, then, of course, more time is needed. Once I have the major issues addressed and the larger issues triaged and managed, I can move to the DMM pricing structure. It is not uncommon where a bill will reflect the onboarding rate and also the standard DMM rate when providing those services concurrently. If the client transitions to a pre-paid retainer situation once onboarded, the monthly retainer fee is netted against the deposit until it is gone, after which standard retainer billing cycles apply.

In addition to the contracted services paired with my skills and education, I also offer mobile notary services for no additional fee if incorporated into an already scheduled face-to-face meeting, or for a greatly reduced rate for established clients. The SOC2 and HIPAA-compliant portal, which either you or loved ones of your choosing can access, is also included as well as knowledge-based authentication (KBA) electronic signature for your convenience.

Fees for accounting software (such as Quicken, Quickbooks Online, Simplifi, or Xero) are separate; we can discuss various very affordable and flexible options.  

Service hours are weekdays from 8 am to 6 pm. Services needed outside of these hours may incur a surcharge.

I can accept credit card, check, or ACH (bank account) transfers. Invoices can be sent to the client portal or presented in person or via e/mail as per client preference. For clients in retainer or set monthly recurring, we can set up an automatic recurring payment.

The main difference has to do with whether a service is ongoing or a temporary project, plus the number of predictable hours.

The Life Transitions or Estate Administration rate is for those who may be behind due to life’s circumstances and need someone to step in and get it organized and caught up. Same idea with Estate Administration – they need help getting through this event. After that, either the estate is closed or, in the case of Life Transitions, the person can resume control. These are pretty much one-off projects or every quarter or so.

Most of these folks had some major life event that got them behind. This may include death in the family, extended illness, moving, divorce, new birth/adoption, and other circumstances that took their focus.

Daily Money Management Services has two components: Onboarding and Continuing.  Onboarding is the initial rate charged for new clients I’m reviewing who want ongoing services. We may know in general what services are needed, but need to work out the specifics once we get into the facts of the matter. If it becomes apparent what service level is the best fit, I transition the client, if they wish, to a less expensive (per hour) retainer plan if that makes sense for them.

Pre-Paid Retainer Plus is for established clients who require a minimum of 5 hours or more of service per month and pre-pay in full for these hours at the beginning of the month. These hours are set aside specifically for the client. Some clients use them all, while others may like knowing there’s a “bank” of service hours available. Unused time does not carry forward to the next month, except if otherwise agreed to. 

If service hours go over their retainer, the difference is billed at the retainer computed hourly rate. (Honestly, I don’t nickel-dime this in tracking. If I performed 4 hours one month for a 5-hour/month contract, but the next month is 6, I’m not going to surcharge for the 6-hour month. I try to be reasonable.)

I bill in 6-minute increments or 1/10th of an hour. For face-to-face assistance or doing errands for clients, time starts while driving to the location and the time billed is 1/2 rate if for meetings (with the first 15 minutes free) but 3/4 rate if for errands. Mileage is only charged if over 60 miles round trip. However, there may be added per diem, parking, and travel charges for special projects, but that’s not typical, and any expenses (such as postage and shipping) are billed to the client.

DMM Services are billed every two weeks until the client is onboarded. Then it is monthly.

Estate Services and Transitions Services (Special Projects) are billed every two weeks or once $1,000 in billing is reached, whichever is sooner. 

Yes, we can explore such options if we can arrange for one bill. I can also offer group discounts for organizations, such as churches or assisted living centers.