01 / About

A planner who answers to you, not a firm.

Independent, fee-only, and fiduciary. Steve works for the people sitting across the table — not a Wall Street parent company.

I started this practice after a decade inside two large brokerages in the DC area. I kept watching families get sold products they didn't need, by advisors who didn't have to put their interests first.

So in 2014 I opened Steve Oriol Financial Planning on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda — a small, independent, fee-only practice built around a single promise: fiduciary advice, in writing, every time. No commissions. No proprietary products. No quiet incentives. Just a planner whose compensation doesn't change based on what you buy.

Most of my clients live within twenty minutes of downtown Bethesda — in Chevy Chase, Kensington, Cabin John, and Northwest DC. They're teachers, federal employees, physicians, small-business owners, and couples ten years from retirement who finally want a real plan instead of a stack of statements. We meet in person when we can, and over video when we can't. The work is the same either way.

Years independent
in Bethesda

240+

Households served
across DC metro

$340M

In client assets
planned & advised

Steve Oriol's office on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda, Maryland

Wisconsin Ave · Bethesda

02 / Services & pricing

Six things I actually do for you.

Flat-fee and transparent. No AUM percentage, no commissions, no hidden trails. The price you see is the price you pay.

01 — FLAGSHIP

Comprehensive financial plan

A full written plan covering retirement projections, tax strategy, investments, insurance, estate, and cash flow. Two meetings a year to keep it honest.

$3,500 / year, flat

Retirement income planning

Social Security timing, Roth conversion ladders, pension elections, and a sustainable withdrawal plan that survives market drawdowns.

$1,200 / one-time

Tax strategy & Roth conversions

Year-by-year conversion plan, charitable bunching, and capital-gains harvesting. Coordinated directly with your CPA.

$900 / year

Estate & beneficiary review

Trust structures, beneficiary audit, and coordination with your estate attorney. We catch the gaps attorneys miss.

$750 / one-time

Investment management

Low-cost, evidence-based portfolios. Custodied at Schwab or Fidelity. You see everything, all the time.

0.65% / year on assets

Small-business & 401(k) setup

Solo 401(k), SEP-IRA, and defined-benefit plans for Bethesda-area practices and consultancies. We handle the paperwork.

$1,500 / setup

03 / Approach

Three things I won't compromise on.

The financial planning industry is full of fine print. These three promises are the parts I refuse to write in fine print.

Fiduciary, in writing

I sign a fiduciary pledge on every engagement. That means I'm legally obligated to put your interests ahead of mine. Not "suitable." Not "okay." Ahead.

Fee-only, no commissions

My only source of income is the fee you pay me. No mutual fund trails, no annuity kickbacks, no insurance commissions. If I recommend it, I don't get paid more if you say yes.

Plain-English plans

Your plan is written so you can read it on a Sunday morning without a glossary. If I can't explain a strategy to you in one paragraph, it doesn't belong in your plan.

04 / Process

Four meetings. One year.

Most plans fail because they're delivered in a binder and never opened again. Mine aren't.

Discovery

A 60-minute conversation about your money, your family, and what you actually want from the next ten years.

Plan delivery

Two weeks later, a written plan with specific recommendations — retirement projections, tax moves, and an investment policy statement.

Implementation

I open the accounts, transfer the assets, file the paperwork, and coordinate with your CPA and estate attorney. You don't lift a finger.

Two reviews a year

Spring and fall. We re-run the projections, adjust for life changes, and make the next twelve months of decisions together.

05 / Contact

Let's talk about your plan.

The first call is thirty minutes, free, and strictly confidential. We'll talk about where you are, where you want to be, and whether I'm the right planner to help you get there. No pressure, no sales script.

Phone

0000800369 · 084227288

Office

Bethesda, Maryland
United States · by appointment

Hours

Mon–Fri · 8:30am to 5:30pm ET

Serving

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Kensington, Cabin John, Northwest DC & the wider DC metro

Request a consultation

Tell me a little about your situation. I'll reply within one business day.