What does Q3 Advisors do?
Q3 Advisors is an advisor-led financial planning firm focused on Roth conversion strategy and comprehensive planning. It does not manage client investment accounts on either a discretionary or non-discretionary basis.
Its service is primarily for people nearing or in retirement who want help with modeling Roth conversions, retirement taxes, income timing, estate impact, and related planning decisions.
Q3 Advisors was formed in May 2016, became registered as an investment adviser in June 2016, and registered with the SEC in January 2024. The firm is 100% owned by Craig Wear, who serves as managing member, chief compliance officer, and investment adviser representative.
The core service is Rothology and Rothology Legacy, Q3’s proprietary Roth-IRA conversion planning programs. These services are tailored based on factors such as annual income, net worth, proposed retirement date, tax status, and other client details. They do not include recommendations to buy or sell individual securities or industry sectors.
Comprehensive planning service can include:
- Retirement planning
- Tax planning
- College savings
- Asset allocation
- Cash flow
- Estate planning
- Employee benefits optimization
- Insurance/risk management
Q3 Advisors’ planning approach is centered on Roth conversion analysis and tax-planning projections; it does not create investment strategies, analyze specific securities portfolios or holdings, or provide advice on specific securities products.
What are the pros and cons of Q3 Advisors?
Here is a look at the pros and cons of Q3 Advisors.
Pros of Q3 Advisors:
- Roth conversion specialization: Rothology provides multi-year Roth conversion scenarios, projected taxes, potential Medicare premium impact, and tax-adjusted net worth projections.
- Comprehensive financial planning coverage: Q3’s planning service covers investment analysis, financial goals, cash flow, estate planning, college savings, employee benefits, insurance/risk management, retirement planning, and tax planning strategies.
- Retirement and tax planning are closely connected: Q3 evaluates retirement projections, Social Security use, distribution strategies, tax liability, and account-type decisions as part of the plan, which is useful for clients whose Roth conversion decision affects several aspects of retirement planning.
Cons of Q3 Advisors:
- High planning fees: Rothology costs $11,000, Rothology Legacy costs $8,100, and comprehensive financial planning costs $5,500 to $15,000 for the first year.
- No specific securities advice: Q3 does not create investment strategies, analyze securities portfolios or holdings, or advise on specific securities products. Its investment role is only at the planning level.
- No investment account management: Q3 does not manage portfolios, place trades, rebalance accounts, or provide discretionary or non-discretionary account management.
Q3 Advisors fees: How much does Q3 Advisors cost?
Q3 Advisors charges fixed planning fees rather than an AUM-based advisory fee.
Service | Fee |
|---|---|
Rothology | $11,000 |
Rothology legacy | $8,100 |
Comprehensive financial planning | $5,500–$15,000 |
A la Carte / Module-Based financial planning | $1,000 setup fee; $2,000 for one module; |
Integration experience | $1,500 startup fee; $1,250 per quarter |
Fees paid to Q3 Advisors cover only its advisory services. Implementation may involve separate outside costs.
What is Q3 Advisors’ minimum account size?
Q3 Advisors does not disclose a formal minimum account size. However, Q3’s official Roth Conversion page says clients with $750,000 or more in pre-tax assets may benefit from its accelerated Roth conversion approach.
Who should choose Q3 Advisors?
Q3 Advisors may be a good fit for people who want detailed Roth conversion planning and are comfortable paying a flat planning fee rather than hiring a portfolio manager.
Q3 Advisors works well for:
- Clients focused on Roth conversion and retirement tax planning
- Clients who want broader financial planning, not portfolio management
- Clients who prefer a flat-fee planning firm
Who might not benefit as much:
- Investors seeking direct portfolio management, trading, or rebalancing
- Clients with simple retirement tax situations
- Investors who want discretionary portfolio management, trading, or rebalancing
Q3 Advisors: Is it secure?
Q3 Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Its service is as a fiduciary planning relationship; the firm does not sell financial products or manage investment portfolios.
Q3 discloses several privacy safeguards, including encryption of sensitive information transmitted online, access controls that limit access to personal information to authorized personnel, and physical security for data storage systems.
Q3 Advisors: Customer service
Q3 Advisors’ customer service is mainly advisor-led and planning-based.
Clients using Rothology or Rothology Legacy receive lifetime annual reviews and updates, while clients in comprehensive financial planning receive quarterly updates.
Q3 Advisors: What real customers are saying?
Some discussions focus on Roth conversion planning. Positive reviews often highlight the value of detailed long-term modeling, projected tax savings, and the confidence that comes from having a clear strategy and ongoing support.
One user said the advice “gave us the confidence to move forward with some fairly big conversions,” while another wrote that after several online meetings, they received “a 30-year, comprehensive plan” that they could implement “with a high degree of confidence.”
However, not all investors feel the service offers sufficient value for the cost. Some more cautious comments point out that Roth conversion advice may not justify a high fee for every investor, especially if the client can model the decision independently or has a simpler tax situation.
One user commented, “I had to swallow hard and pay them $9.3K…” while another wrote, “You don’t need to pay this guy for this if you learn about how these things work.”
Is Q3 Advisors worth it?
Q3 Advisors may be worth considering for clients seeking specialized Roth conversion planning alongside financial planning.
Its main strengths are detailed Roth conversion modeling, retirement and tax-planning focus, comprehensive planning coverage, flat-fee compensation, and the fact that it does not sell financial products or manage client assets.
The trade-off is cost and scope, so the service is most relevant for clients whose retirement tax situation is complex enough to justify the fee.
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