Fee-Based · Fiduciary · Non-Discretionary · Planning-First
High Tide Advisory helps business owners, real estate investors, executives, retirees, and families preparing for retirement coordinate investments, income, taxes, insurance, estate planning, and long-term decisions.
A clear plan should show how your assets, income, taxes, insurance, estate plan, and long-term goals fit together before implementation decisions are made.
Who We Help
Built for people whose financial lives are too connected for generic advice.
High Tide Advisory works with clients who need more than a portfolio conversation. The right plan often has to account for business ownership, real estate, retirement income, tax exposure, insurance, estate planning, family needs, and long-term liquidity.
Business Owners
Business owners often need to coordinate business cash flow, retirement savings, personal liquidity, tax-aware planning, insurance, estate planning, and eventual transition decisions.
Explore planning →Real Estate Investors
Rental income, property reserves, depreciation, insurance, entity structure, tax exposure, and estate planning should be reviewed together before major retirement or property decisions.
Explore planning →Executives
Compensation, employer benefits, retirement accounts, equity exposure, tax timing, insurance, estate planning, and career transitions can all affect the same long-term plan.
Explore planning →Families Preparing for Retirement
The years before retirement are decision-heavy. High Tide helps families organize income, investments, taxes, insurance, estate planning, Social Security, and survivor planning before decisions become urgent.
Explore planning →Retirees & Pre-Retirees
High Tide helps retirees and pre-retirees organize income, withdrawals, cash reserves, portfolio risk, tax-aware distribution planning, estate coordination, and ongoing planning reviews.
Explore planning →What We Coordinate
One planning process across the major decisions of wealth.
High Tide Advisory does not view investments in isolation. Portfolio decisions can affect taxes. Retirement income decisions can affect cash flow. Estate planning decisions can affect beneficiaries. Insurance decisions can affect risk, liquidity, and family protection.
Investment Advisory
Portfolio recommendations, allocation review, account monitoring, and implementation support with client approval before every action.
Learn more →Retirement Income Planning
Withdrawal planning, income mapping, Social Security coordination, cash reserves, and retirement transition planning.
Learn more →Tax-Aware Planning Coordination
Planning around withdrawal sequencing, Roth conversion considerations, charitable planning questions, business-owner exposure, and real estate-related tax questions.
Learn more →Business Retirement Plans
401(k), SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA, and related retirement-plan considerations for business owners, employees, and owner savings goals.
Learn more →Insurance Planning Coordination
Review of existing coverage, life insurance, disability, long-term care, annuity, liability, and family protection considerations.
Learn more →Estate & Legacy Coordination
Planning information needed by the estate attorney, beneficiary review, survivor planning, account titling, and legacy coordination.
Learn more →Ongoing Planning Review
Periodic review of assumptions, accounts, income needs, tax-sensitive windows, family changes, and planning priorities.
Learn more →Why Planning-First
The portfolio should serve the plan — not the other way around.
Many financial conversations start with a product, portfolio, or performance chart. High Tide Advisory starts with the planning structure.
- What you own and where income comes from
- How taxes may affect decisions
- Which assets are liquid, illiquid, concentrated, or tax-sensitive
- What your spouse, family, or business may need
- Which decisions need to be made now, later, or not at all
How Advice Works
You stay in control of every implementation decision.
High Tide Advisory provides advice on a non-discretionary basis. We can analyze, recommend, explain, and help organize, but you make the final decision before implementation.
We analyze
We review the financial picture across investments, income, taxes, insurance, estate planning, business interests, real estate, and family goals.
We recommend
We present written recommendations, planning priorities, and the reasoning behind each decision.
You approve
No trade, strategy, or implementation step moves forward without your review and approval.
When providing investment advisory services, High Tide Advisory acts in a fiduciary capacity. Advisory services are provided pursuant to a written advisory agreement and applicable disclosure documents.
Planning Process
A clear path from discovery to ongoing review.
Discovery
Understand assets, income, liabilities, taxes, insurance, estate documents, business interests, real estate, family priorities, and concerns.
Planning Review
Organize what you shared and identify the planning decisions that appear most important.
Findings Meeting
Walk through what is already strong, where gaps may exist, and which decisions deserve priority.
Written Recommendations
Receive recommendations with context, rationale, tradeoffs, and implementation considerations.
Client Approval
Decide which recommendations to implement. High Tide does not exercise discretionary trading authority.
Ongoing Review
Review the plan as markets, income needs, tax laws, family circumstances, and goals change.
What Clients Receive
A planning relationship, not a product transaction.
A High Tide Advisory engagement typically produces a written planning summary covering retirement income structure, portfolio allocation guidance, tax-aware withdrawal sequencing, insurance gap review, and estate coordination priorities.
First deliverable: documented clarity.
Recommendations are presented in writing, reviewed together, and implemented only with client approval. The first deliverable is not a product. It is a documented picture of where the client stands, what needs attention, and a sequenced plan for addressing it.
