Life Transitions | Take Control Today — Get Expert Help

Major Financial Decisions Don’t Wait for the Right Moment.

We Can Help You Navigate Them.

Whether you’ve recently lost a spouse, gone through a divorce, received an inheritance, or are taking over the management of household finances for the first time,

BDB Wealth Advisors provides a steady, patient, fiduciary approach to help you get organized, make informed decisions, and move forward with confidence.

Book a 15-Min No-Obligation Intro Call

No pressure. No obligation.

We go at your pace.

This page is for anyone navigating a significant financial transition.

That may include:

• Death of a spouse or partner

• Divorce or legal separation

• An unexpected inheritance or estate settlement

• A sudden liquidity event (sale of a business or property)

• Taking over management of household or family finances — often for the first time

• A career change, early retirement, or unexpected job loss

• Any major life event that has changed your financial picture and left you uncertain about next steps

You don’t need to have everything figured out before you reach out. That’s exactly what the first conversation is for.

You May Be Looking for Help With…

Getting a clear picture of where things actually stand — what you have, what you owe, what income you can count on, and what decisions need to be made first

Understanding accounts, investments, or financial documents that may have been managed entirely by someone else and that you are now responsible for

Making important financial decisions during an emotionally difficult time without a trusted, objective professional in your corner

Knowing whether inherited assets, a settlement, or a lump sum are being handled appropriately — and whether the current investment approach still makes sense for your situation

Updating beneficiary designations, account ownership, and financial documents to reflect your current circumstances

Simply knowing where to start when the financial picture feels overwhelming

How BDB Wealth Can Help

Getting Organized First

Before we recommend anything, we help you understand exactly what you have — accounts, assets, income sources, liabilities, and the decisions that are actually time-sensitive versus the ones that can wait. There is rarely a reason to rush major financial decisions in the immediate aftermath of a life transition.

Objective, Fiduciary Guidance

As a fee-based fiduciary, we are required to act in your interest — not to sell you a product or move quickly to capture assets. Our role is to help you make informed decisions at a pace that makes sense for your situation.

Portfolio Management

When you’re ready, we manage investment portfolios on an ongoing, fee-based basis — with at least quarterly reviews and an Investment Policy Statement tailored to your specific goals, timeline, and risk tolerance.

Financial Planning

We can help work through the broader financial picture — income planning, account structure, beneficiary designations, tax considerations, insurance review, and coordination with your estate attorney and CPA. Financial planning is available as a standalone project, hourly, or through a monthly subscription.

Coordination With Your Other Professionals

We work alongside the estate attorneys, CPAs, and other professionals already involved in your situation — not instead of them. If a question falls outside our scope, we’ll say so and help you identify the right resource.

Long-Term Ongoing Support

Life transitions are rarely a single event — they unfold over months and years. We provide ongoing advisory support so you’re not making every decision alone.

Our Approach

1. Start with a conversation — no pressure, no agenda. Just an opportunity to understand your situation and what you are dealing with.

2. Get organized — a clear picture of your accounts, assets, income, and the decisions that actually need attention.

3. Build a plan — an Investment Policy Statement and financial framework suited to where you are now and where you want to go.

4. Manage and monitor — ongoing portfolio management with at least quarterly reviews, adjusted as your circumstances evolve.

5. Coordinate — work alongside your attorney, CPA, and other professionals as a consistent part of your financial team.

A Note on Pacing

There is rarely a reason to rush One of the most important things we tell people in transition: most financial decisions are not as urgent as they feel in the moment. Accounts can sit. Investments can stay put while you get your bearings. The goal of the first conversation is simply to help you understand what needs attention now versus what can wait. So you don’t feel pressured to make permanent decisions during a temporary state of uncertainty.

Assets Under Management	Annual Advisory Fee
$10,000 – $20,000	1.20%
$20,001 – $50,000	1.00%
$50,001 – $100,000	0.90%
$100,001 – $250,000	0.85%
$250,001 – $500,000	0.80%
$500,001 – $750,000	0.75%
$750,001 – $1,000,000	0.65%
$1,000,001 – $2,000,000	0.60%
$2,000,001 and above	0.55%

Our Fees

Investment management is charged as an annual advisory fee based on assets under management, billed monthly in arrears. Fees are generally negotiable and documented in your advisory agreement. We do not collect fees in advance.

Account Minimum $10,000 (waivable)

Performance Fees None — Ever

Billing Monthly in Arrears

Included at no additional charge based on AUM level:

• $100,000+: Access to online financial planning software (limited)

• $250,000+: Annual financial plan review — up to 3 hours of preparation and meeting time

• $1,000,000+: Quarterly financial plan reviews — up to 2 hours per quarter

Financial planning is also available as a standalone project ($500–$15,000+ depending on complexity), hourly ($100/hour), or as a $65/month subscription. Clients are responsible for thirdparty custodian fees charged by Altruist Financial LLC.

Insurance Conflict of Interest — Required Disclosure Danielle Bordenkircher is a separately licensed insurance agent who may earn commissions on insurance products. This activity is outside the advisory relationship and is disclosed as a conflict of interest. Clients are never required to purchase insurance through BDB Wealth Advisors.

View the full fee schedule at bdbwealthadvisors.com/fees

What the First Conversation Looks Like

15 minutes. No obligation. No pressure.

We go at your pace. We’ll briefly discuss what brought you here, what you’re dealing with, and whether BDB Wealth Advisors’ services may be appropriate for your situation. There is nothing to prepare in advance. If we think a different professional or approach would be a better fit; an estate attorney, a grief counselor, a CPA, we’ll say so. This is simply an opportunity to see if we’re the right people to help you with the financial side of what you’re navigating.

You are welcome to bring a family member, a trusted friend, or anyone you’d like to have in the room.

Why BDB Wealth

Fiduciary Status Always — Required by Law to Act in Your Interest

Multi-Professional Coordination Estate Attorneys, CPAs, Other Advisers

Fee Structure Fee-Based; No Investment Commissions

Local Presence York, Lancaster, Harrisburg + Virtual Nationwide

Approach Patient, Organized, No Pressure to Move Quickly

Registration PA State-Registered, CRD #336541

Frequently Asked Questions

No — and this is actually the best time to reach out. One of the most valuable things we do early in a transition is help you understand what decisions are genuinely time-sensitive versus what can wait. That clarity alone can reduce a significant amount of stress. You don’t need to be ready to make decisions to benefit from a conversation.
This is one of the most common situations we encounter in life transition planning. We start from the beginning — locating accounts, understanding what you have, and walking you through everything at a pace that makes sense for you. There is no assumed baseline of financial knowledge required.
Rarely. Inherited assets can typically remain where they are while you get oriented. There are some time-sensitive decisions in certain estate situations — like required distributions from inherited IRAs — but those have specific timelines we can help you understand. Acting quickly out of pressure is usually not necessary and sometimes harmful.
Yes, on the financial planning and investment management side. Divorce involves legal proceedings that require an attorney; our role is to help you understand the financial picture, evaluate proposed settlements from an investment and planning standpoint, and get organized for the financial life ahead. We work alongside your divorce attorney, not instead of them.
Investment management is charged as an annual advisory fee on assets under management — no commissions on investments. Financial planning is charged separately as a fixed project, hourly, or monthly subscription. There is never a fee for the initial 15-minute conversation. See our full fee schedule for details.
$10,000 for investment management, which may be waived at our discretion. If you are not sure whether you meet the minimum, please reach out anyway — the first conversation carries no obligation.