Alpha Planning And Financial Services is a investment adviser based in Solon, OH, that holds a 71.0/100 Fidelon TransparencyScore (4th percentile among SEC-registered advisers), with 2 registered advisors. Score based on public SEC and FINRA filings.
Alpha Planning And Financial Services
Alpha Planning And Financial Services, INC. · CRD #130842
A registered investment adviser held to a fiduciary standard.
Fidelon Fact Sheet
Alpha Planning And Financial Services, INC. is an SEC-registered investment adviser in Solon, OH. It used to be called Legacy Wealth Partners, INC. and Alpha Planners, INC. It has 2 registered advisors. It manages $112.8 million across 578 client accounts. It charges a percentage of the money it manages for you, and it does not report earning commissions. Its services include financial planning, portfolio management and investment newsletters. It reports that it can hold or access client money, which the SEC requires firms to disclose. It has court cases on file, most recently in 2019.
Peer Context
10,348th of 10,815
SEC-registered advisers
Bottom 4%
357th of 371
SEC-registered advisers in OH
Bottom 4%
2nd of 2
SEC-registered advisers in Solon, OH
Bottom 1%
How This Firm Works
Registration & Standard of Care
Investment Adviser — this firm is a registered investment adviser, held to a fiduciary standard — legally required to act in clients' best interests.
How This Firm Gets Paid
- Charges a percentage of assets under management
- Charges fixed fees for specific services
- Does not earn commissions on product sales
What you’d pay
Your balance falls in the All accounts band, charged at up to 2.00% on the full amount. The brochure files this rate as a maximum, not a price. What you actually pay is set in your agreement and may be lower.
This fee is negotiable
“Although Alpha Planning has established a maximum annual fee as stated above, we retain the discretion to negotiate fees on a client-by-client basis.”
From their Form ADV Part 2A. Most investors never ask.
Not included above
- • Includes custodial fees, redemption fees, mutual fund fees, retirement plan and administrative fees, commissions, regulatory Trading Activity Fees (TAF), and fees related to share classes of mutual funds.
Estimated from the firm’s Form ADV Part 2A brochure — not a quote. Actual fees are set in your agreement and may differ. Costs charged by others (custodians, fund managers) are not included.
What This Firm Charges
| Account Size | Annual Fee |
|---|---|
| All accounts | Up to 2.00% |
Billed monthly in arrears
Extracted from Form ADV Part 2A brochure
Specializations
Extracted from Form ADV Part 2A brochure
Key Findings
Strengths
- Fee-only compensation — no commission income reported
- Registered as investment adviser with fiduciary obligation
- No broker-dealer registration — advisory services only
- Transparent fee structure — charges advisory fees, no commissions
Things You Should Know
- 2 regulatory complaints in public regulatory filings
- $330K in regulatory fines
- Its brochure names payments received for referring clients elsewhere, research or services received from a custodian or broker (soft dollars), or payments to people who refer clients to the firm as conflicts, but it does not name this conflict where the SEC requires, say what the firm is paid for it, or explain what this arrangement tempts the firm to do. Ask whether the firm is paid when it sends you to another company, and by whom.Items 10, 11, 12.B and 14
Conflict Audit
Zero material conflicts identified in regulatory filings.
Source: Form ADV Part 1, Items 6-8; Part 2A, Items 10-14
What this firm says about how it gets paid
“The more assets in your advisory account, the more you will pay in fees, and therefore, the Firm has an incentive to encourage you to increase the asset value in your account.”
Source: the firm’s own Form CRS, filed 2025-12-15 — quoted directly
Regulatory Track Record
2
Disclosures
$330K
Total Fines
Regulatory Events
TransparencyScore Dimensions
Disclosure Record
Customer complaints, arbitrations, and fines. Frequency and recency matter.
74/100
Fair
Avg for investment adviser firms: 82.6 | Top 10%: 99.5
Filing Quality
How clearly the firm describes services, fees, and investment approach in regulatory filings.
94/100
Strong
Avg for investment adviser firms: 84.1 | Top 10%: 100
Conflict Disclosure
How openly the firm explains who pays it and what it's paid to sell. The conflict isn't the problem — hiding it is.
55/100
Weak
Avg for investment adviser firms: 54 | Top 10%: 67
Enforcement History
Self-reported legal and disciplinary history from Form ADV Item 11.
100/100
Strong
Avg for investment adviser firms: 99.7 | Top 10%: 100
Their two-page relationship summary
The SEC requires every SEC-registered investment adviser to hand you this summary, called a Form CRS, and says what it must cover. We checked this firm's against that list. What is a Form CRS?
