Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to many of the questions we've heard over the years.

Select a Topic

Staib Financial Planning, LLC firmly believes in transparency in all of our interactions. As such, we welcome the opportunity to disclose details about our Credentials, Business Practices, Services & Fees, and Regulatory information. We believe disclosing this information will help you make more intelligent and informed decisions in determining competence, trustworthiness, and ultimately, whether you wish to do business with us.

Credentials

Are you a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)?

Yes. Paul Staib, Principal of Staib Financial Planning, LLC has been a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) since 2008.

What is the Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®) credential?

Paul Staib, Principal of Staib Financial Planning, LLC is a Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®).

The Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®) is the nation’s leading credential for comprehensive retirement income planning. A key focus is understanding, choosing, and executing a sustainable retirement income strategy from available resources.

The program provides best practices in areas including:

Social Security claiming strategies
Evaluating and addressing risks faced in retirement financial planning
Choosing distributions from employer sponsored retirement financial plans
Medicare and other health insurance choices
Planning for long-term care needs
Retirement income tax and legacy planning

What are your financial planning credentials / designations and affiliations?

Additionally, in order to maintain his professional credentials and designations, Paul Staib, Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), Retirement Income Certified Professional (RISP®), MBA, is required to meet extensive continuing education requirements to keep his knowledge current.

What is your educational background?

Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) Professional Designation, KAPLAN College. Advanced education required in financial planning topics such as retirement planning, investments, taxes, insurance, and estate planning.
Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®) Professional Designation, The American College. Advanced education required in retirement planning topics such as social security, investment withdrawals, investment management, tax-efficient planning, health care and long-term care.
Master in Business Administration (MBA) - Finance/Entrepreneurship, DePaul University, 1997
BS in Management Information Systems with a Computer Science minor, University of Dayton, 1990

Additionally, in order to maintain his professional credentials and designations, Paul Staib, Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®), MBA, is required to meet extensive continuing education requirements to keep his knowledge current.

How long have you been offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement planning services?

Staib Financial Planning, LLC has been providing comprehensive tax-efficient retirement planning and investment management, services on a flat fee only basis since 2003.

Are you a member of NAPFA?

Yes. Paul Staib, Principal of Staib Financial Planning, LLC has been a National Association of Personal (Fee Only) Financial Advisors (NAPFA) member since 2004. NAPFA is the nation’s leading professional association of fee-only advisors. As a flat fee-only advisory firm, Staib Financial Planning, LLC does not receive commissions or referral fees of any kind. Compensation comes solely from our clients in the form of flat fees (not based upon a % of your portfolio). Additionally, all advisors at Staib Financial Planning, LLC are Certified Financial Planners (CFP®), and Retirement Income Certified Professionals (RICP®) and adhere to a strict code of ethics and profession conduct, meet extensive continuing education requirements, and are committed to always act as fiduciaries.

Business Practices

Are you a fiduciary?

Yes. Staib Financial Planning, LLC, as a Registered Investment Advisory firm, is a fiduciary. We are committed to always putting our clients’ interests above our own and providing the highest standard of care. Conflicts of interest are disclosed as soon as they are identified and costs are completely transparent. Our interests are aligned with those of our clients and we pride ourselves on always acting with complete integrity.

Are you a fee only financial planner or are you compensated via commissions?

Staib Financial Planning, LLC is a FLAT FEE ONLY registered investment advisor. This means our compensation is fully transparent and comes directly from our clients and not from any outside third party. In other words, we work for (and are compensated by) our clients – and only our clients.

As a FLAT Fee-Only Financial Advisor, we NEVER earn commissions or sell investment products. Our objective is to help you achieve your personal financial goals, not sell you products.

This operating model reduces or eliminates many potential conflicts of interest that exist at other firms which charge commissions based upon product sales, or a mix of fees and commissions.

Are you independent?

Yes. We believe that it is virtually impossible to offer clients objective, unbiased financial advice when you are affiliated with a company that develops or markets financial products. For that reason, Staib Financial Planning, LLC is not affiliated with any brokerage firm, bank, insurance company, or marketing organization. We are totally independent. In addition, we act as a fiduciary which means we are held to the highest ethical standards in the financial services industry and place our clients’ financial interests first.

Services & Fees

What services do you offer?

Staib Financial Planning, LLC specializes in providing comprehensive tax-efficient retirement planning and investment management services on a flat fee only basis. Whether your needs span the entire spectrum of financial planning related disciplines or just a few targeted areas, we can provide a customized solution to best meet your unique personal situation and financial goals.

Do you offer continuous, ongoing advice regarding my financial affairs, including advice on non-investment related financial issues?

Yes. Staib Financial Planning, LLC offers continuous, flat fee-only ongoing comprehensive services including non-investment related services. All of our services are tailored to meet your specific needs and requirements. You can learn more about our services and service models by visiting our Services webpage.

Do you have any investment or income minimum requirements for becoming a client?

No. We do not impose minimum investment, net worth, or income restrictions on our clients. We do, however, have minimum fees of $7,000/year for our ongoing services. We believe this policy allows us to serve any prospective client in need of trustworthy financial advice.

How much do you typically charge?

The flat fee for your service will depend upon your particular needs and vary based upon the complexity involved. An estimated fee is determined and communicated to you after an initial introductory meeting. Fees will always be clearly defined and a written service agreement will be provided to you prior to beginning work. Refer to our retirement services pages for additional details.

When I invest with you, who is actually holding my money?

We do not take custody of any client funds, and are prohibited from doing so. For our ongoing clients, most of client assets are held through our primary custodian, Charles Schwab. For some specific types of investments or accounts (e.g., 529 college savings plans), we may recommend the usage of other custodians.

How much do you charge for an initial meeting?

$0. We offer an initial introductory meeting that is complimentary and has no obligation. The meeting is an opportunity for us to get to know one another and determine if we would be a good fit for each other. At the conclusion of the meeting, once we have a better understanding of your situation and what your concerns are, we can then tell you how we think we can most cost-effectively and efficiently work together. You will understand what the costs will be upfront and you can then determine if you want to move forward and in what capacity.

What should I bring to our initial meeting?

Feel free to bring documents or statements related to anything you would specifically like to discuss. While it’s not required that you bring anything to our meeting, it’s often helpful to have (or at least be able to discuss) an outline of your overall financial picture. If it’s easier to just bring statements, that’s fine too.

Where do you meet with clients?

Staib Financial Planning, LLC strives to make meeting with us convenient and easy. We offer several office locations around the Denver area, conveniently serving Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Centennial, Littleton, Parker, Aurora, Denver and surrounding communities. We also serve clients virtually. Click here for details about our office locations.

How do I get started?

Regulatory

Have you ever been cited by a professional or regulatory governing body for disciplinary reasons?

No. Staib Financial Planning LLC, and Paul Staib, CFP®, MBA, have never been cited by a professional or regulatory governing body for disciplinary reasons. This information can be verified using the Security and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) website.

STAIB FINANCIAL PLANNING, LLC (IARD# 125706)

PAUL F STAIB (CRD# 4524109)

How can I verify and review your licensing, registration, and compliance information?

It is very important that you know you can trust our advice and services. To help us establish a foundation of trust, we welcome the opportunity to provide our licensing, registration, and compliance records to prospective clients, so you have the information you need to determine our trustworthiness.

Here are links to regulatory and governing organizations to verify our (or on any advisor’s) information: