FAQ

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does fee-only mean?

Fee-only means we’re compensated directly by our clients for financial planning and investment management. We don’t earn commissions for recommending specific investments, insurance products, or other financial products.

As a fiduciary, we’re required to put our clients’ interests first. Simply put: our job is to give you advice based on what we believe is best for you—not what pays us more.

Why hire an advisor when I can manage my investments myself?

Most of our clients are perfectly capable of managing their finances themselves. The question is whether they want to spend the time doing it—and whether they know what they might be missing.

Financial decisions rarely happen in isolation. Investments affect taxes. Career decisions affect retirement. Equity compensation creates concentration risk. Estate planning, insurance, charitable giving, college savings, and cash flow all compete for attention.

Our job is to connect those dots, identify opportunities, help you make decisions, and make sure the things you said you were going to do actually get done. Your financial plan isn’t a one-time document. It should evolve as your life does.

I'm interested, but I'm not sure we're a fit. What’s next?

Start with a complimentary introductory conversation, which you can schedule here. There’s no commitment—we’ll learn more about what you’re looking for, answer your questions, and determine whether our services are a good fit.

Financial planning is personal, and fit matters on both sides. If we don’t think we’re the right firm for you, we’ll tell you.

Who is NOT a good fit for Gunder?

If you’re looking for someone to predict the market, consistently beat it, or chase the next hot investment, we’re probably not the right fit.

We’re also a technology-forward firm. We communicate, share documents, and collaborate digitally, so clients need to be comfortable working that way.

Most importantly, financial planning is a partnership. We’ll do a lot of the heavy lifting, but we can’t do everything for you. The best relationships happen when clients are engaged, responsive, and willing to take action.

What makes Gunder different?

Investment management is only one piece of what we do. Technology can build a portfolio. A calculator can tell you whether you’re saving enough. AI can answer a financial question.

The harder part is knowing which questions matter, understanding how one decision affects another, and deciding what to do when the answer isn’t obvious.

That’s where we come in. We combine financial planning, investment management, tax-aware strategy, and ongoing advice into one relationship. We help you filter the noise, understand your options, and make decisions with confidence as your life gets more complex.

What if I don’t live in Metro-Detroit?

No problem. We work with clients across the country and conduct most meetings virtually. If you’re local and prefer to meet in person, we’re happy to do that too.

Either way, we’ve built our process around making financial planning convenient and efficient for busy clients.

Is Gunder the right financial fit for me?

We don’t have an asset minimum—but we do want the relationship to make financial sense.

Our clients typically have strong household income, healthy cash flow, and the ability to consistently save and invest. That’s important because our fee should never be the reason you’re unable to make meaningful progress toward building wealth.

We want the value of our advice to exceed the cost of receiving it. If we don’t believe that’s the case for you, we’ll be upfront about it.

Why the name Gunder?

Gunder is a ski run in Beaver Creek, Colorado, where we got engaged in 2006. Ashlee didn’t even know how to ski when we met—now it’s an annual family tradition.

When we started the firm, we wanted a name that meant something to us. Gunder stuck.

Why did you pursue the B Corp™ Certification?

When we launched Gunder Wealth Management in 2019, becoming a Certified B Corporation™ was one of our original long-term goals. For those familiar with EOS, it was one of our first “5-year rocks.” The certification process is intentionally rigorous, and that’s exactly what attracted us to it.

As financial planners, we see every day how thoughtful financial decisions can shape lives far beyond a portfolio. Helping clients build financial security often creates opportunities to support family members, strengthen communities, pursue meaningful work, and give generously.

B Corp Certification provides an independent framework that helps us live out our purpose and hold ourselves accountable to it. It challenges us to continually improve how we serve clients, operate our business, engage with our community, and measure our impact over time.

Our mission to provide honest, independent, and experienced financial advice remains unchanged. B Corp Certification simply reinforces our commitment to delivering that advice in a way that creates lasting value for our clients and the world around us.