William B Larson, CPA, LLC
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I will not keep you in suspense - my fee is $75 per hour. Now you can read how I came to set that rate.
Picture above - former CMC International colleagues in Zug, Switzerland.
Fees
I sell my time.
That's all.
I don't sell insurance, I don't manage money for an annual percentage fee, I don't buy / sell stocks and mutual funds for commissions. If I refer you to another professional for services I accept no finder fees nor share commissions nor do I pay for referrals from others. I believe all of these, though legitimate areas for financial planners, have inherent conflicts of interest. My sole focus is to give the best advice for my clients, unencumbered by any potential to earn additional income by selling products that might meet specific needs.
God has blessed me and my family and money is now less of a consideration than the ability to help people manage their financial lives. My practice has aspects of vocation as well as career.
I want to help beginning earners and middle income workers. I cannot do that if my fees are at an unaffordable level or perceived to be too high. Conversely, my time is valuable and professionals should be entitled to fair compensation; if clients pay very little, they will not be invested in the process, will not see it through to the end, and will not value what they get.
So how did I determine my hourly rate?
Another story.
My air conditioner went out last summer; I have a good friend in the A/C business whom I call on for his expertise and his outstanding integrity. He delivers value. His clients pay the fee because they know he does honest work and charges fairly. I decided that whatever his hourly fee was, a fee any homeowner would pay as the proper level for a skilled tradesman, would be what I would charge.
So there you have the derivation of my fee - $75 per hour. Straight per hour charge, no other associated fees. I could tell you that CPAs with my background could easily charge $250 an hour for similar work. And though true, that would defeat the entire purpose of my practice - helping those whose air conditioners break down.
That's all.
I don't sell insurance, I don't manage money for an annual percentage fee, I don't buy / sell stocks and mutual funds for commissions. If I refer you to another professional for services I accept no finder fees nor share commissions nor do I pay for referrals from others. I believe all of these, though legitimate areas for financial planners, have inherent conflicts of interest. My sole focus is to give the best advice for my clients, unencumbered by any potential to earn additional income by selling products that might meet specific needs.
God has blessed me and my family and money is now less of a consideration than the ability to help people manage their financial lives. My practice has aspects of vocation as well as career.
I want to help beginning earners and middle income workers. I cannot do that if my fees are at an unaffordable level or perceived to be too high. Conversely, my time is valuable and professionals should be entitled to fair compensation; if clients pay very little, they will not be invested in the process, will not see it through to the end, and will not value what they get.
So how did I determine my hourly rate?
Another story.
My air conditioner went out last summer; I have a good friend in the A/C business whom I call on for his expertise and his outstanding integrity. He delivers value. His clients pay the fee because they know he does honest work and charges fairly. I decided that whatever his hourly fee was, a fee any homeowner would pay as the proper level for a skilled tradesman, would be what I would charge.
So there you have the derivation of my fee - $75 per hour. Straight per hour charge, no other associated fees. I could tell you that CPAs with my background could easily charge $250 an hour for similar work. And though true, that would defeat the entire purpose of my practice - helping those whose air conditioners break down.
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