Transparent Fees
Clear fees before engagement.
High Tide Advisory uses a transparent, conflict-disclosed fee structure. Fees depend on the service selected and are reviewed before engagement.
Ongoing Investment Advisory
1.00%
per year on the first $3,000,000 of assets under management; 0.85% per year above $3,000,000.
Flat-Fee Planning
Basic, Intermediate, and Comprehensive engagements may be quoted in writing based on scope and complexity.
Hourly / Project-Based
Focused planning projects may be available, including retirement income mapping and tax-aware withdrawal analysis.
Separate Affiliate Fees
Tax preparation, tax advisory, or insurance implementation may involve separate fees or commissions through affiliated entities.
High Tide Advisory LLC charges advisory fees only. Affiliated insurance services through BJB Insurance Solutions LLC may generate commissions. Use of affiliated services is voluntary and creates conflicts that are disclosed.
Planning Library
Practical planning resources for serious financial decisions.
The Planning Library is built for people who want clear answers before making major decisions around retirement, business transition, property sales, Roth conversions, survivor planning, beneficiary updates, and investment changes.
What should I do with my 401(k) before retirement?
Review rollover factors, investment options, fees, income needs, taxes, creditor protection, and how an old employer plan fits the broader retirement plan.
Read resource →Should I do Roth conversions before RMDs?
Understand how Roth conversion windows may be evaluated before required minimum distributions begin.
Read resource →How much cash should retirees keep?
Review how cash reserves may be evaluated based on spending needs, market risk, taxes, property obligations, and flexibility.
Read resource →What happens financially when one spouse dies?
Explore survivor income, Social Security, taxes, account access, beneficiaries, insurance, and estate coordination.
Read resource →What is non-discretionary investment advice?
Learn how client approval, written recommendations, and implementation authority work in a non-discretionary advisory relationship.
Read resource →Real estate investor exit planning before retirement
Review the planning questions to organize before keeping, selling, exchanging, simplifying, or transferring rental property.
Read resource →FAQ
Questions clients usually ask.
What does High Tide Advisory do?
High Tide Advisory provides planning-first wealth management, including non-discretionary investment advisory services, retirement income planning, tax-aware planning coordination, insurance planning coordination, estate and legacy coordination, business retirement plan consulting, and ongoing planning review.
Who does High Tide Advisory work with?
High Tide Advisory is built for business owners, real estate investors, executives, families preparing for retirement, retirees, and pre-retirees who need help coordinating multiple financial decisions, not just managing an investment account.
Is High Tide Advisory only for clients in Michigan?
No. High Tide Advisory is based in Iron Mountain, Michigan, but the planning process is not limited to Northern Michigan or the Upper Peninsula. Advisory services may only be provided where High Tide Advisory is appropriately registered, notice-filed, or exempt.
What does non-discretionary mean?
Non-discretionary means High Tide Advisory provides recommendations, but clients retain final decision-making authority. No trade or implementation step is completed without client review and approval.
Is High Tide Advisory a fiduciary?
When providing investment advisory services, High Tide Advisory acts in a fiduciary capacity. Advisory recommendations must be made in the client’s best interest, subject to the firm’s disclosures, conflicts, and applicable advisory agreement.
Is High Tide Advisory fee-only?
No. High Tide Advisory is fee-based. The firm charges advisory fees for investment advisory and planning services. The firm’s principal also owns affiliated entities, including BJB Insurance Solutions LLC and High Tide Tax Solutions LLC, which may receive separate compensation if separately engaged.
Do I have to use the affiliated tax or insurance entities?
No. Clients are not required to use either affiliated entity. Comparable tax and insurance services may be available from non-affiliated providers. If affiliated services are discussed or recommended, related fees, commissions, and conflicts are disclosed.
Does High Tide Advisory provide tax or legal advice?
High Tide Advisory provides tax-aware planning coordination and may coordinate with a client’s CPA or tax professional. Tax preparation or tax-related services may be provided through High Tide Tax Solutions LLC under a separate engagement. High Tide Advisory does not provide legal advice or prepare legal documents.
How are fees charged?
Fees depend on the service selected. Ongoing investment advisory fees are generally charged as a percentage of assets under management. Flat-fee planning, hourly consulting, project-based engagements, business retirement plan consulting, and separate tax or insurance-related fees may also apply depending on scope and engagement.
Does completing discovery make me a client?
No. Completing a discovery questionnaire or having an introductory conversation does not create an advisory relationship. Advisory services are provided only after required disclosure documents are delivered and applicable agreements are executed and accepted.
Start with discovery
Start with the planning picture.
Discovery helps High Tide Advisory understand your situation before any recommendation is made. Completion of discovery does not establish an advisory relationship.
Ready to organize the full picture?
Review fees and disclosures, then begin the discovery questionnaire when you are ready.