- Does it include everything the SEC requires?
- Required sections
- 93/100
- Does it explain how the firm's conflicts affect you?
- Conflicts of interest
What to askAsk the advisor to name every way the firm gets paid besides your fee, and how each one can affect their advice.
- 40/100
- Can you tell what you would pay?
- What you pay
- 80/100
- Is it written in plain English?
- Plain language
- 90/100
This firm's Form CRS averages 76 out of 100. It adds 3.94 points once the firm's filings and record score 90 on their own; they score 70.96 today.
What their brochure tells you
The firm must give you this brochure, Form ADV Part 2A, before you sign. We read it against the SEC's own instructions, item by item. Quotes are the firm's own words; page numbers refer to the filed brochure. What is in a brochure?
Can you tell what you'd pay and when?Brochure Fee Clarity100/100
The SEC asks every brochure to spell out the fee schedule, whether fees can be negotiated, how and when you are billed, the other costs you pay, and refunds.
The brochure answers every one of these.
- Can you tell what you'd pay?CoveredItem 5.A
Without a fee schedule you cannot compare this firm with any other.
Alpha Planning’s annual fees will not exceed 2.00%.p. 7
- Does it say whether the fee can be negotiated?CoveredItem 5.A
If fees are negotiable, other clients may be paying less than you for the same service.
Although Alpha Planning has established a maximum annual fee as stated above, we retain the discretion to negotiate fees on a client-by-client basis.p. 7
- Does it say whether the fee comes out of your account or gets billed?CoveredItem 5.B
A fee taken straight from your account is easy to stop noticing.
The independent qualified custodian holding your funds and securities will debit your account directly for the advisory fee and pay that fee to us.p. 7
- Does it say how often you're charged?CoveredItem 5.B
Monthly, quarterly, in advance or in arrears changes what you owe when you leave.
Investment advisory fees of Alpha Planning are charged based on a percentage of assets under management, billed in arrears (at the end of the billing period) on a monthly basisp. 7
- Does it list the other costs you pay, like fund and custodian fees?CoveredItem 5.C
The advisory fee is rarely the whole bill; fund, trading and custody costs come on top.
Your custodian may charge custodial fees, redemption fees, retirement plan and administrative fees or commissions.p. 7
- Does it say how you get money back if you leave mid-period?CoveredItem 5.D
If you pay in advance and leave early, the refund rule decides what you get back.
Upon termination, fees will be prorated to the date of termination and any unearned portion of the fee will be refunded to you based on the hours that our Firm has spent on creating your financial plan prior to termination.p. 8
Does it explain each conflict of interest and what it could cost you?Brochure Conflict Specificity43/100
The SEC asks the brochure to name each way the firm gets paid besides your fee, what that tempts the firm to do, and what it can cost you.
Each point is marked Covered or Not found. When a point is not found, we say what to ask.
If the firm gets research or services from a custodian or broker, does it explain them?
Research or services received from a custodian or broker (soft dollars)
- Does the brochure name this conflict where the SEC requires?CoveredItems 10/11/12.B/14
A conflict named in the right place is one the firm has thought about; one buried elsewhere is easy to miss.
These are considered soft dollar benefits because there is an incentive to do business with Schwab.p. 18
- Does it explain what this arrangement tempts the firm to do?CoveredStaff Bulletin Q11
You can only judge advice when you know which way it is being pulled.
Clients should be aware, however, that the receipt of economic benefits by our Firm or our related persons in and of itself creates a potential conflict of interest and may indirectly influence our choice of the Custodian for custody and brokerage services.p. 18
- Does it describe what the arrangement actually is?CoveredStaff Bulletin Q11
A conflict described in one vague sentence tells you it exists but not how it works.
The Custodian also makes available to us other products and services that benefit us but may not directly benefit our clients or their accounts.p. 18
- Does it say what the firm is paid for it?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
The size of the payment tells you how strong the pull is.
What to askAsk how much the firm or its people receive from this arrangement in a typical year.
- Does it say how the firm comes out ahead?CoveredStaff Bulletin Q11
Benefits that are not cash, like free services or referrals, still shape advice.
The availability of these services from the Custodian benefits us because we do not have to produce or purchase them.p. 19
- Does it say what it can cost you?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
Every conflict has a price; the question is whether the brochure puts it in your hands.
What to askAsk what this arrangement can cost you, in fees, returns or choices you do not get.
- Does it say how the firm keeps this conflict in check?Not assessed yetItems 10.C-D, 11.B-D, 14.A
A conflict with no control on it is left to the advisor's goodwill.
