Why these are worth reading
A fee-only adviser earns nothing when you choose one account, fund, plan or credential over another, which is what makes these comparisons worth reading: the answer changes with your situation, and the page says so instead of steering. Where a figure is a 2026 statutory limit it comes from IRS Notice 2025-67 and is re-verified each January.
Paying for advice
Fee-only vs fee-based vs commissionThree ways an adviser gets paid, and how to tell which one you are looking at from Form ADV.
Robo-adviser vs a human adviserWhere the algorithm is cheaper and enough, and where it is not.
CFP vs CFA vs ChFCWhat each credential trains for, and which one fits the question you have.
RIA vs wirehouseTwo business models, and what each one means for the person across the table.
Is a financial adviser worth it?Asked of an adviser — so it starts with the cost in dollars and lists when the answer is no.
AUM fee vs flat fee vs hourlyThree pricing models, three different conflicts of interest. Including ours, named.
What advisers actually chargePublished industry benchmarks, and an adviser saying plainly that its own rate sits above the average.
Fiduciary vs best interest vs suitabilityThree standards that sound alike and permit different things — and how to check in two minutes.
Accounts
401(k) vs 403(b) vs 457(b)Same deferral limit, different rules — and the one pairing that lets you save twice.
401(k) vs IRAThe order of operations: which account gets the next dollar.
Roth vs traditionalA decision framework built on your rate today and your rate later.
Index funds vs active managementWhat the evidence says, with the sources.
Dollar-cost averaging vs lump sumWhat the arithmetic favours, and why people do the other thing.
Roll it over, leave it, or cash it outFour options at a job change, including the case for leaving it alone that nobody is paid to make.
Target-date fund vs a managed portfolioWhen the fund is already the complete answer, and the four places it runs out.
529 plan vs Roth IRA for collegeWhich one, in what order, and what California does differently.
Business owners
CalSavers vs a 401(k)Compared honestly, on cost, on what the owner can save, and on who carries the liability.
SEP vs SIMPLE vs safe harbor vs solo 401(k)The four plans a small employer actually chooses between, on 2026 limits.
Safe harbor 401(k) designsBasic match, enhanced match, nonelective — compared.
3(21) vs 3(38) plan fiduciaryWho decides the lineup and who carries the liability.
S-corp vs sole proprietor, for retirementThe S election saves payroll tax and shrinks your contribution base at the same time.
Pensions
Pension vs lump sumThe arithmetic, the survivor question, and what the offer is really pricing.
CalSTRS 2% at 60 vs 2% at 62The two benefit structures, side by side.
LACERA Plan D vs Plan GAnd the others — what changed between the plans.
Social Security at 62 vs 67 vs 70The full percentage table, the survivor benefit that decides it, and the WEP/GPO repeal.
This guide is general education, not individualised investment, legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an advisory relationship. Individual circumstances vary — figures, limits and rules cited here change over time and may not apply to your situation. Confirm current figures with the IRS, the Social Security Administration, or your plan documents, and consider speaking with a qualified adviser or CPA before acting. Aduna Capital LLC is a California DFPI-registered investment adviser (CRD #311270). Aduna Capital LLC is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by CalSavers, the California State Treasurer's Office, CalPERS, CalSTRS, or any other retirement system, employer or school district named on this page.
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