James Ustby, CFP®, APMA® Book a free call

For CPAs, attorneys and bankers

How I work with your clients, and with you.

You keep the return and the documents. I keep the personal plan. Nothing moves without you on the thread, and you see the plan summary before the client does.

Or call or text 919-226-4145.

Who to send

  • An owner 1 to 10 years from a sale. Before the letter of intent, so the deal and the household plan are built together.
  • An owner who just sold. Proceeds in cash, a tax bill coming, and a question about what the money is for.
  • A client retiring in the next five years. Social Security timing, withdrawal order, Roth conversions before required distributions and IRMAA.
  • A widow or widower. Accounts to retitle, income to rebuild, and a survivor’s tax year to plan.

How we work together

Three rules, in writing.

  1. You keep your work

    The return, the entity, the estate documents stay with you. I do not prepare returns or draft documents, and I say so to the client.

  2. You are on the thread

    Any recommendation that touches taxes or documents goes to you first. If you disagree, the client hears both views and decides.

  3. You see the summary first

    Before the client gets the written plan summary, you get it, with the items that need your sign-off marked.

What a client gets in the first 90 days

Three one-page deliverables.

  1. The owner’s money map

    Every account, policy and entity on one page, with who owns it, who inherits it, and what it is for. For a non-owner, the household version.

  2. The after-sale cash flow plan

    What the proceeds pay for, in what order, with the tax bill by year. For a retiree, the retirement paycheck: how much, from which account, and the tax each year.

  3. The account draw order

    Which account pays first and why, with Social Security timing, Roth conversion windows, and required distributions laid against Medicare IRMAA thresholds.

Each one cites the rule it relies on. Each one is built to be read by you in five minutes, and to be wrong in a way you can see.

How I am paid

Disclosed before anything starts.

Through LPL Financial, by planning fees, advisory fees, and commissions on insurance products, all disclosed in writing before any engagement. No referral fees paid or received. Verify me on CFP Board and FINRA BrokerCheck.

Questions professionals ask

How are you paid?
Through LPL Financial, by planning fees, advisory fees, and commissions on insurance products, all disclosed in writing before any engagement. There is no referral fee in either direction.
Will you try to replace me?
No. You keep the return and the entity work. I keep the personal plan. When something I see touches your work, you hear it from me before the client does.
What do you need from the client to start?
Recent statements, the last return, and an hour. If a sale is in motion, the letter of intent and the entity documents help.
Where do you meet?
At Fidelity Bank branches across the Triangle and the Piedmont, by phone, or by video. Many clients do the first meeting in person and the rest by video.
Can I sit in?
Yes, and for a business owner I prefer it. The three of us on one call beats three separate conversations.

Introduce a client by email at james.ustby@lplfinancial.com, or forward them the one-page summary. The first conversation with any client is a free 30-minute call.

Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC). Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates. Fidelity Bank and Fidelity Bank Wealth Management are not registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor. Registered representatives of LPL offer products and services using Fidelity Bank Wealth Management, and may also be employees of Fidelity Bank. These products and services are being offered through LPL or its affiliates, which are separate entities from, and not affiliates of, Fidelity Bank or Fidelity Bank Wealth Management.

  • Not Insured by FDIC or Any Other Government Agency
  • Not Bank Guaranteed
  • Not Bank Deposits or Obligations
  • May Lose Value

The LPL Financial registered representative associated with this site may discuss and transact securities business only with residents of the states in which they are properly registered or licensed. No offer may be made or accepted from any resident of any other state.

This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. Neither LPL Financial nor its representatives provide legal or tax advice; please consult your attorney or tax advisor regarding your specific situation. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. Examples are hypothetical and for illustration only.

Book a free call