What to askAsk what the firm receives from the custodian or broker it uses for you, and whether that costs you anything.
If the firm pays people who refer clients, does it explain those payments?
Payments to people who refer clients to the firm
- Does the brochure name this conflict where the SEC requires?CoveredItems 10/11/12.B/14
A conflict named in the right place is one the firm has thought about; one buried elsewhere is easy to miss.
The Firm pays a fee to participate in matching programs that seek to match prospective advisory clients with investment Advisors.p. 20
- Does it explain what this arrangement tempts the firm to do?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
You can only judge advice when you know which way it is being pulled.
What to askAsk what this arrangement gives the firm a reason to recommend, and how often that happens.
- Does it describe what the arrangement actually is?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
A conflict described in one vague sentence tells you it exists but not how it works.
What to askAsk the advisor to explain this arrangement in plain terms, including who pays whom.
- Does it say what the firm is paid for it?CoveredStaff Bulletin Q11
The size of the payment tells you how strong the pull is.
The fee we pay for being provided with potential leads varies based on certain factors, including the size of the person’s portfolio, and the fee is payable regardless of whether the prospect becomes our advisory client.p. 20
- Does it say how the firm comes out ahead?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
Benefits that are not cash, like free services or referrals, still shape advice.
What to askAsk what the firm gains from this arrangement beyond fees.
- Does it say what it can cost you?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
Every conflict has a price; the question is whether the brochure puts it in your hands.
What to askAsk what this arrangement can cost you, in fees, returns or choices you do not get.
- Does it say how the firm keeps this conflict in check?Not assessed yetItems 10.C-D, 11.B-D, 14.A
A conflict with no control on it is left to the advisor's goodwill.
What to askAsk whether anyone was paid to refer you to the firm, and whether that affects what you pay.
If the firm is paid for referring clients elsewhere, does it explain those payments?
Payments received for referring clients elsewhere
- Does the brochure name this conflict where the SEC requires?Not found in the brochureItems 10/11/12.B/14
A conflict named in the right place is one the firm has thought about; one buried elsewhere is easy to miss.
What to askAsk the advisor to walk you through every way the firm gets paid besides your fee.
- Does it explain what this arrangement tempts the firm to do?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
You can only judge advice when you know which way it is being pulled.
What to askAsk what this arrangement gives the firm a reason to recommend, and how often that happens.
- Does it describe what the arrangement actually is?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
A conflict described in one vague sentence tells you it exists but not how it works.
What to askAsk the advisor to explain this arrangement in plain terms, including who pays whom.
- Does it say what the firm is paid for it?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
The size of the payment tells you how strong the pull is.
What to askAsk how much the firm or its people receive from this arrangement in a typical year.
- Does it say how the firm comes out ahead?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
Benefits that are not cash, like free services or referrals, still shape advice.
What to askAsk what the firm gains from this arrangement beyond fees.
- Does it say what it can cost you?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
Every conflict has a price; the question is whether the brochure puts it in your hands.
What to askAsk what this arrangement can cost you, in fees, returns or choices you do not get.
- Does it say how the firm keeps this conflict in check?Not assessed yetItems 10.C-D, 11.B-D, 14.A
A conflict with no control on it is left to the advisor's goodwill.
What to askAsk whether the firm is paid when it sends you to another company, and by whom.
If its people can earn insurance commissions, does it explain them?
Insurance commissions
An adviser's own license, not the firm's — scored once under Sales Compensation
Because we are under common ownership and our firm’s IARs are licensed Insurance agents there is a conflict of interest to clients because our Firm and our IARs receive compensation (commissions, trails, or other compensation from the respective insurance products) as a result of effecting insurance transactions for clients.p. 15
- Hedged wording
Clients should be aware, however, that the receipt of economic benefits by our Firm or our related persons in and of itself creates a potential conflict of interest and may indirectly influence our choice of the Custodian for custody and brokerage services.p. 18
Do they earn commissions on products, and do they say so?Brochure Sales Compensation75/100
When a firm or its people sell products for a commission, the SEC asks the brochure to say so, name the pull, and tell you whether you could buy elsewhere.
Each point is marked Covered or Not found. When a point is not found, we say what to ask.
- Does it say that earning commissions is a conflict of interest?CoveredItem 5.E.1
A firm paid to sell a product has a reason to recommend it that has nothing to do with you.
Because we are under common ownership and our firm’s IARs are licensed Insurance agents there is a conflict of interest to clients because our Firm and our IARs receive compensation (commissions, trails, or other compensation from the respective insurance products) as a result of effecting insurance transactions for clients.p. 15
- Does it say commissions can shape what they recommend?CoveredItem 5.E.1
Naming the pull is the first step to controlling it; silence leaves it working on you.
