Advice-Only Financial Planning
for Canadians in Tech
Turn Your Tech Career Into Long-Term Financial Freedom
Get clear answers about RSUs, stock options, taxes, investing, major life decisions, and when work can become optional—with independent advice built around your life, not financial products.
- 100% objective advice
- Transparent flat-fee planning
- No commissions or product sales
- Simple monthly subscription
- Powered by Canada's most advanced financial planning tools
A simple 20-minute conversation to help you figure out what questions you should be asking at your life stage —and whether financial planning could help. No pressure or obligation.
Why Advice-only
TL;DR
- Most financial advisors are paid through commissions or about 1% of the investments they manage.
- This can create conflicts—even unintentionally—when the best advice is to manage your investments elsewhere or not get a new insurance.
- With a 1% asset-based fee, the cost of financial advice rises automatically as your portfolio gets larger —whether because you save more or the market performs well—even if the service you receive does not change.
- Advice-only planners are paid directly by clients and are not compensated for selling products or managing investments.
- At Ben Lee Financial, you pay a transparent monthly fee based on planning complexity—not the size of your portfolio.
You pay for the thinking, modelling, and advice—not another product or a percentage of your wealth.
Tired of financial advice that feels like a sales pitch?
In Canada, many financial advisors are paid through commissions or fees tied to the investments they manage—often around 1% annually.
Many advisors provide valuable advice, but their compensation model can still create incentives that influence recommendations, even unintentionally.
Those conflicts can become especially relevant when you are asking questions such as:
- Should I invest more, buy real estate, or pay down my mortgage?
- Should I continue paying for investment management, or could I manage some of my investments myself?
- Can I use my savings to take time off, change careers, or fund my own startup?
- Am I saving more than I need to when I could afford to enjoy more of my money today?
- Is my work insurance enough, or do I need more to protect myself and my loved ones?
They are life-planning decisions—and the right answer does not always involve keeping more money invested or purchasing insurance.
Your fee should not grow just because your portfolio does
With an asset-based fee, the amount you pay increases automatically as your investments grow. At a an 1% fee:
- A $100,000 portfolio costs $1,000 per year.
- A $500,000 portfolio costs $5,000 per year.
- A $1 million portfolio costs $10,000 per year.
This means your fee can increase just because you saved more because the market did well – not necessarily because your situation became more complicated or you received substantially more valuable advice.
Advice-Only: A fairer way to pay for financial advice
Advice-only planners are a growing group of financial professionals who believe Canadians should pay directly for advice—not through commissions or a percentage of their wealth.
I believe the cost of financial planning should reflect the work and complexity involved, not how much money you have accumulated.
At Ben Lee Financial, I do not sell products, earn commissions, manage investments, or require you to move your accounts. You pay a transparent monthly fee that stays the same whether you have $100,000 or $1 million invested. It only changes if your planning needs become materially more complex, such as incorporating a business or acquiring multiple rental properties.
You pay for the thinking, modelling, and advice—not another product or a percentage of your wealth.
What My Clients Say
A simple 20-minute conversation to help you figure out what questions you should be asking at your life stage —and whether financial planning could help. No pressure or obligation.
Meet Ben - Certified Financial Planner and Certified Cash Flow Specialist
Ben Lee is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and Certified Cash Flow Specialist (CCS®) who specializes in helping Canadian tech professionals plan for financial independence and retirement.
He provides advice-only financial planning—no investment management, insurance sales, or commissions. Just clear, unbiased advice focused entirely on his clients’ best interests.
Ben helps tech professionals navigate equity compensation, taxes, investing, cash flow, and major career decisions so they can understand whether they are on track—and when work can become optional.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly do you do?
I provide comprehensive, advice-only financial planning focused on retirement and financial independence. This includes analyzing your current situation, projecting your future, and building strategies to optimize your wealth across investments, taxes, and long-term decision-making. My role is to give you a clear, unbiased plan that can then be implemented either on your own or with the right professionals.
Do you sell investments or insurance?
No. I don’t sell investments or insurance products. My role is to provide objective, strategy-first advice. Once the plan is in place, you can choose how to implement it—whether on your own, with your existing advisor, or with a professional I can introduce if needed.
Why is there a 12-month commitment?
Comprehensive financial planning takes place over time. During the year, we develop your plan, help you implement the recommendations, answer questions, and adjust the plan as your circumstances change.
Many project-based planners charge the full planning fee upfront or in a few large instalments. I divide the annual fee into 12 predictable monthly payments, making it easier to manage without a large upfront expense.
After the initial 12 months, you can choose whether to renew for ongoing planning at a reduced rate of about 60% of the first year’s fee. There is no obligation to continue beyond each annual term.
What’s the main outcome of working with you?
The biggest outcome is greater clarity and confidence across your financial life—whether that means knowing when you can retire or achieve financial independence, or having a cash flow system that helps you manage your spending and savings. Each service level offers different outcomes based on your needs and planning complexity. Visit the Services and Pricing page to learn more.
If you don’t manage investments, how do I invest?
I provide practical investment education to help you confidently manage your own investments through a platform such as Wealthsimple. If needed, I can also sit down with you and guide you through the setup process.
If you prefer to work with a human investment advisor, I can coordinate with them to help ensure your investments align with your overall financial plan. Either way, I do not manage your money or receive investment commissions.
How is my personal and financial data kept secure?
Your data is protected using industry-standard AES-256 encryption, both in transit and when stored, and is securely hosted on Canadian-based infrastructure.
We collect only minimal Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to reduce your data footprint.
Users are required to use two-factor authentication (2FA), and you can enable it as well for added security. If you choose to delete your account, your data is permanently removed after 14 days, with no ability to recover it beyond that point.
What makes this different from a free plan from a bank or advisor?
Many plans provided through financial institutions are designed to support ongoing investment management. My role is to focus purely on the planning itself—going deeper into areas like tax strategy, scenario analysis, and long-term optimization—so that any implementation decisions are built on a strong foundation.
Do you provide ongoing support?
Yes. The initial planning engagement is a 12-month commitment, with the fee divided into monthly payments rather than charged upfront.
After the first year, you can choose to continue with ongoing planning at a reduced fee—approximately 60% of the first-year rate. Ongoing planning is renewed for another 12-month term and includes an annual plan update, periodic check-ins, and advice as questions, opportunities, or life changes arise.
There is no obligation to renew. However, each renewal is a 12-month engagement because the service and fee cover a full year of planning support, even though payments are made monthly.
If you stop the service and return after more than 12 months, you will generally restart at the current first-year rate because your financial situation and plan will require a more comprehensive review.
How long does the process take?
Most plans are completed within two to four weeks, depending on complexity and how quickly information is provided.
The plans are presented over 1 to 3 meetings, depending on the complexity of the plan.
Is this tax-deductible?
For business owners, portions of the planning may be tax-deductible depending on how it is structured.
I recommend confirming the appropriate treatment with your accountant based on your specific situation.
What if I already have a financial plan?
That’s often a great starting point. I can act as a second opinion or provide optimization, helping identify gaps, inefficiencies, or opportunities to improve your plan.
Find Out When Work can become Optional for you
Contact Me
Email: ben@benleefinancial.com
Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM MST
Location: 100% virtual (Based in Calgary, Canada), Serving Canadians nationwide.