Transition Announcement

Over the last 30 years, Financial Independence Planning has worked hard to deliver the high level of service and knowledge our clients deserve. As we look forward to the next 30 years, our goal is to provide an even better experience for you.

To help make that happen, we’re excited to share that we are partnering with a long-time associate, Carson Partners, who we’ve been working with since 2011. While we’re partnering with Carson, FIP remains a 100% independent firm whose commitment to serving your best interests has always been and will continue to be at the forefront of what we do.

 This partnership is positioning us to accomplish more for you. It gives our team the ability to provide you with a better experience, including a more seamless client portal as well as enhanced planning tools, cutting-edge technology, and resources designed with clients in mind. Our goal is to continually improve the service you receive from FIP—all to help you Worry Less and Enjoy Life More! 

Our team’s capabilities are strengthened by adding a dedicated Investment Committee as well as teams specializing in the areas of tax planning, estate planning, and insurance. This means more support for you in all areas of your financial plan, further enhancing the impact we can have on your financial journey. Most importantly, your MyFIP Financial Plan stays at the core, guiding you as you continue working with the same trusted team and consistent experience.

Please note that only your advisory assets will be transitioning from Pershing to Charles Schwab, making Schwab the custodian of your advisory assets instead of Pershing. Your non-advisory assets (direct mutual funds and annuities) will remain with Cetera. Please note that your Cetera direct mutual funds and annuity feed won’t be live in the new Carson portal for 3–4 weeks but can still be viewed through Albridge and AdviceWorks.

To effectively complete this change to Charles Schwab, we will need your assistance. In the coming weeks, you will receive a DocuSign link with paperwork to review, sign, and return to us as soon as possible.  If you would like a printed copy of the paperwork sent to you, please reach out to us.

Once you submit the signed paperwork, you’ll first receive an email from Schwab with instructions to register. Once registered, you will have immediate access to your accounts through Schwab. After that, you’ll receive a separate email to set up your Carson portal, which will serve as your primary login moving forward. This will be the home base where you can see all your accounts from Schwab and Cetera—in one place. If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Once your accounts arrive, we’ll be updating your qualified accounts (IRA, Roth) into our new in-house FIP ETF models. These models are designed to lower costs while keeping the same overall allocation you have today. This means you’ll continue with the same investment mix you’re comfortable with—just in a more cost-efficient way.

We are truly excited about this new partnership and what it will mean for our clients and our firm. Thank you for your continued trust and for allowing the FIP team to serve you. We remain committed to helping you gain greater clarity and confidence in your financial life—so you can spend less time worrying and more time enjoying what matters most.

If you have any questions about the transition, your advisor will be happy to help.

P.S. When advisors change broker-dealers we are required by FINRA to provide the attached informational flyer under FINRA rule 2273. Please visit https://www.myfipadvisor.com/rule-2273/ to view the flyer.