The Firm and the IAR have an incentive to recommend insurance products, and this incentive creates a conflict of interest between your interests and our Firm.p. 15
- Does it say you can buy the same products elsewhere?Not found in the brochureItem 5.E.2
You may be able to buy the same product for less somewhere else.
What to askAsk whether you could buy any recommended product through another broker or insurer.
- Does it say whether commissions lower your advisory fee?CoveredItem 5.E.4
If the firm earns a commission and the full advisory fee, you pay twice for one recommendation.
Compensation generated by insurance sales do not offset regular advisory fees.p. 15
Do they get free research or services from brokers, and does it affect you?Brochure Soft Dollars71/100
When brokers give the firm research or services in return for your trades, the SEC asks the brochure to say what the firm gets and what it may cost you.
Each point is marked Covered or Not found. When a point is not found, we say what to ask.
- Does it list what the firm gets from brokers for free?CoveredItem 12.A.1.e
Research, software and data paid for by your trades are a cost you never see.
They include investment research, both Schwab’s own and that of third parties.p. 18
- Does it say the firm benefits by not paying for those things?CoveredItem 12.A.1.a
A perk the firm would otherwise buy is money in the firm's pocket, paid with your trades.
The availability of these services from the Custodian benefits us because we do not have to produce or purchase them.p. 19
- Does it say those perks can shape which broker it picks for you?CoveredItem 12.A.1.b
Your trades should go where you get the best deal, not where the firm gets the best perks.
These are considered soft dollar benefits because there is an incentive to do business with Schwab.p. 18
- Does it say whether those perks stay within what the law allows?Not found in the brochureItem 12.A.1.e note
The law allows research paid for with client trades only within limits; outside them, it is your money.
What to askAsk whether everything the firm receives from brokers is research the law lets it take in return for your trades.
- Does it say whether you pay more in trading costs because of those perks?Does not applyItem 12.A.1.c
Paying up for trades to earn the firm a perk comes straight out of your returns.
- Does it say whether every client benefits or only some?Not found in the brochureItem 12.A.1.d
Your trades may be paying for research that helps other clients' accounts, not yours.
What to askAsk whether the research your trades help pay for is used for your account.
A point not found is not a finding against the firm; many points apply only when the firm has that arrangement, and state-registered firms file the same brochure form.
Next Steps
Advisor Roster
2 advisors
| Advisor | CRD | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Royce Simpson | 6950543 | — | — |
| John Taylor Goodson | 6248346 | — | — |
Preparing for a meeting?
Pick an advisor at this firm to get a prep kit with their fees, conflicts, track record, and the questions worth asking.
Monitor this firm
Get notified when something changes — new complaints, score movements, firm changes. Free.
Free: 1 advisor, monthly status report. Pro ($7/mo): up to 5, instant alerts, pending complaints.
Is this your profile?
Claim it to understand your TransparencyScore, see your level, and track changes over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the TransparencyScore measure?
The TransparencyScore measures how clearly and completely an advisor or firm discloses important information in their regulatory filings — things like fees, conflicts of interest, disciplinary history, and business practices. A higher score means better disclosure quality, not better investment performance.
Where does this data come from?
All data comes from public regulatory filings: SEC Form ADV (Parts 1, 2, and 3), FINRA BrokerCheck, and the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) database. These are official filings that firms and advisors are legally required to submit.
Does a low score mean they're a bad advisor?
Not necessarily. A low score means the firm's public filings are less transparent — they may use vague language about fees, skip details about conflicts, or have a more complex regulatory history. Some excellent advisors work at firms with poor disclosure practices. The score measures the filing, not the person.
How often is this data updated?
Fidelon refreshes data from SEC and FINRA sources on a regular schedule. Form ADV filings are updated annually by firms (with amendments throughout the year), and BrokerCheck data is updated as events are reported. Scores are recalculated after each data refresh.
Can an advisor or firm improve their score?
Yes. Scores are based on what's in public filings. A firm that rewrites its ADV brochure in clearer language, discloses conflicts more specifically, or resolves outstanding regulatory issues will see its score improve at the next refresh. The incentive structure is intentional.
Data Sources
Scores are generated using Fidelon's published scoring methodology and reflect the quality of public disclosures, not the quality of investment advice. A firm that improves its disclosures will see its score improve. Fidelon does not provide investment advice.
Verify on SEC IAPD
Last scored: · Score version: 3.15 · CRD #130842