Cloudsplitter Financial Planning is a investment adviser based in Cincinnati, OH, that holds a 90.0/100 Fidelon TransparencyScore (57th percentile among state-registered advisers), with 1 registered advisor. Score based on public SEC and FINRA filings.
Cloudsplitter Financial Planning
Cloudsplitter Financial Planning, LLC · CRD #339252
A fee-only investment adviser with a clean regulatory record and fiduciary commitment.
Fidelon Fact Sheet
Cloudsplitter Financial Planning, LLC is a state-registered investment adviser in Cincinnati, OH. It has one registered advisor. It charges one yearly percentage of your account, and it does not report earning commissions. Its services include financial planning and portfolio management. Its record shows no customer complaints, regulatory actions or fines.
Peer Context
4th of 15,825
state-registered advisers
Top 43%
1st of 550
state-registered advisers in OH
#1 ranked
1st of 69
state-registered advisers in Cincinnati, OH
#1 ranked
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
- Does not earn commissions on product sales
What you’d pay
Your balance falls in the $500,001 - $1,000,000 band, charged at 1.00% on the full amount.
This fee is negotiable
“The fee schedule below shows our base rates, but it is negotiable under the discretion of the advisor.”
From their Form ADV Part 2A. Most investors never ask.
Other arrangements offered
- • A negotiated fee, agreed individually
Not included above
- • Our fees are exclusive of brokerage commissions, transaction fees, and other related costs and expenses which may be incurred by the Client. Clients may incur certain charges imposed by custodians, brokers, and other third parties such as custodial fees, deferred sales charges, odd-lot differentials, transfer taxes, wire transfer, and electronic fund fees, and other fees and taxes on brokerage accounts and securities transactions. Mutual fund and exchange-traded funds also charge internal management fees, which are disclosed in a fund's prospectus. Such charges, fees, and commissions are exclusive of and in addition to our fee, and we shall not receive any portion of these commissions, fees, and costs. We do not accept compensation for the sale of securities or other investment products including asset-based sales charges or service fees from the sale 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 |
|---|---|
| $500,001 - $1,000,000 | 1.00% |
Billed quarterly 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
- Clean regulatory record — no disclosures, arbitrations, or fines
- Transparent fee structure — charges advisory fees, no commissions
Things You Should Know
- Brochure fee terms — not found in the brochure: fee schedule; other costs clients pay (Item 5)
Conflict Audit
Zero material conflicts identified in regulatory filings.
Source: Form ADV Part 1, Items 6-8; Part 2A, Items 10-14
Regulatory Track Record
0
Disclosures
Clean record — no disclosures found
$0
Total Fines
Clean record — no fines found
Regulatory Events
TransparencyScore Dimensions
Disclosure Record
Customer complaints, arbitrations, and fines. Frequency and recency matter.
100/100
Strong
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.
89/100
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.
75/100
Fair
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?
Not required
This firm is not required to file a Form CRS.
Without a Form CRS, the score above cannot go over 90. A firm that gives us one is scored on the same yardstick and can earn up to 10 more points.
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 Clarity50/100
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.
Each point is marked Covered or Not found. When a point is not found, we say what to ask.
- Can you tell what you'd pay?Not found in the brochureItem 5.A
Without a fee schedule you cannot compare this firm with any other.
What to askAsk for the fee schedule in writing, including what you would pay at your account size.
- 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.
The fee schedule below shows our base rates, but it is negotiable under the discretion of the advisor.p. 6
- 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.
Fees are deducted directly from client accounts by the custodian and paid to CS unless the client specifies in writing they wish to pay the fee in the form of a check.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.
Fees are billed in arrears on a quarterly basis and will be based on the average daily value of the account billable assets during the preceding quarter as valued by the custodian.p. 6
- Does it list the other costs you pay, like fund and custodian fees?Not found in the brochureItem 5.C
The advisory fee is rarely the whole bill; fund, trading and custody costs come on top.
What to askAsk what you will pay beyond the advisory fee, in dollars, over a typical year.
- 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.
At termination, any fees owed for the duration of the current quarter through the date of the cancellation will be billed to the accounts.p. 6
Does it explain each conflict of interest and what it could cost you?Brochure Conflict Specificity71/100
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.
As part of the arrangement, they also make available to us, at no additional charge to us, certain research and brokerage services, including research services obtained by Schwab directly from independent research companies, as selected by us (within specified parameters).p. 11
- 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.
As a result of receiving such services for no additional cost, we may have an incentive to continue to use or expand the use of Schwab’s services.p. 11
- 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 platform services include, among others, brokerage, custodial, administrative support, trading execution and settlement, record keeping and other related services that are intended to support intermediaries like us in conducting business and in serving the best interests of our clients but may benefit us.p. 10
- 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 platform services include, among others, brokerage, custodial, administrative support, trading execution and settlement, record keeping and other related services that are intended to support intermediaries like us in conducting business and in serving the best interests of our clients but may benefit us.p. 10
- 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.
- Hedged wording
However, it might be the case that the recommended broker charges a higher fee for a particular type of service, such as commission rates, than can be obtained from another broker.p. 10
As a result of receiving such services for no additional cost, we may have an incentive to continue to use or expand the use of Schwab’s services.p. 11
Do they earn commissions on products, and do they say so?Brochure Sales CompensationNot applicable
Not applicable: the brochure describes no product-sales commissions
Do they get free research or services from brokers, and does it affect you?Brochure Soft Dollars85/100
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.
CS will receive general research reports from Schwab that all such investment advisors receive when utilizing the same custodial services.p. 11
- 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 platform services include, among others, brokerage, custodial, administrative support, trading execution and settlement, record keeping and other related services that are intended to support intermediaries like us in conducting business and in serving the best interests of our clients but may benefit us.p. 10
- 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.
As a result of receiving such services for no additional cost, we may have an incentive to continue to use or expand the use of Schwab’s services.p. 11
- Does it say whether those perks stay within what the law allows?CoveredItem 12.A.1.e note
The law allows research paid for with client trades only within limits; outside them, it is your money.
As part of the arrangement, they also make available to us, at no additional charge to us, certain research and brokerage services, including research services obtained by Schwab directly from independent research companies, as selected by us (within specified parameters).p. 11
- Does it say whether you pay more in trading costs because of those perks?CoveredItem 12.A.1.c
Paying up for trades to earn the firm a perk comes straight out of your returns.
You may pay a commission that is higher than another qualified broker-dealer might charge to affect the same transaction where we determine in good faith that the commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services received.p. 11
- 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
1 advisor
| Advisor | CRD | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Justin Schelle | 6915215 | — | — |
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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 #339252