Stone Steps Financial LLC

Item 5: Fees and Compensation
Please note, unless a client has received the firm’s disclosure brochure at least 48 hours prior to signing the
investment advisory contract, the investment advisory contract may be terminated by the client within five (5)
business days of signing the contract without incurring any advisory fees. How we are paid depends on the
type of advisory service we are performing. Please review the fee and compensation information below.

Investment Management Services
This service includes ongoing financial planning and investment management. The annual Investment
Management fee will be reviewed and adjusted at least every 2 years.
Adviser is Compensated for its advisory services by fees charged on a percentage of Clients assets under
management with Adviser, on a blended fee basis. Asset-based fees generally range up to 1.5% per annum.
Fees are negotiable, and each client’s specific fee schedule is included as part of the investment advisory
agreement signed by Adviser and the client. The investment advisory agreement will also include details
specific to each client, including; whether fees are calculated and owed in advance or in arrears, the frequency
of such fees (monthly or quarterly), and whether fees are deducted automatically from the clients account or
whether the client may elect to be billed separately, the fee calculation methodology (average daily balance,
last day of specified period).
Advisory fees are directly debited from client accounts; however, the client may pay by check with the approval
of SSF. Accounts initiated or terminated during a calendar quarter will be charged a pro-rated fee based on the
amount of time remaining in the billing period. An account may be terminated with written notice. Upon
termination of the account, any unearned fee will be refunded to the client. This service includes accounts not
directly held in our custody (Held Away assets).

Financial Planning Hourly Fee
On occasion, Financial Planning is also offered at an hourly rate of $500.00. The fee may be negotiable in
certain cases and is due at the commencement of the engagement. The fee may be paid either by check or
through an unaffiliated payment processing service. This service may be terminated with notice before the
financial plan is delivered. Upon termination of any account, the fee will be prorated and any unearned fee will
be refunded to the client.
Retirement Plan Services
SSF will be compensated for retirement plan services according to the value of plan assets based on the
following fee schedule.

                          Plan Assets                               Annual Plan Consulting Fee
                        $0 - $1,000,000                                        0.75%
                        Next $4,000,000                                        0.50%
                        Next $5,000,000                    ​           ​       0.40%
                       Next $10,000,000                                        0.30%
                       $20,000,001 Plus                                        0.20%

The annual fees are negotiable and are pro-rated and paid in arrears on a quarterly basis. The retirement plan
consulting fee is a blended fee and is calculated by assessing the percentage rates using the predefined levels
of assets as shown in the above chart, resulting in a combined weighted fee. For example, an account valued at
$8,000,000 would pay an effective fee of 0.49% with the annual fee of $39,500.00. The quarterly fee is
determined by the following calculation: (($1,000,000 x 0.75%) + ($4,000,000 x 0.50%) + ($3,000,000 x 0.40)) ÷
4 = $9,875.00. No increase in the annual fee shall be effective without agreement from the client by signing a
new agreement or amendment to their current advisory agreement.
Plan consulting fees are directly debited from client accounts by the Third Party Administrator, however the
client may pay by check with the approval of SSF. Accounts initiated or terminated during a calendar quarter
will be charged a pro-rated fee based on the amount of time remaining in the billing period. An account may
be terminated with written notice. Upon termination of the account, any unearned fee will be refunded to the
client.
Other Types of Fees and Expenses
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.
Item 12 further describes the factors that we consider in selecting or recommending broker-dealers for client’s
transactions and determining the reasonableness of their compensation (e.g., commissions).

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.

Item 7: Types of Clients
We provide financial planning and portfolio management services to individuals and high net-worth
individuals. We do not have a minimum account size requirement.
Our minimum fee for our combined investment management and financial planning services is $10,000
annually.